The Price of Betrayal

PART 3 — THE KING BEGS

At 3:17 a.m., Alexander received a call.

“Boss, we found Mrs. Moretti’s car.”

“Where?”

“At a private airport. Her vehicle was abandoned near the entrance.”

Alexander grabbed his coat.

“Is she there?”

“No, sir. She boarded a private aircraft approximately two hours ago.”

“Where did it go?”

“We’re still checking.”

Alexander slammed his fist against the desk.

“Find out!”

Daniel stood quietly nearby.

For the first time, he had never seen his boss so desperate.

Then another message arrived.

It was from the hospital.

Dr. Samuel Carter had confirmed that Claire was twelve weeks pregnant.

Alexander immediately called him.

“Doctor, I need to speak with my wife.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Moretti. Mrs. Moretti has instructed us not to disclose her medical information or location.”

“She’s carrying my child!”

There was a pause.

“Then perhaps you should have treated her better.”

The call ended.

Alexander stared at his phone.

Nobody had ever spoken to him that way.

But he couldn’t threaten the doctor.

Not when the man had been taking care of his wife while he had been busy entertaining Vanessa.

He sank into his chair.

“Daniel.”

“Yes, boss?”

“Bring me everything about Vanessa Blake.”

Daniel hesitated.

“Sir, we already have some information.”

“Then tell me.”

Daniel placed a thick folder on the desk.

“Vanessa has been receiving money from several Moretti accounts for almost three years. She also contacted your mother shortly before your anniversary party.”

Alexander opened the folder.

Inside were photographs of Vanessa meeting with Margaret, bank statements, and copies of suspicious financial transactions.

But the last document made his blood run cold.

It was a copy of an email sent from Vanessa’s account.

Once Claire is out of the picture, Alexander will have no reason to refuse me. His mother has already promised to help.

Alexander slowly raised his eyes.

“She planned this?”

Daniel nodded.

“There is more. We found evidence that Vanessa deliberately intercepted several of Mrs. Moretti’s messages to you.”

Alexander remembered the missed calls, canceled dinners, and messages he had never received.

For years, he had believed Claire was becoming distant.

Now he understood that someone had been creating that distance.

And he had allowed it.

At sunrise, Alexander drove to his mother’s mansion.

Margaret was having breakfast when he entered.

“Alexander! You’re finally home. Have you found that ungrateful woman?”

He threw the folder onto the table.

“What did you promise Vanessa?”

Margaret’s expression changed.

“Don’t speak to me like that.”

“Did you help her steal money from my company?”

“She needed help!”

“Did you know Claire was pregnant?”

Margaret looked away.

Alexander froze.

“You knew?”

His mother placed her napkin down.

“I only wanted to protect you. Vanessa is the woman you were supposed to marry. Claire was never suitable for this family.”

Alexander stared at her in disbelief.

“Claire was my wife.”

“She was temporary.”

He took a step backward as if her words had physically struck him.

Then he spoke quietly.

“You’re no longer welcome in my house or my business.”

“Alexander!”

“Your accounts are frozen pending an investigation. Daniel will contact your lawyer.”

Margaret stood up angrily.

“You would choose that woman over your own mother?”

Alexander’s eyes turned cold.

“No. I should have chosen my wife when I still had the chance.”

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, I stood on the balcony of a beautiful seaside villa in California.

The ocean stretched endlessly before me.

For the first time in months, I could breathe.

Victoria approached with two cups of tea.

“We received another message from Chicago.”

I didn’t turn around.

“From Alexander?”

“Yes. He’s asking to speak with you.”

I looked down at the small ultrasound photograph resting on the table.

“What did you tell him?”

“Nothing. But he also sent a voice message.”

Victoria placed her phone beside me.

I hesitated before pressing play.

Alexander’s voice came through, rough and broken.

“Claire… please. I know you can hear this.”

He paused.

“I saw the ultrasound. I saw our baby.”

His breathing became uneven.

“I don’t care about the company, the money, or what anyone thinks. Just tell me you’re safe.”

Another pause.

“Please don’t take my child away from me. I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but give me one chance to explain.”

The recording ended.

I stood silently for several seconds.

Then I picked up the phone and recorded a reply.

“Alexander, our baby is safe. That’s all you need to know.”

I stopped and took a breath.

“You had five years to be my husband. You had one night to be a father before you destroyed everything.”

My voice grew colder.

“Don’t come looking for me. If you truly care about this child, you’ll respect my decision.”

I sent the message.

Back in Chicago, Alexander listened to it three times.

Then Daniel entered the office carrying another envelope.

“Boss, we found something else.”

Alexander looked up.

“What now?”

Daniel placed the envelope on his desk.

“Vanessa wasn’t acting alone. Someone inside the Moretti family helped her arrange the forged transfers.”

Alexander opened it.

The first photograph showed Vanessa.

The second showed Margaret.

But the third photograph made his entire body go rigid.

It showed his younger brother, Adrian Moretti, meeting Vanessa in a private parking garage.

On the back of the photograph was a handwritten note:

THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER SINCE BEFORE YOUR WEDDING.

Alexander slowly lifted his head.

“Bring Adrian to me.”

Daniel swallowed.

“Sir… Adrian disappeared this morning.”

And for the first time, Alexander realized that losing Claire might have been only the beginning of his family’s destruction.