Chapter 2

I nodded, roughly wiping the tears from my cheeks.

I pulled out my phone, ready to call Carter and unleash hell, but my fingers froze over the keypad.

No. That would be reckless.

Carter had kept this secret hidden for four years. If Leo hadn’t warned me, I would still be entirely in the dark. Right now, I didn't have ironclad, public-facing proof. If I called off the wedding out of the blue, Carter would have endless room to spin the narrative.

He would paint me as paranoid and drag both me and the Vance family through the mud.

Seeing my hesitation, Leo thought I was getting cold feet about leaving Carter.

His tiny shoulders shuddered with rage, fresh tears spilling from his eyes.

"Mommy, don't soften your heart!"

"Daddy is a monster! On your wedding day, he's going to be in the hotel penthouse with Aunt Chloe right before the ceremony!"

My breath hitched.

On our wedding day... in the very hotel where we were getting married?! The audacity!

Then, a daring, ruthless idea took shape in my mind.

I pulled Leo into a tight hug, smoothing down his hair.

"Don't be scared, baby. Mommy will never stay with Daddy."

"Mommy is going to teach that monster a lesson he'll never forget."

I brought Leo back to my apartment.

Late that night, Carter finally returned. Seeing me sitting on the living room rug helping Leo build Lego sets, he furrowed his brows.

"Whose kid is this?"

"He's my aunt's grandson from London. His name is Leo. She flew back to attend our wedding and was staying at the family estate, but I fell in love with him the second I saw him, so I asked to let him stay with us for a few days."

Leo was visibly terrified of Carter.

He stole one quick peek at him before ducking his head low, murmuring in a tiny voice, "Hello, sir."

Carter looked down at Leo and seemed to feel an unexplainable pull toward the boy.

Instead of minding the cold reception, Carter offered a rare, warm smile.

"Hey there, Leo."

The moment Carter stepped closer, Leo began to tremble.

I immediately stepped between them, taking Carter's suit jacket to steer his attention away. "What cologne did you spray today?" I asked lightly, feigning curiosity.

"It smells... awfully sweet. Like a woman's perfume. Who did you run into?"

Carter’s expression darkened instantly.

Panicking that I might suspect something, he stopped paying attention to Leo and snatched the jacket right out of my hands.

"Nobody. Just working late at headquarters. The receptionist probably brushed past me."

"Smells fine to me. I'll have my assistant tell HR to enforce our fragrance policy tomorrow."

I held my smile and stared at him without saying a word.

My unwavering gaze made him squirm, and he looked around, desperate to escape.

"I'm gonna take a shower."

"Kids shouldn't stay up late. Get him to bed soon, Valerie."

With that, Carter turned to retreat down the hall.

Watching his back, I casually called out to him.

"Carter, do you remember Chloe Bennett?"

Carter froze dead in his tracks.

I let out a silent, icy scoff, continuing with an innocent tilt to my voice:

"Didn't my father cut her off and send her abroad years ago? My aunt mentioned she was planning to visit Chloe's city while she was traveling, thinking she'd drop off a wedding invitation. You know, to show there are no hard feelings."

"Except the locals over there said Chloe moved back here four years ago."

"Carter, did you know anything about that?"