Chapter 4 - The Mistress Who Needed a DivorceBy Wednesday morning, Elena Romano's pregnancy was on the internet.
She discovered it while standing in line at a neighborhood pharmacy.
The woman ahead of her was scrolling through her phone when Elena caught a glimpse of a familiar photograph.
Adrian.
Bianca.
A charity gala six months earlier.
Beneath the picture was a headline.
ROMANO BILLIONAIRE'S DIVORCE TURNS INTO BABY BATTLE AS ESTRANGED WIFE SEEKS EXCLUSIVE PARENTAL CONTROL.
Elena felt the room tilt.
She stepped away from the counter and opened her own phone.
The article had been posted twenty minutes earlier by a Chicago celebrity-news website.
It described her as a “former society hostess” who had “surprised” Adrian with a pregnancy claim shortly after he sought a divorce.
It suggested she was demanding sole custody to gain leverage over his fortune.
And it quoted an unnamed source “close to the couple” who claimed Elena had become increasingly controlling during the final year of the marriage.
Elena read the paragraph twice.
Then she turned off her phone.
The pharmacy clerk asked whether she needed assistance.
“No, thank you.”
She left without buying anything.
Outside, the October air felt suddenly too cold.
She called Evelyn.
“Someone leaked my pregnancy.”
“I saw it.”
“They're saying I'm using my baby for money.”
“I know.”
“Evelyn, I haven't asked for a cent.”
“Then we respond through your attorney, not through an emotional public argument.”
Elena leaned against the brick wall.
“Who told them?”
“We don't know.”
But Elena had a strong suspicion.
At the time she'd filed for divorce, only a handful of people knew about the pregnancy.
Evelyn.
Mara.
Her physician.
A few trusted medical staff.
Adrian.
And Bianca, who had opened the announcement package weeks earlier.
“Elena,” Evelyn said gently, “go somewhere private. Don't engage with anyone asking questions.”
“Okay.”
“And don't read the comments.”
Elena almost laughed.
That advice came too late.
She had already seen strangers accusing her of trapping Adrian with a baby.
A woman she'd never met wrote that Elena should have been grateful to marry into the Romano family.
Someone else suggested the pregnancy was fake.
Another commenter claimed Bianca would make a better mother because she understood Adrian's lifestyle.
Elena pressed a hand over her stomach.
The baby was barely the size of a lemon.
And already strangers were discussing it like a piece of property.
Adrian learned about the article during a quarterly earnings presentation.
His communications director slid a tablet across the table.
“Mr. Romano, we need a response.”
He read the headline.
Then the article.
Then the anonymous quotes.
His face changed.
“Who authorized this?”
“No one from corporate communications.”
“Contact the outlet.”
“We already have.”
“Demand the source.”
“They won't identify a confidential source.”
Adrian set the tablet down.
“Then tell them the allegations about Elena seeking money are false.”
His general counsel, Rachel Kim, interrupted.
“We need to be careful. Your divorce and custody negotiations are private matters. A public fight may make everything worse.”
Adrian looked at her.
“They're calling my wife a liar.”
“Then issue a narrow statement correcting the factual inaccuracies without discussing her medical information.”
He nodded.
“Do it.”
Rachel hesitated.
“One more thing. There are photographs of Bianca leaving your apartment last weekend.”
Adrian frowned.
“What apartment?”
“The River North property.”
He stared at her.
That property belonged to him.
He had allowed Bianca to use it during the Rivergate negotiations because her own apartment was being renovated.
At least that was what she'd told him.
“She's still there?”
“Apparently.”
Adrian turned toward Miles.
“Have the property manager coordinate through counsel to end the arrangement according to the lease terms.”
“Understood.”
“And no more access to any of my residences beyond what she's legally entitled to.”
Rachel watched him.
“Adrian, whatever you decide about Bianca personally, don't use company resources to pursue a personal dispute.”
“I'm not.”
“Good.”
He looked at the photograph of Bianca stepping into his building.
Then at the photograph of Elena beside him at a gala two years earlier.
His wife wore a dark green dress.
She was smiling at him.
He couldn't remember what she'd been saying.
That seemed unbearable now.
“Rachel?”
“Yes?”
“Does the statement need to mention me?”
“Only if you're willing to be accountable.”
Adrian nodded.
“Then say I initiated the divorce. Elena didn't make that decision.”
The statement appeared online an hour later.
Adrian Romano confirms that he initiated divorce proceedings. Claims that Elena Romano has demanded his personal fortune are false. The pregnancy and future parenting arrangements are private matters. Mr. Romano requests that the public respect his wife's privacy and refrain from speculation about their child.
It was concise.
Legally careful.
And completely unlike anything the public expected from Adrian Romano.
For years, he had refused to comment on personal matters.
Now he had publicly accepted responsibility for ending his marriage.
The article's comments changed.
Some readers apologized.
Others demanded more details.
The gossip website updated its story.
Bianca called him thirteen times.
He didn't answer.
At the Oak Park house, Elena sat beside Mara while her sister read the statement.
“He actually said it.”
Elena nodded.
“He did.”
“Does it help?”
“A little.”
Mara looked at her.
“Do you want to call him?”
“No.”
Elena stood and crossed the kitchen.
“I want to finish the library drawings.”
Mara smiled faintly.
“That's my sister.”
Elena spread the Halsted Community Library plans across the dining table.
There were columns that needed reinforcement, masonry repairs to budget, and an old staircase that required an accessible alternative.
These were problems she understood.
Every line represented something that could be examined, measured, and repaired.
Her marriage had never been like that.
For years, she'd tried to fix it without knowing which part was broken.
Now she was beginning to accept that she couldn't repair a relationship alone.
Her phone rang.
This time, the caller was Gianna.
“Elena, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Gianna.”
“Are you home?”
“Yes.”
“Good. There may be photographers near the mansion. I don't want them following you.”
“I'm in Oak Park.”
“Are you alone?”
“Mara's here.”
“Excellent.”
Gianna paused.
“Have you seen my son's statement?”
“Yes.”
“He asked me whether it was enough.”
Elena went still.
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him that doing one decent thing does not erase hundreds of careless ones.”
Elena smiled despite herself.
“He must have loved that.”
“He didn't.”
Gianna's voice softened.
“But I also told him that he could become a better man if he stopped treating shame as the same thing as change.”
Elena looked down at the plans.
“I hope he does.”
“Even if you never take him back?”
“Especially then.”
That afternoon, Bianca arrived at her father's office furious.
Victor DeLuca's headquarters occupied three floors of a glass building overlooking the Chicago River.
The lobby featured polished stone, enormous abstract sculptures, and photographs of redevelopment projects from across Illinois.
Bianca entered without knocking.
“Adrian suspended my access.”
Victor didn't look up from his laptop.
“I know.”
“He canceled the investment approval.”
“Temporarily.”
“He told the press Elena wasn't after his money.”
Victor closed the computer.
“Sit down.”
“I don't want to sit down.”
“Then stop pacing.”
Bianca turned toward him.
“You said he'd never choose her over me.”
“I said he was predictable.”
“He wasn't predictable yesterday.”
“Because the baby surprised him.”
Bianca crossed her arms.
“What are we going to do?”
Victor studied his daughter.
“First, you stop contacting him.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Bianca.”
“He loves me.”
Victor gave her a look.
“Does he?”
She flinched.
“He told me he did.”
“Did he tell you that before or after you convinced him his wife had become an obstacle?”
Bianca looked away.
Victor stood.
“I gave you one job. Keep Adrian confident in the Rivergate investment until the documents were executed.”
“I did.”
“You became personally involved.”
“He pursued me too.”
“I don't doubt that.”
Victor walked toward the window.
“But you allowed a personal situation to threaten a transaction worth hundreds of millions.”
Bianca's expression hardened.
“You're acting as though this is entirely my fault.”
“Then whose fault is it?”
“You approved the charitable grant structure.”
Victor turned sharply.
“Lower your voice.”
Bianca stared at him.
A terrible silence followed.
Then she said, “You promised the money was legitimate.”
“It was intended to support a development partnership.”
“The building wasn't even leased.”
“It would have been.”
“Dad.”
Victor moved closer.
“Listen carefully. Nobody has proven anything. The grant was structured around an expected lease, and timing issues can be corrected.”
Bianca swallowed.
“And Elena's signature?”
Victor said nothing.
Bianca's face drained.
“You told me the authorization was handled.”
“It was.”
“By whom?”
“Someone who understood what needed to happen.”
She took a step back.
“Did you forge her signature?”
Victor's eyes narrowed.
“I suggest you stop asking questions you don't need answered.”
For the first time, Bianca looked genuinely frightened.
Meanwhile, Elena met with Thomas Reed and an independent forensic accountant named Daniel Cho.
Daniel was quiet, methodical, and uninterested in speculation.
He showed her a copy of the foundation's approval log.
“We've preserved the relevant systems and requested the underlying records.”
“Can you tell whether the signature was forged?”
“Not yet. The image on this PDF resembles a signature extracted from an earlier document. A handwriting expert can examine original physical records if any exist, but electronic approvals require log analysis.”
Elena leaned forward.
“Where did the earlier signature come from?”
Daniel opened another file.
“Your authorization for the Jefferson Youth Center renovation. Two years ago.”
Elena remembered that grant.
She had personally visited the youth center three times.
“That signature was genuine.”
“I understand.”
He displayed the two signatures side by side.
Same curves.
Same slight interruption in the final letter.
Same pressure variation reproduced in the scan.
The shapes appeared identical.
“An exact graphical match would be inconsistent with two independently handwritten signatures,” Daniel explained.
Elena stared.
Someone had taken the evidence of a good thing she'd done and used it to approve something she never intended.
Daniel continued.
“We also found that the grant recipient submitted a certificate stating it controlled the Halsted Exchange property. The city has not confirmed any such agreement.”
“What happens now?”
“The foundation's counsel is coordinating with its board and appropriate authorities. We're reviewing the funds already paid, and the remaining transfers are frozen.”
Elena looked at Thomas.
“Can I help?”
“You can provide your personal records and cooperate with interviews.”
“I don't want the foundation destroyed.”
“Neither do we.”
She sat back.
Then she remembered Caroline Price.
“A former employee contacted me. She said Bianca ordered an authorization page replaced.”
Thomas nodded.
“She came forward yesterday. Our outside investigators are preserving the materials she provided.”
“Is she safe?”
“As far as we know. Her attorney is involved.”
Elena exhaled.
For the first time, she was beginning to see the outline of what had happened.
Bianca and Victor wanted a major investment.
The foundation's grant had been used to establish the appearance of public and philanthropic support for a development.
Her signature had appeared without her permission.
And Adrian had trusted Bianca enough to stop questioning anything she touched.
Elena looked at the documents.
“Did Adrian know?”
Daniel met her eyes.
“We don't have evidence that he authorized the disputed foundation approval.”
That wasn't a complete answer.
But it was an important one.
Elena realized she didn't want Adrian to be guilty.
Not because she wanted him back.
Because she wanted their child to have a father who could face the truth without running from it.
Two days later, Adrian requested a meeting.
Not through his assistant.
Not by sending a car.
He asked Evelyn whether Elena would agree to speak with him in a neutral location.
Elena surprised herself by saying yes.
They met at a small café near Lincoln Park.
No photographers.
No security detail inside.
No expensive private dining room.
Just two people sitting across from each other with coffee cooling between them.
Adrian looked different.
He wore a dark sweater instead of a suit.
There were shadows beneath his eyes.
When Elena sat down, he rose automatically.
Then he seemed uncertain whether he should touch her.
He didn't.
“Thank you for coming.”
“You have twenty minutes.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Adrian looked at her stomach.
It was still only slightly rounded beneath her coat.
His expression changed.
“May I ask how you're feeling?”
“Tired. Nauseated. The usual.”
“Are you getting enough rest?”
“I'm trying.”
He nodded.
“Good.”
Silence returned.
Finally, Adrian said, “I'm sorry.”
Elena looked at him.
He swallowed.
“Not because you're pregnant. Not because I'm afraid of losing access to the baby. I'm sorry for what I did to you before any of that.”
Her throat tightened.
“I should have listened to you,” he continued. “I should have come home. I should have told you the truth about Bianca instead of making you feel foolish for noticing.”
Elena looked out the window.
“I knew.”
“I know.”
“I knew long before you asked for the divorce.”
He nodded.
“I know.”
She turned back.
“Then why did you let me spend months wondering whether I was imagining everything?”
Adrian closed his eyes.
“Because telling you the truth would have forced me to admit what kind of man I was becoming.”
Elena studied him.
That was the first answer he'd given her in months that didn't sound rehearsed.
He continued.
“I've ended my personal relationship with Bianca.”
Elena's face remained still.
“That's your decision.”
“She intercepted your announcement.”
“I know.”
“I didn't know about the baby before Evelyn called.”
“I believe you.”
He looked up sharply.
“You do?”
“Yes, Adrian. I know you didn't know.”
“Then why—”
“Because that isn't the only reason I'm leaving.”
He lowered his eyes.
She leaned forward.
“The problem wasn't that you missed one announcement. It was that you made me feel invisible for years.”
He didn't argue.
And somehow that made the conversation harder.
“I'm willing to discuss a parenting plan,” she said. “I'm willing to give our child a chance to know you. But I'm not going back to the mansion.”
Adrian nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
She blinked.
“You're not going to fight me?”
“About where you live? No.”
Elena hesitated.
He added, “I still want to be part of the baby's life. I'll work with our lawyers on an appropriate plan.”
She looked at her watch.
“Then that's something we can discuss.”
Adrian reached into his coat.
Elena stiffened.
But he only removed the cream-colored note she'd written weeks earlier.
He placed it on the table.
“I brought this because I wanted to tell you I found it.”
Elena stared at her handwriting.
Now there's going to be three.
Her eyes filled.
“I waited so long for you to open that box.”
“I know.”
“No, Adrian. You don't.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“I sat at that table until the candles burned out. And when you came home, you asked whether I'd called the pharmacy.”
Adrian's face crumpled.
Elena wiped her cheek quickly.
“I need to go.”
He rose.
“Elena.”
She paused.
“I don't expect you to forgive me today.”
She looked at him.
“Good.”
Then she walked out.
Adrian stayed behind until her car disappeared.
He sat down and stared at the empty chair.
For the first time, he didn't chase her.
He let her leave.
That evening, Elena received a secure message from Thomas Reed.
The forensic review had uncovered a troubling detail.
The foundation's disputed approval had been uploaded through an administrative account belonging to an employee who had resigned six weeks earlier.
The account should have been disabled.
It had not been.
And the person who requested that it remain active had been Bianca DeLuca.
Elena read the message again.
Then another notification appeared.
This one was from Evelyn.
Adrian's counsel has informed us that Bianca may be preparing allegations about your marriage. Do not engage with her directly.
Elena frowned.
Before she could reply, her phone vibrated.
An unknown number had sent her a photograph.
It showed Elena leaving a downtown medical clinic eight weeks earlier.
Beside her stood a man in a gray coat.
His face was turned toward hers.
The accompanying message contained only six words.
DOES ADRIAN KNOW WHO HE IS?
Elena stared at the photograph.
Then she felt a cold, terrible understanding.
May you like
Bianca wasn't finished trying to destroy her.
And this time, she was going after the baby's father.
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