“Why would I?” I said, meeting his eyes. “I’m your wife… or was it because all this time, you’ve been having an affair with my stepsister?”
For a second, Nathan froze. His eyes narrowed, the fury in them dulling into something colder, something I couldn’t read. “What are you talking about?” he said flatly, though the flicker of guilt in his gaze was enough of an answer.
He exhaled, as if the argument had drained him. Before he could say another word, the door opened quietly. Mr. Santos, our butler, stepped in, his expression nervous.
“Sir,” he said carefully, glancing at both of us. “Miss Amber and young Lorenzo are finally fine. They’ve been taken to the hospital, and they are asking for you.”
Nathan’s eyes shifted back to me, sharp again. “We’re not done, Emerald. Got it?”
Before I could respond, he gestured to the guards standing by the door. “Lock her up. She doesn’t leave this room until I say so.”
My body tensed. “Nathan—”
But the men didn’t hesitate. The door slammed shut, and the sound of the lock sliding into place echoed like a sentence.
For a long while, I just sat there. The silence pressed in, thick and heavy, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioner and my own heartbeat.
My leg still ached from the fracture, and the bruise on my cheek burned where his hand had struck me earlier. Thankfully, my baby is still alive. Though, I don’t know how long I should keep the baby. Should I?
My mind drifted—back to where it all started.
I met Nathan because of our families. He was handsome, composed, the perfect image of a man any father would want for his daughter. I fell for him first, even when something in me felt he was too guarded, too unreadable. He wasn’t cruel then—just distant. But when he smiled, he could make the whole world fade. Eventually, he fell too—or so I thought.
Now, sitting here with the taste of betrayal still bitter on my tongue, I knew better. The man I loved never existed. The one he truly loved was Amber. My stepsister. The woman my father adored as if she were his own blood.
Maybe I should have listened to Reid. He warned me before the wedding. He said Nathan only married me to please our families. I didn’t want to believe him. I told myself he was just being protective.
But now, I wished I had listened. I wished I had gone with him the day he left. Maybe I wouldn’t be trapped here, in this gilded cage of a life that never really belonged to me.
The sound of the door unlocking pulled me back. I looked up sharply as Amber stepped inside, her eyes red and wild.
Before I could speak, her hand lashed across my face.
“This is your fault!” she screamed, her voice breaking. She hit me again, hard enough to make me stagger back. “Because of your bastard brother! Lorenzo is hurt—he’s in the operating room because of him!”
I held my cheek, tasting blood. “It’s not my fault,” I said hoarsely. “Maybe my brother is just doing what you all deserve.”
Amber’s eyes darkened. “You’re insane!” she shouted. “You ruined everything! Nathan is furious, my son is fighting for his life, and it’s all because of you!”
The door opened again, and this time my father walked in. His face was stone. “You’re contacting your brother again?” he thundered. “After everything I’ve said? How dare you!”
“Dad, listen—”
“Enough!” he barked. “You’ve humiliated this family enough! Because of you, the media are talking, and Nathan’s company is under fire! Do you have any idea what you’ve done to our business by siding to your mafia brother?”
I looked at him, defeated. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to leave. That’s all.”
“You will not leave!” he shouted, slamming his hand against the wall. “You will stay here until everything is fixed. You will apologize to your husband and your stepsister. And you will forget this nonsense about divorce! Don’t dare call your brother again!”
I wanted to scream, to fight back, but I was too tired. My father stormed out, ordering the guards to lock the door again.
Hours passed before Nathan returned. His face was blank, but his eyes—those eyes I once thought were kind—were dark with contempt.
“I want a divorce,” I said, my voice steady even as my hands shook.
Nathan laughed under his breath. “No,” he said simply. “You’re not getting a divorce. You’re going to suffer—as much as I want you to suffer.”
I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. “Why are you doing this to me? Haven’t you done enough?”
He stepped closer until I could feel his breath. “You said your stepsister is my mistress, right?” he said quietly, a dangerous smirk curling on his lips. “Well, you’re right.”
Before I could react, the door opened—and Amber walked in. Nathan turned toward her, his eyes softening in a way they never did for me. Then, right in front of me, he pulled her close and kissed her.
It wasn’t a moment of guilt or hesitation—it was deliberate, cruel, a declaration.
Amber smiled against his lips, then turned to me with triumph flashing in her eyes. “You’re such a loser, Emerald,” she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “A pathetic little bitch who thought she could win.”
They both laughed, the sound slicing through me like a blade.
