I Was the Deal He Sacrificed

To the world, I was Mrs. Ward—the untouchable queen beside the mafia king of New York, Elias Ward.

But I knew my husband never loved me.

His heart had always belonged to Harper Dinah. His nephew’s wife. And after that nephew conveniently died, Elias brought her into our mansion, “I just want to take better care of her,” he’d said.

And his version of “care” was where he’d throw a man out of a party for daring to flirt with Harper and got her pregnant.

Elias likes to praise me in public like I was the perfect wife to him.

And I was. I helped build his empire. I was the one who smiled and played nice. I made his casino shine while he hid Harper away like she was something sacred.

Because of all that praising, one of his enemies set his sights on me.

They took me. Sent Elias a message soaked in blood and threats: Back off. Leave New York. Or your pretty wife dies.

Of course, Elias didn’t choose to back off..

“Just wait,” he said over the phone, “They won’t hurt you, Noa. You’re leverage. Just hold on until Harper gives birth. Then I’ll come for you.”

Eight months of being held in a filthy hole, starved, beaten, degraded. The gang leader raped me over and over again.

And still, Elias never came.

Finally, I escaped when they were all drunk. Went home, only find my twins sleeping in the maid’s room, eating scraps while Elias was too busy hosting a party for his newborn.

I didn’t confront him, just packed my babies and disappear.

1

Noa’s POV

The second I stepped into the Ward mansion, I knew something was wrong.

Streamers hung from every window. Champagne glasses clinked. Laughter drifted on the spring breeze.

It was a party. A one-month celebration. For a baby girl named Lila.

I watched, frozen, as Elias, my husband, and Harper, his nephew’s wife, swept into the courtyard, hand in hand. The crowd erupted in cheers, clapping like trained seals. In Harper’s arms, dressed in a froth of pink lace, was a newborn.

It must be Lila.

Harper wore white—a soft, dreamy thing that made her look like an angel. Elias matched her, an all-white suit clinging to his tall frame, his hand protectively on her back.

Elias lifted his champagne glass, the crowd falling into a reverent hush.

"Today," he announced, "we celebrate my daughter Lila’s one-month. And—" he smiled, proud, radiant, "—we have more good news. Harper and I are getting married. The wedding will be held at the Ward Casino. I hope to see you all there."

So this was what had kept Elias too busy to come rescue me from his rivalry.

Elias’s gaze swept the crowd—and landed on me.

For a second, his face cracked. Shock. Relief. Maybe even joy. His body shifted forward, instinct pulling him toward me—

Until Harper caught his arm. Whispered something urgent into his ear.

And just like that, he stayed put.

Around me, the crowd started to murmur.

"Who’s the filthy woman?" someone whispered.

"Looks like Noa, doesn’t it?" another said. "But Noa’s dead. Elias said so. Eight months ago—he said one of his enemies took her out."

"Right," someone chimed in. "That’s why he and Harper got together. They were grieving. Bonded over their loss. A love story, really."

I was dead? Did Elias declare me dead to the world just so he could move on? So he could parade Harper on his arm and call their bastard child a miracle?

All the while, I had been waiting. Believing he'd come for me.

"Say if she’s Noa," a voice hissed nearby, "then Harper’s been sleeping with her uncle-in-law all along."

"God," another whispered, "no wonder Elias didn’t wait for a coffin before proposing."

The whispers grew louder, sharper.

And Harper, standing at the center of it all, her mouth wobbled into a trembling pout, tears bright in her eyes.

Poor Harper. The perfect angel was starting to crack.

“I will not tolerate this kind of accusation," Harper said, her voice trembling just enough to sound tragic.

She turned and fled the stage.

Elias chased after her, catching her hand at the edge of the platform.

"Harper, don’t get upset over some meaningless comment," he murmured, the microphone still catching every word.

Then he turned, facing the crowd.

“Harper didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, I am making my child, Lila the heir to the Ward Casino."

Lila would inherit.

What about my twins? What about Tessa and Milo—the children he once swore would carry on the Ward legacy?

Was that a lie, too?

My gaze slipped down to Harper’s hand, catching the flash of diamond even from across the courtyard.

A familiar ring—one that used to sit on my finger.

The Ward family heirloom. Now worn by Harper like it had always belonged to her.

I swallowed the knot in my throat, my fingers trembling at my sides.

Elias’s eyes found mine again—and this time, there was no pity in them. Only annoyance.

He stalked toward me, his mouth a grim slash.

"My Noa is dead," he said coldly, loud enough for the nearest guests to hear. "This woman is nothing but a lookalike. An imposter trying to ruin Harper’s day. Anyone who believes otherwise—anyone who spreads rumors—will deal with me."

I stepped closer, close enough that only he could hear me, and whispered, "Say it again. Look me in the eyes and tell me Noa is dead."

His jaw clenched, voice low and urgent. "Just this once. Play along. You heard them—they’ll tear Harper apart if I admit you are Noa now. I can’t let her carry the shame of being called a homewrecker."

He didn’t even wait for my answer. He just snapped his fingers, and the guards appeared at my sides, ushering me away.

…

The guards handed me off to Elias’s butler.

"Mrs. Ward?" he asked, his voice shaking when he recognized me.

I nodded.

He led me to the guest house—a small, one-bedroom place on the far edge of the estate. "Freshen up," he said awkwardly. "I’ll bring you clean clothes. Something to eat.”

When he left, I crept back inside the main house.

The moment I stepped through the front doors, it hit me.

Everything was different. Gone was the simple, chic home. In its place was a gaudy palace—gold-trimmed furniture, crystal chandeliers, velvet drapery.

It reeked of someone trying way too hard to scrub away every last trace of me.

So gaudy and over the top.

I made my way to the master bedroom. Everything had been replaced too. The bed. The curtains. Even the wedding photo hanging over the dresser.

Except now, it wasn’t me in the photo. It was Harper.

Harper, smiling and beaming up at Elias as he kissed her cheek.

The butler appeared behind me, wringing his hands. "Mrs. Ward... you cannot come in here…”

I turned away from him, my voice sharp. "Where are my twins?"

The butler paled. "They… they’re in the basement."

The basement was cold and damp. Barely fit for storage, much less for children.

I shoved past him and stormed down the narrow stairs.

When I threw open the door to one of the cramped maid’s rooms, I froze.

Tessa and Milo sat huddled together on the dirty floor, surrounded by garbage bags. A mouse scurried between the trash, bold from habit.

Tessa had always been fragile, even as a newborn. Now her small body looked even thinner, like a stiff wind could snap her in half. Milo, his face was streaked with dirt.

Their clothes were stained and shredded, the fabric so worn the patterns were barely recognizable.

While Harper’s daughter slept upstairs on silk sheets, wearing a lace christening gown, fed with silver spoons... my children were left to rot in filth.

My throat closed up. "Tessa? Milo? Mommy’s here. Mommy’s back."

Both of them stirred.

Tessa blinked first, "Mommy?" she breathed.

2

Noa’s POV

"I’m here, my babies." I dropped to my knees, reaching out. "Did you miss Mommy?"

Tessa scrambled into my arms, clinging to me with a sob that shattered my heart.

Milo trembled where he sat, his tiny body shaking.

Tessa smiled at me, “Mommy. Daddy said you were never coming back.” Her voice wobbled on the last word.

"Mommy, are you here to take us away?" Tessa asked, “Miss Harper said if we left this room, she’d get really mad and tell Daddy to throw us out."

That bitch. Guest in my house—and she dared treat my babies like this?

I gathered them both into my arms, holding Tessa’s tiny hand and cradling Milo against my chest.

I carried them to the master bedroom—the one that used to be mine—and headed straight for the bathroom.

They needed a bath. Real clothes.

The master bathroom had the giant marble tub, big enough for both of them to soak in clean water for once.

As I set Milo down gently and told Tessa to hold him, something caught my eye.

The wedding photo. Elias and Harper. Standing together. Smiling. Radiant.

I walked over, tore the frame from the wall, and dropped it onto the floor. Then I kicked it—hard—right across Harper’s pretty little face.

God, not nearly enough. But it helped a little.

Elias came in with the butler.

"Can't you stop already?" he shouted. "You already ruined the celebration, now you’re destroying the house? You just got back, Noa. Don't make me regret keeping you here."

My patience snapped.

"Your celebration?" I hissed. "Go ahead. Celebrate with your little angel while your real son and daughter locked in the basement, starve in a trash pit.”

Elias glanced down at Tessa and Milo, his forehead wrinkling.

"Why do they look so dirty?" he demanded. "Were you two playing in the yard again?"

He didn’t know?

I let out a cold, broken laugh.

"You're such a moron, Elias," I said, my voice sharp enough to cut skin. “How about we ask your little angel Harper?”

…

Harper walked into the room a moment later. She blinked at the sight of me and the twins, gasping.

"What happened to Tessa and Milo?" she breathed, all wide-eyed innocence.

"You don’t know?"

"Why would I know? Taking care of Tessa and Milo isn't my responsibility." She curled her hand against Elias’s chest. "Babe, do you know what happened?"

Elias looked between us, confused and impatient. "Noa's been screaming about the twins being locked at the basement.”

Harper gasped again, "Oh! My… I had noticed the twins had grow to like playing in the basement. The maid told me sometimes they would even go to the basement and play there for a whole day."

Beside me, Tessa squeezed my hand tight, her small fingers trembling. She shook her head frantically. "Mommy, we didn’t—"

"Stop lying, Harper," I snapped.

Harper’s smile froze in place.

"You ordered the maids to lock them in the basement," I said, my voice razor-sharp. "You made them eat garbage. You threatened to have them thrown out if they even stepped outside. Children don’t lie about things like that."

Harper widened her eyes, "I would never! Why would I lock them away?"

She turned to Tessa with a soft, sugary voice. "Tessa, sweetheart, you don’t hate me, do you?"

Tessa flinched under Harper’s gaze, instinctively stepping behind me. "No, I don’t.”

Harper pounced. "Then why would you lie to your mom? I never locked you up, darling. Never."

I slid my arm around Tessa, shielding her from Harper's poisonous reach. “Enough,"

Tessa’s little body shook against me, her eyes darting toward the ruined wedding photo still lying shattered on the floor. Harper followed her gaze, clutching her hands over her mouth.

"Our wedding photo!" she gasped. "What happened?"

I tilted my head. "Oh, that? I threw it in the trash. Didn't like the look of someone else's memories cluttering up my bedroom."

Harper's face twisted, "First you accuse me of abusing children, then you tear apart my life here? Do you hate me that much, Noa?"

She spun dramatically like she was about to faint, milking the moment for every ounce of pity.

Elias caught her, pulling her into his arms. "Don’t let them get to you, Harper. I know you’re innocent."

Then, to my horror, he yanked Tessa away from me. And slapped her hard across the back.

He hissed. "How did I raise you to be like this? Lying about people who care for you?"

I snatched her back, clutching her close to my chest. "Don’t you touch her.”

"You disgust me, Elias," I spat. "You’d hit your own daughter because some conniving bitch bats her eyelashes at you? Open your damn eyes!"

Elias raised his voice, shouting back at me. "Oh, right. You’re perfect, aren't you, Noa? Did you teach our daughter to lie? Because that sounded like something you would have done.”

He continued, ”You knew after my nephew died, Harper had no one. You knew she depended on me. And still—you team up with our daughter and son to lie about her? Try to drive her out?"

Harper broke away from his arms with a sob, running dramatically out of the room. "It’s all my fault.”

Elias chased after her without a second thought.

Tessa tugged on my sleeve, her little face crumpled with worry. "Mommy," she whispered, "does Daddy hate me and Milo? Why won’t he believe us?”

Her big watery eyes looked up at me, and I swear it felt like someone had driven a thousand knives into my heart.

I pulled both of them into my arms and hugged them fiercely. "No, sweetheart. No. You are the smartest, kindest, most amazing little girl in the world. And Milo—you are the sweetest, strongest, most wonderful boy a mommy could ever ask for. You did nothing wrong. Nothing."

"Mommy…" Milo's hoarse little voice broke free at last. His hollow gaze filled with tears in a blink.

"There, there," I whispered, cradling them closer. "Don’t cry, babies. I’ll get you out of here. We’ll live together, just us three, and be happy again. I promise.”

3

Noa’s POV

I scooped them up in my arms and carried them back to the guest house and ordered the butler to call a doctor.

The doctor arrived quickly, "The girl's condition is poor but manageable. The boy’s… it’s worse. He’s malnourished and showing signs of emotional trauma. I suggest spending time with him. He needs stability. Love."

I nodded.

Later, as Tessa dozed off with Milo curled against her, the doctor gone, I sat there in the dim light, piecing together the nightmare they’d lived through.

From Tessa’s whispered confessions, I learned the whole truth.

The day Harper moved into the master bedroom was the day my children lost their safe world. They were banished from their rooms. Locked away in the basement. Fed scraps, beaten with slippers, threatened into silence.

All the while Harper played the doting stepmother in public—and Elias, blind idiot that he was, worshiped her like a saint.

When the twins tried to tell him, he hadn’t believed them. Why would he? Harper was pure. Sweet. Untouchable.

I brushed Tessa’s hair back from her face, my chest burning with guilt. Rage. Sorrow. Fury.

…

I must’ve been lost in my own storm of thoughts because I didn’t hear the door open.

Elias walked in, freshly showered, dressed in casual clothes like he hadn’t just been tearing my soul apart an hour ago.

He moved slowly, like he was afraid I'd run.

And then he sat down beside me, "I missed you, Noa. The second I saw you standing in the courtyard, I wanted to run to you."

"Then why didn’t you?" I asked.

Elias looked at me like I was the one being unreasonable. Like he actually thought what he was about to say would make it better.

"Because of Harper," he said finally. "I promised to take care of her after my nephew died. If I'd gone to you—hugged you, claimed you as my wife—what would that have left for Harper? What would people say? That she was the third wheel in our marriage? Do you think she could survive that? She’s not like us, Noa. She wasn’t raised in our world. She... she values her reputation more than anything. I was just supporting her.”

"Support her?" I choked out a humorless laugh. "Is that what you call it? Marrying her?"

He sighed, frustrated. "I thought you were dead, Noa. I really did. There were nights I wanted to die too. It was Harper who kept me standing when I thought I'd lost you."

"And now?" I asked, voice cold. "Now that I’m back? What’s your plan, Elias?"

"Now?" He hesitated, like he actually needed to think about it.

"Yes," I pressed.

“You will be my one and only Mrs. Ward. But I still need to give Harper a wedding. It’s just… for formality."

I stared at him. "A wedding?"

"It’ll just be for show, babe," he said, as if that somehow made it better. "You’re the one I love."

Before I could find the words to rip this fake man apart, a maid burst into the room.

"Mr. Ward—the baby is having a fever! Miss Harper’s asking for you."

Elias shot to his feet, "Why are you just telling me this now? Take me to them! And get the family doctor there!"

And just like that, he was gone.

There was a time—only months ago—when Tessa and Milo had caught the fever too. When I had told Elias to call a doctor.

He only said, “Just give them some cough drops."

But now—because it was Harper's baby—it was an emergency, a crisis. Now he couldn’t bear the thought of letting Lila just have a few cough drops.

Of course.

Taking care of Harper.

Taking care of her my ass.

"Mommy, are you sad?" a small voice asked.

I looked down and saw Milo awake, crawling onto my lap, his little arms circling my waist. His tiny head resting against my shoulder.

"Mommy, don’t be sad," he whispered.

I swallowed hard and hugged him tight. "I’m not sad, baby," I lied softly. "I’m just thinking."

"Thinking about what, Mommy?" Milo asked, blinking up at me with wide, earnest eyes.

I kissed his forehead and cradled him close. "Thinking about taking you and Tessa to Mommy’s old home," I said. "You’ll get to meet Uncle Jose. Mommy’s brother. When we were little, we were just like you and Tessa."

Milo smiled, a sleepy, fragile little thing. "As long as you’re with us, Mommy," he said seriously. "Don’t leave me and Tessa again. Please?"

My chest squeezed so hard it hurt.

"I won’t," I promised, pressing my forehead against his. "I swear, baby. Mommy’s never leaving you two again."

Not now. Not ever.

…

A few days later, Harper showed up at the guest house.

All smiles and sugar. She "nicely" invited me out to dinner, claiming she wanted to throw a welcome-back party but figured I wouldn’t like a crowd.

"Just something small," she said. "Just us."

Harper showed up dressed like the main event. Blood-red gown clinging to her like she was announcing to the world who really belonged at Elias Ward’s side.

The dinner was at a Michelin-starred place in uptown Manhattan—reservation only.

When we arrived, Harper and Elias led the way in, hand in hand, basking in the attention like royalty.

Me and the twins? We trailed behind. I wore jeans and an old jacket, nothing fancy.

After dinner, Harper draped herself around Elias’s arm like a proud little trophy. "Hon, why don’t you go pay the bill? We’ll wait here."

Her voice was syrupy sweet..

I didn’t bother hiding my expression.

Elias noticed. He turned to me with a scowl. "Can you stop already? You’re ruining the night. You could at least try to be grateful for what Harper planned for you. She booked this the second you came back. You could try being nice."

Nice?

After everything he put me through, after everything Harper did to my kids—and he had the audacity to expect me to smile and play along?

God, he was pathetic.

…

After dinner, Harper eager for a walk around the park.

And in order to get to the parking from the park, we had to cut through a side alley to get there.

That’s where we ran into trouble.

A group of thugs loitered near the mall entrance—looking for easy money, or maybe something worse. They saw Harper and Elias in their designer clothes and smelled blood.

"How about you make a little donation?" the leader said, grinning through yellow teeth. "Let you walk through safe.”

4

Noa’s POV

At first, it was just posturing. Then one of them squinted. Recognition clicked. "Hey… you’re that casino guy from TV, ain’t you?"

And just like that, the stakes changed.

"A couple hundred ain’t gonna cut it now," the thug sneered. "We know you got cash. You’re rich. Let’s see how generous you really are."

Elias stiffened. "We don’t carry much cash," he said carefully. "How about I call my assistant? They’ll bring the money."

Then he pointed—to me.

"My wife can stay with you while I get the cash."

My blood ran cold. He pointed at me

The thug leader laughed, low and dirty. "Your wife?" He looked me up and down like he was inspecting a piece of bruised fruit. "You’re kidding. Dressed like that? Looks more like a stray you picked up."

Elias frowned. “She is my wife, just check the news. And if I don’t come back, you can… do whatever you want with her."

The thug checked the news and confirmed my identity, smiling wider at me, flashing those rotten teeth. “Alright, let your wife accompany me for a while."

He grabbed my ass like I was meat on a market stall. "Sweetheart," he said, "you might not be as pretty as that lady over there, but I bet you’ll do just fine keeping me entertained."

He jerked his chin at Elias. "Go. Bring me the money. If you screw me, she’s the one who’s gonna pay.”

…

Elias and Harper walked away. I begged Elias to bring my twins away. That was the least he could do for me now.

And he did.

Once again, I was left behind.

Elias Ward only protected the people he truly cared about. And it sure as hell wasn’t me.

Would he come back?

I didn’t know.

Maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he was just happy I would finally disappear.

…

An hour passed. Then another.

The thug leader grew impatient, pacing, cursing, shooting me filthy looks like he couldn’t decide whether to beat me or tear my clothes off.

"I’m bored, pretty girl," he sneered, flicking a glance at my jeans. "How about you make me a little happy while we wait for your husband?"

I braced myself, edging back, heart hammering.

But there were too many of them. Ten men, all muscle and bad intentions.

I wouldn’t get three steps before they dragged me down.

The nightmare felt sickeningly familiar.

History trying to repeat itself. But not this time.

The leader lunged for me—and I kicked him square in the crotch with everything I had.

He howled in pain, doubling over. Then he struck me across the face, sending me sprawling to the ground. "Bitch," he spat, stomping toward me, grabbing at my jacket, my collar—hands reaching, greedy and cruel.

I squeezed my eyes shut, ready for the worst—when gunfire split the air.

Shouts. Screams. The sharp crack of rifles.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Elias’s men flooding into the alley, guns drawn, faces cold. The thug leader barely made it two steps before he was shot dead. His men scattered like rats, some falling, some fleeing.

It was over in seconds.

Elias rushed to my side, dropping to his knees.

"Noa," he said, voice hoarse. "Are you okay? I came back as fast as I could—I'm sorry—"

He reached for me like he expected me to collapse into his arms.

And then, as if he couldn’t help himself, he added—

"I had to get Harper back to the mansion first. If anything happened to her, my nephew would blame me."

The real reason. The same goddamn excuse he always had tucked up his sleeve.

I looked him dead in the eyes and said, "Shut up."

I didn’t want to hear it. Not one more word.

…

Back at the mansion, Elias played the concerned husband again.

He even called the family doctor to examine me, hovering while they checked the swelling on my face and the bruises blooming down my arms.

Afterward, he knelt by my bedside, brushing my hair back like we were still something.

"My wedding to Harper is tomorrow," he said softly, like that should somehow comfort me. "Just wait a little longer. After that... everything will be better."

Better.

Yes, it would. But not in the way he thought.

I smiled at him sweetly—the first real smile I’d given him in a long, long time. “Then there is more reasons that you shouldn’t keep your bride waiting," I said, my voice a blade wrapped in velvet. “Go, rest early and prepare yourself for tomorrow’s wedding.”

Elias smiled back, relieved, the fool.

After he left, I picked up the phone and dialed.

"Jose," I said when he answered. "I’m ready. Have the people and the car here tomorrow morning. Eight sharp."

Tomorrow, when Elias said "I do”— I’d already be gone.

And he’d never see me—or my twins—ever again.