Chapter 1

"Another slut trying to spread your legs for my husband? I'm carrying the next Sterling heir!"

Me? A slut? I'm Avery Sterling. The only blood heir to this family.

Looks like nobody told her.

I came home today to surprise my parents, only to find the stranger already in my house.

Guess the surprise is on me.

She's wearing my robe and my mother's jewelry, pointing in my face, cussing me out.

"Have you been sanitized? I'm carrying the Don's grandchild—trash like you isn't worthy of breathing near me!"

"Someone get the disinfectant—spray this bitch and whatever she dragged in with her!"

I stare at her. It takes me a while to find my voice.

"This is the Sterling compound. The Don's house. Am I wrong?"

Her eyes bulge. She cracks me across the face.

"Another whore who heard the name and came sniffing around my husband. Throw her out!"

They throw me out onto the street.

I almost laugh from how insane this woman is.

On a normal day? These fuckers would be bleeding out on the marble. But I discharged myself early—still healing from two bullets I ate last month taking down a rival capo.

Without a word, I pull out my phone and call my mother.

"Mom. Get home now. Dad's been cheating. He's got a secret son—and that son just knocked someone up. You're about to be a fucking grandma."

I hang up. Walk back through those gates. Grab that woman by her hair, and despite her thrashing, kick her out the front door.

"You keep saying you're carrying the next Sterling heir? Let me make this clear."

"The Don, Richard Sterling has no son. Only me—Avery Sterling. His one and only daughter."

"And last I checked, I don't have a dick to knock you up, sweetheart."

She swings at me.

"Bullshit!"

"Everyone knows the Don and his wife have been solid for years. And he swore everything to his one and only son—my darling husband, Caleb Sterling."

"The Don even got a vasectomy to prove it!"

"The heir has to be a man. That's how it's always been. The heir is my sweet Caleb. You? You're nothing."

I roll my eyes at this lunatic.

Funny.

The heir has to be a man? Even Richard didn't earn his seat as Don—my mother put him there.

Every ounce of power he has, my mother gave him.

"Fine. Call him. Call your husband and tell him to face me. I want to see who the hell has the balls to take my place."

"And upstairs, second floor, sunroom—my bedroom. Walk-in closet, hidden vault. Code's ten-eleven. My birthday. You'll find every record of me since the day I was born."

"Still don't buy it? Bring out every person in this house—let's see who they recognize. The real Sterling heir, or the fool who got scammed into a fake marriage."