Chapter 2

I went back to the estate.

The second I walked into the living room, I ran into Eugene.

He was hurrying out, clutching a handbag.

When he saw me, he stopped short, his eyes darting around.

His grip on the bag tightened, and he swallowed. "Donna, you're back so soon?

"This is a gift from the Don for a business partner."

I recognized that handbag immediately. Just days earlier, Erica had posted on Twitter about wanting one for her birthday.

Then it hit me. Today was Erica's birthday, and Carlos had sent Eugene to pick up her present.

I just nodded and didn't call him out.

Once Eugene was gone, I called Carlos's private line.

"Emma, feeling any better?"

His voice was as gentle as ever.

I asked calmly, "When are you coming home?"

I almost confronted him about our baby right then and there, but I held my tongue.

I wanted to confront him face-to-face and see how far he'd go with his lies.

"There's an emergency at the company. I can't get away right now.

"I'll come home as soon as I can. Why don't you have dinner without me?"

In the background, I heard soft restaurant music and the clink of glasses. I knew he was celebrating Erica's birthday with her.

"Okay. I'll wait for you."

After I hung up, I sat alone on the living room couch, thinking back to the months I'd spent battling depression.

I'd locked myself in my room and refused to eat, smashing every tray they brought in against the wall.

Carlos had canceled all his meetings to cook for me himself.

More than once, I'd lost control, smashing plates and splashing him with scalding soup.

But he never got angry. He just patiently picked up the broken china and gently coaxed me.

"Emma, you need to eat something. How about a little soup?"

Thinking back on how tenderly he'd treated me, I felt like a fool. I'd believed his devotion was real for seven years.

To make another woman's dream come true, he'd secretly given away the baby I'd nearly died bringing into the world.

And even now, every word he said to me was a lie.

Carlos didn't come home until late that night. I'd been waiting on the couch for hours when he walked in, carrying the scent of an unfamiliar perfume.

When he saw me sitting there alone, still waiting for him, he came straight over, frowning.

"It's so late. Why aren't you in bed?"

He took off his jacket and went to wrap it around me out of habit.

"You're not fully recovered yet. What if you get sick?"

I dodged his hand, my voice cold.

"Our baby didn't die, did he?"

Carlos went still for a second, and panic flickered in his eyes.

"Is your depression acting up again? Are you imagining things?"

"I was at the hospital today. I heard everything you said to Eugene.

"And there was no emergency at the company today. You were celebrating Erica's birthday with her, weren't you?"

I didn't give him a chance to lie. I pulled up the Twitter post Erica had shared half an hour earlier.

It was a photo of the two of them kissing, and in Erica's hand was the bag Eugene had said was for a business partner.

Carlos looked rattled for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

He dropped the act and sat down across from me.

"Since you already know, there's no point hiding it. Yes, I gave the baby to Erica."

He looked at me, his voice strangely calm.

"Back then, Erica got hurt saving my life, and now she can't have children.

"You're my wife. You should understand what she's been through and let her have the chance to be a mother."

He paused, and his voice softened again.

"I promised to fulfill three wishes for her. Once I've granted the last one, I'll send her and the baby overseas. You'll never have to see her again.

"After that, I'll give you anything you want.

"You can still have children. We can always have another baby."

He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, and I fell silent.

I looked at the man I'd loved for seven years, and for the first time, I saw how ridiculous he really was.

I'd put my body through so much to get pregnant, and he'd given our baby away so easily.

I'd kept the countless hormone injections and surgeries a secret so he wouldn't worry.

He had no idea how much damage my body had suffered.