Rowan Keller wondered if all men wanted a wife at home and a lover on the side.
But now that it was happening to her, she would never stand for it.
Everyone in Kyoro knew that Rowan Keller, the fallen heiress, was the cherished darling of the Hawthorne family’s second son.
Whatever she wanted, he gave her.
Whatever she desired, he delivered.
Their home was piled high with limited-edition items from every major brand.
Walls were lined with jewelry, handbags, and watches, and the garage was filled with a dazzling array of supercars.
Even at banquets, Zion Hawthorne kept her by his side, holding her hand, afraid she might suffer the slightest bump or feel even a moment’s grievance.
This level of doting affection was the envy of everyone around them.
Even Rowan Keller had almost believed that Zion Hawthorne was madly in love with her.
“Mommy.” A cute little boy with delicate features rubbed his sleepy eyes, his voice soft and sweet.
“Are you unhappy today?”
Rowan Keller tucked the covers around him, her eyes filled with tenderness.
“Of course not.”
The little boy climbed out of bed and, to her surprise, threw his arms around her.
“Hugs.”
Rowan froze for a moment.
“I don’t know why you’re sad, but no matter what happens, I’ll love you forever.” The little boy’s hug tightened as he tried to share his warmth with her.
Rowan Keller smiled tenderly and patted his back.
His words gave her the courage she needed to demand answers.
It was eleven o’clock at night.
Rowan Keller had already put her son to bed.
She sat in the living room, checking the clock again and again.
The hands ticked past 11:40 before she finally heard the front door open.
Zion Hawthorne walked in, dressed in a crisp white shirt with his custom-tailored black suit jacket draped over his arm.
He looked exceptionally handsome and refined, his perfect features without a single flaw.
He seemed to be one of heaven’s favorites, blessed with every advantage.
“Why are you still up?” As he always did, he came to her side and wrapped his long arms around her.
His hand slid mischievously beneath her clothes to caress her soft waist.
Rowan couldn’t resist his practiced moves.
She pulled his hand from under her clothes.
“Wait, I need to talk to you.”
“We can talk while we do it,” Zion said, his touch gentle.
“No,” Rowan refused.
“Yes, we can,” Zion insisted, capturing her full, rosy lips in a kiss.
At the thought of the lipstick stain on his shirt and those photos, Rowan’s stomach churned.
With a strength she didn’t know she possessed, she shoved him away.
“What’s wrong?” Zion’s handsome brow furrowed, confused by her rejection of his advances.
Rowan’s heart hammered in her chest under the weight of his presence.
After a few seconds of silence, she finally summoned her courage and met his gaze.
“I saw the photos of you and Serena Sterling spending the night at the Waterside Pavilion.”
“Mmm.” Zion was still holding her.
A pang of pain shot through Rowan’s heart.
‘Isn’t he even going to try and explain?’
“Since you know, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about,” Zion said, his voice low and deliberate.
Rowan suppressed the turmoil in her heart.
“Go ahead.”
“I want you to accept her presence,” Zion said, looking directly at her and stating his purpose.
“She is very important to me.”
Rowan stared at him in utter disbelief.
“As long as you agree, you will always be Mrs.
Hawthorne.
No one can threaten your position,” Zion continued.
“Do you have any idea what you’re saying?” Rowan, who was normally so mild-mannered, felt her temper flare.
Serena Sterling had been her college classmate and best friend.
They’d had a falling out over something later on.
And now, her own husband was asking her to share him with that woman!
Zion’s expression was unreadable.
“I’m perfectly aware.”
“I will never agree to such a ridiculous demand.” It felt as if she were seeing him for the first time.
“No sane person would.”
“Whether you agree is not important.
I’m going to support her for the rest of my life, with or without your approval.” Zion’s tone left no room for argument, his stance utterly uncompromising.
“I am telling you this merely because you are the lady of this house, and you have a right to know.”
Rowan’s slender, pale hands slowly clenched into fists.
“I suppose I should thank you, then,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I wouldn’t mind if you did,” Zion replied.
He truly had a talent for infuriating people.
Rowan’s chest heaved with anger.
She used to think Zion Hawthorne was modest and courteous; that he was shrewd but had principles.
Now that the mask was off, she was finally seeing his true nature.
“Zion Hawthorne.” Rowan decided to give him one last chance.
He glanced up at her, perfectly composed.
“Speak.”
“Are you absolutely set on keeping her around?
Even if I disagree, hate it, or am utterly disgusted by it, you won’t change your mind?” Rowan asked, her voice grave.
‘She’d already made up her mind.
If he just said no, she could forgive everything that had just happened.’
But things rarely go as planned.
Meeting her stubborn, defiant gaze, Zion Hawthorne replied, enunciating each syllable clearly, “I am.”
A sharp pain pierced Rowan’s heart.
An agonizing ache seized her chest.
“And no one can change my mind,” Zion added.
“In that case, let’s get a divorce.” Rowan could not accept his mindset, nor could she stay with him a moment longer.
“You’ve already decided to support her for life, so I’ll let her have the title of Mrs.
Hawthorne.”
In another marriage, she might have been able to appeal to her in-laws.
But Mr.
and Mrs.
Hawthorne had always opposed Zion’s marriage to her.
They believed Zion should have married someone of equal social standing.
While her family had once been wealthy, compared to a powerful and influential Kyoro clan like the Hawthornes, there was a world of difference.
Furthermore, after her family’s company went bankrupt, her father had absconded with the funds.
This made her even more “worthless” in their eyes.
“Have you thought this through?” Zion’s eyes were pitch-black.
Fidelity was Rowan’s bottom line in marriage.
“I have never been more certain.”
Zion stared at her, his gaze unwavering.
‘He’d never expected that the woman who was always so docile and obedient would one day be so defiant.’
“Fine.” His agreement was swift.
His quick, decisive agreement made Rowan’s heart ache.
She knew, then, that in all their years of marriage, she had never truly found a place in his heart.
‘All the kindness he’d shown her had probably been nothing more than a whim.’
As these thoughts weighed on her, her heart grew heavier still.
She went upstairs to retrieve the divorce papers she had already prepared.
‘In truth, she should have known all along.’
Three months ago, she had smelled a woman’s perfume on him.
When she’d asked, he claimed he must have brushed against someone on the plane.
And she had believed him.
Now, it was clear the plane was just an excuse.
Serena Sterling had returned to the country three months ago.
The timing fit.
‘She must have been with him then.’
“Here is the divorce agreement.
Take a look.” Rowan signed the papers in front of him and handed them over.
“If there are no issues, sign it.
We can file for divorce tomorrow.”
“You should understand what divorcing me means for you,” Zion said bluntly.
Rowan’s hand tightened.
“I don’t need you to remind me.”
“You haven’t worked in the five years we’ve been married.” Zion picked up the divorce agreement, his words cruel.
“How are you going to afford your mother’s exorbitant medical bills?
Have you thought about that at all?”
As he spoke, he opened the divorce agreement.
When he saw the terms—a fifty-fifty split of all marital assets and full custody of their child granted to her—Zion’s gaze fell on her, sharp and scrutinizing.
“You’re quite ambitious, aren’t you?”