"Clara is pregnant, and it's my child. So, starting today, she will be living here. You don’t mind, do you?"

"Nah, I'm okay. It's up to you. This is your house, you can do whatever you want," I replied, a tight, artificial smile plastered across my face.

God, it hurts. It hurt so damn much to be the forced witness to their love story inside our shared home. But what else could I do?

My name is Sophie Elaine Lane. I am the only daughter and the sole heiress to The Lane Royal Hotel empire. My husband? Lucas William Hayes—a ruthless, billionaire tycoon who dominates multiple industries.

How did a girl like me end up with a man like him? An arranged marriage. My father forced my hand if I didn’t marry Lucas, I wouldn’t inherit the family business. On paper, Lucas was the perfect candidate—blessed with astronomical wealth and a face sculpted by the gods.

Mind you, I actually loved this arrangement. But he didn’t. I wasn't his choice. Not only was I forced upon him, but I was completely unloved. You can only imagine how utterly suffocating and miserable our marriage had been.

In our years of marriage, we never had children. Why? Because the very first night he touched me, his words were cold enough to freeze hell "I don’t want a child with you. I want my children to be born from the woman I actually love."

Those words were a dagger straight to my heart. It’s a special kind of agony knowing you will never be the first choice. His first choice was Clara Hyde an international supermodel. Beautiful, elegant, and utterly perfect in his eyes.

I had asked for a divorce multiple times. I didn't need this marriage anymore I had already fulfilled the criteria to inherit my family’s company. The papers were ready. But for some inexplicable reason, Lucas refused to sign them. He wouldn't let me go.

So, I remained. My friends told me to just pack my bags and vanish, saying a man like him wouldn't even notice I was gone. But a stupid, naive part of me stayed, hoping that maybe just maybe one day he would look at me and love me.

But today, with two words 'Clara’s pregnant' that final, fragile thread of hope snapped completely.

---

The days that followed were a living hell, tormented by their public displays of affection.

"Elaine, could you get me a glass of water from the kitchen? I'm just so exhausted... well, since I'm pregnant. You're not pregnant, so you must have the energy, right?" Clara asked, a smug, venomous smirk dancing on her lips.

I paused on the stairs, looking down at her. "You’ve been pregnant for barely a month, Clara. Stop acting like you're about to pop. Your stomach is still flat as a board. Get it yourself."

Clara’s face contorted in faux shock. "How rude! I was only asking for a simple favor. Look at her, baby... she won't even help me," she whined, instantly turning to Lucas, who was sitting right beside her. She practically glued herself to him at every given opportunity. It was sickening.

Lucas shifted his gaze to me. The soft, tender look he gave Clara vanished in a split second, replaced by a gaze so sharp and filled with hatred it could kill. It was the same look I had endured every single day of our marriage.

"Is it really that hard to help her, Elaine?" his voice cut through the air, dripping with disdain. "She's pregnant. The least you could do is show some consideration."

Oh, by the way, he always called me by my middle name. He once told me I wasn't important enough for him to use my first name. I didn't care both belonged to me anyway.

I let out a heavy, exhausted sigh. "If we're talking about consideration, why don't you be a gentleman and get it for her yourself? Since you're the one who got her pregnant, you should be the one serving her. I’m exhausted, and I’m going upstairs."

I rolled my eyes, completely ignoring his murderous glare. I used to be gentle, used to always back down and play the submissive, patient wife. But today? I was completely out of patience. My sacrifices and love were treated like dirt. If he didn't want to divorce me, fine! but I was done playing nice.

---

Inside my bedroom, I locked the door securely. The moment Lucas had the audacity to bring his mistress into this house, I had gathered every single duplicate key to this room. Why would he need to come in here anyway? He already had the woman of his dreams downstairs.

I tossed my designer bag onto the floor and collapsed onto the bed. I was drained after a long day at the office, and coming home to face those two monkeys downstairs was a massive energy drain.

I closed my eyes, desperately wanting to sleep, but the loud growl of my stomach ruined the plan. I realized I hadn't eaten anything since morning, and it was already 10:00 PM. Going downstairs to cook was out of the question—those two would definitely try to make me play maid again.

Reaching for my phone, I replied to a text from my best friend, Ethan Carter. A second later, my phone vibrated. Ethan was calling.

"Yo, you free right now? Let's grab some food. I'm waiting at our usual spot," Ethan’s voice echoed through the speaker.

It sounded like heaven. "I'm free. I'll come down now. Actually, let's hit Midnight Ember instead."

"Midnight Ember? The VIP club? Are you sure?" Ethan sounded surprised.

"Yes. I need to blow off some serious steam. Honestly, I don't care if I don't come home until tomorrow morning."

"Alright. I'll meet you there. See you later, babe," Ethan replied smoothly before hanging up.

I immediately got up to change. Searching through my closet, my eyes landed on a deep-V, backless bodycon mini dress. I had bought it a long time ago, foolishly intending to wear it for Lucas's birthday. But since he now had a woman willing to strip for him on command, the dress had been gathering dust. This was the perfect time to wear it.

I let my long, wavy hair fall freely over my shoulders and put on a pair of medium-sized black hoop earrings. After a quick touch-up, I swiped a coat of bold, crimson red lipstick across my lips.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, I stared at my reflection. I was tall, and the dress hugged my curves in all the right places, accentuating a body I knew was stunning. This used to be my signature style before I married Lucas. After the wedding, I had toned myself down, dressing modestly just to please him. What a waste of time that was.

Grabbing my clutch, phone, and car keys, I made my way downstairs.

As I neared the living room, the faint, sickening sound of muffled moans reached my ears. Disgusting. But at this point, I treated their shameless display like an obstacle I just needed to walk past. I kept my eyes straight, heading towards the front door.

But before my hand could even touch the doorknob, a sharp, commanding voice sliced through the silence.

"Where do you think you're going dressed like that?"

I groaned internally. What now? I turned around, and my breath hitched. Lucas was suddenly standing right behind me. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

I glanced past his shoulder toward the sofa. Clara had fallen asleep. Well, that was fast. I thought dryly.

I looked up at him. Even with my heels, I barely reached his chest. "None of your business. You never cared before, so keep that same energy now."

Instead of answering, he took a step forward, forcing me to take a step back until my spine hit the hard wood of the front door. I was trapped.

I glared up at him, masking my sudden nervousness. "What is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?"

"I asked you a question, Elaine," Lucas growled, his dark eyes raking down my body, lingering on the exposed skin of my chest and thighs before snapping back to my face. "Where are you going dressed like that?"

"I'm going out to eat," I said, keeping my tone completely indifferent.

"To eat?" One of his large hands slammed against the door right next to my head, pinning me completely. "In a dress that looks like it's barely holding on?"

I swallowed hard. My heart wasn't racing because I liked him, it was racing because the proximity was overwhelming. I couldn't look into his piercing eyes anymore, so I dropped my gaze to his broad, slightly exposed chest.

"Yes, to eat. I'm starving. And this is a new dress, so I felt like wearing it. It’s a waste to leave it in the closet," I muttered, trying to sound bored.

Suddenly, his free hand came up, his fingers gently gripping my chin and tilting my face up. His touch wasn't rough or painful—it was surprisingly gentle. Our eyes locked.

"With who?" he demanded. Before I could answer, his other hand dropped to my waist, his palm resting on my bare lower back, his thumb tracing a soft, slow circle against my skin.

My breath hitched completely. My mind was short-circuiting. What the hell was wrong with him tonight?

"W-with Ethan," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.

The moment the name left my lips, the gentle caress on my waist stopped dead. I watched as Lucas's jaw clenched so hard the veins in his neck pulsed. The possessive, dangerous glint that flared in his eyes sent a shiver straight down my spine.

And for the first time in a long time... I felt a surge of genuine fear.

"What did you just say?" Lucas repeated, his voice dropping an octave laced with a heavy, suffocating authority. It was the kind of tone that warned me there would be deadly consequences if I dared to defy him again.

If I hadn't been so genuinely terrified by his drastic change in demeanor, I would have snapped back with the first bitter thought in my head.

But before I could even part my lips to answer, his hand shot up and gripped my chin. His fingers dug in hard—not like the gentle touch from moments before. He forced my face upward, tilting my head back so sharply that my mouth parted slightly from the sudden pain.

Our eyes locked. This time I could swear I saw a flash of... jealousy? My brows furrowed in confusion. I swear this man must have Dissociative Identity Disorder.

"Answer me. Why are you quiet hmm?" He leaned his body weight into me, pinning me brutally against the hard wood of the door.

I let out a soft groan of pain, feeling utterly crushed under his frame. "With Ethan" I blurted out forcing myself to look straight into his eyes, masking the absolute terror clawing at my throat.

"You dare to go out with another man, Elaine?" Lucas murmured. He reached up slowly brushing a stray lock of my hair behind my ear, before his hand slid down to my waist his fingers gripping my hip in a bruising hold. "Have you forgotten your place? You are my wife, yet you have the audacity to sneak out with another man dressed like this?"

Panic surged through me as his hand slid even lower, tracing down the curve of my thigh. He leaned his face in his lips hovering mere inches from mine intending to kiss me. Before his mouth could connect with mine, I whipped my head to the side.

He is completely out of his mind.

"Let me go, Lucas" I spat out my voice trembling with rage. "Clara is going to wake up any minute. When she does, she’ll start throwing another tantrum, accusing me of seducing you when you’re the one who’s throwing himself at me."

It was the cold, hard truth. Why the hell was he questioning my loyalty or my right to go out with a friend, when I hadn’t even questioned his audacity to bring his pregnant mistress into our home?

"Let her wake up" Lucas whispered against my skin, his voice dark and reckless. "Let her watch exactly how intimate we can be."

His lips traveled down, pressing against my neck. A wave of disgust washed over me. Gathering every ounce of strength I had left I shoved his chest hard. Unprepared for the sudden retaliation, Lucas stumbled back a step, losing his grip on me.

"You pathetic excuse of a husband!" I yelled, not caring if my voice echoed through the entire house. "What, one woman isn't enough for you? Just because she fell asleep without satisfying your pathetic urges, you think you can just use me instead? Stupid!"

The commotion did exactly what I expected. Over on the sofa, Clara stirred rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Lucas froze, a look of genuine shock crossing his features. It was the first time he had ever heard me raise my voice like that. Before this, I had always been the quiet, submissive wife who silently endured whenever he used my body to satisfy his desires.

"Baby... what's wrong?" Clara’s whiny, delicate voice broke the silence as she sat up, clutching her slipping robe against her chest.

I let out a mocking scoff, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow at Lucas.

"Nothing, darling" Lucas replied instantly, his sharp demeanor vanishing as he turned to her, his voice softening into that gentle, caring tone he reserved only for her. "Come on, let's go upstairs to sleep."

To his room. To his bed. I was his legal wife, yet he had never once shared his bed with me, let alone allowed me into his private bedroom.

But before he took a step toward Clara, Lucas leaned back into my space. His breath hitched against my ear as he hissed a low, menacing whisper "Go. Upstairs. Now." He emphasized every single word like a threat.

I glared at him, matching his low volume. "Do you honestly think I care?"

The moment the words left my mouth, he leaned in a fraction closer a dangerous smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Try me, baby. You have no idea what I can do to your precious Ethan tonight. One phone call, and things can happen to him in the blink of an eye. Defy me, Elaine. I dare you."

Before I could even process the threat, he leaned in and planted a swift, mocking kiss on my cheek. He turned away walking over to the sofa to scoop Clara up into his arms. As he carried her toward the stairs, he paused looking back at me over his shoulder. He gave me a mocking, triumphant smile and a slow wink before disappearing upper level.

That absolute bastard.

Because of his threat, my courage evaporated. I couldn't risk it. I knew exactly what kind of man Lucas was—when he said a door was closed, he would lock it and burn the key. If I pushed him tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up tomorrow to a phone call telling me Ethan was dead. Prevention was better than a lifetime of regret.

But God, the humiliation burned.

Storming up to my room, I threw myself onto the bed, grabbed my phone and dialed Ethan’s number.

"Sophie! Where are you? I'm already at the spot" Ethan’s warm, familiar voice echoed through the line, immediately making the heavy guilt in my chest tighten.

"Ethan... I'm so sorry" I choked out, fighting back the sob rising in my throat. "I don't think I can make it tonight. My... my period cramps just hit me out of nowhere, and it hurts so bad. I'm really sorry for canceling last minute."

"Sophie, did something happen?" Ethan’s voice sharpened with instant worry. "Did Lucas do something to you? Do you want me to come over there right now?"

Of course he knew. I could never hide anything from him, he was my childhood best friend after all.

"Can we talk about this another time? I just really need to rest. You should head home Ethan... or go hang out with Jane" I mumbled, desperately trying to end the call before my voice cracked completely.

I heard Ethan let out a heavy sigh on the other end. "Alright. I'll come by your office tomorrow. See you tomorrow, babe. Goodnight."

The moment the call disconnected I ran straight into the bathroom.

I turned the shower on, letting the cold water pour over my head as I finally collapsed, letting out the tears I had been choking on. I wept under the heavy stream, letting the rushing water wash away my tears and the unbearable agony suffocating my heart.

It hurt. It hurt so damn much. He treated me like nothing more than an object to satisfy his lust whenever he pleased, keeping me trapped like an animal in a golden cage.

If I told myself I had moved on and stopped loving him, it would be a pathetic lie. He was my first love—the boy I had fallen for back in our university days. When my father arranged this marriage, I thought it was a blessing a dream come true. I never knew it would become the very anchor that dragged me into a living hell.

The way he treated Clara the gentleness in his touch with her, the privilege she had of sleeping in his bed and waking up with him by her side every morning... things I had never once experienced. He only ever came to my room in the dead of night to satisfy his carnal desires, leaving me alone in the cold before the sun even rose.

He treated me no better than a paid whore. Yet, whenever I begged for a divorce, he refused to let me go. It was as if I was a possession he was determined to keep, not to cherish or love, but simply to torture.

Oh God... how much longer can I survive this? How much longer do I have to pretend to be strong in front of them, acting like I don't care, while my heart is bleeding out inside?

Am I truly not allowed to be happy?

Even if you're sad, you still have to move on with your life. It doesn’t matter if your heart is shattered or if you're so miserable that you feel like dying, work is still work. That was my reality. I hid everything inside and acted like I was completely fine on the outside. But the truth was, only God and I knew how much I was hurting.

Today was a pretty unusual morning for me. Not unusual because I had a massive fight with Clara or snapped at Lucas. No nothing like that. What made it unusual was that I the CEO of the hotel actually woke up incredibly early at 4:00 AM.

I took a shower, dressed in my usual formal corporate style and put on some simple makeup. I just wore a white button-down shirt tucked into my work pants, paired with the blazer I never missed wearing. But when it came to my hair, I never kept it simple. My hair was naturally beautiful so I always made sure to show it off.

Once I was done, I immediately left the house. This was highly unusual for me because I was the type who loved to sleep in and take my time having breakfast at home before heading to the office. But today, that felt completely impossible after what happened last night.

Thinking back to last night felt like a knife twisting in my chest. It hurts so bad when the person you love treats you that way. The same question kept spinning in my head

Do I even deserve to be happy?

To be honest, I didn't even have the answer to my own question.

Before I knew it, I arrived at The Lane Royal Hotel Empire. The building looked grand even from a distance. When I walked inside, I was the only one there because I arrived way before the employees.

I checked my watch and saw it was only 5:05 AM. There were still three hours before office hours actually started. Since I was the boss and my office layout was huge thanks to the real founder of this hotel, my grandfather had designed the CEO suite to include a spacious private lounge, It had a bed ready if I wanted to sleep or... well, you know what else a private room could be used for.

Exhaustion finally caught up with me. The moment my body hit the mattress I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I don't think I slept for very long, but when I woke up I felt a warm arm wrapped around me from behind. The mattress also shifted making me realize someone else was lying on the bed with me.

My entire body froze. Was there a ghost in this room? Slowly, I looked down to see whose hand it was. I breathed a massive sigh of relief when I realized it belonged to a human. Turning my head, I was shocked to find Viviana Jane affectionately known as Jane snuggled up against me.

As I sat up, my eyes darted to the far corner of the room. A dark silhouette was sitting on the sofa, bathed in the glow of a smartphone screen. I recognized him instantly.

"Ethan" I whispered.

My voice shattered his concentration. He looked up, a soft smile spreading across his face as he stood up and walked toward the bed. "Good morning. You were sleeping so soundly. Jane and I walked in, and you didn't even notice." Ethan said as he stood up and walked toward us.

He gently pulled the blanket over Jane’s sleeping form, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead before turning his gaze back to me. "Let’s talk outside. Let Jane sleep a bit more."

I just nodded. Honestly, I was jealous of their relationship. The way Ethan cherished Jane made it look like she was his entire world.

The three of us had been friends for a very long time, though Ethan and I had known each other longer. Jane was my only best friend from our university days, and she knew everything about my feelings for Lucas. She was the witness to how broken I was, both back then and now. Ironically, I was the one who had played matchmaker and brought her and Ethan together. I was envious of their happiness, yes but more than that I was profoundly grateful that they had each other.

We walked out into the main office space and sat at the sofa lounge. Ethan had already brewed a fresh pot of coffee and breakfast was already set on the table. I looked at the clock it was already 7:00 AM. No wonder my stomach was growling.

Ethan sat on the sofa next to me. He stared at me deeply, as if trying to read my mind. "Eth, I think we should eat first if you want to ask me questions."

He sighed but finally agreed.

After we finished eating. Ethan leaned back, his eyes boring into mine trying to read the emotions I was desperately trying to hide.I sighed, knowing there was no point in dodging him. He would just keep digging until I confessed anyway. "What do you want to know?"

What did he do to you last night? Don't lie to me or give me any excuses, Sophie. I want you to be honest."

I let out a long sigh and told him everything.

While I was telling the story, I watched Ethan's jaw clench tightly his fists balling up so hard the veins in his wrists looked ready to burst. I reached out, placing my hand over his trembling fist. "Eth, I know you're furious. But I don’t want you doing anything to hurt him."

Ethan snapped, looking at me with eyes blazing with pure rage." Sophie! Are you seriously still protecting him? You're still defending that pathetic piece of shit? Fuck, Sophie, you are way too good to let him destroy you like this!" He ran a hand through his hair.

I let out a heavy sigh. Eth, this isn't about love or protecting him anymore. This is about protecting you and Jane. You need to understand Lucas is incredibly powerful, and he is ruthless. We don't have the kind of astronomical wealth he commands and he has the entire Hayes empire backing him."

I spoke as if I wasn't even a part of the Hayes family. Well, he never acknowledged me as Sophie Elaine Hayes anyway. In his eyes, I was still just Sophie Elaine Lane.

"I know that, Sophie." Ethan argued, his voice thick with worry. "But how much longer can you survive a marriage that’s actively killing you? Even if he refuses to sign the divorce papers, you can just run away from him right?. You can manage this hotel from halfway across the world! I can help you. Anything is better than subjecting yourself to that hellhole every day watching him play house with that cheap mistress. Doesn't that just break your heart even more? Jane and I are worried about you, you know."

"I know, Eth. I get it" I murmured softly. "But I’m staying to keep you guys safe too. I don't want his wrath falling on you or Jane. And I'm doing this for my family for The Lane. This hotel still needs me."

"Have you told your father about this, Sophie?" Ethan asked and his question completely silenced me.

The question struck a painful chord, plunging me into silence. Tell my father? What would be the point? My father didn't care if I existed or not. To him, I was just a pawn a placeholder to ensure the survival of the Lane lineage so talking to him was useless.

"Eth" I said, standing up and breaking the heavy silence. I walked over to my polished, gold-accented executive desk and sat in my leather chair. "I think you should go wake Jane up. It's almost 8:00 AM. She needs to get to her own company and you as my chief advisor have work to do."

Ethan opened his mouth to protest, his eyes defiant but I cut him off injecting pure, unyielding authority into my voice.

"End of discussion."

He froze, the boss-employee dynamic snapping back into place then he nodded and disappeared back into the private lounge to wake Jane.

A few hours passed. I remained glued to my chair, staring at the computer screen reviewing contracts, signing documents and answering an endless stream of emails. Before I knew it, the clock already showed 12:00 PM. It was time for a lunch break.

I slumped back against the plush leather of my chair, completely drained. By now, my pristine morning look was entirely ruined. My hair was thrown up into a messy bun and my white shirt had come untucked from my trousers. I let out a long exhausted groan, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples to relieve the stress.

Tok! Tok! Tok!

"Come in" I said after hearing the knock on the door. not bothering to open my eyes. I assumed it was Emma, my personal assistant bringing in my scheduled lunch.

"What is it, Emma?" I mumbled still leaning back with my eyes shut.

"Emma? Who's that? I'm your husband, darling."

That deep, attractive voice instantly sliced through the quiet room. My eyes snapped open.

There he was. Lucas.

He stood right inside my office, a devastating killer smirk playing on his lips the kind of smile that made my heart race against my own will.

What the hell is he doing here?