He Brought a Secret Heir to Our Engagement, So I Swapped the Groom

On the day of my engagement to Ethan Vanderbilt, the billionaire heir, he suddenly shoved a paternity test and a vasectomy certificate into my hands. "Chloe, I already have a threeyearold son." With that, he pulled a woman wearing a white silk dress from behind him. "This is Luna Rivers.

She's my son's mother, and the only woman I've ever loved." "As for you, you'll never carry my child, and you can forget about ever touching a single share of the Vanderbilt empire." "But as long as you behave, the title of Mrs.

Vanderbilt will always be yours." I looked at the vasectomy certificate, so angry I almost laughed out loud.

So, he really thought a secret love child could secure his position as the sole heir of the Vanderbilt family.

Did he honestly not know why the Sterling and Vanderbilt families were merging in the first place? It was never about saving face.

It was so our future children could legitimately inherit both of our family empires! And look at him.

Before we even walked down the aisle, he went and produced a threeyearold bastard.

I slapped the paternity test right back against his chest. "Ethan, a corporate marriage requires a leader with a brain!" "Not an idiot who brings his mistress and a secret kid to ruin his own engagement party." His face paled instantly.

I turned on my heels, ready to leave. "Since you're so hopelessly devoted to your true love and your son, let's just swap out the groom!" "After all... you're not the only eligible man in the Vanderbilt family." Seeing me walk away, Ethan grabbed my wrist with a tight grip. "Chloe, stop right there." "Today is our engagement day.

This is no place for you to throw one of your spoiled tantrums." I stared down at his hand on my wrist. "Let go." Instead of releasing me, he lowered his voice, hissing near my ear. "If you walk out now and drag this drama in front of my grandfather, are you trying to make me the laughingstock of high society?" I looked at him and let out a cold chuckle. "Oh, so you actually care about your reputation?" "Ethan, you brought your mistress and your bastard to our engagement party, and now you're lecturing me about being a laughingstock?" His expression turned icecold. "I've made myself clear.

The title of Mrs. Vanderbilt is yours.

Luna and the boy won't affect your status." "What else do you want to throw a fit about?" I was almost amused by his sheer, delusional audacity. "They won't affect me?" "Is that kid yours or not?" "Lest you forget, you just handed me a vasectomy certificate." Ethan frowned, his brow furrowing deeply. "Leo is my blood.

I won't turn my back on him." I nodded slowly. "So, you want the Sterling family's massive resources, you want your precious true love, and you want your secret bastard to legally inherit your family fortune?" "Ethan, you really want to have your cake and eat it too, don't you?" A few snickers rippled through the surrounding crowd.

But they weren't laughing at Ethan. They were mocking me for being "unreasonable." A few of Ethan's wealthy friends stepped forward, crowding around us.

One guy, holding a champagne flute, said with a lazy, arrogant smirk, "Come on, Chloe.

That's enough." "In our circle, who doesn't have a little side action?" Another one chimed in, "Exactly. Ethan is giving you the title of his wife.

That's plenty of respect for the Sterling family." "What's wrong with having someone on the side?" "As long as it's kept behind closed doors, we all just turn a blind eye, don't we?" I turned my gaze slowly toward them.

I knew every single one of these faces. Hector Vance, the useless third son of the Vance family. Owen Mercer, the slacker second son of the Mercer family.

And David Harrington, the youngest Harrington son who practically lived on the tabloid headlines.

They were all just trustfund babies kept around for entertainment by their families. They weren't allowed near the family businesses. They weren't trusted with any real projects.

The only thing their families expected of them was not to cause a massive, public scandal. So of course, they didn't care. They were never in line to inherit the throne anyway.

But Ethan was different. He was the chosen successor, handpicked by old Harold Vanderbilt himself. His marriage to me wasn't about romance.

It was a strategic merger of the Sterling and Vanderbilt assets. It was about capital, distribution networks, influence, and shares.

It was about securing the legitimacy of the next generation of heirs. Yet, before the ink on our contract was even dry, he had thrown a bastard in my face.

He had just singlehandedly destroyed the Vanderbilt family's most valuable bargaining chip.

I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to my dad on Snapchat: Ethan has a mistress and a bastard. The marriage merger is off. The moment the message sent, Ethan noticed.

His eyes darkened with fury. "Who are you texting?" I locked my phone and slid it away. "None of your business." As we stood in a tense standoff, Luna took a shaky step forward, holding her child.

Her eyes were red and swimming with tears as she looked at me. "Miss Sterling, please don't blame Ethan.

It's all my fault." "I shouldn't exist, and I shouldn't have come here today." She looked down, gently stroking the boy's head. "But Leo has wanted to see his father his entire life." "I just wanted him to know he isn't fatherless." On cue, the little boy wrapped his arms around Ethan's leg, crying in a high, babyish voice, "Daddy, please don't abandon Mommy and me!" The anger in Ethan's eyes melted into pure heartbreak.

He knelt down immediately, scooping the boy into his arms. "Daddy will never leave you." Luna's tears fell even faster. "Miss Sterling, Ethan is just too kindhearted." "You are the heiress of the Sterling family.

You have everything." "I only have Ethan and my baby. I swear, I have no intention of stealing your place as his wife." What a beautifully rehearsed speech.

No intention of stealing my place? Then why the hell did she show up at my engagement party?

I stared at her, my voice cutting through her tears like ice. "Miss Rivers, stop playing the victim." "I didn't ask you to get pregnant, and I certainly didn't force you into Ethan's bed." Her face drained of color.

Ethan snapped, standing up abruptly. "Chloe!

Watch your mouth!" I looked him dead in the eye. "Too harsh for you?" "If you didn't want it to sound bad, maybe you shouldn't have done something so cheap." Ethan's chest heaved with rage.

He raised his hand, looking like he was about to slap me. But before his hand could descend, the heavy double doors of the ballroom burst open with a loud slam.

Seeing who it was, the tight knot in my chest finally loosened.

John, my dad's executive assistant, walked in with a team of security guards. He had worked by my dad's side for decades and was always rocksolid.

Even when the company faced major crises, he never lost his cool. But today, his face was terrifyingly grim. He checked on me first, making sure I wasn't hurt.

Then, he turned his sharp gaze to Ethan. "Mr. Vanderbilt, Mr.

Sterling sent me to take the young lady home." Seeing John, Ethan reluctantly lowered his hand, but his voice was still dripping with arrogance. "Marcus Sterling didn't even bother to show up himself?

He sent an assistant?" John's voice remained perfectly calm. "Mr.

Sterling is on his way." "Until he arrives, I am authorized to handle this on behalf of the Sterling family." Ethan let out a harsh laugh. "On behalf of the Sterlings?" "John, don't overestimate your worth.

At the end of the day, you're just an employee." John didn't even blink. "You may look down on me, Mr.

Vanderbilt, but I am not speaking for myself today." "Miss Chloe Sterling is the sole daughter and heir of the Sterling empire." "The merger between our families was built on the mutual interests of our future heirs." "But now, your public acknowledgment of a secret child has completely destroyed the foundation of this agreement." Ethan's expression darkened. "Don't try to threaten me with business talk." "I just have a kid.

I'm not asking Chloe to give up her position." John continued smoothly, "The issue is not the title of 'Mrs.

Vanderbilt.' The issue is the instability of the Vanderbilt family's future shares and succession rights." "The Sterling family will not invest its resources into an heir who brings unpredictable domestic drama to the company." That hit Ethan right where it hurt.

The one thing he cared about most was his succession. And John was completely right. Ethan sneered. "Cut the corporate crap.

This is just because Chloe refuses to accept Luna and my son." He spoke as if he were making a massive sacrifice. "Fine.

I can promise you this." "After we marry, Luna and the boy will never appear in front of Chloe. Is that enough for you?" He actually looked at me, as if expecting me to thank him.

I found the whole thing utterly absurd. He had ruined my engagement by bringing his mistress and child, and now he thought keeping them in a golden cage was a "compromise"?

John frowned. "Mr.

Vanderbilt, you still don't understand." "What the Sterling family cannot accept is the inheritance risk this child represents." Ethan's face went completely black. "John, you've got a lot of nerve." "Who the hell are you, an outsider, to judge my son?" John lowered his eyes slightly. "I am merely stating facts." "If you insist on keeping things as they are, the Sterling family will officially reevaluate all partnerships with the Vanderbilt Group." With a roar of anger, Ethan slammed his champagne glass onto the marble floor.

Glass shattered everywhere. The room fell into a terrified silence.

Ethan pointed a finger at John's face. "Who do you think you are?" "To come to my venue and threaten me?" I stepped forward, blocking John, and looked straight at Ethan. "His words are the Sterling family's words." Ethan's eyes turned murderous as he glared at me. "Chloe, are you really going to push me to the edge?" I countered, "Am I the one pushing things to the edge here?" At that moment, Luna suddenly dropped to her knees, holding her child.

The dramatic gesture caused a collective gasp to echo through the ballroom. "Miss Sterling, please don't make things hard for Ethan." "Don't let my baby and me ruin the merger between your families." "I know I come from nothing.

I can't compare to you." "And I know Leo shouldn't have been born." She wept, her shoulders shaking violently. "If you really can't stand us, I will take my son and leave." "I'll go far away, and we will never show our faces to either of you again." The little boy, frightened by his mother's tears, began to wail. "Mommy, I don't want to leave!" "I want Daddy!" Ethan immediately rushed to pull her up. "Luna, what are you saying?" "I told you, I will never let anyone hurt you or our son." Luna clung to his chest, crying even harder. "But Miss Sterling hates us." "The Sterling family is so powerful.

I'm so scared." Hearing this, Ethan shot me a look of pure hatred, as if I were some monster trying to drive a mother and child to their graves. I was sick of this pathetic drama.

I didn't want to waste another second on them. I turned to John. "Let's go." "There's nothing left to say." John nodded and signaled his security guards to escort me out.

But we had only taken two steps when the heavy doors of the ballroom suddenly slammed shut from the outside.

A dozen beefy security guards in dark suits poured out from the side doors, completely blocking our exit.

The entire ballroom fell dead silent. But Ethan's useless friends only looked excited.

The guy in the floral shirt let out a low whistle. "Looks like Ethan's really pissed now." "Miss Sterling, stop acting so tough." "When Ethan loses his temper, nobody can calm him down." Another one laughed. "Why didn't you just bow your head earlier?" "You had to push him to this point." "Girls always need to be taught a lesson before they learn to behave." I looked at Ethan. "What do you think you're doing?" Ethan took slow, deliberate steps toward me. "You know exactly what I'm doing." "The marriage is still on." "The engagement stands." "And the partnership between our families must continue." I replied coldly, "You can't bear to lose the Sterling family's assets, but you also can't let go of Luna and your bastard." "So, you want both?" He didn't even try to deny it. "I have the power to have both." "Chloe, you're not a little girl anymore.

How many marriages in our circle are actually clean?" "You want the status of Mrs. Vanderbilt and the business benefits.

I'm giving them to you." "Luna wants me, and I'm giving myself to her." "There is no conflict here." I looked at him, feeling a deep wave of disgust. "No conflict?" "Ethan, you've never seen me as a human being." "To you, I'm just a giant bag of cash sent by the Sterlings." He scowled. "Don't put it so crudely." I smiled coldly. "Then let me put it in terms you can understand." "You do not meet the Sterling family's standards.

You are disqualified." Ethan's eyes flared with anger. "Say that again." I spoke slowly, pronouncing every single word. "I refuse to marry you." "The Sterling family will never beg for an alliance with a man who can't control his zipper and brings a bastard to ruin our business." "If you're so tough, go confess everything to your grandfather." Hearing that, Ethan suddenly laughed, but the laughter didn't reach his eyes. "You think you can just run to my grandfather and destroy me?" "Chloe, you are so naive." He raised his hand.

A guard beside him stepped forward, holding a professional video camera. The dark lens pointed directly at my face. My heart sank as I realized what he was planning.

Sure enough, he smiled wickedly. "Chloe, I know you feel like you're losing because of my son." "So, let's make it simple." "Once I have some dirt on you, we'll be even." A wave of nausea hit my stomach. "Ethan, don't you dare cross that line!" He leaned in close, his voice dangerously low. "I'm just teaching you how the real world works." "Once we record a little video of you tonight, will you still dare to complain to my grandfather?

Will the Sterlings dare to break the engagement?" "You'll have no choice but to marry me quietly." Luna stood behind him, her face turning pale.

She whispered, "Ethan... is this really a good idea?" Ethan sighed, turning to comfort her. "Luna, you are too softhearted." "With women like her, you have to show them some force, or they'll never submit." Then, he barked an order to his men: "Take her phone." John's guards immediately rushed forward to protect me.

But they were severely outnumbered and were quickly pinned to the ground by Ethan's security team. John was held tightly by two large men.

He struggled wildly, screaming, "Ethan Vanderbilt!" "If you touch Miss Sterling today, there will be war between our families!" Ethan chuckled. "Once I have her in my hands, the Sterlings will be far more terrified of a public scandal than I am." A guard stepped up to snatch my phone.

I gripped it so tightly that my fingernails nearly tore, causing a sharp pain.

In the next second, my phone was snatched and violently thrown to the ground, the screen shattering into a spiderweb of cracks.

Two guards grabbed me by the shoulders, dragging me toward a VIP dressing room nearby.

I struggled, kicking one of them hard in the shin. "Get your hands off me!" Ethan stood under the bright chandelier, his face cold and ruthless. "Chloe, you brought this on yourself." The red light on the video camera blinked on.

The lens crept closer and closer to my face. At that moment, a chill ran down my spine. I had never imagined a human being could be so utterly vile. For a title.

For the Sterling family's resources. He actually dared to use such disgusting, criminal tactics to force me into submission.

John's eyes were bloodshot. "Miss Chloe!" I gritted my teeth and kicked another guard. But in the next instant, a heavy slap landed on my left cheek.

The force knocked me to the floor. My forehead slammed against the hard marble, a sharp pain radiating through my skull.

As the men with the camera walked toward me, a deafening crash echoed from the entrance of the ballroom.

An elderly man, leaning heavily on a goldheaded cane, stepped through the shattered remains of the door. "You worthless bastard!

What the hell do you think you are doing?" The moment Ethan saw the man, every drop of color drained from his face.