Chapter 3

Markus' s voice, when he called back minutes later, was overly sweet, dripping with false concern.

"Liza, darling, what happened? You sounded strange."

I finally found my voice, cold and steady. "Where are you, Markus?"

"At that investor dinner, honey. It's dragging on. Is everything okay with the scan?"

The casual lie, so effortless.

I realized then, with chilling clarity, that our "commitment ceremony" months ago, the intimate gathering in our garden, held no legal weight. It was just another part of their elaborate charade.

A soft female voice cooed in the background, unmistakably Chloe's.

"Darling, my back aches, the baby's kicking so much..."

Markus spoke quickly, his voice strained. "Honey, something urgent came up with the deal, I' ll be back later, I promise. I love you."

He hung up before I could respond.

Love. He dared to say that word.

Hours later, they returned to the Fairmont mansion. Charles and Markus, masks of concern perfectly in place.

Markus rushed to my side, feigning anxiety. "Liza, my love, what did the doctor say? I was so worried. I'll arrange for a private specialist to come to the house tomorrow."

Charles played the doting father, patting my hand. "My dear girl, you mustn't worry yourself. Everything will be fine."

Their hypocrisy was suffocating.

I pushed myself up from the sofa, my movements stiff.

I walked to my desk and retrieved a document my mother' s lawyer had drafted years ago, a standard pre-nuptial template I' d once thought I' d never need for Markus. I' d had it subtly altered.

I handed it to Markus. "Sign this."

Charles chuckled. "So demanding. Does my daughter only want things from her fiancé now?"

Markus, ever the devoted partner, smiled indulgently. "Of course, darling. What's mine is yours."

He signed it without even glancing at the text.

It was a document relinquishing all paternal rights to our unborn child.

My first small act of defiance. My first step in reclaiming myself.

As he scribbled his signature, both his and Charles' s phones rang simultaneously.

They exchanged a quick, knowing glance.

"Ah, the office calling about the new wing," Charles said smoothly. "We had a few final touches for our home office."

Markus nodded. "We' ll just take this. Be right back, darling."

They excused themselves, heading towards what they called their "newly renovated home office wing."

I knew it was their separate wing, prepared for their new partners, Veronica and Chloe.

A few minutes later, a maid discreetly cleared away a small side table near the entrance.

Two discarded boutonnières, identical white roses, lay there.

The kind worn at weddings.

Tonight was their wedding night.

With Veronica and Chloe.

The audacity of it all stole my breath.