Chapter 3

I wasn't sure if it was the overwhelming grief or the stress of the day, but as I lay in the warm bath, my head suddenly spun. Everything went black, and I passed out.

When I woke up, Tristan was sitting on the edge of the bed. His eyes were red and swollen, and his face was tight with panic. He had clearly been there all night, never leaving my side.

The second I opened my eyes, he pulled me into a tight hug, his voice breaking. "Rose, you passed out last night. I thought I'd lost you. You scared me so bad."

Tears rolled down his cheeks, landing warm on my skin. They felt real, as if he actually cared about me more than anything else in the world.

In that moment, I couldn't wrap my head around it. How deep did his obsession with Vivienne run? Deep enough to marry a woman he didn't love, to plot and scheme to steal her baby, all for a woman who had married his brother?

I suddenly needed to see her. I wanted to meet the woman who planned to be my child's mother, to look her in the eye and see what was so incredibly special about her.

So I spoke softly, running a finger down his chest as if I were just making casual conversation. "Tristan, we haven't been to the family estate in forever, have we? Why don't we go this weekend? Have dinner with your parents."

His entire body went rigid against mine. Every muscle tensed, and a faint tremor ran through him. He was excited, I realized. He was thrilled to finally see the woman he had been pining for—the woman he had betrayed me for.

Throughout our two years of marriage, Tristan had been endlessly "considerate" of me. He knew how much I resented Julian for what he had done, so we moved out of the Sterling Family Estate the day we got married. He never once asked me to go back.

For two years, he had spent almost every night at home with me, or so I thought. That was why I had never even met Vivienne face to face. Now, I was the one offering to walk right into the lion's den.

"Really, baby? But you've always said you hate seeing Julian, that you never want to go back." Even now, he was still pretending to care about my feelings. What a joke.

I smiled, reaching up to wipe a stray tear from the corner of his eye. "It's your family, too. I can't make you stay away forever just because of what happened between me and Julian. He's your brother. You shouldn't have to cut him off for me."

Tristan looked utterly moved. Tears welled up in his eyes again, and he pulled me tighter against him, burying his face in my neck. His acting was flawless. If I hadn't heard the truth with my own two ears, I never would have guessed our entire marriage was a lie.

The weekend arrived faster than I expected.

Tristan fussed over his appearance for hours. He got a fresh haircut, bought a brand-new tailored suit, and even splashed on the expensive cologne he reserved for special occasions. Then he drove me to the Sterling Family Estate, grinning like he was on top of the world.

The second we walked through the front door, I saw her.

Vivienne Vance.

She was stunning, I had to give her that. No wonder she had wrapped both Sterling brothers around her little finger, remaining their great love, their untouchable obsession.

The Vances and the Sterlings had been family friends for generations. Vivienne had grown up with Julian and Tristan, the three of them inseparable. Two years prior, Julian had left me at the altar for her without a single second of hesitation.

"Tristan! You're finally home." Her voice was soft and sweet, her doe eyes glistening as if she were about to cry.

Tristan took an automatic step toward her. His voice was thick with a longing he couldn't hide, not even for a second. "Yeah. I'm finally home."

That tone, that raw and unguarded adoration, couldn't be faked. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed his deep, all-consuming love was for another woman.

"Rose? You're here too?" A surprised voice came from behind me.

I turned and met Julian's gaze. His eyes were deep and complicated, fixed on me as if I were the only person in the room.

"It's been a year and sixteen days since we last saw each other."

I let out a cold laugh. He had certainly been counting.

The last time we saw each other was at the hospital when Mrs. Sterling had fallen ill. I had gone to visit and ran into him in the hallway. In my two years of marriage to Tristan, that had been the only time we had spoken.

"Welcome home, brother. I thought you'd be out of town today." Tristan was suddenly at my side, his arm wrapped tight around my waist. A sharp, challenging look flashed in his eyes as he stared Julian down. "I brought my wife to the estate for a family dinner. You don't have a problem with that, do you, Julian?"