Chapter 1On our wedding day, Crew Aldridge handed me a paternity test like it was a wedding gift.
"Harlow, I got a three-year-old son."
Then he pulled over this woman in a white dress.
"This is Ivy Lennox. My son's mom. The only woman I've actually loved."
"You and me? Just a merger our families set up."
"So stay in your lane. She gets me. You get the Mrs. Aldridge."
I stared at him.
Was he serious right now?
Mrs. Aldridge? Like he was doing me some favor?
This merger wasn't about some fancy title.
It was about assets. Power. Making sure the next generation got an empire, not a legal mess.
And this idiot already had a secret kid ready to split everything?
I slapped the paternity test back at his chest.
"Crew, this deal needed someone smart. Not someone who can't keep it in his pants."
"You want your 'true love' and your kid so bad? Fine."
"I'm going straight to your grandpa. Pretty sure he'd pick a better heir."
---
Crew's face went dark. He grabbed my wrist.
"Harlow. Stop."
"This is our families' merger. Not your little meltdown."
I looked down at his hand on me.
"Let go."
He didn't.
"You walk out there and run to Grandpa, you'll embarrass both families."
I almost laughed.
"You brought your side chick and your kid to our engagement party, and I'M embarrassed?"
His jaw tightened.
"I already told you. You're still Mrs. Aldridge. Ivy and the kid won't affect that."
"So what's your problem?"
My problem?
"Does your kid have your last name?"
"Is he gonna get a cut of the Aldridge fortune?"
"And when we have kids, is he gonna be their older brother?"
Crew's eyes narrowed.
"Ledger's my blood. I'm not abandoning him."
I nodded.
"Right. So you want my family's money, want your girlfriend, and want your kid to inherit too?"
"Crew, you really thought this would work?"
A few people nearby laughed.
But not at him.
At me.
Crew's buddies stepped up, drinks in hand.
One guy in a floral shirt smirked. "Harlow, come on. Chill."
"Everyone in our circle's got someone on the side."
Another one jumped in. "For real. You still get to be Mrs. Aldridge. What's the big deal?"
"Who cares if he's got someone else? Just don't make a scene about it."
I looked at them.
Knew these assholes.
Felix Harding. Third son, total waste of space.
Asher Doyle. Second son, same story.
And some trust fund brat who's always on TMZ.
None of them ran shit in their families. Just rich kids their families kept around to look good.
Of course they didn't care.
They were never gonna be heirs anyway.
But Crew? He was supposed to be the next CEO of Aldridge Corp.
This wasn't about love.
It was about power, money, connections, legal succession.
And this dumbass just blew it all up by bringing his side chick and kid to my engagement party.
I pulled out my phone and texted my dad.
"Crew's got a mistress and a kid. Deal's off."
Crew saw me typing.
"Who are you texting?"
I put my phone away.
"None of your business."
That's when Ivy stepped forward, holding the kid.
Her eyes were red and watery.
"Harlow, please. Don't blame Crew. This is all my fault."
"I shouldn't have come today."
She touched the kid's head.
"Ledger kept asking about his dad. I just had to let him meet him."
The kid grabbed onto Crew's leg.
"Daddy, don't leave us."
Crew's whole face softened.
He crouched down and picked the kid up.
"I'm not leaving you."
Ivy's tears came faster.
"Harlow, Crew just cares too much. You've got everything. I only have him and Ledger."
"I swear I'm not trying to take your place."
I stared at her.
God, she was good.
"Ivy. You don't have to play the victim."
"Nobody forced you to sleep with him. Nobody forced you to have that kid."
Her face went pale.
Crew shot to his feet.
"Harlow! Watch your mouth."
I looked right at him.
"Don't like it? Then maybe don't do shit you'd be ashamed of."
He raised his hand like he was about to hit me.
Then the door slammed open.
I looked up and saw who it was.
Thank God.
Chapter 2
My dad's assistant, Warren, walked in with a few other people.
Warren had been with my dad for decades. He never panicked.
Even when the company was on fire, he stayed calm.
But today? His face was stone-cold.
He glanced at me first, checking if I was okay.
Then he turned to Crew.
"Mr. Aldridge. Mr. Whitmore sent me to pick up Miss Harlow."
Crew didn't drop his hand, but he smirked.
"Whitmore couldn't come himself? Had to send the help?"
Warren's tone didn't change.
"Mr. Whitmore's on his way. I'm here on behalf of the Whitmore family."
Crew laughed.
"Warren, you're just a secretary. Know your place."
Warren didn't blink.
"Think whatever you want about me, Mr. Aldridge. But this isn't personal."
"Miss Harlow is Mr. Whitmore's only child. She's set to run Whitmore Industries."
"This merger was about joining two heirs. But you just showed up with your side chick's kid. That's a problem."
Crew's face went dark.
"So what? I'm not kicking Harlow out. She's still gonna be my wife."
Warren's voice stayed flat.
"It's not about the ring. It's about the mess."
"The Whitmore family won't back someone whose kids are gonna tear each other apart over money."
That hit Crew.
He clenched his jaw.
"Alright. What do you want from me? I'll do it."
"Ivy and the kid won't live at the Aldridge estate. They won't be around Harlow. Happy?"
He looked at me like I should be grateful.
I just felt sick.
He fucked up my engagement, embarrassed the hell out of me, and now he thinks saying "they'll stay away" fixes everything?
Warren shook his head.
"Mr. Aldridge. You really don't see it, do you?"
"Nobody cares if they're around or not. The issue is you've already got a kid. That's the problem."
Crew's face went red.
"The fuck, Warren?"
"That's MY son. Stay out of it."
Warren stayed calm.
"I'm just telling you how it is."
"If you won't budge on this, the Whitmore family's gonna rethink the whole deal."
Crew grabbed a glass and smashed it on the floor.
Everyone froze.
He pointed at Warren.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
"You're threatening me? In my own place?"
I stepped forward.
"He's not threatening you. I am."
Crew turned to me, eyes like ice.
"Harlow. You really wanna burn this bridge?"
I didn't flinch.
"You're the one who lit the match."
Then Ivy dropped to her knees, clutching the kid.
Everyone gasped.
"Harlow, please. Don't fight Crew over me."
"I know I'm nothing compared to you. I know Ledger shouldn't have been born."
She was shaking, crying.
"If you really can't stand us, I'll leave. I'll take Ledger far away. You'll never see us again."
The kid started crying too.
"Mommy, I don't wanna go. I want Daddy."
Crew immediately pulled her up.
"Ivy, stop. Don't say that."
"I told you I wouldn't let you or Ledger suffer."
She leaned into him, sobbing harder.
"But Harlow hates us. The Whitmore family's so powerful. I'm scared."
Crew looked at me like I was a monster.
I'd had enough.
"Warren. Let's go."
"There's nothing left to talk about."
Warren nodded to his team. "Move. Now."
We barely took a step before—BANG.
The doors slammed shut.
A dozen guards in black suits came flooding in through the side door.
They circled us.
Chapter 3
The room went dead silent.
Crew's friends started grinning.
Felix whistled.
"Oh shit. Crew's pissed now."
Asher laughed. "Harlow, you should've just played along."
"When Crew gets mad, nobody can calm him down."
Another one smirked. "Chicks always learn the hard way."
I stared at Crew.
"What the hell are you doing?"
He walked toward me.
"You know exactly what I'm doing."
"Nothing's changing. Engagement's on. Wedding's on. Merger's on."
I let out a cold laugh.
"You won't drop my family's money, and you won't drop Ivy and the kid."
"So you're just taking both. That's your move?"
He just stood there. Didn't say no.
"Harlow, seriously. Wake up. Nobody in our world has a perfect marriage."
"You get the ring and everything that comes with it."
"Ivy gets me."
"Everybody wins. What's the problem?"
I looked at him like he was insane.
"The problem?"
"You don't see me as a person, Crew."
"I'm just whatever cash my family brings. That's it."
He frowned.
"Don't twist my words."
I kept going.
"Then let me say it clearly."
"The Whitmore family doesn't want you anymore. You're out."
His whole face went cold.
"Say it again. I dare you."
I didn't blink.
"I'm not marrying you."
"My family's got standards. We're not accepting some dumbass who got his side chick pregnant."
"Merger? Go tell your grandpa everything."
Crew's lips curved up. It looked wrong.
His eyes stayed empty.
"You think telling Grandpa changes anything?"
"Harlow, you're such a fucking child."
He raised his hand.
One of the guards pulled out a camera.
The lens pointed straight at me.
My stomach dropped.
I knew what he was planning.
And sure enough—
"Harlow, I know you're pissed about Ledger."
"So let's make it even."
"If I've got dirt, and you've got dirt, then we're square."
I felt sick.
"Crew. Don't."
He stared at me, voice low.
"I'm just teaching you how the real world works."
"Once I've got something on you, you won't dare run to Grandpa. Your family won't dare back out."
"And then? You'll marry me like a good girl."
Ivy stood behind him, face pale.
"Crew... maybe we shouldn't..."
He sighed.
"Ivy, you're too nice."
"Girls like her don't learn unless you teach them a lesson."
Then he snapped at his guards.
"Take her phone."
Warren's guys tried to stop them, but there were too many guards. They got pinned down fast.
Warren was held back by two men.
"Crew!"
"You touch Miss Harlow, and the Whitmore family will destroy you!"
Crew just smiled.
"Once I've got her on camera, the Whitmore family will be too embarrassed to do anything."
Someone grabbed my phone.
I held on tight, but they pried my fingers back until it hurt.
The phone hit the ground. Screen shattered.
Then two guards grabbed my arms and started dragging me toward a back room.
I kicked one of them in the shin.
"GET OFF ME!"
Crew stood under the lights, face blank.
"Harlow. You made me do this."
The camera's red light blinked on.
The lens got closer.
I felt cold all over.
I'd never imagined someone could be this disgusting.
This asshole was really gonna pull this shit on me—all to keep his inheritance and take my family's money.
Warren's eyes were bloodshot.
"MISS HARLOW!"
I kicked another guard.
But then someone slapped me.
Hard.
I hit the floor. My head slammed into the ground.
Everything went blurry.
The guards kept coming closer, camera in hand.
Then—
BANG.
The door exploded open.
An old man with a cane walked in.
"You little bastard. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Crew saw who it was.
His face went white.
