Chapter 109

MADELINEHe looked surprised but relieved, patting my shoulder gently. “Good girl. Think carefully. You’ll see I’m right.”I hurried out of the study, pulling my phone out before I even reached the hallway. My fingers flew across the screen as I dialed Ethan fast, heart racing with new, dangerous energy. The plan was already taking shape in my mind. I don't need dad or his final random judgements. I need Ethan.He picked up on the third ring, his voice cautious. “Madeline?”“Hey, are you at your company?” I asked immediately. “Yeah I am. What’s wrong?” he sounded genuinely worried. “It’s urgent. I’m on my way to your company right now. Don’t go anywhere.”“Wait I thought you were at the old Cantrell villa?” he asked. “I was. Now I'm coming to you." He sighed, sounding tired and wary. “Okay.”The drive across town felt too long, every red light a personal insult. I tapped my nails against the steering wheel, replaying Dad’s words and Dominic’s casual dismissal at the dinner. By the t

Chapter 110

DOMINIC “Gentlemen, we’re aligned on the quarterly targets. I expect those reports on my desk by end of week. Any questions?” A couple of them muttered agreements, one or two asked minor clarifications on timelines, which I handled quickly. “Good. Meeting adjourned.” I ended the call and exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. I wrapped up the video call with a firm nod, leaning back in my chair in the quiet study. The screen showed the last of the board members signing off and I did too. Business as usual. But today my mind kept drifting elsewhere. To the reunion dinner and to Valerie. Not that I was nervous but, the board would be there. If Valerie and I don’t pull off our act right then it would all be for nothing.I refreshed my news feed out of habit, and there it was, the headlines and social mentions popping up everywhere about the Cantrell family throwing a private reunion dinner. “Cantrell Family Welcomes New Member in Exclusive Affair,” one outlet read. Another: “Old Mon

Chapter 111

MADELINE“Can’t complain. Expanding in a few areas. You?”“Solid. We’ll have to compare notes sometime. And there was a new proposal that landed on my tab. I'm thinking of a collaboration” I replied honestly. “Awesome. Guess I'll be expecting you when you're back in state?” I nodded. They moved on after a few minutes, blending into the crowd. I turned back to Valerie. “You handled that smoothly.”She shrugged. “Had to. She’s testing me and I can't break character. But we’re good.” We continued circulating, the role of the perfect couple slipping on like a second skin. I introduced her to more people like distant relatives, a few business associates invited for optics. Valerie charmed them with questions about their lives, remembering small details I’d mentioned earlier. “Your grandmother said you used to sail with your uncle every summer,” she said to one cousin. “That sounds amazing. I'd always wanted to but I'm hopeless on water.”The cousin laughed. “You cshould get Dominic to te

Chapter 112

VALERIE The evening had been a whirlwind from the moment we stepped into the Cantrell Boarding house. I stood beside Dominic as the butler made the formal announcement, my heart hammering so loudly I was sure the entire room could hear it. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Dominic Cantrell and his wife, Valerie Cantrell.” The words made me smile a little, our names together in that official and binding in a way makes it seem like we were real. I smiled through the introductions, feeling Grandmother Eleanor’s eyes on me the whole time. She had pulled me aside earlier today, giving me endless instructions and going over every detail I was sure I couldn't have possibly needed till I got here. Who to address first, how to hold a conversation without revealing too much, when to defer to Dominic. It was overwhelming, but I was determined not to embarrass him or myself.Things went surprisingly well at first. Dominic’s hand stayed warm on my lower back as we moved through the crowd. H

Chapter 113

VALERIEI sighed, glancing around to make sure no one important was listening. “I don’t have to pretend to be all prestigious around you, at least. It’s exhausting keeping up the act everywhere else.”Ethan studied me for a moment, his expression turning serious. “Are you really comfortable with all of this? The family, the expectations, the… everything with Dominic?”I let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. “You’ve been in this world your entire life and discomfort is written all over your face right now. Who am I to complain? I’m just the outsider who somehow ended up with the ring.”He stepped a little closer, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my stomach flip. “Valerie. You are Valerie. That’s more than enough. You don’t have to be anything else.”Butterflies erupted in my chest at the way he said it. There was no pretense in his eyes and it showed that he really meant it. “Wanna dance?” he asked suddenly, gesturing toward the small dance floor w

Chapter 114

VALERIE I woke up with a throbbing headache that pulsed behind my eyes like a second heartbeat. My vision was blurry at first, the edges of everything swimming, and a deep dizziness made the room tilt even though I was lying still. Cold concrete bit into the side of my face and arms. The air smelled stale, damp, like an unused basement or an abandoned warehouse. I tried to move and a sharp ache shot through my shoulders. Memory returned in jagged pieces slowly, the party, the dance with Ethan, Dominic’s furious face, the sudden hands, the sweet chemical smell of the handkerchief. Panic hit me hard. I tried to sit up too fast and almost blacked out again.“Hey. Wake up.”A rough voice cut through the fog. I blinked hard until a man in a dark hoodie came into focus, crouched a few feet away. He looked ordinary, mid-thirties maybe, but the way he watched me made my skin crawl. I tried to scramble backward. My limbs felt heavy and uncooperative, like they belonged to someone else. I ma