Semua Bab THE WIFE WHO STOLE HIS HEART: Bab 1 - Bab 10

My prenatal vitamins clinked around in my purse as I struggled with my keys. Being eight months pregnant made even simple stuff feel like a marathon. Dr. Martinez had let me leave my appointment early—said everything looked great, smiling in that way that always made me feel secure. She said the baby was doing well and positioned just right, and I was dilated enough that she might show up a week or two early."Just in time for Daddy's birthday," I told my belly on the way home, thinking about how Mikel would react when I gave him the news. Three years into our marriage, and he still got super excited talking about our baby girl.The house was strangely quiet when I pushed open the front door. Usually, I could hear Mrs. Chen humming in the kitchen or Mikel in a conference call from his office. But today, total silence."Mikel?" I called out, dropping my keys into the crystal bowl by the door. "I'm home!"Nothing. His Maserati was outside, so he had to be here. Maybe he was in his study

Emma's first cry in the operating room was like a warrior's shout—strong, urgent, and just right. As the anesthesia wore off, I cried as Dr. Rodriguez showed me my daughter."She's beautiful, Bella," Dr. Rodriguez said, her voice full of feeling. "Six pounds, three ounces of pure fight, just like you."Emma was indeed perfect. Ten tiny fingers and toes, and dark hair like Mikel's. But as they put her on my chest, all I could think was that she wouldn't really know her dad. The guy who'd tuck her in would be a stranger with her daddy's face."Is she okay?" I whispered, my throat sore from the tube. "The stress... Did I hurt her?""She's totally fine," Dr. Rodriguez said, checking the monitors like a pro. "You both did great, all things considered. But do you have a family we should call? Someone to help you?"Family. The word felt weird. I'd spent three years making a family with Mikel, separate from our families' drama. Now that was gone, and I was totally alone."No," I said. "There'

The day after Elena showed up wasn't just another cloudy Seattle day. It meant three black SUVs with dark windows, a bunch of serious security guys, and a calm that screamed money and control.I was stuck in my hospital bed, still weak from surgery but more awake than I'd been in ages, watching my grandma turn the room into her headquarters. She got here early with new clothes, helpers, and this vibe that she could change the world if she wanted to."This custody thing Mikel made you sign," Elena said, not wasting any time. She was looking at papers on her tablet while her assistant sorted files, "it's awful. No Romano would agree to that."Emma was asleep in her bassinet, not knowing her life was being changed with every word. In the bright hospital lights, Elena was right—Emma had the Romano eyes, that same strong jawline that's been in our family for generations, from women who didn't give up."I don't know if I'm still a Romano," I said quietly. "I left, remember? I picked love in

The view from the Romano Enterprises boardroom in New York was amazing. It was the kind of view that made big-shot business people jealous. From my seat at the head of the shiny black table, I could see the whole city like a chessboard. And I had more pieces than anyone."The Sterling Industries deal should be done by the end of the month," Marcus Chen—no relation to Sophia, thank goodness—said, sounding sharp like I want my people to sound. "Their drug business is losing money fast, and the board is getting desperate."I didn't show any feelings as I looked at the reports. But I felt that cold winning feeling that kept me going for the last five years as I was building my empire. Sterling Industries was once worth three billion dollars. Now, it's worth less than half that. Some bad business moves, lost deals, and partners that disappeared mysteriously turned Mikel's company into nothing."Great," I said, signing the papers. "Make sure the news comes out during their board meeting. I

The quarterly reports on my desk screamed disaster, a level of calculated ruin that would impress even Sun Tzu. Every lost deal, every failed merger, every conveniently timed bad press—it all pointed to a corporate war so sneaky, it took me three years to even realize it was happening."Sir?" Jennifer, my assistant, stood in the doorway, wearing that expression that spells bad news. "That Romano Enterprises report you asked for? It's ready."I'd been dreading this ever since Victoria Chen dropped her Bella bombshell a couple of hours ago. I'd hoped she was exaggerating and that my ex-wife just got a decent job with her family's business. Turns out, the truth was worse than I thought."Romano Enterprises," I read from the summary, "private company worth about sixty-eight billion euros. Main stuff includes..."The list went on for three pages. Tech, medicines, property, media, security, and a bunch of other stuff I never saw coming. This wasn't just a family business; it was a hidden po