Chapter 2

"Why?"

I started the car, perfectly composed, and shot back.

"Just happened to have a contract to discuss, that's all. Do you have something you're afraid I'll find out?"

Seraphina seemed taken aback by my question.

Her breath hitched. After a few seconds of silence, her voice suddenly softened, adopting her usual coaxing tone.

"Honey, what are you talking about?"

"I have nothing to hide from you. It's just that my office is a mess, and if you were coming, I'd have someone clean up first."

"Besides, how could I ever betray you? You can check anything you want."

Hearing her, I felt a flicker of confusion.

Julian hadn't told her that I'd confronted him.

I flipped through the evidence, listening to her flimsy excuses.

Three gigabytes of data, every single day tied to Seraphina.

Last Valentine's Day, she claimed she was abroad on a business trip and couldn't call. In reality, she was in the Arctic watching the aurora with Julian.

When my mother was gravely ill, I called Seraphina over thirty times. She didn't answer a single one. At that very moment, she was celebrating Julian's birthday.

"I believe you. But what about that watch?"

Seeing me bring up the subject, Seraphina actually sounded relieved.

Her voice leaned into the phone, deliberately making it sound intimate.

"That watch? I fainted at the office, and Julian happened to be passing by. He helped me get to the hospital."

She paused, then continued.

"He stayed with me all night, so I just gave him a watch as a thank-you. I forgot to tell you about it."

Forgot? She had quite the selective memory.

Not only did she forget to tell me about the watch, she also conveniently forgot that they went to the hotel's top-floor suite that very night.

And stayed for three days and three nights.

A cold laugh echoed in my mind.

"He's certainly attentive, isn't he? Even washed and perfectly ironed the clothes you wore when you fainted, and returned them the next day."

Seraphina clearly faltered on the other end, her breath catching. Then she laughed it off again.

"Oh, he really is! So meticulous, truly. Pays attention to every little thing."

"See? You're always so suspicious, darling. My heart belongs only to you."

Her voice purred into the receiver, laced with a practiced tenderness.

"Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll take you to the Maldives for a makeup vacation, just the two of us, okay?"

That soft, gentle tone used to melt my heart. Now, it only made my stomach churn.

"Sounds good."

I gazed out at the passing neon lights, my voice as calm as if I were discussing the weather.

"But you focus on your important business first. Don't let me get in the way."

"Nothing is more important than being with you, darling."

Seraphina's voice was tinged with eager flattery, but my heart grew colder and colder.

It wasn't just Seraphina's betrayal that chilled me. It was the realization that they had been playing me for so long, right under my nose.

My grip on the steering wheel tightened. I fought down the urge to confront Seraphina immediately.

After a few perfunctory words, I hung up.

Just then, Julian Hayes updated his social media again.

The picture showed him in an intricately designed suit studded with diamonds, his eyes alight with triumph.

"Another kept man came to cause trouble today, trying to climb his way up! But my lady, to make it up to me, is finally going to marry me!"

"I just mentioned wanting a castle wedding, and she bought me an entire castle!"

He smirked, the camera casually sweeping over a property deed.

"And all these vineyards? She wants *me* to manage them!"

"How could a humble person like me possibly manage them well! Luckily, my lady promised to come with me to stake my claim, so those old-timers won't look down on me!"

Seeing the property deed in the video, bearing my French name, pure rage surged through me.

Those vineyards were my father's gift to me for my coming-of-age.

Seraphina was using *my* property to appease her kept man!

Fine. They want to stake their claim?

Then I'd be damned if I didn't show up in person, the *real* owner of the vineyards, and see how they planned to do it!