The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife (Carmen and Marco) novel Chapter 18

The Venetti estate was alive with whispers. Men moved through the hallways with hushed voices, tension thickening like smoke in the air. Marco strode through the study doors and sank into the leather chair behind his desk. His head ached, but it wasn’t just the weight of the recent failures. It was the unease that had begun to creep into every corner of his mind.

Arianna entered moments later, elegant as always. Her confidence never seemed to waver—calm, collected, a shadow at his side. She held a folder in her hand, her expression carefully composed, though a faint smirk lingered on her lips.

“Is now a bad time?” she asked lightly.

Marco glanced at her. “It’s never a good time lately.”

“That’s because you’re surrounded by problems,” Arianna said, her voice smooth. She perched on the edge of the desk, flipping open the folder. “And the root of all those problems keeps leading back to one person, doesn’t it?”

Marco frowned, not answering. Arianna didn’t need him to. She turned the folder toward him, revealing a series of photos—grainy, distant shots of Vincent Rossi’s countryside estate. Several of the photos showed Carmen stepping out of the house, speaking to figures Marco couldn’t identify.

“Where did you get these?” Marco asked, his voice low.

“A contact,” Arianna replied, brushing it off. “Does it matter?” She leaned in, her tone soft, persuasive. “She’s not hiding, Marco. She’s plotting. You’re chasing shadows in this war, but Carmen is sitting at Vincent’s table, likely helping him dismantle everything you’ve worked for.”

Marco’s jaw tightened, his gaze locked on the images. He recognized the shape of her, the tilt of her head, even through the blurry resolution. The photos made his chest ache, but Arianna’s words—her accusations—began to take hold.

“She wouldn’t,” he muttered, though the certainty in his voice wavered.

Arianna tilted her head, watching him like a predator toying with its prey. “Are you sure? Carmen is clever, but she’s not innocent. She didn’t run away to save herself—she ran to Vincent, your oldest enemy. Ask yourself why.”

Marco looked away, his fists clenching against the desk. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to push Arianna’s words aside, but they slithered into his thoughts, wrapping around the seed of doubt that had already taken root.

Arianna stood, walking slowly toward the window. “Men like Vincent don’t do favors, Marco. He’s helping her because there’s something in it for him. And Carmen? If she’s still loyal to you, why hasn’t she come back? Why does she stay with him?”

Silence. Marco’s thoughts twisted painfully. Arianna didn’t press further. She didn’t need to. She turned back to him, her smile faint but sharp.

“I’m only looking out for you,” she said softly. “Someone has to.”

________________

The soft crackle of the fire filled Vincent’s library, but Carmen wasn’t listening to it. She sat at the small desk, papers spread before her, the weight of everything growing heavier with each passing day. Her phone buzzed softly beside her, breaking the silence. She picked it up, her heart beating faster when she saw Luca’s name.

“Luca?” she answered quickly.

“It’s worse than we thought,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with something she couldn’t quite place. “Arianna’s been spreading rumors. The men are hearing whispers that you’re working with Vincent—plotting against Marco.”

Carmen closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. “I should have expected this.”

“She’s poisoning him, Carmen. She’s making him question everything—everything he thought he knew about you.”

Carmen was silent for a moment. “And Marco? Does he believe it?”

Luca hesitated, and the pause told her more than his words ever could. “I don’t know what he believes anymore,” he said finally. “But he’s listening to her. She has his ear.”

Carmen’s fingers tightened around the phone. “Then I need you to deliver a message to him, Luca. Directly.”

“What do you want me to say?”