"Looks like the mistress isn't even as pretty as the wife. What was that man thinking?"

Louise's face twisted. She lunged at me, fingers clawing into my hair. "I'm the mistress?!"

"I've been married to my husband for three years! I just gave birth to his son! My mother-in-law even named him herself!"

"Don't let her fool you!"

We struggled, bodies locked together—and that's when I saw it.

The gold necklace around her throat.

One of the pieces from my daughter's stolen jewelry. Denise's favorite.

Rage detonated in my chest. I ripped the chain from her neck. "You dare wear my daughter's things?!"

"You're not worthy!"

She wasn't ready for the force of it. Louise crashed to the ground, a thin line of blood welling where the chain had scraped her skin.

I hadn't planned to make a scene.

But seeing my daughter's belongings flaunted so brazenly—I couldn't swallow that down.

I held up the necklace, voice cutting through the crowd. "There's an engraving on this. My daughter Denise's initials!"

"You and Patrick can expect to hear from my lawyer!"

The words had barely left my mouth when something slammed into me from behind.

I lost my balance. The necklace was wrenched from my grip.

Patrick's voice exploded above me: "Who the hell said those are your daughter's initials?!"

I was on the ground. My knees had landed on broken glass—pain shot through me, sharp enough to steal my breath.

I looked up.

Patrick had Louise cradled protectively against his chest. And behind him stood Evelyn, his mother, holding an infant in her arms.

So that was Patrick's illegitimate son.

When I'd given birth to Denise, Evelyn had claimed she wasn't experienced enough to help. Said she'd rather hire an expensive nanny than risk hurting my daughter.

Now I understood. She just preferred grandsons.

Before I could process any of it, Patrick turned. The disgust in his eyes hit me like a physical blow.

"Ava!" His lip curled. "Are you done with your little breakdown? Then get out. Stop harassing my wife!"

Wife?

Patrick was publicly acknowledging his affair?

He didn't wait for my reaction. He turned back to Louise, gently refastening the necklace around her throat, his gaze soft with concern. "Sweetheart, are you hurt anywhere?"

"You just gave birth—you can't get upset like this. Does your stomach hurt?"

Louise melted against him, pointing at me through theatrical sobs. "Honey, she said the shops you gave me are hers. She even tried to steal the necklace you bought me!"

"Who... who is she?"

Patrick glanced at me, expression flat. "I told you before. There's a woman at the company who won't stop throwing herself at me. That's her."

"I'll handle this. Don't worry about it."

The crowd's murmuring shifted. Understanding dawned on their faces—followed by contempt. They looked at me and laughed.

"Oh, so she's the delusional side piece. I was wondering why any man would cheat with someone uglier than his wife."

"Trying to seduce someone's husband and then trashing his wife's store? What's wrong with you?"

"Why are you so obsessed with other people's things? Screaming about it won't make it yours."

I laughed—a hollow, disbelieving sound.

I looked straight at Patrick, each word precise. "Patrick. That necklace has my daughter Denise's initials engraved on it. You had it done. What exactly are you trying to say?"

His jaw tightened. "Who told you that?"

"The initials are obviously my wife's and my surnames. S and L."

What?

My mind went blank. S and L? For... their names?

But Patrick had told me himself—our daughter would be called Denise, Denise Delgado, because she was the proof of our bond.

Which meant...

When my daughter was born, they were already together.

The cruelest irony of all? Even our daughter's name was a monument to their affair.

I drew a slow breath, pulled the real property deeds from my bag, and slapped them against his chest. "Patrick Delgado. Dowry assets aren't marital property—I'm telling you for the last time: get your mistress out of my shop."

"And return every gram of my daughter's gold. All of it."

Patrick hadn't expected this. He'd assumed I'd swallowed his lies whole—never imagined I'd show up armed with proof.

He froze for a heartbeat. Then he snatched the documents and tore them to shreds, scattering the pieces at my feet. "You think a few forged scraps prove anything?"

Evelyn rushed to back him up. "Just go, will you? It's almost New Year's—we won't press charges."

I almost laughed. "You won't press charges?"

She faltered, a flicker of guilt crossing her face, but she lifted her chin. "That's right. Now leave—unless you'd rather be thrown out."

Patrick stepped closer, lowering his voice to a hiss. "Ava. I told you in the group chat to stay out of this."

"Louise gave the Delgado family a son. My mother's thrilled—if you make a scene and she ends up in the hospital, that's on you."

"Go home quietly, and you can still be Mrs. Delgado. Officially."

I used to love the way he smelled. Now it turned my stomach.

A small voice cut through the crowd: "Mommy!"

Every nerve in my body went taut. I spun around.

Denise stood at the edge of the onlookers in her kindergarten uniform, little backpack bouncing as Evan guided her through the gawking strangers.

"Mommy, why are you on the ground?" Her eyes found the blood on my knee, and tears spilled instantly. "Mommy, you're hurt!"

My heart seized. I scrambled to my feet, desperate to reach her first.

Too late.

Louise recognized her in an instant. She lunged forward and grabbed Denise by the shoulders. "So it's you!"

Then she whirled on me and cracked her palm across my face. "You knew your ugly little brat wasn't good enough for my son—so you decided to seduce my husband instead!"

The blow sent my ears ringing.

Denise burst into terrified sobs. She looked frantically at Patrick, her voice breaking. "Daddy… why is she hitting Mommy…"

Louise rounded on her with a snarl. "Who are you calling Daddy?"

"That matchmaking post was a joke! A grubby little gold-digger like you could never marry my son—not in a million years!"

Denise was wailing now, her whole body shaking—but Patrick only frowned.

"Take your mother home," he said flatly.

When I didn't move, he flicked a glance at Evan. The driver stepped forward immediately, reaching for my arm. "Come on, ma'am. Let's go—you're embarrassing yourself."

What?

The crowd heard it. Heard ma'am. And suddenly their judgment swung toward my daughter.

"Good lord—her own father's standing right there and she's calling some stranger 'Daddy'? Kid's already a gold-digger."

"Mother's delusional, daughter's a climber. What a pair."

"She's got her little girl chasing rich men already? What kind of mother raises a child like that?"

Denise was only five, but she understood enough.

She looked up at Patrick through her tears. "Daddy… are you leaving me and Mommy?"

He didn't answer.

She stared at him, biting down hard on her lip, her small face crumpling with bewildered hurt.

I pulled her tight against me, shielding her as best I could. Then I lifted my head and met Patrick's eyes.

"Patrick Delgado." Each word was ice. "Aren't you afraid of what happens when my parents find out about this?"

At the mention of my parents, Patrick's composure cracked—just for a second, but I saw it.

He quickly suppressed the smirk tugging at his lips and lowered his voice. "They said they were going abroad to relax five years ago. Funny how they never came back."

"You think I haven't figured it out?"

I didn't understand what he meant. He continued, "I've known for a long time. They weren't on vacation—they were running."

"Think about it. Langford Holdings is massive. You really believe your father built that empire alone?" He scoffed. "Please. There had to be dirty money involved."

"The way I see it, spending the money he left you on Louise and her son is practically charity. I'm helping ease their guilty consciences."

It finally clicked.

This was why he dared treat me this way. He thought my parents had fled the country because they'd committed some crime.

What he didn't know was that my parents had spent the past five years building the company's overseas divisions.

Their foreign assets alone were now worth hundreds of millions.

And today was the day they were coming home.

I'd sent them my location before I even left the house. They'd be here any minute.

The thought steadied me. I took Denise's hand. "Sweetie, Mommy's taking you home. If Daddy wants to be someone else's father so badly, let him."

Denise couldn't process it. Until today, Patrick and Evelyn had showered her with affection at home.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Patrick, shaking her head stubbornly. "Daddy..."

The next second, Louise lunged at my daughter like a woman possessed, shoving her toward the street. "What are you, a beggar? Crying at someone else's door!"

Denise was small for her age. She went down hard, tumbling onto the road.

A car was coming.

I didn't think. I just moved, throwing myself toward her. "Denise!"

Seeing Denise nearly get hit, Patrick and Evelyn's faces went pale.

Patrick took a step forward—but Louise grabbed his arm. "Honey... my stomach hurts so much... I think the wound might have torn open..."

He stopped. His expression softened as he steadied her. "Don't worry. I'll take you to the hospital right now."

Denise and I lay crumpled on the asphalt, inches from the car's screeching tires. Patrick cradled Louise in his arms like she was made of glass.

I couldn't hold back anymore. "Patrick! You're going to regret this!"

He paused, then turned to look at me. "Louise can't handle pain, and you made her wound reopen. I haven't even settled that score with you yet."

"You'd better pray she's okay." His voice turned cold. "Otherwise, you and your daughter are going to kneel and apologize to her."

"You don't get to leave until she forgives you."

The words had barely left his mouth when the car door behind me swung open.

My father's voice thundered across the scene. "Kneel? The only one who should be kneeling is you."