Chapter 3

Walking out of the O’Hara family’s headquarters, I drew in a long breath of cold air.

Vanessa Russo knew exactly who I was.

And Brian knew exactly what he was doing.

That made things simpler.

Neither of them could claim ignorance when the consequences finally came.

That night, Brian came home late.

The moment he walked past me, I smelled whiskey on his breath and a faint trace of perfume on his shirt.

Not mine.

“Dinner with a few associates,” he muttered as he loosened his tie. “Had to keep them happy.”

He kicked off his shoes.

“I’m going to shower.”

I said nothing.

A minute later, water began running upstairs.

Brian’s phone was sitting on the table when the screen lit up.

Vanessa.

[Baby, the checkup went well. The doctor says everything looks perfect.]

Another message appeared.

[And it’s a boy!]

I stared at the screen.

A few seconds later, I unlocked the phone.

The conversation was already open.

Brian: [That’s amazing. I’m going to have a son.]

Brian: [Tomorrow I’ll take you shopping for everything the baby needs.]

Vanessa: [You’re the best. I love you.]

Brian: [I love you and our baby too. Once he’s here, we’ll finally be a real family.]

My eyes stopped on those last two words.

A real family.

Six years ago, Brian had stood before both the O’Hara and Moretti families and called me his wife.

Now, apparently, I wasn’t family at all.

Vanessa was.

Their unborn son was.

And the life Brian had built with me was simply something he intended to discard when the time was right.

I took photographs of the messages with my own phone, then placed his exactly where I had found it.

By the time Brian came out of the bathroom, I was sitting on the edge of the bed as though nothing had happened.

He rubbed a towel through his damp hair.

“You’re still awake?”

“You’ve had a lot of meetings lately.”

I stood and moved behind him, resting my hands lightly on his shoulders.

“You must be exhausted.”

Brian relaxed almost immediately.

“It’s all for our future.”

Our future.

I lowered my eyes so he wouldn’t see the contempt in them.

“By the way,” I said casually, “I spoke to Vanessa today.”

His shoulders went rigid beneath my hands.

“Vanessa?”

“The receptionist.”

“Oh.”

He forced himself to relax.

“What about her?”

“She’s pregnant.”

Brian hesitated for half a beat.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

I almost admired how easily the lie came to him.

“She isn’t showing much yet. Three months, maybe.”

He reached for his watch on the dresser.

“Who knows? I don’t pay attention to employees’ personal lives.”

“Of course.”

I smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

“I just hope the father treats her well. Being pregnant by the wrong man could ruin a woman’s life.”

Brian’s hand stopped.

Only for a second.

Then he fastened his watch and gave a careless shrug.

“I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”

“So am I.”

Our eyes met in the mirror.

A thin sheen of sweat had appeared along his temple.

I smiled.

Brian looked away first.

The next morning, one of my father’s investigators followed him.

By noon, photographs began arriving on my phone.

Brian had taken Vanessa to an expensive maternity boutique well outside the neighborhoods where either of our families usually conducted business.

Smart.

Just not smart enough.

They walked between rows of cribs, blankets, and tiny baby clothes like a married couple preparing for their first child.

Vanessa held up a tiny blue outfit.

Brian laughed.

In another photograph, his arm was wrapped around her waist while his other hand rested over her stomach.

I stared at that picture longer than I should have.

He used to look at me that way.

Back when I still believed the vows he had made to me.

The next set of photographs came from a jewelry store.

Brian bought Vanessa a diamond ring.

The receipt my father’s man later obtained showed a price well into five figures.

I remembered choosing my own wedding ring six years ago.

Brian had wanted something extravagant. I had told him it wasn’t necessary.

“We’re already joining two Families,” I had joked. “I don’t need a ridiculous diamond to prove you love me.”

He had kissed me and called me the most understanding woman he had ever met.

Apparently, my understanding had only taught him that I would accept less.

I saved every photograph.

The messages.

The apartment.

The money.

The ring.

The pregnancy.

By then, this was no longer about proving Brian had a mistress.

I already knew that.

I was documenting exactly how much of our marital assets and family resources he had poured into his second life.

That afternoon, my investigator sent another message.

[Vanessa just entered Bellini Café with a friend. You asked to be notified if she met anyone outside the O’Hara circle.]

I stared at the address.

It was fifteen minutes away.

I went.

By the time I arrived, Vanessa was sitting near the back of the café with another young woman.

I chose a table far enough away not to draw attention but close enough to hear them when their voices carried.

“Vanessa, are you sure about this?” her friend asked quietly. “He’s still married.”

Vanessa touched her stomach.

“So what?”

“So what?”

Her friend stared at her.

“He’s Brian O’Hara. His wife is Claudia Moretti. This isn’t some normal affair.”

“I know exactly who she is.”

Vanessa sounded almost amused.

“He doesn’t love her. Brian told me their marriage was about the alliance between the Families. That’s all.”

My fingers tightened slightly around my coffee cup.

Interesting.

So that was the story he had given her.

“What happens after the baby comes?” her friend asked.

“He leaves her.”

Vanessa lifted her hand, admiring the diamond Brian had bought her that morning.

“He promised me.”

Her friend looked unconvinced.

“And you believe him?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Vanessa smiled.

“He bought me a condo. He pays for everything. Look at this ring.”

She tilted her hand toward the light.

“A man doesn’t do all that for a woman he plans to abandon.”

Her friend lowered her voice.

“What if Claudia finds out?”

Vanessa gave a small laugh.

“Then she finds out.”

My gaze lifted.

“I’m carrying Brian’s son,” she continued. “Do you understand what that means to a family like his?”

Apparently, Vanessa thought she did.

“He needs an heir. Claudia has been married to him for six years and still hasn’t given him one.”

Her hand settled proudly over her stomach.

“I gave him a son.”

A sharp ache went through my chest.

Not because of Vanessa.

Because somewhere along the way, Brian had clearly allowed her to believe my place beside him could be reduced to whether or not I had produced a child.

Her friend still looked nervous.

“You’re talking about replacing a Moretti.”

Vanessa smiled.

“I’m talking about becoming Mrs. O’Hara.”

She leaned back in her chair.

“Brian said once the baby is born, everything will change. He’ll make our relationship public, and Claudia won’t matter anymore.”

For a moment, I said nothing.

Then Vanessa laughed.

“She probably still thinks her marriage is perfect.”

Her friend glanced around nervously.

“Vanessa.”

“What?”

Vanessa lowered her voice, but I could still hear her.

“Brian is careful. She’ll never know until he’s ready to tell her.”

Her fingers stroked the diamond on her hand.

“And even if she does find out, what can she do?”

A smug smile touched her lips.

“She has his name.”

Vanessa rested her palm over her stomach.

“But I have his son.”

She smiled.

“I’ve already won.”

I looked at her for another second.

Then I quietly set my coffee down.

No confrontation.

No slap.

No warning.

Vanessa could keep believing she had won.

Brian could keep believing I trusted him.

That would make what came next much easier.

I walked out of the café and pulled out my phone.

My father answered on the second ring.

“Claudia?”

I looked back through the window.

Vanessa was still laughing, admiring the ring my husband had bought her.

“Dad.”

My voice was perfectly calm.

“I have enough.”

There was a brief silence.

Then my father asked, “Are you sure?”

I looked down at my wedding ring.

Six years.

I slipped it from my finger.

For the first time since my wedding day, my hand was bare.

“Yes.”

I closed my fingers around the ring.

“Tell the attorneys to start.”

I paused.

“And freeze every Moretti asset Brian thinks he can still touch.”