My Husband’s Mistress Stole My Baby and My Throne

A soft knock at the guest house door pulled me from my work. I tensed, my hand instinctively moving to my swollen belly as I rose to answer.

Miley stood on the threshold, a steaming mug in her manicured hands and a practiced smile on her lips. Snowflakes dusted her designer coat—my mother's coat—making my jaw clench involuntarily.

"I brought you something," she said, her voice dripping with false concern. "Chamomile and ginger. Good for the baby."

I didn't move aside to let her in. "What do you want, Miley?"

She sighed dramatically. "Can't I show basic human decency? Valentino's been... struggling. The board is concerned about his mental state."

"His mental state?" I echoed, my voice flat. "Or yours?"

Her smile faltered for just a moment. "He needs space, Savanna. Perhaps you should consider leaving town. For his health."

I took the mug, feeling its warmth against my palms. "How thoughtful of you to come all this way just to tell me to disappear."

Miley's eyes gleamed with something cold and calculating. "Think of it as a peace offering. We both want what's best for the company."

"I'll drink to that," I said, raising the mug to my lips but not drinking.

She watched me expectantly, her smile intensifying. "Drink up. It's good for you."

After she left, I immediately poured the tea into a potted fern near the window. The liquid splashed onto the soil and onto several leaves.

"Sorry, little one," I murmured to my belly. "But we're not taking chances."

By evening, the fern's leaves had begun to curl and brown at the edges. By morning, it was wilting rapidly.

I carefully cut off a sample of the dead leaves and sealed them in a plastic bag. When Cooper made his weekly security sweep of the property, I slipped it to him.

"Have this analyzed," I whispered. "Discreetly."

His eyes met mine, understanding passing between us without words.

---

Three days later, chaos erupted at Aegis headquarters.

"Emergency meeting in the main conference room," blared the intercom. "All senior staff required."

I entered to find Valentino pacing like a caged animal while board members whispered among themselves. Miley stood beside him, her expression grave but her eyes bright with anticipation.

"What happened?" I asked Cooper, who stood near the door.

"Blueprints for the Artemis Project were leaked to Blackwater Security," he murmured. "Government contract worth two hundred million."

Valentino slammed his fist on the table. "This is sabotage! Treason!"

Miley cleared her throat delicately. "I've traced the source, Valentino." She turned to me, her lips curving into a smile. "The digital logs show access from Savanna's credentials."

"What?" I stepped forward. "That's impossible. I haven't accessed those files."

"Check again," Miley insisted, sliding a tablet across the table.

The screen displayed a series of timestamps and access logs—all bearing my username.

"These are fabricated," I said immediately. "Look at the entry pattern—it's too perfect."

Valentino's face darkened as he studied the screen. "Explain this."

"I can't explain something that isn't real," I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the panic rising in my chest.

"It's a sloppy frame job," Cooper said quietly.

"Silence!" Valentino roared. "Savanna, my office. Now."

---

Hours later, I found myself locked in the basement interrogation room—a windowless concrete cell used for questioning hostile subjects. The heat had been turned off, and the temperature had plummeted to near-freezing.

"Admit it," Valentino demanded, his voice echoing off the bare walls. "You leaked the plans out of spite."

"I would never betray the company," I said through chattering teeth. "This is Miley's doing."

Miley laughed from her position by the door. "Always the victim, aren't you, Savanna?"

For six hours, they took turns questioning me. Valentino's fury gave way to desperation as I maintained my innocence. Miley's questions grew increasingly personal, probing at my relationship with Valentino, my father's legacy, my pregnancy.

"You're pathetic," she hissed when Valentino stepped out. "Clinging to a man who doesn't want you."

"He'll see through you eventually," I managed, my limbs growing numb from cold.

When Valentino returned, his eyes were wild with frustration. "Last chance, Savanna. Confess."

"I can't confess to something I didn't do."

The pain started suddenly—a sharp cramping that doubled me over. Something warm trickled down my thighs.

"Savanna?" Valentino's voice held a note of panic.

I looked down to see blood spreading across my skirt. "The baby," I whispered.

Valentino froze, horror dawning on his face. "Get a medic!"

Miley grabbed his arm. "It's a drama act. Don't fall for it."

"She's bleeding!"

"Then she's faking it well," Miley said coldly.

The room tilted around me as I collapsed to my knees. Valentino's face blurred above me, his mouth moving but his words inaudible.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Miley's triumphant smile.