CHAPTER THREE

The soft clink of the platinum band against the glass nightstand seemed to linger in the silence. 

Dominic’s fingers paused on the buttons of his shirt. He looked down at the ring, then up at my bare hand. His jaw tightened slightly, but his eyes remained entirely flat, devoid of remorse. I had spent six years praying to see.

"Are we playing games now, Bianca?" he asked. He didn't reach for the ring. "Taking off your ring because you're upset about corporate seating arrangements is childish."

"Childish?" My voice shook, the tears finally cutting paths through my makeup. "You admitted to my face that you funded her return. You let your mother humiliate me. You let her wear the diamonds you promised me. And you're calling me childish?"

Dominic let out a long, weary sigh and tossed his shirt into the laundry hamper, completely unbothered by my tears. "I told you, Selena is a strategic partner for the European sector. Her return gala, the diamonds, it's all part of the corporate image to secure the board's confidence. I am trying to protect Brown Holdings, which means I am protecting our lifestyle."

He walked closer, looking down at me with an expression of cold, detached pity.

"You are rewriting reality because of your own insecurities, Bianca. Selena was my past. Right now, she is a co-worker. If you walk around without your ring, the press will have a field day, and the board will think our marriage is unstable. Put it back on. I don't have time for this drama before the morning summit."

"A co-worker?" I whispered, my heart sinking at how completely he missed the point. He truly believed what he was saying. He thought a penthouse, a credit card, and the title of wife were enough to make up for everything else. Enough to keep me quiet while he gave someone else the part of him that had never belonged to me.

"I heard her ask when you were going to divorce me, Dominic," I said softly. "And you told her you'd take care of it."

"Because the media will be handled," Dominic snapped gently. "I told her that to keep her quiet so she wouldn't cause a scene that would embarrass you. I am trying to keep the peace, and you are trying to make me the bad person."

He didn't wait for my response. He turned around, picked up his phone from the nightstand, and walked into the dressing room, closing the door behind him.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, staring at the space where my husband had just stood. He wasn't screaming or hitting me. He was simply erasing my reality, making me feel like an unstable, jealous child in my own home.

The sharp buzz of the penthouse intercom broke the silence a few hours later, long after Dominic had left for his early morning corporate meetings.

"Mrs. Brown," the concierge's voice came through, sounding strained. "Ms. Selena Whitmore is downstairs. She states she left a corporate folder in the penthouse study during the executive briefing earlier this week."

My hands clenched into fists against the silk of my gown. Dominic hadn't mentioned any briefing at the penthouse.

"Send her up," I said flatly.

When the elevator doors opened directly into the penthouse foyer, Selena stepped out. The elegant, innocent smile she wore around Dominic was completely gone. She closed the doors behind her and let her gaze drift lazily over the grand living room before her eyes locked onto me.

She noticed my bare left hand immediately. A flash of pure, malicious triumph crossed her face.

"So, you took it off," Selena purred, walking into the room with sharp, confident steps. She didn't look toward the study to look for a folder. Instead, she stopped right in front of me. "Let me guess what Dominic said. 'You're imagining things, Bianca. She's just a co-worker.' Am I right?"

I stood my ground, keeping my breathing shallow. "Get out of my house, Selena."

"Your house?" Selena laughed, a sharp, mocking sound that cut straight through the quiet room. "Dominic bought this place with the bonuses from the first merger I helped him close seven years ago. Everything he built has my blueprint on it. You've just been a glorified housekeeper keeping his seat warm while I was gone."

"Listen to me carefully, Bianca. Dominic is too proud to admit it to you, but you are nothing but a liability to his family and his company. His mother detests you. The board laughs at you. If you have even a shred of pride left, you will sign the papers and walk away before you are completely ruined. Because if you don't leave him voluntarily, I will make sure high society strips away whatever dignity you think you have left."

She smiled sweetly, leaning in to whisper against my ear.

"See you at the family dinner tonight, Mrs. Brown. Let's see how much more you can tolerate."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out, leaving me standing alone in the quiet penthouse.