Chapter 5
I turned it face down on the table, but the vibrations wouldn’t stop. Bryan’s name flashed across the screen over and over again. Then came the texts,
Mitch, pick up.
Please, just talk to me.
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it.
Come home. We can fix this.
Fix? There was nothing to fix.
For five years, I had lived in silence, believing in a love that never existed. Now that the truth was out, he wanted to rewrite the past? He thought an apology could erase the years of lies, manipulation, and betrayal?
blocked him. Not a word. Not a reply. The less, the better. There was no world in which I would forgive him.
The next few days were a blur of transformation. Lynn–my mother–personally oversaw everything. She was relentless, determined to mold me into the woman I was always meant to
De.
‘You are a Lindsey,” she reminded me as we walked through the estate. “And soon, the world wil
<now.”
She trained me–refining the way I walked, the way I carried myself. Posture, grace, elegance. The way I spoke, the way I dined. Every detail mattered.
wasn’t just Mitch Ford anymore. I was the lost daughter of one of the most powerful families In the country. And the world was about to meet me.
Everything I once believed about myself shattered. I had thought I was just an orphan, a nobody a woman who had been pitied and married off to be silenced. But now, I was someone.
wasn’t the girl begging for Bryan’s love anymore. I was Mitch Lindsey. And the people who ha wronged me were about to learn exactly what that meant.
The news spread like wildfire. The Lindsey family is hosting an elite banquet to introduce thei ong–lost daughter.
Socialites buzzed with excitement. The business world took notice. Every news outlet speculated on what this meant for the industry, for the power shifts among the wealthiest families.
Bryan and Suzanne? They were silent after what happened with the live video. Perhaps, hiding in the shadows until people stopped talking about them. It was okay. I had planned for the right time. They could just deal with themselves for now.
I sat in my mother’s study as she flipped through financial reports, her expression unreadable. “We haven’t informed Midnight Industries about pulling our investments yet,” she said, calm bu firm. “We’ll do it soon.”
Chapter 4
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3:57 pm DO.
I met her gaze and nodded. “I trust you.”
Bryan’s empire thrived because of the Lindseys. Without our backing, Midnight Industries would crumble. A knock at the door. A staff member entered, handing me a folder.
I didn’t have to ask. I knew what it was.
The accident report.
For five years, I had believed it was just that–an accident. A moment of bad luck, a tragedy that changed my life forever. But Bryan had hidden the truth.
And now? Now, I had proof. Eyewitnesses. Surveillance footage. Documents.
Bryan had married me to keep me silent. My hands trembled as I flipped through the pages. The accident that took my hearing… Suzanne had been behind the wheel. Drunk. Reckless. And Bryan had covered it up. Everything–the marriage, the kindness, the way he had learned sign language–it had all been a lie to make sure I never found out the truth.
I had spent years believing I was unlovable. That no one would want a deaf woman. That Bryan was the best I could ever have.
I knew better now. I set the folder down and turned to the staff.
“Prepare all the evidence,” I ordered. “File the case.”
I took a breath, steady and sure.
“And make sure Suzanne is arrested at the banquet.”
Later that evening, my mother arranged a private meeting. She didn’t say with whom–only that it was important.
“With recent events,” she said, “you’ll need someone by your side.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She folded her hands. “A marriage arrangement.”
I stilled. Of course. This wasn’t just about me–it was about power, status, influence. I had no choice. This was my life now.
So I nodded. “I understand.”
It was business. Nothing more.
That night, I sat at an exclusive restaurant, waiting. The private dining room was quiet, candlelight flickering against crystal glasses. A waiter poured red wine into my glass, the deep color reflecting the chandelier’s glow.
The air was thick with expectation. Then the door opened. I turned–and froze.
Wallace Huber. The name alone carried weight. Ruthless. Calculated. The most hated rival of Midnight Industries. Bryan’s greatest enemy.
He was taller than I expected, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, exuding power with every step. His sharp gaze swept over me, lingering for a moment before he smirked.
He slid into the seat across from me, leaning back as if he owned the room.
“I have to say,” he mused, picking up his glass, “I didn’t expect my future wife to be Bryan’s discarded little plaything.”
3:58 pm D
I didn’t flinch. Instead, I lifted my glass, meeting his gaze with a calm, unwavering stare.
“That makes two of us.”
He chuckled, swirling his wine. “So this is just business, then?”
I took a sip of my drink, savoring the taste before answering.
“Everything is business.”
He studied me for a moment, his amusement never fading. “Good answer.”
I could tell he was intrigued. He had expected a weak woman–someone broken, someone who
would hesitate.
But I wasn’t that woman anymore.
And just like that, I realized-
This wasn’t a loss.
This was my advantage.
