The Crime Boss’s Weakness

Part 2: The Wife He Underestimated

Monday morning, Aaron Knight walked into the boardroom expecting a routine meeting.

Instead, he found eleven executives sitting in silence.

At the head of the table was Erica’s empty chair.

Aaron frowned.

“Where is everyone?”

Grant Holloway, his most trusted business partner, pushed a folder across the table.

“We have a problem.”

Aaron opened it.

His expression changed immediately.

The controlling-shareholder agreement had been frozen.

No transfers. No restructuring. No executive changes without the authorization of Erica Knight’s private trust.

“What the hell is this?”

Grant leaned back.

“Your wife has hired Renee Caldwell.”

Aaron’s jaw tightened.

“Erica?”

“Apparently, she’s not interested in discussing things privately anymore.”

Aaron pulled out his phone and called her.

It went straight to voicemail.

He called again.

Nothing.

Finally, he slammed the phone onto the table.

“Find her.”

Grant hesitated.

“With respect, Aaron, she’s your pregnant wife, not a missing employee.”

Aaron shot him a cold look.

“Watch your mouth.”

Meanwhile, Erica was sitting in Renee’s office, reviewing the original trust documents.

She had barely slept, and her daughter was moving constantly beneath her ribs.

But for the first time, she wasn’t frightened of what Aaron might do.

“There’s something else,” Renee explained. “Your grandmother’s trust didn’t simply provide startup capital. It retained voting rights over a substantial portion of Knight Maritime.”

Erica looked up.

“So I have a say in the company?”

“More than a say. Under the original agreement, you can prevent certain major transactions.”

Erica stared at the papers.

“Does Aaron know?”

“He knows about the investment. I’m not convinced he ever understood the full agreement.”

Erica gave a bitter smile.

“That sounds like him.”

Her phone suddenly rang.

Madison Porter.

Erica watched the screen until it stopped.

Then a message appeared.

Erica, please don’t make a mistake because of something you misunderstood. Aaron and I need to talk to you.

A second message followed.

You know how much pressure he’s under. Don’t destroy everything he’s built.

Erica read it twice.

Then she forwarded both messages to Renee.

“Add those to the file.”

At noon, Aaron finally reached Kayla.

“Where is my wife?”

Kayla laughed without humor.

“Your wife? That’s interesting. I thought Madison was your priority now.”

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“Put Erica on the phone.”

“She’s not interested.”

“Kayla, this isn’t a game.”

“No, Aaron. It stopped being a game when my pregnant sister watched you kiss her best friend.”

Silence.

Then Aaron lowered his voice.

“You don’t understand what happened.”

“I understand perfectly. She came to my house carrying your daughter’s sonogram, and she couldn’t stop crying.”

Aaron said nothing.

For the first time, the reality of what he had done seemed to reach him.

“Is the baby okay?”

Kayla’s voice became colder.

“Now you remember you have a daughter?”

She hung up.

That afternoon, Aaron arrived at Kayla’s house.

Two security vehicles followed his black SUV.

Erica was sitting in the living room when she heard the doorbell.

Kayla stood immediately.

“Stay here.”

But Erica rose carefully and walked toward the entrance.

Aaron stood outside in his expensive charcoal coat.

His eyes immediately moved to her belly.

“Erica.”

She didn’t move.

“Why are you here?”

“To take you home.”

“I’m not going home.”

His jaw tightened.

“We need to talk.”

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“We had eleven years to talk, Aaron.”

He glanced toward Kayla, then back at his wife.

“Madison means nothing.”

Erica gave a small, exhausted laugh.

“Then why did you kiss her?”

Aaron looked away for half a second.

“It was complicated.”

“No. It was simple. You wanted her, and you kissed her.”

“That’s not what I intended.”

“Did you intend to let me hear you say I was your weakness? Did you intend to discuss letting me go while I was standing outside that door?”

Aaron stepped closer.

“I was trying to protect you.”

“From what?”

He didn’t answer.

Erica’s eyes filled, but her voice remained steady.

“That’s what you always do. You make decisions about my life and call them protection.”

“You’re carrying my child.”

“Our child,” she corrected.

He reached for her hand.

She stepped back.

“Don’t.”

For several seconds, Aaron looked like a man who had forgotten how to speak.

Then he noticed the folder on the living-room table.

“What did Renee tell you?”

Erica followed his gaze.

“Enough.”

His expression hardened.

“Stay away from Knight Maritime’s legal documents.”

She looked directly at him.

“Interesting. You came here to bring your wife home, but the first thing you’re worried about is the company.”

“Erica, don’t push me.”

Her eyes suddenly became cold.

“You should have thought about that before you pushed me out of your marriage.”

She closed the door.

Aaron stood outside for nearly a minute.

Then his phone rang.

It was Grant.

“Boss, Madison is at the office. She says she has something important to tell you.”

Aaron closed his eyes.

“Tell her I’m busy.”

“She says it’s about the baby.”

Aaron froze.

“What baby?”

Grant hesitated.

“She claims she’s pregnant.”

For the first time that morning, Aaron had no idea what to say.