Defending his mistress

—SAMANTHA—

I stormed towards Zeke’s study and shoved the door open without knocking. My chest heaved with anger, my nails digging into my palms as I took in the scene before me.

Zeke sat behind his large mahogany desk, the top two buttons were undone, revealing his toned chest and the slender curve of his attractive neck. Ophelia perched on his desk like she owned the place. His arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, while her perfectly manicured fingers teased with the collar of his shirt.

The sight made my stomach churn.

Ophelia gasped the moment she saw me, her eyes widening in fake surprise. Then, as if I were a monster, she quickly stepped behind Zeke, clutching his sleeve like a frightened child.

"Z-Zeke," she whispered, loud enough for me to hear. "She looks… angry."

Angry?

I was furious.

Zeke’s brows furrowed as he stood up, his jaw tightening. "Samantha, stop scaring Ophelia. What the hell do you think you’re doing?"

Was he being serious right now?

Me? Scaring Ophelia?

I slammed the door shut behind me, the force rattling the bookshelves. "What am I doing?" My voice shook with rage. "No, Zeke, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

He crossed his arms. "I don’t have time for your drama, Samantha."

I laughed bitterly. "Drama? Oh, you think this is drama?!”

His expression remained cold. "Leave. Like I said, I don’t have time for your nonsense!”

Ophelia’s grip on his sleeve tightened as she peered up at him like a scared little lamb. "Zeke, I don’t feel safe," she whispered. "Maybe I should leave…"

I saw through her act immediately.

She wasn’t scared. She was playing the victim, pretending as if I was the problem here.

I took a step forward. "Oh no, don’t leave now, Ophelia. Stay. Stay and explain to me why my daughter almost cried because of you."

Zeke’s eyes darkened. "Samantha—"

"No, Zeke,” I cut him off. "You listen to me! Amore waited for you today. She stood outside her school, hoping her father would come pick her up. But you didn’t. And then, when she came home, you let that woman treat her like trash!" I pointed at Ophelia, my hand shaking. "She told my daughter to go away like a stray dog!"

Zeke’s expression didn’t change. He looked at me like I was an annoying fly buzzing in his face.

And that… that hurt more than anything.

Ophelia sucked in a sharp breath, stepping even closer to him. "I… I didn’t mean to hurt Amore," she said to me in a small voice. "I was just surprised when she barged in, and I thought it would be best if she left so we adults could talk."

"Barged in?" My voice dripped with disbelief. "She’s four, Ophelia! Four! She just wanted to see her father!"

Ophelia lowered her head, as if ashamed. "I’m sorry if I overstepped…"

Zeke turned to her, caressing her cheeks, his expression softening. "You don’t have to apologize, Ophelia."

I felt my breath catch.

He was defending her.

He looked back at me again, his eyes cold. "You’re overreacting, Samantha."

"Overreacting?" My voice cracked. "Our daughter was hurt! The poor girl was sad, Zeke! And you’re standing here, defending her?" I pointed at Ophelia, my whole body trembling.

For a split second, something flickered in his eyes.

But then Ophelia gently touched his arm again, and just like that, it was gone.

"Samantha," he said, his voice calm but firm, "stop making a scene."

I stared at him, feeling something inside me break.

He didn’t care.

No matter what I said, no matter how much I yelled, no matter how much pain Amore was in—he wouldn’t care.

Because Ophelia came first.

She always did.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

“Your daughter—” But before I could say anything else, Zeke suddenly growled, his eyes flashing with irritation.

"She's not my daughter!" he snapped.

The air in the study went deathly still.

My breath caught in my throat.

It was true. It was true Amore wasn't Zeke's biological child. But hearing him say it like that—like she was nothing—made something inside me break.

My hands clenched into fists. "How dare you?” I spat.

Zeke closed in on me, shoving Ophelia behind him protectively as he towered over me. His the voice was cold, merciless.

"She’s not mine, Samantha," he said deeply again. "She’s the daughter of that worthless gigolo Gina slept with!”

My body shook with fury.

"I know she isn’t yours by blood," I hissed. "But that never mattered before! You swore you would take care of Amore!"

Zeke scoffed. "That was my grandfather’s decision, not mine. He forced me into this joke of a marriage to bury the scandal. I don’t owe that girl anything."

"That girl?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. "That girl calls you Daddy! She loves you more than anything, and you—you just threw her away like she’s nothing?"

Zeke crossed his arms. "I never wanted her in the first place."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my heart twisting painfully.

"You bastard!” I hissed. "You made her believe you were her father. You let her love you! And now, because of your mistress—" I jabbed a finger at Ophelia, my whole body shaking—"you’ve decided she's a nobody to you?"

Zeke didn’t even flinch.

"It was never my responsibility in the first place," he said coolly.

My vision blurred with unshed tears.

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at me, standing behind Zeke, her expression twisting with irritation at being called a ‘mistress.’

She suddenly let out a small, meek sigh. "Well," she murmured, her voice just loud enough for me to hear. "I guess it runs in the family… like mother, like daughter."

I froze.

"What?" My voice came out deadly quiet.

Ophelia shrugged, her lips twitching as if she was holding back a smile. "I mean, Gina was a whore, wasn’t she? Who knows, maybe little Amore will grow up to be just like her—"

Without thinking, the sound of my palm connecting with her cheek echoed through the room.

"You snake," I seethed, my body trembling with rage. "That’s my child you’re talking about!"

She stumbled back, clutching her face, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Before I could even blink, pain exploded in my face, particularly my right eye.

He punched me.

Zeke actually punched me.

I stumbled back, my vision blurring as the pepperish sting spread through my eye.

I barely had time to process it before his hand shot out, wrapping around my throat. He slammed me against the wall, his grip tightening just enough to make me gasp.

"Don't you ever touch Ophelia again," he hissed, his voice ice-cold. "I won’t warn you twice, Samantha!”

“Let-let go of me,” I clawed at his wrist, my breath coming in short gasps.

His fingers flexed slightly, his eyes burning with raw hatred. "If you can't hold it in anymore, just send in the divorce papers," he said, his voice filled with venom. "Because I swear, I’m done with this!”

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

A knock suddenly came at the door, and a second later, it swung open.

“Big brother, Mother wants you—” Zeke’s younger sister, Lillian walked in, and she momentarily paused in surprise.

“Oh, was I about to miss a good show?” Her perfectly painted red lips curled into a smirk as she took in the scene. "Anyways, Zeke, Ophelia," she called sweetly, ignoring my presence as if disgusted. "Mother is here, she is waiting for you both downstairs."

Zeke let go of me immediately, stepping back as if I was nothing more than dirt under his shoe.

Ophelia whimpered beside him, cradling her cheek where I had slapped her. "Zeke," she sniffled, "I—I didn’t mean to upset Samantha. I was just trying to…"

Her eyes glistened, her lips quivering as if she was on the verge of bursting into tears. It was an act.

Zeke turned to her, gently touching her cheek where I had slapped her. "Are you okay, baby?"

Ophelia sniffled and nodded, pretending to be the victim.

Zeke glared at me one last time before taking her hand and walking out, leaving me alone with Lillian.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Lillian let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, Samantha, you really are pathetic!”

I wiped the blood from my lip, my body still shaking. "Get out of my way, Lillian."

She crossed her arms. "You should just leave already. Divorce Zeke and stop embarrassing yourself. We all know you're head over heels in love with my older brother, but it's Ophelia he truly loves."

I clenched my fists.

She took a step closer, smiling, her voice dripping with cruelty. "And take your useless child with you. We don’t need that daughter of a whore in our family either."

Rage burned through me, but I forced myself to stay still.

Lillian smirked. "Think about it." Then she turned on her heel and walked out, slamming the door behind her.