“Sorry, Ms. Mills.” The insurance representative spoke in a flat, detached tone. “We reviewed your claim. Mr. Williams is married, all right—but the spouse on our paperwork? That’s not you.”

On her way to Williams Enterprises, Maddie Mills had been in a car accident. She couldn’t get Archer Williams on the phone, so she called the insurance company. The car was registered under Archer’s name, and as his wife, she figured she could file the claim.

“When Mr. Williams picked up the vehicle, he was with his wife. They presented a certified marriage-record extract naming Bailee Wagner as his legal spouse.”

The words knocked the breath out of Maddie. She gripped her phone harder, trying to steady herself. She and Archer had grown up together; their families had been friends forever. Everyone in their circle knew Archer couldn’t stand to be away from her for a single day.

Three years ago, when Maddie went abroad to study, Archer had stopped her flight just to say goodbye. He flew across the Atlantic all the time—thousands of miles—just to spend one day with her each week. The year she came down with a severe lung disease and nearly didn’t make it, he stayed by her side in the ICU, risking infection, and slipped a ring on her finger. “If anything happens to you, I’ll go with you. We’ll be together in the next life, too.”

For Archer, Maddie had turned down her professor’s offer to stay in a UK lab and flew home, eager to surprise him. But when she opened the door to his office, she found a delicate, beautiful woman straddling his lap, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“Mr. Williams, what’s going to happen to me now that Ms. Mills is back?” the woman asked, her voice small and pleading.

Seated in his executive chair, Archer’s tall frame loomed over her, his face sharp with cruelty. “You?” he sneered. “You’re nothing but her stand-in. Don’t forget your place.” He caught the woman’s chin between his fingers, tilted it up, and laughed. “A slight resemblance, and you think you can compare?”

Maddie’s grip on the gift she’d brought him went slack. It hit the floor with a loud crash, shattering the tension in the room. Archer’s face went ashen. He shoved the woman aside and shot to his feet.

The woman was Bailee.

After Maddie caught them, Archer cut Bailee off immediately and tried everything to win Maddie back. The once-proud heir of the Williams legacy humbled himself—practically groveled for her forgiveness. He dropped any project she disapproved of without a second thought. He stood in the rain outside her apartment for over a week, just for a chance to see her.

“Maddie, I’m not asking you to forgive me—just give me a chance to explain! I only kept Bailee because she was a stand-in for you. You were gone for so many years; I missed you like crazy. I swear, there was nothing more between us. That time you saw us? I was drunk. She took advantage of me...”

“I already sent Bailee away. She won’t be part of our lives anymore. Maddie, please—come back.”

Maddie couldn’t stomach betrayal, so she insisted on calling off the engagement—until that fateful day. She was kidnapped by a rival. The kidnappers set fire to the abandoned factory where they’d held her. Archer risked everything to go into the blaze, shielding her from falling debris. He was badly hurt and bedridden for nearly six months.

Through sheer determination and sacrifice, Archer finally softened Maddie’s heart. After he was discharged, she accepted his proposal, and they had a lavish wedding. Over the past two years of marriage, he’d been devoted—never a hint of scandal. He even set a curfew for himself so he’d come home on time. When he traveled for business, he always video-called her.

Their business partners joked that Archer was under his wife’s thumb, and he never denied it. “A family man is a good man,” he’d boast proudly.

Every moment of their past spun through Maddie’s mind like a carousel. Her knees gave way. She sank to the floor, covering her face.

She couldn’t tell who the real Archer Williams was anymore. The irony was sickening. She’d been his wife for two years, and only now did she learn that the certificate Archer had shown her was a forgery.

Maddie wiped the sweat from her forehead with a trembling hand, ignored the other driver’s curses, and calmly called the police.

The police arrived quickly. After giving her statement, Maddie left the station. The sky was pitch black. Her phone showed several missed calls from Archer. When she didn’t answer, the messages came.

“Sweetheart, I was in an important meeting all afternoon. No signal. What happened?” one read.

“I have another engagement tonight, so I’ll be home a little late. No women involved—don’t worry.”

“Get some rest. Don’t wait up. Love you.”

Maddie stared at the messages, her heart flooded with bitter sarcasm.

Archer came home well past midnight, reeking of alcohol. His clumsy attempts to cover the faint perfume failed. “Honey...” he slurred, stumbling toward her, trying to wrap his arms around her through the blanket. “I missed you so much...”

Maddie said nothing. Once Archer was sound asleep, she sat up quietly and unlocked his phone with his fingerprint. The device was surprisingly clean—no incriminating traces. His contacts were mostly business. Her entry sat at the top of his contacts, labeled “Dearest Wife.” Everything looked perfect on the surface, just like their so-called marriage.

Maddie connected his phone to her computer and quickly discovered Archer had another social media profile. She logged in. There was a message from an account with an adorable pink kitten profile picture labeled “Baby.”

“Archer, thank you for tonight. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“Meeting you is the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. I won’t disturb your life. Just an occasional glance is enough.”

She’d suspected it, but seeing the words in front of her sent an uncontrollable wave of suffocating despair through her. Their messages were daily. Bailee’s morning greetings had evolved from ignored notes into a steady back-and-forth.

An icy chill crept over Maddie. She instinctively tightened her grip on the phone. Logic told her to stop reading. But something stronger forced her to scroll back.

“Archer, I’m so sorry. I drank too much and lost control. The doctor says I’ll be fine, so don’t worry.”

“Ms. Mills’s birthday party is important. Spend time with her. I’ll be okay.”

Maddie closed her eyes, remembering that day. Her birthday. Archer had planned everything down to the last detail, yet his mind had been elsewhere. He nearly cut himself while slicing the cake. When she asked, he blamed work, told her not to worry, and pulled her into a warm embrace, urging her to make a wish.

Only after reading the chats did Maddie realize the truth. That same day, Bailee had slit her wrists and been rushed to the hospital.

Bittersweet grief washed over her. In those few seconds while she made her birthday wish, Maddie wondered: was Archer more worried about Bailee in that hospital bed, or about sharing the years to come with her?

In the end, Maddie didn’t need to ask. She slowly put the phone back and gazed at Archer, sound asleep beside her. She’d known him since she was four. Loved him for twenty years. Believed his love was unmatched. Now she understood: his so-called love was nothing but a cheap supermarket sample—one anyone could take a piece of.

So she decided. She was done.

The next morning, Maddie Mills woke to find Archer Williams moving around the kitchen, his broad shoulders tapering to a lean waist in a silhouette that still had the power to make her chest ache. It was a reminder, tender and painful, of how Archer had learned to cook just for her.

She remembered the hellish stretch when Williams Corporation had been under siege. His business rivals had come at him through her, bribing someone to poison her food. She'd slipped into a coma for three days and nights. When she finally woke, Archer was right there, eyes bloodshot, gripping her hand like it was the only thing keeping him upright. The formidable man had looked so broken then, holding her while tears streamed down his face.

After that day, Archer threw himself into cooking and took over every meal she ate. Within a month, the man who couldn't tell salt from sugar was cooking like a professional chef.

A phone rang, slicing through the memory. Maddie glanced over. Archer's phone. She didn't reach for it. Archer came out of the kitchen, apron still on, and picked it up. His tension was subtle, but she caught it. Maddie pretended not to notice and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

By the time she came back, breakfast was on the table and Archer was slipping into his suit jacket. He smiled that gentle smile. “Something urgent came up at the office. I can't stay for breakfast.”

Maddie's voice was cool. “Work is important.”

Archer was in enough of a rush that he missed the strange coldness in her voice as he hurried out the door. Maddie watched him go, face blank, then dumped every bite of breakfast in the trash.

She picked up her phone and dialed. “I've reconsidered your offer. I'm in.”

A burst of excitement came through the line, followed by a rush of eager words. “Maddie, why the sudden change of heart? You always said marriage was your priority.”

Something mocking flickered through Maddie's eyes. Marriage? Their marriage had been a sham from the start.

The call was with her former mentor from her time studying abroad. He'd recently reached out, asking her to join his new project team. She'd turned him down before because she was still thinking about Archer. Now, she regretted not seeing the farce of her marriage sooner.

After she hung up, Maddie checked her passport and booked the earliest available appointment to renew it. Expedited processing would still take time.

But before she left, there was one more thing she had to handle.

That evening, Maddie walked into a private auction at the Ritz-Carlton. She was there for one thing: a piece of her mother's belongings.

Her mother had died when Maddie was eight. Not long after, the family estate sold off her mother's heirlooms. Over the years, Maddie had slowly tracked down the lost items, though she'd only managed to recover a handful.

One of tonight's featured lots was a rare antique jade bracelet that had belonged to her mother. No matter the price, Maddie was getting it back.

She settled into her seat before the auction began. She was flipping through the catalog when she heard Archer's voice nearby.

“Didn't I already buy you a set of emerald jewelry? Still not satisfied?” His tone held that familiar tenderness—the one Maddie knew too well.

A playful voice answered. “Your taste is terrible! I want to pick out my own birthday present!”

Maddie stayed quiet, watching from a distance as Archer and the woman beside him, Bailee Wagner, crossed the room. Their eyes met. Archer's expression shifted instantly.

Almost reflexively, he pulled free of Bailee's hold and hurried over to Maddie. “Maddie,” he said urgently, reaching her side. “I called you, but you didn't answer. Were you trying to surprise me?”

He tried to hide it, but panic lingered in his eyes. Maddie played dumb, her voice indifferent. “My phone was on silent. I didn't hear it.”

Archer visibly relaxed. He took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his voice gentle with concern. “Your hands are freezing. Didn't I tell you it was getting cold today? You should've dressed warmer. If you get sick, it'll break my heart.” He signaled a server for a blanket and carefully draped it over her shoulders.

Maddie didn't react. Her gaze slid to Bailee, whose expression had gone dark. Bailee bit her lip and sulked into the seat beside Archer, resentment burning in her eyes.

Archer leaned in and lowered his voice. “Our company just landed a major project, and Bailee put in a lot of work. Her birthday's coming up, so I figured a gift was in order—sort of a bonus for her efforts.”

He looked at Maddie anxiously. “You're not upset, are you?”

Bailee chimed in, her voice delicate. “Ms. Mills, if my presence bothers you, I can leave. I don't want to interfere.”

Maddie smiled, a thin curve that didn't reach her eyes. “We're married now. Something this trivial doesn't bother me in the slightest.”

The auction began soon after. Archer barely spared Bailee a glance. His attention stayed on Maddie as he flipped through the catalog and bid on almost every item.

“Darling, this piece would look stunning on you,” he murmured, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Maddie's gaze flicked to the corner, where Bailee sat in silence, clutching the edge of Archer's jacket. Their eyes met in a covert exchange, thick with silent understanding.

Maddie hid her mocking smile. The whole thing was absurd. There sat Archer, blissfully indulging in his two loves, convinced he was being fair to both. One woman had the title, the other had the open affection—where was the injustice?

But Maddie had never wanted to balance those scales. Archer was just a minor mistake on her path—one she intended to correct.

“Next up, a rare antique jade bracelet, beautifully carved and exceptionally well preserved—starting bid, seventy-five thousand dollars, with a minimum increase of five thousand!”

The auctioneer's enthusiastic announcement named Maddie's target for the evening.

Numbers flashed on the screen as bids climbed fast. “Paddle seventeen, ninety thousand! Paddle nine, one hundred twelve thousand five hundred!”

“Any higher offers?”

As the first round wound down, Maddie raised her paddle. “Two hundred twenty-five thousand.”

The bid doubled in an instant. The bracelet was exquisite, but it wasn't the night's centerpiece. At Maddie's steep bid, the room went silent. No one else moved.

“Paddle eleven, two hundred twenty-five thousand!”

“Two hundred twenty-five thousand going once! Going twice!”

The auctioneer lifted his gavel. “If there are no further bids, I declare, two hundred twenty-five thousand—”

“Two hundred thirty-two thousand five hundred.”

A soft voice cut in. Bailee had nestled up beside Archer, timidly lifting her paddle. Her voice was small. “Do I put my bid in here?”

Maddie narrowed her eyes and threw out another bid. “Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.”

Almost instantly, Bailee matched her, bumping the price by only five grand each time—the minimum increment.

Turning to Maddie, Bailee pleaded, “Ms. Mills, you already have so much jewelry. Could you let this one go? I really love it. I’ve wanted it for so long. Would you really begrudge me this one thing? If the price goes any higher, I won’t be able to keep up.”

Maddie didn’t even look at her. A faint smirk tugged at her lips. “Isn’t Archer backing you? What’s there to worry about?”

Bailee’s face went pale. She softened her voice. “But Mr. Williams works hard for his money. I think it’s only fair to save where I can.”

Her words were coated in sensibility, painting her as the understanding, thoughtful one.

After several rounds, the bracelet hit three hundred thousand. Maddie sneered, ready to raise her paddle again, when Archer’s voice cut in.

“Sweetheart, why don’t you let Bailee have this one?”

Maddie went rigid. Her fingers curled, her fingernails digging into her palm. She turned to him, and whatever warmth had been in her eyes turned to ice. “What did you just say?”

Archer sighed and patted her hand like he was soothing a child. “Honey, I promised Bailee a gift tonight. She’s really set on this one. Can’t you let it slide?”

“Besides, haven’t I already won you several pieces? Isn’t that enough?”

His tone was light, almost teasing—like he was joking.

Maddie shut her eyes for a beat. A bitter taste flooded her veins, cold and choking, wrapping around her heart until she could barely breathe.

With Bailee’s family background, even affording three hundred thousand was a stretch—let alone getting into a high-end auction like this. The only reason she was here, bidding against Maddie, was Archer’s backing.

In a quiet voice, Maddie said, “What if I insist on winning it?”

She raised her paddle again, voice ringing out. “Four hundred thousand dollars.”

The room went silent. The auctioneer, sensing the tension, sounded a little unsteady. “The lady has bid four hundred thousand dollars. Any further bids?”

Bailee’s eyes shimmered with tears. She looked about to cry as she pleaded with Archer and added another measly five thousand.

“Four hundred and five thousand dollars.”

Maddie’s expression turned colder. She was about to raise her bid again when the manager hurried over and whispered, “My apologies, Ms. Mills. During financing verification, we found your account has been frozen. Do you have another account?”

The words hit her like a thunderclap.

Maddie turned her head—and caught Archer averting his gaze.

A chill ran through her. It was him.

Her primary account was tied to a credit facility Archer controlled. He could have revoked her access or asked the bank to block transactions pending review.

Pride lit up Bailee’s eyes. With a satisfied smile, she said, “Maybe you should give way, Ms. Mills? You have so much already. Can’t you let me have this one thing?”

The auction continued, the screen fixed on Bailee’s latest bid of four hundred and five thousand dollars.

Bailee couldn’t contain her excitement. Her voice went sweet with anticipation. “Quick, announce it!”

But just as her voice faded, a faint golden glow appeared behind the curtains of a second-floor private suite.

After a beat, the room buzzed with excitement.

“An absentee bidder from suite 317!”

Even the auctioneer looked stunned. The bidder had left instructions with the auctioneer to keep bidding on his behalf, whatever it took to secure the lot.

The auctioneer announced, “Lot seventeen: an absentee bid placed on behalf of our guest in suite 317. Four hundred and ten thousand dollars!”

In this city, anyone sitting in a second-floor private room was either filthy rich or dangerously powerful.

Maddie looked up, trying to make out the figure behind the curtains. She could only see a silhouette.

Even without seeing his face, the authority in his relaxed posture was unmistakable.

The auctioneer slammed his gavel. “Sold! Lot seventeen goes to our guest in suite 317 for four hundred and ten thousand dollars! The house is pleased to extend platinum VIP privileges to our buyer!”

The auction house reserved those privileges for a tiny circle of its most valued clients.

Who could he be?

Maddie unclenched her fist, her feelings tangled—partly relieved that her mother’s keepsake hadn’t fallen into Bailee’s hands, partly anxious about getting it back from a stranger.

Just as she considered approaching room 317 to negotiate, the usher carrying the bracelet emerged again.

“What’s going on? Is the gentleman in room 317 backing out?”

“There’s no precedent for backing out of an auction.”

“He must have left bidding instructions with the house. I’ve never seen anyone go that far for a single lot.”

Amid the speculation, the usher walked up to Maddie with a smile and gave her a courteous bow.

“Ms. Mills, the gentleman in room 317 wishes to present this bracelet to you as a gift. He hopes you’ll stay true to yourself—and wishes you all the best.”

The room erupted in chatter. Eyes turned toward Maddie—envious, suspicious, surprised.

“Isn’t that Mrs. Williams? What’s her connection to the gentleman upstairs?”

“Maybe he’s just extending a courtesy to Mr. Williams.”

“Or not. Out of all the treasures here, why choose this bracelet for Mrs. Williams? I’d say there’s more to their relationship.”

The murmurs reached Archer. His expression turned cold. “Maddie, what’s your relationship with the person in room 317?”

Meeting his intense gaze, Maddie answered calmly, “I don’t know him.”

“That’s impossible!”

Archer shot to his feet and gripped her wrist hard enough to leave a mark on her fair skin.

Maddie winced and pulled away. “Archer, what’s wrong with you? Haven’t you done enough today?”

But Archer seemed oblivious to her feelings, his gaze fiery and searching. “What’s your connection to him?”

“Maddie, all these years we’ve been married, I’ve done everything to please you. I’ve given you everything you wanted. Why are you doing this to me?”

He was convinced Maddie’s relationship with the man upstairs was inappropriate.

If it were really about him, he’d know the man’s identity. In this city, anyone seeking his favor came straight to him.

Maddie smirked coldly.

“You’re so corrupt, you assume everyone else is, too.”

Her words were so direct that Archer paused. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes.