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Chapter 1

The penthouse was quiet except for the sound of rain against the floor-to-ceiling windows. I stood in the shadows of Adrian Blackwood's bedroom, my heart pounding as his phone lit up on the nightstand. He was in the shower, and I knew I shouldn't look, but something pulled me toward that screen.

Two messages from Elena Rivers burned into my vision.

"Adrian, I can't do this anymore. Every day without you is torture."

"They're forcing me to marry Viktor Voss tomorrow. Please, come see me one last time. If you don't, I'll end it all. I mean it."

My hands trembled as I set the phone down. Three years. Three years I'd been with Adrian, the ruthless CEO of Blackwood Industries, thinking I was the only one who held his heart.

The shower stopped. Within minutes, he emerged, water still dripping from his dark hair. His eyes went straight to his phone, and I watched his expression shift from calm to urgent.

"Adrian..." My voice cracked. "They say when a husband returns home after seeing his mistress, he doesn't feel guilty toward his wife. He feels guilty toward his lover. Is that true?"

He froze halfway to the door, jaw clenched. "Sophia, I came back to you, didn't I? What more do you want?"

The coldness in his voice shattered something inside me. Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked them back.

"Your body came back," I whispered. "But your heart? That's still with her."

Before I could say more, he grabbed his jacket and slammed the door behind him. I stood there, alone in the massive bedroom, tears finally spilling down my cheeks.

We'd known each other since childhood. Our families had been business partners for generations. Everyone assumed Adrian and I were destined to rule the business world together. He used to drive across the city just to bring me flowers. When I was sick, he'd stay by my side all night, keeping me company. When my mother left and my family fell apart, Adrian held me while I cried and swore to protect me forever.

But everything changed when Elena appeared two years ago. She was a secretary at one of his subsidiary companies, all wide eyes and helpless smiles. I watched as Adrian began mentioning her name more and more. I saw the way his eyes lit up when he talked about her. I felt my world crumbling as he started prioritizing her calls over mine.

I'd given him an ultimatum: commit to me as his true wife or cut her off completely. He chose to stay with me. But even at our wedding, I could see it in his eyes—his soul had left with her.

Now, clutching my phone, I searched for doctors who could help me. My hand drifted to my flat stomach. Three months pregnant, and he didn't even know. The doctor had been so excited when she told me, urging me to tell my husband immediately. But when I'd tried calling Adrian that day, he'd snapped at me, saying he was in a meeting. In the background, I'd heard Elena's giggling voice.

I couldn't bring this child into this nightmare. I couldn't trap Adrian with a baby when his heart belonged to someone else.

As I contacted the doctor, I made another call—this one to my grandfather in the northern region.

"Grandfather Sterling," I said quietly, "I'm ready to come home."

There was a long pause before Harrison Sterling's gravelly voice responded. "It's about time, little one. Your true legacy has been waiting. The Sterling empire needs its heir."

What Adrian never knew—what no one in his world knew—was that I wasn't just Sophia Voss, the wife he'd chosen for convenience. I was the sole heir to the Sterling dynasty, one of the oldest and most powerful business empires in existence. I'd suppressed my true identity, my connections, everything to be with him. To be loved by him.

But that was over now.

I booked a flight to the northern region for three days from now. Just enough time to clean up the mess my life had become.

Through the window, I watched the city lights blur through my tears. Somewhere out there, Adrian was with Elena, probably telling her she was the only one who mattered.

And I was finally ready to stop mattering to him at all.