Chapter 3 - The Mistress’s Calling CardBy Monday afternoon, the news of Vanguard Tech’s sudden paralysis had leaked to tech blogs. Headlines blared: Vanguard Tech Plunges into Crisis as Core Infrastructure Collapses.
Adrien hadn't left the penthouse. He spent hours pacing the length of the living room, barking orders into his secondary phone, trying to salvage what was left of his reputation. But every lawyer he called gave him the same answer: Aegis Core was ironclad, and Natalie Hayes held absolute jurisdiction.
At 3:00 PM, the doorbell rang.
Expecting a process server or desperate board member, I opened the door. Instead, a young woman stood on the threshold.
She looked to be about twenty-four, with sweeping blonde hair, wide doe-like eyes, and a designer trench coat that still had the store creases in it. She clutched a designer handbag like a shield.
Clare.
“You must be Natalie,” she said, her voice breathy and trembling slightly, though she tried desperately to project an air of sophisticated confidence. “I’m Clare. Adrien’s... wife.”
I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. I didn't invite her in.
“You have a lot of nerve showing up here, Clare,” I said quietly.
Clare swallowed hard, her eyes darting past me into the foyer where Adrien’s silhouette was visible down the hall.
“I know this is awful,” Clare began, her voice cracking. “Adrien told me you two were practically roommates. He said you had an open understanding about... growing apart. He told me you wouldn't even care about the wedding being canceled because you were already moving on.”
A cold, sharp fury pierced through me. Not at Clare—she was just a naive pawn in Adrien’s game of narrative rewriting—but entirely at Adrien, who had lied to both of us to keep his dual life afloat.
“He told you I wouldn't care?” I asked, my voice dangerously low.
“He said you were focused on your career,” Clare stammered, stepping closer. “Look, I didn't come here to fight. Adrien’s career is imploding. The board is threatening to oust him by tonight. If he falls, we fall. I’m pregnant, Natalie. I need financial security. If you have any humanity left, you’ll unlock the software.”
The word hit me like a physical blow.
Pregnant.
I stared at Clare, taking in the slight roundness of her posture, the nervous way her hand hovered over her coat. She was pregnant too. Adrien had managed to impregnate his mistress while stringing along his fiancée of ten years.
Before I could process the sickening weight of that revelation, a heavy hand grabbed my shoulder.
May you like
Adrien had materialized behind me, his face twisted in absolute fury.
“What is she doing here?” Adrien hissed at Clare, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. “Are you out of your mind? I told you to stay away from this apartment!”
