Chapter 1

Ethan sifted through the quarterly reports for The Miller Gastronomy Group, a routine he' d performed for nearly two decades. He' d built this empire with Sarah, his wife, from her parents' single struggling diner.

A DINK life, Dual Income No Kids, that was their pact.

Sarah was firm on it, and he, wanting to support her, agreed to a vasectomy twenty years ago.

He even took the public fall, claiming infertility to shield Sarah from her family's questions.

His eyes snagged on an unfamiliar legal document tucked into the financial projections. "Share Transfer Agreement."

Curiosity turned to a cold knot in his stomach as he read the names: Finn Miller, Belle Miller, beneficiaries. Ten years old.

He' d never heard of them.

A quick, discreet call to his lawyer, a man he trusted with his pre-marital assets, confirmed the unthinkable.

They were Sarah's children.

With Mark, her "childhood friend."

Born a decade ago.

The papers detailed Sarah's plan to make these unknown children major shareholders.

Ethan felt the floor drop out from under him. Twenty years of lies.

He waited until Sarah came home, her usual cheerful self after a "charity board meeting."

"Sarah, we need to talk."

His voice was flat, devoid of the warmth she was used to.

She stopped, sensing the shift. "What is it, Ethan?"

He held up the document. "Who are Finn and Belle Miller?"

Sarah' s composure wavered, just for a second.

Then, the mask was back. "They're Mark' s children, Ethan. I was just helping him secure their future. He's an old friend."

"Mark's children? And you're making them shareholders in our company? Without telling me?"

"It's mostly my family's company, Ethan, you know that."

A jab, subtle but sharp.

"And why are they named Miller?"

Sarah sighed, a practiced sound of exasperation. "It's complicated. Mark had this tragic story, he couldn't have children any other way, and he wanted them to feel connected to a strong family name. I did it to help him achieve his dream of fatherhood. It was a platonic favor."

"A platonic favor that results in ten-year-old secret children and a massive chunk of the company I helped build?"

His voice rose, the shock giving way to a tremor of anger.

"Don't be dramatic, Ethan. It' s not like it affects you. We agreed, no children for us. This was about Mark."

She tried to touch his arm. He pulled away.

"It affects me because you lied to me for a decade, Sarah. You had children. Our entire marriage, our agreement, was based on you not wanting children."

"I still don't want children with you, Ethan. This was different. It was for Mark."

The words hung in the air, cold and brutal.

He saw it then, the complete disconnect. His pain didn't register with her.

"I need to understand this," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "Are they your biological children?"

Sarah looked away, a flicker of something, maybe guilt, in her eyes before she hardened them.

"Yes. But Mark is their father. It doesn't change anything between us."

Ethan felt a bitter laugh escape him. "It changes everything."