Chapter 3
A flicker of ruthlessness flashed in Alaric’s eyes-it pierced through me like a dagger. My chest tightened painfully.
Then, without another glance, he wrapped his arms around Calla and turned away, leaving me stranded in the darkness of despair. I felt like I was drowning in an abyss, unable to
escape.
Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the video playing on my phone. My fingers trembled, but I didn’t hesitate. I swallowed the pills the doctor had prescribed.
“What are you taking?”
A voice cuts through the silence. I turned and saw Alaric standing in the doorway, his tone laced with sudden nervousness. His eyes were fixed on me, concerned.
“Just a calcium supplement,” I replied calmly.
He relaxed at once and nodded.
“I left a document upstairs. I’ll be quick.”
As he turned and climbed the stairs, I picked up the phone he had carelessly left on the table.
I entered Calla’s birthday as the password. The screen lit up, revealing a seductive photo of her-artfully posed, barely clothed.
So his phone really was dual-system.
My stomach churned, but I forced myself to move quickly. I opened his chat app. At the top was a message thread with Calla. The second was a group chat labeled “VIP Access Thread.”
I tapped it open.
What I saw nearly made the phone slip from my hands.
The latest message was a full schedule-my schedule.
Each date had a name listed beneath it.
“Alaric, when’s my turn again? The brothers can’t wait!”
“Seriously, if your wife were working at a club, I’d get a monthly membership just to book
her.”
Cassian’s vulgar messages made my mind go blank. A wave of nausea hit me. Shame, fury, and helplessness surged through me like a flood.
Then a new message appeared.
It was from Calla.
“Brothers, I’m back in Canada! My brother booked out the entire Royal Club to celebrate tonight. Come join the fun-there’s a surprise!”
She followed it with a photo.
1:34 Tue, zy JUL
When I saw it, the world spun. My knees buckled.
It was me-a photo someone had secretly taken, doctored with humiliating edits. Scrawled across it were the words: “Obedient Dog.”
Terror gripped me. Something was horribly wrong.
With shaking fingers, I copied all the chat records, photos, and schedules to my own phone.
I was about to call the police when Alaric’s voice echoed behind me again.
“Wife, you’re trembling. Are you cold?”
He draped a blanket over me. I quickly locked the screen and slipped the phone into my pocket.
“It’s just the weather,” I mumbled. “Lately, it’s been colder.”
Alaric smiled gently, but I could barely stand the sight of him.
“Calla’s finally home. We’re having a celebration at the Royal Club tonight. Dress nicely, okay?”
The moment he mentioned Royal Club, my entire body tensed. A chill ran through me.
“I’m not feeling well today. I think I’ll stay home.”
His expression turned stormy in an instant.
“You still refuse to go? Calla suffered so much abroad because you forced her to leave. Now she’s back, and you won’t even attend her welcome party?”
“She doesn’t hold grudges, but you insist on spoiling her night?”
Without waiting for an answer, Alaric grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the door, ignoring the fact that I was heavily pregnant.
When we arrived at the Royal Club and the doors swung open, every eye in the room turned
to me.
I could feel it-mockery, lewd curiosity, and cruel anticipation.
“Well, well… the guest of honor is finally here.”
