"Have you been looking for him lately? Let me save you the trouble—he's with me."
She was dressed in haute couture, her expression smug. "You thought getting rid of my child solved everything?"
She leaned closer, a smirk curling her lips. "As long as his love belongs to me, it doesn't matter how many children I lose. He'll only love me more because of it. In fact, he's been trying even harder lately. I should thank you, sister, for helping me."
Her plunging blouse revealed a flawless neck and the swell of her chest—marred by countless kiss marks, flaunting how completely Derek had adored her.
She pressed a hand to her still-flat belly, pride radiating from her. "Too bad. I'm pregnant again."
I calmly sipped my coffee as she made herself comfortable on my custom-made sofa, resting her chin in her hands.
"They say you've been married for three years and still haven't given him a child. The one time you did..." She chuckled.
"Ha! You couldn't even keep it. Sometimes, you really can't blame men."
The crisp clink of porcelain on wood echoed in the room, followed by her scream.
The bodyguards stared silently as Penelope writhed on the floor, clutching her stomach as blood pooled beneath her.
"Esther! You'll die for this!"
Her shrieks filled the air as the guards dragged her away.
"You're not afraid of Derek's revenge?"
My fingers tapped lightly against the marble tabletop. My voice was calm and steady. "You should know—becoming Mrs. Vazquez isn't about a man's love. That alone will never be enough."
That night, Derek came home—with dozens of men.
They filled an entire floor of the estate.
Unless he was facing a formidable rival, he never made such a show of force.
But this was the first time he had ever turned his blade on me.
We sat at opposite ends of the negotiation table, each backed by rows of men standing silently behind us.
"Twice now."
His slender fingers tapped lightly against the marble surface, the sound seemed sharp in the silence.
"Esther, you owe her an apology," he spat coldly.
I laughed sarcastically. "Anyone foolish enough to walk into a lion's den should be ready to face the consequences of her recklessness."
Half of Derek's face was swallowed in darkness; I couldn't read his expression.
"Does President Vazquez really think his wife is so submissive that when a mistress comes knocking, she'll simply do nothing?"