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?"

almost certainly want her own child.

face was calm, but his words

responsibility, it was Stein. His wife had died in childbirth. Any other man with his means would likely have remarried by now,

land you mentioned last time I pulled some strings and got

shifted the conversation, his tone that

your whole life working for the

Starfall City seemed to know McNeil was married. Some even whispered about a childhood sweetheart he'd kept hidden for years-how they'd had a daughter together, a girl who called McNeil's

was ridiculous. That child was McNeil and Victoria's, yet the gossip never

were married, but there had never been a wedding. The Langfords barely recognized Victoria's relatives, let alone a cousin living in a

eyes. "I'm the largest shareholder in the

to that? Did McNeil have

built his fortune on a secret marriage and treated his wife as