Two

“You will attend the reception with me tonight, Victoria. I have already arranged everything.”

Alexander sounded warm enough to fool anyone who had not spent seven years learning the difference between his real affection and his convenient performances. I was sitting in my car outside the hotel when he called, still thinking about Eleanor’s furious expression.

“I have plans,” I replied.

“Cancel them. It is an important company event, and people expect to see my wife beside me.”

His wife. The title sounded ridiculous now.

He continued before I could answer. “I also ordered you a necklace. Consider it a late anniversary present.”

I nearly laughed. “How thoughtful.”

The stylist’s studio was filled with mirrors, soft music, and women preparing for the evening. A designer brought out a sapphire necklace, explaining its rare stones and delicate setting. I barely listened. I was staring at the doorway.

Chloe Bennett had just entered.

“Victoria! What a lovely surprise.”

Her smile was bright, but her eyes travelled immediately to the necklace on the velvet cushion. She touched the identical piece resting against her own throat.

“Alexander has excellent taste,” she said. “He insisted I keep mine, even though I told him it was far too expensive.”

The stylist looked between us, clearly uncomfortable.

I lifted the necklace and examined the clasp. “Then he must have bought two.”

Chloe laughed softly. “I suppose he wanted us both to have something beautiful.”

“Us both?”

She tilted her head. “Please don’t misunderstand. Alexander has always treated me like family.”

The studio door opened again, and Alexander walked in. His expression brightened when he saw Chloe, then became carefully neutral when he noticed me.

“Victoria, you’re here already.”

Chloe moved close to him. “I was just telling your wife how generous you have been.”

Alexander glanced at her necklace. “It suits you.”

Then he turned to me and reached for the sapphire set. “This one is yours. I thought you would like it.”

I placed it back on the cushion. “You should give it to Chloe. She seems to appreciate your gifts more.”

His jaw tightened. “Don’t start.”

“I haven’t started anything.”

He lowered his voice. “Chloe is like a younger sister to me. The Bennett family and ours have known each other for years. I expect you to behave politely tonight.”

I looked at the two matching necklaces. “Do you buy your sisters gifts that cost more than most people’s houses?”

Chloe’s smile faltered, but Alexander’s glare warned me to stop. I turned away before he could see how little his anger affected me.

At the reception, I wore a simple black gown and left the necklace in its box. Alexander introduced me to several investors, then disappeared whenever Chloe called. I watched him return to her side again and again, his hand settling naturally at her back.

During the speeches, Chloe approached with a glass of red wine. She stumbled beside Alexander, spilling the drink across the front of his shirt.

“Oh, Alex! I’m so sorry.”

He immediately caught her wrist. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, laughing nervously. “I’m fine. I ruined your shirt.”

“It’s only a shirt.”

He took his jacket off and draped it around her shoulders. I stood several feet away, watching my husband protect his mistress from a little embarrassment while leaving his wife alone in a crowded room.

My phone vibrated.

A voice recording arrived from an unknown number. I pressed play, and Alexander’s voice filled my ear.

“Victoria suspects nothing. Once the company merger is complete, I’ll deal with the divorce.”

Chloe’s voice followed, soft and pleased.

“And what if she finds out about us?”

“She won’t. She trusts me too much.”

The recording ended.

I looked up and found Chloe watching me from across the room. She lifted her glass in a tiny, triumphant toast.

Before I could move, a woman from Chloe’s circle stepped in front of me. Madison Crawford, a socialite who had spent the evening treating me like an unwanted guest, looked at my dress and smiled.

“Some women should understand when they no longer belong somewhere.”

I started to answer, but Madison deliberately knocked her drink against my arm. The glass slipped, and red wine spread over my sleeve.

“Careful,” she said loudly. “You’re making a scene.”

A few guests turned. I felt heat rise to my face, but I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

Then a deep male voice cut through the whispers.

“Is there a reason everyone is surrounding this woman?”

A tall stranger stepped beside me. His dark suit fitted perfectly, and his expression made Madison’s smile disappear. He glanced at the wine on my sleeve, then offered me a clean handkerchief.

I had never seen him before.

But Alexander had.

The moment my husband noticed the stranger’s hand resting lightly at my waist, his face changed.

“Victoria,” he said sharply. “Who the hell is this man?”