Chapter 1

Six months after the car crash that took my ability to walk, I found my husband rehearsing a secret wedding.

I had wheeled myself into the Oakridge Hotel to show Silas I could finally navigate the city alone.

Instead, through the half-open doors of the grand banquet hall, I saw a white floral arch.

Standing beneath it was Silas, holding the hands of his new executive assistant, Blair.

"I can't believe our wedding is exactly four days away," Blair said softly, leaning into him. "I am so happy, Silas."

Silas smiled. He reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes were full of a deep, quiet tenderness.

My hands gripped the metal rims of my wheelchair.

He used to look at me with that exact same devotion, right before the car crash.

"Mommy!"

A clear, familiar child's voice suddenly echoed through the empty hall.

My heart jumped in my chest. It was Leo.

I instinctively leaned forward in my wheelchair, thinking my five-year-old son had seen me waiting in the dim corridor. I even started to raise my hand to wave at him.

But Leo did not look toward the doors.

He ran straight past my line of sight in his tiny black tuxedo, holding a velvet pillow with two gleaming rings.

He stopped right in front of Blair and held up the pillow.

"Here are the rings, Mommy," he beamed.

Blair kneeled down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, my sweet boy."

Silas patted Leo's head, his face glowing with absolute pride.

My raised hand froze in the air.

The blood rushed out of my head, leaving my entire body ice-cold.

I had fed Leo, bathed him, and stayed awake through every fever since the day we adopted him as an infant. But standing between Silas and Blair, he looked like a perfectly natural piece of their family.

I did not push the doors open. I did not scream.

I slowly lowered my hand, rolled my chair back into the shadows, and pulled out my phone.

Inside the ballroom, Silas's phone buzzed. He let go of Blair, walked into a quiet corner, and answered.

"Hi, Claire," his voice was warm and patient.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I am at the medical center," he lied instantly. "I am talking to Dr. Evans about your new physical therapy schedule. We are going to get you walking again, honey. I promise."

"What about Leo?" I asked, my voice completely flat.

"He is at kindergarten. I will pick him up at four."

His lie about the clinic was perfect. His promise to cure me sounded completely real.

"Okay," I said. "See you tonight."

I hung up the phone. I turned my wheelchair around and headed straight for the elevator.

Once outside the hotel, my eyes landed on Blair's black SUV parked near the entrance. A sudden, violent spike of panic hit my chest

I forced my shaking hands to steady, pulled out my phone again, and dialed a private investigator I had used for past corporate audits.

"Arthur," I said calmly. "I need a comprehensive background check on Silas's assistant, Blair. And I need you to arrange a discreet DNA test between her and my son, Leo."

"I will need physical samples for the DNA test," Arthur replied.

"I will get them tonight. I need the truth in four days."

Three hours later, Silas came home.

He walked through the front door, dropped his briefcase, and hurried straight to my wheelchair. He knelt on the hardwood floor and placed his warm hands over my numb legs.

"Did you rest well today?" he asked.

He began gently massaging my calves, exactly how the physical therapist had instructed. His eyes were full of absolute devotion.

"I talked to the specialist for an hour today," he said softly, kissing the back of my hand. "No matter how long the recovery takes, I will be your legs. I will never leave you."

He was rubbing my legs to keep my blood flowing. But his jacket still smelled faintly of the white lilies from the wedding arch.

He promised to be my legs for the rest of my life.

He just did not tell me he was already walking down the aisle with someone else.