Chapter 1Three months into baby number two, I caught my husband's mistress at my OB-GYN.
She strutted into the VIP exam room dripping in jewelry, swinging a Birkin like she owned the damn place.
Rhett's assistant trailed behind her, kissing ass and calling her "Mrs. Lawson."
Watched him hand her a bank card. MY bank card.
I pulled out my phone. Dialed the bank.
"Hi. Yeah. Cancel the card ending in 3306. Now."
Then hung up. Stared at that VIP door.
No money? No mistress.
And her precious "Mr. Lawson"? He could pack his shit and GET OUT.
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When I got home from the clinic, Rhett was already there. Like, home early. Weird.
And he'd cooked. A whole dinner.
"Hey babe, you're back. Long day, huh?" He kissed my cheek, doing that whole sweet-husband thing from when we first got together.
Except he reeked of lily-of-the-valley perfume. Made me wanna puke.
I pushed past him and ran to the bathroom. Threw up everything.
When I came out, he just stood there staring, mouth hanging open.
I wiped my lips. "I'm going to the office tomorrow."
"What? No—why?" He freaked for a second, then caught himself.
"Babe, you're three months pregnant. You've got Maisie. You don't need the stress. Just stay home, relax."
I smiled. "Doctor said I gotta move around more, get my steps in. Office is perfect. Plus you'll be there anyway."
He had nothing.
Yeah. Thought so.
Guess he forgot—my family owns the company. He just works there.
Been at it so long he started thinking it was his.
He didn't ask about the canceled card either. Probably because he knew damn well why. The spending history said it all.
Next morning I rolled into the office.
Rhett walked me to the elevator, arm around my shoulder the whole way. Playing the protective husband.
That's when I spotted HER.
Same woman from the clinic yesterday.
Rhett tensed up. His grip on my shoulder tightened.
I stepped away and walked straight up to her.
Everyone else called me Ms. Bardot. But her?
She looked me dead in the eye and said, "Mrs. Lawson."
I raised an eyebrow. "Mrs. Lawson?"
"That's Ms. Bardot," my assistant snapped at her.
"She's new," he added quickly, turning to me. "Doesn't know everyone yet."
I turned to him. "Parker, your hire. First day, doesn't know who's who. Not interested."
"Fire her."
"What?!" Sienna's eyes went wide. "Ms. Bardot, seriously? Over a name? What about what I can actually do for this company?"
I stared right at her. "What's your name?"
"Sienna Callahan."
"Sienna." I held her gaze. "We only hire from top schools. If you can't even remember who's paying you, what makes you think you can handle anything else here?"
I turned to HR. "Fire her. And find out who hired her—cut their quarterly bonus."
Then I looked at the assistant. "You too, Parker. One more screwup like this and you're gone with her."
I didn't wait for an answer. Just walked into my office.
Rhett didn't say a word. Acted like he'd never seen her before.
Funny thing though—my people had already sent me photos of the two of them weeks ago.
Parker, my so-called trusted assistant? The one I handpicked to work under Rhett?
He'd betrayed me.
I don't do drama. I like keeping things simple.
You start shit with me? I'll return the favor.
Back in my office, Rhett went into concerned-husband mode. "Did you really have to do that? Get all pissed off at some new girl? See, this is why you should've just stayed home."
I looked at him. "This isn't about her. It's about how you're running things."
"I'm the boss. She didn't even know who's signing her checks. That's your fuckup, Rhett. Not hers."
"So now I'm starting to wonder if you can actually handle this job."
I leaned back and crossed my arms.
His jaw clenched. Yeah, he was pissed now.
He stepped up to my desk, hands on the armrests, trying to intimidate me.
"What do you want from me? You want me to quit? Go home and watch the kids all day?" He put his hand on my stomach. "Is that it?"
I smiled. "Would you?"
Chapter 2
He froze. Then laughed it off.
"Come on. I know you. Pregnancy hormones. If I actually quit, you'd lose your mind."
I didn't argue. Didn't need to.
Rhett would never willingly leave. His ego wouldn't let him.
So I wasn't in any rush.
I hit the intercom. "Tell the project team. Meeting in ten."
Rhett blinked. "Project meeting? Everything's locked in already. Why now?"
"The Starlight deal," I said flatly. "It's been three months. I gave them a deadline before I went on leave. Now I'm three months pregnant and there's still zero progress."
"If I don't light a fire under them, they'll keep dragging their feet."
"Let's go, Rhett. You're with me."
I made sure he heard the edge in my voice. Rhett wasn't the boss here—I was.
He hated it. But followed.
When we got to the conference room, most of the team was already there.
I glanced at Parker. "Who's missing?"
"Project Team Two. Sienna's group."
I actually laughed. "So I fire Sienna and the whole team just... doesn't show up?"
Parker stammered.
I didn't wait. "Fire all of them. The entire second team."
"Babe—"
"It's Ms. Bardot in here."
Rhett's fists clenched. Veins bulged on the back of his hand.
Finally, he forced it out. "Ms. Bardot. Team Two has been tracking Starlight for months. If you cut them all, it could tank the whole deal."
"We don't keep dead weight," I said simply. "Three months. No results. That tells me they weren't even trying."
"They're mad I fired Sienna? Perfect. Now they can all be unemployed together."
I turned to Parker. "You're demoted. Hand everything to Brooklyn. Now."
Parker stunned. Opened his mouth, saw the look on my face, and closed it again. Just nodded.
I waved him off. "Regular assistants don't sit in project meetings. Out."
Then spent the next hour grilling every person in that room.
Turned out, even while I was home on leave, I knew every detail. Every shortcut. Every shady move they thought I wouldn't notice.
Their smug faces slowly turned serious.
Twenty minutes after the meeting, HR posted the termination list.
The office exploded.
Team Two stormed my office. "Ms. Bardot, what the hell? You're firing us over missing one meeting?"
I glanced up from my desk. "Give me one good reason you weren't there. Just one."
They looked at each other. One guy's face went red. "We were on calls with the client."
I pulled out my phone. "Funny you say that. Just talked to Harrison Wade at Starlight. Know how many times you've called him in three months? Three. Maybe."
"The deal's stuck because you didn't do shit. And now you're standing here lying to my face?"
"You wanna sue? Go ahead. I'll see you in court."
"Now get out."
Chapter 3
They stood there, frozen. Then looked at Rhett like he'd save them.
He snapped. "Didn't you hear Ms. Bardot? Pack your shit and get out."
They finally left.
Rhett waited until the door closed. "You've been acting crazy lately."
"Me? Crazy?" I leaned in. "Or maybe you just suck at your job?"
"I left you in charge for three months, Rhett. Three. And this is the mess I come back to?"
"I canceled your card for a reason. Are you really that clueless?"
All the color drained from his face.
"Starlight's falling apart because of you. So here's what's happening—I'm taking over. Anything important goes through me now."
"Parker? Done. I'm moving Brooklyn up to replace him."
"Parker's been coasting for way too long."
Rhett got the message. I could see it in his eyes.
He was pissed. But he didn't argue.
"I'll get back to work then," he muttered.
I nodded and went back to my files.
My presence clearly rattled him. Because within days, the project team imploded.
"Ms. Bardot!" Brooklyn rushed in. "Starlight just signed with someone else. A new company. They undercut us by twenty cents."
I sat up. "What company?"
"It's called Apex Rising. Started six months ago. Their services are almost identical to ours."
She pulled up the registration. "The CEO is someone named Garrett Callahan."
Garrett Callahan. Didn't know him.
But a six-month-old company with overlapping services that nobody in the industry had heard of?
Something was off.
"Keep looking," I said. "I need to know if there's any money going from us to them."
Brooklyn's eyes widened. She got it.
Someone on the inside had leaked our bid.
I made a show of losing my temper. Smashed a mug. Yelled at Brooklyn in front of everyone.
She left my office looking like she was about to cry.
Word got back to Rhett fast.
He showed up that evening with cupcakes. "Hey. Don't stress. It's just one deal. I've got your back."
I didn't fight it. Just let him take me home.
Rhett was all smiles on the drive back.
I watched the trees and buildings fly by outside my window. Made me think of the day we met. Sunny day, just like this one.
I'd given a guest lecture at his university. Afterward, he handed me flowers. Blushing. Barely able to speak.
All he managed to do was slip a note into my hand.
It had the name of an art exhibit. A date. A time.
Most guys who hit on me were bold. Aggressive. Transactional.
Rhett? He was different. Shy. Sweet.
So I went.
Turned out he was a part-time tour guide there. I listened to his whole spiel. Started dating him after.
He was easy. Obedient. Good-looking enough.
After we got married, we had Maisie. Now I'm pregnant again.
But somewhere along the way, Rhett stopped being that shy kid.
Now? He's just greedy. Arrogant.
Makes me sick.
When I walked in, my phone buzzed.
Brooklyn had sent photos.
"Ms. Bardot—Garrett Callahan is Sienna's dad. Apex Rising was founded six months ago. Initial investment? $500K. Transferred directly from Rhett's account."
I stared at the photo of Rhett and Sienna walking into an apartment building together.
Rhett noticed me staring. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just looking at a picture. Kinda funny, actually."
I held up my phone.
His face drained of color.
"Wanna explain why the woman I just fired is in this photo with you?"
