My Billionaire Husband Forced Me to Kneel for His Pregnant Mistress

The New Year’s Eve party started at eight. The resort terrace was covered in white orchids and gold lights. A jazz band played near the bar. Manhattan billionaires and socialites laughed together, holding crystal flutes of vintage champagne.

I stood near the stone railing with Mom. She wore a simple navy dress. Her face was still tired from travel, but she held my hand tightly.

“Just stay close to me, Leila,” she whispered.

Across the terrace, Landon was talking with a group of investors. Aitana was right beside him. She wore a sparkling gold gown that hugged her tiny belly. She was glowing, completely buoyed by Landon’s open attention.

A few minutes later, Aitana walked over to the outdoor bar near us. She paused just two steps away from my mother. She swirled a flute of sparkling cider, smiling at a young woman standing beside her.

She raised her voice just enough for us to hear every single word.

“It’s really about discipline,” Aitana said, letting out a soft laugh. “Some women let themselves go completely during pregnancy. As though carrying a baby is an excuse to look like an old wreck.”

Her eyes flicked right to me. She offered a tiny, razor-sharp smirk.

My mother’s hand slipped out of mine.

Before I could say a word, Mom crossed the marble terrace. Her back was straight. Her eyes burned with a fierce, protective fury.

*Crack.*

The slap echoed over the music.

Aitana’s head snapped to the side. Her crystal glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the stone floor. She stumbled back against a tall cocktail table, clutching her crimson cheek in shock.

The entire terrace went dead silent. The jazz band stopped playing instantly.

Everyone froze.

Landon stepped forward from his circle of friends. His face showed no anger, only a chilling blankness. His jaw tightened until a small muscle ticked beneath his skin. He looked down at Aitana’s reddened cheek, then turned his eyes to my mother.

“Landon,” Mom said, her voice trembling with disgust. “Keep your mistress on a leash.”

Landon didn't raise his voice. He casually adjusted his left cufflink.

“Harris. Cole.”

Two large men in dark suits stepped out from the shadows near the villa. They were Landon’s personal security guards. They took orders from no one else.

“Take Mrs. Gordon to the ten-meter diving platform,” Landon said smoothly. “Cool her off.”

My heart stopped.

“Landon, no!” I screamed, lunging forward. “She has a heart condition! She takes medication! Please, Landon!”

A heavy arm wrapped around my shoulders from behind. A third guard grabbed me, pinning my arms against my sides. I thrashed against him, kicking blindly at the stone floor.

“Let me go!” I cried, tears spilling down my face. “Don't touch her!”

The party guests stood paralyzed. No one moved. No one spoke a single word. Nobody ever crossed a Harper command.

Harris and Cole grabbed my mother by the arms. They dragged her off the terrace and down the wooden boardwalk toward the ocean platform. Her small sandals fell off into the sand.

“Leila!” she shouted once.

“Mom!” My voice broke into a ragged shriek. I dug my heels into the ground, begging my husband. “Landon, I’m begging you! Punish me instead! Please, she can't take it!”

Landon didn't even look at me. He walked to the edge of the stone balustrade to watch. He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. Aitana stood beside him, rubbing her cheek, watching with bright, hungry eyes.

The ten-meter platform rose high above the black Atlantic water. The ocean wind whipped hard against the metal frame.

The guards forced my mother up the narrow stairs. At the very top, Harris gave her a rough shove.

She fell through the empty air.

A loud, sickening splash hit the dark water below.

“Mom!” I screamed. My throat tore raw.

A few seconds later, she broke the surface. She gasped violently, coughing on salt water. The waves were rough and cold. She struggled toward the wooden ladder, her fingers trembling against the wet wood.

Landon raised two fingers in the air.

Cole grabbed her by her hair, pulling her out of the water and dragging her up the ladder again. Her navy dress was soaked through and heavy. She was shivering so hard she could barely stand on her feet.

“Throw her,” Landon said. His tone sounded like he was ordering a cup of coffee.

They pushed her off again.

Another violent drop. Another sickening crash of water.

Party guests shifted on their feet, glancing down at their shoes, but no one dared to intervene.

When Mom surfaced this time, she barely made a sound. She was choking, her head dipping under the foam. Her hands clawed weakly at the wooden rungs.

They hauled her up to the platform a third time. Her head lolled back against Cole's shoulder.

“Landon, stop!” I sobbed, fighting the guard’s grip until my wrists bruised. “You're killing her! She will die!”

Landon checked his watch.

“Last time,” he murmured.

They pushed her.

She hit the water with a heavy, flat thud.

One second passed. Five seconds passed. Ten seconds.

She didn't surface.

A resort lifeguard suddenly broke ranks and dove off the dock. He swam fast into the dark water, grabbing her limp body and pulling her onto the wooden deck.

Mom was not moving. Her lips were turning dark blue. Seawater leaked from her nose and mouth. Her chest was completely flat.

“Cardiac arrest!” someone shouted from the dock. “Get the crash cart! Call emergency now!”

The guard holding me let go of my arms.

I broke into a dead sprint. My bare feet slammed against the wooden boards. I fell to my knees beside her freezing body on the wet dock.

“Mom! Open your eyes! Please, Mom!” I pressed my hands hard against her chest, weeping uncontrollably.

High above us on the terrace, Landon looked down over the railing. His face was cold, detached, and empty.

Right there, on that wet wood, the panic stopped.

The tears in my eyes dried up. The warmth in my chest turned to pure ice.

The last piece of love I had ever felt for Landon Harper died right then and there. And something dangerous took its place.