Chapter 5 - The Mistress’s Arrival
While Graham and Vivian were panicking in the locked boardroom, I returned to my penthouse overlooking the park. The space was warm, filled with the soft sounds of classical music and the gentle cooing of Noah and Leo. My private nanny, a kind older woman named Maria, was rocking Leo to sleep.
My phone buzzed. It was an alert from my security team stationed at the Cherry Hills mansion.
"Ms. Vale," the guard reported. "A woman has just arrived at the gates. Her name is Chloe Vance. She’s demanding to be let in, claiming she is Graham's fiancée and that she has a right to the property."
I let out a quiet, cold laugh. "Let her in, Carter. In fact, make sure she sees exactly what is happening inside that house."
Chloe Vance was the daughter of one of Graham's wealthy business associates. For the past six months of my pregnancy, Graham had been spending "late nights at the office" with her. I had seen the text messages, the receipts for expensive jewelry, and the private plane bookings. I had stayed silent, collecting every piece of evidence while I prepared my exit.
Ten minutes later, my camera feed showed Graham's sports car roaring up the driveway. He burst through the front doors, only to find Chloe standing in the marble foyer, surrounded by half-packed boxes.
"Graham!" Chloe cried, pointing to the security guards who were systematically tagging the art on the walls. "What is going on? Who are these people? Why are they packing up our furniture?"
Graham looked like a ghost. He tried to grab Chloe’s hand, his voice cracking with desperation. "Chloe, babe, there’s... there's been a mistake. A temporary legal glitch. My ex-wife... she did something to our accounts."
"Your ex-wife?" Chloe scoffed, pulling her hand away. "You told me she was a broke designer who signed a waiver! You told me this mansion belonged to your family! My father just called me—he said the Harrington Luxe stock is completely worthless! Are we broke, Graham?"
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Before Graham could answer, Vivian stumbled into the foyer, her expensive coat disheveled, her eyes wild with panic. "Graham! The bank... they just repossessed the Mercedes! They took the keys right out of my hand at the country club!"
The illusion of their perfect, wealthy life was shattering in real-time, and I was watching every second of it from my screen.
