Passion's Crossfire

Chapter 96

Adam

"I have some," my father says, and I exhale deeply. "Mallory is here with me; I'll put you on speaker," I say, activating the speaker mode on my phone.

"Hi, Mr. Christensen," Mallory greets.

"Mallory, sweetheart, I am so sorry for everything my wife is putting you and your family through. I will rectify the situation, don't worry," my father's voice reassures from the speaker.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Christensen," Mallory says, her eyes welling with tears.

"You said you had some good news?" I inquire.

"Yeah, well, I was able to secure your parents' house, Mallory. They won't lose their home," my father announces. Mallory takes a sharp, shaky breath, a mix of relief and gratitude evident on her face. "Oh my God, thank you so much, Mr. Christensen. That's great news," she says, a small smile forming on her lips.

"How did you manage that?" I question, glancing at Mallory. There's a brief silence as we exchange glances.

"I paid off the rest of the loan. I hope your parents won't misread this, Mallory; it was the only way I could help. Honestly, it was the least I could do, since my wife almost cost them their home," my father explains.

Mallory's eyes widen in shock, her jaw dropping. "I think Mallory is speechless, Dad. Thank you for doing that; it means a lot," I express my gratitude.

Mallory nods, her expression still lost in disbelief. "Don't mention it. I'll see what I can do about Mallory's university and her father's business. Everything will be back to normal, Mallory," my father assures.

I thank him again, and we hang up the phone. The weight that had settled on our shoulders begins to lift, and I pull Mallory into a tight hug. "Your dad is amazing," she says, her voice muffled against my chest.

"He really is. We'll get through this, Mallory. I promise," I say, running my fingers through her hair.

With a deep breath, Mallory pulls away, wiping away her tears. "I need to call my parents and tell them the good news about the house. They'll be so relieved."

"Go ahead, baby. Take all the time you need," I encourage her.

She grabs her phone and dials her parents. I watch her as she speaks, a mix of emotions crossing her face — relief, joy, and still a lingering sense of disbelief. When she ends the call, she looks at me with gratitude and happiness. "My parents are over the moon. They can't believe it."

I smile, relieved to see a spark of joy in her eyes. "See, everything's falling into place."

Mallory nods, determination in her gaze. "We won't let your mother ruin our lives. We'll fight back."

"That's the spirit," I say, proud of her resilience.

"My father wants to pay your father back, but he is very grateful to him for stepping in like that," Mallory says.

"I doubt he will accept, but I will talk to him about it," I say, gently squeezing her hand. Mallory nods, and I kiss the top of her head.

"Are you hungry?" I ask.

Mallory shakes her head. "No, not really," she replies.

"When did you last eat?" I inquire.

Mallory looks up, thinking. "Um... breakfast in the morning?" she says.

I give her a scolding look, then lift her off my lap and put her on the couch. Standing up, I head to the kitchen, and Mallory follows me. I open the fridge and take two steaks out, tossing them into a frying pan to cook. Mallory starts preparing a salad. It's such a simple moment, yet her life has been turned upside down, and I'm desperate to make everything okay for her again. More than okay. I want her life to be perfect, just as she deserves.

I look at her, deeply concentrated in preparing the salad. I just want to be with her; I don't need anything else. Mallory puts the salad on the table, setting it neatly, and I serve the steaks on plates, placing them next to the salad. We sit across from each other and start eating.

The silence between us is comfortable, and I watch Mallory take a few bites. Despite the turmoil, seeing her eat is a small comfort. All the stress she is under is certainly not good for her; we don't need to add to the mix her not eating.

After we finish eating, I help Mallory clear the table. As we load the dishwasher together, I steal glances at her. Her resilience and grace under pressure amaze me.

"What?" Mallory asks when she catches my stare, her lips tugging into a smile.

"Nothing," I say, smiling back at her, playing with a tea towel in my hands. Mallory grabs it from me and demands, "Tell me!"

I chuckle and pull her by the waist, drawing her closer to me. "When we are alone, I just forget all the other crap that is going on. I know that it's easy for me to say that, but it feels like we are the only two people in the world," I confess.

Mallory's smile widens. "I feel that way too. I still feel a little guilty about my parents, but it makes me feel so much better being with you," she says, and my heart skips a beat.

"Although... I would like to visit my parents today," she says hesitantly.

"Great, are you ready to leave, or do you need some time?" I say, a wide grin spreading on Mallory's face. She kisses me and says, "Let's go."

I grab my keys, and we head out of the apartment, locking the door behind us. The drive to Mallory's parents' house is filled with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. I can't shake the worry about what her parents might think of me after everything that's happened.

"They won't change their mind about you, baby," Mallory says, startling me.

"What are you, some mind reader?" I ask.

Mallory chuckles, "I could see in your face that you were thinking exactly that."

My grip on the wheel tightens. "You don't know that, Mallory. They are facing financial ruin because of my mother."

"Exactly; because of your mother. Adam, you stood by me when no one else would. I had the best lawyer on Matt's trial, thanks to you. My parents have their home thanks to your father. They won't change their mind about you," Mallory reassures me.

Her words provide a glimmer of comfort. We drive in silence for a while, lost in our thoughts. Soon, her parents house comes into view and I pull over on their driveway. Mallory and I get out of the car and walk towards their front door holding hands. Mallory rings the bell and I stop breathing for a second.

Please, don't let them hate me.