Chapter 1

After the wedding rehearsal wrapped up, Carter said he was heading outside for a smoke.

Out of nowhere, a little ring bearer sprinted toward me, throwing his arms around my legs and calling me Mommy.

I assumed he was just confused and had mistaked me for someone else. I reached down, ready to take his hand and guide him back to the wedding planners.

Instead, the boy gripped me even tighter, tugging me frantically toward the exit.

"Mommy, run! Leo came back from seven years in the future!"

"Daddy and Aunt Chloe are going to hurt you! Daddy is an evil man!"

I froze. I knelt down to look at his face.

He wasn't on our official guest list for ring bearers.

Yet his eyes looked just like mine, and his jawline was a carbon copy of Carter’s. Could he really be my future son?

Before I could wrap my head around it, the boy shoved an official marriage certificate into my hands.

Spouse A: Chloe Bennett

Spouse B: Carter Sterling

Registration Date: May 20, 2026.

That was yesterday.

My gaze locked onto the certificate, my stomach knotting tighter by the second.

Leo’s tiny voice trembled as he kept talking:

"Daddy told you he was away on a business trip yesterday, right? He lied! He spent the whole day with Aunt Chloe at Villa 12 in Whisper Ridge Estates."

"When he walks back in, he’s going to say there's an emergency at the office so he can sneak off to see her again."

Right on cue, the sliding glass doors chimed open. Carter finished his cigarette and strolled back inside.

Leo was terrified of him.

The boy shrank behind my dress, trembling and burying his face out of sight.

Carter walked up, barely glancing at the strange kid hiding behind me.

His expression was full of rushed concern. "Valerie, there’s a crisis with our tech acquisition project. I have to rush back to the office right now."

"Don't wait up for dinner tonight."

A chill ran straight down my spine. I nodded mechanically.

"Okay."

Word for word. Exactly what Leo said he’d do.

Without another word, Carter turned and hurried away.

Only after Carter was out of sight did Leo tug at my sleeve again, his big eyes pleading.

"Mommy, I know it's hard to believe Leo."

"If we follow him right now, you’ll see I’m telling the truth!"

I took a deep, shaky breath and chose to trust him.

To stay discreet, Leo and I flagged down a yellow cab and tailed Carter’s Mercedes.

The car tore across the city and pulled right up to the gated entrance of Whisper Ridge Estates.

When our cab tried to follow, the security guard stepped out to block the lane.

"Hold on. Who are you?"

"Private community. No unauthorized visitors without homeowner clearance."

I forced a tight, polite smile, pulled the guard away from the security cameras, and slipped a few crisp hundred-dollar bills into his palm.

"Excuse me, sir, could you help us out?" I kept my voice low. "We're trying to check on Mr. Sterling over at Villa 12. My husband works under him at the firm, and he's just hoping to get on his good side for an upcoming promotion."

"If you could just..."

The guard glanced down at the cash, noted the sweet-faced kid beside me, and decided I was harmless.

A knowing grin spread across his face, and he lowered his voice to gossip.

"Well, you definitely came to the right guy."

"Let me tell you, Mr. Sterling is completely obsessed with the woman living there. He moved her in four years ago, long before he got engaged to Valerie Vance, the real Vance heiress. I read the tabloids and see they're about to walk down the aisle, but he still sneaks out here almost every single night."

My fingernails dug so hard into my palms that they nearly pierced the skin. My smile was on the verge of shattering.

My voice shook. "Four years?"

The guard nodded.

"Yeah. That girl inside is the former adopted daughter the Vance family kicked out years ago—Chloe Bennett. As soon as she got cut off, Mr. Sterling set her up here in his private golden cage."

"Tell your husband to be smart about this. If he wants points, send gifts that Miss Bennett likes. One sweet word from her on his pillow, and that promotion is a done deal. Men marry socialites for money and status, but when it comes to true love? We all know where his heart really is."

The ground felt like it was tilting beneath my feet. I could barely stay upright.

The guard tilted the surveillance tablet on his desk toward me with a conspiratorial wink.

"See for yourself. Mr. Sterling is taking Miss Bennett for a stroll in the courtyard right now."

"Look at her designer clothes and jewelry—all handpicked and paid for by him. Tell your husband to buy a few luxury sets like that, bring them to me, and I'll sneak you inside next time!"

I stared at the security monitor. A man and a woman were strolling side-by-side, leaning into each other with practiced intimacy.

It took me less than a second to recognize Carter and Chloe.

Even the cashmere coat draped over Chloe’s shoulders was fresh off the Paris runway.

And what about me?

I looked down at the off-the-rack trench coat I was wearing from last season. Carter’s casual excuse from last winter echoed in my ears:

*“Is it from last season? I had no idea, babe. The sales rep swore it looked great on you, so I grabbed it. Next time, I’ll make sure to get the new collection, I promise!”*

Back then, I had genuinely believed him, thinking he was just clueless about women's fashion.

The truth was, Carter knew every single detail.

He just never cared enough to give it to me.

I couldn't choke down the bitter burn rising in my throat any longer. Grabbing Leo’s little hand, I turned away before I broke down.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it."

Behind us, the guard muttered to himself:

"Man, these days, being the mistress pays a whole lot better than being the wife..."

The words carried on the wind, hitting me like a slap.

I looked back at the sprawling luxury villas, and tears spilled down my cheeks without warning.

Four whole years.

All those late nights when Carter claimed he was pulling overtime, attending corporate dinners, or boarding red-eye business flights...

He had been here. In bed with Chloe Bennett.

Then what was I to him?

What had my entire life been for the last four years?

Seeing me sobbing uncontrollably, Leo reached up with his small hands and threw his arms around my neck.

"Mommy, don't cry. Leo is here."

"Mommy, please don't marry bad Daddy tomorrow!"