Prime Priority

Early the next morning, Ethan was in the walk-in closet adjusting his tie.

I finished putting on my lipstick and said casually, "I'm going with you to the celebration dinner tonight."

His hand paused on the tie, and our eyes met in the mirror.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly slipped back into his usual gentle tone. "Of course. Just remember there'll be a crowd. I don't want you getting tired. We'll drop off the gift and leave early."

I nodded lightly, fully aware of what this meant. This was the last social event I would ever attend as his wife.

…

The Schmidt family's ballroom glowed with bright lights, and celebrities from across the city gathered to celebrate Vivian.

I slipped into a corner with a glass of champagne to avoid the crowd, but I couldn't avoid the endless praise showered on her.

"Ms. Holcomb, the new jewelry designs for the auction are absolutely brilliant. Any one of them could fetch a sky-high price!"

"It's an honor to attend the auction you're hosting. It's going to be a massive success."

Vivian basked in the attention, grinning so wide she could barely contain herself.

"Oh, please. I'm just doing it for fun…"

When her eyes landed on me, a flash of guilt flickered there, but it vanished almost instantly. She said loudly, "Laurel, you look awful. Are you still bothered about the auction? Relax. Just leave it to me. You stay home and try not to mess things up."

I ignored her and looked at the big screen, which displayed sketches of the jewelry designs.

The moment I saw them, my heart clenched. They were mine.

Every sketch in that collection was something I had refined over countless nights. I had never shown them to anyone and planned to debut them at the auction and steal the spotlight.

Yet now, every one of them had Vivian's name printed on it.

Vivian walked close and leaned toward my ear. "Laurel, do you like my designs? When the Fuller Group board gives me my cut of the profits, try not to get too jealous."

My hands curled into fists, shaking with fury.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she suddenly staggered backward and fell.

She clutched her stomach as she let out a piercing scream. "Ah! Laurel, why did you push me?"

She sat on the floor sobbing, instantly pulling everyone's attention toward us.

"What happened?"

"Vivian's pregnant! How could you push her?"

"Call a doctor!"

Chaos erupted. Just then, a tall figure rushed through the crowd and carefully lifted Vivian into his arms.

It was Ethan. He didn't spare me a single glance, as if I no longer existed in his world.

Instead, he soothed Vivian gently. "Are you okay?"

She leaned against him, voice soft and trembling. "It hurts… Ethan…"

He finally looked at me. The warmth I once knew was gone, replaced entirely by disappointment.

His tone was soft, but it cut deeper than any accusation. "Laurel, if you're upset about something, we can talk at home. You didn't need to do something this cruel."

I could barely hear him.

I just stared at him and asked softly, "Ethan, tell me. Why does she have my jewelry design sketches?"

He froze for a moment before looking away, pretending not to understand. "Maybe it's just a coincidence. She likes jewelry too. You're sisters. It's normal for you two to have similar ideas."

Coincidence? All my design files were encrypted. Ethan and I were the only two people who knew the password.

The truth hit me like a slap—he betrayed me.

That entire collection was meant to be a gift for our fifth anniversary. I wanted to show him that I wasn't just an accessory in his life, but a woman capable of standing beside the heir to the richest family in the country.

Now it had been stolen and used as a weapon against me.

I suddenly laughed, my eyes burning and my nose stinging. That was when he panicked.

Ethan handed Vivian to the medical staff and rushed toward me, gripping my hand tightly. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick? It's too chaotic here. Let me take you home."

I inhaled deeply, forcing back my tears. "Okay."

His expression eased with relief.

I kept the same calm smile and added, "But I don't want to go home. Tomorrow is my birthday. I want you to go with me to the mountaintop to watch the sunrise."