Chapter 6

The three of us had barely reached the plaza beside the horse auction grounds when a car engine roared behind us. I turned and saw a black sedan speeding toward the entrance, the driver losing control, swerving straight at us.

Everything happened in seconds. Alaric grabbed Alice and pulled her into his arms, turning his body to shield her. I stood several steps away, frozen, watching him choose her again without hesitation.

The car came straight at me.

I barely had time to move before it slammed into my body.

Pain exploded through me. I was thrown several feet and crashed onto the pavement. My vision blurred, the world spinning as I struggled to breathe.

The last thing I saw was Alaric holding Alice tightly.

Again, he chose her.

Then everything went black.

...

When I woke up, I was in my own bed, my back still burning. Alaric sat beside me, and the moment my eyes opened, guilt flashed across his face.

"Freya, you're awake. That car came out of nowhere and hit you. Everything happened too fast. I only reacted because Alice was closest to me. I'm sorry. Please don't think I deliberately left you behind."

I closed my eyes and turned my face away. What was there to explain? I knew exactly what had happened. There was a time when it didn't matter how far away I was, if I was in trouble, Alaric would come looking for me without hesitation. He'd always been the first person to stand between me and danger.

That man was gone.

The heart that once seemed to belong only to me was now divided between Alice and the children he had with her.

During my recovery, Alaric seemed determined to make up for it. He stayed beside me whenever he could, brought me meals, checked my wounds, kept asking if I needed anything.

I barely spoke to him.

Soon it was time for the twins' sixth birthday. Alaric held a huge banquet at the villa. His parents came from the old family residence, along with relatives, business partners, and guests eager to congratulate the Mancusso heirs.

I stood quietly to the side, watching his parents fuss over the twins. The boys were spoiled and wild, and clearly knew they could get away with anything. They ran around the villa, laughed when they pushed servants around, and knocked into me more than once on purpose.

"Move, poor woman," one of them said, looking me up and down.

His brother laughed. "Dad said you're not important anyway."

I looked at the two boys calmly. So this was how the future Mancusso heirs treated people. I almost smiled. If they only knew who they were bullying.

Watching Alaric's parents shower the boys with affection reminded me of the first time he'd brought me home to meet them. Back then, the moment they heard about my supposed family background, their smiles vanished. They treated me like a nobody who'd wandered into their house by mistake.

Today, they were all smiles.

The difference was almost laughable.

Alaric walked over and handed Alice an exquisite ruby necklace, a birthday gift for the twins' celebration. Alice covered her mouth in surprise.

"Ali, this is far too expensive. You didn't have to."

"You gave me three children," he said softly. "I wanted to give you something worthy of the occasion."

His mother brought out a beautiful ruby pendant and handed it to Alice. "Alice, this belongs to the Mancusso family. It's been passed down to the women who marry into it. You're the one we've always considered our daughter in law, so you should have it."

Alice acted embarrassed. "Mom, I'm not officially married to Alaric yet. I don't think I should accept it."

His mother smiled warmly, then glanced toward me. "Nothing to be shy about. Some women simply aren't meant to belong in a family like ours."

Her words were clearly meant for me.

Alaric noticed my expression and stepped closer. "Freya, don't let that get to you. My parents have always had their own ideas about who I should marry, but that doesn't change how I feel about you. You know you're the woman I chose."

The woman he chose? Then what was Alice? And what were the three children he'd given her?

I said nothing, but the room suddenly felt suffocating. Alaric noticed my pale face and frowned. "Are you uncomfortable? Stay here, I'll get you something to cover your shoulders."

He'd barely walked away when Alice gasped and touched her neck.

"My ruby pendant."

Everyone turned toward her.

"The family heirloom Mom just gave me, it's gone."

The banquet erupted into chaos. One of Alice's closest friends pointed at me.

"I saw Freya near Alice earlier. She must've taken it."

Another woman agreed at once. "I saw her too. She's obviously jealous of Alice."

Before I could respond, several women rushed toward me.

"We need to search her."

One grabbed my arm, another reached for my clothes. My anger surged as I fought them off.

"Get your hands off me."

In front of everyone, my dress ripped open in the struggle. Humiliation burned through me, but I forced myself to stay calm. I wasn't going to cry in front of these people. I'd spent six years pretending to be a poor, harmless girl, and I knew exactly how to keep my face blank when people tried to humiliate me.

Then someone shouted, "I found something."

A ruby pendant was pulled from the lining of my underwear, and the room fell silent for a second before it exploded.

"She really stole it."

"How shameless."

"I knew she was jealous of Alice."