The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

Chapter 18

Relying on memory, Victoria scoured the city for her mother's paintings, sparing no expense whenever she found one. Over the years, Stein had been by her side, always reaching out the moment he heard any news.

"No, there must be more out there just waiting to be found," he said.

Victoria's voice was soft but steady. "Thank you, cousin."

Back at Stein's home in Echo City, he led her into the parlor where a small memorial for his late wife stood. Stein handed her three sticks of incense.

"Go on-pay your respects to your cousin-in-law."

Victoria accepted the incense, lit them, and bowed three times, each movement deliberate and sincere. Rising, she looked at Stein.

"Are you really never going to remarry?"

wife would almost certainly want her own child. I don't want Jimmy to lose

calm, but his words carried a quiet

understood the weight of responsibility, it was Stein. His wife had died in childbirth. Any other man with his means would likely have remarried by now, but Stein had chosen to stay single for seven years for his son, and for the memory of the woman

last time I pulled some strings and got you the

conversation, his tone that of

you really planning to spend your whole life

seemed to know McNeil was married. Some even

That child was McNeil and Victoria's, yet the gossip never even mentioned

in Victoria's family knew she and McNeil were married, but there had never been a wedding. The Langfords barely recognized Victoria's relatives, let alone a cousin

of shrewdness flickered in Victoria's dark eyes. "I'm the largest shareholder

her, incredulous. "The Langfords agreed to

believe that a man like McNeil-who'd built his fortune on a secret marriage and treated his wife as a stepping stone-would so generously