CHAPTER 2 — THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL
The news spread before sunrise.
"Socialite Isabella Rossi Exposed After Hospital Attack."
The headlines appeared everywhere.
For years, Isabella had carefully created the image of elegance.
The perfect daughter.
The perfect friend.
The perfect woman.
But one recording destroyed everything.
The public didn’t see the designer gown.
They saw the cruelty.
They saw the jealousy.
They saw the truth.
Meanwhile, inside the hospital, Marcus refused to leave Khloe’s side.
Doctors monitored the pregnancy closely.
Every minute felt endless.
Finally, after hours of waiting, the doctor entered.
Marcus immediately stood.
"How is she?"
The doctor smiled slightly.
"Your wife and the baby are stable."
Marcus closed his eyes.
Relief washed over him.
But Khloe was different.
When Marcus entered the room, she looked away.
"Khloe..."
She remained silent.
"I should have seen it."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I should have protected you."
Khloe looked at him.
"You protected your company."
The words hit harder than any accusation.
"You protected your reputation."
Marcus lowered his head.
Because she was right.
He remembered every moment he ignored Isabella’s behavior.
Every time Khloe told him something felt wrong.
Every time he told her she was imagining things.
"I was so focused on controlling everything around me..."
He swallowed.
"I forgot the person standing beside me."
For the first time in years, Marcus Thorne wasn’t a billionaire.
He was just a husband who almost lost his family.
Days later, Isabella’s legal team attempted to control the damage.
They claimed emotional distress.
They claimed misunderstanding.
They claimed the footage didn’t show the full story.
But Daniel Carter had expected that.
He had preserved everything.
Every angle.
Every second.
Every piece of evidence.
And when Isabella realized she couldn’t escape, she made one final mistake.
She revealed the reason behind everything.
She had not wanted Marcus.
Not truly.
She wanted his name.
His power.
May you like
His empire.
And Khloe was the only person standing in her way.
