I held him close, rocking him gently. “Don’t cry, baby. Soon, very soon, we’ll leave this place. You’ll never have to bow your head for anyone again.”
---
That night, the villa glowed with lights, music drifting from the dining hall. Dominic hosted another dinner for his business partners, and I was relegated to the far end of the table, an uninvited shadow in my own home.
Marina sat at his side, hand brushing his arm, claiming her place as if she were already queen. Her smile was serene, sweet, and the men at the table admired her like she was some untouchable goddess.
One of them glanced toward me. “And who is she?”
Dominic curled his lips into a smug grin, lazily swirling the wine in his glass.
“She’s only here because appearances demand it,” he said casually. “Marina has always been the woman in my heart. And this boy—Asher—is my rightful successor.”
Asher stepped forward with the ease of someone who had never been denied anything. He sat at the piano and let his fingers dance across the keys, confident and polished. The melody filled the dining hall, flawless and rehearsed. Applause erupted around the table.
Beside me, Ethan went completely still.