Chapter 4 The Mistress’s Smile
Maya's POV
I did not sleep. I spent the night in my home office, moving files and checking bank statements. Lucas thought his media leak would break me. He thought I would hide under the covers while the world called me "unstable."
He was wrong.
By 7:00 PM the next evening, I was standing at the entrance of the Grand Ballroom. I wore a black silk dress that fit like armor. It was the most expensive thing I owned. I didn't look like a woman who had been crying. I looked like a woman who was in charge.
This was my gala. I had spent six months planning every detail. My company’s logo was on every program. If I stayed home, Lucas’s lie would become the truth. If I showed up, I was still the boss.
Tessa walked up to me. She looked nervous. "Maya, you're actually here. Are you sure you're okay? People are talking."
"Let them talk, Tessa," I said. I scanned the room. I noticed who looked away when I made eye contact. I noticed who whispered behind their hands. "I’m here to work."
"Evelyn is on the guest list," Tessa whispered, leaning in close. "Lucas added her at the last minute. He’s bringing the child, too. You should leave before they get here."
"No," I said. I felt a cold stone of anger in my chest. "This is my event. I don't leave my own house because a guest is rude."
The evening was a blur of fake smiles. I greeted donors. I talked about the charity. I acted like the news headlines didn't exist.
But the whispers followed me everywhere.
"She looks calm. Maybe the pills are working," one woman whispered as I passed.
"Ten years and she couldn't give him a son.
No wonder he found someone else," a man replied.
I ignored them. I kept my head high.
Then, the main doors opened. The room went silent.
Lucas walked in. He wasn't hiding. He was wearing a tuxedo I had bought for him last
Christmas. On his arm was Evelyn. She wore a silver gown that was far too bright for a charity event. She wanted to be noticed.
Behind them, a nanny led the little girl, Sophie.
The crowd parted for them like they were royalty.
Evelyn walked straight toward me. She had a look of triumph on her face. She stopped just inches away from me. She smelled like expensive perfume and victory.
"It’s a lovely party, Maya," Evelyn said. Her voice was loud enough for the nearby guests to hear. "You always did have good taste in decor. It’s a shame you didn't have the same luck with your marriage."
I didn't flinch. "The party is for charity, Evelyn. Try to remember why we are here."
Evelyn leaned in, her voice dropping to a hiss. "I know why I'm here. I'm here to take my place. Thank you for taking care of Lucas all these years. You did a great job keeping the seat warm. But he has a real family now. A real wife wouldn't have been so... empty."
She glanced at my stomach and then back at Sophie.
I felt the blood drain from my face. It was a cruel, low blow. Before I could speak, Lucas joined her. He didn't look at me. He looked at the donors.
"Everyone," Lucas announced, his voice booming. "I want to introduce you to Evelyn Scott. She has been my secret strength for a long time. Soon, she will be the new Mrs. Vale."
The room erupted in murmurs. Some people actually clapped. It was the ultimate insult.
In front of my friends, my clients, and my peers, he was erasing me.
"Is that right?"
The voice came from the back of the room.
It was deep, loud, and full of authority.
The crowd shifted as a man walked through the center of the ballroom. It was my brother, Damien. He looked furious. He wasn't wearing a tuxedo; he was in a sharp, dark business suit. He looked like he had just come from a battlefield.
"Damien," Lucas said, his smile faltering.
"We were just—"
"I know what you were doing," Damien said.
He stood in front of Lucas, towering over him. "You’re talking about 'Mrs. Vale.' But as far as the law is concerned, my sister still owns that name. And as far as I'm concerned, you’re a man who forgot who built his bank account."
"Damien, this is a private matter," Lucas said, trying to regain control. "Don't make a scene."
"I'll make whatever I want," Damien snapped. He pulled out his phone. He didn't look at the screen; he looked straight into Lucas’s eyes. "You think you can dump my sister and keep my money? You think I vouched for your Riverside project because I liked your face?"
Lucas paled. "The Riverside deal is closed, Damien. You can't touch it."
"Watch me," Damien said. He hit a button on his phone. "This is Damien Hart. Pull the funding for Vale Holdings. All of it. Cancel the bridge loans for the downtown project. Now."
He hung up.
The room was so quiet you could hear the air conditioning hum. A few seconds later, Lucas’s phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Then his assistant’s phone. Then the phones of three board members standing nearby.
"What did you do?" Lucas hissed, his face turning a sickly shade of gray.
"I took back my toys," Damien said coldly. "I told you years ago, Lucas. If you ever hurt her, I would ruin you. You thought I was joking because I was family. You forgot that I’m a shark first."
Lucas checked his phone. His eyes went wide. "You can't do this! This will tank the stock price by morning!"
"Then you better start selling your watch," Damien said. He turned to me and offered his arm. "Come on, Maya. Let's go. This room smells like trash."
I looked at Lucas. He was shaking. Evelyn was clutching his arm, her "triumph" turning into terror as she realized the man she just "won" was currently losing his empire.
I didn't say a word. I didn't need to. I took Damien’s arm and walked out of the ballroom.
The Hook: As we reached the valet, a car I didn't recognize was waiting. The door opened, and a man stepped out. He was tall, with dark eyes that seemed to see everything. Adrian Vale.
"The stock is already down five percent,"
Adrian said, looking at Damien, then turning his gaze to me. "But if you want to really finish him, you're going to need more than just a bank run. I can help you.."
