Chapter 2
The Willoughby estate was alight with opulence and power, a grand spectacle of wealth and dominance. The annual mafia gala was not just a celebration–it was a demonstration. A statement that the Willoughby family remained untouchable.
For everyone else, tonight was a night of revelry. For me, it was yet another performance.
I arrived draped in an elegant midnight–blue gown, the sapphire jewelry set Benjamin gifted me glinting under the crystal chandeliers. A masterpiece of a wife, standing beside the man the world feared.
Yet, my presence wasn’t the one that demanded attention.
Leticia Jones was already inside, adorned in a blood–red silk dress that left little to the imagination. She moved through the crowd like she belonged, smiling at men who whispered admiration and women who watched with veiled disdain. She was bold, brazen, a woman who knew her power. And worse–she knew mine had been stripped from me the moment Benjamin chose her.
I felt his presence before I saw him. Benjamin’s hand rested on my lower back, possessive yet distant. “Nevaeh,” he greeted, his voice smooth, unshaken. “You should have arrived with me.”
I turned, meeting his gaze. “You were busy.”
His lips quirked. “You’re upset.”
I smiled, a blade sheathed in silk. “I have no reason to be.”
Benjamin chuckled, lifting my hand to press a kiss against my knuckles. To the outside world, it was a tender gesture. To me, it was nothing more than a polished act of control. “Then allow me to make up for it.”
From his pocket, he retrieved another gift box
–another leash disguised as love. I opened it to reveal a sapphire–studded bracelet, designed to match the necklace and earrings.
“You spoil me,” I said evenly.
“I take care of what’s mine.”
Mine.
He placed the bracelet on my wrist himself, his fingers brushing my skin as he clasped it shut. A perfect husband, a devoted don. A façade so well–practiced it had fooled everyone.
But not me.
Not her.
Leticia approached with the confidence of a woman who had nothing to hide. A knowing smirk played on her lips as she ran her gaze over the extravagant jewelry I wore.
“A sapphire set?” she mused, her tone dripping with false admiration. “Benjamin certainly knows how to keep you decorated.”
I held her gaze, my smile unwavering. “You wouldn’t understand, Leticia. A wife’s gifts are
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I held her gaze, my smile unwavering. “You wouldn’t understand, Leticia. A wife’s gifts are
more than just pretty things. They are symbols.”
Her smirk didn’t waver. “Symbols of love or ownership?”
My nails dug into my palm, but I didn’t flinch. “Some of us wear our status proudly. Others… borrow what doesn’t belong to them.”
Benjamin shifted between us, offering a tight chuckle. “No need for claws tonight, ladies.”
Leticia’s gaze flickered to him, and she placed a manicured hand on his arm–a touch far too familiar, far too intimate. “Oh, come now, Benjamin. You know I only tease.”
I lifted my glass. “And we all know you excel at playing with things that aren’t yours.”
Her eyes darkened, and for the first time, her smile faltered.
Victory.
But a small, petty victory wasn’t enough.
I needed more.
As the night dragged on, I played my role. I laughed when expected. I leaned into Benjamin’s touch. I spoke with guests, maintaining the illusion that the Willoughby marriage was as strong as ever.
But beneath the surface, a storm brewed.
By the time I finally slipped away from the main event, I was suffocating.
The halls were quieter, the music muffled. I took a steadying breath, my hands trembling at my sides. Anger and humiliation clashed inside me, a violent war that had no outlet.
Until I heard the voices.
Low, hushed, but urgent.
I followed the sound, stepping deeper into the shadows of the estate’s west wing.
“Everything is in place,” a man’s voice murmured. “Once the funds transfer, the shipment moves. No one will suspect a thing.”
A second voice, rough and clipped, responded. “And the girl? She has no idea who she really is?”
A pause. Then-
“She’s been kept in the dark her whole life. She thinks she belongs to him.”
The air turned frigid.
I pressed myself against the wall, my pulse hammering against my ribs. The weight of their words settled like a stone in my gut.
They weren’t talking about Leticia. They weren’t talking about Benjamin. They were talking about me.
My blood ran cold.
For years, I had believed my place was beside Benjamin Willoughby. That my role was
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The air turned frigid.
I pressed myself against the wall, my pulse hammering against my ribs. The weight of their words settled like a stone in my que
They weren’t talking about Leticia. They weren’t talking about Benjamin. They were talking
about me.
My blood ran cold.
For years, I had believed my place was beside Benjamin Willoughby. That my role was carved into the foundation of the Willoughby empire.
But if I had been kept in the dark-
Then who the hell was 1?
