Chapter 2

The next morning, my hospital door swung open without a knock.

A young woman in a cream Chanel suit walked in. It was Madison Reed.

She carried a glossy gift bag and wore a look of flawless concern.

"Claire, I heard what happened. I wanted to come see you."

She placed the bag on the nightstand where Ethan's broth had been.

"I brought you the recovery kit from my nutritionist in Napa. Iron, electrolytes, all the things you're supposed to need after a pregnancy loss."

As she spoke, she deliberately lifted her left hand. A huge pink diamond blazed on her ring finger beneath the harsh hospital lights.

I recognized it. The stone had been the final lot at Christie's spring jewelry sale in New York. It had sold for three million dollars.

I stared at her without answering.

Madison did not seem embarrassed. She pulled out a chair and sat beside my bed.

"Try not to take it too hard. Sometimes a pregnancy just isn't meant to be. Ethan said the same thing last night while we were looking at wedding dresses. He promised he'd always make sure you were comfortable, as long as you stopped pushing yourself."

She made every sentence sound like proof that she knew my husband better than I did.

The door opened again. Ethan strode in carrying his briefcase. His expression darkened the instant he saw her.

"What are you doing here?"

He moved between us, shielding me from Madison without making the gesture obvious.

Madison bit her lower lip. Her eyes immediately filled with tears.

"I was worried about Claire. I only came to bring her something that might help."

Ethan glanced at the bag and frowned.

"Her doctor has restricted supplements. Take it with you."

His tone was severe, but his hand brushed the hem of Madison's jacket. It was quick enough for everyone else to miss and intimate enough that I understood.

He thought he could protect his public image and reassure his mistress with the same gesture.

Madison sniffed and nodded obediently.

"I'm sorry, Ethan. I should have thought it through. I'll go."

At the door, she turned as if something had just occurred to her.

"By the way, Claire, your ring is beautiful. The setting is a little plain, but it suits you."

She raised her own hand and let the three-million-dollar stone catch the light.

"Mine is far too flashy. But Ethan insisted nothing else was good enough for me."

Ethan's face finally changed.

"Get out, Madison."

She flinched theatrically, then fled with reddened eyes.

Silence settled over the room.

Ethan turned and saw that I had noticed. He sighed, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached for my hand.

"Madison has never had a filter. Don't give her the reaction she's looking for."

I moved before he could touch me.

"Is that the pink diamond you bought in New York last month?"

His hand froze. Then he withdrew it, speaking with the patience he used when he thought everyone else in the room was being unreasonable.

"She wanted a real proposal. After what her family did for me, I wasn't going to embarrass her with something second-rate."

"You're my wife. You have my name, my home, and my protection. A flashy ring shouldn't matter to you."

He had taken my child from me and given another woman the proposal, the dress, and the future. Somehow, he still expected me to feel fortunate.

I took out my phone and called my attorney in front of him.

"Daniel, pull every license agreement for the patents held by Bennett IP. I want a complete inventory."

Ethan's face turned hard. He reached over and pressed his hand down on my phone.