My Husband Kept A Mistress As My Stand-In

Maddie arched a brow, giving Bailee a slow once-over. "You're the head of finance?"

Bailee nodded, a polite smile fixed in place. "Yes, Ms. Mills. If you need anything, just say the word. Archer—Mr. Williams—is in a meeting right now, but I'll make sure any message you have reaches him."

Maddie let out a soft laugh. "That won't be necessary."

Her gaze stayed fixed on Bailee, glinting with amusement. "I'm here for you, not Archer."

Bailee's smile flickered, but she recovered fast, her voice gentle. "Ms. Mills, I understand you might be upset about last night's auction, but there's really no need to worry about my relationship with Mr. Williams. After all..."

She lifted her hand. A diamond ring caught the light, and a touch of shyness softened her smile. "I'm happily married."

Maddie stared at the ring. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. It was almost ironic—of the three of them, she was the outsider.

The ring was a perfect match to the one Archer had used to propose to her. An exact replica.

But after a beat, Maddie looked away.

"The ring's charming, but you misunderstand."

She spoke slowly. "I'm only here for a copy of the latest financial report. Nothing more."

Maddie noticed the shift in Bailee's expression, her face turning slightly sour. Maddie smiled to herself. "Seems you're the one feeling the pressure, Ms. Wagner."

Bailee's expression shifted entirely. The earlier hint of pride vanished from her eyes. She bit her lip, momentarily speechless.

Maddie watched her casually. "Ms. Wagner, shall I repeat my request?"

Before Bailee could respond, Archer walked in briskly. His expression hardened at the scene. "Maddie, wasn't last night's incident enough for you?"

His voice was cold and stern. "When are you going to stop this? I've already told you, Bailee and I have nothing going on. If you're not convinced—"

Before he could finish, Maddie cut him off.

"I believe you. Of course I do."

A slight smile touched her lips, but her eyes were icy as they landed on Bailee. "Ms. Wagner just told me she's already married."

The words had barely left her lips before both Bailee's and Archer's expressions changed dramatically. Archer shot Bailee a furious glare. Bailee's eyes instantly filled with tears.

Maddie had no interest in watching the drama unfold further. She spoke calmly, "I'm here to get this year's financial report. Considering I own 40% of the company, surely that's not too much to ask?"

Archer snapped back to reality. "Of course you can!"

He immediately instructed the secretary to fetch the report, then carefully watched Maddie's expression. He looked relieved when it didn't betray anything unusual.

"Maddie, what's prompted this sudden interest? You've never been involved with company affairs."

Maddie replied nonchalantly, "My account was frozen last night. I think it's wise to have independent accounts."

Archer's expression froze again. "Maddie..."

The secretary quickly returned with the report. Maddie ignored Archer, gave the documents a brief check, and prepared to leave. Archer caught her arm.

"Maddie, are you coming home with me for dinner tonight?"

His tone was earnest, seeking reassurance that she hadn't suspected anything.

Without turning around, Maddie replied calmly, "Sure."

Archer's face brightened. "I'll pick you up after work."

Maddie lowered her gaze, suppressing the indifference in her eyes.

She had agreed to visit the family home with a singular purpose.

When Archer had first arranged their marriage certificate, he'd insisted on keeping it at the family home for safekeeping. The document he had given her could help establish how he had deceived her. Her attorney would still need certified marriage records to determine whether bigamy or fraud could be proved.

Maddie didn't wait for Archer to pick her up. She took a cab to the house herself.

She expected a regular family dinner, but the gathering was exceptionally large. Archer's parents, who had been vacationing overseas last week, had returned, and even the extended Williams family was present.

"Maddie."

Upon seeing her, Eliza glanced behind her. "Archer didn't come with you?"

Maddie replied calmly, "He'll be here soon."

Eliza clicked her tongue, showing clear disapproval. "Archer has indulged you too much. On such an important day, letting someone like you come alone is unacceptable."

Maddie frowned slightly.

Though she and Archer had been promised to each other as children, after her mother passed, her family's fortunes dwindled while the Williams' thrived. From then on, Eliza had tried more than once to break off the engagement.

But the Williams patriarch was an upright, principled man who firmly opposed such opportunistic behavior, and Archer had insisted on marrying Maddie. That forced Eliza to reluctantly accept the marriage.

Even so, Eliza hadn't eased up on Maddie after the wedding.

Just as Eliza was about to continue, the butler hurried in and whispered, "He's here."

Eliza immediately forgot about Maddie, standing up in haste as the extended Williams family quickly followed suit to greet their guest.

The formality of the occasion caught Maddie off guard.

The Williams were already considered a top-tier family in their circle. Whoever warranted such a solemn welcome must be significant...

Maddie glanced up, spotting a sleek black Maybach pulling up in front of the house. An attendant swiftly opened the car door, and a tall figure stepped out.

The man was dressed in a dark suit, his features sharply defined, with piercing eyes and a presence commanding enough to make others wary of meeting his gaze.

The crowd rushed to greet him, but the man remained impassive. His strikingly handsome face was as calm as if carved from ice. He briefly glanced in Maddie's direction.

Caught off guard, Maddie's heart skipped a beat as their gazes locked.

It was Declan, Archer's brother.

Declan had returned to the country.

Though he carried the title of brother, Declan's relationship with the Williams family wasn't close. He had left for abroad years ago, expanding the family's business globally. Meanwhile, the Williams father was more of a spendthrift than a businessman, and the patriarch, while capable, was growing too old to handle everything alone, leaving the reins firmly in Declan's hands.

Maddie exhaled quietly. No wonder the turnout was so large today.

They were all here for Declan.