Chapter 3

The next day, when Celia had been in the cold long enough to lose nearly all feeling in her body, the door finally opened.

A bodyguard stood in the doorway, expressionless. "Mr. Keller says next time, the punishment won't be this light."

She braced herself against the wall and stumbled out, trembling so hard her teeth chattered.

There would not be a next time. Soon enough, she would make sure he was out of her life for good.

That evening, Roman's assistant delivered a gown and a set of jewelry, along with instructions that Celia was expected to attend a charity auction gala.

Celia went. She saw Lana the moment she reached the entrance. Lana was wearing a couture gown and a diamond necklace that Roman had won at auction last month for an eight-figure sum.

Celia stopped and looked at Roman. "She's here too. What do you still need me for?"

His expression barely shifted. "I wasn't planning on bringing her, but she's never been to something like this and wanted to come."

He paused, his tone careless. "Celia, don't be so petty."

A faint tremor ran through her.

It was not about being petty. It had simply never occurred to him what it would mean for his wife and his mistress to show up at the same event. People would talk, and they would laugh at her behind her back.

Roman walked in with Lana on his arm, and she clung to him with an adoring smile.

The whispers started almost immediately.

"Mr. Keller and his wife look wonderful together, don't they?"

"You've got the wrong woman. That one over there is Mrs. Keller. The one on his arm is just... the other woman."

The first speaker glanced awkwardly at Celia. "Well, look at the way Mr. Keller treats her. She's in designer originals, and Mrs. Keller's wearing complimentary pieces... You can't really blame me for mixing them up."

Celia's fingers curled into fists, her nails digging hard into her palms.

Once the auction began, Celia raised her paddle for a few pieces without much thought. Every time she made a bid, Lana topped her by exactly one dollar.

Quiet laughter rippled through the crowd.

"The wife getting bullied by the mistress right out in the open. That's a first."

Celia's expression did not change. She lifted her hand and made the signal for an unlimited bid, meaning she would take the piece at any price, no ceiling.

Lana's face went white. She tugged at Roman's sleeve, looking wounded. "Roman, I really love that piece..."

Roman frowned and turned to Celia. "Celia, let her have it."

"No. She can't place an unlimited bid, but I can, because I'm your wife and marital assets are shared property." Celia looked directly at Lana. "It doesn't matter how much you give her. She'll never outrank me."

Lana's eyes welled up instantly. She shot to her feet. "You..."

The next second, she covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. "You're right, you're his wife... I'm just the dirty little secret who had no business dreaming. Roman, let's just end this."

She turned and ran.

Roman's expression went rigid. He grabbed Celia's wrist, squeezing hard enough to bruise. "I told you I'd get tired of her eventually. Did you have to push her this far?"

Celia met his gaze evenly. "Whether she stays or goes has nothing to do with me."

His eyes went cold. He dropped her wrist and strode after Lana.

Celia stood alone in the middle of the room. The stares around her ranged from mocking to pitying.

She did not care. She would be gone soon enough.

…

The next morning, however, Celia was jolted awake by a news alert on her phone.

The headline read: [Breaking news! 999 intimate photos of Keller Corporation CEO's wife to be sold at a public auction through Kingsley's.]

Her blood ran cold. Those photos existed in only one person's possession.