Chapter 2

Ten minutes later, I sent Lucas the hotel room number.

Then I scrolled through our chat.

Thousands of messages from me.

A handful of one-word replies from him.

I stared at the screen for a moment, then let out a quiet laugh, bitter and hollow.

The reflection in the rearview mirror looked just as pathetic as I felt.

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed the phone onto the seat.

Half an hour later, I stood outside his hotel room, a bag in hand.

Inside was the lingerie he bought.

The first time he brought something like this home, I was nervous but didn't refuse.

I was still stupid back then.

Still trying.

But that night, as his body moved against mine, his lips parted,

And he moaned Tessa's name.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Afterward, I curled up beside him, eyes wide open, listening to his steady breathing.

I didn't sleep.

Didn't cry.

Just lay there, staring into the dark, waiting for morning.

That was the last time I ever wore anything he bought.

But Lucas had plenty of ways to get under my skin.

If I wouldn't wear it, he made sure other women did.

And he made sure I saw it.

Like clockwork, I got the photos, morning and night.

A private showcase of my own humiliation.

The door swung open.

Lucas stood there in a loose bathrobe, smirking.

"You're late." He glanced at his watch. "One minute. I'll let it slide this time, but don't make it a habit."

Before I could respond, movement behind him caught my eye.

Tessa.

She snaked her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Her smile was sickly sweet.

"How thoughtful of you to bring it yourself, sister-in-law."

Before I could react, Lucas's expression shifted.

He frowned, eyes narrowing as he reached out and yanked open my coat.

The second he saw the hospital gown underneath, his face darkened.

"You put this on again just because you fell earlier?" His voice turned cold. "Aria, drop the act. You really know how to milk every little thing, don't you?"

His gaze dragged over me, sharp, calculating, disgusted.

I clenched my coat tighter around me.

I didn't want to talk about the baby.

Didn't want to see that smirk on his face.

Without a word, I bent down, grabbed my coat from the floor, and turned to leave.

I made it exactly one step.

Then fingers wrapped around my wrist.

Hard.

Lucas pulled me back effortlessly, like I weighed nothing.

The smile was back on his face, but this one was different.

Colder.

"Since you came all this way, why rush off?" He tilted his head toward Tessa. "Aren't you always so thoughtful? Tonight, you can stay and serve me properly."

My stomach twisted violently.

The nausea hit me so fast my knees almost buckled.

Then came the final blow.

"Tessa and I will take the bedroom," Lucas continued, tone casual, almost amused. "You can sleep on the couch."

Something inside me snapped.

I yanked my arm back, tried to twist out of his grip.

But the more I struggled, the sharper the pain in my abdomen grew.

I gritted my teeth, my breath coming in short, shallow bursts.

Lucas didn't care.

Didn't even hesitate.

With a sharp tug, he dragged me inside.

That night, the walls were too thin.

Way too thin.

The sounds started almost immediately.

The creaking bed. The rhythmic thud against the wall.

The moans.

The gasps.

The breathy whispers of my own husband calling another woman's name.

I pressed my hands over my ears.

Turned the TV on.

Anything to block it out.

But apparently, the universe wasn't done with me yet.

Because the second the screen flickered to life, I saw them.

Lucas and Tessa.

From earlier that evening.

The hotel lobby.

The stolen kisses.

The way he looked at her.

I reached for the remote, but my fingers wouldn't stop shaking.

The sounds from the bedroom.

The images on the screen.

It was too much.

I barely made it to the bathroom before my stomach heaved.

By the time the night finally ended, my nails had torn into my palms, deep enough to draw blood.

But I felt nothing.

Nothing at all.

Morning came.

Lucas strolled out of the bedroom, Tessa tucked under his arm.

He pressed a slow, lingering kiss to her forehead.

Murmured something against her skin that made her giggle.

Then, finally, he turned to me.

His voice was flat. Emotionless.

"Let's go home. Since you love being Mrs. Evans so much, I'll let you have your fill of it today."

A heartbeat later, his fingers wrapped around my wrist, yanking me forward.

I didn't fight him.

Didn't react at all.

But of course, Lucas wasn't doing this out of kindness.

The moment we stepped outside, I saw them.

The reporters.

A swarm of them, waiting, cameras flashing.

I wasn't at yesterday's launch event.

They must've been dying to get a statement.

Lucas knew that.

That's why he brought me here.

He wanted to humiliate me.

And he wanted an audience.