A complete stranger ordered me to pretend to be his wife at my sister's wedding—right in front of the ex-husband who abandoned me while pregnant.

The following Tuesday, my life exploded into public view.

Giovanni had fulfilled every promise. Five million dollars sat in a secure account in my name. Lily had been enrolled in the premier private academy in the district, complete with top-tier pediatric specialists monitoring her asthma. But peace in Giovanni’s world was an illusion.

I was finishing my shift at the hospital, washing my hands in the pediatric ward's staff lounge, when the door swung open violently.

A woman strode in, flanked by two private security guards. She wore a tailored white designer suit, oversized sunglasses, and high heels that clicked like gunfire on the linoleum floor. She took off her glasses, revealing cold blue eyes and razor-sharp cheekbones.

Victoria Vance.

"So this is where the charity case works," Victoria sneered, scanning the modest lounge with blatant disgust. "Tell me, Jessica, how much did Giovanni pay you to play house?"

I calmly dried my hands with a paper towel and tossed it into the bin. "You're trespassing in a restricted hospital wing, Ms. Vance. Leave, or I'll have security escort you out."

Victoria laughed—a harsh, brittle sound. "Hospital security? Sweetheart, my family funds this entire pediatric wing. I can have you fired and blacklisted from nursing across the entire country with one phone call."

"Try it," I said, holding my ground. "And then explain to Giovanni Fierro why you're harassing his wife."

Victoria took two steps toward me, her face twisting with malice. "You stupid little girl. You think you won? Giovanni doesn't love you. You are a tool he's using to humiliate my father and Aunt Beatrice! Do you really think a Fierro would ever genuinely love a broken, low-class single mother?"

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on my marriage," a deep, thunderous voice echoed from the hallway.

Giovanni stepped through the doorway, his tall frame filling the entrance. Behind him stood two massive men in dark suits, alongside the hospital’s chief administrator, who looked terrified.

Victoria froze, her smug expression instantly cracking. "Giovanni... I was just—"

"You were threatening my wife in her workplace," Giovanni interrupted, his voice deceptively calm. He turned to the administrator. "Dr. Keller, cancel the Vance Foundation's naming rights on this wing immediately. The Fierro Endowment will double their contribution, effective today."

"Right away, Mr. Fierro!" the administrator stammered, hurrying out.

Giovanni stepped closer to Victoria, towering over her. "If you ever come near Jessica again, Victoria, I won't just cancel your family's shipping contracts. I will release the offshore audit reports regarding your father's shell companies in Panama."

Victoria’s face drained of color. "You wouldn't."

"Test me," Giovanni whispered.