Chapter 1

Three days ago, I caught my husband cheating. I didn't cry, didn't make a fuss.

I just shut the door and celebrated them finding each other.

But in the end, they were at each other's throats and begging me for mercy. Funny how that turned out.

*****

My name was Alicia West. Three days ago, I found out my husband was cheating.

And not in some subtle, heartbreaking way. Nope—straight out of a soap opera. I got off work early to grab a file I left at home, opened the bedroom door, and there they were. Leon Durant, the man I'd been married to for three years, was tangled up in our bed with another woman.

I didn't scream, didn't cry. I didn't even say a word.

I just stood there, frozen at the doorway, watching the man who promised to love me hold another woman affectionately like I'd never existed.

Leon didn't notice me. He was too focused on her.

And I knew who she was—Vivian Jackson, a fresh-faced girl from his marketing team. She was a new hire, just out of college, pretty—big eyes, sweet smile, the whole innocent package.

I remembered Leon mentioning her about six months ago, said she had promise, that he wanted to "help her grow."

Yeah. It looked like he did a hell of a job with that.

I backed out of the room without a sound, walked out of the house like I was floating. None of it felt real.

Out on the street, I didn't even know where I was going.

Then my phone rang. It was Samuel Murray—my assistant.

"Ms. West, the design proposal for tomorrow's meeting is ready. Do you want to take a look tonight?" he asked.

His voice was calm and gentle as always, like he could sense I needed something solid to hold on to.

"Samuel." I barely recognized my own voice—it was shaking. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," he replied.

"If the person you trusted most betrayed you, what would you do?"

There was a pause on the other end. Then Samuel answered quietly, "I'd make sure they paid for it."

"Pay? How?"

"I'd take away whatever they care about most."

I started laughing right there on the sidewalk, so hard that I cried.

"Ms. West?" Samuel's tone changed into concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I wiped my tears and pulled myself together. My voice was clear again. "Samuel, I need you to look into Leon's company. Find out what projects they're working on. I want to know if they've got any weaknesses—anything fatal."

"Understood." He didn't ask why. He never did.

That was one of the reasons I liked him—Samuel never questioned my choices. He just had my back, always.

I'd hired Samuel three years ago. He was top of his class, smart, competent, ridiculously reliable. And yeah, easy on the eyes in that calm, effortless way.

People said he was wasting his potential as an assistant, that he could've gotten a better job anywhere.

But he stayed right by my side, day after day.

I once asked Samuel why. He'd just smiled and said he liked where he was.

Looking back now, maybe Samuel had always seen Leon for who he really was. And I was the idiot who kept myself in the dark.

When I got back to the office, Samuel was still there. Only one desk lamp on; the rest of the room was dim. He sat at his computer, already digging through data.

"It's late," I said, walking in. "Why are you still here?"

"Waiting for you." He looked up, eyes darker than usual. "Ms. West, what happened?"

I looked at him. For the first time in a long while, I wanted to lean on someone.

Leon had been coming home less and less, talking to me even less than that.

But Samuel? He was always there for me—late nights at the office, brainstorming design ideas with me, actually listening.

Some days, Samuel felt more like family than my own husband.

"Leon's cheating," I said flatly. "I saw it with my own eyes today."

Samuel's fingers froze above the keyboard. No big reaction, just a flicker of tension. His hand tightened around the mouse.

"I'm sorry," Samuel said quietly.

"Why are you apologizing?" I asked.

"Because I already knew." He looked at me, guilt softening his voice. He looked pained for me. "I found hotel records and bank transfers, but I didn't know how to tell you."

I was stunned.

"When did you find out?" I asked.

"Two months ago," he replied.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I didn't want to hurt you." He stood and came over to me. "And… because I knew you'd figure it out eventually."

I stared at this man who'd quietly been standing guard over my life, and something in me cracked open. A gush of warmth surged into my heart.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You don't have to thank me," he said softly. "Protecting you… That's something I should do."

"Then can you do something else for me?"

"Anything."

"Help me ruin Leon."

I saw something flicker in his eyes then—something sharp and dangerous. Then he smiled.

"With pleasure," he replied.