Chapter 3

Ethan pulled me into his arms, his hands trembling slightly.

"I didn't, Claire. I swear I didn't. Please believe me."

He held me tighter, his voice turning hoarse.

"I love you too much. That's why I'm nervous. I'm terrified of losing you. If there ever came a day when you weren't beside me, I'd lose my mind."

I raised a hand and pushed him away.

"Then don't ever lie to me, Ethan."

He forced a smile and raised his hand as though swearing an oath before the Family.

"I swear on my life. If I ever betray you, Claire, may I die for it."

In the past, hearing him say something like that would have frightened me. I would have covered his mouth and told him never to curse himself over something that could never happen.

Now I only looked at him.

I wondered whether the heir to the Carter Family truly believed an oath meant anything when it came from a liar.

I opened the passenger door.

The moment I leaned inside, a stale, unfamiliar scent hit me.

My stomach turned violently.

I stepped back, crouching beside the car as I gagged.

"Claire!"

Ethan rushed over, alarm flashing across his face.

"What's wrong with you lately? You've been nauseous for days."

Then something seemed to occur to him.

His expression changed, and for a split second, there was unmistakable excitement in his eyes.

"Wait. Claire, are you pregnant?"

I shook my head.

"No. My stomach's just been acting up."

Ethan's excitement disappeared.

He slapped himself across the cheek.

"Damn it. This is my fault. I've been so buried in Family business that I haven't been taking care of you properly."

I had no patience left for his performance.

Suppressing the nausea, I climbed into the car.

As Ethan drove, my gaze kept drifting toward the backseat.

Images from last night returned one after another.

Ethan noticed.

"Claire, what are you looking at?"

I didn't answer.

Something on the floor behind his seat had caught my eye.

I reached down and picked it up.

A small piece of women's clothing, crumpled beneath the seat.

My fingers immediately went cold.

Without a word, I threw it into Ethan's lap.

His face changed instantly.

"Claire, wait."

His voice rose with panic.

"This isn't what you think."

I watched him.

Ethan swallowed.

"I lent the car to one of the guys last night. I had no idea he'd bring a woman into my car."

Five years of marriage.

It was the first time I realized just how easily my husband could lie.

There was barely a pause.

No hesitation.

As though he'd done it so many times that the lies came more naturally than the truth.

"Who?"

Ethan tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"Who did you lend it to?"

He looked flustered for only a moment before pulling over.

Then he grabbed his phone and called one of his men.

The second the call connected, Ethan snapped, "What the hell did you do in my car last night? Claire found something in the backseat. Now she thinks I..."

He deliberately stopped there.

The man on the other end understood immediately.

"Mrs. Carter, I'm sorry."

His voice came through the speaker.

"This is on me. I got wasted after the party last night. I was in no shape to drive, so Ethan let me take his car to get my girlfriend home. Things got out of hand."

He gave an awkward laugh.

"I didn't mean to cause trouble between you two. I'm really sorry."

Ethan ended the call and looked at me carefully.

There was something almost pleading in his eyes.

I stared at him and felt nothing but disgust.

So they knew.

The men who drank with Ethan, worked for him, protected him, and called me Mrs. Carter with such respect all knew exactly what he was doing behind my back.

And they had been covering for him.

Maybe they had been doing it for years.

I gave Ethan a faint smile.

"Relax. I know you wouldn't do something like that."

His shoulders loosened instantly.

"I was only asking. Why are you so nervous?"

Ethan exhaled heavily.

"Because I care about you."

He reached for my hand.

"I can't stand you doubting me, Claire. The thought of you being angry with me drives me crazy."

I nodded as though I believed him.

There was no reason to expose him now.

Not yet.

If Ethan realized I knew everything, leaving the Carter Family would become far more difficult.

So I let him believe his lies were still working.

We finished the visa process without trouble.

After what happened in the car, Ethan became noticeably more careful.

For the next few weeks, he returned to the estate on time every night. He canceled late-night meetings and turned down invitations to the clubs his men frequented.

He stayed beside me whenever he could.

Attentive. Affectionate. Devoted.

Anyone watching us would have thought the heir to the Carter Family was hopelessly in love with his wife.

His performance was almost flawless.

Almost.

Because Ethan didn't know that every message he exchanged with the dancer was being mirrored to my phone.

That was how I finally learned her name.

Madeline Brooks.

Twenty years old.

A ballet student who danced nights at one of the clubs under Carter protection to pay her bills.

Her father drank away whatever money he could get his hands on. Her mother had been sick for years, and Madeline was also supporting a younger brother.

She was drowning in debt and barely keeping her family afloat.

And according to the messages between them, the night in Ethan's car had been her first time.

With my husband.