Chapter 3

The living room filled up quickly.

Ethan emerged from the bedroom in a fresh suit, Lily on his arm.

There wasn't a trace of pallor on her face, but she clutched a prenatal exam report that had materialized from God knows where.

"The doctor says the baby is fine for now." She nestled against Ethan's chest, tears falling on command. "But I really can't have Miss Carter at the company anymore."

The board members turned on me immediately.

"Stealing trade secrets and assaulting a pregnant woman. Absolutely outrageous."

"Mr. Foster showed her mercy by not calling the police. She should be grateful."

"A woman like that deserves to be blacklisted. Make sure she never works again."

I knelt on the floor, the tape cutting into my wrists until they turned purple.

"There's no name on that exam report. No date either. Are you actually pregnant? Do you have the guts to go to a hospital right now and prove it?"

Lily's crying hitched.

Margaret snatched a glass from the table and flung its contents at my face.

Ice-cold liquor ran down my chin.

"Who are you to question a Foster heir?" She jabbed a finger at my nose and screamed. "You—a woman who used her body to seduce my son—you dare accuse Lily?"

The guests joined in with laughter.

"No wonder Mr. Foster won't claim her."

"Shows up with fake documents to get marriage leave, gets caught, then steals company secrets for revenge."

"Just throw this lunatic in prison already."

I looked at Ethan.

"Ethan, everything you have today, you owe to my father. Don't say I didn't warn you."

He looked away. Something flickered in his eyes—a flash of panic.

Lily immediately charged at me and grabbed my collar. "You're still trying to seduce my husband?"

In the scuffle, I caught a glimpse of something under the sofa—a boarding pass.

I read the date, and my body went rigid.

"You used my passport to fly back into the country. You signed those contracts pretending to be me. Airport surveillance and seat records can all be traced. Lily, you're finished."

The words had barely left my mouth when I snatched the boarding pass.

Her face went ashen. She lunged to grab it.

Ethan was faster.

He seized my wrist, pried the boarding pass loose, tore it to shreds, and tossed the pieces into the trash.

"You think a scrap of paper is enough to frame Lily?"

I dove for the trash, but a bodyguard slammed into me and knocked me to the floor.

Lily planted her foot on my hand.

The stiletto heel ground into the bones of my fingers. The pain was blinding.

She bent down, her face close to mine, and whispered with a smile. "Your passport, your signature, your fingerprints—we have all of them. After tonight, the Carter patents, the shares, everything your father holds—it will all belong to Foster."

I jerked my head up.

"What have you done to my father?"

She straightened up, still smiling.

Ethan held his phone in front of my face.

On the screen, my father's car lay crushed on the roadside. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Your father had a little accident on his way to collect evidence from the marriage registry."

Ethan looked down at me.

"Now, no one can save you."