Chapter 1

Smoke curled through the Fieri family's hall.

My Father in-law, Henry Fieri, was celebrating his 80th birthday, and more than two hundred relatives had gathered.

I sat in the corner, sipping my coffee in silence. I've been married into the Fieri family for ten years, and it's always been like this. I never competed, never saying more than necessary.

"Vera," Kieran Fieri, my husband, called out.

He walked over to me, clutching an envelope. He spoke loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"I have something to show you," he said.

I set my cup down and looked up at him.

Kieran tossed the envelope in front of me, a smug grin tugging at his lips.

"Open it," he said.

I pulled out the paper inside. It was a paternity test. The results said Kieran and a nine-year-old boy were biologically related.

"I've got a son out there, and he's nine," Kieran declared, loud enough for everyone to hear.

He raised his voice so everyone in the ballroom could hear.

"You've been married into the Fieri family for ten years and still haven't given me a child. I've tolerated you long enough."

The ballroom went dead silent. Everyone turned to stare at me, waiting for me to break down, throw a fit, or completely humiliate myself.

But I just nodded at my lawyer, who threw a document onto the table. Instantly, everyone's face went white with shock.

I looked down at the paternity test, and my expression didn't change at all.

Just then, a nine-year-old boy rushed out from behind Kieran. He shoved me in the shoulder.

"You infertile wench, get out of my house!" he shouted.

The boy was Eric Fieri, dressed in designer sportswear, swaggering with attitude.

"My mom says you're just dead weight, just sitting around and doing nothing!" Eric shouted.

I wobbled from his shove, and a few drops of coffee splashed out of my cup.

I didn't lose my temper, just glanced down at him. My look was so calm, it was as if he wasn't even a kid to me.

Vivian Fieri, my mother-in-law, walked over from another table and sighed.

"Vera, you know I don't mean to criticize you," she said.

Her tone sounded like she was trying to comfort me, but it was really twisting the knife.

"It's been ten years, and you still haven't had a child for us. Any other family would've divorced you long ago," she said.

"We've been more than fair to you. It's time you wised up," she added.

She slid a document across the table to me.

"It's a divorce agreement. Just sign it," she said.

Henry cleared his throat and tapped his cane on the floor.

"Alright, let's not make a scene," he said.

He took a sip of his coffee, speaking as if he was doing me a favor.

"Vera, your father helped our family all those years ago. I haven't forgotten that," he said.

"That old house on the south side of town is yours. At least you'll have somewhere to stay if you ever get married again," he said.

"We've done right by you," he added.

Kieran chimed in, grinning smugly.

"Vera, just be sensible. With all these relatives here, don't embarrass yourself in front of everyone," he said.

The relatives nearby started murmuring among themselves.

"Ten years and still no kids? No family would put up with that," someone whispered.

"The Fieri family is being more than fair, even giving her a place to stay," another muttered.

"She's just got bad luck, really. Can't blame anyone else for that," someone else chimed in.

At last, I stirred. I stood up, moving so slowly it was as if I were waking from a long sleep.

The whispers in the ballroom faded away. Everyone stared at me, waiting for me to lose it, to plead, to sign with coffeers streaming down my face.

But I didn't cry. I picked up the pen used for the family record.

On the back of the paternity test, I wrote a single line.

Then, I handed the paper to my lawyer. His name was Aaron Hummel, and he'd served the Lutz family for twenty years.

After reading the line I'd written, Kieran's face went pale.

Aaron pulled a yellowed document from his briefcase and handed it to me with both hands.

I took the document and tore the paternity test in half.

The torn pieces fell to the floor, showing the cover underneath.

The document was titled "Lutz Group Share Inheritance Confirmation".

Kieran frowned. "What's your game?"

I ignored him and turned to face the crowd in the ballroom. My gaze was as cold as ice.

"Henry, you claim my father helped your family," I said, locking eyes with him.

My voice wasn't loud, but every word cut through the room, clear as day.

"You missed one detail."

"It wasn't 'help.' It was 'buy.'"

Henry's cane stopped mid-swing.

I laid the document out on the table. "My father bought your family's way into the city."

"He covered Kieran's college tuition, bought this estate, and bought everything you have today."

I turned to Kieran, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "This agreement spells it out: the Lutz family's assets will always stay in the Lutz name!"

"The house you live in, the cars you drive, and sixty percent of your company's shares all in my name."

Kieran's face went pale.

"That's a lie!" Henry snapped.

I immediately pulled out my phone and hit play on a video. On screen, a young Henry was signing his name for the camera.

"I, Henry Fieri, voluntarily accept the Lutz family's support. All assets purchased with this money, including the ownership, belong to the Lutz family," he declared.

The date on the video was March 1995.

Henry's hand began to tremble.

I turned off the video and fixed my gaze on Kieran. "You really think I can't have children?"

My voice was as calm as if I were reading a menu.

"No."

"Because I never for a second intended to let the Lutz family's assets fall into the hands of an outsider," I said coldly.

Silence fell over the ballroom. None of the two hundred relatives dared utter a word.

Kieran was frozen in place, his lips quivering. "You... you were setting me up from the very beginning?" he stammered.

I slid the divorce agreement across the table to him. "Sign it," I said.

"You're walking out of here with nothing to your name."

Kieran slammed his hand on the table. "What gives you the right?"

I didn't bother to answer. I just turned to Aaron.

He pushed up his glasses and flipped open another document.

"Mr. Fieri, according to the agreement between the Lutz family and the Fieri family—

"If the Fieri family initiates the divorce during the marriage, you have to give back everything the Lutz family gave you.

"Now, you just made Ms. Lutz divorce you in front of two hundred people.

"That means you started it."

Aaron closed the file and flashed a polite smile. "Hence, you're the one walking out empty-handed."

Kieran was paralyzed, utterly stunned. He turned to his father.

Henry's hand shook on his cane, his lips quivering, but not a single word escaped him.

Kieran then turned to his mother. But Vivian just looked away, wouldn't even glance at him.

Kieran's face went from pale to sickly green, then purple with humiliation.