Chapter 3

I said, "Julia, do you know who I am?"

She blinked slowly. "Of course I do. You're the art restorer Edward used to help out."

Someone in the lobby let out a low laugh.

"So she's someone who used to mooch off Mr. Stone."

"No wonder she keeps clinging to him."

"Mrs. Stone sure puts up with a lot."

I looked at Edward. "Is that how you see me too?"

Edward avoided my eyes. "Evelyn, there are a lot of people here today."

I nodded. "So you want me to keep quiet?"

He got flustered. "That's not what I meant."

Julia sighed, "Ms. Lane, if you're after money, say it. With all these VIPs here, causing a scene isn't doing anyone any favors."

I shot back, "So whatever I ask, you'll pay?"

Julia paused, then gave a smile. "Name your price."

"Give him back to me," I said.

Julia's smile finally faltered.

Edward immediately snapped, his voice low. "Evelyn, enough."

I looked at him. "Did I say anything wrong?"

Julia's eyes went red in an instant. She put a hand on her belly, her voice shaky. "Edward, I'm not feeling well."

Edward went straight to her side to steady her.

I stood frozen, watching him hold another woman.

The security guard piped up, "Ms. Lane, you saw it yourself. Mrs. Stone's pregnant. If you upset her and something happens, could you live with that on your conscience?"

I asked, "How far along is she?"

Julia tightened her grip on Edward's sleeve.

Edward said, "Evelyn, don't ask."

I pressed. "How many months?"

Julia bit her lip. "Just hit two months."

I let out a cold laugh. "Two months ago, Edward was in Southvale, taking care of me for twenty days straight. He never left my side. Ms. West, did you really get pregnant while he was a thousand miles away?"

The whole lobby went dead silent for a second.

The girl at the front desk jerked her head up.

The security guard opened his mouth, but all he could get out was, "That doesn't mean anything."

Julia's face went pale. "Edward, why did you have to tell her about what happened between us?"

Edward's voice was tense. "Don't say another word."

"Who exactly needs to shut up here?" I locked eyes with him. "Edward, why don't you tell everyone yourself? Were you with me in Southvale for those twenty days?"

Edward looked like he'd been cornered. "Yes."

Someone in the lobby gasped.

I pressed, "So who handed out those candies with your names on them?"

Julia answered immediately, "I did. I thought you'd announce our relationship."

Edward shot her a look with barely concealed anger. "Julia, enough."

Her tears streamed down her face. "I'm carrying your child. Can't I hand out some candies?"

That one sentence hit harder than any slap ever could.

Edward stood there, silent.

That was when the truth hit me.

He knew exactly that she was pretending to be pregnant with his child.

He simply enjoyed this quiet decency where neither side spoke the unspoken truth.

I turned and picked up the cake.

Edward reached out to stop me. "Evelyn, where are you going?"

"Home to get our marriage license," I said.

His face changed in an instant. "Evelyn, don't."

Julia's tears paused for a moment.

I looked at Edward. "Scared now?"

Edward's voice softened. "This exhibition is three years of everything I've poured into it. There are collectors, media, and my mentors out there. Are you really going to destroy everything for me?"

I shoved the cake box into his arms. "Happy seventh anniversary."

Cream oozed from the seams, smearing all over his black suit.

"Edward, you destroyed me first," I added.

Edward didn't let me leave.

He called his assistant, Ryan, and had everyone in the lobby move up to the second-floor exhibition hall. Then he led me into a nearby meeting room.

Julia followed us in.

As soon as the door closed, Edward's gentle mask dropped. "Evelyn, what do you really want from me?"

I sank into the couch, feeling exhausted. "I want the truth."

Julia slid in beside Edward, her hand never leaving her stomach. "Ms. Lane, Edward's got enough on his plate right now. Don't make it harder for him."

I shot her a look. "There's nobody else here. Are you seriously still pretending?"

Julia's face fell, but she quickly played the victim. "Edward, look at her."

Edward rubbed his temples. "Evelyn, Julia really is pregnant."

I asked, "Is the baby yours?"

He hesitated.

Julia cut in, "Of course it's his."

I stared at Edward. "You tell me."

He stayed silent.

I let out a laugh. "You can't bring yourself to admit it."

Julia's voice got sharper. "Evelyn, don't think you can boss Edward around because you had some history. You never had a real wedding. No one knows you're married."

I shot back, "The marriage license does."

Julia's eyes flickered. "What's a piece of paper supposed to prove? I'm the one who's been by his side all these years. I handled the interviews, brought in the VIPs, picked the exhibition name, decided who sits where today."

I shot back, "Who created the original draft for Homeward?"

She froze.

Edward cut in, "Evelyn, let's talk about that later."

I stared at him. "Later? You're making my painting the star of your exhibition, letting her take my place as your wife, and you expect me to wait and do nothing?"

Julia stood up, her voice sharp. "Your painting? Ms. Lane, say whatever you want, but don't spread lies. Homeward is Edward's masterpiece. He spent three months locked away working on it, and the original sketch is with me."

I fired back, "Let's see it then."

She scoffed, "Who do you think you are? What makes you think you have any right to see it?"

There was a knock at the door.

Ryan called out from outside, sounding urgent. "Mr. Stone, Mr. Quinn is here. And a few buyers have arrived. They're asking when the opening starts."

Edward looked at me, his eyes pleading. "Evelyn, hang in there today. Once the exhibition's over, I'll bring you home, and we'll talk it out."

I asked, "So you're letting her attend as your wife?"

Edward stayed silent.

Julia jumped in for him, "The invitations all say, Mrs. Stone. If we switch now, it'll make things messy for everyone."

I looked at Edward. "So I'm the only one who gets to be humiliated?"

Edward said quietly, "You never liked these social gatherings anyway."

"I don't like having someone steal my life," I said.

Julia let out a mocking laugh. "Steal? Come on, Ms. Lane, don't be so dramatic. Edward made it on his own talent, not because of you."

I pulled an old photo from my bag and laid it on the table.

In the picture, Edward was sitting on the floor of a rented apartment, holding a half-finished painting.

My signature was right there in the bottom left corner.

Julia reached out to grab it.

I pressed my hand down on the photo. "Don't touch it."

Edward stared at the photo, his face darkening. "Why do you still have this?"

"Why shouldn't I?" I shot back.