Alessia’s heels clicked down the hall before I could steady myself. She stopped right in front of me, a wicked little smile twisting her lips.“Must hurt,” she purred, “watching him look right through you. Poor Zoe, the stand-in wife who couldn’t even leave a dent in his memory.”My nails dug into my palms. “He’s confused. He just woke up.”Leonardo’s chuckle came from behind her. “Confused, sure. But he remembered Alessia first, didn’t he? Called her his wife like it was instinct. Meanwhile, you? He looked at you like the cleaning staff.”Clara shifted beside me, sharp with anger. “You two are vile.”Brayden’s mother joined in then. Her gaze cut into me like a blade. “I warned him. Marrying beneath himself would end in disaster. And here you are, sobbing in the hallway while Alessia tends to her husband. You should pack up your things and go back to whatever gutter you crawled out of.”The fury bubbled hot in my veins. My voice came out like acid. “Funny you should say that. Because
Three months laterMy baby bump had officially hit the “no hiding it” stage. Every morning I swore it looked bigger, tighter. The board didn’t care anymore, though. They respected me now. feared me, even. I’d turned every sneer into silence, every doubt into obedience. Brayden’s empire was still standing, because I’d kept it standing.But all the power in the world didn’t quiet the ache of visiting his hospital bed and praying he’d open his eyes.Clara walked beside me as we entered the hospital ward, carrying her usual bouquet. “Today feels different,” she whispered.I wanted to believe her. Until I saw them.Alessia in a blood-red dress. Leonardo leaning on the wall like he owned it. And Brayden’s mother.“Look who it is,” Alessia drawled. “The substitute wife. And look…” her eyes dropped to my stomach “the balloon keeps inflating.”I smiled sweetly. “Don’t be jealous. Not everyone can pull off being pregnant and still be glowing.”Leonardo’s laugh was sharp. “You really think waddl
The mansion was too quiet when I got back. But I knew Clara would be upstairs in my room. I tossed my bag on the hallway console and headed upstairs. That’s when I heard it, muffled noises. Low groans. A woman’s laugh.Curiosity pulled me down the hall. I stopped at Brayden’s room, the door cracked just enough for me to push it wider.Alessia was on all fours on Brayden’s bed. Leonardo gripped her hips from behind, slamming into her with a violence that made the headboard crash against the wall.“Oh God, Leo,” Alessia moaned. “Harder. Just like that. You fuck me better than your pathetic brother ever could.”Leonardo’s laugh was low and cruel. “Say it louder. Who owns this pussy?.”Alessia arched. “It was always you. Not Brayden. You. You make me feel alive, he never could.”Leonardo snarled, driving harder. “When he’s gone, you’ll be mine for good. No more hiding. No more pretending.”Her answering laugh was breathless. “Let him rot in that coma. You’ll inherit it all anyway. the na
The door slammed so hard the walls trembled. Alessia’s perfume still lingered in the air. Leonardo’s footsteps echoed down the corridor until the sound vanished completely.I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Clara crossed the room and shut the door softly.“They won’t stop,” she muttered. “You saw their faces. They’ll use your pregnancy as a weapon, Zoe.”I sank back onto the bed, clutching my belly. “Let them try. Those babies are Brayden’s, and no amount of venom from them will change that.”Clara’s eyes softened. “They’re circling because they’re scared. Leonardo’s terrified of losing control. Alessia’s drowning in her own jealousy. Together, they’re dangerous.”Before I could answer, the door clicked open again. This time it wasn’t Alessia or Leonardo, it was Brayden’s mother.“So it’s true,” she said, her eyes flicking to my stomach. “Triplets.”Her narrowed on me. “Tell me, Zoe, whose brats are you really carrying? Surely not my son’s. He’s been in and o
The first thing I felt was cold. A thin sheet tucked over me, the sterile scent of antiseptic biting at my nose. I wasn’t in Brayden’s room anymore.I blinked hard, disoriented, until the faint hum of monitors reminded me, I’d fainted.The voices outside my door sharpened into argument.“She collapsed in front of the doctors! How can someone that fragile run an empire?” Leonardo’s voice.“Fragile?” Clara’s tone cracked like a whip. “Zoe is stronger than both of you combined.”Alessia’s laugh cut through the air. “Stronger? Please. She’s nothing but a maid who got lucky. Leonardo’s right, she doesn’t belong in that office, or in this family.”I pushed myself upright as I swung my legs over the side of the bed just as Clara snapped, “She belongs more than either of you. Zoe is Brayden’s First wife. His First choice. And you two? You’re parasites clinging to destroy what he built.”“Parasites?” Leonardo hissed. “Careful, Clara. Watch your tongue. You’re not even a member of this family.”
A call from one of the staff members at Brayden’s company where I was now the acting CEO woke me up. Leonardo had gone behind my back to set up a meeting with the board members. I sat up too quickly and instantly regretted it as a wave of nausea clawed through me. Morning sickness. I pressed a hand to my belly, whispering under my breath, Not now, little ones. Mama has a war to fight. By the time I got dressed and made it to Gatsby Enterprises, the whispers were already spreading. “Is she really in charge?” “She fainted yesterday, how can she handle this?” “Leonardo is the real heir…” I ignored every single one of them, my heels striking the marble floors like a challenge. When I pushed open the boardroom doors, the noise died instantly. Leonardo was at the head of the table, lounging like a king. He smirked when he saw me. “Well, well. If it isn’t the temporary CEO. We were just discussing the company’s future.” I walked straight to him, never breaking eye contact. “Discussi