Chapter 1
When my mother-in-law and I went undercover on our own yacht, a woman in a bikini pointed at us and screamed, "Broke trash!"
She ordered the bodyguards to throw us into the sea.
"This is the VIP section! You freeloading scum snuck on board for free food and drinks—get lost!"
She pinched her nose, looking at my mother-in-law and me with complete disgust.
I said coldly, "This is a public area. We have the right to be here."
"Public area?" She burst into shrill laughter, dripping with arrogance. "Do you even know whose yacht this is? My boyfriend's! The most powerful man in this city!"
Victoria and I exchanged confused looks—this yacht, the Poseidon, was clearly being managed by my husband Alexander.
When did he become someone else's boyfriend?!
Chloe's POV
"Who do you think you are?" Victoria scoffed, not even bothering to look at the woman.
Decades in the business world had taught her to recognize trash when she saw it—and this woman wasn't worth her attention.
Too bad we were supposed to be undercover. The Poseidon was Victoria's yacht, managed by Alexander. Complaints about the service had been piling up, so she'd dragged me along in civilian clothes to see the truth for ourselves.
So much for staying under the radar.
That woman Mia went bright red. "You two have a DEATH wish!"
Her sidekick Linda immediately lunged forward to shove Victoria. "Listen here, you old hag—know your place!"
Before she could touch her, I shot forward and seized Linda's wrist, twisting it back hard. She screamed and nearly collapsed.
"Keep your hands off her." I shoved her away.
Mia shrieked, "You laid hands on her?! My boyfriend will destroy you!"
That's when sunlight caught the sapphire earring dangling from her ear.
My breath hitched.
That cut, that color, that distinctive star pattern inside—
IDENTICAL to the sapphire in my engagement ring!
No—cut from the same raw stone.
It felt like a knife to the heart.
Three years ago, Alexander had knelt on the beach to propose: "Chloe, I spent two years hunting for this sapphire. One of a kind in the world—just like you."
Had he used the scraps? Made jewelry from the remnants and given them to another woman?
Mia noticed me staring and smugly touched her earring. "Like what you see? My boyfriend had this custom-made—a token of our love!"
"Worldwide limited edition, worth half a MILLION dollars! Broke trash like you could never afford it!"
Token of love?
My chest tightened painfully, but I forced down the rage, my voice turning ice-cold:
"And who exactly is your boyfriend?"
Mia lifted her chin, radiating arrogance. "Alexander Sterling! Heir to the Sterling fortune, CEO of the entire corporation—ring a bell?"
The words hit like a bomb.
It really was him.
Victoria's face drained of color, her breathing becoming labored.
I quickly grabbed her hand, whispering urgently, "Mother, deep breaths. Stay calm."
Victoria had asthma—stress could trigger an attack. I could feel her struggling to control her breathing, her chest heaving more violently than normal.
Mia thought we were scared and grew even bolder. "So NOW you're afraid?"
"Too late! I'm calling Alex right now!"
I scoffed. "Please do. I'd LOVE to see how he handles this."
"And while you're at it, ask him—Alexander Sterling already has a WIFE. Where does a homewrecker like you get off acting so high and mighty?"
"HOMEWRECKER?!" Mia exploded. "Who the FUCK is the homewrecker?!"
"Love doesn't care who came first! The one who isn't loved—THAT'S the real third wheel!"
"That Chloe Harrington? She's NOTHING but a trophy wife! Alex loves ME!"
She yanked out her phone and dialed right in front of us, her voice turning sickeningly sweet:
"Alex, baby, where are you? Some old hags are bullying me on the yacht... I'm SO upset... Come save me? I'm on the VIP observation deck..."
She hung up and sneered at us. "Alex will be here in thirty minutes. You're screwed. When he shows up, I'm having him toss you both into the ocean."
Victoria's breathing grew more ragged. I could feel her trembling.
She was remembering twenty-five years ago—eight months pregnant with Alexander when her husband cheated with his young secretary. The bastard was at a hotel with that woman the day before Victoria went into labor.
She'd been alone at the hospital, nearly dying from hemorrhaging during delivery.
After being discharged, she immediately divorced him and raised Alexander alone, building the nearly-bankrupt family business into a commercial empire spanning shipping, tourism, and real estate. The Poseidon was just one yacht among countless assets.
She'd handed everything to Alexander to manage, never imagining she'd raised a man just like his father.
"Just like his father... both of them trash..." Victoria hissed, her voice breaking from labored breathing.
She turned to me, eyes reddening. "Chloe, I'm so sorry... my son doesn't deserve you..."
My throat tightened.
I was the only daughter of the Harrington family, adored since birth. When Alexander and I married, everyone called it the perfect union—two powerful families joining forces.
Who knew this marriage was a complete joke?
"Mother, don't." I gently squeezed Victoria's hand, helping her regulate her breathing. "Let's go. We'll deal with him at home."
Just as we turned to leave, Mia raised her hand.
Two massive bodyguards stepped out from the shadows, blocking our path.
A vicious smile spread across Mia's face:
"Leave? In your DREAMS! You love the ocean breeze so much? Today you'll get your fill!"
She pointed at the churning waves beyond the deck and barked at the guards:
"Throw these bitches overboard! Let them cool off!"
