Session 𝓝inety-Seven

Session 97:

“The Future of The Leclair Family”

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I was frozen, purposely staying still until my girlfriend made the first move.

It was silent.

Deadly silent, especially with what this family was capable of.

I glanced over the moment Monroe took a step forward.

But she didn’t walk over to the dining room table.

She walked to the kitchen instead?

It made me furrow my brows, wondering what exactly she was doing.

Meanwhile, Leon and Clarisse patiently waited, a calm expression on their faces.

Leon was in the usual crisp white button-down and dress pants.

While Clarisse wore a soft pink blouse and light slacks, her pale blonde hair in an elegant French twist.

The way they looked… it was like they knew their daughter would comply.

“Monroe,” I whispered when she swiftly grabbed the thickest knife from the block, the sound slicing the air.

It felt like I was the only one concerned.

Monroe was calm as she walked back over to me, her shoulders rolled back and her chin high.

And her parents looked unfazed?

What the fuck is going on?

“Come here, Liberty,” Monroe murmured, pulling one of the chairs at the table out.

I blinked a few times, suddenly feeling very… intimidated.

Maybe even scared.

Now they’re all scaring me.

Why do I have to be a part of this family meeting?

I drew in a deep breath the moment her blue eyes shifted to me, a darkness nearly hollowing them out.

It was unsettling.

Still, I took a step forward, trying to cling to the version of my girlfriend I recalled.

Not who she is right now with that sharp knife dangling casually in her hand.

I walked over to her despite my thoughts screaming at me, trying my best to trust her right now.

Monroe didn’t say anything once I stopped in front of her.

She only motioned her head down to the chair, silently telling me to sit.

I didn’t hesitate to listen, given she’s the one with the knife right now.

Once I was seated, she lightly pushed me closer to the table.

Then she grabbed the chair closest to her parents, sitting down beside me.

I side-eyed the knife she set on the table, watching her trace the tip of her finger down the top of the metal.

It sent me back so many months ago.

The time she set me at this same table and cut that steak while she told me the story about the fisherman and the gold coin.

It still gave me chills to this day.

“Ms. Fierro,” Leon spoke through the tense air, immediately making my stare shift to him.

I feel like I’m going to throw up.

“Is Monroe treating you well?” Leon asked, which confused me a little.

Why does he even care?

“Yeah,” I whispered, unable to physically get out any other words.

There’s this lump in my throat.

I really feel like I’m going to throw up.

“Très bien,” Clarisse spoke, her lips forced up into a smile as her blue eyes shifted between us.

When will this be over?

“It’s essential that you have someone grounding you upon taking over the company, Monroe,” Leon addressed his daughter.

And almost immediately, I knew where this conversation was headed.

“Right,” Monroe said, making me nod slightly.

This is what we agreed on.

We would drag this all out for them until we came up with a real plan.

“We also need to discuss arrangements for Ms. Fierro here,” Leon determined, making my brows furrow slightly. “We planned to discuss this with you at the event this weekend.”

His words held a passive edge.

But the wide smile on his lips contradicted it.

“But we understand, mon bijou. You’re busy,” Leon said, making Clarisse nod once.

“We can always come to you, oui?” Clarisse murmured softly, tilting her head in almost a challenging way.

Yet, she had the audacity to still have a smile on her lips.

This entire conversation feels like an argument hidden behind smiles.

It’s weird.

“Oui,” Monroe said, clearly just giving in to whatever they said right now.

It was the smartest decision.

We can regroup after this.

“Ms. Fierro can work for the company until you marry,” Leon determined, as if he were in control of our future to this degree.

The entitlement.

They genuinely think they can control everything.

And maybe they can.

Maybe the wealth and status they have allow them to.

But this—we are the one thing they won’t have control over.

“The wedding will be next spring. We’ll work on the publicity leading up to it,” Leon explained, and it genuinely felt like this was all already decided. “This will shape the image of the family, and our future heir to come.”

My eyes immediately widened at his words.

Future heir.

They want us to have a child?

I know Monroe mentioned that they wanted an heir, but it’s different when they genuinely already planned out the next few years of our future.

This felt too real for my liking.

I don’t want children.

I know Monroe doesn’t either.

And then marriage?

We just started dating.

They’re also ruining the beauty of even getting married.

Like the proposal and the overall decision that we have.

They’re literally taking away our free will.

“An heir,” Monroe said, and I could hear how skeptical she was.

It didn’t seem like she was willing to go further with our plan.

“That sounds nice,” I quickly forced out. “I… uh love children.”

Monroe glanced over at me immediately, her blue eyes locking with mine.

I knew my words sounded like such a lie.

Monroe definitely heard it.

Which meant her parents did too.

“Of course, I uh never really thought that far yet since we just started dating,” I quickly added, wanting to sound more believable.

My words were technically true.

I hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“You don’t need to think at all, Ms. Fierro,” Leon said, almost like he was reassuring me, but it felt more terrifying instead. “We have a team of people dedicated to planning the future of the Leclair family.”

Oh god.

This feels so dystopian?

“Do we have a team that traces a particular drug as well?” Monroe suddenly asked, “My girlfriend was recently drugged, and I would love to know who was behind the violation.”

I drew in a deep breath—someone’s not making it out of this conversation alive.

The odds of it feel low.

“Mon dieu,” Clarisse said with wide eyes, as if she were genuinely concerned about my well-being. “I imagine that must have been terrifying.”

It was the way she said it.

The tone she used.

They did it.

I’m looking at them now, and I know they did it.

What is wrong with them?

Why would they do that to someone?

It’s so messed up.

“You’re very touchable right now,” Leon determined, “Once you take your place at Levane. We can take better precautions.”

Wow.

Okay, this makes sense now.

They set this all up.

“We surely don’t want Ms. Fierro to be harmed again,” Clarisse agreed with her husband. “Oui, Monroe?”

Shivers rolled down my body at her words.

Or the threat she made, I should say.

She just… threatened me.

Or they both did.

They’ll harm me if Monroe doesn’t take over Levane.

I glanced over the moment Monroe lifted the knife in her hand.

It made me draw in a conscious breath, wondering if this was the straw.

She’s teetering on a thin edge.

I can feel it.

I gasped the moment she launched the knife forward—

Slicing directly below Leon’s shoulder.

Clarisse flinched.

It was subtle, but I noticed it immediately.

And Leon was—

Unfazed?

His jaw had tightened, but he didn’t react?

He wasn’t in pain.

There's no blood either?

“You’re wearing a vest,” Monroe murmured as Leon tugged the knife out of his protected shoulder. “What an odd precaution to take.”

It was silent for a moment between us.

Tensely silent as Monroe and her father held eye contact, the same tightness in both of their jaws.

I flinched the moment Leon let out a boisterous laugh, rattling the table.

So he doesn’t care that she just launched a knife at him?

“I’m always precarious, mon bijou,” he said, a wide smile spread on his lips. “You should be as well.”

Another threat.

Monroe hummed, the sound vibrating lowly in her throat.

“Someone can always aim for the head,” Monroe said, making me awkwardly purse my lips. “Perhaps you should invest in a helmet. It might be more useful than you realize.”

We all knew it was a threat directed right back at him.

Yet, Leon was unfazed.

“Perhaps, I should,” he weirdly agreed, his dark eyes not wavering from his daughter.

Then it was silent again.

Eerily silent.

Clarisse just stared at her husband, waiting for his next move.

It felt like she was his lap dog.

“It’s settled then. You’ll take over Levane come summer,” Leon said, even if Monroe had never agreed to those terms.

Summer is really fucking close.

It's April now, so we’re only a month away from then.

What if we don’t have a plan by June?

“We’re not ready to leave Seattle quite yet,” Leon said before Monroe could actually agree to his last statement. “We’ll do dinner before we leave.”

I blinked a few times as he stood from his chair, causing Clarisse to do the same.

They’re… staying in Seattle?

For even longer?

I thought they would probably leave after this.

Why are they staying?

Is that a bad sign?

Probably.

No, definitely.

“It’s quite odd to choose such a house with the funds you have,” Clarisse murmured in observation, eyeing the room in disapproval.

Then she walked off, her Mary Janes clicking against the floor.

There was no goodbye, or even an I love you targeted at her daughter.

Leon did the same.

It was like we had concluded a business meeting or something.

Monroe didn’t seem fazed by any of it.

She just sat there staring forward, leaving me to stare at her, waiting for what we should do next.

Even after hearing the door shut behind them, Monroe remained concerningly still.

I knew I would have to say something first.

“We’ll formulate a better plan,” I softly whispered, hoping to reassure whatever was going on in her head right now.

“There is no better plan, Liberty,” Monroe said, standing sharply from her chair that scraped the floor.

I pursed my lips, hesitantly standing from my chair.

“There has to be something, baby,” I whispered, following behind her. “We’ll figure it out.”

Monroe only shook her head, parting her lips to say something.

But all she did was sigh, pressing her palms on the counter that she leaned over.

“I need a moment,” she said, her voice barely audible in the air. “I need a very long moment, Liberty.”

I quickly nodded. “Of course, whatever you need, baby.”

I glanced down at Monroe’s hands, noticing them tighten subtly around the counter.

“The audacity to show up here. In my home—my space,” she emphasized, pushing herself away from the counter. “They don’t get to decide what I do with my life—having a child? God, it’s completely insane.”

I nodded wordlessly, unable to string any sort of words together.

I’ve never seen her heated like this—off in a rant.

It was weirdly attractive, but I knew that should be the last thing on my mind.

“They aren’t making me do anything,” Monroe determined, pacing down the floor, “They aren’t making us do anything.”

I nodded yet again, wanting to contribute something, but all I could do was stare speechlessly at her.

“I’m done. That was it, Liberty,” she said, abruptly halting in place. “They passively admitted to drugging you. They threatened you.”

“Ro,” I whispered, taking a few steps closer to her.

She only shook her head. “They need to be dealt with. I need to protect you.”

I drew in a deep breath at her words, processing that she was only worried about me.

She wasn’t worried about taking over Levane or the fact that she just threw a sharpened knife at her father.

Her biggest concern was me and my safety.

God, am I in love with this woman.

There could be so much chaos—all this noise, and she always thinks of me.

She always chooses me.

It’s time for me to choose her.

“I’ll do anything you want to do,” I suddenly said before I could logically think it through. “If you decide to take over Levane, we’ll do the spring wedding and those stupid press conferences.”

“No,” Monroe firmly said.

Then she paused, her face falling slightly as she eyed me.

It’s like something had clicked in her head, enough to make her shoulders loosen.

“You would do that for me, Liberty?” she suddenly whispered, her voice so much softer than before.

“Of course, baby,” I didn’t hesitate to say, taking a few steps closer to her. “I’ll do anything for you, Ro. Even if that means following you to the ends of the earth.”

My girlfriend didn’t react.

She had this neutral expression.

Then her brows furrowed slightly, a glossiness glazing over her perfect blue eyes.

It made me frown, hating the subtle tears in her eyes.

“I would follow you to the ends of the earth as well,” she weakly whispered, glancing down at the floor as she drew in a soft breath.

It made my chest tighten, immediately closing the space between us to pull her into the tightest hug.

“I don’t want them ruining our authentic moments, Liberty,” she whispered, burying her face in the crook of my neck. “I want to get engaged because we’re ready. Not for the sake of image. And I don’t want to spend all of my time running Levane without any time to spend with you. I also don’t want a child. They’re ruining everything for us.”

I hummed softly, “No, we’re not giving them that power,” I insisted, caressing my hands up her back. “If we choose to move forward, it’s because we want to go down that path. Otherwise, we’ll fight.”

“They’re going to hurt you,” she sighed, squeezing me closer. “I can’t let them hurt you, Liberty.”

My heart physically sank at her broken words.

Yet again, her parents had broken her apart with no plan of repair.

“Let’s just…” I trailed off, genuinely unsure of what to say at this point. “Let’s give it some time. Not long—maybe a few weeks. We’ll come up with something that works for us.”

Monroe didn’t say anything, making me squeeze her tighter against me.

“Time always helps,” I whispered, hoping to reassure her somewhat.

All Monroe could get out was a hum, unable to say anything else.

I gently kissed her shoulder.

Then up her neck, delicately running my hands up her body.

Monroe let out a deep sigh, relaxing against me as I continued softly kissing her neck.

I just wanted to ease her a little better, especially after what just happened.

So I trailed my hands lower—but Monroe had already beat me to it, undoing her pants for me in one swift motion.

I smiled slightly against her neck, naturally trailing kisses down again as I guided her pants past her hips.

Then I pulled away from her, lowering down on my knees.

I didn’t break eye contact with her as my hands guided the fabric the rest of the way down, pooling at her ankles.

Her breathing was uneven—controlled in the way my girlfriend always tried to keep it.

I didn’t say anything.

I didn’t want to.

Words felt like clutter right now.

It felt more intimate with me looking up at her, the only sound weighing down the air was our heavy entangled breaths.

My palms smoothed up her soft thighs, slow enough to make her draw in a sharp breath, especially when my thumbs pressed into the softness there.

I kissed the inside of her knee, lingering longer than necessary to feel the warmth of her skin under my lips.

Monroe’s hand found my curly hair, the other grabbing the counter behind her.

I nipped lightly against the sensitive skin higher on her thigh, then ran my tongue over her skin.

I trailed kisses up closer to her core, letting my fingers spread her soft, wet folds apart so I could see her how I liked.

She was so beautiful like this.

I impatiently pressed my lips against her warm core—and her quiet inhale was the only encouragement I needed.

 My tongue circled against her clit, tasting her, savoring the way her grip tightened in my hair.

I didn’t speed up my pace, making her feel every movement, every flick of my tongue, every press of my mouth that applied more pressure.

I didn’t want to rush her.

I wanted to soothe her after everything.

“Liberty,” she moaned, her voice strained in a way that made my face burn up.  

I hummed against her, the vibration making her hips shift.

My hands slid around to grip her ass, holding her exactly where I wanted her, my mouth deepening its pace.

Her breaths grew more uneven, breaking through her usual control.

I pulled back just enough to look up at her, my lips still wet with her.

Her eyes were half-lidded, her mouth parted, and she looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out.

“You’re safe,” I whispered, my voice low and reassuring. “Right here in the moment. I get you, always.”

Something flickered in her gaze.

Softness maybe?

Possibly even belief.

I leaned my face in again, pressing my mouth back against her.

She let out a sound.

It was a half sigh, half moan.

I felt it all the way down my spine.

I kept a slow pace, my tongue moving in the way I knew made her lose her composure.

My hands slid up her sides under her shirt, feeling the flex of her ribs as she tried to steady her breathing.

Her body betrayed her before her voice did.

I could tell when her hips started pressing into me without her permission, the tension flexing tight in her muscles.

I closed my eyes, quite literally drinking her in, letting her scent and taste flood my senses.

“My god,” she finally got out, the sound so fucking raw.

My nails pressed lightly into her hips as I increased the pressure, making Monroe’s grip in my hair tighten.

Her thighs trembled, and I could feel her approaching her climax.

Then she tipped over the edge, fully coming undone for me.

I didn’t pull away right away.

I never did.

I let her ride it out, basking in every last drop of her until she loosened against me.

I unconsciously pressed one last kiss against her before pulling away, looking up at her with nothing but admiration.

Her face was flushed in the way I liked it, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths, her soft lips parted slightly.

I slowly stood from my knees, letting my hands trail back up her body as I guided her pants back up.

Then I pulled her close again until we were chest to chest.

Her forehead pressed against mine, and those perfect blue eyes of hers sank into mine.

“Feel better?” I whispered softly, eyeing the plumpness of her lips.

My girlfriend wordlessly nodded, leaning in to softly kiss me.

“Much better,” she admitted as I kissed her back, hugging her closer to me.

I knew our problems still existed, but it was nice to diminish them right now.

They’ll still be there tomorrow.

I genuinely think time will help us come up with a better solution.

“I told Kaia I would speak with her,” I suddenly whispered.

I didn’t want to ruin the moment, but I wanted to tell Monroe as soon as possible.

And right now is the calmest moment of our night.

“No,” Monroe immediately murmured, pressing another soft kiss against my lips.

“I need to—especially everything that happened,” I whispered as she kissed me deeper.

I pulled back slightly, wanting her to take me seriously.

“I want to make sure that she won’t say anything,” I emphasized, knowing Kaia didn't sign an NDA.

My girlfriend lazily hummed, “I can make sure.”

“Monroe,” I said, shaking my head. “No removing issues. I just want to talk to her.”

She remained silent for a moment, her blue eyes trailing my face in thought.

I was honestly happy that she was even contemplating it.

“Monroe, I need to talk to her,” I emphasized yet again, hoping she would just give in.

It would be easier if she could just agree.

I also don’t want to go behind her back at a time like this.

Monroe’s already fighting herself to keep her sanity intact.

I don’t want to make it worse for her.

Kaia is a loose end, though, and I want to handle the situation in the best way possible.

“Okay.”

My eyes immediately widened, “Okay?” I clarified, a slow smile spreading on my lips.

“Okay, but not for long, Liberty. I also want to be nearby,” she determined, making me nod a few times in a row.

“Of course-yes, you can be nearby,” I didn’t hesitate to say, immediately kissing her lips. “Thank you, baby.”

Monroe only hummed as we pulled back, briefly kissing my cheek before pulling away entirely.

This is good.

It’s progress.

Yes, her parents are… in Seattle.

And we might be forced into a dinner with them.

But once I speak to Kaia, that’s one less thing on the list.