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CHAPTER 2: THE WEB OF CORPORATE LIES

I spent the entire night in our family's estate in the Hamptons, unable to sleep. My phone buzzed with Ryan's messages. "Where are you, Victoria? Ethan woke up crying for you."

Every year, Ryan took Ethan away for a week to his "private villa in Monaco," claiming they needed father-son bonding time. For four years, I'd never questioned it. Now I realized he'd been taking Ethan to see his real mother.

The thought made my blood boil. If I hadn't overheard that conversation today, I might have remained blind forever. I scrolled through my phone, our family photos flashing by. Despite the warm summer night, I shivered uncontrollably.

Perhaps I should have known that a CEO's promises meant nothing. Men in our world were driven by power and desire, and with Ryan's status, he had beautiful women vying for his attention every day. He'd discarded me and my child, despite swearing he'd never betray me.

The wedding ring felt heavy on my finger, mocking me. We'd been together since we were teenagers. Everyone in the corporate world knew he'd been obsessed with me. When I was fourteen, rival company's hired thugs had cornered me after a business event. Ryan, then just an intern, had taken them on to protect me. He'd ended up hospitalized with broken ribs, but he'd still asked if I was okay.

When I was eighteen, I'd gone to a club with friends and forgot to check in. He'd searched all night, frantic, and burst into tears when he finally found me safe. At twenty-two, he'd asked his mother, the former CEO Eleanor Sterling, for the family's heirloom engagement ring. "Marry me, Victoria," he'd said, his eyes burning with devotion. "I promise I'll never let you down."

I'd agreed, and we'd married in a lavish ceremony at the Plaza. I became pregnant shortly after. Ryan had been overjoyed, stepping back from operations to care for me personally. His father, the former CEO Richard Sterling, had been furious. "You're CEO now! You can't abandon the company for a woman!"

But Ryan had stood his ground, even when his father threatened to remove him from the board. "Victoria is carrying my heir. I have to protect her myself." Looking back now, it wasn't about protecting me at all. He'd been terrified something would happen to my pregnancy before he could swap our child with his mistress's.

My phone rang. The caller ID read "Ryan." The name that once filled me with pride now made me sick. I answered with a blank expression. Ryan's face appeared on the screen, his dark eyes full of concern. "Where are you? You look pale. Have you been crying?"

In the past, whenever I felt hurt, I'd run to him immediately for comfort. Now I couldn't stand to see his face. "I'm fine," I said flatly. "Just needed some air. I'll be back soon."

He seemed relieved but distracted, his eyes drifting away from the camera. After a pause, he said softly, "Hurry back. Ethan needs you." Just before I ended the call, I caught sight of a woman in the background. She had long auburn hair and was wearing one of my designer dresses. She walked over and sat on Ryan's lap.

I froze. The call cut off abruptly. I sat there, stunned, before I started clutching my chest, trying to ease the agony of betrayal. They were in Ethan's hospital room together. That woman—Amber, I realized with dawning horror—was Ethan's real mother.

Marcus found me collapsed in the estate garden, curled up on a bench. He couldn't bear seeing me like this. "Ryan isn't worth your tears, Victoria. He never was."

My tears fell freely. Marcus's voice was gentle but firm. "I'll find your real child, I promise. As for Ryan, he'll answer for this. But what about you? What are you going to do?"

Through my sobs, I nodded. The moment I learned the truth, I'd already decided. I was the daughter of the Voss dynasty, a strategist who'd once been undefeated in boardrooms. Even broken and betrayed, I still had the strength to start over.