The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife (Carmen and Marco) novel Chapter 31

The grand hall of the Venetti estate stood in silence, but the tension in the air was suffocating. Outside, the rain beat relentlessly against the windows, muffling the echo of Marco’s measured footsteps as he walked toward Arianna. She stood in the center of the room, back straight, a faint smirk playing at the corners of her lips despite the storm she could see in Marco’s dark, piercing gaze.

Luca had delivered the last of the evidence earlier that day—communications, financial trails, and planted proof that even Arianna couldn’t explain away. Marco held the papers in his hand now, gripping them so tightly the edges crumpled beneath his fingers.

Arianna tilted her head as he stopped in front of her, her expression a portrait of calculated calm. “You look tired, Marco.”

“Do you recognize these?” Marco’s voice was low, dangerous. He tossed the papers onto the table between them. The sheets scattered, black ink spelling out her betrayal for anyone willing to look.

Arianna glanced at them, her smirk faltering for the barest moment before she masked it with an air of indifference. “You’ve been busy.”

“Don’t play games with me.” Marco’s voice was sharp now, his control fraying at the edges. “Every detail leads back to you. The De Luca alliances. The sabotage. The accounts.” He leaned closer, his tone a growl. “You’ve been feeding them everything, and you used me to do it.”

Arianna’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, and then, shockingly, she laughed—a soft, almost pitying sound. “Is that what you think?”

“It’s not a theory. It’s the truth,” Marco snapped, slamming his fist against the table. “I trusted you, Arianna. I let you in, and this is how you repay me?”

Arianna’s smile vanished, replaced by something cold and sharp. “And whose fault is that, Marco? You trusted me because you had no one else. Because the woman you loved ran to another man.”

“Don’t—”

“No,” Arianna cut him off, her voice hardening as she stepped closer, her heels clicking against the marble floor. “Let’s talk about Carmen. She ran, Marco. She didn’t fight for you. She didn’t stand beside you. She went straight to Vincent Rossi. Do you think she did that out of fear? Out of survival? Please.”

Marco’s shoulders tensed, his jaw working as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

Arianna smiled faintly, her tone turning softer—almost consoling. “She betrayed you long before I ever came into the picture. And now she’s back, feeding you lies and turning you against me.”

“Stop,” Marco muttered, though his voice lacked its earlier edge.

Arianna tilted her head, studying him. “You haven’t asked the most important question, Marco.”

“What question?”

“Why Carmen ran to Vincent in the first place,” Arianna said softly, her words like poison dripping into the air. “And what happened while she was there.”

Marco frowned, his brow furrowing as her meaning began to sink in.

Arianna took another step toward him, her gaze steady. “Carmen didn’t leave because she was scared of me, or because she was trying to protect you. She left because she’s been with Vincent this whole time.”

“Lies,” Marco snapped, though his voice trembled slightly.

“Is it?” Arianna arched an eyebrow, her voice deceptively gentle. “You think she’s been loyal to you? Why would she? She ran to him—straight into his arms. Old habits die hard, Marco.”

“Don’t,” Marco warned again, his voice growing hoarse.

“And what about the baby?” Arianna continued her words cutting like glass. “You really think it’s yours?”

The room went deadly still. Marco stared at her, his face paling as though she’d struck him.

Arianna’s smile was faint, almost sympathetic. “You haven’t asked her, have you? Haven’t demanded the truth. Carmen’s been hiding something from you, and I’m willing to bet she won’t tell you whose child she’s carrying.”

Marco’s heart pounded painfully in his chest. “You’re lying.”

“Am I?” Arianna’s voice remained steady, her tone soft and dangerous, like a serpent coiling around its prey. “Think about it, Marco. She disappeared. She stayed with Vincent—your greatest rival—for weeks. Do you think he wouldn’t take advantage of that?”

“Stop,” Marco hissed, though the word sounded more like a plea.