The Secret Wife’s Gambit

For five long years, I was the secret wife of elite race car driver Axel Vance.

Then, he went public with his new romance on Instagram.

GossipWire painted me as a lunatic, some "trackside stalker."

His fans dragged me all over the internet.

My cheating husband played the hero, head over heels in love, while I was cast as the villain.

Did he really think I was just some ordinary freelancer?

He forgot who put up the five million dollars that launched his career and won him two GRC world championships.

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1

I had just wrapped up a cross-border M&A meeting in Zurich when my phone started blowing up.

My phone buzzed like crazy, first with hundreds of notifications from our family group chat, then with a cryptic text from my brother, Julian: "Saw the news. Don't do anything rash. Wait for my call."

"Eleanor! What the hell is going on?" The first to call was my younger sister, Chloe Ashford.

"Huh? What are you talking about? What happened?"

Her frantic tone left me baffled.

"Oh, well, if you don't know, then never mind. You're okay, that's what matters. I was just calling to see how your meeting went." The confusion in my voice seemed to reassure her.

The second call was from my best friend, Sophia.

"Eleanor! Are you okay? Please tell me you're holding up." She sounded incredibly anxious on the other end.

"What?"

My confusion deepened.

"Oh, you haven't heard? Then… never mind," she said quickly. "I was just calling to check on you! You know, being on the other side of the world and all!"

Sophia then awkwardly cracked a few bad jokes, laughing a little too loudly, before hanging up in a hurry.

Next came a video call from my mother.

"Eleanor! Are you alright?" she asked, her voice choked with tears.

"Okay, that's it. What the hell is going on?" I finally snapped.

My mother fell silent for a few seconds, seemingly startled by my reaction.

Then, she exclaimed, "Eleanor, you haven't seen? Axel and that actress went public! Someone dug up your info and is telling everyone you're some psycho trying to break them up!"

"The whole internet is tearing you apart!"

"Axel Vance?" I mumbled, my brow furrowing. "He wouldn't dare."

"Eleanor, you ignore him, you hear me? Your father, your brother, and I already have the legal team prepping a lawsuit!" my mother declared.

I pressed my temples, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. "Mom, wait. Don't be impulsive. Tell Dad and Julian to hold off. Let me figure out what's going on first. I can handle this."

After a long talk, my mother finally agreed she wouldn't interfere.

I opened X, and the trending topics immediately flooded my screen.

"GRC World Champion Axel Vance's Romance Revealed!"

"'The Flash' Finds True Love."

"Axel Vance Gifts Amber Skye Custom Diamond Bracelet."

It turned out Axel had posted a picture earlier.

It was an Instagram Story, a short clip of him surprising Amber with a brand-new, cherry-red convertible. The video was filled with her delighted screams as the two of them kissed.

The caption read: "A star for my star."

At the same time, Amber posted a photo of them kissing on a yacht in Nice.

It was an artsy, black-and-white photo, clearly taken by a professional. It showed them gazing deeply at each other on a balcony overlooking Monaco Harbor. Her caption read: "The stars are beautiful, but I love you more."