Chapter 3

Charlotte Vance's POV

Night fell over our luxurious villa in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

This was the marital house I shared with Julian.

Every piece of furniture, every painting in the house, and even every single rose in the garden had been handpicked and planted by me.

I once thought of this place as a warm haven, but now, it felt like nothing more than a gorgeous tomb.

At 8:00 PM, the sound of the digital lock echoed from the front door.

Julian walked in, carrying a faint scent of crisp, cool cologne.

Seeing me sitting on the sofa in the dark, he quickly walked over, wrapping me in a tight embrace, and expertly nuzzled his chin against my neck.

"Wifey, where did you go today? Why didn't you come to the airport to pick me up? I thought you were mad at me." Julian's voice was sweet enough to drown in. If I hadn't witnessed that scene with my own eyes a few hours ago, I might have been fooled by him yet again.

I sat there stiffly, suppressing the urge to shove him away. My voice was as flat and calm as still water. "I wasn't feeling very well, so I went to see a doctor."

Julian's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, but he quickly recovered his composure.

He touched my forehead with concern. "What's wrong? Have you been too tired lately?"

At this point, he paused, his tone becoming earnest and serious.

"Charlotte, what did the doctor say? Didn't we agree before to remain child-free? I don't want a child to ruin our life as a couple. Please don't secretly stop taking your pills behind my back. Pregnancy and childbirth are too hard on the body. I can't bear to see you suffer."

"Can't bear to see me suffer..." I repeated those words in my head, suddenly finding them incredibly laughable. Looking at the deeply affectionate face before me, I asked softly, "Julian, will you ever lie to me in this lifetime?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Julian's eyes, but he immediately kissed my forehead without missing a beat. "Silly. How could I ever lie to you? Everything I have was given to me by you. If I ever betray you, may heaven strike me down."

The moment he finished speaking, Julian's phone vibrated.

He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing slightly. "Wifey, there's an urgent PR crisis at the studio. I need to head over and handle it right away. Get some sleep early, don't wait up for me."

As I watched Julian's hurried departure, the very last trace of warmth in my eyes died out completely.

Half an hour later, my personal inbox received an anonymous, encrypted email.

The sender was unknown, and the subject line simply read: "Unwrap your present."

I opened the email. Inside was an audio file, over a dozen high-definition photos, and a twenty-page medical forensic report.

I tapped on the audio file first.

The recording sounded as though it had been taken inside a private club. Julian's voice, slurred with alcohol and dripping with disdain, came through clearly:

"Charlotte Vance? She's just a faded housewife now, hovering around the kitchen stove all day. It's an absolute turn-off. If she didn't still hold some leftover connections in the elite showbiz circle, I would've dumped her a long time ago."