Chapter 3

Jessica said yes.

Not because of the black card. Not because of the villa.

Because of the last thing he'd said.

She was no saint. She couldn't be treated like dirt and then just smile and let it all go.

Everything Fabian and Sapphire had done to her, she meant to pay back tenfold. A hundredfold.

The next day, Jessica and Gerard signed the marriage papers.

It happened so fast it felt like a dream.

No wedding. No guests. Just two brand-new marriage certificates.

Overnight, Jessica went from a discarded wife swept out the door to the wife of the president of Roman Group.

She moved into the riverside villa on the west side, worth over a hundred million.

The place was huge, like a maze, with its own butler, housekeepers, and driver.

Her walk-in closet was packed with the season's newest designer pieces, and her vanity held the kind of top-tier skincare she'd once been too intimidated to even look at.

But none of it had anything to do with her.

Gerard had given her everything money could buy, and along with it, the most absolute coldness.

They lived under the same roof like two parallel lines that never crossed.

He had his study and his bedroom, she had hers. They slept in separate rooms, and even at meals they rarely ended up at the same table.

The butler told her the master had a severe aversion to mess and struggled with insomnia, that he didn't like anyone touching his things or too much noise in the house.

Jessica took the hint and lived by every rule of it.

She stayed in her own room most of the day, reading, watching movies, doing her best not to disturb this husband of hers in name only.

Then, a month later, Roman Group hosted a grand business reception.

As Mrs. Roman, Jessica had to be there.

When she walked into the ballroom in a starlit evening gown custom-made by a famous designer, her hand resting on Gerard's arm, every eye in the room turned to her.

She saw a lot of faces, familiar and unfamiliar.

And she saw the one person she least wanted to see. Fabian, with Zoe Perry on his arm, wearing a smug little smile.

The moment Fabian caught sight of Jessica, his eyes went blank.

He'd never seen Jessica look like this.

The old Jessica had always worn plain house clothes, no makeup, the smell of cooking grease clinging to her.

The woman in front of him now was radiant, elegant, poised, like a brilliant diamond he couldn't bring himself to look at directly.

Zoe's face was pure jealousy. She dragged Fabian forward on purpose.

"Well, if it isn't Jessica. Look at you, the sparrow that flew up the branch and turned into a phoenix.

What, divorced barely five minutes and you've already landed yourself a new meal ticket?

Does this gentleman here even know he's got himself a woman who can't have children?"

The words came out sharp and vicious, and all around them people turned to watch, ready for a show.

Jessica's face went pale.

She opened her mouth to fire back, but a large hand slid around her waist.

Gerard drew her in against him, his eyes cold as ice as they cut to Zoe.

"My wife is not for you to comment on."

He looked at Fabian, one corner of his mouth curving into a cruel smile.

"Mr. Head, isn't it? I hear your company's been competing for that southside project lately. Bad luck. I just bought the land."

The blood drained from Fabian's face.

The southside project was his company's entire hope. He'd mortgaged the company for it, taken out enormous loans.

That one sentence from Gerard was a death sentence for his company.

"Mr.... Mr. Roman... I..." Fabian stammered, unable to get out a single coherent word.

Gerard didn't spare him another glance. He kept his arm around Jessica and walked straight past them.

"Remember," his low voice sounded close to her ear, "you're Mrs. Roman. No one gets to make you feel small."

In that moment, for no reason she could name, Jessica's heart skipped a beat.