The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 138

Steven let out a rough cough and struggled to swallow a few sips of water. He was burning up, his fever making him look completely out of it—his cheeks were bright red, his skin hot to the touch.

“You’re running a high fever. I’m calling someone to take you to the hospital,” Lucie said.

“No, I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want you to hold me.” Steven tried to move closer to her, looking so weak and desperate it almost broke her.

Lucie felt a sharp pain in her chest, but she still pushed his arm away. He had vanished for half a month to be with his mistress. She couldn’t stop thinking about how he was probably just as wild in bed with her. For all she knew, he went back to see her every six months. The thought made her want to throw up. She just couldn’t forgive him.

“Who is she?” Lucie’s voice was trembling. “How long have you two been together?”

Steven’s face darkened, and he didn’t answer.

Her heart clenched even tighter. “Even if you don’t tell me, I’ll find out. I just need to know how long. Did you start seeing her right after we got married?”

“No.”

“Then when did it start?” Lucie never wanted to ask, but now she needed the truth.

Steven’s brow furrowed, his face clouded with pain. “Lucie, you still don’t trust me. I said I’d never betray our marriage, and I meant it. Since we got married, I haven’t touched another woman.”

Lucie laughed coldly. “Who’s going to believe that?”

Men always thought that as long as you weren’t caught red-handed, it didn’t count. As long as you never admitted it, it was like it never even happened.

Steven’s voice was flat, tired. “Believe me or don’t, I’m done explaining. If I’d done it, I wouldn’t bother hiding it.”

Lucie lost her grip on her emotions. “Stop lying, Steven. Just stop. You have a child with her, and you expect me to believe you two never slept together? Do you think I’m an idiot?”

Steven took a deep, shaky breath. “I said since we got married, I haven’t slept with anyone else.”

Lucie froze, her heart sinking like a stone. “So… she’s your ex?”

“You could say that.”

“Lucie, just give me some more time. I—”

She cut him off with a bitter laugh. “Time for what? So you think the three of us can just coexist? That’s never going to happen. Don’t kid yourself.”

Steven fell silent, looking lost. He honestly didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t give up his marriage, but he couldn’t abandon her, either. That girl had given him everything, risked her life for him over and over. How could he just walk away from that? If there was anyone in the world who’d never betray him, it was her.

“Say something! Don’t just stand there!” Lucie snapped.

Right in the middle of their fight, Steven’s phone started buzzing on the nightstand. He stiffened, reaching for it, but Lucie was faster. She grabbed the phone and glanced at the screen—someone was calling from Switzerland.

Steven’s face went pale. “Lucie, give me the phone.” He lunged for it, panic in his voice.

Lucie dodged and hit the answer button.

A soft, gentle voice came through the speaker. “Hello, Steven…”