Chapter 1 - The Bottom Drawer
Adrian’s hands shook as he gripped the steering wheel of the Maybach.
He ignored the speed limits, tearing through the quiet streets toward his parents’ estate.
His mind was a chaotic storm of rage and confusion.
Claire, his quiet, obedient wife, had just stolen his home and stripped him of his power.
He pulled into the circular driveway of his childhood home and rushed to the front door.
His parents were away in Europe for the summer, leaving the massive house completely empty.
Adrian punched in the alarm code, his fingers trembling with adrenaline.
He sprinted up the curved staircase and burst into his old study.
It was exactly as he had left it years ago, untouched and covered in a thin layer of dust.
He fell to his knees in front of the heavy mahogany desk.
He yanked open the bottom drawer.
Inside sat a single, plain manila folder.
Adrian ripped it open, his eyes scanning the documents inside.
The first page was a medical report.
It belonged to Savannah Reed.
The date was from three weeks ago, stamped by a prominent fertility clinic.
Adrian’s breath caught in his throat as he read the bold, black letters.
Patient is incapable of conception due to a prior surgical procedure.
Savannah was not pregnant.
She had never been pregnant.
The baby, the ultrasound photos, the sudden morning sickness—it was all a meticulously crafted lie.
Adrian frantically flipped to the next document.
It was a bank transfer receipt.
A wire for two million dollars had been sent to an offshore account in Savannah’s name.
The sender was Whitmore Technology Trust.
Claire’s trust.
Adrian dropped the papers as if they had caught fire.
His wife had not just discovered his affair.
She had financed it.
May you like
She had paid Savannah to keep him occupied, distracted, and completely blind.
While he was feeding his mistress caviar, Claire was quietly dismantling his entire life.
