Chapter 1

Scarlett's POV

“Yes, Daddy… give it to me!”

I heard the tiny voice, accompanied by a ragged moan, coming from the restroom. Without even stepping inside, I could already tell what was going on.

But who would be so shameless as to fuck in a restroom?

That would be my husband and some random slut. Even with that knowledge, I remained calm as I waited outside the door, my gaze unreadable as I stared at it, waiting for them to come out.

“Fuck!” I heard his loud groan, followed by a sloshy sound. Not long after, the restroom door opened, revealing my husband, sweaty and disheveled.

“Romano,” I called gently. He didn’t look guilty as he met my gaze, his lips pursed in mild annoyance.

“What are you doing outside the door? You aren’t planning to join us, right?” Romano asked, and I rolled my eyes.

I bet you’re wondering what kind of wife would be this chill after finding her husband cheating. That would be because we weren’t a normal couple. Romano Sinclair, one of the most powerful men in the country, was my husband. He was twice my age, and I was just his trophy wife, bought with his money.

But was it that simple? Of course not.

“No, I’ll pass. Can you ask your partner to come out now?” I said evenly. Romano called out to the girl.

I watched as the lady staggered out, looking disheveled and unbalanced. She was the organizer of the party happening tonight, a woman in her thirties with pretty features. From how sweaty she looked, I knew I hadn’t imagined anything.

My husband had stooped so low as to sleep with the organizer at a business gala we were invited to, not caring whether reporters would get a whiff of it.

And if you’re wondering why I wasn’t walking away from this piece of shit, it was because I wasn’t in a position to. And that was all thanks to my greedy father.

My father, Kaden Deluca, owed Romano a lot of money due to a failed investment. My once-respected family became the ridicule of the country overnight because of that. But a company on the brink of bankruptcy suddenly revived..saved by Romano Sinclair, the very man my father owed.

And in case you’re wondering how, I was the collateral for the deal.

He saved my father’s company in exchange for my hand in marriage.

My consent? Who the fuck gave a damn about that?

I was handed over to Romano anyway. Later, I found out he hadn’t married me because he fell in love with me. He married me because I was someone who would make him look good. The moment I realized there was nothing for me in this loveless marriage except the benefits that came with it, I decided to use it.

If I was married to a man old enough to be my father, then I had better be compensated, which was why I had started building my own influence, too.

“You couldn’t even keep it down? What if reporters stumbled onto this?” I muttered, glancing at his assistant, who had just rushed over. “Vet the area and make sure no reporters are around,” I ordered. The man hurried off.

“Always thorough. That’s why I chose you, after all,” Romano said, grabbing my chin and brushing his lips against my cheek. I shivered despite myself.

Romano might have been a middle-aged man in his late forties, but he had a certain charm. That was why I hadn’t been completely disgusted by our marriage at first. But he proved me wrong on the night of our wedding. He had told me clearly that I was just his trophy wife and that I should forget about any wifely duties. Which meant our marriage had been sexless.

“Yes, that’s why you chose me. But I think if you want to handle your business…” I began, suppressing the irritation building in my chest. What kind of woman wouldn’t be irritated to find her husband cheating?

“Don’t nag. You become ugly when you do that,” he said coldly.

I chuckled softly, biting my lip to seal the curse words threatening to spill out. I couldn’t get on Romano’s bad side. My father would murder me.

“Sorry. You should go in first. I need to touch up my makeup,” I said.

He nodded and walked off arrogantly. I stepped into the restroom, ignoring the used condom lying on the floor, and walked toward the mirror to fix my makeup.

“You can do it, Scarlett. You just have to keep holding on,” I breathed, staring at my reflection.

After forcing my emotions back into their cage, a fake smile curled onto my lips, the one I had mastered perfectly. I walked back into the ballroom with that smile in place and noticed Romano talking to the Prime Minister. He didn’t look like a man who had just fucked a woman in a restroom.

“Scarlett,” Romano called gently, ushering me over.

People gushed at the sweetness in his voice, while I simply smiled to feed their delusion of the happy couple we pretended to be. Romano was obsessed with maintaining that illusion.

As I walked over, I noticed the young men in the room staring at me, something heated and lost in their eyes. The moment Romano noticed, jealousy flashed across his face. He walked to me and wrapped his arm tightly around my waist.

“You took a long time,” he murmured, kissing my neck, but I could tell he was irritated.

“I was taking care of things,” I replied evenly..

The ball ended not long after, and we journeyed back home together. The tenderness he had displayed earlier vanished the moment he stepped into the car. I, too, dropped the act of the docile wife.

“Can I talk about what happened earlier? You can’t keep sleeping around when…” I began, breaking the silence in the car.

I stopped when Romano shot me a sharp glare.

I wanted to tell him that I was a young woman with needs too. He didn’t see me going around, sleeping with every man I bumped into. Why was it so hard for a man about to be fifty to keep his pants up?

“Then you can have your fun too. Or did I stop you?” Romano blurted, lighting his cigar. I froze.

Have my fun too? Does he mean an open marriage?