Chapter 4

Bruce practically leaped to grab my phone, his eyes glued to the two boys on the screen.

Leo and Luca just stared at that stranger, their little faces a mix of surprise and confusion.

They looked a bit like me, but their eyes were a spitting image of their dad's, a deep ocean blue.

"Mommy, who's this guy?" Leo's voice was soft and childlike as he waved at the screen.

"He seems really mad." Luca's little forehead creased with worry, picking up on the storm brewing on Bruce's face.

Bruce's hands shook, and his face went ghostly white. "No way! This can't be happening."

His voice rose to a high pitch, turning heads all around.

People on the street paused, their curiosity piqued as they stared at our little drama.

"Bruce, hand over my phone," I demanded, my voice frozen as ice.

"No!" He exploded, hoisting the phone above his head, "These kids, they-"

He choked on his words, unable to finish.

In a fit of rage, he hurled the phone to the ground.

The screen shattered with a sharp crack, silencing the children's voices, leaving only the buzz of broken electronics.

I slapped him hard across the face, my anger boiling over.

The slap echoed, and Bruce's cheek flared red.

"Are you out of your mind?" I was shaking, my voice quivering with fury.

Bruce clutched his cheek, his eyes ablaze with insanity. "Illegitimate! They're illegitimate!"

He jabbed a finger at the broken phone on the ground, his voice piercing, as he turned his fury on me.

"Eleanor, who did you get knocked up by in Eurovia? And then got dumped? Did you come crawling back to me because you couldn't afford to raise them?"

His buddies started murmuring, and out came the phones, snapping pictures.

"Wow, Eleanor's got kids?"

"They sure look like they're from somewhere else. Definitely not Bruce's."

"Man, Bruce, forget her. She's not worth the trouble."

"It's a total disgrace; she's brought shame to the entire Laurent family."

Bella sidled up to Bruce just in time, caressing his arm in a way that screamed girlfriend.

"Bruce, try to stay calm. Maybe Eleanor has her reasons."

Her voice was as soft as a feather, but it was clear to anyone listening that she was poking the bear.

"Reasons?" Bruce scoffed, "She betrayed me! Left me five years ago, acting like she was too good for me, and now she's been out there misbehaving! She has the nerve to show up again with two kids!"

His buddies chimed in, buzzing around like a swarm of clueless gnats.

"You see the truth now, right, Bruce? She's not worth another minute of your time." The blond guy shook his head, "Especially with two kids tagging along."

"Bella's the real deal, always there for you, loving only you," another friend piped up.

Their words were like daggers of humiliation, and even though I kept my face blank, inside I was plotting their comeuppance.

Bruce seemed to buy into every word, his gaze turning icy and determined.

"In three days, I'll be marrying Bella at the Villa d'Oro," he declared, a twisted satisfaction in his voice.

However, when he looked at me, his eyes were a tumult of pain and regret, as if he was saying, "You drove me to this."

Right then, Bella, clinging to Bruce's arm, was the picture of triumph.

"Bruce, let's get out of here. Don't waste another second on someone who doesn't matter."

She angled for that for years, aiming to be the future Mamma of the Laurent family.

Hearing him announce their wedding, she was probably doing cartwheels on the inside.

Bruce locked eyes with me, an intense gaze that seemed to pierce right through. He stepped closer, his voice a low whisper, "You've lost the right to be the Laurent family's leading lady."

He paused, a twisted glint of possessiveness and a flicker of vengeful satisfaction in his eyes.

"However, I'm willing to offer you a spot. Send those kids away, and you can be mine. My lover, that is.

"We did share love once, after all.

"Think it over. I'm about to become the Don, and this is a gift I'm offering you."

All I did in response was roll my eyes at him.