PART 1

On my first day as Chief Executive Officer of Montalvo Global, my husband’s secretary looked me up and down, blocked the executive elevator with her arm, and sneered, “Interns use the service elevator.”

She had no idea who I was.

And I decided not to tell her.

Because in that exact second, I caught sight of something far more revealing than her arrogance.

On her left wrist, she was wearing a limited-edition white ceramic watch.

It was the exact same timepiece I had hand-picked for my mother-in-law’s upcoming birthday.

Only ten existed worldwide.

A month ago, while I was wrapping up a deal in Chicago, I had explicitly asked my husband, Alexander Montalvo, to purchase it for me.

“Please handle it,” I had told him over the phone.

“Your mother is going to love it.”

“Leave it to me, sweetheart,” he had replied smoothly.

Now that very watch was strapped to the wrist of Camila Reyes, his executive secretary.

It would take several more minutes for me to understand the dark truth behind why she was wearing it.

That morning, I had arrived at the corporate headquarters in Manhattan wearing an understated navy shift dress, flat leather shoes, and carrying an unbranded handbag.

For six years, I had led major operational turnarounds away from the main headquarters.

I was accustomed to industrial plants, late-night flights, endless board prep, and budget hotels where I barely got four hours of sleep.

I had never cared about dressing to advertise my tax bracket.