While My Husband Cheated, I Married His Powerful Brother

The leather folder sat on the table like a judge delivering a verdict.

Eighteen thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight.

Veyra stared at the numbers. Her eyes refused to accept them. She blinked. She looked again. The numbers did not change.

Her hands were shaking under the table. She pressed them flat against her thighs. The fabric of her skirt was damp with sweat.

She thought about the envelope in her bag. Six thousand and forty-three yuan. All the money she had scraped together. Every coin. Every crumpled bill. Every bit of her emergency fund.

It was not enough. It was not even close.

She looked at the waiter, who stood patiently nearby, his face professionally neutral.

"Madam?" he said. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," Veyra said. Her voice came out thin. She cleared her throat. "Yes. I just... I need a moment."

The waiter nodded and stepped back.

Veyra’s mind raced.

She tried to calculate. The soup. The sea bass. The sparkling water. None of those could cost eighteen thousand.

Then she remembered.

The wine.

Dr. Harrison had ordered a bottle of red wine. She had not paid attention to the label. She had assumed it was house wine. Moderate. Reasonable.

But this was Bordeaux 101. Nothing here was moderate or reasonable.

She thought back to years ago when she had dined at a restaurant like this with Caspian. They had ordered almost the same dishes. The bill had come to just over five thousand.

She had been shocked then. Five thousand for a meal. But Caspian had laughed. He had said it was nothing. He had paid with a black card and not looked at the total.

Now she understood.

The wine. It must have been the wine.

She looked at the empty bottle on the table. The label was in French. She did not recognize it. But she knew enough to know that French wine in a restaurant like this could cost ten thousand. Fifteen thousand. More.

She closed her eyes.

She had offered to pay. She had insisted. She had been so proud.

And now she could not.

Her first thought was Dr. Harrison.

He would pay. He had already offered. He had his credit card out. He would settle the bill and never mention it again.

But she could not let him.

She had invited him. She had insisted on treating him. She had made a big deal about it. If she let him pay now, she would look foolish. Worse, she would look like she had offered something she could not deliver.

She thought about Li Wei. He was standing by the wall, pretending not to watch. He had money. He could pay. But then Dorian would find out. Dorian would ask questions. Dorian would think she was reckless. Irresponsible.

She could not call Dorian.

She thought about her father. Peter Solenne. She had blocked his number. She would rather starve than ask him for money.

Her stepmother, Margaret. Her half-sister, Yvette. They would laugh at her. They would tell everyone how she had failed.

No.

She thought about Wesley Wen. The owner of the restaurant. He had been friendly. Too friendly. He had leaned close to her. He had made her uneasy.

She did not want to owe him anything.

She was trapped.

The waiter cleared his throat softly.

Veyra looked up.

Wesley Wen was standing at the edge of the table.

He was wearing a tailored gray suit. His hair was immaculate. His smile was pleasant. But his eyes were sharp. Calculating.

"Mrs. Thorne," he said. "Is there a problem?"

Veyra’s stomach clenched. "No problem, Mr. Wen."

The waiter straightened. "Boss," he said, nodding at Wesley.

Wesley acknowledged him with a slight tilt of his head. Then he turned back to Veyra.

"I couldn’t help but notice you’ve been sitting here for some time," he said. "The waiter mentioned you asked for the bill." His eyes flicked to the leather folder. "Is everything satisfactory?"

"Everything is fine," Veyra said. "I was just... calculating."

Wesley smiled. "Calculating?"

"The tip," Veyra said. It was a lie. A thin lie. She did not care.

Wesley’s smile did not waver. But his eyes grew sharper.

"Mrs. Thorne," he said, "if you have run into any difficulty, I would be happy to assist. Consider it a gesture of goodwill between friends."

"We’re not friends," Veyra said.

Wesley laughed. "No. Not yet. But I hope we will be."

He reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a black card. His own.

"Please," he said. "Let me."

Veyra shook her head. "No."

"Mrs. Thorne—"

"No." Her voice was firm. "I don’t need your help."

Wesley studied her for a moment. Then he tucked the card back into his pocket.

"As you wish," he said. "But the offer stands. If you change your mind, I am at your service."

He bowed slightly. Then he turned and walked away.

Veyra watched him go.

Her heart was pounding. Her palms were sweaty.

She did not trust Wesley Wen. There was something behind his eyes. Something hidden. Something dangerous.

She would not borrow money from him. She would not owe him anything.

But that left her with no options.

Except one.

She looked at Li Wei. He was standing by the wall, his arms crossed, his face calm. He was watching her. Waiting.

She stood up. She walked toward him.

"Li Wei," she said. "I need you to call Mr. Thorne."

Li Wei’s eyebrows rose. "Mr. Thorne?"

"Yes. I need to speak with him."

Li Wei did not ask why. He pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts. He pressed a button.

The phone rang once. Twice. Three times.

Then a voice answered.

Li Wei held out the phone. "Mrs. Thorne."

Veyra took it. Her hand was shaking. She stepped away from Li Wei. She walked toward the window. The city sprawled below her. The river glittered.

"Hello?" she said.

Dorian’s voice was cold. Deep. "What is it?"

Veyra’s throat tightened. She had practiced what she would say. But now that she was speaking to him, the words would not come.

"Mrs. Thorne," Dorian said. "Are you there?"

"Yes," she said. "I’m here."

"What is the matter?"

She took a breath.

"I need to borrow some money," she said.

There was a pause.

Dorian did not speak. Veyra could hear him breathing. She could imagine his face. The slight furrow of his brow. The tightening of his jaw.

"Borrow money," he said. His voice was flat.

"Yes."

"How much?"

Veyra swallowed. She had thought about this. She had calculated. The meal was eighteen thousand. But she needed more. Much more.

She had a plan. A way to deal with Xie Heng. A way to invest in her future. A way to never be caught like this again.

"One million," she said.

The number hung in the air.

Dorian was silent for a long moment.

"What do you need it for?" he asked.

"An investment," Veyra said. "A business opportunity."

Another pause.

Then Dorian said, "Send me your bank account number."

Veyra’s heart leaped. "You’ll do it?"

"I’ll do it."

"Thank you.”

He had said yes. Just like that. No argument. No lecture. No demand for collateral.

Veyra pulled out her own phone. She opened her banking app. She copied her account number.

"Dorian," she said. "I need your contact information. Your number. So I can send you the account details."

He gave her his number. She typed it into her phone.

She sent a message: This is my account. Thank you.

A moment later, her phone buzzed with a notification.

One million has been deposited into your account.

Veyra stared at the screen. Her hands were shaking. But not from fear. From excitement. She had the money. She had the capital. She could move forward with her plan.

She walked back to Li Wei and she handed him his phone.

"He sent it," she said.

Li Wei nodded his head.

Veyra walked back to the table. Dr. Harrison has returned and was sitting there. He had not touched the leather folder. He was watching her with curious eyes.

"Mrs. Thorne," he said. "Is everything resolved?"

"Almost," Veyra said. She picked up the leather folder. She carried it to the waiter.

"I’ll pay by card," she said.

The waiter nodded. He processed the payment. Eighteen thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight.

The machine beeped and the receipt printed.

Veyra signed it.

She walked back to the table. She sat down.

Dr. Harrison smiled. "You are full of surprises."

"I try to be."

She picked up her water glass. She took a sip. The water was cool. Her hands were steady now.

"Dr. Harrison," she said. "That favor I asked. About Xie Heng’s mother. Are you still willing to help?"

"I am."

"Good." Veyra set down her glass. "Because I’m going to see him now."

Dr. Harrison’s eyebrows rose. "You’re going to see Xie Heng?"

"Yes."

"Alone?"

"With Li Wei. And the bodyguards." She stood up. "But I’m going to talk to him. We’re going to make a deal."

Dr. Harrison stood up as well. He studied her face.

"You are very brave," he said. "Or very foolish. I am not sure which."

"Maybe both."

She picked up her bag. She walked toward the elevator.

Li Wei fell into step beside her.

"Mrs. Thorne," he said. "Xie Heng is still waiting at the south entrance. I just confirmed."

Veyra smiled.

"Good," she said. "I’m going to go see an old friend."