Chapter 7
The next morning, I received a call from an unknown number.
Against my better judgment, I answered.
"Is this Mrs. Ashford?" A woman's voice — silky, familiar. "Oh wait, I suppose that's new for you. You must still be getting used to the upgrade from Mrs. Cross."
Serena.
"What do you want?" I asked flatly.
"I want to meet. Just us girls." Her voice dripped sweetness. "There are things you should know about Nathan. Things that might change your perspective on... everything."
"I have zero interest in—"
"He's been crying every night." Her tone shifted, almost gleeful beneath the fake sympathy. "Not eating. Not sleeping. His company's falling apart. But I'm sure you already know that, since your new husband is orchestrating the whole thing."
"Dominic isn't—"
"Coffee. Tomorrow. Noon. I'll send you the address." She hung up.
I stared at my phone, irritation prickling my skin.
I should ignore her. Every rational bone in my body said to delete the message and move on.
But something in her tone — that barely concealed smugness — made me curious.
What game was she playing now?
...
The next day, I walked into the upscale café to find Serena already seated, a green smoothie in front of her pregnant belly, looking every inch the pampered socialite.
She waved me over with an excited smile, like we were old friends having brunch.
"Aria! You look amazing. Marriage to a billionaire clearly agrees with you."
I sat down without ordering. "Say what you came to say."
Her smile turned sharp at the edges.
"Fine. No small talk." She leaned forward. "I want you to take Nathan back."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Her perfect nails tapped the table. "Take him back. He's useless to me like this — moping, distracted, making terrible business decisions. I need him functional."
The audacity was breathtaking.
"You need him functional," I repeated slowly. "For what?"
She shrugged one delicate shoulder. "For the life he promised me. The house, the security, the name. None of that works if he's a broken mess pining for his ex-wife."
"So your plan is..."
"Simple. You return to Nathan. He stabilizes. I remain as... let's call it a permanent arrangement." She smiled like she was offering me a business deal. "You get the title, I get the lifestyle. Everyone wins."
I stared at her for a long, silent moment.
Then I laughed.
Not a polite laugh. A genuine, incredulous, from-the-belly laugh that made other patrons turn and stare.
Serena's mask cracked. "What's so funny?"
"You." I wiped my eyes. "You actually thought I'd agree to this? You thought I'd leave Dominic Ashford — a man who adores me — to go back to a man who called me his housekeeper?"
Her eye twitched. "Nathan provides—"
"Nathan provides nothing I need." I stood up. "And for the record? Dominic isn't orchestrating your downfall. Nathan is destroying himself perfectly fine without any help."
I dropped a twenty on the table for my untouched water.
"Good luck, Serena. You're going to need it."
Her composure finally shattered as I walked away.
"You'll regret this!" she called after me, her voice cracking with desperation. "When Dominic gets bored of you — because men like him ALWAYS get bored — don't come crying to Nathan! He won't wait forever!"
I didn't turn around.
But as I stepped outside, I nearly collided with a tall figure leaning against the building wall.
Dominic. Arms crossed. Expression thunderous.
"You heard all that?" I guessed.
"Every word." His voice was controlled, but his eyes burned. "She's lucky she's pregnant, or I would have walked in there and—"
"Dominic." I touched his arm. "It's handled."
He unclenched his jaw with visible effort. "She called you the housekeeper again."
"That bothers you more than it bothers me."
"Everything that hurts you bothers me." He took my hand, pressing his lips to my knuckles. "Come. I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where?"
His eyes softened with something impossibly tender.
"Somewhere you should've been taken years ago."
Against my better judgment, I answered.
"Is this Mrs. Ashford?" A woman's voice — silky, familiar. "Oh wait, I suppose that's new for you. You must still be getting used to the upgrade from Mrs. Cross."
Serena.
"What do you want?" I asked flatly.
"I want to meet. Just us girls." Her voice dripped sweetness. "There are things you should know about Nathan. Things that might change your perspective on... everything."
"I have zero interest in—"
"He's been crying every night." Her tone shifted, almost gleeful beneath the fake sympathy. "Not eating. Not sleeping. His company's falling apart. But I'm sure you already know that, since your new husband is orchestrating the whole thing."
"Dominic isn't—"
"Coffee. Tomorrow. Noon. I'll send you the address." She hung up.
I stared at my phone, irritation prickling my skin.
I should ignore her. Every rational bone in my body said to delete the message and move on.
But something in her tone — that barely concealed smugness — made me curious.
What game was she playing now?
...
The next day, I walked into the upscale café to find Serena already seated, a green smoothie in front of her pregnant belly, looking every inch the pampered socialite.
She waved me over with an excited smile, like we were old friends having brunch.
"Aria! You look amazing. Marriage to a billionaire clearly agrees with you."
I sat down without ordering. "Say what you came to say."
Her smile turned sharp at the edges.
"Fine. No small talk." She leaned forward. "I want you to take Nathan back."
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Her perfect nails tapped the table. "Take him back. He's useless to me like this — moping, distracted, making terrible business decisions. I need him functional."
The audacity was breathtaking.
"You need him functional," I repeated slowly. "For what?"
She shrugged one delicate shoulder. "For the life he promised me. The house, the security, the name. None of that works if he's a broken mess pining for his ex-wife."
"So your plan is..."
"Simple. You return to Nathan. He stabilizes. I remain as... let's call it a permanent arrangement." She smiled like she was offering me a business deal. "You get the title, I get the lifestyle. Everyone wins."
I stared at her for a long, silent moment.
Then I laughed.
Not a polite laugh. A genuine, incredulous, from-the-belly laugh that made other patrons turn and stare.
Serena's mask cracked. "What's so funny?"
"You." I wiped my eyes. "You actually thought I'd agree to this? You thought I'd leave Dominic Ashford — a man who adores me — to go back to a man who called me his housekeeper?"
Her eye twitched. "Nathan provides—"
"Nathan provides nothing I need." I stood up. "And for the record? Dominic isn't orchestrating your downfall. Nathan is destroying himself perfectly fine without any help."
I dropped a twenty on the table for my untouched water.
"Good luck, Serena. You're going to need it."
Her composure finally shattered as I walked away.
"You'll regret this!" she called after me, her voice cracking with desperation. "When Dominic gets bored of you — because men like him ALWAYS get bored — don't come crying to Nathan! He won't wait forever!"
I didn't turn around.
But as I stepped outside, I nearly collided with a tall figure leaning against the building wall.
Dominic. Arms crossed. Expression thunderous.
"You heard all that?" I guessed.
"Every word." His voice was controlled, but his eyes burned. "She's lucky she's pregnant, or I would have walked in there and—"
"Dominic." I touched his arm. "It's handled."
He unclenched his jaw with visible effort. "She called you the housekeeper again."
"That bothers you more than it bothers me."
"Everything that hurts you bothers me." He took my hand, pressing his lips to my knuckles. "Come. I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where?"
His eyes softened with something impossibly tender.
"Somewhere you should've been taken years ago."