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The night before my wedding, my mother died on a cliff.My fiancé, Daniel Chalamet, held me in his arms, devastated and promised to help me find the real killer. Three years later, when I got my pregnancy test results, the doctor mentioned something about my father's heart source.Excited, I rushed to the hospital, only to find him wrapped up in the arms of his first love, Jennifer Portman. "Don't worry. I heard the hospital has a matching heart. I'll talk to the doctor and make sure it goes to Rihanna first." "But hasn't that heart already been promised to Natalie Gadot’s father? She'll be upset if she finds out." Daniel’s voice was cold. "So what? Three years ago, we used her child's heart and kidney to save your father. This time, we’re just taking another heart. It’s no big deal." "And don’t worry about her mother’s death. I’ve destroyed the evidence for you. She won’t trace it back to you." It turned out that they were responsible for the deaths of my mother and child three years ago. And now, Daniel was trying to steal my father’s heart to save their child. I pulled out my phone and called Daniel’s sworn enemy. "I want to ruin my reputation with Daniel and Jennifer. Can you help me?" "You’ve finally figured it out. I told you from the start that Daniel wasn’t a good person. You’d regret it one day. So, are you thinking of divorcing him and marrying me?" I looked at the man in front of me, being so gentle with Jennifer Portman, then lowered my head and gave a bitter smile. "I'll marry you, but only if you help me find a new heart source. If you find one today, I'll fly over and marry you tomorrow." "Give me a week. Just don’t forget to come see me then." Before hanging up, I added softly, "But I just found out... I’m one month pregnant. I plan to leave him and keep the child." The other end didn’t hesitate. "It’s just one child. I can afford it." Now I will rise to be my own queen, and it is time for Daniel and Natalie to step into the abyss I have set for them! —— I had already taken the pregnancy test three days ago. Before heading to the hospital, I had wanted to go with Daniel to share the surprise. But he rushed off, saying he had work to do. Now it seemed clear—he must have gone to be with Jennifer and their child. Daniel’s phone buzzed in his pocket. It was the doctor calling. He leaned in, gently kissing Jennifer. “Wait here. I’m going to speak with the doctor about my heart.” As Daniel’s figure slowly disappeared, Jennifer put away her pitiful expression and turned toward the stairwell where I was. “How pathetic. Three years of marriage and all you can do is hide in the shadows, watching someone else’s happiness.” I snorted coldly and replied calmly, “Isn’t the real pity you? You gave him a child, yet he didn't give you any status. As long as I stay, the position of Mrs. Chalamet will always be mine." My words hit Jennifer hard. Her face twisted in anger. "Daniel has always loved me. You’re the one who shamelessly stole the position of Mrs. Chalamet." “Daniel and I were each other’s first love. We swore we’d grow old together. Natalie, you’re the one who came between us.” A sharp pain tore through my chest. Instinctively, I raised a hand to clutch my heart, the prenatal checkup report slipping from my fingers. Jennifer bent down to pick it up. The moment she saw I was a month pregnant, her expression twisted even further. “Natalie, I can’t believe you’re pregnant again. You heard what Daniel just said. Your first child died to donate organs to my father.” “But that’s not the only reason. Want to know the rest?” Seeing my serious expression, Jennifer finally laughed. She spoke with a strange pride. "Daniel promised me that even if he married you, his child would still be mine. So, what do you think would happen if he found out you're pregnant again?" I knew she was trying to drive a wedge between me and Daniel. But right then, I didn’t care. I raised my hand and slapped her. The blow wasn’t strong, but in the next second, Jennifer clutched her face and crashed to the ground. At the same time, her pitiful voice echoed through the stairwell. "Natalie, I don’t know what I said to upset you. Can you tell me why you hit me and pushed me?" Tears rolled down her face right on cue. I let out a cold snort when I saw her expression. I was just about to mock her when I heard Daniel’s cold voice. He frowned and asked, "Why are you here? Why can’t you just say something decent? Why hit someone? Natalie, what happened to you?" I opened my mouth to speak, but Jennifer quickly grabbed his arm. As if trying to hold back her sadness, she said, "Daniel, Natalie must have her reasons. I shouldn’t have taken up your time. As long as she calms down, she can hit me however she wants." As expected, the next second, Daniel looked at her with concern. "No matter what, she shouldn’t have hit anyone. This is Natalie’s fault. I’ll make things right for you." As he spoke, Daniel reached out and firmly grabbed my shoulder. "Jennifer, fight back." I stared at him in disbelief, then replied coldly, "I’m pregnant. Are you sure you want her to hit me?" I picked up the report from the floor and threw it at Daniel. But he didn’t even glance at it. Instead, he reached out and ripped it apart. "What’s your plan here? If you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences..." Before he could finish, Jennifer whispered, "Daniel, why don’t you just let it go this time? Maybe Natalie’s just in a bad mood. I really can’t bring myself to do it." Daniel said gently, "You're too nice and that's why people take advantage of you. If you don't stand up for yourself now, it'll happen again." With that, Daniel grabbed Jennifer's hand and slapped me across the face. "Since you can't do it, let me help you." The slap was so hard that I was knocked backward. My stomach slammed against the stairs beside me. But Daniel acted like he hadn’t seen anything, walking away with Jennifer without a second glance. I crouched on the ground, clutching my aching stomach. Blood began to pour out, creating a bright red stain on the floor. "My child..." My vision blurred and everything went black. Chapter 2 When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a hospital bed. Recalling the events before I lost consciousness, I suddenly sat up. Just then, a doctor entered the room, saw my anxious face and smiled. "Don’t worry, the baby’s fine. But next time, be more careful with your stomach." Hearing this, I let out a sigh of relief and gently stroked my belly. Because of Daniel, I had lost my first child. This time, I had to protect this one. After leaving the hospital, I took a taxi straight to City Hall. Since I had decided to leave, I needed to get the divorce done quickly. I handed my papers to the staff. She typed for a moment, then looked up at me. "Ma'am, you already filed for divorce a month ago." I froze. That couldn’t be right. "That's impossible! I wasn’t even here a month ago. How could I have filed for divorce?" The staff checked again and his expression turned odd. "The system shows your divorce was filed a month ago. A man named Daniel Chalamet handled it for you..." He hesitated. "His current spouse is already listed as another woman, Jennifer. Do you know her?" My mind went blank. The room spun and a sharp ringing filled my ears. A month ago, it was my birthday. Daniel gave me five hundred twenty thousand dollars to spend however I wanted and said he’d celebrate with me after work. But just as I was about to head home from shopping, a group of drunk men appeared and dragged me into an alley. I kept trying to call Daniel, but every time I dialed, he ended the call. If a passerby hadn’t seen me and stepped in, who knows what would’ve happened. Afterwards, Daniel tried to calm me down, saying he was in a meeting and his phone had been on silent. I believed him. But now I knew: he had divorced me on my birthday and given Jennifer his name. That was exactly what I wanted. After leaving City Hall, I decided to walk to clear my head. But heavy rain poured down and I couldn’t escape it. I was soaked through. The wind and rain were so strong that no taxi was in sight. My umbrella broke and I walked alone through the storm, tears mixing with the rain as they fell to the ground. By the time I reached the villa, I was a mess. I pushed open the door. Warm air from the living room wrapped around me and I heard Daniel's gentle voice. "It's pouring outside. Drink some ginger soup, or you might catch a cold." My heart stirred for a moment, but then I saw Jennifer and Rihanna. Daniel wasn't talking to me. His words were for them. When he noticed me standing silently at the door, a flash of panic crossed his face. "Rihanna has heart problems. If anything happens, I can help right away. Jennifer is staying here to take care of her." I sneered. "Rescue? You think you’re more qualified than a doctor? Living here with heart problems instead of going to a hospital, are you out of your mind?" Daniel’s expression darkened in an instant. "How dare you speak like that? This is my house. If you disagree, I have plenty of ways to take your name off the deed." When we got married, he said he wanted me to feel secure, so he added my name to the deed. But now, for Jennifer, he had forgotten it all. Since that was how things stood, I would throw away everything between me and him, too! Chapter 3 After he finished speaking, Daniel took Jennifer and Rihanna upstairs without even looking at me. My head felt heavy from the rain, so after a shower, I went straight to bed. I wasn’t sure how long I had slept, but my throat felt like it had been cut with a knife. "Daniel..." I called out several times, but all I could hear was the sound of someone telling a story from the next room. "Daniel, Rihanna is so much like you," Jennifer said with a happy smile. "Even when she's upset, she copies you and tries to comfort me." "Of course," Daniel replied proudly. "I raised her. It’s good that she’s thoughtful, so she can look after you even when I’m not there." Even through the wall, I could imagine the smile on Jennifer’s face Daniel gently patted Rihanna’s back. "Alright, get some sleep. I'll tell you and your daughter a bedtime story." After some rustling, Daniel’s soft voice came through. “In a distant land, there lived a king and queen…” Staring at the plain white ceiling, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Daniel and I had been married for three years, but he and Jennifer felt like the real couple, sharing sweet dreams with their three-year-old. I tried to sit up in bed to reach my water glass, but knocked over a photo frame on the table. The glass shattered and the photo of Daniel and me got scratched. I got out of bed to pick it up, but the room was too dark and I stepped on the broken glass. Fighting through the pain, I limped to the light switch, cleaned up the mess and poured myself a glass of water. The whole time, I could still hear Daniel’s gentle storytelling from the next room. After bandaging myself and getting back into bed, a memory suddenly came to me: how long ago, I had only been caught in a light rain, yet Daniel had canceled all his meetings to stay with me for a week, afraid I might catch a fever. Back then, he had said, “Natalie, don’t worry, I’m here with you because you’re sick, I feel even worse than you do.” But now, after I walked through the heavy rain to come home, he gave the bowl of ginger soup to Jennifer. As soon as I closed my eyes, tears slid silently down my cheeks. The next morning, loud laughter from downstairs woke me up. I opened the bedroom door and saw Jennifer chatting cheerfully with Daniel’s mother. Before I could say a word, Jennifer noticed me. She gave me a smug look, then said sweetly to my mother-in-law, "Auntie, don’t overthink it. Daniel is only letting us stay here for a few days because of Rihanna’s heart. Once her surgery is done, we’ll leave. Otherwise, Natalie might get upset." My mother-in-law held Rihanna in her arms and said coldly, "Why should she be upset? They've been married for three years and still have no children. Our little Rihanna is the best. Call me Grandma." Rihanna looked up at her and said sweetly, "Grandma." "Ah!" My mother-in-law's face lit up with joy. She patted Jennifer’s hand. "Jennifer, one daughter isn’t enough. Once you have a son, I’ll make Daniel marry you!" Jennifer's face turned red right away. For a moment, I felt incredibly sick. Just as I turned to open the bedroom door, I heard my mother-in-law snap, "Stop right there!" The next second, two servants suddenly appeared and grabbed my wrists, not letting me move. "It's been a while and you’ve gotten ruder! You don’t even come down to serve me tea? You two, bring her down here." Right after she spoke, they grabbed my arms and dragged me down from the second floor. I fought back, but they were too strong. Seeing me being humiliated, my mother-in-law said proudly, "Go make me a cup of tea with 99-degree water." I stood still, pretending not to hear. Seeing this, Jennifer spoke up gently, “Auntie, let me handle it. I’m used to doing this kind of heavy work.” My mother-in-law took Jennifer’s hand and said, "You're the future daughter-in-law of the Chalamet Family. How could you do such chores? Let her do it." I watched them act out their little scenes. Jennifer tried to walk away, but my stare made her freeze. She looked annoyed. "What do we need her for? She can’t have kids and now she won’t even serve tea. You two, lock her up. I don’t want to see her around!" The two men gripped my shoulders, ready to take me away. Just then, Daniel came out of the study, frowning. "Mom, that’s enough!" Chapter 4 He glared at his mother, anger in his eyes. "Stop it! Natalie is my wife. How could you lock her up like that?" His mother stared at him in disbelief. “Daniel, you’re really defending an outsider over your own mother? Am I wrong? You and Natalie have been married for three years and still have no children. Even hens can lay eggs, she’s not even as good as a hen!” Daniel blurted out, “That’s because…” He didn’t finish, but I already knew because he and Jennifer had killed my child. "No matter what, you can’t treat her like this." He walked over and gently took my hand. But I pushed him away. "Since you like someone that can give birth, you should’ve married one from the start!" Without looking at his mother’s face, I turned and went upstairs. Daniel hesitated for a moment, then lifted his foot to follow me. But just then, Rihanna let out a cry of pain. Jennifer quickly pulled her into her arms, panic on her face. "Rihanna, what’s wrong? Is your heart hurting again?" "Daniel, I think Rihanna got scared by Natalie. Can you come check on her?" Daniel immediately turned and walked over to them, eyes full of worry as he looked at Rihanna. He pulled out his phone and called the family doctor. Jennifer hesitated. "But if you don’t follow her, won’t Natalie be upset?" Daniel frowned. "She spoke to my mother like that. What right does she have to be angry? Don’t mind her." But I had seen it clearly, with my own eyes. When Daniel turned to chase after me, Jennifer secretly pinched Rihanna. Her cry wasn’t from heart pain. But even if I told him, he wouldn’t believe me. Standing on the stairs, I saw the concern in Daniel’s eyes as he looked at Rihanna. Back in the bedroom, I closed the door and threw out everything related to Daniel. He had already destroyed every photo we took over the past three years. I didn’t want a man like him anymore. Just as I finished cleaning and was about to sit down, Daniel pushed open the door from outside. Seeing the empty shelves, confusion filled his eyes. "Natalie, what did you lose?" I shook my head, voice calm. "Nothing. Just some things that didn’t matter." Daniel didn’t seem to care or want to know what had gone wrong. He nodded. "Go downstairs and apologize to my mother. I’ve made tea, just bring it to her." Without a word, he led me downstairs and pushed me toward the table. I looked at the steaming tea and, despite the heat, picked it up. Just as I was about to hand it to my mother-in-law, Jennifer walked over. "Natalie, why don’t you let me do it?" Jennifer looked at me with a smug smile, but acted like she was doing it for my sake. “Get out of here!” Seeing her hand reaching for the teacup, I quickly swung my arm to push her away. But she held on tight and fought me for it. The cup fell to the floor and Jennifer let out a loud scream. “Daniel, my arm hurts!” Her eyes turned red right away and she held out her shaking arm to him. Even though there wasn’t a single scratch on her, Daniel’s eyes were full of anger and pain. “Natalie, you’ve gone too far. Jennifer was just trying to help you and you hurt her!” His voice got louder and then he raised his hand and slapped me. Seeing the state I was in, my mother-in-law laughed proudly. “Daniel, I told you before, this woman should’ve been locked up. Otherwise, she'd end up doing something disgraceful. And now look, it’s happening, isn’t it?” She pointed at the same two men who had locked me up before. “You two, lock her up! Don’t let her hurt my daughter-in-law again.” The men grabbed my arms and tried to drag me toward the basement storage room. This time, Daniel said nothing to stop them. Looking at him with a mix of pain and disbelief, I asked, “Daniel, you know I’m afraid of the dark. Are you really letting her lock me up?” He hesitated for just a moment, then looked at me with cold indifference. “You shouldn’t have hurt Jennifer. You know how much she means to me. Natalie, locking you up is just a small punishment—to stop you from doing anything worse.” The door shut and the storage room went completely dark. I pounded on it in panic and shouted, "Daniel, let me out!" One second passed. Then two. Then three. Everything stayed silent. I stumbled back a few steps and curled up in the corner, completely helpless. With my head buried in my arms, I suddenly remembered the day Daniel found out I was afraid of the dark and how he promised he’d never leave me alone in it again. But this time, he knew. And still, because of Jennifer, he locked me in anyway. As the tears fell, something inside me finally broke. Chapter 5 When I woke up, I found myself lying in my own bed. Turning my head, I saw Daniel next to me. Noticing my gaze, he opened his eyes and pulled me into his arms, his voice soft with guilt. “Natalie, you’re awake. Do you want to sleep a little longer?” Feeling the warmth of his chest, I felt a sharp ache and pushed him away. “Daniel, what are you pretending for?” He froze for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry. I thought Mom was just trying to scare you. I didn’t think those two servants would really lock you in the storage room.” “Mom went a little too far this time, but you were the one who hurt Jennifer.” Even now, he was still making excuses. I looked down and let out a cold laugh. “If you hadn’t said what you did, would they have dared to lock me up?” I paused, then added, “Since your mom already treats Jennifer like her real daughter-in-law, why don’t I just leave? Then you and Jennifer can be together and your mom won’t be upset every time she sees me.” With that, I got up and started to walk away. Daniel quickly pulled me into a hug, his voice shaking. “Natalie, after three years together, I won’t let you go.” “Are you still upset about Jennifer? Then I’ll ask her to move out. I won’t see her again.” His words might fool a young girl, but I won’t fall for them again. I shoved him away. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Jennifer suddenly threw open the bedroom door. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Daniel. “No need to kick me out. I’ll take Rihanna and leave right now.” With that, she turned and walked out. Daniel looked panicked and jumped out of bed to chase her, not even sparing me a glance. Watching him run down the hallway, I couldn’t help but follow. Jennifer stood on the second-floor balcony, looking down at the two-meter-deep swimming pool. Her eyes were red as she looked at Daniel, her voice shaking. “Daniel, if even you don’t want me anymore, then I’ll just jump. I know you and Natalie are the real couple, but I can’t help feeling jealous.” “Please take care of Rihanna after I’m gone. And don’t try to stop me.” She stepped toward the railing. Daniel rushed forward and hugged Jennifer tightly, his eyes full of pain. “I’m sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said those things. But the one I truly love is you. We still have Rihanna. If you really jump, what will happen to her? What about me?” He looked at Jennifer with deep affection. Watching their little love scene unfold, I stepped out from the shadows and slowly clapped. The moment Daniel saw me, his face froze. He opened his mouth, then finally said with difficulty, “Natalie, I’ll explain everything tonight, okay?” I shook my head and looked at him calmly. “No need. I’ll leave on my own soon. I won’t get in the way of your love.” I turned to leave, but Daniel reached out to stop me. Before he could grab me, Jennifer stepped in front of me. “Natalie, please don’t leave Daniel because of me. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have brought Rihanna here and I shouldn’t have gotten so close to Daniel. I should be the one to leave.” Seeing Jennifer’s fake expression made me feel sick. I said coldly, “Are you done? If you are, then move out of the way.” But instead of stepping aside, Jennifer grabbed my arm. “Natalie, you and Daniel have to stay well. That way, I’ll feel better even if I leave…” I gave her a mocking smile and pulled my arm free from her grip. But the next second, Jennifer screamed, threw up her arm and fell backward. Daniel, looking panicked, pushed me aside and rushed to catch her. He held her tightly by the waist, his voice full of relief. “Thank goodness you’re okay. I would’ve never forgiven myself if something happened to you.” But he didn’t see that I had fallen from the second-floor balcony into the pool. Chapter 6 The pool water rushed into my nose, choking me instantly. I flailed my arms and shouted toward the second-floor balcony, "Daniel! Help me!" I saw Daniel rush down in a panic, but he stopped at the edge of the pool. Then, he pulled Jennifer into his arms. "You’ve suffered because of Natalie. Now it's her turn to be taught a lesson." He looked down at me as I struggled, eyes full of despair, but he didn’t move. I stared at him in shock, my heart sinking. Soon, everything went dark and I grew weaker from lack of air. Right before I lost consciousness, Daniel took off his jacket, jumped in and pulled me out. His eyes were cold. "Natalie, this is just a small warning. If you hurt Jennifer again, I don’t know what I’ll do." When I woke up, loud arguing from downstairs pulled me back. I opened the bedroom door and saw Daniel and Jennifer fighting. Jennifer was holding a suitcase in one hand and gripping Rihanna’s arm with the other, pretending to be on the verge of tears. "Daniel, let go. Instead of waiting for Natalie to kick us out, I’d rather take Rihanna and leave now." With that, she shook off Daniel’s hand and turned to leave. Daniel’s eyes were full of pity and pain. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jennifer’s waist. "No, as long as I’m here, no one will dare chase you away. You and Rihanna can stay here forever. What happened yesterday was Natalie’s fault. I’ve already punished her. She won’t touch you again." I slowly walked down the stairs, glaring at Jennifer with a cold smile. "If you really wanted to leave, you wouldn’t have waited until today. You should’ve left last night while Daniel was asleep." Seeing Daniel hesitate, Jennifer bit her lip and suddenly dropped to her knees. "Natalie, all of this is my fault. I shouldn’t have come between you and Daniel. If you two are okay now, I’ll leave." She stood up, opened the villa door and was about to walk out when Daniel grabbed her arm and yelled, "Enough!" He turned to me, eyes full of anger. "Natalie, don’t you think this house is chaotic enough? Jennifer has never done anything to hurt you, so why do you keep going after her?" His voice was filled with disappointment. "Natalie, we’ve been married for three years. When did you become so jealous? I barely recognize you anymore." I lowered my head and sneered, stepping closer. "You don’t recognize me because your heart was never with me. All you care about is Jennifer." "Since you’ve chosen to let her stay, I’ll go." Everything in the villa was covered in Daniel’s scent. I didn’t want any of it anymore, so I left everything behind. As I stepped out the door, Daniel’s angry voice followed me. "Natalie, there’s a limit to jealousy. If you walk out today, don’t bother coming back!" I didn’t turn around. I just said it to myself—Fine, I won’t come back. After leaving the villa, I took out my phone and sent a message. [When will the heart source be found?] The reply came quickly, [We’ve got news. Just wait two more days.] In two days, I’d be able to leave this place for good. Chapter 7 The next night, I arrived at the banquet in formal dress. It was held for the Swift Family's eldest daughter's graduation, a promise made long ago, so I had to attend. I sat quietly in a corner, sipping my drink. As expected, it wasn’t long before Daniel and Jennifer made a grand entrance. Jennifer held onto Daniel’s arm, smiling politely. Everyone thought Jennifer was his wife and started praising her. “Daniel and his wife have such a sweet relationship! We’re so jealous.” Daniel smiled softly, taking in all the compliments like they were really a couple. Not wanting to see them anymore, I took my glass of wine and stepped out onto the villa’s balcony for some fresh air. My champagne was finished and just as I was about to head back in, Jennifer walked up beside me. “Natalie, you’ve already lost. Daniel loves me now. Can you really leave Rihanna without a father?” I gave her a cold smile. “What are you really trying to say?” “I want you to leave right now. I want to be Mrs. Chalamet.” I nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll go. I gave up on Daniel a long time ago.” I turned to leave, but Jennifer grabbed my arm. Just as I was about to ask what she meant, someone came up behind me and pressed a towel with drugs over my nose. Just before everything went dark, I saw Jennifer smirking. “But I don’t believe you.” When I opened my eyes, I realized I was tied to a chair, unable to move. Next to me sat Jennifer, also bound. She looked at me with a smug smile. "Natalie, if Daniel knew we were both kidnapped and could only save one of us, who do you think he’d choose?" I stared at her in disbelief. "This was your doing?" She laughed loudly. "So what if it was? I just want Daniel. Is that so wrong?" I was about to reply when someone rushed in and spoke to the man in charge. "Boss, Daniel is here." Moments later, two men in black stood behind us, each holding a knife. As Daniel walked in, my heart raced. The leader smirked. "Daniel, what a lucky man. Two beautiful women, but you can only pick one. Choose now, or both die." "Three..." "Two..." Before he reached one, Daniel suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Jennifer. "Her. Let her go." The man grinned. "Daniel doesn’t hesitate. Alright then, let’s deal with the other one." He told someone to untie the ropes around me. But right after that, he suddenly pushed me to the ground. In seconds, punches started hitting me from all sides. I held my stomach, trying to protect my baby. Then someone kicked me hard in the stomach. The man laughed when he saw me in pain. “Daniel, you better leave now. If I change my mind and don’t let her go, it won’t end well.” Through the crowd, I looked at Daniel and begged, “Please… save me, save our baby…” But Daniel acted like he didn’t hear me. He took Jennifer’s hand and walked away without looking back. Tears rolled down my face and hit the floor. I held my stomach, feeling the tiny life inside me slip away. Then I closed my eyes, full of pain and hopelessness. Chapter 8 When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. The doctor came in with a sorry look on his face. “I’m sorry… you’ve lost the baby.” Tears filled my eyes before I could even speak. Because of Jennifer and Daniel, I had lost my child again. Outside in the hallway, I heard nurses gossiping. “Did you hear? Mr. Chalamet’s wife scratched her wrist with a rope and he booked the whole floor.” “Which Mr. Chalamet?” “Who else? Daniel Chalamet, president of the Chalamet Group. I wish I had a love like theirs.” From the time I was kidnapped to losing my baby, Daniel hadn’t even called me, not one message. But Jennifer only got a small scratch and he booked an entire hospital floor for her. I smiled bitterly as more tears filled my eyes. It turned out that love and hate were easy to see. The phone on the table buzzed and I picked it up. “I found a matching heart donor, So you can fly over now?” I nodded. “I’ve already booked the ticket.” Just then, Daniel walked into the room. “What ticket? Where are you going?” I didn’t look at him and said calmly, “I bought it for a friend. His card didn’t go through.” He nodded and put the lilies he was holding on the table. But those were Jennifer’s favorite flowers. “I’m sorry about yesterday. Things happened fast and I had no choice.” I gave him a cold look. “So your choice was Jennifer? You left your wife of three years with those horrible people?” He opened his mouth to explain, but his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a call from Jennifer. I didn’t know what she said, but his face changed right away. “Didn’t I pick Jennifer because you planned all of this? Natalie, aren’t you just doing this to get my attention? Have you even thought about how much this is hurting Jennifer?” “She needs me right now. Take care of yourself.” Then he slammed the door and walked out without looking back. So it was Jennifer who told him I made it all up. He trusted her that much. My phone buzzed twice. It was a message from Daniel. [Come to the eighth floor and apologize to Jennifer right now, or I’ll never forgive you!] I let out a cold laugh and blocked his number. What Jennifer didn’t know was that I had started recording as soon as she came up to me at the banquet. Everything she said was saved, word for word. Before I left, I placed the recorder and the report about my miscarriage on the table. Then I walked away without looking back, taking my father with me.

On our eighth anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. That same day, my phone buzzed with an alert from my husband’s car tracking app. His car had exploded. My stomach dropped. Tears blurred my vision. After eight years of marriage, four miscarriages, and countless nights spent crying myself to sleep, I finally had another chance to be a mother. But Adrian wouldn’t be a part of it. Our baby would grow up without a father. The tracker showed that his phone was across town, alive. But the app insisted his car had exploded. None of it made sense. I grabbed my keys and drove. Minutes later, I spotted his black Mercedes parked in a deserted lot. Through the half-open window, I saw him—Adrian with his shirt open, and his fingers tangled in long dark hair as he kissed a woman’s neck. Celeste. My adopted sister. The air left my lungs. My chest caved in, but I didn’t make a sound. I pressed myself against the side of the car, hand clamped over my mouth as silent tears ran down my face. Adrian, the man I loved and had been married to for eight years And my adopted sister, the same person that Adrian had claimed to despise because of how she had made my life a living abyss. Just when I thought the worst had happened, Adrian's phone rang. He muttered, voice hoarse. "Hold on." He answered with irritation. "What is it, Doctor?" A pause. Then he grinned. Adrian ended the call and pulled Celeste close as a genuine smile spread across his face. It was something I hadn’t seen for years. "You're pregnant," he said softly. Celeste gasped, her hands flying to her stomach. "Are you serious?" "Yes." He kissed her deeply. "And the doctor said your womb is responding perfectly to the treatment. One more test next week to confirm everything is healed, and then we can finally start our family properly." Happy tears streamed down Celeste's face. "Oh my God. Adrian, we're going to have a baby." "We are." He cradled her face in his hands. "You're going to be an amazing mother." My heart bled as my hand moved instinctively to my own stomach, where my baby was growing. Celeste’s smile faded slowly. “What about Elena?” Adrian’s smile grew cold. “You don’t need to worry, baby. After next week’s test shows you’re healed, I won’t need her anymore. She’s an idiot. She has nothing and no one. She’ll end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs.” “I still can’t believe she never figured it out,” Celeste laughed. “You told her it was genetic incompatibility, and she believed you.” “Elena’s an idiot,” Adrian said dismissively. “She signed every consent form I put in front of her without reading a single line. The experimental treatments, the tissue samples, the terminations—she authorized all of it, thinking they were insurance forms or whatever bullshit I told her.” “Those four babies,” Celeste murmured. “You really used them to cure my womb?” “Every single one,” Adrian replied without remorse. “Different stages of development, different protocols. And it worked. You’re cured, and you’re carrying my child.” Celeste giggled softly. “Thanks to Elena’s babies.” My knees went weak, and I almost dropped to the floor. It became hard to breathe, and my ears rang. My vision blurred, and for a moment I thought I would lose consciousness. My four babies hadn’t died from miscarriage—they had been murdered by their father, for my sister. My mind flashed back to each miscarriage. The pain. The blood. The hospital rooms. After each loss, Celeste would show up at the hospital with homemade chicken soup. “I made this especially for you,” she would say, her eyes full of fake tears. “I know how much you’re hurting. I’m here for you, sis.” She would stay the night, sleeping in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand whenever I woke up crying. Adrian would be there too, stroking my hair, whispering, “We’ll try again. We’ll have our baby. I promise.” Four babies murdered. Used as experiments to cure my sister's infertility so she could carry my husband's child. Adrian thought I had no one. But he was wrong. He didn’t know that five years ago, when his company nearly collapsed, the anonymous investor who saved and funded his entire empire was me. Under my maiden name, Elena Rossi, I owned fifty percent of Moretti Enterprises. Shaking, I gathered every piece of evidence as I did the one thing Adrian had warned me about. I called the only man Adrian fears—his greatest enemy, Ivan Romano. “Who is this?” “My name is Elena Moretti,” I whispered. “I need your help.” “And why would Moretti’s wife call his enemy?” “Because I want him destroyed,” I said. “And you’re the only man who hates him as much as I do.” There was silence. Then a low, dark laugh. “Mrs. Moretti,” Ivan said, “I accept your invitation to collaborate.” Adrian betrayed me, ruined my marriage, and caused the deaths of my four children. Now I will join forces with his most powerful enemy to seize his empire—and bankrupt him! Chapter 1 Elena's POV On our eighth anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. That same day, my phone buzzed with an alert from my husband’s car tracking app. His car had exploded. My stomach dropped. Tears blurred my vision. “No… please, God, no.” After eight years of marriage, four miscarriages, and countless nights spent crying myself to sleep, I finally had another chance to be a mother. But Adrian wouldn’t be a part of it. Our baby would grow up without a father. I refused to accept it. I called Adrian several times. No answer. The tracker showed that his phone was across town, alive. But the app insisted his car had exploded. None of it made sense. I grabbed my keys and drove. Minutes later, I spotted his black Mercedes parked in a deserted lot. It was untouched. No smoke, no damage. Relief flooded through me—the app must have malfunctioned again. It had done that before, then I paused. Why was he here? Why hadn’t he picked up my calls? I stepped out quietly and moved closer. I could see shadows through the dark windows. Then a sound slipped through the half-open window. A woman's groan. A man's low groan. I froze, covering my mouth before I could gasp. My mind screamed at me to turn back, to leave, to pretend I never came here, but my body refused to obey. Through the half-open window, I saw him—Adrian with his shirt open, and his fingers tangled in long dark hair as he kissed a woman’s neck. Celeste. My adopted sister. The air left my lungs. My chest caved in, but I didn’t make a sound. I pressed myself against the side of the car, hand clamped over my mouth as silent tears ran down my face. Adrian, the man I loved and had been married to for eight years And my adopted sister, the same person that Adrian had claimed to despise because of how she had made my life a living abyss. Just when I thought the worst had happened, Adrian's phone rang. He muttered, voice hoarse. "Hold on." He answered with irritation. "What is it, Doctor?" A pause. Then he grinned. Adrian ended the call and pulled Celeste close as a genuine smile spread across his face. It was something I hadn’t seen for years. "You're pregnant," he said softly. Celeste gasped, her hands flying to her stomach. "Are you serious?" "Yes." He kissed her deeply. "And the doctor said your womb is responding perfectly to the treatment. One more test next week to confirm everything is healed, and then we can finally start our family properly." Happy tears streamed down Celeste's face. "Oh my God. Adrian, we're going to have a baby." "We are." He cradled her face in his hands. "You're going to be an amazing mother." My heart bled as my hand moved instinctively to my own stomach, where my baby was growing. Celeste’s smile faded slowly. “What about Elena?” Adrian’s smile grew cold. “You don’t need to worry, baby. After next week’s test shows you’re healed, I won’t need her anymore.” My blood ran cold. What did that mean? “I still can’t believe she never figured it out,” Celeste laughed. “You told her it was genetic incompatibility, and she believed you.” “Elena’s an idiot,” Adrian said dismissively. “She signed every consent form I put in front of her without reading a single line. The experimental treatments, the tissue samples, the terminations—she authorized all of it, thinking they were insurance forms or whatever bullshit I told her.” My legs threatened to give out, but I forced myself to stay still. I had to keep listening. “Those four babies,” Celeste murmured. “You really used them to cure my womb?” “Every single one,” Adrian replied without remorse. “Different stages of development, different protocols. And it worked. You’re cured, and you’re carrying my child.” Celeste giggled softly. “Thanks to Elena’s babies.” My knees went weak, and I almost dropped to the floor. It became hard to breathe, and my ears rang. My vision blurred, and for a moment I thought I would lose consciousness. My four babies hadn’t died from miscarriage—they had been murdered by their father, for my sister. Chapter 2 Elena's POV "All I had to do was slip in some drugs to her meal to induce early labour," Adrian said, almost amused. "Then I would tell her that there were complications. She would cry, I would comfort her, and life would go on." My mind flashed back to each miscarriage. The pain. The blood. The hospital rooms. After each loss, Celeste would show up at the hospital with homemade chicken soup. “I made this especially for you,” she would say, her eyes full of fake tears. “I know how much you’re hurting. I’m here for you, sis.” She would stay the night, sleeping in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand whenever I woke up crying. Adrian would be there too, stroking my hair, whispering, “We’ll try again. We’ll have our baby. I promise.” I had believed them both. My hands shook violently. I bit down harder on my palm to keep from screaming. They had poisoned me four times. "Are you really going to divorce her when my womb is cured?" Celeste asked, her voice dripping with false concern. "Of course," Adrian said casually. "Once the doctor confirms the treatments worked, I don't need to keep her around anymore." He paused, and I heard the smirk in his tone. "Then you and I can finally be together publicly." Celeste's voice was breathy. "What about my family? What will they say?" Adrian laughed coldly. "The family that favours you over their own daughter? Please. They'll side with us. Her mother already told me she thinks Elena is an embarrassment." The words cut through me like knives, because it was the truth. "She already signed her five percent company shares over to me years ago without realizing it," Adrian continued. "She'll walk away with nothing. She has no friends, no support system. After the divorce, she'll have nothing and no one. She'll probably end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs." Celeste furrowed her eyebrows. “How do you plan on doing that?” Adrian chuckled coldly. "Next week, we'll throw a huge party to announce your pregnancy to everyone important, my business partners, your family, and so much more.” He continued. "Then I'll have something slipped into her champagne. Then halfway through the party, Marcus will find her in one of the upstairs rooms in a compromising position with some strange men." Celeste gasped. "You're going to frame her?" "She'll be too drugged to know what's happening. Marcus will make sure there are photos. By the end of the party, everyone will believe Elena Moretti cheated on her devoted husband at a party celebrating her sister's pregnancy." "That's brilliant," Celeste breathed. "Everyone will think she's the villain." "Exactly. The divorce will be clean, and she'll get nothing." Adrian's voice dripped with satisfaction. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst through my chest. He was going to drug me, frame me, and take everything. Their groans filled the silence again. I backed away from the car slowly, careful not to make a sound. My hand was bleeding where I had bitten it, but I didn't feel it. All I could feel was devastation, rage and heartbreak. When I was far enough away, I ran. I climbed into my car, and my body shook so violently I could barely hold the wheel. I sat there in the darkness, tears streaming down my face, my palm pressed protectively over my stomach. Four babies murdered. Used as experiments to cure my sister's infertility so she could carry my husband's child. And now he was going to destroy my reputation and take everything I had left. I barely remembered driving home. My hands shook so violently on the steering wheel that I almost crashed twice. I drove home in a daze, their conversation replaying endlessly in my head. ‘She’s an idiot. She has nothing and no one. She’ll end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs.’ I walked inside the house absentmindedly, then I headed straight to Adrian’s home office. I needed proof. Evidence. Something to make sense of what I had heard. My hands shook as I searched through his files, his laptop, his locked drawers. I found the small brass key hidden beneath the drawer lining and opened the filing cabinet. Medical records with my name. Dates that matched every pregnancy. Procedures I never consented to. Bank statements showing payments to a private research facility. I kept searching, my hands moving faster. Finally, I found the transfer record. The company shares Adrian had promised me as a wedding gift—I had signed them all back to him without realizing it. I stared at the document until the words blurred. "She'll walk away with nothing." A bitter laugh escaped me. Adrian was so ignorant of the truth. I couldn't be left with nothing, because what Adrian didn't know was that he hadn't built Moretti Enterprises from nothing. I had. Five years ago, when his company nearly went bankrupt, an anonymous investor saved it. The investor paid all the debts, funded the expansions, and covered the losses. That investor was me. I was the anonymous silent shareholder with fifty percent ownership of his company. I had created the account under my maiden name, Elena Rossi, using an offshore account that Adrian never knew existed. His empire was built on my money. And he called me an idiot. Another laugh escaped me. I gathered every document, every file, every piece of evidence, and made copies, hiding them where he would never think to look. Then I sank to the cold floor of his office and cried until my body had nothing left to give. When there were no tears left, I just sat there, feeling empty. I had no idea where to start. Then I remembered something Adrian had said months ago. "Stay away from Ivan Romano. He's my biggest competitor. He is ruthless and dangerous. He will do anything to destroy me." Ivan Romano. Adrian's biggest rival and worst enemy. He was the only one who could help me now. I picked up my phone with trembling fingers and began searching. It took twenty minutes to find Ivan's private number buried deep in Adrian's files. I stared at it for a long time. Once I made this call, there would be no going back. But when I thought of my four babies, of Celeste's mocking laughter, of Adrian's cruelty, I pressed Call. The phone rang twice before a deep, smooth voice answered. "Who is this?" My throat tightened, but I forced the words out. "My name is Elena Moretti. I'm Adrian Moretti's wife." A pause. "Moretti's wife. What do you want?" Tears blurred my vision. "I need your help." "Why would Adrian Moretti's wife be calling me? I am your husband's rival." His tone sharpened. "Because I want him destroyed," I whispered. "And I think you're the only man who hates him as much as I do." Silence stretched. Then Ivan laughed. It was a dark, low sound that sent a shiver through me. "Mrs. Moretti," he said slowly, "you have my complete attention." Chapter 3 Elena’s POV "Tell me everything." Ivan's voice was sharp and cold. “Tell me why Adrian Moretti's devoted wife wants her loving husband destroyed." I explained everything from the tracking app, to finding Adrian with Celeste, the conversation I had overheard concerning the experiments on my babies, and his plan to divorce me. By the time I finished, tears were running down my cheeks again. Ivan was silent for a long moment. "Do you have proof?" he finally asked. "Yes." My voice was stronger now. "Medical records, bank statements, transfer documents. Everything." "And you have fifty percent shares in the company?" Ivan asked. "He doesn't know about them. Nobody does." I replied. "I also have evidence of everything illegal he had done in his company. But I can't use it. He has connections, lawyers, and my family—" "Your family supports him?" The question was like a knife to my chest, because the answer was a bitter truth. My mother had never wanted me back. I was ten when the DNA test results came back. Celeste and I had been switched at birth because of a hospital error. When they came for me, I had been living in a small countryside village with a seamstress who had raised me. We were poor, but I’d been happy. They took me to their mansion in the city, but my mother couldn't let Celeste go. She had raised Celeste, and loved her. So she kept both of us. But there was never any question who she preferred. “Elena, fix your posture. You look like a peasant.” “Elena, speak properly. Your accent is embarrassing.” “Elena, why can't you be more like Celeste?” Nothing I did was ever good enough. I took etiquette classes but I was too clumsy. I studied languages but my pronunciation was wrong. Celeste was perfect and graceful, and my mother made sure I knew I didn't measure up. By eighteen, I had learned to stay quiet, to make myself small, and to not expect love. That's when I met Adrian. He was charming, successful, and he looked at me like I mattered. “You're different from other girls,” he had said. I fell in love with him fast and hard. When he proposed after six months, I said yes immediately. My mother had pulled me aside the night before the wedding. “Adrian Moretti is using you. But you're too stupid to see it.” I hadn't listened. I had married him, spent eight years trying to be the perfect wife. And the whole time, Celeste had been there, sleeping with my husband behind my back, and I had never suspected a thing. My chest ached as I blinked hard, forcing myself back to the present. "My family loves my sister. They'll most likely side with him when he divorces me. I can't trust on their support." Ivan was silent for a moment. "So you want revenge." "I want justice," I corrected, my voice breaking. "He murdered my babies. He used them to cure my adopted sister's womb so she could carry his child. He made me sign away everything I had, and now he's going to throw me away like garbage." "And why did you come to me?" Ivan asked curiously. "Because you hate him." I replied desperately. "Adrian told me to stay away from you. He said you would do anything to destroy him." He chuckled coldly. "What do you want from me, Elena?" I clenched my fists tightly. "I want to take everything from him, the way he took everything from me. His company, his reputation, his freedom. I want him to lose it all. I have fifty percent of his company. You're his biggest competitor. Together, we can ruin him." Ivan was quiet, then finally he spoke. "If I help you, it won't be charity. I want something in return." My stomach clenched at the tone of his voice. "What do you want in return?" "Marry me." "Marry you?" I repeated incredulously, my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes," Ivan said simply. "If I'm going to help you destroy Adrian Moretti, I want something permanent in return. Not money. Not shares. You." "But—" He interrupted. "Think about my offer, Mrs. Moretti. You have my number." The call was disconnected. I stared at my phone, my mind spinning. Marry Ivan Romano? Adrian's biggest enemy? I shook my head. No. I didn't need him. I had the evidence. I had the shares. I could handle this myself. I would make sure Adrian lost everything, the same way he'd taken everything from me. Chapter 4 Elena’s POV I didn't waste any time. I went straight to the bedroom and began packing my things. I didn’t know what to do, but I was very certain that I couldn’t stay here anymore. I moved mindlessly, pulling clothes from hangers, emptying drawers as I arranged them all in my bags. "Elena?" I froze. Adrian's voice came from the doorway. "What's going on? What are you doing?" I turned slowly to face him. His expression changed instantly when he saw my face. My eyes were red and swollen from crying, and my cheeks stained with tears. "What's wrong?" Panic flashed in his eyes as he stepped closer. "Are you okay? What happened?" The concern in his voice made my stomach turn. He was so good at pretending. He sounded so convincing. I shook my head. “Nothing.” I croaked. He stepped closer even more, looking worried. “Come on, it can’t be nothing, you’ve been crying.” I knew Adrian wouldn’t drop it anytime soon, so I lied, "It's Clara," I whispered, my voice breaking. He furrowed his brows. “Your foster mother? The one who’s been in a coma since the car accident? I nodded. "The hospital called. She's getting worse. They said... they said she might not make it." For a split second, I saw relief flash in his eyes. Then it was gone, replaced by fake sympathy. "Oh, Elena." He stepped forward, pulling me into his arms. "I'm sorry. I know she means a lot to you." My skin crawled at his touch. The hands that had murdered my babies, were now holding me, and comforting me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw his eyes out. But I forced myself to stay still, to let him hold me. "Adrian?" Celeste's voice called from the doorway. Adrian's body tensed up. He pulled away immediately and rushed to Celeste's side. "Are you okay?" he asked her with genuine concern, not the fake concern he had just given me. Celeste nodded, smiling. "Yes, I just wanted to know if you've told Elena yet." Adrian turned to me, and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. His voice was vibrating with excitement. “Elena, Celeste has good news.” I lifted an eyebrow. “Good news?” He nodded. “Yes. And I would be throwing a party next week for a big celebration of the good news. I'm inviting all my friends, business partners, investors—everyone important." I knew what the good news was. The pregnancy. My husband's baby growing inside my sister. And I knew the plans he had for me at that party. I stared at him. "All these for the ‘good news’?" "Yes." Celeste smiled sweetly. "Adrian wanted to do something special for me, as we’re all family." He was throwing a party to celebrate the baby he had created using my murdered children. "There will be a family dinner tonight first," Adrian continued. "Just us and your parents. But the big party is next week. I've already hired caterers, sent out invitations—” "I'm not interested," I said flatly. Celeste's smile faltered. "But Elena—" "I said I'm not interested." Celeste’s face dropped, and her eyes watered. "Elena!" Adrian snapped, his expression darkening. "Your mother and father will be there. They're expecting you." “I can’t bring myself to celebrate while Clara is dying," I said quietly, the lie rolling off my tongue easily. "She's old," Adrian said dismissively. "She's lived her life. But this baby—" He placed his hand on Celeste's stomach. "This is new life. Something to be happy about." My hands clenched into fists at his cruel words. Clara had always treated him like her son, even though I wasn’t her biological daughter. I couldn’t believe that he would be so flippant about her life. "Don't be selfish," he continued. "Celeste is trying to include you in something important—" "I said no." Celeste's eyes filled with tears. "I just wanted us all to be together as a family. But if you don't want to be there..." Her voice broke. "If you hate me that much..." "I'm just worried about Clara." I replied, turning away from her to continue packing the clothes. "She wasn't your real mother," Celeste said softly. "She was just—" "Don't." My voice was cold. "Don't you dare finish that sentence." Celeste flinched, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. She turned to Adrian. "See? She hates me. I try so hard to be a good sister, but she—" "Enough." Adrian's voice was sharp. He turned to me, his eyes hard. "You're coming to dinner tonight. And you're coming to the party next week. That's final." "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "You're my wife. You'll attend both events, you'll smile, and you'll support your sister. Do you understand?" I stared at him. The man that I had loved for eight years. The man who had murdered our children. "Fine," I said quietly. "I'll come." Satisfaction flashed across his face. "Good. Dinner starts at seven." He turned and guided Celeste out of the room, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh. The door closed behind them. I stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door with a glare on my face. Adrian had no idea of the storm that was coming for him. Chapter 5 Elena’s POV At 7:00, I walked downstairs wearing a simple black dress. Adrian was in the living room with Celeste. When he saw me, he frowned. "You're wearing black?" "I have no reason to celebrate," I said quietly. His jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Celeste, meanwhile, was wearing a flowing pink dress that made her look radiant and glowing. "You look beautiful," Adrian told her softly. She beamed. "Thank you." He didn't even glance at me. The doorbell rang. "That'll be your parents," Adrian said, heading to the door. I watched him greet my mother and father with warm hugs and handshakes. My mother spotted me and frowned. "Elena, why are you wearing black? This is a celebration." "I cannot celebrate when Clara is still fighting for her life," I said simply. "Oh." My mother's expression didn't change. "Well, that's unfortunate. But tonight is about Celeste and her good news." Of course it was. They didn’t care about anything else. We moved to the dining room. I sat at the far end of the table. Adrian sat at the head, with Celeste on his right and my parents on his left. They chatted and laughed amongst themselves, completely ignoring me, almost like I was invisible. Halfway through the meal, Celeste stood up. "I have an announcement," she said, her voice shaking with excitement. Everyone turned to look at her. Adrian was beaming. "I'm pregnant," Celeste said softly. My mother gasped, jumping up to hug her. "Oh, sweetheart! That's wonderful!" My father grinned. "Congratulations, Celeste." "Who's the father?" I asked quietly. The room went silent. Celeste's eyes widened. "What?" "I asked who the father is," I repeated. "You're not married. You don't have a boyfriend that I know of. So who got you pregnant?" "Elena!" my mother snapped. "How dare you—" "It's a reasonable question," I said calmly. Celeste's eyes filled with tears. "I... I was seeing someone. He died a few months ago. This baby is all I have left of him." The lie rolled off her tongue so easily. I glanced between my father and my mother. They looked very uncomfortable, avoiding my eyes. And that's when it clicked. They knew. They all knew whose baby it was. My own parents knew my husband was having an affair with my sister, and they were celebrating it. "I'm sorry for your loss," I said flatly. "Congratulations on the baby." Adrian cleared his throat. "As I mentioned earlier, I'm throwing a celebration party this Saturday. A big one. All my business partners, investors, and friends will be there to celebrate this wonderful news." My mother clapped her hands together. "How exciting! Celeste, you'll need a new dress—" "Already ordered," Adrian said with a smile. "Only the best for my... for Celeste." He had almost said something else. I saw him catch himself. "Elena, you'll need something appropriate too," my mother said, eyeing my black dress with distaste. "I have plenty of dresses," I said quietly. "Nothing suitable for a celebration," she countered. "Tomorrow, you and I will go shopping." "I would rather spend tomorrow at the hospital with Clara." My mother's expression hardened. "Elena, that woman is dying. There's nothing you can do for her. But you can support your sister during this happy time." That woman. Not even your foster mother. Just that woman. "If you'll excuse me," I said, standing to my feet. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going to bed." "Elena, sit down," Adrian said sharply. "No." "I said sit down!" "And I said no." I looked at him coldly. "I came to dinner like you asked. I heard the announcement. Now I'm leaving." I turned and walked out of the dining room. Behind me, Celeste’s voice wobbled with fake tears. “She hates me, Mom.” “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” my mother soothed. “At least, thanks to her, you’re now…” Her voice dropped, too low for me to hear. My breath caught. They knew. My parents knew what Adrian had done—and they supported it. I went upstairs and shut the bedroom door. I lay there, staring at the ceiling while laughter, clinking glasses, and music drifted up the stairs. They were celebrating my pain. Soon, they would have nothing left to celebrate. Chapter 6 Elena’s POV Hours passed and the noise faded and the house went quiet. My parents took one guestroom. Celeste took the other. And Adrian… I knew exactly where he’d be. My throat was dry. I needed water, but I waited another half hour, just to be sure. I slipped out of bed, crept down the stairs, and entered the kitchen, and filled a glass from the tap. I heard Adrian’s low voice coming from his office. “I don’t care what it takes. Keep her sedated.” I froze, the glass halfway to my mouth. “No, I’m not interested in her waking up,” he said. “I’m paying you enough to make sure that doesn’t happen.” My heart slammed against my ribs. “The monitoring showed brain activity? So what? Increase the dosage. I don’t want her to be conscious. Ever.” I set the glass down and crept closer. The office door was slightly ajar. “You don’t understand,” Adrian hissed. “Clara is dangerous. If she wakes up, everything falls apart.” A pause. Then: “Yes, I know it’s illegal. That’s why I’m tripling your fee.” Another pause. “Because she saw me,” he snapped. “She saw me with Celeste months ago. She threatened to tell Elena. So I handled it.” My hand flew to my mouth. “The car accident wasn’t an accident,” Adrian said coldly. “I ran her off the road myself. She should’ve died, but the old woman was tougher than I thought. Now she’s in a coma, and I need her to stay that way.” No. No, no, no. “If she wakes up and tells Elena what she saw, my entire plan falls apart. Keep her sedated until after the party. After that... I don’t care what happens. Let her die naturally, just make sure it can’t be traced back to me.” The call ended. His chair scraped back. I ran. I flew up the stairs, heart pounding, and shut the bedroom door just as his footsteps echoed down the hall. I pressed my back against it, trembling. Adrian had tried to kill Clara. He was keeping her sedated. He was going to let her die. I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed Ivan. He answered on the second ring. “Mrs. Moretti. It’s late.” “I need your help.” My voice cracked. “Please. It’s Clara—my foster mother. Adrian ran her off the road months ago because she caught him with Celeste. Now he’s paying her doctor to keep her in a coma. She’s showing signs of waking up, and he’s—he’s going to let her die.” Silence. “Please,” I whispered. “I need to move her somewhere safe. But I can’t do it alone. He has people everywhere.” “Where is she?” “Mercy General Hospital. Room 304.” “I’ll have her moved by morning,” Ivan said. “She’ll be safe.” Relief flooded through me. “Thank you. Thank you so much—” “But you know what this means, Elena.” I closed my eyes. “Yes.” “Say it.” “I accept your offer,” I whispered. “I’ll marry you.” “Good. You have four days.” The call ended. I sat there in the dark, phone clutched in my hand. I had just agreed to marry a man I’d never met. My husband’s worst enemy. Adrian didn’t know it yet, but I just became his reckoning. *** I couldn't sleep. My mind kept replaying everything I had just heard in Adrian’s office. Then I heard footsteps approaching, and a knock on the door. "Elena?" Celeste's voice was sweet, concerned. "Can I come in?" I didn't answer. "Elena, please. I just want to talk." I stayed silent. "Elena, open the door." She turned the doorknob and opened the door, stepping inside. There was a pause. Then her voice changed, she dropped the sweet voice. "Oh, you look so pathetic right now, sis.” She drawled. I didn’t move. She continued. “But I want you to know something. That child in my womb is Adrian’s. He chose me.” I sat up slowly, turning to face her. She had a cruel grin on her face. "He told me how boring you were in bed. How you could never satisfy him. How he had to close his eyes and pretend you were someone else." My hands clenched into fists. "And those babies?" She laughed. "Four chances, Elena. And you couldn't even manage to keep one alive. What kind of woman can't even do the one thing her body was made for?" My vision turned red. "Your body must be defective," she continued, her voice dripping with venom. "Maybe it's nature’s way of telling you that you would be a terrible mother.” Anger burned through me at her words, and I stood up, walking towards her with clenched fists. "Adrian loves me," Celeste said, with a nasty grin on her face. "He's having a baby with me. A real baby. One that will actually live, because I can give him what you never could—a family." I shoved her hard. She stumbled backward, her eyes widening in shock. "Get out," I gritted coldly. "You Cheap Woman!" she hissed. "How dare you—" "I said get out!" I slammed the door in her face and locked it this time. There was silence for a moment, then the sound of footsteps walking down the hallway. I walked back to the bed and sat down. Then I heard a loud thud, and a scream. "Adrian! Help! Adrian!" My blood ran cold. What did she— The bedroom door flew open with such force it slammed against the wall. The lock of the door had been broken. Adrian stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. His face was twisted with rage. Behind him, my mother and father appeared, holding a sobbing Celeste. "You pushed her down the stairs?" Adrian's voice was deadly quiet. "What? No, I didn't—" "She came up here to comfort you," my mother said, her voice shaking. "To try and make peace. And you attacked her!" "That's not what happened!" I stood up. "She was inside my room, insulting me—" "That’s not true!" Celeste sobbed. "I just wanted to talk to my sister. To make sure she was okay. And she... she pushed me!" "I shoved her away from my door! I didn't push her down the stairs—" Before I could say anything more, Adrian’s fist slammed into my face. The impact sent me flying backward. My head cracked against the wall, and pain exploded through my skull. Then everything went black. Chapter 7 Elena’s POV When I woke up in the hospital, my head was pounding. My face throbbed, and I could taste blood in my mouth. I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Everything hurt. "You're finally awake." Adrian's voice was cold, and emotionless. I forced my eyes open. He was sitting in a chair by the window, watching me. The memories flooded through my mind, and tears welled up in my eyes. In our eight years of marriage, Adrian had never hit me before, until now. "Adrian," I whispered. "How could—" "Apologize to Celeste." "What?" "You heard me." His eyes were hard. "Apologize to your sister for attacking her." "I didn't attack her!" I tried to sit up again, ignoring the pain. "She was taunting me, saying horrible things—" "I don't care what she said." He stood up. "You put your hands on a pregnant woman. You could have killed her baby." "She threw herself down the stairs!" Tears streamed down my face. "She's lying, Adrian. She's always lying—" "Apologize." "No." I said firmly. His expression darkened. "No?" "I won't apologize for something I didn't do." He stared at me for a long moment. Then he smiled. It was a cold, cruel smile that made my blood freeze. "Fine." He grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I stumbled, my legs were too weak to hold me up. "What are you doing?" I gasped. He didn't answer, he just dragged me out of the room, and down the hospital hallway. "Adrian, stop! Where are we going?" He kept dragging me, till we approached the ICU. My stomach dropped. "No," I whispered. "No, Adrian, please—" He ignored me as he dragged me to Room 304. Clara’s room. "Adrian, what are you doing?" I was sobbing now. "Please, don't—" He kicked open the door to Clara's room. To my dismay, she was still lying there, pale and unmoving, surrounded by machines. Her heart monitor beeped steadily. Ivan’s people hadn't arrived yet. A nurse looked up, startled. "Sir, you can't—" "Turn off the life support," Adrian said coldly. The nurse's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" "I said turn it off." "Sir, I can't do that—" "Do it." "Sir, the patient will die within minutes if we—" "I don't care." Adrian's voice was ice. "Turn it off. Now." The nurse looked at me, then back at Adrian. "Sir, I need authorization from—" "I'm Adrian Moretti." His voice was quiet but deadly. "I'm on the hospital board. I donate millions to this place every year. If you don't do what I say right now, I will have you fired. I will have your nursing license revoked. I will destroy your career and this entire hospital. Do you understand?" The nurse's face went pale as she quickly did as he said with tears in her eyes. "No!" I lunged forward, but Adrian caught me, holding me back. "Please," I sobbed. "Please, she's all I have. She's my mother. Please—" The ventilator went silent. The heart monitor's beeping slowed. "Adrian, please!" I dropped to my knees, sobbing. "Please don't do this! I'm begging you!" He looked down at me. "Apologize to Celeste." "I'll apologize!" I screamed. "I'll apologize for anything! Just please, don't hurt her!" "Say it, then." "I'm sorry!" I was hysterical now. "I'm sorry for pushing Celeste! I'm sorry for everything! Just please, Adrian, please don't do this!" He stared at me for a long moment. "Turn it back on!" I screamed. "Please, turn it back on!" But then a voice called from the hallway. "Mr. Moretti! Sir!" Another nurse appeared in the doorway, breathless. "It's Miss Celeste! She's having a panic attack! She can't breathe—" Adrian released me immediately. “Gather every nurse and doctor in this hospital. Now. No harm must come to Celeste.” Then he ran out of the room. To my horror, he dragged the nurse from Clara's room with him. I rushed outside frantically. "Help!" I screamed into the hallway. "Somebody help me! Please!" But everyone was gone, running to help Celeste. I looked at the machines, at the buttons and switches. "I'm sorry," I whispered to Clara. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how to—" I tried pressing buttons, and flipping switches, but nothing worked. Clara's heart monitor slowed further, and the beeping got fainter. "No, no, no," I sobbed. "Please, Mama. Please don't leave me. Please—" The monitor flatlined. "No!" I threw myself across her body. "Mama! Mama, please!" But she was gone. I don't know how long I stayed there, sobbing over her body. Eventually, the nurses came back. They tried to pull me away, but I wouldn't let go. Security had to be called. They dragged me out of the room while I screamed and fought. Adrian was in the waiting room with Celeste. She was crying dramatically, my mother stroking her hair. When Adrian saw me being dragged past, he didn't even look concerned. He just turned back to Celeste and continued coddling her. Clara was dead. Adrian had murdered her. Just like he had murdered my babies. I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and texted Ivan. — He killed my mother. It’s too late. His response came immediately. — What happened? I told him everything. There was a long pause before his next message. — I’ll make him pay, Elena. I swear on my life. If Adrian thought he had broken me, he was about to learn how wrong he was. Chapter 8 Elena's POV The next few days passed quickly. I arranged a quiet funeral for Clara, inviting the close friends and family she had. Adrian barely spoke to me. He was too busy fussing over Celeste, making sure she had everything she needed for the party. The day before the party, I found Adrian in his office, going through party preparations with the event planner on the phone. When he saw me, he held up one finger, gesturing to me to wait. I stood there silently while he finished his call, discussing menu options and flower arrangements like he hadn't killed Clara. Finally, he hung up and looked at me with irritation. "What is it?" "I need you to sign these." I placed a folder on his desk. "For Clara's death certificate and burial arrangements." He glanced at the papers without really looking at them. "Right." He picked up his pen. "I'm sorry about your foster mother," he said absently, signing the first page. "But it was her time, wasn't it? You said it yourself, the hospital called to tell you she wasn't getting better." My jaw clenched. He kept signing and talking, not even reading what was in front of him. "These things happen. She was old. She lived a full life." He murdered her. And now he was acting like it was just natural causes. "Here." He pushed the folder back to me. "All signed. Is that all?" "Yes." "Good. Round up everything quickly. We have the party on Saturday, and I don't want any negative energy affecting the celebration." Negative energy. That's what my grief was to him. "Of course," I said quietly, taking the folder. As I turned to leave, I heard Celeste's voice from the hallway. "Adrian? Are you almost done? I need your opinion on my dress—oh." She stopped when she saw me. "Elena. I didn't see you there." "I was just leaving," I said. "Wait." Celeste stepped into the office, her hand resting on her stomach. "I wanted to talk to you about something." I said nothing. "I know you're upset about Clara," she said softly. "And I understand, because losing a parent is hard." My hands clenched around the folder. "But you have to remember," Celeste continued, "Clara was my biological mother too. We shared the same blood. If anything, I'm in more pain than you are." I stared at her incredulously. Celeste had wanted nothing to do with Clara after the DNA test. "You only knew her for ten years," Celeste said. "But she carried me for nine months. We had a biological connection that you could never understand. So really, I'm the one who lost a mother. So you’re just being dramatic for no reason." Something inside me snapped. My hand moved before I could stop it. The slap echoed through the office. Celeste stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek. For a moment, she just stood there, shocked. Then she burst into tears. "Adrian!" she sobbed. "She hit me! She hit me again!" Adrian was on his feet instantly. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he roared. "She was taunting me," I said, my voice shaking. "She said—" "I don't care what she said!" He barked, and his hand flew through the air as he slapped me hard. The force of the slap sent me stumbling. I gripped the wall as I struggled to keep standing. "I was just trying to console her!" Celeste wailed. "I told her I understood her pain, that Clara was my biological mother too, and she attacked me!" "You're lying—" Adrian grabbed my arm roughly. "Enough! I don't want to hear another word from you." He shoved me toward the door. "Get out of my sight," he said coldly. "And if you even look at Celeste wrong again, I'll make sure you regret it." I stumbled out of the office, clutching the folder to my chest. Behind me, I could hear Adrian's voice, it was soft and gentle now. "Are you okay, sweetheart? Did she hurt you? Come here, let me see..." I walked up the stairs slowly, my cheek throbbing where he had hit me. In our eight years of marriage, Adrian had never laid a hand on me. Now he had hit me twice in four days, because of Celeste. I went to the bedroom and locked the door. Then I opened the folder and looked at the documents Adrian had just signed. He hadn't read a single one. He had signed the divorce papers. He had signed acknowledgment of my fifty percent ownership of Moretti Fragrances. He had signed his own destruction, and he didn't even know it. I pulled out my phone and took photos of every signed page. Then I sent them to Ivan. — He signed everything. The party is tomorrow night. Are you ready? His response came immediately. —- Everything is in place. Tomorrow, you leave that house and you never look back. **** The day of the party arrived. Adrian and Celeste had left the house several hours ago, leaving just my parents. At 6 PM, my mother knocked on the door. "Elena, you need to start getting ready. We’re already going to the venue for the party." "Okay" "Wear something nice. Don’t wear black." I didn't respond. She sighed. "Adrian is trying very hard to make this a perfect evening. The least you could do is not ruin it with your mourning." Then she left. When everyone was out of the house, I moved quickly. I pulled out the suitcases I had hidden in the back of the closet and loaded them into the hallway. I arranged a large envelope, inside were the divorce papers signed by Adrian himself, with implicating photos and videos of Adrian and Celeste. The medical records showing what he had done to our babies. Then the divestment agreement, showing that I had fifty percent ownership of Moretti Fragrance, and I had pulled out my investments from his company. Then other necessary documents. I stepped back and looked at the envelope sitting there like a bomb waiting to explode. By the time he opened these, I would be gone. His company would be destroyed, and his reputation would be in ruins. I pulled out my phone and called the delivery service, then I grabbed my bags and walked out the front door. A black car was waiting in the alley behind the house. Ivan stepped out, opening the door for me. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly. I looked back at the house one last time. At the life I was leaving behind. "Yes," I said. "I'm ready." I got into the car. Ivan closed the door and got in beside me. As we drove away, I pulled out my phone and sent one final text to the delivery service I had hired. — Deliver the envelope now. Then I blocked Adrian's number, Celeste's number, and my parents' numbers. I was done. "Where are we going?" I asked Ivan quietly. "Somewhere safe," he said. I placed my hand on my stomach, on the baby growing inside me. "Good," I whispered. As the car pulled away, I watched the house disappear in the mirror. Adrian thought I was stupid, so easy to manipulate and discard. He had no idea what he had created. The woman who loved him died the day I found him with Celeste. The woman sitting in this car was someone else. Someone who would make him pay for every lie, every betrayal, every murdered child. Adrian Moretti's perfect night was about to become his worst nightmare, and I couldn't wait to watch it all burn.

Con ocho meses de embarazo, me encontré a mi esposo con su amante en el hospital durante mi revisión prenatal. En el mismo momento en que recibí mi diagnóstico de cáncer, ellos celebraban una nueva vida. Su amante fingió preocupación: —Victorio, si vienes a acompañarme a mis revisiones, Fuensanta Revivir se va a molestar cuando se entere. Ella también está embarazada ahora, ¿no te preocupa que...? Mi esposo soltó una risa burlona: —Si arma un escándalo, me divorcio. mi vientre y dejé escapar una sonrisa amarga. Si él no nos quería, entonces me quedaría con el bebé y lo criaría sin padre. —— Con ocho meses de embarazo, recibí mi diagnóstico de cáncer en el hospital el mismo día que descubrí a mi esposo acompañando a su amante a una ecografía. —, acepto lo que me propusiste. Me llevaré al bebé al extranjero. Este hijo llevará mi apellido. —Por fin entraste en razón. Los Grano serán poderosos, pero nosotros no somos menos. Si vas a sufrir así con ellos, mejor quedarte con el hijo y deshacerte del padre. —Tienes razón, papá. y observé a Rosendo Grano guiando a Jesusa Bosque con delicadeza infinita. Antes de salir hacia el hospital, me había dicho que tenía una emergencia en la empresa. que la emergencia era acompañarla a ella. Ocho meses de embarazo. Rosendo no me había acompañado ni una sola vez. una risa amarga. Por fin se me cayó la venda de los ojos. —Rosendo, si Viviana Revivir se entera de que viniste conmigo, se va a molestar —dijo Jesusa con fingida preocupación—. Ella también está embarazada. ¿No te preocupa que...? el destello de triunfo en su mirada. Rosendo le besó el vientre con ternura. —Ella no sabe nada, y no pienso decírselo. No sé si es por el embarazo, pero últimamente tiene un genio insoportable. Lo último que necesito es que te cause problemas. —Pero no podemos ocultarlo para siempre. Si Viviana nos descubre... con lo avanzado que está su embarazo, me da miedo que... —No hay nada que temer. Es mi deber acompañarte a las ecografías. Al fin y al cabo, ese bebé también es mío. Si Viviana arma un escándalo, me divorcio y ya. Su frialdad al hablar de mí me heló la sangre. Jesusa había vuelto hace tres meses, después de que rompieran su compromiso. Desde entonces, Rosendo no había dejado de buscarla. Desde su regreso, no habíamos tenido un solo momento a solas. Bastaba una llamada de ella, un simple mensaje, para que Rosendo me dejara plantada sin dudarlo. Incluso la abrazaba delante de mí. reclamar. Cada vez, él me callaba con el mismo argumento: Jesusa lo estaba pasando muy mal. él, solo intentaba ayudarla a recuperar su dignidad. , estaba embarazada y merecía su apoyo. Pero Rosendo parecía olvidar que yo también estaba embarazada. avanzada que ella. necesitada de cuidados. a pensar que el bebé de Jesusa era de él. Le pregunté, con toda la sutileza que pude, si había dejado de quererme. Que si era así, me lo dijera. Cada vez me despachaba con impaciencia. Cuando cuestioné la paternidad del bebé de Jesusa, estalló de rabia. Tras sus repetidas promesas, acabé creyéndole. Quise creer que era simple bondad, no traición. Pero ahora la verdad me golpeaba en la cara: el bebé de Jesusa siempre fue de Rosendo. Me habían estado engañando a mis espaldas, usándome como tapadera. Al oír que Rosendo estaba dispuesto a divorciarse, los ojos de Jesusa brillaron. —Si no me hubieran dejado plantada, jamás te habría disputado a Viviana. Solo quería recuperar un poco de dignidad. —Se le humedecieron los ojos—. Menos mal que te tengo, Rosendo. Si no, no sé qué habría hecho al volver. Él la estrechó entre sus brazos, la mirada rebosante de ternura y lástima. —Jesusa, te prometí que cuidaría de ti. Si no hubiera sido por lo que hiciste por mí entonces, yo habría... —Se interrumpió—. El punto es que te debo esto. Viviana es mi esposa; tiene que ser generosa, tiene que entender mi situación. Aunque se entere, voy a seguir cuidándote. Le acarició la espalda para consolarla. —Señora Grano, qué afortunada es —dijo la doctora al salir de la consulta, sin ocultar su envidia—. Un marido que la acompaña a cada ecografía y la trata con tanta devoción... Jesusa bajó la mirada con recato, las mejillas encendidas. Rosendo asintió como si aquello fuera lo más natural del mundo. la escena. Las uñas se me clavaron en las palmas hasta dejar marcas. Chapter 2 Rosendo siguió al médico para recoger los resultados del examen prenatal. Jesusa, con la excusa de ir al baño, se quedó donde estaba. Solo cuando ambos desaparecieron tras la puerta, dejó caer las palabras con desgana: —Sal de una vez. Llevas ahí parada mirando un buen rato. ¿ no has visto suficiente? Me aparté de las sombras, el rostro impasible. Al ver que no decía nada, fue ella quien perdió la paciencia. Me recorrió con la mirada, destilando desprecio. —¿ pasa? ¿Tan poca vergüenza tienes? Sabes perfectamente que a quien Rosendo ama no es a ti, y aun así piensas aferrarte al título de Sra. Grano. una risa gélida. —¿Poca vergüenza? Mira quién habla. La que se mete en matrimonios ajenos a sabiendas. Jesusa curvó los labios. —Yo conocí a Rosendo mucho antes que tú. Si no me hubiera ido al extranjero, ni siquiera habrías tenido la oportunidad de casarte con él. Hizo una pausa, acariciándose el vientre. —Pero ya volví. Y llevo a su hijo aquí dentro. Ya es hora de que me devuelvas lo que me pertenece. Desde el día de mi boda con Rosendo, supe que guardaba en el corazón a otra mujer. Un amor idealizado, intocable. Lo que nunca imaginé fue cuánto espacio ocupaba ella realmente. Mis dedos se crisparon sobre el informe médico. El dolor que me atravesó el pecho casi me derrumba. Jesusa aprovechó el momento. Me arrancó el papel de las manos. Al leer el diagnóstico, estalló en carcajadas. —¡Ja! ¿ que tienes cáncer? ¿ siquiera a ver nacer a ese bebé que cargas? A lo mejor se mueren los dos juntos. ¡ conveniente! Su risa me taladraba los oídos. No pude contenerme más. Le crucé la cara con toda mi fuerza. Jesusa se dejó caer al suelo como si la hubiera empujado, gimiendo entre sollozos. —¡Viviana! De verdad no quería ocultártelo... Pero llevo un bebé dentro. ¡No puedes empujarme así! Las lágrimas le rodaban por las mejillas. no entendía qué teatro estaba montando cuando una fuerza brutal me golpeó por la espalda. hacia adelante. Mi vientre iba directo contra el suelo. En el último segundo, Rosendo me agarró del brazo y tiró de mí hacia arriba. Antes de que pudiera recuperar el aliento, ya me estaba interrogando con el ceño fruncido. —¿ haces aquí? ¿ pudiste hacerle esto a Jesusa? ¿No ves que está embarazada? la boca para defenderme, pero Jesusa se adelantó entre hipidos: —Rosendo, no pelees con Viviana por mi culpa. Es mi error. No debí pedirte que me acompañaras al examen. Mientras el bebé esté bien, puede golpearme todo lo que quiera... de hablar entre sollozos. El ceño de Rosendo se frunció aún más. Me miró con reproche. —Viviana, esta vez te equivocaste. disculparte con Jesusa. Una risa amarga escapó de mis labios. —¿Disculparme? Rosendo, ¿sabes siquiera qué es esto? Le arrojé el informe de cáncer. El papel le golpeó el pecho. Cada latido de mi corazón era una puñalada. Rosendo recogió las hojas del suelo. Sin molestarse en leerlas, las rasgó en pedazos. Sus ojos ardían de furia. —¡Basta! Viviana, me da igual qué sea esto. Hoy eres tú quien está mal. también estás embarazada. ¿ puedes ser tan cruel con otra mujer en tu misma condición? Las lágrimas me traicionaron. Todo mi cuerpo temblaba de rabia. Al ver mis ojos enrojecidos, su voz se suavizó apenas. —Vamos. Solo discúlpate con Jesusa. que estos meses no han sido fáciles para ti. Cuando nazca el bebé, te compensaré como corresponde. Me empujó hacia ella mientras hablaba. Jesusa me esperaba con una sonrisa victoriosa bailándole en los ojos. la mirada de Rosendo. No entendía cómo la llegada de esta mujer lo había transformado en un completo desconocido. Como si las promesas del día de nuestra boda jamás hubieran existido. hondo. —No voy a disculparme. Rosendo, son ustedes quienes me deben una disculpa a mí. Me di la vuelta y me alejé sin mirar atrás. Chapter 3 Mientras me alejaba, el rostro de Rosendo se ensombreció al instante. Un destello de pánico cruzó por su pecho. Estaba a punto de seguirme cuando Jesusa dejó escapar un quejido de dolor. —Rosendo, me duele mucho el estómago... pero Viviana es más importante. Ve tras ella. Toda preocupación por mí se evaporó de su mente. Con urgencia, respondió: — Tu salud es lo primero. En cuanto a Viviana, ya tiene ocho meses y sigue con sus berrinches. No se atreverá a divorciarse. Cuando vuelva, la calmaré con unas palabras. Dicho esto, la tomó en brazos y la llevó a la habitación del hospital. Cuando llegué a casa, contemplé el lugar que ya no reconocía. Desde que Jesusa había vuelto, Rosendo apenas pisaba este sitio. Aunque estaba de pie en medio del salón, no quedaba ni rastro de la calidez que alguna vez llenó estas paredes. Con ese pensamiento, descolgué la foto de nuestra boda y la dejé caer en la basura. Todo lo que me pertenecía en esta casa, me lo llevaría. Todo lo demás... ya no lo quería. cada objeto que habíamos comprado juntos y estaba por bajar cuando la puerta se abrió. Rosendo entró cargando a Jesusa con sumo cuidado. Al verme de pie junto a la entrada, sin expresión alguna, un destello de inquietud cruzó su rostro. —Jesusa se sintió mal después de que la empujaras. una risa seca. —¿Y si se siente mal, no debería estar en el hospital? ¿O acaso nuestra casa tiene mejor atención médica? La ira encendió su rostro. —¿ manera de hablar es esa, Viviana? Estoy reparando el daño que tú causaste. Jesusa se quedará aquí, y punto. Jesusa me miró con fingida incomodidad, aunque el desafío brillaba en sus ojos. —Es verdad, Viviana. Entre Rosendo y yo no hay nada. Solo necesito un lugar tranquilo para cuidar mi embarazo. Mientras hablaba, acarició su vientre y me lanzó una mirada cargada de burla. La rabia me subió por la garganta. los dientes. —Rosendo, esta es nuestra casa. No permitiré que esta mujer ponga un pie aquí. Él vaciló. La indecisión le tensó el rostro. Jesusa adoptó una expresión suplicante y guió la mano de él hacia su vientre. Toda su resistencia se derrumbó. Cuando volvió a mirarme, solo había impaciencia. —¡Ya basta! también estás embarazada de ocho meses, Viviana. ¿No tienes ni una pizca de compasión? —Fuiste tú quien la empujó. Solo quiero cuidarla como es debido. Si no la quieres aquí, entonces vete tú. Sus ojos me atravesaron, fríos como el hielo. que la sangre se me congelaba en las venas. Con la voz quebrada, respondí: —Bien. Como quieras. Esta misma noche me iría. A partir de entonces, Rosendo Grano y yo no tendríamos nada que ver. Con la decisión tomada, agarré la bolsa de basura y salí a toda prisa. La voz de Jesusa me persiguió hasta el pasillo, clavándose en mis oídos como agujas. —Rosendo, no quiero que discutas con Viviana por mi culpa. Mira, estaba tan enojada que hasta descolgó la foto de la boda. La voz de él, cargada de irritación contenida, respondió: —No le hagas caso. Le encanta hacer drama. Cuando se dé cuenta de que sus rabietas no funcionan conmigo, se calmará. Una lágrima solitaria resbaló por mi mejilla. el viento helado y tiré la basura. Junto con ella, tiré todo lo que alguna vez sentí por Rosendo Grano. Chapter 4 Apenas abrí la puerta, escuché ruidos provenientes de la habitación del bebé. La rabia me subió al pecho de inmediato. Esa habitación la había decorado Rosendo cuando recién me enteré del embarazo. Por este hijo, prácticamente había volcado todo lo mejor en ese cuarto. ¿Y ahora también iba a arrebatármelo para dárselo a Jesusa? a paso rápido hacia la habitación y encontré a Jesusa acostada en la pequeña cama, como si le perteneciera. La jalé para levantarla, furiosa, pero antes de que pudiera abrir la boca, Rosendo me apartó de un tirón. —¿Por qué tienes que volver y montar un escándalo? Su voz estaba cargada de irritación. Aun así, cuando vio las lágrimas en mis ojos, aflojó el agarre. —¿Vas a darle esta habitación a ella? —pregunté con la voz rota. Rosendo frunció el ceño. —Jesusa dijo que le gustaba este cuarto. No pasa nada porque se quede un tiempo. —¿Acaso no recuerdas...? No me dejó terminar. Me arrastró fuera del cuarto con impaciencia. —Ya basta, Viviana. Lo que has hecho estos días me tiene muy decepcionado. Si sigues así, voy a tener que replantearme si este matrimonio tiene sentido. Hizo una pausa. —Supongo que no quieres que tu hijo nazca sin padre, ¿verdad? Rosendo me estaba amenazando con el divorcio. su perfil hastiado y sentí cómo todos los recuerdos que guardaba de él comenzaban a desvanecerse. Él había prometido que esta habitación era para nuestro hijo. Que me trataría a mí y al bebé como a tesoros, por siempre. Y en apenas unos meses, había traicionado cada una de esas palabras. Lo miré una última vez, con el corazón entumecido, y me di la vuelta. Mi mano se posó sobre el vientre. una patadita. —No tengas miedo —susurré—. No necesitamos esta habitación. te dará algo mejor. Rosendo observó mi espalda mientras me alejaba. Aquella sensación extraña que lo había invadido en el hospital volvió a aparecer, más intensa esta vez, como un hueco que se expandía en su pecho. Pero cuando escuchó a Jesusa llamándolo desde la habitación del bebé, decidió ignorarla. De vuelta en el dormitorio principal, vi que Jesusa me había enviado varios mensajes de voz. Los abrí uno por uno. Al escuchar el tono empalagoso con que Rosendo le hablaba, finalmente lo entendí: todo el amor que creí recibir había sido solo un ensayo. Él había practicado conmigo y con mi bebé para estar listo para el hijo de Jesusa. Cada tazón de sopa nutritiva que bebí. Cada regalo para el bebé. Cada dato sobre crianza que Rosendo usó conmigo. Todo había sido práctica. Incluso la habitación del bebé... la había preparado para el hijo de ella. Mi hijo y yo no éramos más que conejillos de indias. No quería que Jesusa sufriera su curva de aprendizaje, así que me convirtió en el sacrificio. los audios una y otra vez, hasta que la risa se mezcló con las lágrimas. Todo aquello de lo que me había sentido orgullosa desde que quedé embarazada era mentira. El cariño que Rosendo mostraba por el bebé en mi vientre no equivalía ni a una fracción de lo que sentía por el hijo de Jesusa. el teléfono con tanta fuerza que los nudillos se me pusieron blancos. El dolor me cortaba la respiración. Solo podía repetirme a mí misma, una y otra vez: No importa. Rosendo y yo nos divorciaremos pronto. Mi bebé y yo tendremos un futuro mejor. Como si entendiera mi angustia, el bebé se movió dentro de mí. mi vientre. en silencio un largo rato. Y al fin, volví a respirar. Chapter 5 Desde que Jesusa se instaló en la casa, Rosendo volcó toda su atención en ella. Yo, que ya conocía la verdad completa, dejé de esperar cualquier cosa de él. Una noche, mientras bajaba a buscar agua, capté la voz de Jesusa a través de una puerta entreabierta. —Rosendo, me han dicho que la estatuilla de jade de tu familia es muy poderosa. El bebé no me deja dormir últimamente... ¿Me la prestarías? Instintivamente, mi mano se cerró alrededor del jade que colgaba de mi cuello. Era el símbolo de la señora de la familia Grano. El día de nuestra boda, Rosendo me la había colocado él mismo. "Este jade siempre será tuyo", me había prometido. "Porque jamás habrá otra señora Grano." Su voz me arrancó del recuerdo. A través de la rendija, lo vi besarle la mejilla a Jesusa con ternura, la mirada rebosante de adoración. —Claro. Se la pediré a Viviana. Puedes quedártela hasta que nazca el bebé. Un dolor agudo me atravesó el pecho. Ya no recordaba exactamente qué me había prometido Rosendo en su momento. Aunque daba igual. Él tampoco lo recordaba. un paso para bajar las escaleras, pero el ruido lo alertó. Al salir y verme, su expresión se tensó. un vistazo hacia atrás y me arrastró a un rincón. —Viviana, seguro escuchaste lo que dijo. Yo permanecí impasible. Tras un silencio incómodo, soltó lo que quería decir. —Jesusa no puede dormir, y está embarazada. ¿ prestarle el jade? En ese instante, una oleada de dolor me recorrió el cuerpo. Lo contuve y respondí con voz neutra: —Se lo daré. Solo necesito que me prometas una cosa. Rosendo solo captó la primera parte. Aliviado, hizo ademán de abrazarme, pero me aparté sin que lo notara. Su ropa apestaba al perfume de Jesusa. Me revolvió el estómago. —Viviana, por fin entras en razón. Cuando nazca el bebé de Jesusa, te devolveré el jade. Tranquila, nadie va a quitarte tu lugar. Su tono destilaba satisfacción. que aún recordaba lo que significaba el jade. para mis adentros, sin rastro de calidez. —No te emociones todavía. Me da igual si me lo devuelve o no. Solo necesito que firmes esto. a buscar los papeles del divorcio y se los tendí, abiertos en la página de las firmas. —No digas tonterías. Jesusa no se quedará con el jade para siempre. En cuanto nazca el bebé, te lo devuelvo. Me habló con dulzura condescendiente mientras firmaba sin molestarse en leer. Solo cuando tuve el acuerdo de divorcio en mis manos, mi corazón desbocado recuperó el ritmo normal. No imaginé que sería tan fácil. Rosendo esbozó una sonrisa. — que estos meses te he descuidado. Compra lo que quieras, yo pago. Lo dijo con aire magnánimo. Apenas curvé los labios. Con razón había firmado tan rápido. que estaba aprovechando para sacarle algo. Me quité el jade del cuello y se lo entregué sin expresión alguna. Él vaciló al ver mi indiferencia, pero terminó aceptándolo y lo apretó con fuerza. —Tranquila. Cuando nazca el bebé, el jade volverá a ser tuyo. Lo repitió, como si necesitara convencerse a sí mismo. Pero a mí ya me daba exactamente igual. —Puede quedárselo todo el tiempo que quiera. Rosendo me abrazó, conmovido. Me solté de inmediato. No pareció importarle. Con el jade en mano, se dirigió a la habitación de Jesusa. Segundos después, un grito de alegría resonó desde el interior. Me quedé inmóvil, mirando hacia la ventana. Mañana me iría de aquí para siempre. todo atrás.

On the night of our fifth mating anniversary, I was five months moon-blessed with our first pup when my parents and I were ambushed at the border of our territory. As the healers rushed me toward the Moonstone Chamber, I held onto my mate, Alpha Jareth Darkhowl’s hand with everything I had. “Jareth…” my voice cracked, “hunt down whoever dared attack us!” His crimson wolf eyes trembled as he bent closer. “It’s already handled,” he vowed. But before I even woke from the healing trance, I heard him whispering beyond the curtains...speaking to his Gamma. “Alpha,” the Gamma murmured, “Luna Eirene’s parents… they could’ve survived. Why did you order the healers to withdraw the lunar essence?” Jareth’s voice was cold, almost bored. “I didn’t want to do it either. But they saw Lucienne’s face. If they lived, she would stand trial before the Council. I couldn’t allow that. This was the only path.” “Alpha… if the Luna discovers...” Theron hesitated. “She won’t,” Jareth said sharply. “Take this non-accusation decree to the Council. I’ve already forged her mark. Make sure it never reaches her.” That’s when it hit me like a claw to the chest. The she-wolf who attacked us… was Lucienne gods-damned Rydell...Jareth’s precious first mate-bond that never snapped. For that wretch… he let my parents die?! I was the only one who ever fought for this marriage. Fine. If that’s how it was, then I would reclaim every single thing that was mine. And I’d drag Jareth straight into the abyss with me! —— When they wheeled me out of the chamber, my eyes were still shut, but I heard Jareth again...this time speaking to the healer-sage. The sage’s voice shook. “Alpha… the Luna has just lost her family. To take her pup as well...this is too much.” Jareth paused before replying, voice void of remorse. “This is the perfect moment. No one questions a failed pregnancy after a violent attack. I promised Lucienne she’d be the only one to bear my bloodline. She’s asking me to keep that promise. I can’t say no to her.” “And what of the Luna?” the sage asked quietly. “She’ll never know. She will remain by my side...always.” The sage exhaled heavily. “After the attack and now forcing her body to purge the pup before she’s healed… she may never be able to conceive again.” I felt Jareth’s presence above me. His hand brushed my hair, gentle...yet the words dripping from him were the cruelest I had ever heard. “That’s fine. When Lucienne gives birth, Eirene can raise the pup. My child and I will care for her for the rest of her life.” The moment the door closed behind him, my eyes snapped open. Tears burned. My entire body shook. I wanted to roar, to shift, to tear him apart...demand why he’d do this to me. He once knelt before my parents, swearing he would cherish me for all his days. Five years...just five...and everything had decayed. No… maybe it was already rotten from the beginning. Once I learned the truth, everything shattered. There was no “us” anymore. He thought he could play the devoted mate and I’d keep believing? What a joke. I’d rather rot than spend a lifetime beside that traitor. There was only one thing left I craved...to bleed his name, his pack and his kingdom dry. A tribute to the lives he stole from me. With trembling hands, I grabbed my crystal communicator. “Brann,” I rasped, “use every resource in my family’s company. Liquidate everything. Transfer it all to the Silver Coast within seven nights.” There was silence, then my steward asked carefully, “Luna… the Valemont Consortium’s projects are at their peak. A withdrawal now will cripple the pack. Should we notify the Alpha?” His question froze me for a heartbeat. “I owe him nothing,” I said sharply. “I’m severing the mate bond.” Brann fell silent. Who could blame him? Just days ago, Jareth and I were preparing for our anniversary ritual. And now… we were a signature away from ending everything. I stared down at the divorce decree...the severance contract. My decision was already made. I would leave this bond...but never empty-handed. I would take back what was mine. I would make Jareth pay for every soul he stole. Just then, his voice rose behind me. “Eirene… what is that you’re holding?” Chapter 2 Chapter 2 I didn’t say a word. I simply placed the severance scroll...the dissolution of our mate bond...into his hand. Jareth accepted it with a soft smile, wolf-golden eyes filled with a sickeningly gentle facade. “Eirene… what is this?” he asked again. He was about to unroll it when his crystal communicator chimed. He tried to hide the glowing rune on the surface, but I clearly saw the name etched across the light: [My Moon] I stood right there. I didn’t need a seer to tell me who was calling. If I hadn’t uncovered the truth, I might’ve snatched the communicator and demanded answers like a naive, jealous mate. But now, I remained perfectly calm and tugged lightly at his sleeve. “Place your mark on it before you go.” His brows tightened. The false warmth in his eyes faded, replaced by reprimand. Yet he still attempted that coaxing tone. “Eirene, I have matters to attend to. I’ll sign it once I return, alright?” I didn’t move aside. I blocked the doorway, silent and solid as a stone guardian. Eventually, irritation twisted his brow so hard it looked painful. Without even reading the scroll, he slashed his signature across it in a single stroke. Before leaving, he glanced back coldly. “You’ve been absurd lately, Eirene. I won’t be returning to the den tonight.” I only nodded, watching him vanish down the corridor. Not long after, messages from Lucienne flooded into my crystal device. The she-wolf got my rune frequency as soon as she returned to Ashenwood and started sending me images of her and Jareth together. Them locked in a heated kiss beneath the lunar tide. Running hand in hand across sunlit cliffs. Attending gatherings like a flawless, radiant pair. At first, I thought she was some delusional imposter. Yet for reasons I didn’t understand, I never blocked her. Only after the ambush did I realize every image was real. Those countless nights when Jareth wasn’t at my side…he had been with her. With that in mind, I saved each image...every vile piece of proof. When he reached Lucienne, he swept her into his arms almost instantly. Image after image showed him gazing at her with the same tenderness that once belonged to me. Then, unlike before, Lucienne began sending actual messages. When I opened them, my blood iced over. [If I hadn’t stepped away back then, you never would’ve laid a finger on Jareth. Now that I’ve returned, walk away while you still can. Otherwise, I’ll take even more from you.] [And did you enjoy the gift I sent last time? Your parents’ deaths… and that pathetic unborn pup. My little welcome offering. If you refuse to leave, I’ll make sure you join them.] As I stared at her words, I could practically hear her venomous voice, see the smug curl of her lips. And all of it...every ounce of her daring cruelty...was power Jareth allowed her to wield. I gripped my communicator so tightly the crystal nearly cracked, wishing it were their throats in my hands instead. That night, Jareth never returned to our den. Chapter 3 The next dawn, Jareth didn’t come home. Instead, he sent a short mind-link message through the pack network: [Eirene, remember you’re visiting the Elder Den today. I’m tied up with Alpha duties, so I sent my beta aide to escort you. Take care.] I dismissed the link at once, refusing to respond. Two whole hours passed. No one came. His so-called “beta escort” was nothing but a lie. I nearly abandoned the trip altogether...until I remembered the two Moonbound relics from our arranged bond, still held at his parents’ manor. They were the last heirlooms left to me after my own parents’ deaths. Relics blessed under the Moon Goddess couldn’t simply be replaced. So I went. But the moment I stepped into the Darkhowl Elder Den, the air froze in my lungs. Lucienne was there. Laughing sweetly beside Nerielle, Jareth’s mother and the former Luna of the Darkhowl Pack. Lucienne wore shimmering spell-woven robes and resting against her collarbone was a gemstone pulsing with pale lunar light. I recognized it instantly...the enchanted Moonshard Jareth had fought viciously for at the Nightfall Auction. Before I could speak, Lucienne noticed me. Triumph flickered in her amber wolf-eyes. Then, with a voice dripping false innocence, she turned to Nerielle. “Luna Nerielle, I really shouldn’t stay here… Jareth and I were once promised to each other. If Eirene finds out, she’ll be devastated.” Nerielle snorted, folding her arms. “Don’t worry about that cursed she-wolf.” Her voice was as sharp as broken stone. “She brought doom to her bloodline...both her parents dead, her womb too weak to carry a five-moon pup. If not for her parents dying, I would have told Jareth to sever the bond long ago before she drags him into the grave with her.” Then her expression softened when she turned back to Lucienne. “The only thing that matters now is the pup you carry. If Eirene dares cause trouble, I’ll cast her out of this den myself.” My breath lodged in my throat. Lucienne… pregnant? With Jareth’s pup? I stared at Nerielle, remembering how she once welcomed me as though I were her own daughter. When I mated into the Darkhowls, their pack was nearly ruined. My family had poured silver, territory rights and Moonstone resources into saving them. Lucienne, meanwhile, had fled the continent entirely. Nerielle used to greet me with open arms. Now, days after my parents’ funeral, she showed me her true face. Bitterness twisted inside me. I turned away, determined to ignore them and head upstairs. But I didn’t get far. A harsh grip yanked me back. Nerielle’s glare was venomous, her wolf rising behind her eyes. Lucienne stood beside her, smiling as though she were watching a show. “Hit her. Twice.” Nerielle snapped at the housekeeper. “Look at her...moping like a curse walking on two legs. You think we’re obligated to endure her attitude?” The housekeeper obeyed instantly. Two sharp blows cracked across my face. My cheek seared with heat. I ripped myself free, hatred burning in my chest like wildfire. Nerielle saw the look in my eyes and only grew more furious. “Wretched creature! How dare you glare at me? Planning to strike your Luna Elder? Beat her again...beat her until she learns her place!” The housekeeper stepped forward. But before she could hit me again, footsteps descended the stairs. Jareth. “Enough!” His voice sliced through the den. “Mother, she is my bonded mate. How can you treat her like this?” He reached for me, trying to pull me into his arms with feigned concern as he examined the marks on my face. I slapped his hand away. Lowered my gaze. Anything to hide the disgust clawing at me. Since learning the truth, every touch from him felt like poison. Jareth stiffened, then exhaled slowly. He turned to his mother. “Let it go. Lucienne is staying in the den tonight. Didn’t you prepare a chamber for her? Take her to see it.” Nerielle scoffed. “Keep defending that cursed witch. One day she’ll drag you to your grave.” She shot me one more hateful look before leading Lucienne toward the stairs. As Lucienne passed me, she paused...and smiled. A heartbeat later, with the grace of a puppet whose strings had snapped, she pitched backward...tumbling down the stairs. Chapter 4 Eirene’s POV Jareth’s eyes widened in shock. Without a word, he shoved me aside and lunged down the staircase. He knelt beside Lucienne, gathering her into his arms with trembling urgency. Panic clouded his wolf-gold eyes. “Lucienne...goddess, are you hurt? Is your womb hurting? I’ll get you to the healers right now.” Lucienne clung weakly to his sleeve, her fingers shaking, a whimper slipping from her lips as she pointed directly at me. “Jareth… I don’t know why Eirene pushed me, but… m-my belly… it hurts so much…” I stared at her, stunned. She had clearly fallen on her own...no one had touched her. Jareth turned toward me, his aura flaring, eyes blazing with fury. “Eirene! Do you even understand what you’ve done?” I forced myself to breathe evenly. “I didn’t touch her,” I said firmly. “The Elder Den has Moonstone wards...every corner is under scrying. Check the recordings.” But Lucienne...who had been sobbing in pain moments earlier...went utterly still. Then she suddenly threw her arms around him, her voice trembling with manufactured guilt. “Jareth, please… don’t argue with her because of me. Just… let it go. Maybe… maybe this pup really isn’t destined to survive…” Her voice cracked and she collapsed into him, crying even harder. I didn’t move. I didn’t look away. I simply watched Jareth. He refused to meet my eyes. His jaw clenched. Then, with Lucienne still in his arms, he said coldly, “I believe Lucienne. There’s no need to review the scrying stones. Eirene, you’ve crossed the line. If anything happens to this pup… I won’t forgive you.” Nerielle stood to the side, expression icy and full of contempt. She had been standing at an angle where she could clearly see I had not touched Lucienne. But she didn’t hesitate to choose her side. With a flick of her hand, she motioned to the butler. “Remove her from my sight. She’s poison...she returns here and nearly kills my grandpup? Throw her into the frost cellar. Let the cold purge her cursed aura!” The butler seized me by the arms. I struggled, twisting away with all the strength I had left. I turned toward the doorway and shouted: “Jareth! I said I didn’t push her! Just check the Moonstone scrying...why won’t you look?!” He hesitated. Just for a heartbeat. One step faltered as if he might finally turn around. But Lucienne let out a soft, pitiful moan. And that single sound erased me from his world. He rushed out the door with her cradled in his arms, not sparing me so much as a backward glance. As for me? I was dragged to the frost cellar and thrown inside like discarded prey...no hesitation, no mercy. The heavy iron door slammed shut. Darkness dropped over everything. Cold seeped instantly into my bones, sharp enough to numb my heartbeat. I curled in on myself, trying to hold on to whatever warmth remained. A dull ache throbbed low in my abdomen...the lingering reminder of the pup I had just lost. Jareth had forgotten. Or perhaps… he simply didn’t care. He once vowed he would always place me first. Now, his heart belonged entirely to Lucienne. Hot tears slipped down my cheeks. And before my eyes finally fluttered closed, I could almost see the Jareth I once loved... the one who no longer existed. Chapter 5 Eirene’s POV Hours later, half frozen, skin numb and breath barely there...I was finally lifted out of the frost cellar by Jareth. His eyes were bloodshot, guilt heavy in them. “How could this happen? I thought Mother was only angry… I never imagined she would actually lock you inside that place.” I kept my eyes closed, refusing to give him even a fragment of a response. A few of his hot tears hit my neck, burning more painfully than the cold ever did. I knew then...I would never trust this male again. I was taken straight to the healers’ ward in the Lunar Sanctum. After a full day and night under warming runes and restorative spells, my eyes finally opened. Jareth sat beside me, watching with the same tender agony he used to show when he wanted forgiveness. He reached for my face, but I turned sharply away. He froze, then softened his tone, trying to coax me the way he always had. “You’re still upset. I understand. You shouldn’t have confronted Lucienne like that, but Mother also acted out of line. When we return home, I’ll buy you that Moonfire pendant you liked. Consider it an apology.” Those words...once enough to soothe me...now felt like venom. I stared at him, calm despite the anger simmering inside. “I told you already...I didn’t lay a finger on Lucienne. Your mother dared lock me in that ice chamber because you allowed her to.” His expression faltered, but I didn’t stop. “Return the marriage token my parents entrusted to you. We’re dissolving the bond. I’ll step aside...you can have Lucienne.” He shot upright, trembling, stunned beyond words. His voice cracked. “Eirene! How can you say that? Do you know what those words do to me? I will not sever our bond!” He leaned down, pulling me into a desperate embrace, his voice thick with emotion. “There’s nothing between Lucienne and me. If it hurts you this much, I swear I won’t see her again.” Internally, I laughed. Nothing between them? Then whose pup is she carrying? Before I could speak, Lucienne appeared at the doorway. She froze at the sight of Jareth holding me, her eyes immediately filling with tears. “Jareth… you...” She turned and fled. Jareth instantly released me and chased after her. As he passed, I looked directly at him. He clenched his jaw under my gaze. “Eirene, Lucienne is carrying a pup. Don’t blame her. I’ll explain everything to her.” And without another word, he ran. Something inside me urged me to follow. On the Moonspire rooftop, Jareth finally caught Lucienne and pulled her tightly into his arms. She sobbed into his chest, voice trembling. “Jareth, it hurts...my heart, the pup… Maybe I should never have stayed in the Darkhowl territory. Watching you be so gentle with Eirene every day… I can’t bear it. Maybe it’s better if I just end it all…” Jareth held her as if she were made of moonlight and smoke. “Don’t say that. You came back to me and now we have a pup. If you give up your life, you take mine with you. How could you ask that of me?” His eyes were full of tortured affection. And after her repeated sobs, he finally relented. “Fine. I’ll keep my distance from Eirene. Come down. This place is dangerous.” I stood where I was...cold, silent, watching him carry her gently down the stairs. They turned and finally saw me. Both froze. But Jareth did not let go of her. Instead, he tightened his hold. “Eirene…” His jaw strained. “We’ll discuss this later.” I let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Discuss what? That the pup she carries isn’t yours?” Pain flashed through his expression. He loosened his arms around her, reaching toward me... But Lucienne moved faster. She grabbed my hands, pretending to plead. “Eirene, Jareth isn’t at fault. It’s me. I shouldn’t have been near him. Please don’t punish him because of me. Don’t ruin your bond over me.” I tried to pull free, but pain shot through my abdomen as her claws dug straight into the half-healed wound near my stitches. My leg buckled from the sudden sting. Her eyes lit up with triumph. And then...like the deranged actress she was...Lucienne shrieked and threw herself backward…crashing onto the floor. Chapter 6 Jareth shoved me aside in a burst of panic. My heel scraped the edge of the rooftop...one more step and I would’ve toppled straight off the Alpha Keep. But he didn’t spare me even a glance. All his attention snapped toward Lucienne sprawled on the stone floor. He crouched beside her, checking for injuries with frantic hands. Then his gaze cut back to me...feral, enraged. Before I could speak, he stormed across the rooftop and struck me. The slap echoed like a whip-crack beneath the moonlight. I stood there frozen, cheek burning, heart going numb. Jareth suddenly stiffened, as if my expression startled him. He stared at his own hand, as though only now realizing what he had done. A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes, lips parting as if to explain... But Lucienne’s sharp cry broke the moment. In an instant, all remorse drained from his face, replaced by cold, ruthless fury. He whirled back toward me. “Eirene,” he growled, voice edged with Alpha command. “Why would you harm Lucienne again? Sometimes I truly regret choosing you as my Luna! Pray to the Moon you haven’t caused her real harm. If anything happens to her or the pup, I swear you’ll answer for it!” With that, he rushed back to her side, leaving me rooted where I stood, stunned into stillness. *** Hours later, I forced myself out of the Moon Healers’ Hall. My limbs felt heavy, my chest tight. But as soon as I reached the entrance, Jareth’s warriors stepped forward, blocking my path. Without a word, they grabbed my arms and dragged me back inside. They shoved me into Lucienne’s recovery chamber. She lay in bed, looking pale and fragile beneath the soft glow of moon-crystal lanterns. Jareth’s glare was icy enough to freeze the air. “How dare you try to leave?” he snarled. “Do you even understand what you’ve done? You almost cost a life!” He didn’t bother seeking truth...his judgment was already set. “Apologize to Lucienne,” he ordered, voice like iron. “If you refuse, you’ll regret challenging me.” His hostility pressed down like a physical weight. My nails dug into my palms as I held his stare. Looking at Lucienne’s smug expression, barely hidden beneath her feigned frailty, something inside me hardened. “I didn’t attack her,” I said, voice sharp and steady. “This is her staging. If you doubt me, check the moon-warded surveillance crystals.” I lifted my chin. “I won’t apologize. If anything, you’re the ones who should.” My words sliced through the room. Jareth actually flinched, as if it had never occurred to him that I could look at him with such hatred. For a heartbeat, pain flickered in his eyes. Sensing the shift, Lucienne quickly changed her act. She tugged softly on his sleeve, voice trembling. “Jareth… let it be. I’ll stay away from both of you. As long as the child is safe… I don’t care if I have to watch you from afar.” His brows knitted, confusion and frustration crossing his features. Then he faced me again. “Eirene, I don’t know what madness has consumed you, but you will apologize.” A cold smile touched my lips. “I won’t. But I will end our bond. Lucienne would prefer that, wouldn’t she?” Her eyes gleamed...for a split second. Then she quickly masked it, swiping away the tiny smile. And then...with shocking intensity...she slammed her fist into her own stomach. “Lucienne!” Jareth lunged to grab her wrists, horrified. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “She won’t stop until she destroys my pup! If she wants the pup dead so badly… then I’ll end this myself!” She began hitting herself again, viciously. Jareth’s face twisted with anguish. He pulled her close, shaking with rage and desperation. “Don’t do this… I’ll protect you,” he whispered fiercely. “I won’t let anything happen to the pup. I’ll keep you safe...no matter what.” His voice broke. “Eirene will pay for every last threat. She won’t come near you again.” I turned away. I didn’t want to hear the words meant for her. I took one last glance at them...Lucienne clinging desperately, Jareth holding her as if she were his whole world...and walked toward the door. But before I could leave, Jareth stepped into my path. His presence loomed, dark and storm-like, blocking every escape. Chapter 7 His voice sounded soft, almost gentle...yet his eyes held the chill of a winter moon. “Eirene,” Jareth murmured, “this is for your own good… and for Lucienne’s safety. Don’t worry. The Moon-Healer’s procedure won’t hurt much.” Something in his calm expression made dread coil in my chest. I narrowed my eyes. “Jareth… what are you planning?” He met my stare with eerie stillness. His words, however, were sharp enough to cut flesh. “As long as you’re unable to carry a child, you won’t be a danger to her unborn pup,” he said evenly. “It’s a small rune-binding, nothing more. Once her child is born and thriving, I’ll have the Healers remove it.” His tone softened, almost coaxing. That was when the truth struck me like a blow. He wanted to have the Moon-Healers bind my womb... a forced infertility sigil! My blood ran cold. “You’re out of your mind!” I shouted, voice raw. “Jareth, you’ve lost every shred of sense!” I tried to push past him, but his warriors stepped forward, blocking the door with their towering forms. In the end, they dragged me across the Moon-Healer wing, my cries echoing against the stone and pinned me onto the cold ritual slab. Tears blurred my vision as I glared up at Jareth. “Jareth! Let me go!” I screamed. “I’ve told you...I’m innocent! If you do this, I’ll never forgive you. I’ll walk away!” But my words meant nothing. He simply gave a quiet, humorless laugh. “You adore me too much, Eirene,” he said softly. “You’d never truly leave.” My entire body trembled. The next moment, cold moon-infused anesthesia seeped into my veins like liquid frost. Right before darkness took me, I heard the Moon-Healer’s hesitant whisper. “Alpha… she miscarried only days ago. If I place the sigil now, even removing it later may not restore her ability to bear a pup. Are you certain?” Jareth didn’t hesitate. “Proceed,” he commanded, voice like ice. “It doesn’t matter if she can’t have children. She can raise Lucienne’s pup.” A single tear slipped down my cheek. In that moment, the last fragment of love I had left for him died. *** When consciousness returned, I lay still, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then, without looking at Jareth, I slowly turned and reached for my communication crystal. I sent a message to the Silverhart Holdings steward. His reply came quickly: Two days. In two days, I could finally escape this nightmare. A small, faint smile touched my lips. Jareth noticed immediately...the way I didn’t glance at him, the quiet smile as I studied the glowing crystal. His expression darkened. He snatched it from my hand. “Who are you speaking to?” But the crystal had already dimmed. He demanded the unlocking sigil again and again, irritation sharp in his voice. Tired of his persistence, I finally replied, “The night we first met.” He went still, caught off guard. His brows twitched as he tried to recall the memory... but even with Lucienne hovering beside him, he couldn’t unlock it. I tilted my head slightly, a cold smirk curving my lips. A flicker of guilt crossed Jareth’s eyes. Lucienne stepped forward, looping her arm through his. Her voice chimed sweetly, but her gaze shone with triumphant fire. “Eirene,” she said, “Jareth has asked me to move into the Moonridge Villa you two shared. He wants me close so he can protect me and the pup. We’re hosting a gathering there tonight...you don’t mind, do you?” I turned away from her, my expression calm, unreadable. Then I slid off my wedding ring...our Luna-Bond band...and placed it on her palm. “I don’t mind,” I said quietly. “Take the villa. Take Jareth. I’m finished.” Chapter 8 Eirene’s POV Jareth’s eyes flashed with sudden panic. He snatched the Luna-bond ring from Lucienne’s hand and tried to force it back onto my finger. But my body had grown too thin. The ring slipped again and again...just like our mate bond slipping beyond repair. Seeing this, he curled his fingers around the ring, a cold, humorless smile twisting his lips. “You’re alone now, Eirene,” he said softly, mockingly. “No family, no pack of your own. I’m the only wolf you can depend on. Where else do you think you’ll run?” Then he pulled Lucienne against his chest, arms wrapping around her deliberately. He watched me as though waiting for jealousy to tear me apart. “You’ll attend the gathering tonight,” he declared. “But the position of Luna… will not be yours.” He let the words freeze the air before turning away. *** That evening, I straightened my clothes and returned to Moonridge Villa. It glowed with warm lights, festive and loud. Even though I’d been gone only a few days, the entire place felt… foreign. The enormous wedding portrait that once covered the living room wall had been replaced... with an image of Jareth and Lucienne beneath moonlit blossoms. The decorations I had chosen were gone, exchanged for pastel colors and delicate florals. I turned away, trying to remain calm...until I glanced toward the garden. My breath caught. The lunar roses were gone. All of them uprooted. Those roses… a rare breed grown only under sacred moonlight, each worth a fortune. Jareth had planted them for her, each one tended by elite horticrafters. Once, he told me the garden would never die as long as he lived. He kept his promise... just not for me. I let out a humorless laugh and headed toward the staircase. That was when Lucienne appeared, grabbing my wrist and dragging me to the center of the hall. Her face glowed with triumph. “You actually came back,” she said with a glittering smile. “Good. Now you can watch just how deeply Jareth cherishes me.” I kept my gaze steady. “What do you want from me?” “I want the Luna title,” she answered instantly. “And I want Jareth.” I stared at her. “You already have both. What else do you want? Everything that belongs to him...take it. I don’t want any of it.” She froze. Then, without warning, she slapped herself. Hard. In the next breath, she clawed at her own dress, tearing it open. Before I could react, she grabbed my hands, tears welling in her eyes. “I know you’ll never let him go,” she whispered shakily. Just then, Jareth strode out of the hall... right in time to see Lucienne crying, her dress torn, handprints blooming across her cheek. His eyes widened, then darkened with fury. “Eirene!” he roared. “Did you learn nothing? I only just let you out of confinement!” “It wasn’t me...she did it to her...” Before I could finish, Jareth’s hand clamped around my throat. Cold. Unyielding. Alpha-level strength. “If you’re about to tell me to check the scrying stones again, don’t bother,” he hissed. “Lucienne carries my pup. Why would she harm herself? Eirene, you sicken me.” His eyes burned with hatred. “Let… go…” I choked out. Right before I blacked out, he released me, tossing me aside. Only then did Lucienne rush to him, whimpering, “Jareth, please… stop. I’m all right. I’ll endure it.” He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, brushing a thumb over her bruised cheek with tenderness. Then he turned to me... and in one violent motion, he ripped my dress apart and struck me twice across the face. “From today onward,” he said coldly, “anything you inflict on Lucienne, I’ll repay upon you tenfold. Now get out. This den is no longer yours.” My cheek burned, my vision blurred. Pack members began gathering, murmuring in shock as I stumbled away, clutching the torn fabric. I ran upstairs. But before I could change, Jareth’s guards burst in and dragged me out of the villa. He stood outside, expression blank and merciless. I didn’t speak. I simply turned and walked away. Moments later, a car pulled up to fetch me. I changed into the clothes my assistant brought and called my secretary. “The Valemont Consortium’s deal is set for tomorrow,” I said. “Release an official statement that Silverhart Holdings is withdrawing... and drag the Darkhowl Pack’s businesses with it. I want Jareth’s entirely in ruins.” After hanging up, I glanced at the plane ticket glowing on my communication crystal. Starting tonight, I was finally free. And Jareth? He would pay in blood.

On the day I was in a car accident my husband was with his first love. He was called ninety-nine times and on the hundredth time he picked the call. “Adeline,” Ethan’s cold voice came through the phone, “why are you so desperate for attention? I told you I have a meeting. Stop bothering me!” His delay caused the surgery to be carried out late and I lost my baby but that wasn't the worst part. When I woke up from the coma I overheard my husband and the doctor discussing and I found out that he's the monster behind everything! “Mr. Morales,” the doctor said, sounding frustrated, “I can’t keep her in a coma anymore. Her life is in danger if I keep inducing her. The stem-cell transplant surgery has already been done, and Clara has recovered. It’s only fair Adeline wakes up now.” “Fair?” Ethan snapped. “If Adeline wakes up now, she’ll find out I caused her accident just to get her stem cells for Clara! I need her unconscious until Clara gives birth to my son.” The doctor gasped. “Mr. Morales, that’s not possible! She could die if—” “I don’t care!” Ethan shouted. “You’ve been paid enough. If you ruin this for me, I’ll ruin you!” I pressed my trembling hand against my chest as silent tears rolled down my cheeks. The air around me felt heavy, choking me. My husband, the man I loved, had tried to kill me all to save his first love. I reached for my phone with shaking hands and called my lawyer. “Mr. Harris,” I said, my voice flat, “prepare the divorce papers. I want them signed before the week ends.” If Ethan wants to be with his true love then I'll help him but will make sure that I ruin him the same way he's ruined me! —— Adeline’s Pov “Dad… please come pick me up in one week. I’m ready to marry Creighton’s heir like you wanted,” I whispered into the phone, my voice shaking. “Marry? Honey, what are you saying? Aren’t you married to Ethan?” my dad asked, confused and worried. “Not anymore, I’m getting a divorce,” I choked out, tears filling my eyes. “Tell Mom to start the wedding preparations.” Before he could say another word, I ended the call. The phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor. My whole body trembled as I buried my face in my palms. Two years ago, I thought I was living a perfect life. Now I know it was all a lie. Three weeks ago, I was in a terrible car accident. My car was hanging by the edge of a cliff. I was nine months pregnant, bleeding, terrified, and alone. At the hospital, the doctors called my husband to get consent to operate. Ninety-nine missed calls, but no response. Then finally, on the hundredth try, he answered. “Adeline,” Ethan’s cold voice came through the phone, “why are you so desperate for attention? I told you I have a meeting. Stop bothering me.” Before I could say anything, a woman’s voice sounded beside him. “Ethan, honey, hurry, let’s go to the party before it’s over,” she said. That voice… I knew it too well. It belonged to Clara, his first love. Six months ago, she returned from London crying, bruised, and begging Ethan for help. She said her husband had abused her and that she had nowhere else to go since she was an orphan. Ethan didn’t want her near him at first, but I begged him to forgive her. “She needs help, Ethan,” I told him. “Please. You can’t turn your back on her.” Reluctantly, he agreed and helped her process her divorce. I even convinced him to let her move in with us. Three months ago, she told me she was pregnant, she said it was her ex-husband’s child and I believed her. I took care of her like a sister. I cooked for her, drove her to her doctor’s appointments, and watched her belly grow, never knowing I was nurturing my own betrayal. The call ended, and I stared at the phone with tears blurring my vision. My hands pressed against my stomach, trying to protect the life inside me, but it was too late. Because of the delay, my baby didn’t survive. I went into a coma and woke up days later in a hospital bed. And just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I overheard Ethan’s voice outside my room. “Mr. Morales,” the doctor said, sounding frustrated, “I can’t keep her in a coma anymore. Her life is in danger if I keep inducing her. The stem-cell transplant surgery has already been done, and Clara has recovered. It’s only fair Adeline wakes up now.” “Fair?” Ethan snapped. “If Adeline wakes up now, she’ll find out I caused her accident just to get her stem cells for Clara! I need her unconscious until Clara gives birth to my son.” My heart stopped. So all this while, I’d been taking care of Clara and her pregnancy, feeding her, helping her, loving her like family not knowing she was sleeping with my husband, pregnant for him, and stealing my life behind my back. The doctor gasped. “Mr. Morales, that’s not possible! She could die if—” “I don’t care!” Ethan shouted. “You’ve been paid enough. If you ruin this for me, I’ll ruin you!” I pressed my trembling hand against my chest as silent tears rolled down my cheeks. The air around me felt heavy, choking me. My husband, the man I loved, had tried to kill me all to save another woman and not just any woman, but the same one who abandoned him at the altar three years ago. Three years ago, he climbed the highest building to end his life, and I saved him. Now this is how he repays me, by destroying my life and that of my unborn child to save his first love. What a cruel twist of fate. When they walked away, I reached for my phone with shaking hands and called my lawyer. “Mr. Harris,” I said, my voice flat, “prepare the divorce papers. I want them signed before the week ends.” I hung up and let the phone fall onto the sheets. Feeling pressed, I dragged my weak body out of the ward as my legs trembled. As I stepped into the hallway, laughter drifted from one of the rooms nearby. Frowning as the voices were familiar, I moved closer, my heart pounding with dread. Through the half-closed blinds, I saw Ethan sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, brushing Clara’s hair away from her face. She smiled up at him, her hand resting on her swollen belly. “You did it, Ethan,” she whispered. “Our baby is safe.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “He’s worth everything I lost.” My breath hitched. I pressed my palm to my mouth to stop the sob that tried to escape. Everything I lost… those were his words. I turned away, trembling, my vision blurring as I stumbled into the bathroom. The fluorescent light buzzed above me as I gripped the sink, staring at the woman in the mirror. I looked pale, hollow-eyed, and miserable. The door opened and Clara’s reflection appeared behind me. “Why are you hiding, Adeline? Don't you wanna take care of me and my baby now?” she asked in a mocking voice. I ignored her and splashed water on my face, “Get lost, Clara.” Clara pouted, “That’s not a very nice way to talk to me, Adeline, considering I'm the one who’s been making all the decisions around here.” I finally spared her a glance, “What do you want? Is it because you're pregnant for my husband? You're nothing but a woman I took pity on and helped.” Clara’s face scrunched up with anger as she smiled, “I know that, Adeline. I'm grateful you brought me into your home which is why I wanna show you a picture of your cute son before he died.” I scoffed, “What nonsense are you talking about? My son died even before he was born.” Clara giggled, “Oh my! Didn't the doctor tell you? Your son was perfectly alive after he was born except you slipped into a coma so you couldn't see him.” My heart lurched, “A… are you joking right now?” Clara brought out her phone and showed me a picture of a newborn baby boy. Tears gathered in my eyes as I stared at him. “He’s so perfect… oh my sweet baby boy, he has my eyes.” I cried. Clara grinned, “Yes, such a beautiful boy.” “Where is he?” I demanded. Clara smiled wickedly, “See that's the issue, your son was too perfect and I couldn't have anyone contending with the position of my son as Ethan’s heir.” My throat closed up as I stared at her, “What do you mean, Clara? What did you do?” Clara shrugged, “Nothing, I just simply pointed out that the child’s stem-cell would be a perfect fit for me. The doctors advised Ethan that your child might not survive the procedure but he insisted and unfortunately, your child died. I mean, that's what I wanted but I didn't know your husband would…” I lunged at her, shrieking like a wild animal as I clawed at her neck, “You monster, you killed my child!” “Ethan, help me!” Clara screamed. The door flew open. Ethan stood in the frame, eyes wide for a heartbeat, then hard. He crossed the room in two long steps and yanked me by the hair as he flung me across the bathroom. The world titled, pain flashed across the back of my head as I tasted blood. “How could you?” Ethan yelled at me. Rage bubbled inside me as I glared at him, “She killed my son! Both of you —” “You attacked a pregnant woman, you don't deserve to be a mother, that's why your son died!” Ethan interrupted me sharply. A whimper escaped my lips as my throat constricted from his harsh words but he barely spared me a glance as he carried Clara bridal style, leaving me in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor. I sat up on the bathroom floor and then it dawned on me that Ethan only cared about Clara. In seven days I will leave. But I won't go quietly, I'll make them regret ever hurting me and my child! Chapter 2 Adeline’s Pov When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my ward. The smell of disinfectant stung my nose, and my head throbbed. My body ached as if I’d been dragged across broken glass. The doctor was standing beside my bed, writing something on my chart, his face pale and stiff. “Mrs. Morales,” he said quietly, not looking at me, “if something like today happens again, you might lose your womb.” I stared at him. My voice came out rough. “How much?” He blinked. “Pardon?” “How much did he pay you to steal my stem cells and kill my son?” His pen froze mid-air. “Mrs. Morales, I… I don’t know what you’re talking about—” “Don’t lie to me,” I said, my voice shaking. “You did it. You helped them. Now discharge me before I make you regret it.” His shoulders sagged. Without another word, he handed me the papers. I signed them with trembling fingers. “You should really stay a few more days,” he murmured. “I’d rather die than spend another second here,” I said coldly. He lowered his gaze. “Please… be careful, ma’am.” I didn’t answer. I grabbed my things and walked out. My legs were weak, but my anger was stronger. — When I reached the mansion, the same one I gifted Ethan on our first wedding anniversary, my chest tightened. I had chosen every color, every curtain, thinking this would be the home where our children grew up. Now it felt like a grave. I pushed the door open. Laughter spilled from the living room. Clara was curled up on Ethan’s chest, her swollen feet in his hands as he massaged them gently. A bitter laugh escaped me. I remembered asking Ethan once to massage my feet when I was seven months pregnant. He had thrown ten dollars on the table and said, “Ask a maid. I don’t do dirty jobs.” Now he was doing that “dirty job” with a smile. “You two look cozy,” I said, forcing a smile. Ethan’s hand froze. He pulled away from Clara, his face tightening. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to stay in the hospital.” “Why?” I asked quietly. “So you could keep pretending I don’t exist?” He glared. “Don’t start. Clara is pregnant. You’re supposed to take care of her, not cause trouble.” My throat burned. “You killed my child for her.” “Enough!” he snapped. “If you weren’t so unstable, maybe your child would still be alive.” The words slammed into me like a blade. I couldn’t breathe. I turned away before he could see the tears in my eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gone soon.” Upstairs, I stopped outside the nursery door. It used to smell like baby powder. I had spent nights painting clouds on the ceiling, laughing as Ethan teased me for being too detailed. Now the door was half-open. I pushed it wider and froze. Everything was gone. The crib, the stuffed toys, even the blue curtains I had sewn myself were all gone. The walls had been painted pale pink, with a name I didn’t recognize written above the crib: “Baby Jared.” My heart cracked. I stepped inside and saw my baby’s ultrasound photo on the floor, the glass shattered. I knelt and reached for it. “My sweet boy…” I whispered. A sharp heel pressed down on my hand. Pain seared through my skin as glass bit deep. Clara’s voice came from behind me, sweet and cruel. “Oops. Did I step on something precious?” I looked up at her, shaking. “What is wrong with you?” She smiled. “Oh, don’t be mad. Ethan said I could take over this room since… well, you don’t need it anymore.” My hand bled onto the floor. I stood, glaring at her. “You’re a monster.” I stood up, cradling my bleeding hand and she gave me a mock pity look. “Oh my, are you okay, Adeline? Why would you hurt yourself because of me? You could have just told me to leave the nursery room,” Clara said in a loud voice as she began sobbing. “What are you saying?” I asked her in a confused voice. “Omg, Adeline, stop hurting yourself!” she shrieked. I was still staring at her confused when Ethan appeared in the doorway and saw me cradling my bleeding hand. “What are you doing now?” he asked me in a bored voice. “I didn't do anything. She's the one —” But Clara interrupted me, “I’m the one who made her hurt herself, Ethan. She got upset that you asked me to take over the nursery.” I stared at her, shocked, “But that's not what —” “Enough!” Ethan snapped, “I don't want to hear your crazy stories, Adeline, I've tolerated your bullshit enough.” Just then Clara picked up a customized diamond necklace, “Ooh, this is so pretty, I want it,” she said. “No, that's my —” the words were hardly out of my lips when the necklace fell from her hand and broke. I stared at the broken pieces of my baby’s customized diamond necklace picture, that was all I had of him left. “Oops,” Clara whispered smugly. I stared at the broken necklace pieces, the diamonds glittering under the light like tiny tears. It was the only thing left of my son, a diamond necklace with his ultrasound etched inside a crystal pendant. My breath caught. My knees hit the floor. “How could you? This is the only —” “Adeline,” Ethan said, voice flat. “Don’t start again. Clara is pregnant. She can’t be stressed.” Clara sniffled dramatically and clung to him. “I’m sorry, Ethan, I didn’t mean to upset her.” He cupped her cheek tenderly, right there in front of me. “It’s not your fault, besides it’s just a necklace.” Just a necklace? I had customized that necklace specifically for my son! I pressed my bloody hand against the floor to steady myself, “It’s not just a necklace, Ethan! That was the last thing left of my son.” Clara’s lips twitched, almost smiling behind his shoulder. “Poor thing, maybe she should get therapy, Ethan. She's been unstable since the accident,” she whispered, loud enough for me to hear. “I don't need help, I just need you to stop taking what doesn't belong to you!” I snapped at Clara. “Maybe Clara is right and you need therapy,” Ethan said. Just as he finished speaking two bodyguards entered the room and held me. “What is going on here? Let me go, Ethan!” I cried, struggling against the guards. Ethan crossed his arms. “You’ve lost control again, Adeline. You need help.” “I don’t need help! She’s lying!” I shouted, turning to him with tears in my eyes. “You can’t even see it, can you? She’s using you!” Clara sniffled and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Ethan, I’m scared. Please don’t let her near me. What if she hurts the baby next time?” That did it. Ethan’s face hardened. “Enough. Take her to the hospital for therapy now.” “Ethan, please—” I begged. “You’re sending your wife away because of her?” He didn’t answer. He just turned his back and walked away, his hand resting protectively on Clara’s waist as if I were the danger. The guards dragged me out while Clara’s trembling voice followed behind, mockingly. “I’ll take good care of your husband while you get the help you need, Adeline.” I screamed her name, but the door slammed shut before I could reach her. Chapter 3 Adeline’s Pov The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the cold. I was strapped to a narrow bed in a white room that smelled of bleach. A man in a doctor’s coat stood beside me, humming softly as he checked a syringe. “Where am I?” I whispered. He smiled without looking up. “Your husband said you needed help. Don’t worry, Mrs. Morales. I’m here to fix you.” The needle slid into my arm before I could speak. My head spun, my tongue heavy from the drug. I tried to speak but couldn’t, my wrists fighting uselessly against the straps. The doctor glanced at me, “Don’t worry, we’ll make you feel better. Just relax.” He pressed a button. Pain shot through my body like lightning. I screamed. “Shh…” he said softly. “It’s part of the treatment.” For two days, I lost track of time. My body ached from the shocks, my throat burned from crying. Every time I begged to go home, they injected me again. I heard the nurses whisper when they thought I was asleep. “Clara said not to leave marks,” one murmured. “Pity,” the other replied. “She paid so well.” That was when I realized that Clara had arranged a torture session for me and pretended it was therapy. By the second evening, I couldn’t even cry anymore. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, waiting for it to end. When the door opened, Ethan walked in later that night as I've been discharged. I thought I’d cry or shout but I didn’t. I just stared at him, unable to say a word. He frowned. “You look terrible. It’s only been two days.” Only two days. I didn’t reply. I didn’t have the strength to. I just kept shivering from the cold weather, it was raining heavily outside. “Let’s go,” he said flatly. “Clara’s waiting at home. She needs me.” Of course she did. He didn’t even help me stand. I followed him silently, each step burning through my legs. In the car, the silence was unbearable. The city lights blurred outside my window. I stared at my hands, I was trembling and cold but he didn't spare me any glance. Then his phone rang. Clara’s voice came through the speaker, trembling and soft. “Ethan! Please, come home. The baby… something’s wrong. He’s not moving!” Ethan’s hand tightened on the steering wheel. Without a word, he pulled the car to the side and unlocked my door. “Get out.” My head snapped up. “What?” “I said get out, Adeline. Clara needs me.” “You’re leaving me here?” His eyes met mine for a second, flat and cold. “You’ll manage.” The door slammed, and the car sped off, splashing mud across my skirt. I stood by the roadside, shaking in the rain, watching the red taillights fade away. I tried to cross, but my vision blurred as headlights flashed, a horn blared, and then everything went dark. — When I woke up again, I was in another hospital bed. My body hurts everywhere. A dull pain pulsed deep in my stomach. A doctor walked in quietly, his face grim. “Mrs. Morales,” he said, “you’re lucky to be alive. But… we had to perform an emergency surgery. The damage was severe. I’m sorry but you’ve lost your womb.” My world stopped. I stared at him, my lips trembling. “What… what did you just say?” He lowered his eyes. “There was too much internal bleeding. You won’t be able to conceive again.” My breath came out in shallow gasps. The monitor beside me beeped rapidly as tears slid down my cheeks. A knock sounded on the door. Clara stepped inside, dressed in soft pink, her hands resting gently on her round belly. “Oh dear,” she said, feigning sympathy. “I heard you had a little accident. Such a shame about… your womb.” She tilted her head, smiling. “But look on the bright side, now you can focus on helping me raise our child.” I gripped the blanket. “Why are you everywhere? Are you stalking me?” Clara laughed wickedly, “I only came to admire my handwork. I’m not happy you survived the accident when I gave them clear instructions but at least now you can't have any child for Ethan.” My chest tightened and before I could stop myself, I yanked her hair, tears rolling down my cheeks. “How could you? Isn't it enough you've killed my son, what more do you want?” “Help!” Clara cried out. The door opened suddenly as Ethan walked in with the doctor, their eyes going wide in disbelief. “It’s barely twenty-four hours and you're attacking her again?!” Ethan snapped, pushing me roughly. I fell from the bed as my back hit the edge of the bed, ripping my stitches open and I started bleeding again. “Ethan,” I whispered, “she did this to me—she sent the people who ran me down —” He cut me off. “Stop lying. I'm tired of your antics!” I froze. “What?” “I caught the man who hit you,” he said, tossing a file onto my bed. “He confessed. You paid him to hit you. I'm so disgusted by you I can't even look at you right now.” I stared at him, horrified. “That’s not true! You think I’d do that to myself?” Ethan scoffed. “Of course you would. You’d do anything for attention.” I stared at him, my mouth hanging open with shock but before I could speak he continued. He stepped closer, his voice low and cruel. “How low are you willing to go for attention, Adeline? You’ve lost your mind. Clara has done everything to make you feel better but you keep attacking her! How evil can you be?” “I lost my child, Ethan!” I cried. “And now—” He turned away before I could finish. “Enough. Clara’s baby shower is tonight. Try to act like a decent human being for once. Help her get ready.” Clara leaned close, smiling sweetly. “Don’t worry, Adeline. I’ll make sure Ethan saves you a slice of cake.” The door slammed behind him as he left with a smirking Clara. I sat there, staring at the hospital gown that was now stained with blood. My hands trembled as my phone buzzed beside me. It was a message from Mr. Harris, my lawyer: “Divorce papers have been delivered.” A tear slipped down my cheek, the last one I’d ever cry for Ethan Morales. Chapter 4 Adeline’s Pov A few hours after Ethan stormed out of my hospital room I was discharged. The doctor stared at me with pity shining in his eyes. “Please, Mrs. Morales, you have to take it easy. Anything else that happens from here your life could be in serious danger,” the doctor said. I didn't say a word as I signed the divorce papers then I stumbled outside. My legs were shaking and my lower belly was in so much pain. I half expected Ethan to be waiting outside, especially since he's been blowing up my phone with text messages since reminding me to come home and help Amber. Ethan wasn’t there to pick me up. Of course, he wasn’t, what was I expecting from a man who had left me for dead twice? When I got home, the house was alive with laughter and clinking glasses. Blue and gold decorations hung everywhere, balloons tied to the stair rails, and a large banner stretched across the living room: “Welcome Baby Jared Morales.” It took me a second to realize today wasn’t just Clara’s baby shower. It was also our second wedding anniversary. And yet, not a single flower, not a single glance from Ethan, hinted that he even remembered. Ethan’s friends who had arrived early were staring at me when I walked in, their eyes filled with mock pity as they whispered. “There she is. I can’t believe she still lives here.” “She really thought Ethan would forget Clara? They grew up together and he's been in love with her.” “I heard she lost her child and now she's barren. Poor thing, she's so in love with Ethan she doesn't want to leave him.” Each word sliced through me like glass, but I kept walking, not sparing them a glance. When I reached the grand hall, Clara stood in the middle, radiant in a silk blush gown, glowing with the fullness of pregnancy. Ethan stood beside her, adjusting her shawl, his expression soft, almost worshipful. I had seen him look at me that way once. Now it felt like a lifetime ago. “Adeline,” Ethan said curtly, barely sparing me a glance. “You’re home. Clara’s shower starts in an hour. Make sure everything is ready.” My voice came out low and steady. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to ruin your big day.” He frowned, clearly irritated, but before he could speak further, Clara turned to me with that syrupy smile that hid venom. “Oh, Adeline, you’re just in time! The cake and gifts are ready, but I’m missing one small detail. Could you please prepare something for me to eat?” she asked. I frowned, “There are a lot of maids here, get one of them to do it.” “Oh… it’s just you make really good meals for pregnancy so I just thought… Never mind, I'll get one of the maids,” Clara said, feigning sadness. Ethan stopped her as he turned to me, “You have nothing else to do, Adeline. Make yourself useful and prepare a meal for her!” I limped toward the kitchen when Clara’s voice sounded, “Uhm, Adeline please be a darling and help me get the files for Ethan to sign. He promised to give me a new car today and I've arranged the paperwork.” I went to the desk and saw the paperwork of the car, it was the Lamborghini I've been telling Ethan to buy for me but yet he didn't get it now he's gotten it for Clara with a customized plate number. I scoffed and slipped the two documents into the car paperwork and took it to Ethan who signed all the documents without reading them. “At least even if you're barren now you’re still useful in the office,” Ethan said in a cutting tone. I bit back the tears and took the documents to the kitchen. I removed the divorce papers and the assets transfer he had signed and smiled. Just a few more days and I’ll be out of this hellhole forever. — By the time the guests arrived, the house sparkled like a palace. Music played softly, and laughter bounced off the marble walls. Clara was everywhere, glowing, adored, and surrounded. I stood at the back, half-invisible. Ethan’s mother, Mrs. Morales, swept into the room in a flowing gown, her pearls gleaming. “Clara, my dear!” she exclaimed, kissing her cheek. “You look stunning. Look at that belly. Finally, a grandchild!” Her sharp eyes landed on me. “Adeline. You’re back.” “Yes, Mother,” I said quietly. She sniffed, her lip curling. “You should’ve stayed in the hospital. You’ll only bring bad luck here. You couldn’t even keep a child alive, yet you want to stay in this family?” Clara placed a gentle hand on Mrs. Morales’s arm. “Don’t say that. Adeline didn’t mean for the accident to happen.” Mrs. Morales sighed dramatically. “You’re too kind, Clara. A barren woman like her should learn humility. It’s no surprise Ethan lost interest. Men need heirs, not bad omens.” Laughter rippled through the crowd. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms. “My son didn’t die because I’m barren,” I said, my voice trembling. “He died because your son killed him.” The room fell silent. Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Adeline!” “She did it!” I shouted, pointing at Clara. “She told you to take my stem cells for her. You killed our child to save her!” Gasps echoed through the hall. For a moment, Ethan looked uncertain. Then Clara flinched, covering her mouth, her eyes wide with fake tears. “I… I can’t believe you’d say that,” she whispered. “I never wanted this. Ethan, please, don’t let her ruin today.” “Enough, Adeline,” Ethan said coldly. “You’re embarrassing yourself. This is Clara’s day, not your pity show.” I took a step back, tears burning my eyes. “Do you even remember what today is?” He blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?” “Our anniversary.” There was silence then laughter followed as Mrs Morales and some of the guests snickered including Clara’s friends. Clara smiled faintly. “Oh, I didn’t know. You poor thing. I guess the dates got mixed up.” Mrs. Morales chuckled. “Don’t start drama, Adeline. This is a celebration of life, not of your mistakes.” I felt my throat close. Before I could say another word, Clara suddenly gasped, clutching her stomach. “Ethan… my baby!” Ethan rushed to her side immediately. “Clara! What happened?” Between sobs, she whispered, “It’s… it’s Adeline. She… she served me food earlier. I think it had peanuts… I told her I’m allergic!” The room erupted in chaos. Guests murmured, eyes turning toward me with disgust. “What kind of woman does that?” “She’s jealous!” “She wants to harm the baby!” “Adeline!” Ethan shouted, fury flashing across his face. “What did you do?! If anything happens to Clara or my child, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!” My lips parted, but no sound came out. I wanted to scream that it was all a lie, but no one would listen. He scooped Clara into his arms and turned away without another glance. “I’m taking her to the hospital. Don’t follow us.” The door slammed behind him. I stood alone in the hall, surrounded by their laughter fading down the driveway. The guests avoided my gaze, whispering like vultures as they filed out of the house. I looked at the cake, the decorations, the roses, all celebrating the woman who had taken everything from me. My hands shook as I touched the envelope on the table, the one holding his signed papers. A bitter smile curved my lips. “Happy anniversary, Ethan,” I whispered. “You just signed your empire away.” Chapter 5 Adeline’s Pov The next morning, I woke up to the sound of footsteps. Heavy, angry ones. The door slammed open. Ethan stepped in, his expression cold, followed by two of his guards. “Take her,” he said flatly. My heart raced. “Ethan, what are you doing?” He didn’t answer. The guards grabbed me, dragging me out of the room. I struggled, crying out his name, but he only stared ahead. They shoved me into the old storage room at the far end of the house. Dust filled the air. My knees hit the floor. “This is punishment,” Ethan said, standing in the doorway. “For what you did to Clara last night.” “I didn’t do anything!” I shouted. “She’s lying—” “Enough!” His voice cut through me like glass. “You’ll stay here until you learn to control yourself!” He threw something into the room. It was a bouquet of lilies. My throat tightened immediately. He knew I was allergic. “Ethan, please,” I gasped. “Not this… you know I can’t—” “You should’ve thought about that before hurting Clara.” His tone was cold. “Maybe this will teach you to behave.” Then the door slammed shut. I pounded on it until my hands hurt, tears blurring my vision. My chest burned as the air thinned. I could barely breathe. I fell to the floor, clawing weakly at the door, my lungs screaming for air. After what felt like forever, the door opened. I collapsed onto the hallway floor, coughing violently. Ethan stood over me, his expression unreadable. “If you ever touch Clara again, Adeline,” he said slowly, “I swear, you’ll regret it.” He turned and walked away. I lay there for a long time, shaking. Then my phone buzzed beside me. I fumbled to answer. “Sweetheart,” my mother’s voice came through, soft and worried. “Your father booked your flight. Two days from now. Come home, Adeline. Please.” My lips trembled. “I’ll come,” I whispered. “I promise.” When the call ended, I sat there staring at the wall. Something inside me broke completely. I dragged myself up, went to my room, and pulled out the box from under my bed. Inside were the memories of a life that no longer existed: wedding photos, love notes, Ethan’s first gift to me, the tiny blue blanket I’d bought for our son. One by one, I threw them into the fireplace. The photos curled and blackened. The smell of burnt paper filled the air. I watched until nothing remained but ash. I went back to the bedroom and started packing my clothes and documents into my box. When I turned around, Ethan was standing by the door. His face was hard, his eyes cold. “So, you’re packing already,” he said. “Good. When Clara comes back, she’ll move into the master bedroom. The guest room makes her uncomfortable. You can stay there.” I said nothing. He frowned. “I’m glad you’re finally seeing things my way. Maybe you’re not as useless as I thought.” I turned back to my suitcase. “Is that all, Ethan?” He ignored me and continued, “Clara’s in the hospital. She needs a blood transfusion. You’ll come with me.” I froze. “No. I’m not donating anything to her.” His jaw tightened. “You’ll do as I say.” When I didn’t move, he grabbed my arm and pulled me along. “You owe her for everything she’s endured because of you.” — When we arrived, the doctor hesitated the moment he saw me. His eyes flicked from my pale face to the needle tray on the table. “Mr. Morales,” he began carefully, “your wife isn’t in any condition for this. Her blood levels are critically low, and she’s still recovering from—” Ethan’s glare cut him off. “Do I look like I care? Clara’s life is on the line. Do it.” The doctor shifted uncomfortably. “If I take more blood from her, she might—” “DO IT!” Ethan snapped, his voice echoing across the sterile white room. The doctor’s hands shook slightly as he inserted the needle into my arm. The cold sting of metal pierced my skin, and crimson began to flow into the transparent bag. The sound of the drip was too loud. Ethan stood by the wall, his arms crossed. “Hurry it up,” he said flatly. Minutes passed. My vision started to blur. The room tilted slightly, and the doctor’s voice sounded distant. “That’s enough. She’s at her limit—” Clara’s shrill voice cut through the air, “Ethan, help, it hurts!” “There’s nothing—” the doctor started to say but Ethan interrupted him. “Take more!” he barked at the doctor. The doctor froze. “Sir, if we take more blood, she could—” “I said TAKE MORE!” Ethan thundered. The doctor’s face was pale as he obeyed. The needle dug deeper, and I gasped. My chest hurt, my skin was clammy, but the worst pain was watching Ethan hold Clara’s hand as I bled for her. “Ethan…” I whispered weakly. “Please… stop…” He didn’t even turn. He stroked Clara’s hair and murmured, “It’s okay. You’ll be fine. Don’t cry.” Each drop of blood felt like a piece of me leaving forever. My lips turned numb, my body trembling violently. The doctor tried once more, “Mr. Morales, she’s going into shock—” “She’s faking it,” Ethan snapped coldly. “She always does this when she wants attention.” My vision darkened. The beeping from the monitor became frantic. I could barely breathe. Suddenly, the doctor shoved Ethan aside and pulled the tube out of my arm. “That’s ENOUGH!” he shouted. “You’ll kill her!” Blood splattered across the sheet. I slumped back, my body shaking uncontrollably. “Get her stabilized!” the doctor barked at the nurses. The last thing I saw before the world went black was Ethan holding Clara close as she whimpered, “I’m sorry, Ethan… this is all my fault,” she cried. “It’s not your fault, Adeline is just being dramatic as always,” Ethan said coldly. I stared at the man who had once promised to protect me as he glared at me like I was a stranger then I gave in to the darkness. Chapter 6 Adeline’s Pov When I opened my eyes, everything was white. For a moment, I thought I was dead. Then I saw Ethan sitting beside my bed. His head was bowed, his fingers running through his hair. He looked tired, like he's been sitting there all night. “You’re awake,” he said quietly, his voice thick. “You’ve been unconscious for two days.” I stared at him, saying nothing. He sighed and looked away. “I didn’t know it would get that bad. I just… I panicked. Clara needed a blood transfusion, and I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean for you to suffer.” The words meant nothing to me now. He continued softly, “I realize I’ve neglected you lately. I didn’t even remember our anniversary. I’ve been… distracted. I want to make it up to you.” He reached for a paper bag beside him and set it on the bed. “There’s a dress in there. When you’re discharged, my driver will take you to dinner. I’ve made reservations at your favorite restaurant.” I just stared at the bag. He forced a small smile. “Try to look beautiful again, Addy.” He leaned in, brushed his lips against my forehead, and left. The door closed behind him, and the room went silent. I sat up slowly, my body still sore, and checked my phone. There was a text from my father. ‘Your flight is at 9 p.m. tonight. My men will pick you up. I'm tracking your phone now.’ Two hours after my last dinner with Ethan. A hollow laugh escaped my lips. The doctor came in not long after. “You’re being discharged today, Mrs. Morales,” he said, avoiding my eyes. “Mr. Morales has already paid the bills.” “Of course he has,” I murmured. He handed me my papers and left. Two nurses came in with a dress box and a bouquet of white roses, my favorite flowers. I stared at them until one nurse awkwardly said, “Mr. Morales said these are your favorites.” I scoffed under my breath. A few days ago, I might have smiled. Today, I wanted to throw them out the window. I dressed quietly. The red satin dress fit perfectly, as if he still remembered my size, but not who I was. When the driver came to get me, I followed silently. The car glided through the city as the sky turned gold with the setting sun. At the restaurant entrance, the waiter led me to a private table. When I got to the table I saw Ethan smiling at me and beside him was… Clara? Clara looked radiant, dressed in soft ivory, her hands resting on her round belly. Ethan looked slightly uneasy but smiled when he saw me. “Addy, I’m sorry,” he began, standing. “Clara didn’t want to be alone tonight. She’s been anxious lately. I couldn’t just leave her.” “Of course,” I said flatly, taking my seat. “You could never leave her.” Ethan cleared his throat awkwardly. “Let’s not fight tonight.” He reached into a small box and took out two necklaces. He handed me one. A crystal pendant. My breath caught, it was almost identical to the one Clara had broken. Inside was my baby’s ultrasound. “I got this made for you,” he said softly. “I thought maybe it would remind you of him.” For a brief second, my heart trembled. Then he turned and brought out another necklace of the same design, but Clara’s glittered brighter, lined with real diamonds. He clasped it around Clara’s neck as she giggled softly. Clara smiled sweetly, holding hers up to the light. “It’s beautiful, Ethan. You have such good taste.” “I don’t need reminders of something I’ll never have again,” I said quietly, setting the necklace back on the table. “Adeline—” “I said I don’t need it,” I repeated, my tone sharper. He sighed and tried to change the subject, asking about my health, the house, meaningless things. I answered in short, cold words. Clara, meanwhile, filled the silence with stories about their childhood about how Ethan used to sneak into her backyard, how they used to play piano together. Each story she told was deliberate and supposed to get a rise out of me but I ignored her. Ethan smiled faintly through all of it, occasionally glancing at me as if hoping I’d join in. I didn’t. Then, suddenly, the smell of gas hit me before a loud explosion followed. BOOM! The restaurant exploded. The lights shattered, the ground shook, and screams filled the air. A blast of heat threw me backward, slamming me into the far end of the room. I hit the floor hard, pain surging through my body as debris rained down. “Adeline!” I heard Ethan shout. “Ethan,” I gasped, coughing through the smoke. “Help me!” Clara clutched his arm, crying. “I can’t move! Please, Ethan, the baby… I can’t move!” She wasn’t hurt. Not even a scratch. She was sitting perfectly upright, pretending to tremble. I blinked through the haze, watching him stand in the middle as he stared between me and Clara. Ethan’s eyes flicked to me, full of hesitation and then a cold resolve filled his eyes “Hold on, Adeline!” he yelled. “I’ll come back for you!” He scooped Clara into his arms and ran. I stared, disbelief and heartbreak tearing through me as I watched him disappear through the smoke leaving me behind. Clara turned her head slightly in his arms and smiled at me before the flames swallowed her face. The heat grew unbearable. My lungs screamed for air. I tried to move, but debris pinned my legs. I couldn’t breathe. So this is how it ends, I thought weakly. After everything… This is how my story ends. Even at the end, he still chose her. My head slumped forward. Darkness crept in. Through the haze, I saw shadows moving, four tall figures pushing through the smoke. One of them shouted, “Miss Adeline! Hold on! Your father sent us!” Their voices echoed as my vision faded. “Please hang on, Miss Adeline—” Then everything went black.

On our eighth anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. That same day, my phone buzzed with an alert from my husband’s car tracking app. His car had exploded. My stomach dropped. Tears blurred my vision. After eight years of marriage, four miscarriages, and countless nights spent crying myself to sleep, I finally had another chance to be a mother. But Adrian wouldn’t be a part of it. Our baby would grow up without a father. The tracker showed that his phone was across town, alive. But the app insisted his car had exploded. None of it made sense. I grabbed my keys and drove. Minutes later, I spotted his black Mercedes parked in a deserted lot. Through the half-open window, I saw him—Adrian with his shirt open, and his fingers tangled in long dark hair as he kissed a woman’s neck. Celeste. My adopted sister. The air left my lungs. My chest caved in, but I didn’t make a sound. I pressed myself against the side of the car, hand clamped over my mouth as silent tears ran down my face. Adrian, the man I loved and had been married to for eight years And my adopted sister, the same person that Adrian had claimed to despise because of how she had made my life a living abyss. Just when I thought the worst had happened, Adrian's phone rang. He muttered, voice hoarse. "Hold on." He answered with irritation. "What is it, Doctor?" A pause. Then he grinned. Adrian ended the call and pulled Celeste close as a genuine smile spread across his face. It was something I hadn’t seen for years. "You're pregnant," he said softly. Celeste gasped, her hands flying to her stomach. "Are you serious?" "Yes." He kissed her deeply. "And the doctor said your womb is responding perfectly to the treatment. One more test next week to confirm everything is healed, and then we can finally start our family properly." Happy tears streamed down Celeste's face. "Oh my God. Adrian, we're going to have a baby." "We are." He cradled her face in his hands. "You're going to be an amazing mother." My heart bled as my hand moved instinctively to my own stomach, where my baby was growing. Celeste’s smile faded slowly. “What about Elena?” Adrian’s smile grew cold. “You don’t need to worry, baby. After next week’s test shows you’re healed, I won’t need her anymore. She’s an idiot. She has nothing and no one. She’ll end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs.” “I still can’t believe she never figured it out,” Celeste laughed. “You told her it was genetic incompatibility, and she believed you.” “Elena’s an idiot,” Adrian said dismissively. “She signed every consent form I put in front of her without reading a single line. The experimental treatments, the tissue samples, the terminations—she authorized all of it, thinking they were insurance forms or whatever bullshit I told her.” “Those four babies,” Celeste murmured. “You really used them to cure my womb?” “Every single one,” Adrian replied without remorse. “Different stages of development, different protocols. And it worked. You’re cured, and you’re carrying my child.” Celeste giggled softly. “Thanks to Elena’s babies.” My knees went weak, and I almost dropped to the floor. It became hard to breathe, and my ears rang. My vision blurred, and for a moment I thought I would lose consciousness. My four babies hadn’t died from miscarriage—they had been murdered by their father, for my sister. My mind flashed back to each miscarriage. The pain. The blood. The hospital rooms. After each loss, Celeste would show up at the hospital with homemade chicken soup. “I made this especially for you,” she would say, her eyes full of fake tears. “I know how much you’re hurting. I’m here for you, sis.” She would stay the night, sleeping in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand whenever I woke up crying. Adrian would be there too, stroking my hair, whispering, “We’ll try again. We’ll have our baby. I promise.” Four babies murdered. Used as experiments to cure my sister's infertility so she could carry my husband's child. Adrian thought I had no one. But he was wrong. He didn’t know that five years ago, when his company nearly collapsed, the anonymous investor who saved and funded his entire empire was me. Under my maiden name, Elena Rossi, I owned fifty percent of Moretti Enterprises. Shaking, I gathered every piece of evidence as I did the one thing Adrian had warned me about. I called the only man Adrian fears—his greatest enemy, Ivan Romano. “Who is this?” “My name is Elena Moretti,” I whispered. “I need your help.” “And why would Moretti’s wife call his enemy?” “Because I want him destroyed,” I said. “And you’re the only man who hates him as much as I do.” There was silence. Then a low, dark laugh. “Mrs. Moretti,” Ivan said, “I accept your invitation to collaborate.” Adrian betrayed me, ruined my marriage, and caused the deaths of my four children. Now I will join forces with his most powerful enemy to seize his empire—and bankrupt him! Chapter 1 Elena's POV On our eighth anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. That same day, my phone buzzed with an alert from my husband’s car tracking app. His car had exploded. My stomach dropped. Tears blurred my vision. “No… please, God, no.” After eight years of marriage, four miscarriages, and countless nights spent crying myself to sleep, I finally had another chance to be a mother. But Adrian wouldn’t be a part of it. Our baby would grow up without a father. I refused to accept it. I called Adrian several times. No answer. The tracker showed that his phone was across town, alive. But the app insisted his car had exploded. None of it made sense. I grabbed my keys and drove. Minutes later, I spotted his black Mercedes parked in a deserted lot. It was untouched. No smoke, no damage. Relief flooded through me—the app must have malfunctioned again. It had done that before, then I paused. Why was he here? Why hadn’t he picked up my calls? I stepped out quietly and moved closer. I could see shadows through the dark windows. Then a sound slipped through the half-open window. A woman's groan. A man's low groan. I froze, covering my mouth before I could gasp. My mind screamed at me to turn back, to leave, to pretend I never came here, but my body refused to obey. Through the half-open window, I saw him—Adrian with his shirt open, and his fingers tangled in long dark hair as he kissed a woman’s neck. Celeste. My adopted sister. The air left my lungs. My chest caved in, but I didn’t make a sound. I pressed myself against the side of the car, hand clamped over my mouth as silent tears ran down my face. Adrian, the man I loved and had been married to for eight years And my adopted sister, the same person that Adrian had claimed to despise because of how she had made my life a living abyss. Just when I thought the worst had happened, Adrian's phone rang. He muttered, voice hoarse. "Hold on." He answered with irritation. "What is it, Doctor?" A pause. Then he grinned. Adrian ended the call and pulled Celeste close as a genuine smile spread across his face. It was something I hadn’t seen for years. "You're pregnant," he said softly. Celeste gasped, her hands flying to her stomach. "Are you serious?" "Yes." He kissed her deeply. "And the doctor said your womb is responding perfectly to the treatment. One more test next week to confirm everything is healed, and then we can finally start our family properly." Happy tears streamed down Celeste's face. "Oh my God. Adrian, we're going to have a baby." "We are." He cradled her face in his hands. "You're going to be an amazing mother." My heart bled as my hand moved instinctively to my own stomach, where my baby was growing. Celeste’s smile faded slowly. “What about Elena?” Adrian’s smile grew cold. “You don’t need to worry, baby. After next week’s test shows you’re healed, I won’t need her anymore.” My blood ran cold. What did that mean? “I still can’t believe she never figured it out,” Celeste laughed. “You told her it was genetic incompatibility, and she believed you.” “Elena’s an idiot,” Adrian said dismissively. “She signed every consent form I put in front of her without reading a single line. The experimental treatments, the tissue samples, the terminations—she authorized all of it, thinking they were insurance forms or whatever bullshit I told her.” My legs threatened to give out, but I forced myself to stay still. I had to keep listening. “Those four babies,” Celeste murmured. “You really used them to cure my womb?” “Every single one,” Adrian replied without remorse. “Different stages of development, different protocols. And it worked. You’re cured, and you’re carrying my child.” Celeste giggled softly. “Thanks to Elena’s babies.” My knees went weak, and I almost dropped to the floor. It became hard to breathe, and my ears rang. My vision blurred, and for a moment I thought I would lose consciousness. My four babies hadn’t died from miscarriage—they had been murdered by their father, for my sister. Chapter 2 Elena's POV "All I had to do was slip in some drugs to her meal to induce early labour," Adrian said, almost amused. "Then I would tell her that there were complications. She would cry, I would comfort her, and life would go on." My mind flashed back to each miscarriage. The pain. The blood. The hospital rooms. After each loss, Celeste would show up at the hospital with homemade chicken soup. “I made this especially for you,” she would say, her eyes full of fake tears. “I know how much you’re hurting. I’m here for you, sis.” She would stay the night, sleeping in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand whenever I woke up crying. Adrian would be there too, stroking my hair, whispering, “We’ll try again. We’ll have our baby. I promise.” I had believed them both. My hands shook violently. I bit down harder on my palm to keep from screaming. They had poisoned me four times. "Are you really going to divorce her when my womb is cured?" Celeste asked, her voice dripping with false concern. "Of course," Adrian said casually. "Once the doctor confirms the treatments worked, I don't need to keep her around anymore." He paused, and I heard the smirk in his tone. "Then you and I can finally be together publicly." Celeste's voice was breathy. "What about my family? What will they say?" Adrian laughed coldly. "The family that favours you over their own daughter? Please. They'll side with us. Her mother already told me she thinks Elena is an embarrassment." The words cut through me like knives, because it was the truth. "She already signed her five percent company shares over to me years ago without realizing it," Adrian continued. "She'll walk away with nothing. She has no friends, no support system. After the divorce, she'll have nothing and no one. She'll probably end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs." Celeste furrowed her eyebrows. “How do you plan on doing that?” Adrian chuckled coldly. "Next week, we'll throw a huge party to announce your pregnancy to everyone important, my business partners, your family, and so much more.” He continued. "Then I'll have something slipped into her champagne. Then halfway through the party, Marcus will find her in one of the upstairs rooms in a compromising position with some strange men." Celeste gasped. "You're going to frame her?" "She'll be too drugged to know what's happening. Marcus will make sure there are photos. By the end of the party, everyone will believe Elena Moretti cheated on her devoted husband at a party celebrating her sister's pregnancy." "That's brilliant," Celeste breathed. "Everyone will think she's the villain." "Exactly. The divorce will be clean, and she'll get nothing." Adrian's voice dripped with satisfaction. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst through my chest. He was going to drug me, frame me, and take everything. Their groans filled the silence again. I backed away from the car slowly, careful not to make a sound. My hand was bleeding where I had bitten it, but I didn't feel it. All I could feel was devastation, rage and heartbreak. When I was far enough away, I ran. I climbed into my car, and my body shook so violently I could barely hold the wheel. I sat there in the darkness, tears streaming down my face, my palm pressed protectively over my stomach. Four babies murdered. Used as experiments to cure my sister's infertility so she could carry my husband's child. And now he was going to destroy my reputation and take everything I had left. I barely remembered driving home. My hands shook so violently on the steering wheel that I almost crashed twice. I drove home in a daze, their conversation replaying endlessly in my head. ‘She’s an idiot. She has nothing and no one. She’ll end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs.’ I walked inside the house absentmindedly, then I headed straight to Adrian’s home office. I needed proof. Evidence. Something to make sense of what I had heard. My hands shook as I searched through his files, his laptop, his locked drawers. I found the small brass key hidden beneath the drawer lining and opened the filing cabinet. Medical records with my name. Dates that matched every pregnancy. Procedures I never consented to. Bank statements showing payments to a private research facility. I kept searching, my hands moving faster. Finally, I found the transfer record. The company shares Adrian had promised me as a wedding gift—I had signed them all back to him without realizing it. I stared at the document until the words blurred. "She'll walk away with nothing." A bitter laugh escaped me. Adrian was so ignorant of the truth. I couldn't be left with nothing, because what Adrian didn't know was that he hadn't built Moretti Enterprises from nothing. I had. Five years ago, when his company nearly went bankrupt, an anonymous investor saved it. The investor paid all the debts, funded the expansions, and covered the losses. That investor was me. I was the anonymous silent shareholder with fifty percent ownership of his company. I had created the account under my maiden name, Elena Rossi, using an offshore account that Adrian never knew existed. His empire was built on my money. And he called me an idiot. Another laugh escaped me. I gathered every document, every file, every piece of evidence, and made copies, hiding them where he would never think to look. Then I sank to the cold floor of his office and cried until my body had nothing left to give. When there were no tears left, I just sat there, feeling empty. I had no idea where to start. Then I remembered something Adrian had said months ago. "Stay away from Ivan Romano. He's my biggest competitor. He is ruthless and dangerous. He will do anything to destroy me." Ivan Romano. Adrian's biggest rival and worst enemy. He was the only one who could help me now. I picked up my phone with trembling fingers and began searching. It took twenty minutes to find Ivan's private number buried deep in Adrian's files. I stared at it for a long time. Once I made this call, there would be no going back. But when I thought of my four babies, of Celeste's mocking laughter, of Adrian's cruelty, I pressed Call. The phone rang twice before a deep, smooth voice answered. "Who is this?" My throat tightened, but I forced the words out. "My name is Elena Moretti. I'm Adrian Moretti's wife." A pause. "Moretti's wife. What do you want?" Tears blurred my vision. "I need your help." "Why would Adrian Moretti's wife be calling me? I am your husband's rival." His tone sharpened. "Because I want him destroyed," I whispered. "And I think you're the only man who hates him as much as I do." Silence stretched. Then Ivan laughed. It was a dark, low sound that sent a shiver through me. "Mrs. Moretti," he said slowly, "you have my complete attention." Chapter 3 Elena’s POV "Tell me everything." Ivan's voice was sharp and cold. “Tell me why Adrian Moretti's devoted wife wants her loving husband destroyed." I explained everything from the tracking app, to finding Adrian with Celeste, the conversation I had overheard concerning the experiments on my babies, and his plan to divorce me. By the time I finished, tears were running down my cheeks again. Ivan was silent for a long moment. "Do you have proof?" he finally asked. "Yes." My voice was stronger now. "Medical records, bank statements, transfer documents. Everything." "And you have fifty percent shares in the company?" Ivan asked. "He doesn't know about them. Nobody does." I replied. "I also have evidence of everything illegal he had done in his company. But I can't use it. He has connections, lawyers, and my family—" "Your family supports him?" The question was like a knife to my chest, because the answer was a bitter truth. My mother had never wanted me back. I was ten when the DNA test results came back. Celeste and I had been switched at birth because of a hospital error. When they came for me, I had been living in a small countryside village with a seamstress who had raised me. We were poor, but I’d been happy. They took me to their mansion in the city, but my mother couldn't let Celeste go. She had raised Celeste, and loved her. So she kept both of us. But there was never any question who she preferred. “Elena, fix your posture. You look like a peasant.” “Elena, speak properly. Your accent is embarrassing.” “Elena, why can't you be more like Celeste?” Nothing I did was ever good enough. I took etiquette classes but I was too clumsy. I studied languages but my pronunciation was wrong. Celeste was perfect and graceful, and my mother made sure I knew I didn't measure up. By eighteen, I had learned to stay quiet, to make myself small, and to not expect love. That's when I met Adrian. He was charming, successful, and he looked at me like I mattered. “You're different from other girls,” he had said. I fell in love with him fast and hard. When he proposed after six months, I said yes immediately. My mother had pulled me aside the night before the wedding. “Adrian Moretti is using you. But you're too stupid to see it.” I hadn't listened. I had married him, spent eight years trying to be the perfect wife. And the whole time, Celeste had been there, sleeping with my husband behind my back, and I had never suspected a thing. My chest ached as I blinked hard, forcing myself back to the present. "My family loves my sister. They'll most likely side with him when he divorces me. I can't trust on their support." Ivan was silent for a moment. "So you want revenge." "I want justice," I corrected, my voice breaking. "He murdered my babies. He used them to cure my adopted sister's womb so she could carry his child. He made me sign away everything I had, and now he's going to throw me away like garbage." "And why did you come to me?" Ivan asked curiously. "Because you hate him." I replied desperately. "Adrian told me to stay away from you. He said you would do anything to destroy him." He chuckled coldly. "What do you want from me, Elena?" I clenched my fists tightly. "I want to take everything from him, the way he took everything from me. His company, his reputation, his freedom. I want him to lose it all. I have fifty percent of his company. You're his biggest competitor. Together, we can ruin him." Ivan was quiet, then finally he spoke. "If I help you, it won't be charity. I want something in return." My stomach clenched at the tone of his voice. "What do you want in return?" "Marry me." "Marry you?" I repeated incredulously, my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes," Ivan said simply. "If I'm going to help you destroy Adrian Moretti, I want something permanent in return. Not money. Not shares. You." "But—" He interrupted. "Think about my offer, Mrs. Moretti. You have my number." The call was disconnected. I stared at my phone, my mind spinning. Marry Ivan Romano? Adrian's biggest enemy? I shook my head. No. I didn't need him. I had the evidence. I had the shares. I could handle this myself. I would make sure Adrian lost everything, the same way he'd taken everything from me. Chapter 4 Elena’s POV I didn't waste any time. I went straight to the bedroom and began packing my things. I didn’t know what to do, but I was very certain that I couldn’t stay here anymore. I moved mindlessly, pulling clothes from hangers, emptying drawers as I arranged them all in my bags. "Elena?" I froze. Adrian's voice came from the doorway. "What's going on? What are you doing?" I turned slowly to face him. His expression changed instantly when he saw my face. My eyes were red and swollen from crying, and my cheeks stained with tears. "What's wrong?" Panic flashed in his eyes as he stepped closer. "Are you okay? What happened?" The concern in his voice made my stomach turn. He was so good at pretending. He sounded so convincing. I shook my head. “Nothing.” I croaked. He stepped closer even more, looking worried. “Come on, it can’t be nothing, you’ve been crying.” I knew Adrian wouldn’t drop it anytime soon, so I lied, "It's Clara," I whispered, my voice breaking. He furrowed his brows. “Your foster mother? The one who’s been in a coma since the car accident? I nodded. "The hospital called. She's getting worse. They said... they said she might not make it." For a split second, I saw relief flash in his eyes. Then it was gone, replaced by fake sympathy. "Oh, Elena." He stepped forward, pulling me into his arms. "I'm sorry. I know she means a lot to you." My skin crawled at his touch. The hands that had murdered my babies, were now holding me, and comforting me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw his eyes out. But I forced myself to stay still, to let him hold me. "Adrian?" Celeste's voice called from the doorway. Adrian's body tensed up. He pulled away immediately and rushed to Celeste's side. "Are you okay?" he asked her with genuine concern, not the fake concern he had just given me. Celeste nodded, smiling. "Yes, I just wanted to know if you've told Elena yet." Adrian turned to me, and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. His voice was vibrating with excitement. “Elena, Celeste has good news.” I lifted an eyebrow. “Good news?” He nodded. “Yes. And I would be throwing a party next week for a big celebration of the good news. I'm inviting all my friends, business partners, investors—everyone important." I knew what the good news was. The pregnancy. My husband's baby growing inside my sister. And I knew the plans he had for me at that party. I stared at him. "All these for the ‘good news’?" "Yes." Celeste smiled sweetly. "Adrian wanted to do something special for me, as we’re all family." He was throwing a party to celebrate the baby he had created using my murdered children. "There will be a family dinner tonight first," Adrian continued. "Just us and your parents. But the big party is next week. I've already hired caterers, sent out invitations—” "I'm not interested," I said flatly. Celeste's smile faltered. "But Elena—" "I said I'm not interested." Celeste’s face dropped, and her eyes watered. "Elena!" Adrian snapped, his expression darkening. "Your mother and father will be there. They're expecting you." “I can’t bring myself to celebrate while Clara is dying," I said quietly, the lie rolling off my tongue easily. "She's old," Adrian said dismissively. "She's lived her life. But this baby—" He placed his hand on Celeste's stomach. "This is new life. Something to be happy about." My hands clenched into fists at his cruel words. Clara had always treated him like her son, even though I wasn’t her biological daughter. I couldn’t believe that he would be so flippant about her life. "Don't be selfish," he continued. "Celeste is trying to include you in something important—" "I said no." Celeste's eyes filled with tears. "I just wanted us all to be together as a family. But if you don't want to be there..." Her voice broke. "If you hate me that much..." "I'm just worried about Clara." I replied, turning away from her to continue packing the clothes. "She wasn't your real mother," Celeste said softly. "She was just—" "Don't." My voice was cold. "Don't you dare finish that sentence." Celeste flinched, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. She turned to Adrian. "See? She hates me. I try so hard to be a good sister, but she—" "Enough." Adrian's voice was sharp. He turned to me, his eyes hard. "You're coming to dinner tonight. And you're coming to the party next week. That's final." "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "You're my wife. You'll attend both events, you'll smile, and you'll support your sister. Do you understand?" I stared at him. The man that I had loved for eight years. The man who had murdered our children. "Fine," I said quietly. "I'll come." Satisfaction flashed across his face. "Good. Dinner starts at seven." He turned and guided Celeste out of the room, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh. The door closed behind them. I stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door with a glare on my face. Adrian had no idea of the storm that was coming for him. Chapter 5 Elena’s POV At 7:00, I walked downstairs wearing a simple black dress. Adrian was in the living room with Celeste. When he saw me, he frowned. "You're wearing black?" "I have no reason to celebrate," I said quietly. His jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Celeste, meanwhile, was wearing a flowing pink dress that made her look radiant and glowing. "You look beautiful," Adrian told her softly. She beamed. "Thank you." He didn't even glance at me. The doorbell rang. "That'll be your parents," Adrian said, heading to the door. I watched him greet my mother and father with warm hugs and handshakes. My mother spotted me and frowned. "Elena, why are you wearing black? This is a celebration." "I cannot celebrate when Clara is still fighting for her life," I said simply. "Oh." My mother's expression didn't change. "Well, that's unfortunate. But tonight is about Celeste and her good news." Of course it was. They didn’t care about anything else. We moved to the dining room. I sat at the far end of the table. Adrian sat at the head, with Celeste on his right and my parents on his left. They chatted and laughed amongst themselves, completely ignoring me, almost like I was invisible. Halfway through the meal, Celeste stood up. "I have an announcement," she said, her voice shaking with excitement. Everyone turned to look at her. Adrian was beaming. "I'm pregnant," Celeste said softly. My mother gasped, jumping up to hug her. "Oh, sweetheart! That's wonderful!" My father grinned. "Congratulations, Celeste." "Who's the father?" I asked quietly. The room went silent. Celeste's eyes widened. "What?" "I asked who the father is," I repeated. "You're not married. You don't have a boyfriend that I know of. So who got you pregnant?" "Elena!" my mother snapped. "How dare you—" "It's a reasonable question," I said calmly. Celeste's eyes filled with tears. "I... I was seeing someone. He died a few months ago. This baby is all I have left of him." The lie rolled off her tongue so easily. I glanced between my father and my mother. They looked very uncomfortable, avoiding my eyes. And that's when it clicked. They knew. They all knew whose baby it was. My own parents knew my husband was having an affair with my sister, and they were celebrating it. "I'm sorry for your loss," I said flatly. "Congratulations on the baby." Adrian cleared his throat. "As I mentioned earlier, I'm throwing a celebration party this Saturday. A big one. All my business partners, investors, and friends will be there to celebrate this wonderful news." My mother clapped her hands together. "How exciting! Celeste, you'll need a new dress—" "Already ordered," Adrian said with a smile. "Only the best for my... for Celeste." He had almost said something else. I saw him catch himself. "Elena, you'll need something appropriate too," my mother said, eyeing my black dress with distaste. "I have plenty of dresses," I said quietly. "Nothing suitable for a celebration," she countered. "Tomorrow, you and I will go shopping." "I would rather spend tomorrow at the hospital with Clara." My mother's expression hardened. "Elena, that woman is dying. There's nothing you can do for her. But you can support your sister during this happy time." That woman. Not even your foster mother. Just that woman. "If you'll excuse me," I said, standing to my feet. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going to bed." "Elena, sit down," Adrian said sharply. "No." "I said sit down!" "And I said no." I looked at him coldly. "I came to dinner like you asked. I heard the announcement. Now I'm leaving." I turned and walked out of the dining room. Behind me, Celeste’s voice wobbled with fake tears. “She hates me, Mom.” “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” my mother soothed. “At least, thanks to her, you’re now…” Her voice dropped, too low for me to hear. My breath caught. They knew. My parents knew what Adrian had done—and they supported it. I went upstairs and shut the bedroom door. I lay there, staring at the ceiling while laughter, clinking glasses, and music drifted up the stairs. They were celebrating my pain. Soon, they would have nothing left to celebrate. Chapter 6 Elena’s POV Hours passed and the noise faded and the house went quiet. My parents took one guestroom. Celeste took the other. And Adrian… I knew exactly where he’d be. My throat was dry. I needed water, but I waited another half hour, just to be sure. I slipped out of bed, crept down the stairs, and entered the kitchen, and filled a glass from the tap. I heard Adrian’s low voice coming from his office. “I don’t care what it takes. Keep her sedated.” I froze, the glass halfway to my mouth. “No, I’m not interested in her waking up,” he said. “I’m paying you enough to make sure that doesn’t happen.” My heart slammed against my ribs. “The monitoring showed brain activity? So what? Increase the dosage. I don’t want her to be conscious. Ever.” I set the glass down and crept closer. The office door was slightly ajar. “You don’t understand,” Adrian hissed. “Clara is dangerous. If she wakes up, everything falls apart.” A pause. Then: “Yes, I know it’s illegal. That’s why I’m tripling your fee.” Another pause. “Because she saw me,” he snapped. “She saw me with Celeste months ago. She threatened to tell Elena. So I handled it.” My hand flew to my mouth. “The car accident wasn’t an accident,” Adrian said coldly. “I ran her off the road myself. She should’ve died, but the old woman was tougher than I thought. Now she’s in a coma, and I need her to stay that way.” No. No, no, no. “If she wakes up and tells Elena what she saw, my entire plan falls apart. Keep her sedated until after the party. After that... I don’t care what happens. Let her die naturally, just make sure it can’t be traced back to me.” The call ended. His chair scraped back. I ran. I flew up the stairs, heart pounding, and shut the bedroom door just as his footsteps echoed down the hall. I pressed my back against it, trembling. Adrian had tried to kill Clara. He was keeping her sedated. He was going to let her die. I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed Ivan. He answered on the second ring. “Mrs. Moretti. It’s late.” “I need your help.” My voice cracked. “Please. It’s Clara—my foster mother. Adrian ran her off the road months ago because she caught him with Celeste. Now he’s paying her doctor to keep her in a coma. She’s showing signs of waking up, and he’s—he’s going to let her die.” Silence. “Please,” I whispered. “I need to move her somewhere safe. But I can’t do it alone. He has people everywhere.” “Where is she?” “Mercy General Hospital. Room 304.” “I’ll have her moved by morning,” Ivan said. “She’ll be safe.” Relief flooded through me. “Thank you. Thank you so much—” “But you know what this means, Elena.” I closed my eyes. “Yes.” “Say it.” “I accept your offer,” I whispered. “I’ll marry you.” “Good. You have four days.” The call ended. I sat there in the dark, phone clutched in my hand. I had just agreed to marry a man I’d never met. My husband’s worst enemy. Adrian didn’t know it yet, but I just became his reckoning. *** I couldn't sleep. My mind kept replaying everything I had just heard in Adrian’s office. Then I heard footsteps approaching, and a knock on the door. "Elena?" Celeste's voice was sweet, concerned. "Can I come in?" I didn't answer. "Elena, please. I just want to talk." I stayed silent. "Elena, open the door." She turned the doorknob and opened the door, stepping inside. There was a pause. Then her voice changed, she dropped the sweet voice. "Oh, you look so pathetic right now, sis.” She drawled. I didn’t move. She continued. “But I want you to know something. That child in my womb is Adrian’s. He chose me.” I sat up slowly, turning to face her. She had a cruel grin on her face. "He told me how boring you were in bed. How you could never satisfy him. How he had to close his eyes and pretend you were someone else." My hands clenched into fists. "And those babies?" She laughed. "Four chances, Elena. And you couldn't even manage to keep one alive. What kind of woman can't even do the one thing her body was made for?" My vision turned red. "Your body must be defective," she continued, her voice dripping with venom. "Maybe it's nature’s way of telling you that you would be a terrible mother.” Anger burned through me at her words, and I stood up, walking towards her with clenched fists. "Adrian loves me," Celeste said, with a nasty grin on her face. "He's having a baby with me. A real baby. One that will actually live, because I can give him what you never could—a family." I shoved her hard. She stumbled backward, her eyes widening in shock. "Get out," I gritted coldly. "You Cheap Woman!" she hissed. "How dare you—" "I said get out!" I slammed the door in her face and locked it this time. There was silence for a moment, then the sound of footsteps walking down the hallway. I walked back to the bed and sat down. Then I heard a loud thud, and a scream. "Adrian! Help! Adrian!" My blood ran cold. What did she— The bedroom door flew open with such force it slammed against the wall. The lock of the door had been broken. Adrian stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. His face was twisted with rage. Behind him, my mother and father appeared, holding a sobbing Celeste. "You pushed her down the stairs?" Adrian's voice was deadly quiet. "What? No, I didn't—" "She came up here to comfort you," my mother said, her voice shaking. "To try and make peace. And you attacked her!" "That's not what happened!" I stood up. "She was inside my room, insulting me—" "That’s not true!" Celeste sobbed. "I just wanted to talk to my sister. To make sure she was okay. And she... she pushed me!" "I shoved her away from my door! I didn't push her down the stairs—" Before I could say anything more, Adrian’s fist slammed into my face. The impact sent me flying backward. My head cracked against the wall, and pain exploded through my skull. Then everything went black. Chapter 7 Elena’s POV When I woke up in the hospital, my head was pounding. My face throbbed, and I could taste blood in my mouth. I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Everything hurt. "You're finally awake." Adrian's voice was cold, and emotionless. I forced my eyes open. He was sitting in a chair by the window, watching me. The memories flooded through my mind, and tears welled up in my eyes. In our eight years of marriage, Adrian had never hit me before, until now. "Adrian," I whispered. "How could—" "Apologize to Celeste." "What?" "You heard me." His eyes were hard. "Apologize to your sister for attacking her." "I didn't attack her!" I tried to sit up again, ignoring the pain. "She was taunting me, saying horrible things—" "I don't care what she said." He stood up. "You put your hands on a pregnant woman. You could have killed her baby." "She threw herself down the stairs!" Tears streamed down my face. "She's lying, Adrian. She's always lying—" "Apologize." "No." I said firmly. His expression darkened. "No?" "I won't apologize for something I didn't do." He stared at me for a long moment. Then he smiled. It was a cold, cruel smile that made my blood freeze. "Fine." He grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I stumbled, my legs were too weak to hold me up. "What are you doing?" I gasped. He didn't answer, he just dragged me out of the room, and down the hospital hallway. "Adrian, stop! Where are we going?" He kept dragging me, till we approached the ICU. My stomach dropped. "No," I whispered. "No, Adrian, please—" He ignored me as he dragged me to Room 304. Clara’s room. "Adrian, what are you doing?" I was sobbing now. "Please, don't—" He kicked open the door to Clara's room. To my dismay, she was still lying there, pale and unmoving, surrounded by machines. Her heart monitor beeped steadily. Ivan’s people hadn't arrived yet. A nurse looked up, startled. "Sir, you can't—" "Turn off the life support," Adrian said coldly. The nurse's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" "I said turn it off." "Sir, I can't do that—" "Do it." "Sir, the patient will die within minutes if we—" "I don't care." Adrian's voice was ice. "Turn it off. Now." The nurse looked at me, then back at Adrian. "Sir, I need authorization from—" "I'm Adrian Moretti." His voice was quiet but deadly. "I'm on the hospital board. I donate millions to this place every year. If you don't do what I say right now, I will have you fired. I will have your nursing license revoked. I will destroy your career and this entire hospital. Do you understand?" The nurse's face went pale as she quickly did as he said with tears in her eyes. "No!" I lunged forward, but Adrian caught me, holding me back. "Please," I sobbed. "Please, she's all I have. She's my mother. Please—" The ventilator went silent. The heart monitor's beeping slowed. "Adrian, please!" I dropped to my knees, sobbing. "Please don't do this! I'm begging you!" He looked down at me. "Apologize to Celeste." "I'll apologize!" I screamed. "I'll apologize for anything! Just please, don't hurt her!" "Say it, then." "I'm sorry!" I was hysterical now. "I'm sorry for pushing Celeste! I'm sorry for everything! Just please, Adrian, please don't do this!" He stared at me for a long moment. "Turn it back on!" I screamed. "Please, turn it back on!" But then a voice called from the hallway. "Mr. Moretti! Sir!" Another nurse appeared in the doorway, breathless. "It's Miss Celeste! She's having a panic attack! She can't breathe—" Adrian released me immediately. “Gather every nurse and doctor in this hospital. Now. No harm must come to Celeste.” Then he ran out of the room. To my horror, he dragged the nurse from Clara's room with him. I rushed outside frantically. "Help!" I screamed into the hallway. "Somebody help me! Please!" But everyone was gone, running to help Celeste. I looked at the machines, at the buttons and switches. "I'm sorry," I whispered to Clara. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how to—" I tried pressing buttons, and flipping switches, but nothing worked. Clara's heart monitor slowed further, and the beeping got fainter. "No, no, no," I sobbed. "Please, Mama. Please don't leave me. Please—" The monitor flatlined. "No!" I threw myself across her body. "Mama! Mama, please!" But she was gone. I don't know how long I stayed there, sobbing over her body. Eventually, the nurses came back. They tried to pull me away, but I wouldn't let go. Security had to be called. They dragged me out of the room while I screamed and fought. Adrian was in the waiting room with Celeste. She was crying dramatically, my mother stroking her hair. When Adrian saw me being dragged past, he didn't even look concerned. He just turned back to Celeste and continued coddling her. Clara was dead. Adrian had murdered her. Just like he had murdered my babies. I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and texted Ivan. — He killed my mother. It’s too late. His response came immediately. — What happened? I told him everything. There was a long pause before his next message. — I’ll make him pay, Elena. I swear on my life. If Adrian thought he had broken me, he was about to learn how wrong he was. Chapter 8 Elena's POV The next few days passed quickly. I arranged a quiet funeral for Clara, inviting the close friends and family she had. Adrian barely spoke to me. He was too busy fussing over Celeste, making sure she had everything she needed for the party. The day before the party, I found Adrian in his office, going through party preparations with the event planner on the phone. When he saw me, he held up one finger, gesturing to me to wait. I stood there silently while he finished his call, discussing menu options and flower arrangements like he hadn't killed Clara. Finally, he hung up and looked at me with irritation. "What is it?" "I need you to sign these." I placed a folder on his desk. "For Clara's death certificate and burial arrangements." He glanced at the papers without really looking at them. "Right." He picked up his pen. "I'm sorry about your foster mother," he said absently, signing the first page. "But it was her time, wasn't it? You said it yourself, the hospital called to tell you she wasn't getting better." My jaw clenched. He kept signing and talking, not even reading what was in front of him. "These things happen. She was old. She lived a full life." He murdered her. And now he was acting like it was just natural causes. "Here." He pushed the folder back to me. "All signed. Is that all?" "Yes." "Good. Round up everything quickly. We have the party on Saturday, and I don't want any negative energy affecting the celebration." Negative energy. That's what my grief was to him. "Of course," I said quietly, taking the folder. As I turned to leave, I heard Celeste's voice from the hallway. "Adrian? Are you almost done? I need your opinion on my dress—oh." She stopped when she saw me. "Elena. I didn't see you there." "I was just leaving," I said. "Wait." Celeste stepped into the office, her hand resting on her stomach. "I wanted to talk to you about something." I said nothing. "I know you're upset about Clara," she said softly. "And I understand, because losing a parent is hard." My hands clenched around the folder. "But you have to remember," Celeste continued, "Clara was my biological mother too. We shared the same blood. If anything, I'm in more pain than you are." I stared at her incredulously. Celeste had wanted nothing to do with Clara after the DNA test. "You only knew her for ten years," Celeste said. "But she carried me for nine months. We had a biological connection that you could never understand. So really, I'm the one who lost a mother. So you’re just being dramatic for no reason." Something inside me snapped. My hand moved before I could stop it. The slap echoed through the office. Celeste stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek. For a moment, she just stood there, shocked. Then she burst into tears. "Adrian!" she sobbed. "She hit me! She hit me again!" Adrian was on his feet instantly. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he roared. "She was taunting me," I said, my voice shaking. "She said—" "I don't care what she said!" He barked, and his hand flew through the air as he slapped me hard. The force of the slap sent me stumbling. I gripped the wall as I struggled to keep standing. "I was just trying to console her!" Celeste wailed. "I told her I understood her pain, that Clara was my biological mother too, and she attacked me!" "You're lying—" Adrian grabbed my arm roughly. "Enough! I don't want to hear another word from you." He shoved me toward the door. "Get out of my sight," he said coldly. "And if you even look at Celeste wrong again, I'll make sure you regret it." I stumbled out of the office, clutching the folder to my chest. Behind me, I could hear Adrian's voice, it was soft and gentle now. "Are you okay, sweetheart? Did she hurt you? Come here, let me see..." I walked up the stairs slowly, my cheek throbbing where he had hit me. In our eight years of marriage, Adrian had never laid a hand on me. Now he had hit me twice in four days, because of Celeste. I went to the bedroom and locked the door. Then I opened the folder and looked at the documents Adrian had just signed. He hadn't read a single one. He had signed the divorce papers. He had signed acknowledgment of my fifty percent ownership of Moretti Fragrances. He had signed his own destruction, and he didn't even know it. I pulled out my phone and took photos of every signed page. Then I sent them to Ivan. — He signed everything. The party is tomorrow night. Are you ready? His response came immediately. —- Everything is in place. Tomorrow, you leave that house and you never look back. **** The day of the party arrived. Adrian and Celeste had left the house several hours ago, leaving just my parents. At 6 PM, my mother knocked on the door. "Elena, you need to start getting ready. We’re already going to the venue for the party." "Okay" "Wear something nice. Don’t wear black." I didn't respond. She sighed. "Adrian is trying very hard to make this a perfect evening. The least you could do is not ruin it with your mourning." Then she left. When everyone was out of the house, I moved quickly. I pulled out the suitcases I had hidden in the back of the closet and loaded them into the hallway. I arranged a large envelope, inside were the divorce papers signed by Adrian himself, with implicating photos and videos of Adrian and Celeste. The medical records showing what he had done to our babies. Then the divestment agreement, showing that I had fifty percent ownership of Moretti Fragrance, and I had pulled out my investments from his company. Then other necessary documents. I stepped back and looked at the envelope sitting there like a bomb waiting to explode. By the time he opened these, I would be gone. His company would be destroyed, and his reputation would be in ruins. I pulled out my phone and called the delivery service, then I grabbed my bags and walked out the front door. A black car was waiting in the alley behind the house. Ivan stepped out, opening the door for me. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly. I looked back at the house one last time. At the life I was leaving behind. "Yes," I said. "I'm ready." I got into the car. Ivan closed the door and got in beside me. As we drove away, I pulled out my phone and sent one final text to the delivery service I had hired. — Deliver the envelope now. Then I blocked Adrian's number, Celeste's number, and my parents' numbers. I was done. "Where are we going?" I asked Ivan quietly. "Somewhere safe," he said. I placed my hand on my stomach, on the baby growing inside me. "Good," I whispered. As the car pulled away, I watched the house disappear in the mirror. Adrian thought I was stupid, so easy to manipulate and discard. He had no idea what he had created. The woman who loved him died the day I found him with Celeste. The woman sitting in this car was someone else. Someone who would make him pay for every lie, every betrayal, every murdered child. Adrian Moretti's perfect night was about to become his worst nightmare, and I couldn't wait to watch it all burn.

On our eighth anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. That same day, my phone buzzed with an alert from my husband’s car tracking app. His car had exploded. My stomach dropped. Tears blurred my vision. After eight years of marriage, four miscarriages, and countless nights spent crying myself to sleep, I finally had another chance to be a mother. But Adrian wouldn’t be a part of it. Our baby would grow up without a father. The tracker showed that his phone was across town, alive. But the app insisted his car had exploded. None of it made sense. I grabbed my keys and drove. Minutes later, I spotted his black Mercedes parked in a deserted lot. Through the half-open window, I saw him—Adrian with his shirt open, and his fingers tangled in long dark hair as he kissed a woman’s neck. Celeste. My adopted sister. The air left my lungs. My chest caved in, but I didn’t make a sound. I pressed myself against the side of the car, hand clamped over my mouth as silent tears ran down my face. Adrian, the man I loved and had been married to for eight years And my adopted sister, the same person that Adrian had claimed to despise because of how she had made my life a living abyss. Just when I thought the worst had happened, Adrian's phone rang. He muttered, voice hoarse. "Hold on." He answered with irritation. "What is it, Doctor?" A pause. Then he grinned. Adrian ended the call and pulled Celeste close as a genuine smile spread across his face. It was something I hadn’t seen for years. "You're pregnant," he said softly. Celeste gasped, her hands flying to her stomach. "Are you serious?" "Yes." He kissed her deeply. "And the doctor said your womb is responding perfectly to the treatment. One more test next week to confirm everything is healed, and then we can finally start our family properly." Happy tears streamed down Celeste's face. "Oh my God. Adrian, we're going to have a baby." "We are." He cradled her face in his hands. "You're going to be an amazing mother." My heart bled as my hand moved instinctively to my own stomach, where my baby was growing. Celeste’s smile faded slowly. “What about Elena?” Adrian’s smile grew cold. “You don’t need to worry, baby. After next week’s test shows you’re healed, I won’t need her anymore. She’s an idiot. She has nothing and no one. She’ll end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs.” “I still can’t believe she never figured it out,” Celeste laughed. “You told her it was genetic incompatibility, and she believed you.” “Elena’s an idiot,” Adrian said dismissively. “She signed every consent form I put in front of her without reading a single line. The experimental treatments, the tissue samples, the terminations—she authorized all of it, thinking they were insurance forms or whatever bullshit I told her.” “Those four babies,” Celeste murmured. “You really used them to cure my womb?” “Every single one,” Adrian replied without remorse. “Different stages of development, different protocols. And it worked. You’re cured, and you’re carrying my child.” Celeste giggled softly. “Thanks to Elena’s babies.” My knees went weak, and I almost dropped to the floor. It became hard to breathe, and my ears rang. My vision blurred, and for a moment I thought I would lose consciousness. My four babies hadn’t died from miscarriage—they had been murdered by their father, for my sister. My mind flashed back to each miscarriage. The pain. The blood. The hospital rooms. After each loss, Celeste would show up at the hospital with homemade chicken soup. “I made this especially for you,” she would say, her eyes full of fake tears. “I know how much you’re hurting. I’m here for you, sis.” She would stay the night, sleeping in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand whenever I woke up crying. Adrian would be there too, stroking my hair, whispering, “We’ll try again. We’ll have our baby. I promise.” Four babies murdered. Used as experiments to cure my sister's infertility so she could carry my husband's child. Adrian thought I had no one. But he was wrong. He didn’t know that five years ago, when his company nearly collapsed, the anonymous investor who saved and funded his entire empire was me. Under my maiden name, Elena Rossi, I owned fifty percent of Moretti Enterprises. Shaking, I gathered every piece of evidence as I did the one thing Adrian had warned me about. I called the only man Adrian fears—his greatest enemy, Ivan Romano. “Who is this?” “My name is Elena Moretti,” I whispered. “I need your help.” “And why would Moretti’s wife call his enemy?” “Because I want him destroyed,” I said. “And you’re the only man who hates him as much as I do.” There was silence. Then a low, dark laugh. “Mrs. Moretti,” Ivan said, “I accept your invitation to collaborate.” Adrian betrayed me, ruined my marriage, and caused the deaths of my four children. Now I will join forces with his most powerful enemy to seize his empire—and bankrupt him! Chapter 1 Elena's POV On our eighth anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. That same day, my phone buzzed with an alert from my husband’s car tracking app. His car had exploded. My stomach dropped. Tears blurred my vision. “No… please, God, no.” After eight years of marriage, four miscarriages, and countless nights spent crying myself to sleep, I finally had another chance to be a mother. But Adrian wouldn’t be a part of it. Our baby would grow up without a father. I refused to accept it. I called Adrian several times. No answer. The tracker showed that his phone was across town, alive. But the app insisted his car had exploded. None of it made sense. I grabbed my keys and drove. Minutes later, I spotted his black Mercedes parked in a deserted lot. It was untouched. No smoke, no damage. Relief flooded through me—the app must have malfunctioned again. It had done that before, then I paused. Why was he here? Why hadn’t he picked up my calls? I stepped out quietly and moved closer. I could see shadows through the dark windows. Then a sound slipped through the half-open window. A woman's groan. A man's low groan. I froze, covering my mouth before I could gasp. My mind screamed at me to turn back, to leave, to pretend I never came here, but my body refused to obey. Through the half-open window, I saw him—Adrian with his shirt open, and his fingers tangled in long dark hair as he kissed a woman’s neck. Celeste. My adopted sister. The air left my lungs. My chest caved in, but I didn’t make a sound. I pressed myself against the side of the car, hand clamped over my mouth as silent tears ran down my face. Adrian, the man I loved and had been married to for eight years And my adopted sister, the same person that Adrian had claimed to despise because of how she had made my life a living abyss. Just when I thought the worst had happened, Adrian's phone rang. He muttered, voice hoarse. "Hold on." He answered with irritation. "What is it, Doctor?" A pause. Then he grinned. Adrian ended the call and pulled Celeste close as a genuine smile spread across his face. It was something I hadn’t seen for years. "You're pregnant," he said softly. Celeste gasped, her hands flying to her stomach. "Are you serious?" "Yes." He kissed her deeply. "And the doctor said your womb is responding perfectly to the treatment. One more test next week to confirm everything is healed, and then we can finally start our family properly." Happy tears streamed down Celeste's face. "Oh my God. Adrian, we're going to have a baby." "We are." He cradled her face in his hands. "You're going to be an amazing mother." My heart bled as my hand moved instinctively to my own stomach, where my baby was growing. Celeste’s smile faded slowly. “What about Elena?” Adrian’s smile grew cold. “You don’t need to worry, baby. After next week’s test shows you’re healed, I won’t need her anymore.” My blood ran cold. What did that mean? “I still can’t believe she never figured it out,” Celeste laughed. “You told her it was genetic incompatibility, and she believed you.” “Elena’s an idiot,” Adrian said dismissively. “She signed every consent form I put in front of her without reading a single line. The experimental treatments, the tissue samples, the terminations—she authorized all of it, thinking they were insurance forms or whatever bullshit I told her.” My legs threatened to give out, but I forced myself to stay still. I had to keep listening. “Those four babies,” Celeste murmured. “You really used them to cure my womb?” “Every single one,” Adrian replied without remorse. “Different stages of development, different protocols. And it worked. You’re cured, and you’re carrying my child.” Celeste giggled softly. “Thanks to Elena’s babies.” My knees went weak, and I almost dropped to the floor. It became hard to breathe, and my ears rang. My vision blurred, and for a moment I thought I would lose consciousness. My four babies hadn’t died from miscarriage—they had been murdered by their father, for my sister. Chapter 2 Elena's POV "All I had to do was slip in some drugs to her meal to induce early labour," Adrian said, almost amused. "Then I would tell her that there were complications. She would cry, I would comfort her, and life would go on." My mind flashed back to each miscarriage. The pain. The blood. The hospital rooms. After each loss, Celeste would show up at the hospital with homemade chicken soup. “I made this especially for you,” she would say, her eyes full of fake tears. “I know how much you’re hurting. I’m here for you, sis.” She would stay the night, sleeping in the chair beside my bed, holding my hand whenever I woke up crying. Adrian would be there too, stroking my hair, whispering, “We’ll try again. We’ll have our baby. I promise.” I had believed them both. My hands shook violently. I bit down harder on my palm to keep from screaming. They had poisoned me four times. "Are you really going to divorce her when my womb is cured?" Celeste asked, her voice dripping with false concern. "Of course," Adrian said casually. "Once the doctor confirms the treatments worked, I don't need to keep her around anymore." He paused, and I heard the smirk in his tone. "Then you and I can finally be together publicly." Celeste's voice was breathy. "What about my family? What will they say?" Adrian laughed coldly. "The family that favours you over their own daughter? Please. They'll side with us. Her mother already told me she thinks Elena is an embarrassment." The words cut through me like knives, because it was the truth. "She already signed her five percent company shares over to me years ago without realizing it," Adrian continued. "She'll walk away with nothing. She has no friends, no support system. After the divorce, she'll have nothing and no one. She'll probably end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs." Celeste furrowed her eyebrows. “How do you plan on doing that?” Adrian chuckled coldly. "Next week, we'll throw a huge party to announce your pregnancy to everyone important, my business partners, your family, and so much more.” He continued. "Then I'll have something slipped into her champagne. Then halfway through the party, Marcus will find her in one of the upstairs rooms in a compromising position with some strange men." Celeste gasped. "You're going to frame her?" "She'll be too drugged to know what's happening. Marcus will make sure there are photos. By the end of the party, everyone will believe Elena Moretti cheated on her devoted husband at a party celebrating her sister's pregnancy." "That's brilliant," Celeste breathed. "Everyone will think she's the villain." "Exactly. The divorce will be clean, and she'll get nothing." Adrian's voice dripped with satisfaction. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst through my chest. He was going to drug me, frame me, and take everything. Their groans filled the silence again. I backed away from the car slowly, careful not to make a sound. My hand was bleeding where I had bitten it, but I didn't feel it. All I could feel was devastation, rage and heartbreak. When I was far enough away, I ran. I climbed into my car, and my body shook so violently I could barely hold the wheel. I sat there in the darkness, tears streaming down my face, my palm pressed protectively over my stomach. Four babies murdered. Used as experiments to cure my sister's infertility so she could carry my husband's child. And now he was going to destroy my reputation and take everything I had left. I barely remembered driving home. My hands shook so violently on the steering wheel that I almost crashed twice. I drove home in a daze, their conversation replaying endlessly in my head. ‘She’s an idiot. She has nothing and no one. She’ll end up back in some countryside hovel where she belongs.’ I walked inside the house absentmindedly, then I headed straight to Adrian’s home office. I needed proof. Evidence. Something to make sense of what I had heard. My hands shook as I searched through his files, his laptop, his locked drawers. I found the small brass key hidden beneath the drawer lining and opened the filing cabinet. Medical records with my name. Dates that matched every pregnancy. Procedures I never consented to. Bank statements showing payments to a private research facility. I kept searching, my hands moving faster. Finally, I found the transfer record. The company shares Adrian had promised me as a wedding gift—I had signed them all back to him without realizing it. I stared at the document until the words blurred. "She'll walk away with nothing." A bitter laugh escaped me. Adrian was so ignorant of the truth. I couldn't be left with nothing, because what Adrian didn't know was that he hadn't built Moretti Enterprises from nothing. I had. Five years ago, when his company nearly went bankrupt, an anonymous investor saved it. The investor paid all the debts, funded the expansions, and covered the losses. That investor was me. I was the anonymous silent shareholder with fifty percent ownership of his company. I had created the account under my maiden name, Elena Rossi, using an offshore account that Adrian never knew existed. His empire was built on my money. And he called me an idiot. Another laugh escaped me. I gathered every document, every file, every piece of evidence, and made copies, hiding them where he would never think to look. Then I sank to the cold floor of his office and cried until my body had nothing left to give. When there were no tears left, I just sat there, feeling empty. I had no idea where to start. Then I remembered something Adrian had said months ago. "Stay away from Ivan Romano. He's my biggest competitor. He is ruthless and dangerous. He will do anything to destroy me." Ivan Romano. Adrian's biggest rival and worst enemy. He was the only one who could help me now. I picked up my phone with trembling fingers and began searching. It took twenty minutes to find Ivan's private number buried deep in Adrian's files. I stared at it for a long time. Once I made this call, there would be no going back. But when I thought of my four babies, of Celeste's mocking laughter, of Adrian's cruelty, I pressed Call. The phone rang twice before a deep, smooth voice answered. "Who is this?" My throat tightened, but I forced the words out. "My name is Elena Moretti. I'm Adrian Moretti's wife." A pause. "Moretti's wife. What do you want?" Tears blurred my vision. "I need your help." "Why would Adrian Moretti's wife be calling me? I am your husband's rival." His tone sharpened. "Because I want him destroyed," I whispered. "And I think you're the only man who hates him as much as I do." Silence stretched. Then Ivan laughed. It was a dark, low sound that sent a shiver through me. "Mrs. Moretti," he said slowly, "you have my complete attention." Chapter 3 Elena’s POV "Tell me everything." Ivan's voice was sharp and cold. “Tell me why Adrian Moretti's devoted wife wants her loving husband destroyed." I explained everything from the tracking app, to finding Adrian with Celeste, the conversation I had overheard concerning the experiments on my babies, and his plan to divorce me. By the time I finished, tears were running down my cheeks again. Ivan was silent for a long moment. "Do you have proof?" he finally asked. "Yes." My voice was stronger now. "Medical records, bank statements, transfer documents. Everything." "And you have fifty percent shares in the company?" Ivan asked. "He doesn't know about them. Nobody does." I replied. "I also have evidence of everything illegal he had done in his company. But I can't use it. He has connections, lawyers, and my family—" "Your family supports him?" The question was like a knife to my chest, because the answer was a bitter truth. My mother had never wanted me back. I was ten when the DNA test results came back. Celeste and I had been switched at birth because of a hospital error. When they came for me, I had been living in a small countryside village with a seamstress who had raised me. We were poor, but I’d been happy. They took me to their mansion in the city, but my mother couldn't let Celeste go. She had raised Celeste, and loved her. So she kept both of us. But there was never any question who she preferred. “Elena, fix your posture. You look like a peasant.” “Elena, speak properly. Your accent is embarrassing.” “Elena, why can't you be more like Celeste?” Nothing I did was ever good enough. I took etiquette classes but I was too clumsy. I studied languages but my pronunciation was wrong. Celeste was perfect and graceful, and my mother made sure I knew I didn't measure up. By eighteen, I had learned to stay quiet, to make myself small, and to not expect love. That's when I met Adrian. He was charming, successful, and he looked at me like I mattered. “You're different from other girls,” he had said. I fell in love with him fast and hard. When he proposed after six months, I said yes immediately. My mother had pulled me aside the night before the wedding. “Adrian Moretti is using you. But you're too stupid to see it.” I hadn't listened. I had married him, spent eight years trying to be the perfect wife. And the whole time, Celeste had been there, sleeping with my husband behind my back, and I had never suspected a thing. My chest ached as I blinked hard, forcing myself back to the present. "My family loves my sister. They'll most likely side with him when he divorces me. I can't trust on their support." Ivan was silent for a moment. "So you want revenge." "I want justice," I corrected, my voice breaking. "He murdered my babies. He used them to cure my adopted sister's womb so she could carry his child. He made me sign away everything I had, and now he's going to throw me away like garbage." "And why did you come to me?" Ivan asked curiously. "Because you hate him." I replied desperately. "Adrian told me to stay away from you. He said you would do anything to destroy him." He chuckled coldly. "What do you want from me, Elena?" I clenched my fists tightly. "I want to take everything from him, the way he took everything from me. His company, his reputation, his freedom. I want him to lose it all. I have fifty percent of his company. You're his biggest competitor. Together, we can ruin him." Ivan was quiet, then finally he spoke. "If I help you, it won't be charity. I want something in return." My stomach clenched at the tone of his voice. "What do you want in return?" "Marry me." "Marry you?" I repeated incredulously, my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes," Ivan said simply. "If I'm going to help you destroy Adrian Moretti, I want something permanent in return. Not money. Not shares. You." "But—" He interrupted. "Think about my offer, Mrs. Moretti. You have my number." The call was disconnected. I stared at my phone, my mind spinning. Marry Ivan Romano? Adrian's biggest enemy? I shook my head. No. I didn't need him. I had the evidence. I had the shares. I could handle this myself. I would make sure Adrian lost everything, the same way he'd taken everything from me. Chapter 4 Elena’s POV I didn't waste any time. I went straight to the bedroom and began packing my things. I didn’t know what to do, but I was very certain that I couldn’t stay here anymore. I moved mindlessly, pulling clothes from hangers, emptying drawers as I arranged them all in my bags. "Elena?" I froze. Adrian's voice came from the doorway. "What's going on? What are you doing?" I turned slowly to face him. His expression changed instantly when he saw my face. My eyes were red and swollen from crying, and my cheeks stained with tears. "What's wrong?" Panic flashed in his eyes as he stepped closer. "Are you okay? What happened?" The concern in his voice made my stomach turn. He was so good at pretending. He sounded so convincing. I shook my head. “Nothing.” I croaked. He stepped closer even more, looking worried. “Come on, it can’t be nothing, you’ve been crying.” I knew Adrian wouldn’t drop it anytime soon, so I lied, "It's Clara," I whispered, my voice breaking. He furrowed his brows. “Your foster mother? The one who’s been in a coma since the car accident? I nodded. "The hospital called. She's getting worse. They said... they said she might not make it." For a split second, I saw relief flash in his eyes. Then it was gone, replaced by fake sympathy. "Oh, Elena." He stepped forward, pulling me into his arms. "I'm sorry. I know she means a lot to you." My skin crawled at his touch. The hands that had murdered my babies, were now holding me, and comforting me. I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw his eyes out. But I forced myself to stay still, to let him hold me. "Adrian?" Celeste's voice called from the doorway. Adrian's body tensed up. He pulled away immediately and rushed to Celeste's side. "Are you okay?" he asked her with genuine concern, not the fake concern he had just given me. Celeste nodded, smiling. "Yes, I just wanted to know if you've told Elena yet." Adrian turned to me, and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. His voice was vibrating with excitement. “Elena, Celeste has good news.” I lifted an eyebrow. “Good news?” He nodded. “Yes. And I would be throwing a party next week for a big celebration of the good news. I'm inviting all my friends, business partners, investors—everyone important." I knew what the good news was. The pregnancy. My husband's baby growing inside my sister. And I knew the plans he had for me at that party. I stared at him. "All these for the ‘good news’?" "Yes." Celeste smiled sweetly. "Adrian wanted to do something special for me, as we’re all family." He was throwing a party to celebrate the baby he had created using my murdered children. "There will be a family dinner tonight first," Adrian continued. "Just us and your parents. But the big party is next week. I've already hired caterers, sent out invitations—” "I'm not interested," I said flatly. Celeste's smile faltered. "But Elena—" "I said I'm not interested." Celeste’s face dropped, and her eyes watered. "Elena!" Adrian snapped, his expression darkening. "Your mother and father will be there. They're expecting you." “I can’t bring myself to celebrate while Clara is dying," I said quietly, the lie rolling off my tongue easily. "She's old," Adrian said dismissively. "She's lived her life. But this baby—" He placed his hand on Celeste's stomach. "This is new life. Something to be happy about." My hands clenched into fists at his cruel words. Clara had always treated him like her son, even though I wasn’t her biological daughter. I couldn’t believe that he would be so flippant about her life. "Don't be selfish," he continued. "Celeste is trying to include you in something important—" "I said no." Celeste's eyes filled with tears. "I just wanted us all to be together as a family. But if you don't want to be there..." Her voice broke. "If you hate me that much..." "I'm just worried about Clara." I replied, turning away from her to continue packing the clothes. "She wasn't your real mother," Celeste said softly. "She was just—" "Don't." My voice was cold. "Don't you dare finish that sentence." Celeste flinched, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. She turned to Adrian. "See? She hates me. I try so hard to be a good sister, but she—" "Enough." Adrian's voice was sharp. He turned to me, his eyes hard. "You're coming to dinner tonight. And you're coming to the party next week. That's final." "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone. "You're my wife. You'll attend both events, you'll smile, and you'll support your sister. Do you understand?" I stared at him. The man that I had loved for eight years. The man who had murdered our children. "Fine," I said quietly. "I'll come." Satisfaction flashed across his face. "Good. Dinner starts at seven." He turned and guided Celeste out of the room, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh. The door closed behind them. I stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door with a glare on my face. Adrian had no idea of the storm that was coming for him. Chapter 5 Elena’s POV At 7:00, I walked downstairs wearing a simple black dress. Adrian was in the living room with Celeste. When he saw me, he frowned. "You're wearing black?" "I have no reason to celebrate," I said quietly. His jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Celeste, meanwhile, was wearing a flowing pink dress that made her look radiant and glowing. "You look beautiful," Adrian told her softly. She beamed. "Thank you." He didn't even glance at me. The doorbell rang. "That'll be your parents," Adrian said, heading to the door. I watched him greet my mother and father with warm hugs and handshakes. My mother spotted me and frowned. "Elena, why are you wearing black? This is a celebration." "I cannot celebrate when Clara is still fighting for her life," I said simply. "Oh." My mother's expression didn't change. "Well, that's unfortunate. But tonight is about Celeste and her good news." Of course it was. They didn’t care about anything else. We moved to the dining room. I sat at the far end of the table. Adrian sat at the head, with Celeste on his right and my parents on his left. They chatted and laughed amongst themselves, completely ignoring me, almost like I was invisible. Halfway through the meal, Celeste stood up. "I have an announcement," she said, her voice shaking with excitement. Everyone turned to look at her. Adrian was beaming. "I'm pregnant," Celeste said softly. My mother gasped, jumping up to hug her. "Oh, sweetheart! That's wonderful!" My father grinned. "Congratulations, Celeste." "Who's the father?" I asked quietly. The room went silent. Celeste's eyes widened. "What?" "I asked who the father is," I repeated. "You're not married. You don't have a boyfriend that I know of. So who got you pregnant?" "Elena!" my mother snapped. "How dare you—" "It's a reasonable question," I said calmly. Celeste's eyes filled with tears. "I... I was seeing someone. He died a few months ago. This baby is all I have left of him." The lie rolled off her tongue so easily. I glanced between my father and my mother. They looked very uncomfortable, avoiding my eyes. And that's when it clicked. They knew. They all knew whose baby it was. My own parents knew my husband was having an affair with my sister, and they were celebrating it. "I'm sorry for your loss," I said flatly. "Congratulations on the baby." Adrian cleared his throat. "As I mentioned earlier, I'm throwing a celebration party this Saturday. A big one. All my business partners, investors, and friends will be there to celebrate this wonderful news." My mother clapped her hands together. "How exciting! Celeste, you'll need a new dress—" "Already ordered," Adrian said with a smile. "Only the best for my... for Celeste." He had almost said something else. I saw him catch himself. "Elena, you'll need something appropriate too," my mother said, eyeing my black dress with distaste. "I have plenty of dresses," I said quietly. "Nothing suitable for a celebration," she countered. "Tomorrow, you and I will go shopping." "I would rather spend tomorrow at the hospital with Clara." My mother's expression hardened. "Elena, that woman is dying. There's nothing you can do for her. But you can support your sister during this happy time." That woman. Not even your foster mother. Just that woman. "If you'll excuse me," I said, standing to my feet. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going to bed." "Elena, sit down," Adrian said sharply. "No." "I said sit down!" "And I said no." I looked at him coldly. "I came to dinner like you asked. I heard the announcement. Now I'm leaving." I turned and walked out of the dining room. Behind me, Celeste’s voice wobbled with fake tears. “She hates me, Mom.” “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” my mother soothed. “At least, thanks to her, you’re now…” Her voice dropped, too low for me to hear. My breath caught. They knew. My parents knew what Adrian had done—and they supported it. I went upstairs and shut the bedroom door. I lay there, staring at the ceiling while laughter, clinking glasses, and music drifted up the stairs. They were celebrating my pain. Soon, they would have nothing left to celebrate. Chapter 6 Elena’s POV Hours passed and the noise faded and the house went quiet. My parents took one guestroom. Celeste took the other. And Adrian… I knew exactly where he’d be. My throat was dry. I needed water, but I waited another half hour, just to be sure. I slipped out of bed, crept down the stairs, and entered the kitchen, and filled a glass from the tap. I heard Adrian’s low voice coming from his office. “I don’t care what it takes. Keep her sedated.” I froze, the glass halfway to my mouth. “No, I’m not interested in her waking up,” he said. “I’m paying you enough to make sure that doesn’t happen.” My heart slammed against my ribs. “The monitoring showed brain activity? So what? Increase the dosage. I don’t want her to be conscious. Ever.” I set the glass down and crept closer. The office door was slightly ajar. “You don’t understand,” Adrian hissed. “Clara is dangerous. If she wakes up, everything falls apart.” A pause. Then: “Yes, I know it’s illegal. That’s why I’m tripling your fee.” Another pause. “Because she saw me,” he snapped. “She saw me with Celeste months ago. She threatened to tell Elena. So I handled it.” My hand flew to my mouth. “The car accident wasn’t an accident,” Adrian said coldly. “I ran her off the road myself. She should’ve died, but the old woman was tougher than I thought. Now she’s in a coma, and I need her to stay that way.” No. No, no, no. “If she wakes up and tells Elena what she saw, my entire plan falls apart. Keep her sedated until after the party. After that... I don’t care what happens. Let her die naturally, just make sure it can’t be traced back to me.” The call ended. His chair scraped back. I ran. I flew up the stairs, heart pounding, and shut the bedroom door just as his footsteps echoed down the hall. I pressed my back against it, trembling. Adrian had tried to kill Clara. He was keeping her sedated. He was going to let her die. I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed Ivan. He answered on the second ring. “Mrs. Moretti. It’s late.” “I need your help.” My voice cracked. “Please. It’s Clara—my foster mother. Adrian ran her off the road months ago because she caught him with Celeste. Now he’s paying her doctor to keep her in a coma. She’s showing signs of waking up, and he’s—he’s going to let her die.” Silence. “Please,” I whispered. “I need to move her somewhere safe. But I can’t do it alone. He has people everywhere.” “Where is she?” “Mercy General Hospital. Room 304.” “I’ll have her moved by morning,” Ivan said. “She’ll be safe.” Relief flooded through me. “Thank you. Thank you so much—” “But you know what this means, Elena.” I closed my eyes. “Yes.” “Say it.” “I accept your offer,” I whispered. “I’ll marry you.” “Good. You have four days.” The call ended. I sat there in the dark, phone clutched in my hand. I had just agreed to marry a man I’d never met. My husband’s worst enemy. Adrian didn’t know it yet, but I just became his reckoning. *** I couldn't sleep. My mind kept replaying everything I had just heard in Adrian’s office. Then I heard footsteps approaching, and a knock on the door. "Elena?" Celeste's voice was sweet, concerned. "Can I come in?" I didn't answer. "Elena, please. I just want to talk." I stayed silent. "Elena, open the door." She turned the doorknob and opened the door, stepping inside. There was a pause. Then her voice changed, she dropped the sweet voice. "Oh, you look so pathetic right now, sis.” She drawled. I didn’t move. She continued. “But I want you to know something. That child in my womb is Adrian’s. He chose me.” I sat up slowly, turning to face her. She had a cruel grin on her face. "He told me how boring you were in bed. How you could never satisfy him. How he had to close his eyes and pretend you were someone else." My hands clenched into fists. "And those babies?" She laughed. "Four chances, Elena. And you couldn't even manage to keep one alive. What kind of woman can't even do the one thing her body was made for?" My vision turned red. "Your body must be defective," she continued, her voice dripping with venom. "Maybe it's nature’s way of telling you that you would be a terrible mother.” Anger burned through me at her words, and I stood up, walking towards her with clenched fists. "Adrian loves me," Celeste said, with a nasty grin on her face. "He's having a baby with me. A real baby. One that will actually live, because I can give him what you never could—a family." I shoved her hard. She stumbled backward, her eyes widening in shock. "Get out," I gritted coldly. "You Cheap Woman!" she hissed. "How dare you—" "I said get out!" I slammed the door in her face and locked it this time. There was silence for a moment, then the sound of footsteps walking down the hallway. I walked back to the bed and sat down. Then I heard a loud thud, and a scream. "Adrian! Help! Adrian!" My blood ran cold. What did she— The bedroom door flew open with such force it slammed against the wall. The lock of the door had been broken. Adrian stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. His face was twisted with rage. Behind him, my mother and father appeared, holding a sobbing Celeste. "You pushed her down the stairs?" Adrian's voice was deadly quiet. "What? No, I didn't—" "She came up here to comfort you," my mother said, her voice shaking. "To try and make peace. And you attacked her!" "That's not what happened!" I stood up. "She was inside my room, insulting me—" "That’s not true!" Celeste sobbed. "I just wanted to talk to my sister. To make sure she was okay. And she... she pushed me!" "I shoved her away from my door! I didn't push her down the stairs—" Before I could say anything more, Adrian’s fist slammed into my face. The impact sent me flying backward. My head cracked against the wall, and pain exploded through my skull. Then everything went black. Chapter 7 Elena’s POV When I woke up in the hospital, my head was pounding. My face throbbed, and I could taste blood in my mouth. I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Everything hurt. "You're finally awake." Adrian's voice was cold, and emotionless. I forced my eyes open. He was sitting in a chair by the window, watching me. The memories flooded through my mind, and tears welled up in my eyes. In our eight years of marriage, Adrian had never hit me before, until now. "Adrian," I whispered. "How could—" "Apologize to Celeste." "What?" "You heard me." His eyes were hard. "Apologize to your sister for attacking her." "I didn't attack her!" I tried to sit up again, ignoring the pain. "She was taunting me, saying horrible things—" "I don't care what she said." He stood up. "You put your hands on a pregnant woman. You could have killed her baby." "She threw herself down the stairs!" Tears streamed down my face. "She's lying, Adrian. She's always lying—" "Apologize." "No." I said firmly. His expression darkened. "No?" "I won't apologize for something I didn't do." He stared at me for a long moment. Then he smiled. It was a cold, cruel smile that made my blood freeze. "Fine." He grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I stumbled, my legs were too weak to hold me up. "What are you doing?" I gasped. He didn't answer, he just dragged me out of the room, and down the hospital hallway. "Adrian, stop! Where are we going?" He kept dragging me, till we approached the ICU. My stomach dropped. "No," I whispered. "No, Adrian, please—" He ignored me as he dragged me to Room 304. Clara’s room. "Adrian, what are you doing?" I was sobbing now. "Please, don't—" He kicked open the door to Clara's room. To my dismay, she was still lying there, pale and unmoving, surrounded by machines. Her heart monitor beeped steadily. Ivan’s people hadn't arrived yet. A nurse looked up, startled. "Sir, you can't—" "Turn off the life support," Adrian said coldly. The nurse's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" "I said turn it off." "Sir, I can't do that—" "Do it." "Sir, the patient will die within minutes if we—" "I don't care." Adrian's voice was ice. "Turn it off. Now." The nurse looked at me, then back at Adrian. "Sir, I need authorization from—" "I'm Adrian Moretti." His voice was quiet but deadly. "I'm on the hospital board. I donate millions to this place every year. If you don't do what I say right now, I will have you fired. I will have your nursing license revoked. I will destroy your career and this entire hospital. Do you understand?" The nurse's face went pale as she quickly did as he said with tears in her eyes. "No!" I lunged forward, but Adrian caught me, holding me back. "Please," I sobbed. "Please, she's all I have. She's my mother. Please—" The ventilator went silent. The heart monitor's beeping slowed. "Adrian, please!" I dropped to my knees, sobbing. "Please don't do this! I'm begging you!" He looked down at me. "Apologize to Celeste." "I'll apologize!" I screamed. "I'll apologize for anything! Just please, don't hurt her!" "Say it, then." "I'm sorry!" I was hysterical now. "I'm sorry for pushing Celeste! I'm sorry for everything! Just please, Adrian, please don't do this!" He stared at me for a long moment. "Turn it back on!" I screamed. "Please, turn it back on!" But then a voice called from the hallway. "Mr. Moretti! Sir!" Another nurse appeared in the doorway, breathless. "It's Miss Celeste! She's having a panic attack! She can't breathe—" Adrian released me immediately. “Gather every nurse and doctor in this hospital. Now. No harm must come to Celeste.” Then he ran out of the room. To my horror, he dragged the nurse from Clara's room with him. I rushed outside frantically. "Help!" I screamed into the hallway. "Somebody help me! Please!" But everyone was gone, running to help Celeste. I looked at the machines, at the buttons and switches. "I'm sorry," I whispered to Clara. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how to—" I tried pressing buttons, and flipping switches, but nothing worked. Clara's heart monitor slowed further, and the beeping got fainter. "No, no, no," I sobbed. "Please, Mama. Please don't leave me. Please—" The monitor flatlined. "No!" I threw myself across her body. "Mama! Mama, please!" But she was gone. I don't know how long I stayed there, sobbing over her body. Eventually, the nurses came back. They tried to pull me away, but I wouldn't let go. Security had to be called. They dragged me out of the room while I screamed and fought. Adrian was in the waiting room with Celeste. She was crying dramatically, my mother stroking her hair. When Adrian saw me being dragged past, he didn't even look concerned. He just turned back to Celeste and continued coddling her. Clara was dead. Adrian had murdered her. Just like he had murdered my babies. I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and texted Ivan. — He killed my mother. It’s too late. His response came immediately. — What happened? I told him everything. There was a long pause before his next message. — I’ll make him pay, Elena. I swear on my life. If Adrian thought he had broken me, he was about to learn how wrong he was. Chapter 8 Elena's POV The next few days passed quickly. I arranged a quiet funeral for Clara, inviting the close friends and family she had. Adrian barely spoke to me. He was too busy fussing over Celeste, making sure she had everything she needed for the party. The day before the party, I found Adrian in his office, going through party preparations with the event planner on the phone. When he saw me, he held up one finger, gesturing to me to wait. I stood there silently while he finished his call, discussing menu options and flower arrangements like he hadn't killed Clara. Finally, he hung up and looked at me with irritation. "What is it?" "I need you to sign these." I placed a folder on his desk. "For Clara's death certificate and burial arrangements." He glanced at the papers without really looking at them. "Right." He picked up his pen. "I'm sorry about your foster mother," he said absently, signing the first page. "But it was her time, wasn't it? You said it yourself, the hospital called to tell you she wasn't getting better." My jaw clenched. He kept signing and talking, not even reading what was in front of him. "These things happen. She was old. She lived a full life." He murdered her. And now he was acting like it was just natural causes. "Here." He pushed the folder back to me. "All signed. Is that all?" "Yes." "Good. Round up everything quickly. We have the party on Saturday, and I don't want any negative energy affecting the celebration." Negative energy. That's what my grief was to him. "Of course," I said quietly, taking the folder. As I turned to leave, I heard Celeste's voice from the hallway. "Adrian? Are you almost done? I need your opinion on my dress—oh." She stopped when she saw me. "Elena. I didn't see you there." "I was just leaving," I said. "Wait." Celeste stepped into the office, her hand resting on her stomach. "I wanted to talk to you about something." I said nothing. "I know you're upset about Clara," she said softly. "And I understand, because losing a parent is hard." My hands clenched around the folder. "But you have to remember," Celeste continued, "Clara was my biological mother too. We shared the same blood. If anything, I'm in more pain than you are." I stared at her incredulously. Celeste had wanted nothing to do with Clara after the DNA test. "You only knew her for ten years," Celeste said. "But she carried me for nine months. We had a biological connection that you could never understand. So really, I'm the one who lost a mother. So you’re just being dramatic for no reason." Something inside me snapped. My hand moved before I could stop it. The slap echoed through the office. Celeste stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek. For a moment, she just stood there, shocked. Then she burst into tears. "Adrian!" she sobbed. "She hit me! She hit me again!" Adrian was on his feet instantly. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he roared. "She was taunting me," I said, my voice shaking. "She said—" "I don't care what she said!" He barked, and his hand flew through the air as he slapped me hard. The force of the slap sent me stumbling. I gripped the wall as I struggled to keep standing. "I was just trying to console her!" Celeste wailed. "I told her I understood her pain, that Clara was my biological mother too, and she attacked me!" "You're lying—" Adrian grabbed my arm roughly. "Enough! I don't want to hear another word from you." He shoved me toward the door. "Get out of my sight," he said coldly. "And if you even look at Celeste wrong again, I'll make sure you regret it." I stumbled out of the office, clutching the folder to my chest. Behind me, I could hear Adrian's voice, it was soft and gentle now. "Are you okay, sweetheart? Did she hurt you? Come here, let me see..." I walked up the stairs slowly, my cheek throbbing where he had hit me. In our eight years of marriage, Adrian had never laid a hand on me. Now he had hit me twice in four days, because of Celeste. I went to the bedroom and locked the door. Then I opened the folder and looked at the documents Adrian had just signed. He hadn't read a single one. He had signed the divorce papers. He had signed acknowledgment of my fifty percent ownership of Moretti Fragrances. He had signed his own destruction, and he didn't even know it. I pulled out my phone and took photos of every signed page. Then I sent them to Ivan. — He signed everything. The party is tomorrow night. Are you ready? His response came immediately. —- Everything is in place. Tomorrow, you leave that house and you never look back. **** The day of the party arrived. Adrian and Celeste had left the house several hours ago, leaving just my parents. At 6 PM, my mother knocked on the door. "Elena, you need to start getting ready. We’re already going to the venue for the party." "Okay" "Wear something nice. Don’t wear black." I didn't respond. She sighed. "Adrian is trying very hard to make this a perfect evening. The least you could do is not ruin it with your mourning." Then she left. When everyone was out of the house, I moved quickly. I pulled out the suitcases I had hidden in the back of the closet and loaded them into the hallway. I arranged a large envelope, inside were the divorce papers signed by Adrian himself, with implicating photos and videos of Adrian and Celeste. The medical records showing what he had done to our babies. Then the divestment agreement, showing that I had fifty percent ownership of Moretti Fragrance, and I had pulled out my investments from his company. Then other necessary documents. I stepped back and looked at the envelope sitting there like a bomb waiting to explode. By the time he opened these, I would be gone. His company would be destroyed, and his reputation would be in ruins. I pulled out my phone and called the delivery service, then I grabbed my bags and walked out the front door. A black car was waiting in the alley behind the house. Ivan stepped out, opening the door for me. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly. I looked back at the house one last time. At the life I was leaving behind. "Yes," I said. "I'm ready." I got into the car. Ivan closed the door and got in beside me. As we drove away, I pulled out my phone and sent one final text to the delivery service I had hired. — Deliver the envelope now. Then I blocked Adrian's number, Celeste's number, and my parents' numbers. I was done. "Where are we going?" I asked Ivan quietly. "Somewhere safe," he said. I placed my hand on my stomach, on the baby growing inside me. "Good," I whispered. As the car pulled away, I watched the house disappear in the mirror. Adrian thought I was stupid, so easy to manipulate and discard. He had no idea what he had created. The woman who loved him died the day I found him with Celeste. The woman sitting in this car was someone else. Someone who would make him pay for every lie, every betrayal, every murdered child. Adrian Moretti's perfect night was about to become his worst nightmare, and I couldn't wait to watch it all burn.

My younger brother's cancer flared up again,and he needed emergency treatment.But every available medical resource had already been diverted elsewhere. For the ninety-ninth time,I finally managed to get through to my husband,Terrence Hanson. "Terrence,my brother,he—" "Denise,be good.I'm busy right now.I'll come back and find you later." Before I could finish,he hung up. Unwilling to give up,I dialed again. This time,the phone screen showed I'd been blocked. A second later,the heart monitor behind me let out its mournful flatline.At the same time,my husband's new lover updated her feed—celebrating that her cat had just given birth. So this was his so-called"urgent business"—helping his mistress deliver kittens. In my despair,I finally messaged the one man I had never saved under a name. "You once said you owed me,and that if I ever asked,you'd do anything for me." "I need you to help me create a new identity—and find me a place to stay." His reply came almost instantly,"One month from now,I'll be waiting at Charles de Gaulle Airport." Terrence,you destroyed our marriage and caused me to lose my brother.In a month,I'll show you what kind of woman you've offended. I'll give you a big"surprise"that will plunge you into a dark abyss,forever,from which you'll never be able to rise again! —— I clicked on Sienna’s latest post again. It was a photo of a newborn kitten. The caption read:[Thanks to someone’s support,a new life has come into the world~] But in the mirror behind the photo,I caught sight of a familiar figure. Terrence. The gentle gaze that once belonged only to me was now resting in Sienna. On her side,a new life had begun. But my brother...would never have another chance. Out of the corner of my eye,I caught sight of the framed photo on my nightstand. In it,my brother was lively,radiant with youth.And I,was smiling sweetly. And the young Terrence—his gaze fixed on me—was full of tenderness and indulgence. The year that photo was taken,Terrence had not yet been found by the Hanson family. Back then,he was nothing but a feral wolf cub from the slums,surviving by his fists. Seven years ago,I stumbled upon him in a dark alley,his head bleeding from a fight. I hadn't planned to interfere,but his eyes shone even in the darkness. On impulse,I took the battered young man back to my tiny thirty-square-meter apartment. Everything that followed seemed to play fast-forward. Terrence rose from the street thug to the feared and admired Mr.Hanson. I moved from a crumbling urban village to a grand villa. My brother no longer had to suffocate in a cramped flat,dragging his sick body through exhaust fumes. I used to circle the master bedroom again and again,asking him over and over,"From now on,this will always be our home,right?" Terrence never lost patience.He would just pull me into his arms and answer,"Mm.Our home." But now,my brother was gone.And that home...had long ceased to exist. I collapsed onto the floor,clutching my brother's still-warm hand,sobbing until my chest felt like it was tearing apart. I couldn't even remember how many documents I signed that night. All I knew was that my once-lively brother,wasted to under a hundred pounds by illness,had been reduced to a small urn of ashes. Taking a deep breath,I opened my chat with Terrence. The last messages between us were from half a month ago.That day,I had asked when he would be back. He replied with a sixty-second voice message,only to say,in the end,that something urgent at the company kept him away. That day was our first wedding anniversary,and he had forgotten. But in Sienna’s story feed,he appeared—smiling at her side,accompanying her to the Maldives to watch the sea. Chapter 2 This kind of double standard had long become routine ever since Sienna reappeared in my life. Terrence bought her luxury bags and watches,yet he forgot my birthday. Because she was harassed,he broke his own principles for the first time,even canceling a cooperation that had taken months to secure. He even went so far as to declare war against a multinational company—just to defend her honor. Meanwhile,I stumbled through my brother’s funeral like a walking corpse. After scattering his ashes into the sea,just as he wished,I finally received Terrence’s so-called reply. Seven full days had passed since the last time he hung up on me. "Denise,don't worry.An overseas cancer specialist is already on the way.As for the medical resources that were diverted,I still have an urgent need for them right now.Just wait a little longer." Listening to his solemn yet perfunctory tone,I laughed through my tears. "Wasting an enormous amount of medical resources to save a damn animal—that's what you call urgent business?" The line went silent except for the sound of his heavy breathing. "Denise,don't say things like that.Denver is my brother too—how could I not be worried about him?" Yes.In the past,when we were dirt-poor,Terrence would secretly fight in underground rings just to afford a single vial of medicine for my brother. But when Denver truly needed him most,all he could say was to wait a little longer. Just as he finished speaking,a bright female voice chimed in,"Terrence,the kittens opened their eyes!Come look!" Footsteps echoed as he moved,probably searching for a quieter spot. But I had already heard everything—both what I should and shouldn't have. "You don't need to explain."I cut him off,unwilling to endure another word of his hypocritical excuses,and ended the call. Back in my bedroom,I retrieved the locked divorce agreement. When we married,in a show of devotion,Terrence had signed it and placed it in my hands. "You will always have the right to leave me." At the time,I laughed at his paranoia,believing it was a document that would never be used.But now,that very agreement became the courage I needed to walk away. I signed my name with steady strokes. Through special channels,the divorce certificate would be finalized within twenty days. After submitting the papers,I found a spare moment to return to my old rental apartment. Many of my brother's belongings were still there. The dead deserve to leave behind something tangible for the living to remember them by. What I hadn't expected was to see Terrence's exclusive Maybach parked outside. I froze,about to step forward—until I noticed the car rocking. Nausea surged up from my stomach. When the door finally opened,I instinctively ducked into the alleyway like a guilty child. Inside,I saw Sienna.Her clothes were disheveled,and she was whining about wanting to get out. Terrence's cold voice barked at her to wait.Only after fastening the buttons across her exposed chest did he allow her to step down. And to keep her shoes from touching the dirty water,he even took off his suit jacket and laid it on the ground for her. Clinging to his arm,she pouted playfully."Why did you bring me here of all places?" He rubbed her head with indulgence."Didn't you say you wanted to start your own business?" "This is an urban village.Once it's redeveloped,the profit is guaranteed." Excited,Sienna tiptoed to press a kiss to his lips. But this so-called"urban village"was more than crumbling buildings to me.It held seven years of memories—my entire life with him.And yet,to please her,Terrence never even mentioned the redevelopment to me. If I hadn't come today,I might never have been able to keep even my brother's belongings. A sharp pain tore through my chest,as though the wind had ripped a gaping hole in my heart. I turned to leave,desperate to escape—but my foot crushed a plastic bottle with a sharp crack. The sound sliced through the alley,interrupting their embrace. Chapter 3 Terrence's cold gaze swept toward the source of the noise.When he saw me,his hand instantly dropped from Sienna's waist. Almost guiltily,he rubbed the bridge of his nose and walked toward me. "Why did you suddenly come back here?This place is full of shady people—why didn't you bring anyone with you?" The concern in his words sounded no different from before.But after watching him hold Sienna so intimately,every gesture of his only filled me with disgust. The hand that once always reached for me now hovered in the air. "I just felt like coming back.What about you?" My indifferent question cut off whatever reprimand he had been about to unleash. He opened his mouth,but before he could answer,Sienna chimed in sweetly,"I just got back to the country.I asked Terrence to show me around.Surely you're not jealous over something so small,right?" Seven years had passed.I was now the wife of a powerful CEO.Yet Sienna's gaze toward me was still the same—contempt wrapped in disdain. Bolstered by her family background,she even stole what belonged to others with self-righteous ease. "Denise,why aren't you saying anything?" Pouting,she tugged at Terrence's sleeve."Help me explain to her.I was young and foolish before,and I already apologized.Tell Denise not to be angry with me anymore..." Her sickeningly coy words made my hands tremble.I finally cut her off."Have you said enough?" Delighted that she had gotten a reaction,Sienna burst into tears,throwing herself against Terrence's chest. "I told you,I was just a silly girl back then.Besides,most of it wasn't even me—it was my friends!Why do you still hate me so much?" Heart aching,Terrence brushed away her tears. "Denise,that's enough.Don't go too far!" The urge to argue burned in me,but his sharp rebuke smothered it to embers. Even though I had already decided to leave,why did my chest still ache so violently? Why—when he knew exactly how much I hated her—would he ask me to forgive,to erase the past as if it never happened? Back in our senior year of high school,because Sienna's crush once spoke a few extra words to me,I became her target. Every morning,my desk was filled with vile things:dead rats,bloody sanitary pads,even used condoms. My homework mysteriously vanished after I handed it in. Rumors spread that I was selling myself outside of school.Boys from other classes came to me,asking crudely how much I charged per night. After school,her lackeys would drag me into the girls'bathroom by my hair. They snapped humiliating photos,singed off my eyebrows with a lighter,pressed cigarette butts into my skin as if I were an ashtray. The sound of sizzling flesh mixed with their laughter,scars were carved into my back—scars that would never fade. When Terrence first saw them,the man who hadn’t shed a tear even when his own legs were broken trembled as he kissed each mark. Hot tears fell onto my back,searing straight into my heart. He whispered,“Denise...just give me a little more time.I'll hunt down everyone who ever hurt you and make them pay." And he did as he promised. The powerful,untouchable Terrence avenged me,except for one person. The one who escaped was Sienna,conveniently studying abroad. And it was on this last step that Terrence lost his way—because he fell in love with the very woman who once tormented me. My silence stretched too long,and he mistook it for dissatisfaction. His eyes lingered on me for a few seconds.The words of reproach circling his lips softened into a curt,"Get in the car." Sienna wiped her fake tears and smiled sweetly,playing innocent."I knew Denise was kind.She would definitely forgive me." She reached toward me,her hands lacquered in the same blood-red polish I remembered all too well. Instinctively,I stepped back. But then,like the venomous creature she was,her fingers dug sharply into the soft flesh of my waist. I gasped,raising my hand to shove her off. She took the chance to stumble backward deliberately. And in Terrence's eyes,the scene became something else entirely—not her cruelty,but my petty act of revenge. Chapter 4 Terrence immediately pulled Sienna into his arms,his voice dripping with concern. "Are you hurt anywhere?" His gaze swept anxiously over her body before he carefully brushed away a smudge of dirt from her calf. Sienna bit her lip,insisting she was fine,yet her timid eyes kept darting toward me. After confirming several times that she was unharmed,Terrence finally turned to me,his brows furrowed. "Denise,you've gone too far!Sienna already apologized.Why won't you let go of the past?Besides,those things back then were done by others—Sienna was at most just a bystander!" Hearing his biased words,my fists clenched tight.My nails dug so deep into my palms that only the pain kept me from breaking down. "A bystander?"I scoffed. Of course Sienna never dirtied her own hands. As the queen bee,she only needed a single glance,and countless classmates would rush to do her bidding. Terrence knew the truth—every last detail of it.Yet with just a few words from her lips,he dismissed my years of suffering as if they were nothing. "Come on,don't fight.It's all in the past." Standing behind him,Sienna played the part of the peacemaker,her lips speaking persuasion but her face was clouded with mockery. I swallowed my fury and knelt to gather the scattered belongings on the ground. She pretended to help,then deliberately stepped on the model plane. Crack. The fragile toy shattered into pieces. Staring at the broken remains,I couldn't hold back anymore. My hand shot up,ready to slap her—but Terrence was faster.His foot slammed into my shin,sending me crashing into the pile of precious keepsakes I had just gathered. Sharp plastic pierced my back,pain flaring hot and raw. "Enough!Why do you keep targeting Sienna?What's the point?" He didn't notice the blood seeping through my clothes.Didn't notice my lips turn pale,or my trembling frame. "That was my brother's things!"My voice cracked."And she destroyed them like that!" For a moment,Terrence froze.But quickly,his expression hardened again."It's just a model.I'll buy him a better,more expensive one." I looked up at the man I had known for seven years—and felt as if I were staring at a stranger. He had forgotten. Forgotten that he was the one who gave my brother that model for his birthday.Forgotten that Denver's dream was to become a dashing airline pilot. But my brother was gone. A new model plane could never reach his hands again. The will to argue drained from me.Silent,I turned to leave.But by then,Terrence was already behind the wheel. Seeing me walk away,he quickly pulled the car in front of me to block my path. "I told you,stop being stubborn.Look at you—so pale.You must've skipped breakfast again,didn't you?Come on,let's grab lunch together." I pressed my lips shut.With the divorce certificate already being processed,I didn't bother fighting him. Numbly,I slid into the backseat. The passenger seat had long since become Sienna's throne. Even the car's perfume had changed—sweet,cloying,nauseating. Inside,only their voices filled the air,her silvery laughter like needles piercing my ears. In truth,ever since Sienna returned to the country,I hadn't had a single night of peace. To take my place,she came at me relentlessly.She bribed servants to slip allergens into my food.Sent packages of dead rats,drenched in blood,to our home to terrify me to divorce Terrence immediately. She even went as far as drugging me unconscious,staged compromising photos,and spread them across social media.Even kidnapped my brother,forcing me to sign a divorce agreement. Each time,Terrence swore he would make her pay.Each time,he promised me it would never happen again. And yet,in the end,he climbed into bed with the woman I hated most. Leaning back,I closed my eyes.The pain in my back made it impossible to focus. Suddenly,a piercing screech of brakes tore through the air. My eyes flew open—a massive truck was barreling straight at us from the side. Chapter 5 Terrence jerked the steering wheel,but the collision was unavoidable. The violent impact sent the entire car into a brutal shake,airbags bursting open in an instant. My head slammed against the seat,dizziness flooding my senses. Instinctively,I wanted to check if Terrence was safe.But he didn't spare me a single glance. Every shred of his attention was on Sienna.He even used his body as a shield,holding her tightly in his arms. "Sienna,are you still with me?"His voice trembled with panic I had never heard before,blood dripping down his forehead that he didn't bother to wipe away. In his arms,Sienna whimpered,shivering like a wounded bird."Terrence,my hand hurts...my head too..." They were performing their tragic love story in the front seat. And I—the one hurt the most—sat forgotten in the back. Without the protection of an airbag,the force of the crash threw me hard against the door,then slammed me back again. My head smashed into the window,glass shattering into glittering shards.The wound on my back tore wider,warm blood soaking rapidly through my clothes. Only then did Terrence glance toward the rear seats. Hesitation flickered in his eyes...but in the next heartbeat,he turned back to Sienna. Sirens wailed in the distance,drawing closer.Onlookers rushed forward,prying at the mangled doors,shouting for help. "Save Sienna first!"Terrence's urgent cry cut through the chaos,as if he had completely forgotten that I was still trapped,bleeding,barely conscious. My vision blurred,crimson flooding every corner.I struggled to scream for help,to make him remember me. Just once—I wanted the man I had saved years ago to save me in return.But Terrence carried Sienna carefully out of the car,murmuring soft reassurances. He didn't look back.Not once.Not even for a single heartbeat of hesitation. The numbness of blood loss crept through my limbs. As darkness closed in,one last bitter thought surfaced:He once promised,when proposing,that he would never let me get hurt.Yet he couldn't keep that vow for even a single year. ... When I opened my eyes again,I was in a hospital bed. "You're awake!"The nurse's voice quivered with excitement."If you haven't woken up soon,Mr.Hanson was ready to buy out the entire hospital just for you!" Her eyes softened with envy."You're so lucky to have a husband who loves you this much.He even had people redecorate your ward so you'd feel more comfortable.And every day,he brings fresh flowers—never the same kind twice." I turned my head. On the bedside table,the vase was brimmed with blooming crabapple blossoms—the one flower I hated most. "Really?"My lips curved in a cold smile."He loves me that much?" Oblivious,the nurse pulled out her phone and eagerly showed me a video that had gone viral online. "Of course!Look—this proves how much he cares!He risked his life to pull you out of the wreckage." The shaky footage,taken by a bystander at the crash scene,showed Terrence cradling someone from the passenger seat,carrying her out with painstaking care. Her face was hidden,but her delicate frame was unmistakable. The comments overflowed with admiration—praising him as a true man,a devoted husband,a lover who cherished his wife above all else. Yet the woman he rescued so tenderly...wasn't me. While the internet envied the love I supposedly had,I had been left bleeding and dying inside that car. A bitter laugh escaped my throat."Yes...he really does love me." The nurse's smile faltered.She quickly excused herself and slipped out of the room. Moments later,Terrence entered,carrying yet another fresh bouquet. Chapter 6 The moment he placed the flowers into a vase,I shoved them violently to the floor."Get out!I said get out!" Shards of glass scattered across the tiles. Terrence didn't get angry.Instead,he crouched down and began picking up the fragments.A sharp hiss escaped his lips when one of the shards sliced his finger. Instinctively,he looked at me.But I didn't spare him even a glance.My face was turned firmly toward the window. A heavy silence pressed against him. Finally,he stood,moved to sit by the window,and forced my face into his hands. "I know you're angry with me,"he said lowly."But at that moment,I could only save one person." "Sienna was closer.So I pulled her out first." "Besides—look at you.You're fine,aren't you?" As if to sweeten his excuses,he pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket as though it were some magic trick."Eat something sweet.It'll make you feel better." He unwrapped it and tried to feed it to me. With disgust burning in my veins,I slapped his hand away."Are you deaf?I told you to get out!" The chocolate rolled across the floor,spinning several times before coming to a stop. Being cursed at again and again stripped away the little guilt he had left.His expression hardened as he sprang to his feet. "Keep this up,and I'll cut off your brother's treatment!" I raised my trembling hand and pointed toward the door."Get.Out." This time,he slammed the door behind him. I buried myself in the blankets,sobbing until my throat was raw,until my lungs burned. During my hospital stay,Terrence came almost every day. And every single time,I threw him out. The fights grew sharper,uglier,louder. He was the one who broke every principle,yet to outsiders,it looked as though I was spoiled and unreasonably difficult—as though I was the wife who never knew when to stop. I pressed my palms over my ears,whispering silently to myself,'Fifteen more days.Just fifteen,and I'll finally have that divorce certificate.' But I never imagined that on the day of my discharge...Sienna would dare show up. She looked as radiant as ever,wearing flawless makeup,and elegant clothes.But the venom in her smile hadn't changed a bit. Her eyes swept me up and down,then she clicked her tongue in disdain."A pheasant will always be a pheasant,even if it flies onto a branch and pretends to be a phoenix." "Denise,why is your life so disgustingly lucky?First,you played the part of the fragile little flower and seduced Riguel.Then you latched onto Terrence when he was still just a promising nobody." Her sweet face twisted with malice."But none of that matters.I crushed you once,and I can crush you a thousand times more." Sienna sneered as she waved the video she had cherished for years right in front of me. “Back then,didn’t you look just like a gutter rat dragged into the light?” On the screen,my face was pale green with shame,my body stripped bare. Countless phones pointed at me,flashing,as waves of laughter crashed over me. Some even reached out,mocking me with their hands. I had thought I’d already left the past behind.But when the nightmare replayed itself,I shook uncontrollably.The old wound beneath its scab began to burn and itch. My gaze flickered to the fruit knife resting on the table. "What's wrong?"Sienna's voice dripped with mockery."Uncomfortable?" "I heard you developed depression after being expelled and even had suicidal tendencies?" Her laugh rang like a death knell."You're crazy,and your brother is a dead cripple.No wonder you're siblings." She leaned closer,shoving the phone against my face,forcing me to watch. "Do you know?I have so many of these videos.When I was abroad,I watched one every night before bed." Her smile curved sharper,her words slow and deliberate,savoring my pain."Oh,and one more thing.Something you probably don't know..." She paused,enjoying my trembling silence."The day your brother died...I was in bed with Terrence." Chapter 7 My fingers tightened secretly around the fruit knife. Hidden under the blanket,my hand was already riddled with shallow cuts—pain keeping me barely tethered to reason. "You came all the way here just to tell me this.What do you want,Sienna?"I choked out. "I'll divorce Terrence.You don't need to push me like this." Her eyes widened,stunned for a split second before fury flushed her face. "Divorce?Do you think I need you to step aside?You're nothing but a filthy parasite!" With sudden force,she shoved me off the bed. I hadn't expected her to strike so openly.My body slammed hard against the cold floor. Freshly healed wounds tore open,sending a sharp burst of pain through me.My vision swam in black. The knife slipped from my hand and clattered loudly against the tiles. I gritted my teeth,forcing myself to get up.But Sienna's heel pinned my wrist down without hesitation.The sharp stiletto dug cruelly into my flesh. "Did you really think a lowlife like you could compete with me?"she sneered. Just then,footsteps echoed in the hallway. In an instant,Sienna smeared my blood across her face,collapsing into pitiful sobs. When Terrence pushed open the door,all he saw was me on the floor in a pool of blood...and Sienna weeping delicately behind him. "Terrence,"she cried,clinging to his sleeve,"I only wanted to congratulate Sienna on being discharged.She grabbed my hand and—she...she tried to throw herself on the knife!" He froze,instinctively reaching to help me up—but her trembling whimpers halted him mid-step. He pressed his fingers against his temple,voice taut with irritation."Denise,can't you,just once,stop making things difficult for me?" "For days I haven't had a single good night's sleep because of you." I stared at the dark shadows beneath his eyes,bitter laughter rising in my throat. "Not sleeping well...is that because of me?Or because you've been in Sienna's bed?" He faltered,then crouched down to wipe the blood from my face.His voice softened to something almost coaxing. "Denise...sometimes,it's better to pretend you don't understand.It's easier for both of us." "I love you—but that doesn't mean I can't like another woman." "When I've had enough of her,I'll avenge you.I promise." The last sentence was whispered,almost too soft to hear. I scrambled back,but his lips still brushed the corner of mine. Not a flicker of emotion stirred in me—only revulsion. So vile that in that moment,I regretted ever meeting him. ... When they finally left,my phone rang. "Miss Watkins,"a staff member's voice came over the line,"we've checked the system.Both you and Mr.Hanson is registered as unmarried." I froze."What...what did you just say?" "The marriage certificate you submitted—it's fake.There's no record of your marriage anywhere in the national registry." My mind went blank.Even the pain in my body seemed muted. "Miss Watkins?Are you still there?" "I..."My throat was dry,words scraping out like sand."You're saying...the certificate was fake?" "Yes."The confirmation was merciless. "The number doesn't exist,and the details don't match.Legally speaking,you and Mr.Hanson was never married.Which means your divorce agreement cannot take effect." "I understand.Thank you."I ended the call mechanically.The phone slipped from my hand. Fake... The word pierced straight through my chest. Terrence had given me a counterfeit marriage certificate.He had crowned me with the empty title of"Mrs.Hanson,"letting me devote myself to him,wait for him,and endure humiliation after humiliation. He had never once intended to give me a rightful place in his life. Disgust welled up inside me—stronger,more suffocating than the revulsion I'd felt when he kissed me. My stomach twisted.I gagged violently,but nothing came out. Only tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.And yet,there was one silver lining to this devastation—At least now,I saw him clearly for what he truly was:rotten to the core. And it made walking away that much easier. After bandaging my wounds at the hospital,I went straight to the nurses'station and demanded the surveillance footage from earlier. Sienna still thought I was the same Denise she once tormented. When she returned from abroad,I hadn't fought back—because I trusted Terrence. Because I believed his promises. But now I know better. What's owed to me,I'll reclaim with my own hands. Armed with the footage and every record of Sienna's harassment,I compiled everything into a single folder. I scheduled the files for a timed release. ... Back at the villa,I packed. The luxury items Terrence bought me—I left them untouched. When I moved in,I only brought one small suitcase. Now that I was leaving,I filled barely half of it. Without looking back,I headed straight for the airport.

The night before Thalia Wyndefern was to take her vows, her mother died on a cliff. Moonlight washed the rocks in silver as Thalia stood trembling. Her betrothed, Drake Valecrown, held her close, eyes hard with grief and a promise to hunt down whoever had stolen a life from her. Three years later, standing beneath the low lamps of the pack infirmary, Thalia read the faint double line that marked the beginning of a new life. The pack medic murmured something about her father’s heart-source—a donor compatible with the blood of their line—and Thalia’s pulse quickened. She rushed through the whitewashed corridors, only to find her Alpha folded in the arms of his first love, Naeryn Rothewyn, in a private ward. “Don’t worry,” Naeryn said, her voice soft as a purr. “The pack medic found a compatible heart-source. I’ll speak with him and petition the Pack Council's medic board to prioritize Fiora—a request that, under Pack law, normally requires Council review unless the Alpha invokes an emergency override. Rothewyn first.” “But that heart was promised to Thalia’s grandfather,” someone whispered nearby. “She’ll be furious if it’s reassigned.” Drake’s tone was cold as winter. “So what? Three years ago, we took that pup’s heart and kidney to save your father. This time, we take another heart. It’s no different.” “And don’t bother over her mother’s death,” Naeryn went on, voice steady. “I destroyed the trail for you. No one will trace it back.” The words landed in Thalia like a claw. The truth trickled into place: they had been responsible—three years ago—for the deaths that had shattered her life. Now Drake and Naeryn plotted to take her father’s heart for their own pup’s survival. Thalia stepped away from the bed and called on a man who hated Drake—a rival pack-Alpha with an old grievance. “I want to ruin Drake and Naeryn,” she said, keeping her voice low. “Will you help me?” “You saw it finally,” the rival replied without hesitation. “I told you Drake was twisted. So—divorce him, take shelter with me. I always liked you.” His tone was practical, not kind. She studied the pair in the ward: Drake gentle with Naeryn, the way his scent softened when he drew near her. Thalia lowered her head and managed a bitter smile. “I’ll be your mate,” she said, “but only if you find a new heart-source. If you secure one today, I’ll be on the next moonflight.” “Give me a week. Don’t forget to come.” The rival’s promise came quickly. Before hanging the link, Thalia added in a whisper meant only for him, “I just found out. I’m one moon gone. I will leave him and keep this pup.” There was no pause on the other end. “It’s only one pup. I can provide for it.” She would rise from the ash of what she had been and claim her own crown. It was time for Drake and Naeryn to fall into the trap she would set. —— She had taken the test three days before and had wanted to share the news with Drake. He had been hurried—duty, he said. Now it was painfully plain where his loyalties lay: with Naeryn and the pup she carried. Drake’s comm-throat buzzed at his belt, the pack medic was calling. He leaned down and brushed a kiss on Naeryn’s cheek. “Wait here. I’m going to speak with the pack medic about my father’s heart.” As he moved away, Naeryn smoothed the illusion of hurt from her features and turned toward the stairwell where Thalia watched. “How pathetic,” Naeryn said, voice silk over steel. “Three years of being his mate and you lurk in the shadows, watching someone else take pleasure.” Thalia laughed once, bitter. “Isn’t the real pity yours? You gave him a pup, yet you’ve won nothing but borrowed status. As long as I remain, the title of Luna Valecrown is mine.” Her words cut. Naeryn’s face twisted. “Drake has always loved me. You stole my place.” “Drake and I were one another’s first moon-mate. We swore to grow old together. Thalia—you were the interloper.” A flare of pain lanced Thalia’s ribs. Instinctively she pressed a hand to her belly, the prenatal scroll slipped from her fingers and fluttered to the stone. Naeryn stooped to pick it up. When she saw the inked symbol marking one month, triumph twisted her features further. “Thalia,” Naeryn said, with false pity. “I can’t believe you’re with pup again. You heard what Drake said—your first pup’s heart saved my father.” “But there’s more,” Naeryn added, voice small with a practiced sorrow. “Drake promised me that even if he mated you, his bloodline would remain mine. Imagine what will happen if he learns you carry another brood.” Thalia saw the wedge for what it was. For a moment she did not care. She lifted her hand and struck Naeryn across the cheek. The slap sounded sharp in the stairwell. Naeryn bit the lie as she fell, the practiced sob spilling out like water. “Thalia—” Thalia bristled at the name that had been forced on her by others, anger made her steadier than the waver of tears rising to her own eyes. She had almost mocked Naeryn’s show when Drake’s voice cut across them, flat and cold. “Why are you here?” he demanded. “Why can’t you speak with dignity? Why strike someone? Thalia, what happened to you?” Thalia opened her mouth, but Naeryn seized Drake’s arm. With a trembling that was all theater, she crooned, “Drake, Thalia must have reasons. I shouldn’t keep you. If she calms, she can strike me as she will.” As rehearsed, Drake softened. “No one should be struck. This is Thalia’s fault. I’ll keep it straight.” He stepped forward and gripped Thalia’s shoulder. “Fight back,” he instructed Naeryn and then—as if to teach the lesson—he struck Thalia with his hand. The blow knocked the breath from her. Her stomach slammed into the stair’s stone edge. Drake turned away without a backward glance, leading Naeryn away as if nothing mattered more than her fragile performance. Thalia crumpled, palm pressed to her belly where a hot dark fleck spread across her hand. Blood stained the floor in a stark, unbearable mark. “My pup…” Light leaked away. The Moon’s face swam and then everything went black. Chapter 2 Thalia woke to the harsh light of the infirmary and found herself lying in a narrow bed. The memory of the stairwell and the blow returned in a rush and she sat up with a gasp. A pack medic from the pack stepped inside, taking in her worried face and offering a gentle, professional smile. “Don’t worry, the pup is fine. But next time, be careful with your belly.” Relief flooded her and she slid a hand to the soft swell beneath her blouse. After what had happened three years before, when Drake’s choices had cost her a pup, she swore this one would be protected. When she was well enough to leave, Thalia went straight to the Pack Registry. If she was going to break free, the divorce had to be final and formal—quickly. She handed the registrar a stack of parchments. The clerk tapped at the console for a long moment, then looked up with a puzzled frown. “Lady Thalia, according to our records, your Bond-Severance was filed a month ago.” Thalia’s heart lurched. “That can’t be right. I wasn’t here a month ago. I didn’t file anything.” The clerk scrolled through the entries and his face went flat. “It shows the filing was processed by Alpha Drake Valecrown…and his mate is listed as Naeryn Rothewyn. Do you know her?” The world narrowed to a ring in Thalia’s ears. A month ago had been her natal moon—her birthday. Drake had given her a large sum and said he would celebrate later, after the day’s pack duties. She had gone out shopping, thinking to surprise him. Instead, a pack of drunken men had pushed her into a back alley. She had fumbled for her comm-thong, tried to call Drake, only to hear the line drop each time. If a passerby had not intervened, she did not want to imagine what might have happened. When she finally made it home that night, Drake had claimed he’d been in a council meeting and his throat-loop had been muted. She had believed him. Now the Registry clerk’s words slotted into place like hooked teeth: Drake had unmated her on her birthday and put Naeryn’s name in his stead. She stepped out into the street to clear her head, but a gale came up and the sky opened. Rain drove against her until she was sodden. No rider or carriage passed, the pack’s patrols were thin in the storm. Her umbrella snapped and she trudged on, tears indistinguishable from the rain. By the time she reached the villa, she was soaked through and shivering. Pushing the door open, she was met by warm light and the sound of Drake’s voice—tender, the way it used to be for her. “It’s pouring. Drink some ginger broth, or you’ll catch a chill,” he said. Her hope fluttered, then died when she saw him kneel beside Naeryn’s bed while Fiora sat quietly at the head. Drake’s attention was for them, his words were for them. When he noticed Thalia at the doorway, panic flickered across his face, then smoothed. “Fiora’s heart is fragile. If anything happens, I can help straightaway. Naeryn will stay with her.” Thalia let a mirthless laugh escape. “Rescue? You think you can stand in for a pack medic? Keeping someone here instead of sending them to the infirmary—is that your plan?” Drake’s expression hardened in an instant. “How dare you speak like that! This is my house. If you object, I can remove your name from the deed.” When they were mated, he had insisted she be added to the property so she would feel safe. That security, he now threatened to strip away for the sake of another she-wolf. If he would dispose of her so casually, Thalia decided she could discard the rest of what bound them. She stepped into the warm room, hands clenched and resolved that nothing of hers would remain for him to claim. Chapter 3 After Drake finished speaking, he led Naeryn and Fiora upstairs without once looking back at her. The warmth of the lodge felt meaningless, the rain still clung to her hair. Thalia moved through the motions of a hurried shower and crawled into bed, heavy with exhaustion and the ache in her belly. How long she slept she could not tell. When she woke, her throat felt raw, as if she had been screaming into the wind. She called Drake’s name a few times, but the only answer was the muffled cadence of a story drifting through the wall. “Fiora is so much like you,” Naeryn’s voice chimed, bright and proud. “Even when she’s upset, she copies you and tries to comfort me.” “Of course,” Drake replied, the pride in his tone unmistakable. “I raised her right. She’ll look after you when I’m gone.” The image of Naeryn’s smile was vivid even through plaster and timber. Thalia listened as Drake patted Fiora’s small back. “Alright, get some sleep. I’ll tell you both a bedtime tale.” A few moments later his measured voice floated through the partition. “In a distant valley, there lived an Alpha and a Luna…” Staring up at the plain, white ceiling, Thalia could only offer a bitter smile. Three years of their bond and Drake and Naeryn shared the easy intimacy of a true pair—and the pup they tucked in together belonged to them in every way that mattered. She tried to sit up for water and knocked a framed portrait from the bedside. The glass shattered and the photograph of her and Drake skittered across the floor, scuffed and misaligned. She rose despite the dizziness, barefoot into the dark and stepped on shards. Pain lanced across her foot as she reached for the switch, swept the mess and poured herself a drink. All the while, the story from the next room continued on—soft, steady, another life being described for a pup who was not hers. Bandaged and back beneath the covers, a memory stabbed through her: a time when Drake had cancelled council duties to infirmary attendants a fever she’d barely had. “Don’t worry,” he had murmured then, “I’ll stay with you. I ache worse than you do.” That gentleness felt like a relic now. Tonight, he had handed the ginger broth to Naeryn. Tears tracked silently down Thalia’s face as dawn pinked the sky. Laughter from below roused her the next morning. She opened the door and found Naeryn and Drake’s mother in the parlor, whispering and smiling. When Naeryn spotted her, a smug expression crossed her face. “Aunt Rabiya,” she cooed to the elder woman. “Don’t worry. Drake only allows us to stay for a few days because of Fiora’s heart. Once the pack medic tends to her, we’ll leave. Besides, Thalia might grow overemotional.” Rabiya Valecrown held Fiora with a practiced air of adoration. “Why would she be upset?” then she said coolly, “They’ve been mated three years without pups. Our little Fiora is perfect. Call me Grandmother.” Fiora peered up and chimed, “Grandmother.” Rabiya’s face brightened. She patted Naeryn’s hand. “Naeryn, one daughter isn’t enough. When you bear a son, I’ll make sure Drake will make you as his Luna.” Thalia’s stomach turned. She moved toward the doorway, but Rabiya’s voice snapped like a whip, “Stop right there!” Two attendants—pack attendants, accustomed to carrying orders as easily as trays—materialized and seized Thalia’s wrists, not allowing her to step forward. “You’ve grown insolent,” Rabiya declared with theatrical disdain. “You do not even come downstairs to serve me tea. Bring her here.” They hauled Thalia to the landing. She fought, but their grips were iron. Rabiya, face alight with superiority, directed them with a delicate cruelty. “Make me a cup of tea—ninety-nine degrees. Do not fail.” Thalia stood, jaw clenched and pretended not to hear. Naeryn’s voice slid forward like honey. “Auntie, please. Let me handle this. I’m used to doing heavy work like that.” Rabiya placed her hand in Naeryn’s, indulgent. “You are the future Luna. How could you stoop to chores? Let her do it.” Thalia watched the tableau as if seeing herself from a distance—the way Naeryn tried to step away, then froze under Thalia’s stare. Annoyance creased Naeryn’s features. “What use is she here? She cannot bear pups and now she won’t even serve tea. Lock her away. I do not want to see her about the lodge.” Two attendants tightened their hold to take her away. At that moment Drake emerged from the study, frowning. “Mother, that’s enough.” Chapter 4 Drake’s glare cut through the parlor like winter wind. “Enough. Thalia is my mate,” he snapped, stepping between his mother and Thalia. “You will not treat her this way.” Rabiya blinked, incredulous. “Drake, you defend an outsider over your own mother? Three years you mated her and still no pups—she’s less than a hen! Worthless.” Her voice dripped with the old breeding-house contempt of pack aristocracy. Drake opened his mouth, then closed it. Thalia already knew the truth he could not say aloud: the pup she had lost, the sickness in that night—Drake’s complicity. She felt the old wound flare. “Regardless,” Drake said finally, voice hard, “you will not humiliate her.” He reached for Thalia’s hand. She yanked it away. “If you wanted a wolf who could give you pups, you should have taken one already.” Her words landed like stones. Without meeting his mother’s eyes, Thalia turned and went upstairs. Alarm flickered in Drake’s features, he hesitated, then started after her. A sudden cry from Fiora halted him. Naeryn scooped the pup up with an expertly performed gasp of alarm. “Fiora! Are you hurt? Is your heart—” “Drake, she startled Fiora. Will you come see?” Naeryn’s voice trembled with practiced concern. Drake spun toward them, worry written across his face. He called for the family pack medic and knelt beside Fiora, searching the pup’s small features for any sign of distress. He looked back once at the stairwell, torn, Thalia had already seen too much. What Thalia could not know in the moment was the small, cruel pinch Naeryn had delivered to Fiora’s arm as Drake turned—an instant that would never register in his eyes as anything but genuine concern. Even if Thalia had tried to tell him, he would have refused to believe it. On the landing, Thalia watched his concern for Fiora and felt the last thread of something like faith splinter. Back in their bedchamber she pulled every remnant of their life apart. Photographs, letters—three years of coiled promises—were swept into piles and tossed. Where he had once filled the world with vows, there was now only the echo of their old life. She had barely begun to sit when Drake’s hand forced the door. He stepped in and froze at the sight of the emptied shelves. “Thalia, what have you done?” “Nothing,” she said, steady when her voice could have rattled. “Just taking away what isn’t mine.” His expression was flat. “Bring tea to my mother. I made it. Go down.” He shepherded her downstairs and shoved a steaming cup into her hands. Thalia moved through the motion as if under water. Just as she reached for the tray, Naeryn slid forward with the grace of a wolf who knows how to use attention as a knife. “Allow me,” Naeryn murmured, all sugar and predatory ease. “I’ll fetch it for her.” Her smile was a blade. Thalia stepped to intercept, their hands collided over the cup. The ceramic tipped. Tea sloshed and struck the floor. Naeryn shrieked, clutching her arm as if struck, as if the silvered porcelain had left wounds. Instantly the room filled with a chorus that sided with the show: Rabiya gasped, attendants clustered, Drake’s jaw tightened. “Thalia, you’ve gone too far,” he said, voice rising. “Naeryn was trying to help and you attacked her.” Before Thalia could explain, his hand flashed and struck her—quick, brutal judgment from the pack’s leader where mercy should have been. The sting sent her backward, her back hit the stair rail and she tasted copper. Rabiya’s thin smile widened into triumph. “I warned you,” the matriarch intoned. “Lock her away before she disgraces us further.” Two attendants seized Thalia again, their grips trained and cold. They hauled her toward the basement storeroom as if moving a trapped cur. Drake watched, the lines in his face closing like a snarl. He said nothing. “Drake,” Thalia called, voice small under the weight of the cellar door, “you know I fear the dark. Will you truly let them lock me away?” He paused at the threshold, conflict visible only for a breath, then turned his face away. “You hurt Naeryn,” he said, voice clipped. “This is for order. A small punishment.” The door thudded shut. Cold swallowed the storage room. Thalia pounded until the hollowness around her took on the rhythm of a heartbeat. She curled in a corner, the world narrowing to the smell of old cedar and the distant murmur of the hearth above. Memories rose—how Drake, once gentle in storms, had promised never to leave her in darkness. He had known. He had still let them do this. With each sob that shook her, something inside Thalia unlatched and fell away. Chapter 5 When Thalia woke, she found herself lying in her own bed. She turned her head and saw Drake beside her. Noticing her gaze, he opened his eyes and pulled her into his arms, his voice soft with a guilty timbre. “Thalia, you’re awake. Do you want to sleep a little longer?” Feeling the warmth of his chest—the steady, familiar heat of a mate and pack-bond—a sharp ache cut through her and she pushed him away. “Drake, what are you pretending for?” He froze, then answered, “I’m sorry. I thought Mother was only trying to scare you. I didn’t think those two retainers would actually lock you in the cellar.” “Mother went too far this time, but you were the one who hurt Naeryn.” Even now he made excuses. Thalia let out a cold, humorless laugh. “If you hadn’t said what you did, would they have dared to lock me up?” She paused, then added, “Since your mother already treats Naeryn like her real daughter-in-law, why don’t I just leave? Then you and her can be together and your mother won’t be upset every time she sees me.” With that, she rose and started to walk away. Drake moved quickly and pulled her into a hug, his voice shaking. “Thalia, after three years together, I won’t let you go.” “Are you still upset about Naeryn? Then I’ll ask her to move out. I won’t see her again.” His words might have fooled a naive girl, Thalia would not fall for them again. She shoved him away. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the bedroom door burst open and Naeryn stood in the doorway, frozen, eyes wide, tears welling. “No need to kick me out. I’ll take Fiora and leave right now.” With that, she turned and hurried away. Drake sprang from the bed in a panic and chased after her, not even glancing at Thalia. Thalia followed him down the hall. Naeryn waited on the second-floor balcony, staring down at the two-meter-deep swimming pool below. Her eyes were rimmed red as she faced Drake, voice trembling. “Drake, if even you don’t want me anymore, then I’ll just jump. I know you and Thalia are the real couple, but I can’t stop feeling jealous.” “Please take care of Fiora after I’m gone. Don’t try to stop me.” She stepped toward the railing. Drake lunged and wrapped his arms tightly around Naeryn, eyes full of anguish. “I’m sorry. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said those things. The one I truly love is you. We still have Fiora. If you really jump, what will happen to her? What about me?” He looked at Naeryn with an affection that made Thalia’s skin crawl. Watching their little spectacle unfold, Thalia stepped from the shadows and slowly began to clap. When Drake saw her, his face went numb. He opened his mouth, then finally said with difficulty, “Thalia, I’ll explain everything tonight, okay?” She shook her head and met him coolly. “No need. I’ll leave on my own soon. I won’t get in the way of your love.” She turned to go, but Drake reached out as if to stop her. Before he could touch her, Naeryn stepped between them. “Thalia, please don’t leave Drake because of me. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have brought Fiora here and I shouldn’t have gotten so close to Drake. I should be the one to leave.” Naeryn’s false contrition made Thalia sick. “Are you done? If so, move aside.” Instead of stepping back, Naeryn grabbed Thalia’s arm. “Thalia, you and Drake have to stay well. That way I’ll feel better even if I leave…” Thalia gave a mocking smile and wrenched her arm free. The next instant Naeryn screamed, flung up an arm and stumbled backward. Drake, panic-stricken, shoved Thalia aside and lunged to catch her. He held Naeryn at the waist, voice trembling with relief. “Thank goodness you’re okay. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.” He did not see Thalia slip from the balcony, she fell into the pool below. Chapter 6 The pool water rushed into her nose, choking Thalia instantly. She flailed her arms and shouted up toward the second-floor balcony. “Drake! Help me!” She saw Drake rush down in a panic, but he stopped at the edge of the pool. Then he pulled Naeryn into his arms. “You’ve suffered because of Thalia. Now it’s her turn to learn a lesson.” He looked down at Thalia as she struggled, eyes full of something that might once have been concern but now read as cold calculation and he did not move. Thalia stared at him in stunned disbelief, the world narrowed to the sharp, desperate rhythm of her breath. Everything went black as she weakened from lack of air. Right before she lost consciousness, Drake shrugged off his jacket, dove in and hauled her out. His touch was efficient, his face hard. “Thalia, this is just a warning. If you hurt Naeryn again, I don’t know what I’ll do.” When she woke, raised voices downstairs pulled her back. She opened the bedroom door and saw Drake and Naeryn arguing. Naeryn clutched a suitcase in one hand and kept hold of Fiora with the other, making a show of trembling tears. “Drake, let go. Instead of waiting for Thalia to force us out, I’d rather take Fiora and leave now.” With that she shook off Drake’s hand and moved to go. Drake’s eyes were full of pity and pain, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Naeryn’s waist. “No. As long as I’m here, no one will chase you away. You and Fiora can stay. What happened yesterday was Thalia’s fault. I already punished her. She won’t touch you again.” Thalia walked down the stairs slowly, blade-cold smile aimed at Naeryn. “If you truly wanted to leave, you would’ve left last night while Drake slept.” Naeryn hesitated, bit her lip and then dropped to her knees. “Thalia, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come between you and Drake. If you two are okay, I’ll go.” She stood, opened the villa door and began to walk out. Drake grabbed her arm and shouted, “Enough!” He whirled to Thalia, anger burning in his eyes. “Thalia, don’t you think this house has had enough chaos? Naeryn never tried to hurt you. Why do you keep going after her?” His voice carried the disappointment of a packmate who expected loyalty. “We’ve been bound three years. When did you become so jealous? I barely recognize you.” Thalia lowered her head and stepped closer, the words cutting. “You don’t recognize me because your heart was never with me. All you care about is Naeryn.” “If you’ve chosen to let her stay, then I’ll go.” The villa reeked of Drake’s scent, a constant reminder of a bond twisted into betrayal. Thalia did not want any of it, she left everything behind. As she stepped out the door, Drake’s voice followed her, angry and final. “Thalia, there’s a limit to jealousy. If you walk out today, don’t bother coming back!” She did not turn. In her mind she repeated it like a vow: fine, I won’t return. Outside, she took out her phone and sent a message. [When will the heart-source be found?] The reply came quickly: [We’ve got news. Just wait two more days.] In two days, she would be able to leave this place for good. Chapter 7 The next night, Thalia arrived at the pack celebration in formal dress. It was held for the Swift Pack’s eldest daughter’s coming-of-age rite, a promise made long ago, so she had to attend. She sat quietly in a shadowed corner, nursing a drink. As expected, it wasn’t long before Drake and Naeryn made a grand entrance. Naeryn linked her arm with Drake’s, smiling politely. The others assumed Naeryn was his mate and began praising them. “Drake and his mate have such a sweet bond! We’re so jealous.” Drake smiled softly, accepting the compliments as if they were true. Not wanting to watch them any longer, Thalia took her glass and stepped out onto the lodge balcony for air. Her champagne was nearly finished when Naeryn came up beside her. “Thalia, you’ve already lost. Drake loves me now. Can you really leave little Fiora without a father?” Naeryn said. Thalia answered with a cold smile. “What exactly are you saying?” “I want you to leave right now. I want to be the new Luna Valecrown.” Thalia nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll go. I gave up on Drake long ago.” She turned to leave, but Naeryn grabbed her arm. Before Thalia could ask what she meant, someone came up behind and pressed a damp cloth—drugged—over her nose and mouth. Everything blurred. Just before the world went black, she saw Naeryn’s smirk. When she opened her eyes again, she was tied to a chair, unable to move. Naeryn sat bound beside her, wearing a smug expression. “Thalia, if Drake knew we were both captured and could only be saved one at a time, who do you think he’d choose?” Thalia stared at her. “This was your doing?” Naeryn laughed. “So what if it was? I only want Drake. Is that wrong?” A voice at the door announced, “Boss, Alpha Drake is here.” Two men in black stood behind them, knives glinting. As Drake stepped in, the leader grinned. “Alpha Drake, lucky man. Two beautiful wolves, but you can only pick one. Choose now, or both die.” He began the countdown. “Three…two…” Before he reached one, Drake pointed at Naeryn. “Her. Let her go.” The man smirked. “Drake doesn’t hesitate. Fine. Deal with the other one.” He ordered someone to untie Thalia, then shoved her to the floor. In seconds, blows rained down on her. Thalia clutched her belly, trying to shield the life within. A brutal kick landed. The man laughed at her pain. “Drake, leave now. If I change my mind, she won’t survive.” Through the chaos she searched for Drake’s face and begged, “Please…save me, save our pup…” But Drake did not turn. He took Naeryn’s hand and walked away without looking back. Tears tracked down Thalia’s face and fell onto the floor as she pressed both hands over her stomach, feeling the tiny life slipping away. She closed her eyes, filled with pain and despair. Chapter 8 When Thalia woke, she found herself in the pack infirmary, lying on a narrow cot beneath a woolen blanket. A pack medic stood at her side, face heavy with regret. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “You’ve lost the pup.” Tears filled her eyes before she could speak. Because of Naeryn and Drake, she had lost her pup again. Outside the infirmary corridor, she could hear the murmur of the medics and pack attendants. “Did you hear? The Alpha’s mate scratched her wrist with a rope and he reserved the whole ward.” “Which Alpha?” “Who else? Drake Valecrown. I wish I had a bond like that.” From the moment she had been taken to the lair to the moment she lost the pup, Drake had not once called her, not a single message. Naeryn, on the other hand, only bore a small scratch—and Drake had commandeered an entire floor of the infirmary for her. Thalia let out a bitter smile as fresh tears came to her eyes. Her communicator on the bedside table buzzed. She picked it up. [You found a compatible heart-source donor, right? Can you fly over now?] came the message. She nodded to herself. “I’ve already booked the passage,” she told the pack medic. At that moment Drake walked into the room. “What passage? Where are you going?” he asked. Thalia didn’t turn to him. Calmly, she said, “I bought it for a friend, his mark didn’t go through.” He set a sheaf of lilies on the small table. They were Naeryn’s favorite flowers. “I’m sorry about last night. Things moved fast and I had no choice,” he offered. She gave him a cold look. “So your choice was Naeryn. You left your mate of three years with those savages?” He opened his mouth to answer, but his communicator buzzed. Naeryn’s name flashed. His face shifted immediately. “Didn’t I pick Naeryn because you staged all of this, Thalia?” he said, voice tight. “Aren’t you doing this to get my attention? Have you thought how much this hurts Naeryn?” “She needs me now. Take care of her,” she replied. He slammed the infirmary door and left without another glance. So Naeryn had told him she’d fabricated the whole thing—he trusted her implicitly. Her communicator chimed again: a blunt command from Drake. [Come to the eighth ward and apologize to Naeryn right now, or I’ll never forgive you!] Thalia let out a cold laugh and blocked his mark. What Naeryn did not know was that Thalia had already recorded everything Naeryn had said to her at the celebration—the entire conversation saved, word for word. Before she left the cot, she placed the recorder and the pack medic’s report about the miscarriage on the bedside table. Then she rose, took her father’s hand and walked away without looking back.