Chapter 3

A member of the house staff took me to a dressing room.

The moment I opened the door, I froze.

Liam was inside, pulling off his champagne-soaked shirt.

The sight of his bare shoulders was painfully familiar.

When he saw me, his expression turned ugly.

“Nora, you followed me all the way in here?”

“I'm your husband's older brother.”

I stared at the face I knew better than my own and suddenly smiled.

“You two really do look alike.”

Liam's pupils tightened.

“Sometimes I honestly can't tell you apart.”

Silence settled over the room.

For a split second, guilt and discomfort flickered across his face.

Then he snapped.

“Stay away from me. Alyssa doesn't like me getting too close to other women.”

Something twisted in my chest.

Once, that had been my rule.

And he used to pull me into his arms and laugh.

“Fine. You're the only one I listen to.”

Now Alyssa had taken my place.

Whatever last trace of hope I'd still been clinging to disappeared.

The dressing-room door burst open.

Alyssa stood there, staring at Liam's bare chest and my soaked dress. Tears spilled down her face.

“Liam… what are you doing?”

Liam shoved me away immediately.

My lower back slammed into the edge of a table, doubling me over in pain.

He was already rushing toward Alyssa.

“It's not what it looks like. She came in here on her own.”

He paused.

“She was trying to seduce me.”

Alyssa cried harder.

My mother stormed in and slapped me across the face.

“Nora, have you no shame? He's your sister's husband!”

My father's face was thunderous.

Ethan looked at me with open disgust.

Mrs. Whitmore snapped,

“How did a woman like you ever marry into this family?”

Mr. Whitmore's voice was ice-cold.

“Go back to the east-wing guest room. When you've learned to stay away from your sister's husband, you can come out again.”

I covered my stinging cheek and said nothing.

I was done explaining myself to people who had already decided I was guilty.

Adrian walked in at that moment.

Mr. Whitmore turned on him.

“Perfect. Take your wife back to the east wing and keep her from embarrassing us again.”

Mrs. Whitmore added sharply,

“Useless. You can't even keep your own wife under control.”

Adrian ignored them.

He came to me and helped me to my feet.

“She is my wife.”

His gaze swept across the room.

“She is not something you get to punish whenever you feel like it.”

Liam's eyes dropped to Adrian's hand on me, his expression darkening by the second.