Nerissa’s POV

“Hey, babe, you’re already up?” It was ten when Eric finally came out of the bedroom, freshly showered and dressed.

I was on the sofa with a book open in my hands. I hadn’t turned a single page.

I told myself not to react when I faced Eric. I wouldn’t let him sense a single crack before I had everything prepared—before I could throw those damn divorce papers in his face.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead like he always did. “I can’t stay for breakfast. Big client coming to the casino this afternoon. I’ve got to keep him happy.”

He winked, grabbing his keys.

A big client? Or a doctor’s appointment with your mistress?

I kept my voice steady. “Alright. Work comes first.”

He paused at the door, studying me. “Don’t be upset, Neri. You know me. If it wasn’t for this client, I’d skip the whole day and stay with you. How about we take a vacation next week?”

Normally, I would have asked him to stay, at least for coffee.

Today, I just smiled. “Focus on your client first.”

After he left, I picked up my purse and drove to Golden Casino.

I rarely went to see Eric at the Golden. Part of it was practical—some of his biggest clients knew my face, and they certainly knew my father. The rest of it was simple, I trusted Eric enough not to need to.

But today, I wanted to. I didn’t want to see Bella only through filtered photos and stolen moments—I wanted to see her in real life.

I walked nearly the entire casino floor and didn’t find her. So I turned toward Eric’s office instead.

That was when I saw her.

Bella—just outside Eric’s office, seated behind his usual secretary’s desk.

Her pregnancy was obvious now—round and full beneath her dress. She looked even younger than in the photos, long golden hair spilling over her shoulders, clear eyes bright and soft. Bella got the kind of face that looked innocent and untouched.

No one would guess that a girl who looked so harmless had willingly slipped into a married man’s arms—smiling sweetly while tearing apart another woman’s life.

“Hello, miss. Who are you here to see?” she asked when she noticed me, her smile sugary, her voice light and melodic.

I let my gaze move over her slowly. The tailored white dress. The diamond necklace resting at her throat. The quiet confidence beneath all that polished innocence.

“I’m here to see Mr. Eric Vale,” I said evenly, like I was any other guest.

“Mr. Vale is in a meeting with a client. May I have your name, please?” She kept smiling.

“Of course. Nerissa Ardent.”

The change was subtle—but I saw it, a flicker in her eyes and a tightening at the corners of her lips.

She hadn’t recognized my face. That meant Eric had kept me out of sight. But she knew my name, which meant she knew me.

“Sorry, Mrs. Vale,” she said quickly, reaching for the phone. “I’ll inform Mr. Vale that you’re here.”

So I was right. Bella had known Eric was married.

“Mr. Vale,” she said into the receiver, her voice trembling just slightly, “your… your wife is here.”

…

I waited about five minutes before the elevator doors opened.

Eric stepped out, his expression tight the moment he saw me. “Nerissa? What are you doing here?”

“Dropping by to see you,” I said lightly, walking toward him and slipping my arm through his as if nothing had changed. “What? I’m not allowed to visit my own husband?”

He glanced at me—then at Bella—then quickly back again. “No. I was just… surprised.”

“Don’t mind me,” I said, glancing around the floor. “Go handle your client. I can wait.”

“No, no.” He took my hand a little too quickly and steered me toward his office. “Wait inside.”

He was in a hurry to get me away from Bella.

Once the door shut behind us, I turned casually, letting my gaze wander around the room. “Since when do you have such a young, lovely secretary? Bella, right? I don’t remember seeing her up here before.”

For a split second, Eric’s face changed, then the smile returned. “Oh, her? I’m not sure. I’ve seen her around a few times. Maybe HR moved her. You know how casinos work—we shuffle people around all the time.”

“I see.” I tilted my head slightly. “She looks very young. How old is she?”

His smile faltered again. He suddenly seemed very interested in the papers on his desk. “How would I know? I didn’t even know her name until you mentioned it.”

“Oh.” I nodded slowly.

I didn’t push. His explanation was already laughable enough.

…

That afternoon, I had suggested we eat something simple at the casino, but Eric wouldn’t hear of it. He insisted on taking me out for lunch. He probably didn’t want me anywhere near the office floor, therefore anywhere near Bella.

During lunch, I played the attentive wife.

I asked about the gaming room expansion, whether the late nights entertaining clients were wearing him down, if the casino needed additional capital.

Eric looked deeply moved. “You’re the only one who truly cares about me,” he said. “Having you is my greatest luck.”

I nearly lost my appetite.

“Oh, right,” I added lightly, as if the thought had just come to me. “A friend mentioned a new waterfront property. Private security. Restricted access. Maybe we should take a look?”

His fork paused midair. “A new place? Isn’t our current villa enough?”

“It’s comfortable,” I said. “But not very spacious. If we have children someday, we might need more room.”

There it was—that subtle shift in his expression.

“There’s no rush for children,” he replied quickly. “The casino’s cash flow has been tight. We shouldn’t add pressure.”

Cash flow tight?

Interesting. He hadn’t seemed concerned about pressure while buying a sea-view penthouse for his mistress through a shell company tied to our casino.

“You’re right,” I said smoothly. “We can wait.”

Nerissa’s POV

After lunch, Eric brought me back to his office, but a call pulled him away. The moment he stepped out, I slipped into the hallway.

Bella and two other girls were in the secretary lounge, cups of coffee in hand.

I slowed just enough to listen.

“The doctor said the baby’s very healthy,” Bella said softly, her hand resting over her stomach. “Due at the end of the year.”

“You’re so lucky,” one of them sighed. “Your boyfriend spoils you. That sea-view penthouse alone—”

Bella smiled shyly. “That’s not all. He promised that once the baby is born, he’ll marry me.”

Marry?

A quiet laugh rose in my throat. My husband hadn’t even filed for divorce, yet he was already planning another wedding.

Bella turned—and saw me. The color drained from her face instantly.

“Mrs. Vale,” she stammered, stepping back.

I walked toward her slowly, unhurried. “Bella, right?” I offered a gentle smile. “I heard you’re expecting. Congratulations.”

Her hand moved instinctively to shield her stomach. “Th-thank you, Mrs. Vale.”

“The child’s father treats you well?” I asked, my voice calm, almost warm.

“Yes,” she whispered, eyes lowering.

“That’s good,” I said softly. “Young girls should be careful. In this city, there are men who gamble with more than money.”

I let the words settle between us before I turned away.

…

Later that night, Eric came home drunk again. The usual scent of tobacco and whiskey clung to his shirt—and beneath it, faint but unmistakable, the cheap floral perfume that belonged to Bella.

He stumbled into the shower as usual. I picked up his phone and unlocked it.

The newest message appeared on the screen: “The test came back, honey. We’re having a son!”

Eric replied almost instantly. “Then I’ll work even harder. Once our boy is old enough, everything I have now will be his.”

“But what about… her?” Bella asked. “So weird that she dropped by the casino today, do you think she noticed anything?”

“So what? Don’t mention her. Bad luck. Just wait. Once you safely give birth to our son, she won’t have any excuse not to divorce me. Then we’ll be a real family. Just you, me, and our baby boy."

My stomach twisted. Every our future, every our baby, every promise he wrote to her felt like something crawling under my skin.

They had already planned it all—the penthouse, the child, the wedding.

All they needed was for me to quietly disappear.

I placed his phone back exactly where it had been and smoothed my expression into something soft and unsuspecting.

When Eric stepped out of the shower, I walked over and guided him to the bed. He rested his head on my thigh, and I began to massage his temples gently.

“You’ve been working so hard,” I murmured. “The casino’s been busy lately. So many clients. So many parties.”

He leaned into my touch, satisfied. “It’s all for our future,” he said, pride flickering in his eyes. “Everything I do is for us.”

For us.

“By the way,” I added lightly, “that pretty girl at your secretary desk—Bella. She’s pregnant. So young to be having a baby.”

His smile stiffened for just a second then casually said. “Yeah. You know how young girls are. Fooling around. She’s probably not even married.”

“She looks five or six months along,” I continued, fingers still moving at his temples. “I just hope the father is responsible.”

I paused, my voice soft. “It would be tragic if she trusted the wrong man.”

“Of course,” Eric replied too quickly. He sat up, then turned onto his side, ending the conversation as neatly as he could.

But before he slipped away from my touch, I felt it—A thin sheen of sweat along his temple.

Eric was nervous.

Was he that afraid I would uncover his little secret?

Tell me, Eric, was any of this worth it?

…

The next day, I had the my family’s private investigator follow Eric.

The photos came in one by one. Apparently, Eric and Bella skipped work and went shopping for baby clothes. Now that they knew it was a boy, they looked eager—laughing, pointing at tiny suits and blue blankets like they were already a family.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. There were also photos from a jewelry store.

Eric stood behind Bella as she tried on a diamond ring, his chin nearly brushing her shoulder.

They were already looking for one.

I glanced down at my own hand, the simple band he gave me on our wedding day was still there.

He used to say, “This ring is too plain. Wait for me. I’m working hard. One day I’ll buy you something bigger, better.”

“It’s just a ring,” I had told him. “Save the money for the casino expansion.”

I almost felt sorry for him back then—enough to lower my standards and accept something that was never truly at my level.

And Eric had looked at me like I was the most understanding woman in the world.

And now? Now he could slide a two-hundred-thousand-dollar diamond onto another woman’s finger without even a hesitation.

I saved every single photo. It hurt to look at them, but they were evidence—proof of how broken this marriage had become, of the kind of man Eric truly was, and of just how irresponsible he had always been.

…

This afternoon, the investigator sent over a video. Bella was sitting in a mall café with her friends. The audio was clear enough to catch the smug edge in her voice.

“Bella, are you serious?” one friend asked. “He’s married. You knew that.”

“So what?” Bella replied, her voice sharp, nothing like the trembling girl she had played in front of me. “He doesn’t love her anymore. They’ve just been together too long. He was waiting for the right time to bring it up. And they don’t even have kids.”

She leaned back, smug. “Just wait. Once my son is born, he’ll divorce her.”

“What if he’s lying to you?” her friend asked carefully. “You remember what happened last time… when you dropped out of college for that married man—”

“Shut up!” Bella snapped, almost shouting before lowering her voice. “Don’t ruin my day bringing him up. I checked this time, alright? Eric’s casino is doing great. And his wife has nothing to do with it. Even if they divorce, she won’t get any of it.”

“But—”

“Look.” Bella held out her hand. The diamond ring sparkled under the café lights. “If he’s lying, would he buy me something like this?”

She tugged her collar down slightly, revealing the diamond necklace resting against her skin. “And this? Would he spend this much just to lie to me?”

Her friend hesitated. “Aren’t you worried his wife will find out?”

“So what?” Bella’s voice sharpened. “I’m carrying his baby—his only son. Who do you think he’ll protect? Me and his son, or that old, ugly woman who probably can’t even have kids?”

Nerissa’s POV

“Well, when you put it that way…”

Bella cut her off. “If I were him, I would’ve dumped her a long time ago. She can’t even get pregnant. What’s the use of her? It’s not like she can help him with anything.”

I paused the video.

For a second, I almost stood up and stormed out to find her.

Old? Ugly? No eggs?

How dare she.

It was Eric who didn’t want children. And thirty was hardly old.

I took a slow breath and pressed play again.

Bella’s voice floated back into the room. “Eric and I already planned it. Once I give birth, he’ll divorce her and marry me. We’ll have a winter wedding. I’ll become the official Mrs. Vale.”

By the end, her voice had turned almost frantic. “Just wait, I’ll have money, status. Those girls won’t look down on me again. I won’t even have to work anymore. People will respect me.”

Her hands tightened over her belly. “I’ll have everything. And my son will too.”

The video ended.

I gave myself a few seconds to breathe before I called my father. “Papa, it’s time.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Nerissa, are you certain? Once we move, there’s no turning back. The casino accounts will freeze. His routes will close. Anyone tied to him will feel the impact.”

I clenched my jaw. “I’m certain. They’ve pushed far enough. I’m done playing low-key. I want them to understand what it means to betray an Ardent.”

“Very well,” Papa said after a beat. “I’ll call the family lawyer. Everything will be prepared tonight.”

I lowered the phone slowly and looked out at the sinking sun. Gold and crimson streaked across the sky—beautiful, but fleeting. The kind of beauty that disappears the moment darkness settles in.

Inside me, something burned just as bright.

Eric and Bella. They really believed betrayal came without a price—that after everything, they could turn the Golden Casino into their private meal ticket and use my family’s money to fund their pathetic little future.

Fine, then let me remind them what it means to sit across from the rightful queen of this house.

…

The next morning, I watched Eric drive away, then made a few calls of my own.

By noon, several major investors of Golden Casino were seated in a private room—men who had put their money in because my father once recommended the venture.

“Nerissa?” they asked, surprised to see me instead of Eric.

“Gentlemen,” I said calmly, “I’ll be direct. Many of you invested in Golden because of my father. I respect that. But today, I’m asking you to withdraw your funds.”

Murmurs broke out immediately.

“We’re mid-season—”

“We’ll take heavy losses—”

“How can we pull out now?”

Before I could answer, the door opened.

“I will cover the losses.” Papa stepped inside.

Every Don in the room stood.

Papa came to my side and rested a hand lightly on my shoulder. “I stand with my daughter. If she believes Golden Casino is no longer a sound investment, then neither do I.”

The room shifted instantly.

“Of course, Don Ardent. We invested because of your word.”

“We’ll begin the withdrawal process today.”

“And there’s no need to cover the losses. You’ve given us more than enough over the years.”

By afternoon, the whispers had already begun. Golden Casino was losing its primary investors. Not one, but all of them.

Eric came home early for once. His face was pale, his phone ringing nonstop.

“Please, give me more time—”

“I thought we agreed on at least three years—”

“I’ve already allocated the funds to keep operations stable. You know how critical that capital is—”

He ended the calls one after another, growing more frantic each time.

Watching him unravel was almost… satisfying.

“Neri,” he said, trying to steady his voice, “I ran into some problems at the casino.”

I looked up at him gently. “What happened?”

“Several major investors pulled their money out. All at once. I don’t even know why. They just said they don’t need the casino for laundering anymore.”

Frustration and disbelief were written all over his face.

“Could it be a competitor making moves behind your back?” I suggested thoughtfully.

“Maybe…” Suspicion flickered in his eyes. “Adam. You know him—the boss from that other casino. He’s always looking for a chance to steal business from me.”

If only he knew, the one who stripped his empire in a single day wasn’t some rival across town. It was the wife sitting right beside him, the one he betrayed without a second thought,

“Don’t overthink it,” I said softly. “If it gets worse… I can talk to my family. Maybe they can help.”

He looked at me with something close to gratitude. “I appreciate it, Neri. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Hypocrite.

If I meant that much to him… why was it so easy to betray me?

…

Two days passed. The crease between Eric’s brows never left, but his phone had gone strangely quiet.

At lunch, I received a message.

“Mrs. Vale, can we meet?” —Bella.

“Where?” I replied.

She named a café near the casino.

When I arrived, she looked nothing like the glowing woman from a few days ago. Her eyes were red. Her face pale. She had been crying.

“Mrs. Vale…” she began, voice trembling. “I’m pregnant with Mr. Vale’s child.”

I simply looked at her, didn’t say anything.

Bella searched my face before continuing. “Woman to woman, I never meant to ruin your family. It was Eric who told me he doesn’t love you anymore,” she rushed on. “That you were practically separated. That’s why I—”

“So you believed him?” I cut in softly.

Her face drained further.

“So you thought that gave you the right to sleep with a married man, carry his child—and then what?” I said coldly. “Talk about replacing his wife like it was only a matter of time?”

My voice stayed calm. “What do you want from me?”

“No… not like that.” Her lips quivered. “I came because… I wanted to tell you I can leave Eric. I’m willing to walk away from him—if you pay me.”

I arched a brow. “You would do that?”

“I’m young. I don’t have savings,” she said quickly. “If you give me money, I’ll disappear. I’ll never bother you or Mr. Vale again.”

“Alright, money…” A quiet, humorless laugh slipped from my lips. “How much do you think you’re worth?”

“One million,” she said carefully.

“One million?” My tone sharpened just enough to make her flinch. “And you think you deserve that?”

I stood, smoothing my coat. “You won’t get a single penny from me. And,” I paused, meeting Bella’s reddened eyes. “Don’t waste your tears on Eric—very soon, he won’t have anything left either.”

Her face turned ashen. “Mrs. Vale!” she cried, panic cracking through her voice. “You can’t do this! I’m carrying your husband’s son! You can’t just ignore that!”

“Are you certain,” I asked quietly, “that the child you’re carrying is even Eric’s?”