The Billionaire's Forsaken Wife

Chapter 28

ROOSEVELT’S POV

The next five days were a lesson in acting.

I didn’t cry, I didn’t yell.

Instead, I became a ghost.

I woke up early, dressed in simple, elegant clothes, and went to my office at Elite Interiors to quietly pack up my files. When I returned home, I walked through the house with my head held high. If Mina was in the living room, rubbing her stomach and complaining about a headache, I simply walked past her as if she were invisible.

My silence drove them both crazy.

Mina tried hard to provoke me. She left glossy baby magazines spread across the kitchen island. She told the maids to move expensive vases out of the hallways, claiming she was "nesting" and needed a safe space for the heir.

I didn’t react. I let her play her pathetic games.

But my silence affected Zyran the most.

He hated it. He disliked the cold, empty expression in my eyes when he entered a room. He tried to buy my forgiveness with expensive gifts. Every evening, I would find a new box on my vanity—diamond earrings, a pearl necklace, the keys to a brand-new sports car.

I didn’t open them. I left them exactly where he placed them, untouched and ignored.

It was Wednesday night. Only two days left until my flight to Milan.

I sat at my mirror, brushing my hair before bed. The master bedroom was quiet.

The door clicked open, and Zyran walked in.

He looked exhausted. He had spent the evening downstairs with Mina and a private doctor, discussing prenatal vitamins and diet plans.

He took off his suit jacket and threw it onto the armchair. He walked over to me and stood behind my chair. He looked at our reflection in the mirror. His dark eyes were filled with sadness.

He reached out and gently placed his hands on my shoulders.

I didn’t flinch, but I didn’t lean into his touch either. I kept brushing my hair, my face completely blank.

"Talk to me, Roosevelt," Zyran whispered. His voice was rough, pleading. His fingers squeezed my shoulders. "Please just freaking yell at me, hit my chest. Throw these jewelry boxes at me, just stop looking at me like I am a stranger."

I set my hairbrush down on the glass table and looked at his reflection.

"I have nothing to yell about, Zyran," I said softly. My voice was calm. "You are taking care of your child, you are just doing your duty, I totally understand."

Zyran closed his eyes. A look of pure agony crossed his handsome face.

"I hate this," he choked out, dropping to his knees beside my chair. He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in my lap. "I hate seeing her downstairs. I hate that she is carrying this baby. I only wanted a family with you, Roosevelt. Only you."

My heart gave a painful squeeze.

If he had said those words a month ago, I would have cried with joy. I would have pulled his head up, kissed his lips, and told him about the tiny life growing inside me.

But it was too late. His words were beautiful, but his actions were toxic. He said he only wanted me, but he still let Mina order the maids around, he still canceled his meetings to hold her hand.

I gently placed my hand on his dark hair. It was not a touch of love, it was a touch of pity.

"You made your choice in that hotel room, Zyran," I whispered. "Drugged or not, this is our reality now. We just have to live with it."

He looked up at me, his eyes shining with tears. He opened his mouth to beg again, but a knock on the bedroom door interrupted him.

Zyran’s jaw clenched tight. He stood up quickly, wiping his eyes.

"What is it?" Zyran barked at the door.

"Sir," the head butler’s voice came through. "Your mother and sister have arrived. They are waiting in the dining room. They said it is time for the family dinner."

Zyran let out a heavy sigh and looked down at me.

"You don’t have to come down," Zyran said softly. "I will tell them you are resting. I don’t want them to stress you."

"No," I said, standing up from my chair. I smoothed down my silk dress. "I will come down, I am your wife, I belong at the family table."

Zyran looked surprised, but a small, hopeful smile crossed his lips. He thought I was finally fighting for my place. He offered me his arm, I ignored it and walked out ahead of him.

When we reached the dining room, the scene made my stomach churn.

Beatrice and Clara were already seated. And sitting at the head of the table, in the chair to the right of the host—the chair that belonged to the Lady of the house—was Mina.

She wore a tight, expensive maternity dress, even though she was barely four weeks pregnant and completely flat. She sipped a glass of water, laughing loudly at something Clara had said.

When I entered the room, the laughter stopped.

Beatrice looked slightly uncomfortable, remembering how Zyran had kicked her out last time. Clara glared at me. Mina just smirked, patting the empty chair across from her.

"Oh, Roosevelt," Mina said sweetly. "I hope you don’t mind. Auntie Beatrice said the baby needs to sit closer to the head of the table to feel the family's energy."

Zyran walked in behind me. He noticed where Mina was sitting, his face darkened.

"Get up, Mina," Zyran ordered coldly. "That is my wife’s seat."

Mina’s bottom lip trembled. She looked at Beatrice for support.

"Zyran, please," Beatrice quickly said, trying to keep the peace. "She is carrying the heir. She needs to feel respected. Roosevelt can sit on the left side tonight, It is just a chair."

"It is not just a chair," Zyran growled, taking a step toward Mina. "Move, now."

"It's fine, Zyran," I interrupted smoothly.

Everyone looked at me in shock.

I walked calmly to the left side of the table and pulled out a chair. I sat down, placing my napkin gracefully on my lap. I looked at Mina, giving her a cold smile.

"She can have the chair," I said softly. "She needs all the support she can get."

Mina’s smirk faltered. She didn’t like my calmness. It made her nervous.

Zyran looked at me with pity, he hated seeing me surrender my place, but he sat down at the head of the table, right between us.

The dinner was agonizing. Beatrice and Clara spoke endlessly about baby names, nursery colors, and private schools. They completely ignored me. Zyran barely touched his food. He kept glaring at his mother every time she mentioned the baby, but he didn’t stop her.

When dessert was finally served, Zyran cleared his throat.

The room fell quiet. He put his spoon down and looked around the table. His face was serious.

"I have an announcement to make," Zyran said. His deep voice commanded everyone’s attention. "The board of directors called an emergency meeting this afternoon. The press has found out about the pregnancy."

Beatrice gasped happily. "Oh! The world knows about the heir?"

"The world knows that my childhood friend is pregnant while I am married," Zyran corrected his mother sharply. "The media is calling it a scandal. The King Empire's stock dropped three percent in the last two hours. Investors are panicking. They think my marriage is falling apart and that the company is unstable."

Mina frowned. "But... it's a baby. It's a blessing."

"It is a nightmare," Zyran snapped at her.

He turned and looked directly at me. His eyes were pleading and filled with guilt.

"The only way to stop the stock from crashing is to show the world that my marriage is perfectly fine," Zyran said softly. "I have scheduled a live television interview for this Friday night at 8:00 PM. The biggest news network in the country will be broadcasting it."

My heart skipped a beat.

Friday night at 8:00 PM.

My private flight to Milan was scheduled to leave at exactly 8:30 PM.

"I need you, Roosevelt," Zyran begged, reaching across the table to grab my hand. He held it tightly in front of everyone. "I need you to sit beside me on that stage, I need you to hold my hand, smile at the cameras, and tell the world that we are a united family. I need you to tell them we are welcoming this child into our family together."

Mina dropped her spoon. It clattered against her plate.

"What?!" Mina shrieked, her face turning red. "You want her on TV? It’s my baby! I should be the one."

"You will stay in this house!" Zyran roared at Mina, completely losing his temper. "You have caused enough damage! Roosevelt is my wife, and she is the only woman who will ever stand by my side in public!"

He turned back to me, he was literally asking me to swallow my pride, to humiliate myself on national television, and to claim his mistress's baby as my own, all to save his precious empire.

"Please, my love," Zyran whispered, kissing my knuckles. "Just do this one last thing for me. Show the world that you are mine. Will you be there with me on Friday night?"

I looked at the man holding my hand.

I slowly pulled my hand out of Zyran’s grip. I looked him dead in the eye, and I gave him a perfect, beautiful, chilling smile.

"Don't worry, Zyran," I said softly, my voice echoing clearly in the dining room. "I will be exactly where I belong on Friday night."