The Wife He Left Behind While He Built a World for Another Woman Chapter 04

The Wife He Left Behind While He Built a World for Another Woman Chapter 04

Over the next week, Vincent and Celeste appeared together at one exclusive social event after another, drawing attention everywhere they went.

At a charity gala, Celeste entered on his arm in an understated white gown as camera flashes went off around her all night.

The next morning, her photograph dominated the front page of the daily paper.

At the auction gala, Vincent sat beside her and carefully cut her steak for her.

Every influential guest in the room saw it, and they all understood exactly what it meant.

On Celeste’s birthday, Vincent rented out the city’s amusement park so she could relive her childhood.

The staff were stunned, but Celeste seemed completely used to it. She accepted the cotton candy he handed her and thanked him softly.

At the same time, Vincent used every connection he had to turn Celeste into Southern Europe’s most high-profile nun and humanitarian. Corporations competed to donate to her causes, hoping it would earn them access to Vincent.

Rumors spread quickly through their social circle. People said Vincent had finally gone legit and left the mob behind, redeemed by Celeste’s goodness. They claimed he would soon divorce Evelyn and marry Celeste instead.

Celeste’s smile grew softer and more radiant by the day. Dressed in her spotless white habit, she moved through exclusive events, receiving praise and admiration wherever she went.

Everyone knew that the acclaim and devotion others could only dream of came from the ruthless man who showed no mercy to anyone else yet gave Celeste all the tenderness he had.

Meanwhile, in the dark, damp warehouse, Frank waited an entire week without receiving a single dollar in ransom.

Furious, he kicked open the door and dragged me out of the corner where I had been curled up.

In only seven days, I had wasted away until I was little more than skin and bone. My lips were split and peeling, and dark scabs covered my face.

The dark-red blood staining my legs had long since dried. My once-rounded belly was now flat, a horrifying sight.

Malloy stared at me in utter confusion.

“Aren’t you Vincent Rinaldi’s wife?”

“Everyone says he worships the ground you walk on. Your baby is gone, and I sent him the video. What the hell is he thinking?”

“Why hasn’t he come for you?”

I slowly raised my gaze. The eyes that had once crinkled with laughter were now empty and lifeless.

My cracked lips parted, and my voice came out raw and broken.

“Because you kidnapped the wrong woman.”

The corner of my mouth twitched as I summoned the last of my strength.

“Vincent has two wives now, one living aboveground and the other hidden in the enclave below.”

“The woman he treasures isn’t here. You took me, and he couldn’t care less.”

Malloy froze, his face filled with disbelief.

I sat on the freezing concrete floor and spoke as calmly as though I were telling someone else’s story.

“Vincent is having an affair with a nun named Celeste.”

“He spent billions of dollars building an entire self-contained city underground for her, complete with an artificial day-and-night cycle, a simulated starry sky, and a replica of her parish church.”

“Down there, he lives under his late brother’s identity as a husband devoted only to Celeste.”

“When you kidnapped me, he could have saved me without any difficulty. Instead, he bought the property you wanted and gave it to Celeste.”

“He never believed I had been taken. He thought I had staged the whole thing out of jealousy just to throw a tantrum.”

I fell silent.

The warehouse became deathly still.

Malloy’s cigarette burned down to his fingertips, and only when the glowing ember scorched him did he snap out of his daze.

He looked into my vacant eyes and seemed unable to find anything to say. At last, he waved a hand.

“You can go.”

He stood and tossed a key onto the floor in front of me.

“I never planned to kill you. I only wanted the property and the ransom.”

I stared at the cold metal key for a long time before slowly raising my head.

My voice was as faint as ash about to scatter in the wind.

“I can pay you.”

“But you have to do something for me.”

Malloy raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“Stage my death and make it look like you killed me.”

My face remained expressionless, and my voice was perfectly calm.

“I want him to believe I’m dead.”

“The moment I lost my baby, and the moment he passed right by me with Celeste beside him, I was done with him for good.”

“But I want him to remember this for the rest of his life.”

“Every time he closes his eyes, I want him to see me and the baby who died so horribly here.”

Malloy was silent for a long time before giving a heavy nod.

“Fine. Consider it my one good deed.”

I slowly removed the wedding ring from my ring finger and handed it to Malloy.

Then I limped out of the room that had held me captive for more days and nights than I could count.

Behind me, flames suddenly roared to life. Fire burst through the windows and painted the entire night sky red.

Thick black smoke billowed into the sky, as if the flames could reduce my shattered past to ashes once and for all.

I never looked back.

Pulling my bloodstained coat tightly around me, I walked forward one steady step at a time.

From that moment on, Evelyn Hart was gone. She would never set foot in Vincent’s world again.