Chapter 1
The Day She Divorced a Poor Man and Lost a King
"Take your worthless son and get out of my house! My new boyfriend makes more money in one day than you'll earn in your entire miserable life!"
The suitcase hit the front steps with a loud crash.
Seven-year-old Noah Vale flinched as his favorite stuffed dinosaur tumbled out onto the wet pavement.
"Daddy?"
His small voice trembled.
"Why is Mommy throwing our things away?"
Adrian Vale stood frozen in the doorway of the house he'd spent six years repairing with his own hands.
His wife, Vanessa, stood in front of him wearing a silk robe he'd never seen before.
Behind her, a handsome man in an expensive designer suit leaned against the staircase, casually fastening his shirt.
Adrian didn't need an explanation.
The lipstick on the stranger's collar told him everything.
So did the satisfied smile on Vanessa's face.
"How long?" Adrian asked quietly.
Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Oh, don't start."
"How long have you been sleeping with him?"
"Eight months."
The answer came without hesitation.
Without shame.
Adrian felt something inside his chest go cold.
Eight months.
Eight months of late-night business meetings.
Eight months of unexplained hotel receipts.
Eight months of Vanessa turning away whenever he tried to kiss her.
He'd suspected something.
But he'd never imagined she'd bring another man into their home while their son was upstairs.
Noah pressed against his father's leg.
"Mommy, are you mad at me?"
Vanessa looked down at him.
Her expression held no warmth.
"Go with your father, Noah."
The little boy's eyes widened.
"But this is my house too."
"Not anymore."
Adrian immediately placed a protective hand on Noah's shoulder.
"Vanessa. He's seven."
"And I'm tired of pretending we're one big happy family!"
She pointed toward the street.
"I'm done supporting a broke mechanic and a kid who cries every time his parents argue."
Noah's face crumpled.
"I don't cry all the time."
Vanessa ignored him.
The man behind her chuckled.
"Come on, baby. Let's get this over with."
Adrian slowly turned toward him.
"And you are?"
The stranger straightened his expensive jacket.
"Trent Donovan. Real estate developer."
He smiled.
"Maybe you've heard of me."
Adrian studied his face.
Something about the name was familiar.
But he said nothing.
Trent stepped closer and extended his hand.
"No hard feelings, man. Sometimes a woman just wants a better life."
Adrian looked at the offered hand.
Then at his wife.
"You brought him into our son's home?"
Vanessa laughed.
"Your son's home? Adrian, please. This house belonged to my mother. You don't own a single brick."
"I paid the mortgage for four years."
"On a mechanic's salary? Congratulations. Do you want a medal?"
Trent slipped an arm around her waist.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll buy a bigger place."
Vanessa smiled up at him.
Then she turned toward Adrian.
"See? That's what a real man sounds like."
Adrian didn't respond.
He looked at Noah.
The little boy was staring at his mother with an expression no child should ever have to wear.
Confusion.
Humiliation.
And the terrible realization that someone he loved no longer wanted him.
That was when Adrian made his decision.
He wouldn't beg.
Not for himself.
And certainly not in front of his son.
He crouched beside Noah.
"Go get your backpack, buddy."
Noah sniffled.
"Are we leaving?"
Adrian gently wiped a tear from his cheek.
"Yes."
"Forever?"
Adrian glanced toward Vanessa.
Then back at his son.
"Sometimes, Noah, leaving a place is the only way to find where you really belong."
Vanessa scoffed.
"Save the inspirational speeches. I want you both gone."
Adrian stood.
For one long moment, he looked at the woman he'd married eight years earlier.
The woman who once said she'd be happy living in a tiny apartment as long as they were together.
The woman who promised to love their son more than anything in the world.
He barely recognized her.
"You're going to regret this," he said.
Vanessa burst into laughter.
"Oh, please! What are you going to do? Fix my car badly?"
Trent laughed beside her.
Adrian didn't smile.
He simply picked up Noah's suitcase.
Then he reached into his pocket and removed an old black cellphone.
A phone he hadn't used in almost seven years.
On the back was a small silver emblem.
A crown surrounded by five stars.
Adrian stared at it for a moment.
Then he slipped it back into his pocket.
For seven years, he'd buried the man he used to be.
Tonight, that man was about to return.
And Vanessa had absolutely no idea she'd just thrown the most powerful mafia boss in America out of her house.
Eight years earlier, Adrian Vale had met Vanessa at a small coffee shop in Chicago.
Back then, she wasn't obsessed with money.
She was a twenty-three-year-old waitress studying business administration at night.
Adrian was twenty-eight, quiet, handsome, and working at a neighborhood auto repair shop.
At least, that was what she believed.
He drove an old Ford pickup.
Wore faded jeans.
And carried his lunch in a paper bag.
Vanessa had fallen in love with his gentle smile and the way he always listened when she spoke.
Their wedding was simple.
A small church.
Thirty guests.
A homemade cake.
And a honeymoon in a little lakeside cabin.
Adrian remembered how Vanessa had held his hand beneath the stars.
"I don't need diamonds," she'd whispered. "I just need you."
He had believed her.
God help him, he'd believed every word.
What Vanessa didn't know was that before Adrian became a mechanic, he had been known throughout the criminal underworld as Adrian "The Black King" Vale.
He was the only son of Lorenzo Vale, the legendary leader of an organization whose influence stretched from Chicago to New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.
At twenty-six, Adrian had inherited an empire worth billions.
Not just criminal operations.
Shipping ports.
Construction companies.
Luxury hotels.
International logistics firms.
Investment funds.
And dozens of legitimate businesses controlled through Vale Holdings.
He also inherited enemies.
Hundreds of them.
Two years before meeting Vanessa, Adrian survived an assassination attempt that killed his father and nearly destroyed their family.
The attack taught him a terrible lesson.
Anyone close to the Black King became a target.
So Adrian disappeared from public view.
He placed the day-to-day management of the organization in the hands of his trusted uncle, Dominic, and continued making major decisions through a small circle of loyal advisers.
His fortune remained protected within family trusts and long-established holdings.
He moved into an ordinary neighborhood.
Took a real job repairing cars.
And began living like an ordinary man.
For the first time in his life, he found peace.
Then he met Vanessa.
He fell in love.
They married.
And when their son Noah was born, Adrian made a silent promise.
My boy will never have to grow up afraid of my enemies.
He intended to keep his family far away from the darkness he'd inherited.
But as the years passed, Vanessa changed.
Her friends married wealthy businessmen.
Her social media filled with luxury vacations and expensive handbags.
She began resenting their modest home.
Their ordinary car.
And eventually, Adrian himself.
"You could do better," she'd tell him.
"Other husbands buy their wives jewelry."
"Other men have ambitions."
Adrian endured the criticism.
He told himself she was frustrated.
That marriage was difficult.
That love sometimes required patience.
He never let Noah go without anything he needed. Their modest lifestyle was a choice Adrian had made for privacy, not a result of financial hardship.
He could have bought a mansion in cash.
He could have filled their driveway with luxury vehicles.
But he wanted his son to understand that money wasn't what made a man valuable.
He never imagined Vanessa would teach Noah the opposite lesson.
That night, Adrian checked into a roadside motel.
The room smelled faintly of disinfectant.
A noisy heater rattled beneath the window.
Noah sat on the bed, clutching his stuffed dinosaur.
"Daddy?"
Adrian looked up from unpacking their clothes.
"Yeah, buddy?"
"Is Mommy going to come get us?"
Adrian stopped moving.
He had faced men carrying guns without showing fear.
He had survived betrayal, ambushes, and years of violence.
But nothing had prepared him for his little boy asking why his own mother no longer wanted him.
Adrian sat beside Noah.
"I don't know, son."
Noah stared at his shoes.
"Was it because I got a C on my spelling test?"
Adrian felt his chest tighten.
"What?"
"Mommy said I never do anything right."
He swallowed.
"Noah, look at me."
The boy slowly raised his eyes.
"Nothing that happened tonight was your fault."
Noah's lower lip trembled.
"Then why doesn't she love us anymore?"
Adrian pulled him close.
For a long time, he couldn't answer.
Because some questions had no answer gentle enough for a child.
Finally, he whispered, "Sometimes grown-ups make choices that hurt people. But you don't have to earn love by being perfect."
Noah wrapped his arms around his father.
"Do you still love me?"
Adrian closed his eyes.
"More than anything in this world."
"Even if we're poor?"
A tear slid down Adrian's cheek.
"Especially when we're having a hard time, buddy."
Noah was quiet for a moment.
Then he looked up.
"Daddy, when I grow up, I'm going to buy you the biggest house in Chicago."
Adrian laughed softly through his tears.
"Are you?"
"Yep. With a swimming pool."
"Sounds pretty fancy."
"And Mommy can't come."
Adrian's smile faded.
He gently brushed Noah's hair away from his forehead.
"You don't have to decide that tonight."
Noah nodded.
Then he curled against his father's chest.
Within minutes, he was asleep.
Adrian waited until his breathing became steady.
Then he carefully slipped out of bed.
He walked into the bathroom.
Closed the door.
And took out the black cellphone.
He held it for several seconds.
Then pressed one number.
The call connected almost immediately.
A deep male voice answered.
"Who is this?"
Adrian stared at his reflection.
Then spoke three words.
"It's the King."
Silence.
A sharp breath.
Then the man's voice changed completely.
"Mr. Vale?"
"Hello, Gabriel."
"Boss? Is that really you?"
Adrian closed his eyes.
Gabriel Russo had been his father's most loyal adviser.
For years, Gabriel had begged him to return.
Now the old man sounded close to tears.
"Boss, we've been waiting."
Adrian glanced toward the motel bedroom.
He could hear Noah shifting in his sleep.
"I'm coming back."
Another silence.
Then Gabriel asked quietly, "Does something need to be handled?"
Adrian's voice hardened.
"First, I need a safe place for my son."
"Of course."
"And my legal team."
"Anything you need."
Adrian looked at his wedding ring.
"Vanessa wants a divorce."
Gabriel was silent for a moment.
Then he said, "Does she know who you are?"
Adrian gave a bitter smile.
"No."
"Does she know what you own?"
"No."
"Then she's about to have a very interesting divorce."
Adrian slipped off his wedding ring.
For the first time in eight years, his finger felt strangely light.
"Gabriel."
"Yes, boss?"
"No threats. No intimidation. Nothing illegal. I want this handled cleanly."
"Understood."
Adrian looked toward the bedroom again.
"Whatever happened between Vanessa and me, Noah doesn't deserve to be dragged into it."
Gabriel's voice softened.
"I'll make sure he's protected."
Adrian ended the call.
Then he leaned against the bathroom wall and took a slow breath.
Outside, Chicago continued sleeping.
But by morning, the men who ran its most dangerous organizations would receive one message.
The Black King had returned.
Six weeks later, Vanessa arrived at the Cook County courthouse wearing a white designer dress and sunglasses that cost more than Adrian supposedly earned in a month.
Trent Donovan walked beside her.
He wore an expensive watch and carried the keys to a red Ferrari.
Vanessa looked radiant.
Confident.
Victorious.
During the previous six weeks, she'd moved Trent into her house.
Posted photographs from expensive restaurants.
And told everyone Adrian had been a financial burden she was finally escaping.
Her lawyer had prepared the final divorce settlement.
Vanessa had insisted on keeping her premarital house and the funds in her personal accounts.
She wanted nothing from Adrian.
As far as she was concerned, he had nothing worth taking.
An earlier financial disclosure packet had been delivered to her attorney, listing substantial premarital family interests and trusts.
But Vanessa had dismissed the paperwork as meaningless.
"He's a mechanic," she'd told her lawyer. "Those old family holdings can't be worth anything. Just get him out of my life."
She had signed the agreement after her lawyer explained its terms.
Now she was ready to celebrate.
Trent kissed her cheek outside the courtroom.
"After this, baby, we're flying to Miami."
Vanessa smiled.
"Finally. A real vacation."
Then she spotted Adrian at the end of the hallway.
He wore a simple charcoal suit.
No tie.
No expensive watch.
He stood beside a middle-aged woman holding Noah's hand.
The little boy looked healthier than Vanessa remembered.
His hair was neatly combed.
He wore a navy sweater and carried a small toy dinosaur.
Vanessa frowned.
"Look who finally learned how to dress."
Trent laughed.
Adrian turned toward them.
His expression was unreadable.
Vanessa approached.
"Ready to sign your life away?"
Adrian looked at her.
"I've already signed the agreement."
"Good. I don't want another penny wasted on lawyers."
She glanced toward Noah.
The boy looked away.
Something flickered across her face.
Then disappeared.
"Still carrying that stupid dinosaur?"
Noah gripped it tighter.
Adrian's eyes hardened.
"Don't."
Vanessa raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't speak to him like that."
Trent stepped forward.
"Hey, mechanic. Watch your tone."
Adrian slowly turned toward him.
For a second, something changed in his eyes.
A coldness so complete that Trent instinctively stopped smiling.
Then Adrian said quietly, "You should probably stay out of this."
Trent scoffed.
"Or what?"
Adrian didn't answer.
He simply turned back toward Noah.
"Go with Aunt Claire, buddy. I'll be finished soon."
Noah hugged him.
"Good luck, Daddy."
Adrian kissed his forehead.
"Thanks, champ."
Then he walked into the courtroom.
Vanessa laughed under her breath.
"Pathetic."
She had no idea that outside the courthouse, six black luxury SUVs were pulling up along the curb.
Or that the men stepping out of them were among the most feared figures in America's criminal underworld.
The hearing began shortly after ten.
Vanessa sat beside her attorney, smiling.
Adrian sat across from her.
He appeared alone.
The judge reviewed the settlement documents.
"Mrs. Vale, you understand that by signing this agreement, you're accepting its terms regarding the property and financial interests of both parties?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
"And you're proceeding voluntarily?"
"Absolutely."
The judge looked toward Adrian.
"Mr. Vale?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
Vanessa glanced at him with a smirk.
She had gotten everything she wanted.
The house.
Her savings.
Her freedom.
And a wealthy boyfriend who promised to give her a glamorous new life.
Then the courtroom doors opened.
A silver-haired man in an immaculate black suit entered, followed by two attorneys carrying leather briefcases.
Vanessa barely noticed.
Until the judge looked up.
"Counsel, may I help you?"
The silver-haired man approached.
"Your Honor, I'm Edward Sterling, representing Mr. Adrian Vale in connection with the financial disclosure and implementation of this settlement."
Vanessa frowned.
Sterling?
The name sounded familiar.
Her lawyer leaned closer.
"Wait..."
Edward Sterling was one of the most expensive corporate attorneys in America.
He represented Fortune 500 executives, international investors, and billion-dollar investment firms.
Vanessa turned toward Adrian.
"What is this?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Sterling handed the judge a folder.
"All requested financial disclosures were previously served and acknowledged. We're here to confirm the parties' agreement concerning Mr. Vale's premarital business interests."
The judge reviewed the paperwork.
"Vale Holdings?"
"Correct, Your Honor."
Vanessa laughed.
"Vale Holdings? What is that? Some little family garage?"
Nobody laughed.
Sterling turned toward her.
"Mrs. Vale, Vale Holdings is a privately controlled international conglomerate with interests in shipping, real estate, infrastructure, and investment management."
Vanessa's smile faded.
"What?"
Sterling continued.
"Mr. Adrian Vale is its controlling beneficial owner."
Trent suddenly sat upright.
Adrian remained perfectly still.
Vanessa stared at Sterling.
"That doesn't make any sense."
The attorney glanced at his documents.
"According to the independent valuations provided in disclosure, Mr. Vale's premarital interests and protected family holdings are estimated at approximately $8.6 billion."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Vanessa blinked.
Then laughed nervously.
"Eight point six million?"
Sterling shook his head.
"Billion, Mrs. Vale."
Her face drained of color.
She turned toward Adrian.
He looked back at her calmly.
"No," she whispered. "That's impossible."
Trent's expression changed.
He recognized the name now.
Vale Holdings.
The private conglomerate rumored to control shipping facilities from New York to Los Angeles.
And the man behind it.
A man whose face almost never appeared in the news.
The Black King.
Trent slowly turned toward Adrian.
"Adrian... Vale?"
Adrian met his eyes.
"That's right."
Trent's lips parted.
Vanessa looked between them.
"What? What's happening?"
Trent swallowed.
"Vanessa..."
His voice was barely audible.
"Do you know who your husband is?"
She stared at him.
"A mechanic!"
Trent shook his head.
"No."
He looked at Adrian with genuine fear.
"That's Adrian Vale. The Black King."
Vanessa frowned.
"The what?"
Trent's voice trembled.
"The man every major crime family in this country is afraid of."
Vanessa went completely still.
She looked toward Adrian.
The quiet husband she'd mocked.
The man she'd humiliated.
The father she'd thrown into the rain with their son.
He was sitting calmly across from her.
And for the first time, she realized how little she actually knew about him.
The judge continued reviewing the settlement, unmoved by the whispered exchange.
But Vanessa barely heard another word.
Her mind was racing.
Eight point six billion dollars.
A private business empire.
The Black King.
She remembered the nights Adrian had returned home with grease on his hands.
The birthdays when he'd given her simple handmade gifts.
The old pickup truck.
The modest vacations.
The little house.
"Why?" she suddenly whispered.
Adrian looked at her.
"Why what?"
"Why did you pretend to be poor?"
He was silent for several seconds.
Then he answered.
"Because I wanted a life that didn't revolve around money and power."
Vanessa stared.
"And you never told me?"
"I told you my family had businesses. I told you there were things about my past I wasn't ready to explain."
She shook her head.
"That's not the same!"
"No," Adrian agreed quietly. "It isn't."
His expression grew sad.
"I should have told you more. But I thought if we lived simply, Noah could have a normal childhood."
Vanessa's eyes filled.
"Then everything I said..."
Adrian looked down at his hands.
"You told me what you thought I was worth."
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
He continued.
"I could have bought you diamonds, Vanessa. Houses. Cars. Anything you wanted."
Her tears began to fall.
"But I couldn't buy you kindness."
She flinched.
"And I couldn't make you love our son the way he deserved."
That hurt more than anything.
Vanessa glanced toward the courtroom doors.
Noah was waiting outside.
The little boy she'd thrown into the rain.
The child who had begged her not to send him away.
She suddenly understood that she'd lost far more than access to a fortune.
She'd lost a family.
"Adrian..."
Her voice broke.
"Can we talk about this?"
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then quietly shook his head.
"We're talking now."
"Please. I didn't know."
"I know."
She reached for his hand.
He gently moved it away.
"Vanessa, if I'd really been a poor mechanic for the rest of my life, would you have wanted me back?"
She froze.
Adrian waited.
But she couldn't answer.
That was answer enough.
By eleven forty-five, the divorce was finalized.
Vanessa remained seated, numb.
Trent had stepped outside to make a phone call, but hadn't returned.
Edward Sterling gathered his documents.
"Everything is complete, Mr. Vale."
Adrian nodded.
"Thank you."
Then he stood.
For the final time, he looked at his former wife.
"I hope you find whatever it was you were looking for."
Vanessa began to cry.
"Adrian, please..."
He paused.
She looked up at him desperately.
"We were together for eight years."
"I remember."
"You can't just erase that."
His expression tightened.
"I'm not erasing anything. I'll spend the rest of my life helping Noah understand that none of this was his fault."
Vanessa lowered her head.
Adrian continued quietly.
"I won't stop you from being his mother if you genuinely want to be part of his life. But that has to be about him, not my money."
Then he walked away.
Vanessa followed.
At the courthouse entrance, she stopped so suddenly that another woman nearly bumped into her.
Six black SUVs lined the curb.
A black Maybach waited in the center.
More than a dozen men in dark suits stood beside the vehicles.
At their head was an elderly man with silver hair and a gold-tipped cane.
As Adrian approached, the man lowered his head.
"Welcome back, boss."
The others followed.
"Welcome back, Mr. Vale."
Adrian said nothing.
The old man stepped closer.
"Every division has been informed of your return. The council is ready whenever you are."
Adrian nodded.
"Later, Gabriel. First, I need to take my son home."
"Of course, boss."
Vanessa watched in disbelief.
The men who looked capable of terrifying an entire city were showing her former husband absolute respect.
And then Noah came running through the courthouse doors.
"Daddy!"
Adrian's entire expression changed.
He crouched and opened his arms.
Noah threw himself against his chest.
"Are we done?"
Adrian smiled.
"We're done, buddy."
Noah looked at the cars.
His mouth fell open.
"Whoa!"
He pointed toward the Maybach.
"Daddy, whose car is that?"
Adrian smiled faintly.
"Ours."
Noah blinked.
"Really?"
"Really."
The boy looked at the line of security guards.
Then at his father.
"Are you a superhero?"
For the first time that day, Adrian laughed.
"No, buddy. Just your dad."
Noah hugged him tighter.
"That's better."
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Tears streamed down her face.
She'd mocked Adrian for being poor.
Called him worthless.
Told their son he was a burden.
And now, the man she'd despised was standing before her like a king.
Not because of the cars.
Not because of the money.
But because Noah was looking at him as though he was the greatest man alive.
Adrian lifted his son into his arms.
Gabriel opened the car door.
But before Adrian climbed inside, Trent Donovan emerged from behind a courthouse pillar.
He looked pale.
Terrified.
"Mr. Vale?"
Adrian turned.
Trent swallowed.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding."
Adrian studied him.
"About what?"
Trent forced a smile.
"About Vanessa. About me. I didn't know who you were."
Adrian looked at him for several seconds.
Then said quietly, "You knew she was married."
Trent's smile vanished.
"And you knew there was a little boy living in that house."
Trent opened his mouth.
Adrian raised one hand.
"I'm not interested in excuses."
He turned away.
But Gabriel suddenly stepped closer and whispered something.
"Boss. We need to talk."
Adrian glanced at him.
"Now?"
Gabriel's expression was grave.
"I'm afraid so."
He handed Adrian a thin black folder.
Inside was a photograph.
Adrian opened it.
His blood turned cold.
The picture showed Trent Donovan standing beside a man in a private restaurant.
A man Adrian hadn't seen in seven years.
A man everyone believed was dead.
His father's former second-in-command.
Marcus Kane.
The very man suspected of arranging the ambush that killed Lorenzo Vale.
Adrian's fingers tightened around the photograph.
"Where did you get this?"
Gabriel lowered his voice.
"Our investigators found it while reviewing Mr. Donovan's business connections."
Adrian looked toward Trent.
The developer had begun walking rapidly toward his Ferrari.
"Gabriel."
"Yes, boss?"
"Don't let that man disappear before we know what he's involved in. Have our attorneys and investigators handle it."
Gabriel nodded.
Then hesitated.
"There's something else."
Adrian looked at him.
"What?"
Gabriel reached into the folder and removed another photograph.
This one had been taken outside Noah's elementary school.
It showed the boy standing near the playground fence.
Smiling.
Completely unaware that someone was watching him from a parked car.
Adrian felt every muscle in his body go rigid.
"Who took this?"
Gabriel's voice was low.
"We don't know yet."
Adrian turned the photograph over.
On the back, someone had written a message in black ink.
Seven years ago, we took your father.
Now you've given us something even better.
YOUR SON.
For the first time that morning, genuine fear crossed Adrian Vale's face.
He looked at Noah, who was happily playing with his stuffed dinosaur inside the car.
Then at Vanessa, still crying near the courthouse steps.
And finally at Trent Donovan, whose expensive Ferrari was pulling away.
Adrian suddenly understood something terrifying.
Perhaps Trent hadn't entered Vanessa's life by accident.
Perhaps the affair wasn't simply a betrayal.
Perhaps someone had deliberately destroyed his marriage to force him out of hiding.
And now that the Black King had returned, his enemies were preparing to strike.
Adrian folded the photograph.
His voice became dangerously calm.
"Gabriel."
"Yes, boss?"
"Take Noah to the estate. Highest security. Nobody approaches him without my permission."
"And you, sir?"
Adrian stared at the departing Ferrari.
For seven years, he'd hidden his identity to give his son a normal childhood.
But someone had found them anyway.
Someone had watched Vanessa destroy their family.
And someone had decided that Noah was the easiest way to hurt him.
Adrian slowly slipped his wedding ring into his pocket.
Then he looked toward the courthouse where his former wife was still standing.
"I'm going to find out whether my wife betrayed me for money..."
His gray eyes turned cold.
"...or whether she was helping someone steal my son."
At that exact moment, Vanessa's phone vibrated.
An unknown number had sent her a message.
Congratulations on your divorce.
You did exactly what we needed.
Now deliver the boy, and you'll receive the remaining five million dollars.
Vanessa stared at the screen.
Her hands began to shake.
May you like
Because she recognized the number.
And suddenly, she realized that the wealthy man she'd betrayed her husband for had never loved her at all.
