ROOSEVELT’S POV

“As soon as this Gala is over, and the press calms down, I will have my lawyers draft the divorce papers. I promise, I am bringing you home.”

The audio looped on repeat.

I sat on the sofa, hands clamped over my mouth to muffle my sobs. The pain was a physical weight crushing my chest. He was leaving me. He was going to cut me loose and drag Mina back to take my spot.

I felt shattered. I wanted to pack my bags and bolt into the night. I wanted to shield my baby from this toxic, cruel family.

But as the audio looped for the sixth time, I forced myself to dry up. I wiped my wet cheeks and stared at the phone.

Something felt off.

I played it one more time, closing my eyes to focus on my husband’s voice.

“...draft the divorce papers.”

I opened my eyes slowly. The crushing sadness shifted into cold clarity.

Zyran was a proud, possessive prick. He liked to own things and loathed losing his property. In the four years of our marriage, he had always treated me like a permanent fixture. Even when we fought, he never uttered the word "divorce." He wanted his obedient wife at home and his fragile ex on the side. He likely wanted to have his cake and eat it too.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Nixie’s number. My hands were shaking.

"Rose?" Nixie answered, her voice tight with worry. "It's late. You okay?"

"Nixie, I’m sending you an audio file," I said, my voice sharp. "Listen to it right now and tell me what you hear."

I sent the file and waited on the line while she played it. I heard the faint, distorted sound of Zyran’s voice coming through her end.

When the audio cut out, Nixie gasped. "Oh my god, Rose. He’s divorcing you? That bastard! I’m coming over—"

"Wait, Nixie, stop," I interrupted. "Listen again. Closely. Check the way he says the word 'divorce.' Listen to the background."

There was a beat of silence. I heard the audio play again.

"It sounds... hollow," Nixie said slowly, her tone shifting from rage to confusion. "There’s no breathing. Zyran always takes a breath before he gets serious. And the background is dead silent. It doesn't sound like he's even in a room."

"Exactly," I said, my heart hammering. "Nixie, Zyran gave a keynote at the Tech Summit last month. It’s all over the web. Mina has been cooped up in that penthouse all day with nothing but her phone."

"You think it’s fake?" Nixie shrieked.

"I’m betting on it," I said, my resolve hardening. "He didn't send this to me. She did. She wants me to spiral. She wants me to throw a fit and beg Zyran for a divorce because she knows he’ll never do it himself, so she’s trying to push me out."

"That crazy witch!" Nixie shouted. "She’s playing mind games! What are you going to do? You have to show this to Zyran!"

"No," I said firmly. "If I show him, she’ll just play the victim and claim I faked it to smear her. He’ll buy it because he always protects her."

"Then what’s the move?" Nixie asked.

I looked at the small box on the table containing the baby socks. I carefully picked it up and tucked it into my purse. No one would know about my baby until I was good and ready.

"The move is simple," I said, eyes flashing. "She wants me to hide at home like a good, invisible girl. But I’m the Lady of the King empire, and I’m going to remind her of that."

Saturday evening arrived. The night of the Annual King Foundation Charity Gala.

I sat on the edge of the bed in my silk robe. Zyran stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his black bowtie. He looked sharp in his custom tuxedo.

He turned to me. His eyes flickered with a hint of guilt, but his face remained a mask.

"I’m heading out," Zyran said. He walked over and kissed my forehead. It felt like a goodbye kiss to my sanity. "The press will be a circus tonight. Better for you to stay here, Roosevelt. I'll be back by midnight. Get some rest."

"Okay, Zyran," I said softly, flashing him a polite, hollow smile. "Have a good night."

He looked relieved that I wasn't putting up a fight. He grabbed his keys and cleared out. A minute later, I heard his engine roar as he peeled away from the mansion.

As soon as he was gone, I stood up and marched to my closet.

Nixie had slipped in through the back door earlier. She stepped out of my walk-in closet holding a heavy garment bag, a wicked, excited grin on her face.

"If Mina wants to steal your look," Nixie smirked, unzipping the bag, "then we’re going to make sure she looks like a cheap knockoff."

She pulled out the dress. It was breathtaking—a fiery crimson red. It was pure silk, featuring a daring, thigh-high slit and a plunging open back.

For the next two hours, Nixie helped me gear up. When I finally looked in the mirror, I didn't recognize the weeping woman from Thursday. My hair fell in elegant, loose waves. My makeup was flawless. The red dress hugged my curves, masking the faint bump of my pregnancy. I looked like a queen.

"You look dangerous, Rose," Nixie whispered, handing me my diamond earrings.

"Good," I said, clipping them on. "Let's go."

The Grand Plaza was a spectacle. Hundreds of paparazzi were lined up outside the glass doors, cameras flashing like lightning.

My private car pulled up to the red carpet.

"Wait here," the driver said, holding the door for me.

The moment my red stiletto hit the carpet, the cameras went ballistic.

"Mrs. King! Mrs. King!" the reporters screamed, shoving against the barricades. "Roosevelt! Over here! Check out that dress!"

I kept my head held high. I didn't rush. I sauntered down the carpet with slow, confident steps, giving them the perfect shot. I beamed at the cameras, letting the world see the true Lady of the house.

I reached the grand doors and stepped into the main ballroom.

The room was packed with the city's elite. Soft music hummed in the background.

At the far end, in front of a giant wall of white roses, stood Zyran. Next to him was Mina.

Mina wore the emerald green dress I’d designed. But next to Zyran’s sharp, black tuxedo, the green looked drab. She clung to his arm, simpering for a private photographer.

Then, Zyran looked up.

His dark eyes locked onto mine across the sea of people.

He froze dead. The polite smile evaporated. His jaw went slack. He stared at me in the red dress, his gaze dropping to the slit, then snapping back to my face. For a heartbeat, he looked completely hooked. He looked like a man who’d just remembered what he was missing.

Mina caught his focus, her eyes tracking his gaze to me.

Her face drained of color. The fake, sweet smile dropped. Her grip on Zyran’s arm tightened, eyes flashing with pure panic.

Zyran ripped his arm away from Mina without a glance. He took a step toward me. He looked pissed that I’d disobeyed him, but he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"Roosevelt," he muttered, his voice cutting through the soft music as I closed the distance. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay—"

I didn't let him finish. I didn't even acknowledge Mina.

I walked right up to my husband, the red silk of my dress brushing his tuxedo. The camera flashes were blinding, lighting up the room like fireworks. Everyone was watching.

I raised my hands, resting them flat against his broad chest, then slid them up to wrap around his neck.

"I’m doing my job as your wife," I whispered, my lips inches from his.

Before he could snap, I yanked him down and smashed my lips onto his.

For a split second, Zyran stiffened. Then, as the cameras went wild, he didn't push me away.

Instead, his large hands clamped onto my waist. He hauled me in and kissed me back. It was ravenous, hungry, and possessive. He kissed me like he was starving, completely forgetting where we were and who was watching.

I heard gasps ripple through the crowd. I heard reporters chanting our names. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mina. She stood there, looking like a deer in headlights, her face burning crimson as she watched the man she wanted publicly claim his wife.

I slowly pulled away, leaving a smear of red lipstick on his mouth. Zyran blinked, looking breathless and totally under my spell.

I flashed a sweet smile, turning my head just right so the cameras could catch my triumphant face. Then, I leaned in to his ear and whispered, low enough that only he could hear.

"Loved that voice note you sent Mina about our divorce, darling. But if anyone is leaving this marriage, it’s going to be you."

I pulled back and watched the spell shatter. Zyran's eyes widened in confusion. The heat in his face twisted into shock.

"What?" Zyran barked, his brow furrowing. "Roosevelt... what voice note?"