l

mbled with the key, my body still weak from fainting earlier. The familiar scent o

his lawyer. Each conversation drove the knife deeper into my chest. He spoke about our marriage like it was a failed b

crystal chandelier Adrian had imported from Italy, the painting we'd bought together in Paris during our

y voice echoing in the vas

nch. He appeared at the top of the grand staircase, still in his work

t, like he was stating the weath

same casual confidence he'd once used to touch my face. When he reached the bottom, he di

"Can we just talk about this? What happened today... ther

Us? Elena, there is no 'us.' Th

ur marr

was too busy building my empire to deal with the mess." He straightened his tie, the same gesture he'd

gain. Not in front of him. "Adrian, I love you. We can work

guage. "Elena, you don't love me. You love the idea of me. You love the li

rts to stay strong. "I've been by your side for thre

beautiful, well-behaved decoration that I trotted out

proposed to me on the beach in Santorini. This wasn't the man who'd held me whi

I whispered. "When did

ena. I've always been this way

e as Maya appeared from the direction of the kitchen, wearing a silk robe that I recogniz

ention. My diamond necklace, the one Adrian had given me for our first anniversary glittered at her throat.

walked over to Adrian and slipped her arm through his with casual familiar

out as a hoarse whisper

rkling with malicious amusement. "Oh, this old thing? Adrian gave it to

troyed my marriage, but now they were erasing m

ronger than I expected. "Take off m

ings. "Your house? Sweetie, this is Adrian's house

a thick manila envelope. He tossed it onto the coffe

lawyer worked fast. Sign them, and yo

like it was a venomous sna

hardness that made my skin crawl. "Don't ma

t. "You destroy our marriage, humiliate me with my b

her nails with bored indifference. "Just sign the

face her fully. "Get out of my

ou can't. Because this isn't your house anymore, and these aren't

necklace, but Adrian caught my wris

e deadly quiet. "Don't emba

ried to pull free, b

papers, E

No

ist and pulled out his phone. "One call to my legal team, and your family's construction business disap

employing over fifty people including my younger brother. My mother's cancer treatments were

ldn't," I

y. One word from me, and your family's business becomes radioactive. No one will work with the

hted by the threat. "Oh, I love it when

o call his bluff. But the image of my father's devastated face, of my brother lo

monster," I

corrected. "And you're a liab

rs sagged, and I felt myself shrinking under thei

to pack," I

lready turning away from me. "Take only what you b

eetly. "Since it was all gifts to the

poison in the air. When I heard the bedroom door close upstairs, I finally a

I'd been sleeping for months. I pulled out a suitcase and began mechanically folding the clothes Adrian deeme

oom. I barely made it before my stomach emptied itself violently. When the retc

had happened. But even as I thought it, another possibil

my last

was looking for. The pregnancy test felt impossibly heavy in my shaking fingers as I rea

ind racing with possibilities I wasn't ready to consider. This couldn

shook so violently I could barely hold the t

ines stared

iti

ant with Ad

behind me. In the mirror, I saw Adrian's reflection, his face shifting from annoyance to shock as he to

s voice strangely qu