Give that back," Nicole said, reaching for her pause
Oh, I think it's everyone's business," Victoria countered. She walked closer, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floor. "The 'Ice King' and his commoner bride. Everyone out there thinks this is a whirlwind romance. They think Alex finally found someone he actually wanted to touch."
She leaned in, her breath smelling of expensive champagne. "But he hasn't touched you, has he? This whole marriage is just a science experiment. You're not a wife; you're an incubator he hired to pay off a debt."
"Stop it," Nicole hissed, her eyes stinging.
"Does he even look at you when the cameras are off?" Victoria laughed. "He probably can't stand to be in the same room as you. And if the board of directors found out that the Sterling heir was conceived in a petri dish because Alex couldn't be bothered to bed his own wife... well, the stock price wouldn't be the only thing that falls."
Nicole tried to snatch the bottle, but Victoria was faster. She tucked it into her own bodice.
"I'm going to keep this," Victoria said. "And in return for my silence, you're going to do exactly what I say. Alex is planning a merger with the DuPont group next month. I need to know his bottom line. You're going to get me those files from his study."
"I can't do that. He'll kill me."
"And if you don't," Victoria replied, heading for the door, "I'll hand this bottle to the lead reporter from the Daily Mail before the sun comes up. Think about it, Nicole. Do you want to be the woman who carried the Sterling heir, or the fraud who got thrown in jail for breach of contract?"
Victoria vanished back into the ballroom, leaving Nicole alone in the cold silence of the powder room.
Nicole leaned against the sink, gasping for air. She had to get that bottle back. She wiped her eyes, straightened her ruined dress, and walked out.
The gala was still in full swing. She spotted Alex near the stage, looking calm and powerful as he spoke to a group of ministers. He looked up and saw her. His eyes darkened when he saw the wine stain was still there. He signaled for her to come over, his face a mask of irritation.
"I told you to fix it or stay out of sight," he screamed. "You look like a mess. You're embarrassing me."
"A woman bumped into me on purpose, Alex," Nicole snapped, her voice trembling. "And Victoria followed me into the bathroom. She—"
Nicole stopped. If she told him Victoria had the pills, Alex would be furious at her carelessness. He might even think she was working with Victoria.
"She what?" Alex demanded, his grip tightening.
"She was mocking me," Nicole lied. "She said I don't belong here. And looking at the way you're treating me, she's right."
Alex's ego flared. "You belong wherever I put you, Nicole. You signed the contract. Now, smile for the final toast, or I'll make sure the rest of your pregnancy is spent locked in your room."
He pulled her back toward the center of the room. Nicole felt like a puppet. She looked across the ballroom and saw Victoria watching them, raising a glass in a mocking toast. Victoria tapped her chest—right where the medicine bottle was hidden.
As the gala ended and they reached the mansion, Alex went straight to his study without a word. Nicole waited until the house was silent. She had to get those files for Victoria, or lose everything.
She crept to Alex's study door and turned the handle. It was unlocked. She slipped inside, the moonlight casting long shadows over the mahogany desk. She began rifling through the folders, her heart leaping into her throat with every floorboard creak.
Finally, she found it: The DuPont Merger - Confidential.
She grabbed the folder, but as she turned to leave, the desk lamp flickered on.
Alex was sitting in the armchair in the corner of the dark room, his face half-hidden in the shadows. He wasn't wearing his jacket anymore, and his sleeves were rolled up. He looked at the folder in her hand, then at her terrified face.
"I wondered how long it would take for you to betray me," he said, his voice a low, terrifying growl.
***
Alex stood up and walked toward her, blocking the only exit. "Who are you working for, Nicole? Or should I just call the police now and end this little 'contract' tonight?"