My Billionaire Husband Forced Me to Kneel for His Pregnant Mistress

The next morning, the sun was blinding. The island smelled like sea salt, hibiscus, and money.

I sat by the edge of the resort’s infinity pool. Mom was still resting in our bungalow, worn out from the travel. I wore dark sunglasses and kept a wide-brimmed hat tilted low.

Then, the click of sandals echoed on the stone deck.

Aitana walked over to the cabana right next to mine. She wore a sleek white bikini and a sheer wrap. Her baby bump was small, but she held her posture in a way that made it impossible to miss.

As she adjusted her towel, the sun caught something on her right wrist.

My breath stopped.

It was a sapphire bracelet. Deep blue stones set in delicate white gold, shaped like tiny forget-me-nots.

Two months ago, Landon had shown me the jeweler’s sketch in his private study. He had stroked my cheek and whispered, *A custom piece for my queen. Just wait until New Year’s.*

Now, it sparkled on Aitana’s tanned wrist.

Aitana noticed me looking. She didn't flinch. Instead, she lifted her arm, smoothing back a strand of hair, letting the sapphires catch the light directly in front of my face.

She walked over to my lounger, holding an iced mocktail.

“Good morning, Mrs. Harper,” she said.

Her voice was sugary and polite, but the title sounded like an insult. Like she was reading a label off a piece of outdated furniture.

“Did you sleep well in the bungalow?” she asked, tilting her head. “The main suite is quite breezy. Landon likes the balcony doors open all night.”

My hands rested on my lap. I dug my fingernails into my palms until the pain kept me grounded.

“You shouldn’t be drinking ice, Aitana,” I said evenly. “It’s bad for the baby.”

Aitana’s lips twitched into a sharp little smirk. “Landon takes care of all my needs. Every single one. He told the staff to bring whatever I want, whenever I want it.”

She touched the sapphire bracelet with her thumb. She tapped the largest stone against the glass of her drink.

*Clink. Clink.*

“He’s very generous,” she added softly. “When a woman knows how to keep him happy.”

I looked straight at her through my dark glasses. I didn't yell. I didn't throw my drink at her. I sat completely still.

Every word, every smirk, every gleam of that stolen sapphire—I memorized it all. I filed it away in the cold, dark corner of my mind.

“Make sure you wear sunscreen, Aitana,” I said, my voice flat. “The sun here burns people before they even realize it.”

Aitana let out a quiet scoff, turned on her heel, and walked away.

***

That night, sleep wouldn't come.

The air in the bungalow was damp and heavy. The ceiling fan clicked overhead in a slow, tired rhythm. Beside me in the twin bed, my mother was breathing softly. Her orange pill bottles sat on the nightstand, beside a glass of stale water.

I looked at the clock. It was 2:15 a.m.

My chest felt tight. I slid out of bed, careful not to wake Mom, and stepped into a pair of flat sandals. I pulled a light sweater over my shoulders and slipped out the back door.

The resort grounds were dark and empty. Lanterns cast long, flickering shadows along the stone path. The ocean roared against the coral reef in the distance, rough and steady.

I didn't plan where I was going. My feet just moved.

I ended up near the central villa, where the stone path curved past the lower terrace.

Above me, a single amber light was on.

I stopped.

Landon and Aitana were sitting on the outdoor lounge sofa on the second-floor balcony. Aitana was leaning against him, her head resting on his broad shoulder. She wore a silk nightgown.

Landon had his arm around her. His other hand was laid flat against her bare stomach.

I watched as his fingers moved in slow, tender circles over her belly.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vise.

I was four months pregnant with his child, too. But he hadn't touched my stomach once. He hadn't asked if I had morning sickness. He hadn't asked how our baby was growing. He had shoved me into a forgotten shack at the edge of the property while he held his mistress under the Bahamian stars.

Suddenly, Landon’s head shifted.

He looked down over the stone railing.

His eyes found me immediately, standing in the shadows on the dark path below.

He didn't jump. He didn't pull his hand away from Aitana’s stomach. He didn't look guilty, or startled, or ashamed.

He just stared down at me.

His face was completely calm. He looked at me the way an emperor looks at a beggar outside the palace gates. He looked at me like a man who believed nothing in this world could ever touch him.

Aitana murmured something, shifting against his chest, but Landon didn't break eye contact. He held my gaze through the dark air, silent and arrogant.

*What are you going to do about it?* his eyes seemed to say. *You are nothing.*

I stood there for three seconds.

Then, the tightness in my chest vanished. The burning pain in my throat simply disappeared.

It was replaced by an icy, absolute stillness.

I didn't cry. I didn't shout his name.

I turned around, stepped back onto the path, and walked into the dark without a single word.