Chapter 1

1

My billionaire CEO husband, who once swore he never wanted children, suddenly produced a six-year-old son out of thin air.

A quiet investigation revealed that his kept mistress was pregnant again. Even my mother-in-law had secretly dispatched private staff to pamper her.

When the truth blew wide open, Logan Prescott and I collided in a bitter standoff.

My parents heard the news and rushed to talk me down.

"The Prescott Group is a multi-billion-dollar empire, Elena! How could they survive without an heir? You have been the sole public lady of the Prescott estate for seven years. Count your blessings!"

I looked through blurry tears at Logan, who stood in stony silence. At thirty years old, he was still impossibly handsome, carrying the effortless poise of old money.

"Bring the boy home and tell the world he is mine," I said, my voice shaking with raw betrayal. "That woman is never allowed to set foot inside this house. That is my bottom line."

Logan paused and moved toward the doorway. For a split second, I thought he had accepted my terms.

Instead, as he brushed past me, he pulled off the plain silver band we had exchanged as our first promise of love.

"Kinsley is the biological mother of my son," he said coldly, tossing the ring aside. "I will not leave her out in the cold."

He turned his gaze on me, his eyes devoid of warmth.

"If you truly cannot stand her presence, I will spend the first half of every month with her. The second half of the month, I will come back here to sleep in your bed."

I stared at the discarded silver band resting on the console table. In that instant, my dream of growing old together shattered into dust.

"Save yourself the trouble," I said, numbness overtaking the pain. "Let's just get a divorce."

The grand hall fell dead silent. The only sound left was the faint hum of the central air system.

The maids held their breath in the corners, terrified of making a sound.

Logan froze in his tracks, then looked back over his shoulder with an arrogant smirk.

"Elena Vance, do you have any idea what you are saying?"

"I do," I replied steadily. "I want a divorce, Logan."

Seeing my unyielding expression, Logan's face darkened completely, his tone turning venomous and mocking.

"Elena! I gave up my wild bachelor days for you. I avoided late-night lounges and turned down every woman who threw herself at me just to give you seven years as an envied socialite. Are you still not satisfied?"

"I am the sole heir to Prescott Enterprises! You cannot bear children, yet you forbid me from finding another way. Do you expect our family line to end with me?"

"Kinsley is your age, but she grew up in sheer poverty compared to your sheltered life. Why is she so understanding while you are so demanding?"

"She raised our boy in secret for six years without ever asking for a title or a dime of your spotlight. You cannot even tolerate her existence, and now you want me to tear her child from her arms?"

"When did you become so vicious and cruel?"

Logan's face twisted with rage, making him look completely unrecognizable.

We grew up together in the same elite circles and fell in love the moment we learned what love was.

I had been frail since childhood, spending almost as much time in hospital suites as I did at home. A woman with a body like mine was never suited to endure the grueling toll of pregnancy.

Back then, we were young enough to believe that pure devotion could conquer any obstacle.

Logan marched into the boardroom to announce our engagement, swearing before the entire board of directors that he would never force me to bear children. His father, Arthur Prescott, was so enraged that security had to drag Logan out.

At home, the elder Prescott beat him black and blue with a cane, leaving Logan bedridden for two full months.

Yet Logan never broke. When the conglomerate faced a devastating cash flow crisis, Logan threw himself into the trenches the moment his wounds scabbed over.

He flew across the globe for four brutal years, restructuring debts and securing vital investments. We barely saw each other during those years.

Throughout that time, I turned down every wealthy suitor my family pushed on me. High society whispered behind my back, mocking me for staking my entire future on an uncertain romance.

Logan did not disappoint me. Four years later, he returned with a restructured empire that had doubled in market valuation. Old Arthur Prescott finally gave his blessing.

On our wedding night, I cautiously brought up the subject of having a baby. Logan had offered an easy, carefree smile.

"I swore I would never put you through that risk," he had whispered, kissing my temple. "You never have to worry about an heir, and you will never have to face my parents' pressure alone."

Sure enough, whenever we visited the family estate, my in-laws treated me with lavish warmth, never uttering a word about children. I believed Logan had shielded me from everything.

Now the bitter truth stared me in the face. Kinsley Brooks had entered his bed right around that time, quietly giving him the son he craved.

All those late nights when he claimed he was pulling overnighters at headquarters were just moments spent playing the proud father.

Once the illusion shattered, tiny forgotten clues from our marriage stabbed at my heart like hidden needles.

My hands and feet had grown icy cold while Logan continued his self-righteous tirade.

Did a lifelong vow of devotion truly expire after seven short years?

Noticing my silence, Logan finally wound down his complaints.

I must have looked terribly pale, because a fleeting flicker of guilt passed through his eyes.

Perhaps memories of our tender youth softened him, because his voice dropped an octave.

"It is not that I stopped loving you," he murmured. "I loved you too much to watch you suffer through pregnancy."

"Isn't this arrangement better for everyone? My parents never pressure you, and we have a ready-made heir for the family."

A dry, bitter laugh bubbled up my throat.

"So in the end, I am the one making a scene out of nothing?"

Seeing that his twisted logic failed to move me, Logan's temper flared right back up.

"Whatever you say. I am staying by Kinsley's side, whether you like it or not."

He turned on his heel and stormed out, leaving me sitting alone on the sofa through the freezing night.

When dawn broke over the horizon, I dragged my exhausted body upstairs to the study.

When we first married, my poor health prevented me from traveling often. Logan had built this massive private library inside the mansion, stocking it with rare volumes so I would never feel bored.

Naturally, it held everything I needed to draft a rock-solid divorce settlement.