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Chapter 3: The Trap

Days passed. I maintained the facade of the happy, oblivious wife flawlessly. But every time Julian tried to initiate intimacy, I claimed a migraine or a work crisis. He eventually stopped trying.

I knew that every Friday afternoon, he would “inspect” the Intercity Hotel—a high-end, luxury property owned by the family group, which Julian managed. It had become their ideal, secure location for their affair.

Let them have their secret Friday afternoons. I was preparing for a Friday of my own.

This morning, I received a secure email. Sterling had successfully completed a massive European acquisition three weeks early. He was flying back to New York today with a crucial French investor, Mr. LeBlanc, to finalize the merger.

“Julian, can’t you come with me to the tech expo today?” I asked coquettishly over breakfast, feigning disappointment.

“I’m so sorry, darling,” he said, looking incredibly anxious. “There’s a critical supply chain issue at the Intercity Hotel. I have to handle it personally. I’ll make it up to you tonight.”

If it weren’t Friday, I might have believed him. Elise was “shopping” all afternoon. The stage was set.

At 1:45 PM, a private jet from Paris touched down on the tarmac. As the lead technical partner for the joint venture, I was waiting at the VIP terminal.

Sterling disembarked first, accompanied by Mr. LeBlanc. Sterling was a terrifyingly sharp, intimidating man, completely devoid of his younger brother’s soft charm.

“Evelyn,” Sterling nodded to me.

“Welcome back,” I said. “The cars are ready.”

As we walked to the convoy of black SUVs, the door of the lead vehicle opened. Stepping out was my father-in-law, the patriarch of the empire.

He smiled warmly, shaking LeBlanc’s hand. “Welcome to New York! Let me ride with you, we have much to discuss.”

LeBlanc got into the lead car with the patriarch. Sterling and I slid into the leather seats of the second SUV.

As the convoy pulled onto the highway, heading toward the city, I turned to Sterling.

“You are much more ruthless than I gave you credit for,” I said quietly.

Sterling closed his eyes, leaning his head against the headrest. “Evelyn, you don’t understand the dynamics of this family. Adultery, when handled privately, is a domestic issue. My father would try to cover it up to protect his precious younger son. But adultery, when exposed in front of a crucial foreign investor?”

Sterling chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. “If he goes easy on Julian now, he risks a half-billion-dollar merger. If the deal blows up because of this scandal, Julian takes the fall. And who steps in to save the company? I do. Julian loses his equity, his position, and his inheritance.”

I looked at Sterling. He had known about the affair for weeks. He had deliberately manipulated the schedule, bringing his father and the investor directly to the hotel to ensure Julian’s destruction was as public and financially devastating as possible.

I almost felt sorry for Elise. She thought she was risking it all for true love with a charming playboy, completely unaware that her husband was using her infidelity to mathematically annihilate his brother’s career.

Chapter 4: The Discovery

The convoy arrived at the Intercity Hotel.

The hotel’s general manager was sweating profusely, leading our VIP entourage down the plush, sheepskin-carpeted corridor of the penthouse floor.

“This property was completed last year,” Sterling explained smoothly to LeBlanc as we walked. “We’ve reserved the entire top floor for your team. You may choose the suite that best suits your preferences.”

The manager unlocked the first suite. It was immaculate and empty. “Beautiful,” LeBlanc nodded.

We moved to the second, then the third.

As we approached the fourth suite, the Presidential corner unit, the manager beamed. “This is our crown jewel. It offers a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline.”

He pushed the heavy mahogany doors open.

Unlike the previous rooms, which smelled of fresh linen, this suite smelled heavily of expensive, familiar floral perfume. The living room was quiet, but the double doors leading to the master bedroom were slightly ajar.

The manager, eager to show off the view, rushed forward. “My apologies, the staff must have forgotten to open the blackout curtains after cleaning!”

He grabbed the heavy drapes and violently yanked them open.

Brilliant afternoon sunlight flooded the bedroom, illuminating the absolute chaos inside.

Men’s trousers, a silk dress, and a lacy bra were scattered across the expensive rug. And on the king-sized bed, violently thrashing under the luxury sheets, were two naked figures.

The sudden blinding light caused the man to freeze. He lifted his head, squinting angrily at the door. “Who the hell is in here?! Get out!”

At the doorway, our entire entourage stood completely frozen.

My father-in-law’s face turned a dangerous, mottled purple.

“You absolute beast!” my father-in-law roared, his voice shaking the walls.

The two figures on the bed froze. Julian looked at the doorway. Elise peeked over his shoulder.

Just one glance was like being struck by a high-voltage electrical cable. Julian’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated terror. He looked at his father. He looked at Sterling. He looked at me.

The classic scene of catastrophic discovery unfolded perfectly: frantic scrambling, hysterical screaming, and a desperate, pathetic dive for the scattered clothing.

Chapter 5: The Fallout

The atmosphere in the family estate’s grand study two hours later was suffocating.

My father-in-law sat behind his desk, vibrating with rage. Julian stood in the center of the room, his head bowed, looking like a dead man walking. Elise was cowering in the corner, sobbing into her hands.

My mother-in-law rushed into the room, looking bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone acting like there’s been a death in the family?”

My father-in-law slammed his fist onto the mahogany desk. “Ask your precious son! Ask him about the disgusting, depraved act he was committing in our hotel with his brother’s wife!”

My mother-in-law gasped, her hand flying to her chest. She stared at Julian in absolute disbelief. “Julian… tell me this is a misunderstanding.”

Julian opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

His mother turned her horrified gaze to Elise. “You! You seduced him, didn’t you?!”

Elise flinched, shaking her head. “No… it wasn’t like that.”

But then, fueled by a delusional, desperate belief in her romance, Elise stood up straight. She reached out and grabbed Julian’s arm. “Julian and I truly love each other! We don’t want to hide it anymore!”

I had to admire Elise’s sheer, suicidal bravery. But she had fundamentally miscalculated the cowardice of the man she loved.

Julian violently ripped his arm away from her grip, stepping back as if she were diseased. “Elise, shut up! Don’t talk nonsense! It was just a moment of temporary insanity! It meant nothing!”

Elise’s face shattered. The profound astonishment and agony in her eyes were almost painful to watch. The romance she had sacrificed her marriage for was just a cheap thrill for him.

“Shameless whore!” my mother-in-law shrieked, lunging forward. She grabbed Elise by the hair, violently slapping her.

Elise screamed, frantically trying to defend herself, but the older woman was relentless. The room devolved into chaos. Sterling and I stepped forward, pulling them apart.

During the violent struggle, Elise suddenly gasped, her eyes rolling back into her head, and she collapsed heavily onto the Persian rug.

Sterling caught her before her head hit the desk.

The room fell dead silent.

“Call an ambulance,” Sterling ordered coldly.

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