Chapter 2

Then I saw it. The rose tattoo resting on her collarbone.

It was the exact same one Marcus had on his abdomen.

He had told me he got it because I loved roses.

What an absolute joke.

Back then, I was genuinely touched, thinking it meant something special. I never realized it was a matching couple's tattoo with his mistress.

If our paths hadn't crossed today, I would still be completely clueless, entirely in the dark while he played house with someone else.

The angrier I became, the colder my voice sounded. I cut right through her smug little act. "What's your last name? Because Marcus's wife? Her last name is Lancaster.

"And surprise—she looks nothing like you. You're the mistress, sweetheart. Yet here you are, loud and proud, without an ounce of shame.

"Go ahead and call Marcus. I am dying to see exactly how he plans to make us pay."

Sabrina flinched at the word 'mistress' as if I had physically slapped her.

Her tone sharpened instantly. "There is no such thing as first come, first served when it comes to love. The woman he doesn't love? That's the real mistress. My husband is coming to see me today. I'll have him come down here right now. Just you wait."

She dialed his number, her voice instantly shifting to a syrupy sweetness. "Marcus, when are you getting here?

"I'm down at the hotel pool, and these two older women are picking on me. I'm so scared being all alone. Come protect me, okay?

"And from now on, make sure the pool is reserved just for me. I have some fun new tricks to show you in the water, and I'm saving them all for you."

She hung up the phone, glowing as if she had just won a prize. "He'll be here in thirty minutes. You're finished. He has plenty of ways to handle trash like you."

Meanwhile, I was fighting the urge to be sick. Marcus had looked me dead in the eye and sworn he would never hurt me, all while sneaking around with this woman.

Beatrice caught the look on my face and immediately understood. Her jaw tightened. "Marcus. He is just like his father. Everything I gave him, I can easily take back."

She despised cheaters. Years ago, she had dumped Marcus's father after he ran off with a model, choosing to build her empire while raising Marcus entirely on her own.

And now? The son she had raised had turned out just as low. He was a total disappointment.

Beatrice still owned over a hundred hotels. Sure, she allowed Marcus to manage a few of them, but the real power still belonged to her.

As for me, I had married into the Vance family because my background actually matched his. I was hardly a nobody.

I seriously could not wait to hear how Marcus would try to spin this situation.

Right then, I noticed that Beatrice's face had gone dangerously pale. I grabbed her arm and guided her toward the ladder, desperately trying to get her out of the water.

But Sabrina simply raised her hand.

Leon jumped onto the edge of the pool and kicked Beatrice mid-climb.

She slammed backward into the water, and I scrambled to pull her up again.

Sabrina stood there laughing at us. "You two look like a pair of old ducks flapping around. Don't you just love swimming? Then stay put!"

She turned her attention to Leon. "Don't let them out until my husband shows up."

Leon nodded like a loyal puppy. "You got it, Sabrina. I'll keep them in. Just make sure to say something nice to Mr. Vance for me."

No matter how many times we tried to climb out, Leon kicked us right back into the water.

We were rapidly running out of energy. Beatrice clutched her chest, gasping for air and too breathless to even speak.

I held her up and shouted at the edge of the pool, panic finally ripping through me. "Are you trying to kill someone? My mother-in-law has a heart condition! Let us out right now, or when Marcus gets here, you are going to regret this!"

Leon hesitated for a second and glanced over at Sabrina.

She merely laughed it off. "You old ladies love playing pretend. A heart condition? You were swimming just fine a second ago."

Then she waved a hand at him. "Turn off the pool heat. Let's see exactly how long she keeps faking it."