Chapter 4

Somehow, Ethan had convinced himself that he was Madeline's savior.

He promised to pay her mother's medical bills, support her younger brother, and make sure she never had to worry about money again.

There was only one condition.

She had to know her place and make sure I, his wife, never found out.

Whenever Ethan could steal a few minutes away from Family business, he contacted her. Some nights, after he thought I was asleep, he would quietly leave our bed to meet her.

But Ethan had underestimated Madeline.

Desperate people didn't always stay grateful.

Sometimes, they wanted more.

Madeline contacted me first.

My phone began filling with messages from an unknown number.

Photos of her and Ethan together.

Pictures of the expensive jewelry, handbags, and dresses he had bought her. Screenshots of enormous transfers from accounts connected to the Carter Family. Candid photos of Ethan waiting outside her academy with flowers in his hands.

She documented everything.

Every secret meeting.

Every gift.

Every promise Ethan had made her.

My inbox became a diary of their affair.

I never answered.

Not once.

At first, my silence seemed to confuse her.

Eventually, it made her angry.

[Claire, did you know Ethan brought me to the Carter estate while you were away?]

A second message followed.

[Your bed is so comfortable. I even wore your nightgown when Ethan took me to your bedroom.]

Then another.

[Ethan says you're too proper. He says I'm the one who actually knows how to make him happy.]

I stared at the screen and locked my phone.

Still, I gave her nothing.

Then one afternoon, another photo arrived.

Madeline was standing in front of a mirror wearing an elegant evening gown.

I recognized it immediately.

[Do you like it?]

[This was supposed to be Ethan's anniversary gift for you. But I told him I loved it, so he gave it to me.]

A final message appeared.

[I'm wearing it to the Carter Family's annual gala tonight.]

I stared at those words for a long moment.

That morning, Ethan had kissed my forehead and told me not to attend.

He said I hadn't been feeling well lately and should stay home and rest. He had assured me the gala was nothing more than a tedious night of Family business and that he would handle it alone.

Now I knew the real reason.

It had never been about my health.

It was about Madeline Brooks.

I changed into a formal dress and left for the hotel where the Carter Family was hosting its annual gala.

The ballroom was filled with men and women connected to the Family, along with business partners and guests from allied circles.

I found Ethan almost immediately.

He was in the center of the dance floor.

And Madeline was in his arms.

She was wearing my dress.

Before I could move closer, whispers began around me.

"So much for Ethan Carter's perfect marriage."

"Claire always acted like she was different because her husband was so devoted."

"He didn't even bring his wife to his own Family gala, but he brought his mistress?"

Someone laughed quietly.

"Men like Ethan can swear loyalty all they want. Doesn't mean they'll live by it."

"And Claire actually believed him."

I stepped into the restroom and stood there for a moment, listening to the voices outside.

Once, those words would have humiliated me.

Now they only made everything clearer.

I took a breath, pushed open the door, and walked back into the ballroom.

The room gradually fell silent.

Heads turned.

Then Ethan saw me.

His arm immediately dropped from Madeline's waist.

"Claire?"

His face went white.

"What are you doing here?"

I kept walking.

Ethan hurried toward me.

"Claire, listen to me. I can explain."

He glanced at Madeline before lowering his voice.

"She's just a companion for tonight. That's all."

I slapped him.

The sound cracked across the ballroom.

No one spoke.

I pulled out my phone and opened Madeline's messages.

Photos.

Transfers.

Gifts.

Messages documenting every secret meeting between them.

I held the screen in front of Ethan.

"What kind of companion ends up in your bed?"

Ethan froze.

His eyes moved across the messages.

For once, the heir to the Carter Family couldn't come up with a lie fast enough.

His mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

Madeline stepped forward.

There was still the hint of a smug smile on her face.

But before she could speak, I slapped her too.

Madeline stumbled backward.

Her heel caught against the floor, and she crashed into a tower of champagne glasses.

Glass shattered around her.

Champagne spilled across the marble floor.

Then I saw the blood.

Bright red stained the fabric between her legs.

Madeline looked down.

Her face drained of color.

"Ethan!"

Her scream tore through the ballroom.

"Ethan, help me!"

She clutched her stomach.

"Save our baby!"

Everything stopped.

Ethan stared at her.

Then his gaze dropped to the blood spreading beneath her.

For one brief second, he didn't move.

Then he shoved me aside.

I staggered backward as Ethan rushed to Madeline and lifted her into his arms.

"Get the car!"

His men moved immediately.

Ethan carried her toward the doors.

He never looked back at me.

Not once.

In front of the entire Carter Family and everyone connected to it, my husband had made his choice.

Her.

The whispers started again behind me.

I had become the night's spectacle.

The betrayed wife everyone would be talking about by morning.

But strangely, I no longer cared.

Because I had already decided to leave.

When I returned to the estate, I went upstairs and began packing for Iceland.

A few days earlier, Dr. Reed's team had contacted me one final time.

They wanted confirmation that I still intended to become the first pregnant subject in the cryogenic trial.

I had confirmed without hesitation.

At my request, they had also arranged everything I would need to disappear from my old life.

Travel documents.

A plane ticket.

A new legal identity.

I opened the folder they had sent me.

The name on the documents was still mine.

Claire Watson.

But the woman in those records was five years younger than Claire Carter.

Soon, Claire Carter would disappear.

And when I opened my eyes again, Ethan Carter would have no idea where to find me.