The Duplicitous Existence of My Expectant Ex
Evie Sterling · Ongoing · 200 Chapters
About this book
She left her billionaire mafia husband when his toxic ex-lover returned to steal his crown. Now, his empire is crumbling, and his pregnant wife has completely vanished.✨ TROPES: Mafia Dynasty / Syndicate • Runaway Pregnant Wife • Secret Pregnancy • Toxic Ex-Lover Drama • Betrayal & Retribution • Empire Throne WarCarmen Venetti thought her life was completely unshakable. She had a powerful husband, Marco Venetti, a thriving multi-billion-dollar criminal empire, and the fierce strength to hold their world together. She was the undisputed queen of the syndicate.Until his cunning, beautiful ex-lover walked back into their territory with a knife hidden behind her smile.Arianna De Luca claims she only returned to help the Venetti family crush their corporate enemies. But her true motives are venomous. As Marco grows increasingly entangled in Arianna's masterclass of manipulation, blinded by ambition and haunted by false whispers of betrayal, he makes a fatal mistake. He sidelines his loyal wife to let his ex tighten her grip on his throne.A pregnant queen forced into exile. A blind king walking straight into a trap.Heartbroken, betrayed, but fiercely resilient, Carmen refuses to stay and watch her safety burn. Discovering she is pregnant, she makes an impossible choice: she signs the divorce papers, packs her bags, and vanishes into thin air—vowing to shield her unborn baby from the chaos consuming her husband.But Carmen’s absence only accelerates the empire's downfall.With the true queen gone, Arianna plays a dangerous double game, secretly aligning herself with the rival De Luca family to systematically dismantle the Venetti throne from the inside out. By the time a panicked, regretful Marco realizes he was a pawn in a malicious setup, the enemies are already at the gates.Driven mad by the sudden realization that his loyal wife didn't just walk away—but took his true heirs into the shadows—the ruthless mafia boss launches a desperate, bloody war to track her down.When corporate warfare meets a mother’s maternal fury, who will come out on top? Will Marco track down his pregnant wife and beg his way back into her heart before Arianna destroys his legacy, or will Carmen let his empire burn to ash to keep her child safe?
Chapter 1
The grand ballroom of the Venetti estate sparkled with opulence, every detail meticulously designed to impress. The clink of crystal glasses and soft strains of a string quartet wove through the room as Carmen Smith moved among the guests, her emerald-green gown a vision of elegance.
She smiled warmly at a pair of donors who had just pledged a generous sum, but her practiced charm masked a simmering frustration. Marco was late. Again.
With a quick glance at the grand staircase, Carmen’s thoughts churned. For weeks, Marco had been distant, his focus somewhere else—or someone else. She dismissed the notion, but a nagging feeling lingered, one she couldn’t shake.
“Mrs. Venetti, your gala is stunning as always,” came the smooth voice of Marisol Ricci, one of the city’s most persistent socialites. Her tone held a touch of feigned sweetness.
“Thank you, Marisol,” Carmen replied graciously.
Marisol leaned in, her jeweled earrings swaying. “But where is Marco? A man like him should be at his wife’s side.”
Carmen’s smile didn’t falter. “He’ll be here. Business, you know.”
Marisol gave a knowing hum, but before she could press further, the low murmur of voices shifted across the room. Heads turned toward the sweeping staircase, and Carmen’s gaze followed.
Marco Venetti had arrived.
He descended the stairs with the commanding presence of a man who ruled not just the room but the city itself. His tailored black suit fit him to perfection, and his dark eyes swept over the crowd with a cool detachment. Yet, to Carmen’s sharp eye, something was wrong. His jaw was set too tightly, his usual confidence tempered by an unusual grimness.
When their eyes met, she forced herself to smile as he approached. “You’re late,” she said softly, her tone even.
Marco leaned in briefly to kiss her cheek, a fleeting gesture that felt more like a formality. “I’m here now,” he murmured. Then, as though the conversation was over, he turned and made his way to the bar.
Carmen’s smile stayed in place, but irritation prickled at the edges of her composure. With a deep breath, she returned to the crowd, her polished exterior unbroken.
As the evening progressed, Carmen flitted between conversations, her practiced charm masking her growing unease. Marco stood at the periphery, nursing a drink, his expression unreadable.
“Did you hear?” a voice drifted past her as she refilled her glass at the champagne station. Carmen froze subtly, her ears pricking at the familiar name.
“Arianna De Luca?” a woman whispered to her companion.
“I thought she’d fled for good,” the other replied.
Carmen turned slightly, pretending to scan the room while eavesdropping on their hushed conversation.
“She’s back,” the first woman confirmed. “Apparently, she’s been seen meeting with Marco.”
Carmen’s stomach clenched.
The second woman gasped. “You’re joking! Do you think—”
“Come on. Everyone knows she was his first love,” the first said, her tone thick with implication. “Marco was obsessed with her before she vanished. Maybe he never got over her.”
Carmen forced herself to take a slow sip of champagne, feigning indifference as the words sank in.
“I heard she’s been visiting him in secret,” the second woman added. “Why else would she come back now? Maybe they’ve been... rekindling things.”
Carmen turned away, her grip tightening on the glass. The whispers followed her as she rejoined the crowd, their venomous implications needling her confidence.
When the time came for her speech, Carmen stepped onto the stage with a smile as luminous as the chandelier above her. She delivered the announcement with ease, her voice unwavering as she detailed the impact of the evening’s donations.
The crowd erupted in applause as she stepped off the stage, but her relief was short-lived. A ripple of movement near the entrance drew her attention, and when she turned, her heart dropped.
