Chapter 13: Nathan Pierce's Affair This Is Explosive!

Without a second thought, Lily grabbed Mr. Reed's hand and fell into step behind Adrian.

Ten minutes later, she was back in her seat at the press conference.

Reed leaned in, voice low. "Since you're not going through with the divorce today after all, I'll head out now?"

Lily nodded. "Drive safe. Thank you for everything today."

He shook his head. "Call me the moment you need anything. I mean it."

With that, he slipped quietly out of the venue.

Nathan was still speaking, voice full of conviction he'd shed his suit jacket at some point, presumably from the heat of the lights, now standing in just a crisp white shirt and black vest, looking effortlessly polished.

Such a respectable man.

Such an admired man.

Who would ever guess...

Lily's eyes dropped, a bitter, mocking smile touching her mouth.

She wasn't just laughing at him.

She was laughing at herself too.

Five more minutes passed. Nathan's speech wrapped up.

The promotional video on the massive screen behind him was down to its final seconds.

He stepped to the side, remote in hand, a polished smile fixed in place, ready to advance the program.

The screen went black the instant the video ended.

Then it lit up again.

Not with the next slide with a photograph.

A crystal-clear shot from New Year's Eve: fireworks exploding overhead, balloons drifting into the night sky, and in the foreground, a man cupping a woman's face in both hands, kissing her deeply.

The woman's face was almost entirely hidden behind his palm.

The man's face was visible only in partial profile sharp jawline, one eyebrow slightly raised.

But the detail that mattered most sat just behind his ear.

A small, distinctive black mole.

Even from that partial angle, it was unmistakable to everyone watching.

That's...

The room went dead silent.

Every camera in the building shareholders, press, industry guests turned as one, lenses fixed on the man standing frozen on stage.

For nearly thirty seconds, no one made a sound.

Then chaos broke loose.

Camera shutters fired in a deafening wave as reporters surged forward.

Flashbulbs bounced off the screen until the photo blazed white.

"Is that Nathan Pierce?"

"The height on that woman that's not Mrs. Pierce."

"Mrs. Pierce is deaf. That woman in the photo isn't even wearing a hearing aid."

"This is an affair. Has to be. Why else would someone go to the trouble of putting this up here?"

"Nathan Pierce is cheating?! This is huge"

"Wasn't he just up there gushing about his devoted marriage two minutes ago?"

On stage, Nathan's face had drained of all color, jaw clenched so hard it looked ready to crack.

His eyes swept the room instinctively. "I"

They landed on Lily, seated front row.

She sat perfectly composed in her pearl-white gown, a simple strand of pearls at her throat, makeup understated and flawless like a single camellia blooming untouched in the middle of a storm.

Their eyes met across the room.

Hers held nothing but a quiet, unblinking question.

Nathan swallowed hard.

A reporter's microphone was practically shoved into his face.

Backstage in the VIP lounge, Beatrice Pierce who'd been waiting to hear good news went pale the moment word reached her and rushed toward the stage.

She stepped up without hesitation. "Thank you all for coming today. This is a misunderstanding, and I apologize. The program will continue as planned I'll address this properly, in full, later. Nathan, let's proceed."

Nathan sucked in a breath and lifted the microphone again. "Right moving forward, let's all"

But Beatrice had already stepped back down from the stage.

She caught Lily's arm.

And steered her, firmly, toward the lounge.

Beatrice had dressed with obvious care for the occasion a deep plum gown embroidered in gold thread, her hair set without a strand out of place, every inch the composed, aristocratic matriarch.

Lily wrenched her arm free.

She stopped struggling almost immediately.

Every staff member had already been cleared from the lounge even Beatrice's own inner circle waited outside the door. It was just the two of them now.

Beatrice studied her carefully.

Lily sat up straight. Neither deferential nor defiant.

Beatrice picked up her teacup, took a slow sip, and finally asked, "You knew all along, didn't you?"

Lily met her gaze, guarded. "I don't know what you mean."

Beatrice set the cup down.

The clink of porcelain against marble wasn't loud. But it landed like a warning all the same.

She smiled. "Let's skip the games, Lily. You're sharper than I gave you credit for. Not by much but sharper."

Lily nodded, matter-of-fact. "Nathan's been unfaithful. I have plenty of proof."

Beatrice's brow arched. "Let me guess. With an opportunity this perfect, why not take him down completely today? Because you already know he doesn't own a single thing in his own name?"

Lily said nothing.

"So you decided to wait it out," Beatrice continued. "Then why stir this up now, of all moments?"

Lily gave her three words. "I couldn't help it."

Beatrice went quiet for a moment, then smiled again. "You want a divorce."

Lily nodded.

Of course she did.

What reason was there left to stay tied to a man like that?

She'd been played, betrayed, kept deliberately in the dark from the start.

She was done. She wanted out.

But she wasn't naive enough to let Nathan walk away with every advantage he'd built into their marriage from day one.

She intended to get something out of this.

She'd been tracking his spending for a while now.

There had to be more assets somewhere. Off the books.

After all those six hundred and sixty-six "gifts" hadn't come cheap. Most of them ran well into five figures apiece, and he'd never once claimed they came from anyone but himself.

Beatrice held her gaze for a long moment. "Lily. Work with me, and I'll help you get exactly the divorce you want. But you'll do it on my terms."

Lily's brow furrowed.

She lifted her eyes, studying the woman across from her, waiting.

Nathan wasn't Beatrice's biological son. He was Gerald Pierce's child from an affair.

Worse he was only five months younger than Edmund, Beatrice's own son.

Which meant Gerald had strayed while his wife was pregnant with their firstborn.

The only reason Beatrice had ever allowed an illegitimate child to be folded into the family line was because Edmund had died young, and the extended Pierce family had been circling, eager to see the direct line die out entirely with him.

It hadn't been a choice so much as damage control. But it was done, and there was no undoing it now.

"You want to work with me," Lily said slowly. "Why?"

Beatrice's voice was quiet. "Because my son isn't dead. Edmund is alive."

For reasons she wasn't ready to explain, he couldn't come forward publicly yet. It would likely be another month before he could return to Aurelia at all.

"Once he does, Nathan will have no choice but to hand over control to my actual child. But if Nathan falls from power right now, before Edmund's ready the entire Pierce empire falls into chaos with him."

Lily stared, stunned.

Beatrice pressed on. "Given how thoroughly he outmaneuvered you on that prenup, you can be certain he has assets hidden somewhere, moved off the books. Even if you cut every tie with him today, all you'll walk away with is a piece of paper saying you're divorced."

"That does nothing for you. And it certainly does nothing for your brother, lying in that hospital bed on borrowed time."

"Speaking of which every time that overseas equipment lease for your brother comes up for renewal, the payment request crosses my desk first. I'm the one who signs off before anything gets disbursed."

She let that settle.

Then her sharp gaze fixed on Lily's face. "So. Think it over. Are you willing to work with me?”