L POV

The next morning, I woke up on Elara’s bed with swollen eyes and a heavy chest. For a few seconds, I stared blankly at the white ceiling above me, hoping everything that had happened the previous night was only a terrible nightmare. I wished I would suddenly wake up in my own room beside Lucas, with his arms wrapped around me like before.

But reality remained cruel.

The divorce papers still lay on the bedside table.

The pregnancy test rested beside them like a silent reminder that my life had completely changed overnight.

A bitter smile escaped my lips as tears gathered in my eyes again.

“I wish I hadn’t allowed love blind me into sacrificing everything for him,” I whispered painfully. “If I had known Lucas could become this heartless, I would never have trusted him with my life.”

Across the room, Elara slowly stirred a cup of tea while watching me with worried eyes. She looked like someone who had barely slept all night because of me.

“I warned you from the beginning not to lose yourself for a man like Lucas,” she said softly. “I may not have known him for long, but one thing was obvious from the start—Lucas never deserved someone like you.”

Her words pierced deeply into my chest.

I lowered my gaze to the pregnancy test again, and the pain doubled immediately. The divorce alone was enough to break me, but carrying Lucas’s child while he threw me away made it worse.

Everything felt unfair.

Everything felt empty.

“Renee,” Elara called gently as she walked closer and handed me the cup of tea, “I know you’re hurting, but you need to pick yourself up again. You’re not alone anymore. You have a child growing inside you now. You need strength for both yourself and the baby.”

I remained silent.

My fingers tightened around the warm cup while memories of Lucas flooded my head. His laughter. His promises. The way he once swore he would never hurt me.

Every memory now felt poisonous.

“I can help you get a position at one of the companies here,” Elara continued carefully. “At least until you fully recover emotionally.”

I slowly shook my head.

“No,” I said quietly.

Elara frowned. “No?”

“I’m leaving this city tonight.”

The cup nearly slipped from her hands.

“What?”

“If I remain here, everything about Lucas will keep haunting me,” I admitted painfully. “Every street, every building, every memory… they’ll all remind me of him. I can’t survive like that anymore. I need to leave before I completely lose myself.”

Elara immediately sat beside me.

“No, Renee. You’re not going anywhere,” she protested. “You’ll stay here with me. I already booked an appointment with my doctor so you can begin regular checkups. That’s the safest option for you right now.”

“I’m sorry, Elara,” I replied softly. “But I’ve already made up my mind.”

She stared at me in disbelief.

“I’ll start over somewhere else,” I continued. “Maybe I’ll open a small chef business. I can build something for myself again.”

“Why are you making things harder for yourself?” Elara asked emotionally. “You’re pregnant, wounded, and emotionally exhausted. I can’t watch you suffer alone. Renee, I love you like my own sister.”

Her voice cracked at the last sentence.

That alone almost broke my resolve.

But staying in Veritas City felt like slowly dying.

“If you truly love me,” I whispered while tears rolled down my cheeks, “then let me go.”

Elara looked away immediately, trying to hide her own tears.

“This city destroyed me,” I continued painfully. “Everything here reminds me of my worst nightmare. I gave Lucas my loyalty, my dreams, my future… and he destroyed all of it. I need somewhere new. Somewhere I can breathe again.”

The room became silent.

Only the ticking wall clock could be heard between us.

Finally, Elara sighed deeply.

“I can loan you whatever amount you need to start your business,” she said weakly. “But it has to be here. Please stay.”

I slowly shook my head again.

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I replied. “But if I stay here, I’ll never heal.”

Elara suddenly grabbed my hands tightly.

“You don’t understand,” she cried. “I’m scared for you. You pretend to be strong, but I know how broken you are right now.”

Her words shattered the little control I had left.

“I’m scared too!” I finally shouted. “Every single day here hurts me. Every breath feels heavy. Please… just let me leave before this pain destroys me completely.”

Elara’s eyes filled with tears immediately.

Neither of us spoke again after that.

A heavy silence settled inside the room while morning sunlight slowly faded behind the dark curtains.

Hours later, Elara returned to the room holding an envelope in her hands.

Her expression alone made my chest tighten painfully.

“What’s that?” I asked quietly.

Without answering immediately, she sat beside me and handed me the envelope.

Inside was a check.

Five million dollars.

My eyes widened in complete shock.

“Elara…”

“Take it,” she interrupted softly. “It’s all I’ve been able to save over the years. You don’t have to pay me back.”

Tears instantly filled my eyes again.

“No… this is too much.”

“It isn’t enough,” she replied emotionally. “Not after everything you’ve been through.”

I couldn’t speak anymore.

My throat burned painfully as tears rolled freely down my face.

“When you arrive at the new city,” Elara continued, struggling to remain strong, “please register at a hospital immediately. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself and the baby. I’ll handle the medical bills if necessary.”

I threw my arms around her immediately.

For several seconds, neither of us let go.

I cried harder against her shoulder while she gently rubbed my back like an older sister comforting a wounded child.

“I’ll forever be grateful to you,” I whispered weakly. “I don’t know how to repay your kindness.”

Elara smiled sadly through her tears.

“What are friends for?” she asked softly. “Even though I never wanted you to leave, I still want you to find peace.”

Her words broke me all over again.

That evening, I packed my belongings slowly. Each folded cloth felt heavier than the last. My entire life now fit inside only two suitcases.

By nightfall, Elara drove me to the station herself.

The ride remained painfully quiet.

Neither of us wanted to admit this goodbye could change everything forever.

When we finally arrived, I stepped out slowly and looked back at her one last time.

“Please call me when you arrive,” Elara pleaded.

“I will.”

“And Renee…”

I paused.

“You deserve happiness too,” she whispered.

That sentence stayed in my heart long after I boarded the night bus.

Hours later, the bright lights of Veritas City disappeared behind me completely.

I rested my hand gently on my stomach and stared through the window into the darkness ahead.

Fear filled me.

Pain still lived inside me.

But for the first time in a long while, a small piece of hope quietly entered my heart.

Maybe this new city would not heal all my wounds immediately.

Maybe the memories of Lucas would still follow me.

But at least now…

I was finally giving myself a chance to begin again.

Renee POV

The cold night wind brushed harshly against my face as I stepped down from the crowded bus with weak trembling legs. My body ached terribly after hours of traveling without proper rest.

For several seconds, I simply stood there silently.

The city before me looked nothing like Veritas City.

Tall bright buildings stretched across the distance while unfamiliar voices echoed around the busy station. People hurried past each other without care, dragging luggage and shouting over phone calls.

Everything felt strange.

Everything felt lonely.

Fear slowly crept into my chest.

Had I made the wrong decision?

My fingers tightened around the handle of my suitcase while my other hand moved gently toward my stomach.

“No,” I whispered softly to myself. “I have to survive… for my baby.”

Even if my heart remained broken.

Even if Lucas had destroyed every dream I once had.

I could not afford to fall apart anymore.

Slowly, I began walking toward the station exit, but after only a few steps, dizziness struck me violently.

My vision blurred instantly.

The sleepless nights.

The endless crying.

The emotional exhaustion.

Everything finally crashed down on me at once.

I stumbled forward weakly—

But before my body could hit the ground, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around my waist.

“Careful.”

The deep masculine voice startled me completely.

I froze.

Slowly, I lifted my eyes.

And my breath caught.

The man standing before me looked impossibly handsome.

His sharp jawline, cold dark eyes, and perfectly tailored black suit radiated wealth and authority. Even the expensive watch around his wrist probably cost more than most people’s yearly salaries.

Behind him stood several bodyguards dressed in black.

They immediately surrounded him protectively.

“Sir, please step back,” one of them warned cautiously while eyeing me suspiciously.

But the man ignored them.

Instead, his eyes remained fixed on my pale face.

“You’re burning up,” he said calmly. “Are you sick?”

I quickly stepped away from him.

“I-I’m fine,” I answered softly despite my unstable breathing.

The last thing I wanted was pity from strangers.

The man studied me carefully, as though he could already tell I was lying.

Before either of us could speak again, sudden screams erupted nearby.

“Someone help her!”

“Oh my God!”

A crowd instantly gathered near one of the waiting benches.

Without thinking, I turned immediately toward the commotion.

An elderly woman had collapsed onto the floor clutching her chest while struggling to breathe properly.

Panic spread quickly around her.

“Call an ambulance!”

“She can’t breathe!”

The woman’s frightened granddaughter knelt beside her crying helplessly.

“Grandma! Grandma please wake up!”

My body moved before my mind could even think.

I rushed toward them immediately.

“Everyone move back and give her space!” I said firmly.

The crowd hesitated before slowly stepping away.

I quickly knelt beside the elderly woman and checked her breathing.

Her pulse was weak.

Very weak.

“She’s choking,” I realized instantly.

The young girl burst into tears.

“Please save my grandmother!”

“Don’t panic,” I told her calmly.

I carefully lifted the elderly woman slightly forward before performing quick emergency first aid exactly the way I had learned years ago during one of my culinary training programs.

Several painful seconds passed.

Then suddenly—

The woman coughed violently.

A piece of candy flew out from her throat.

The crowd gasped loudly.

The elderly woman finally inhaled deeply again while breathing shakily.

“She’s breathing!”

“Oh thank God!”

Relief spread through the station immediately.

The little girl cried harder and hugged her grandmother tightly.

“Grandma!”

I released a quiet breath of relief.

But before I could stand properly, another wave of dizziness hit me.

My vision darkened again.

Strong hands instantly caught me before I collapsed.

The same man.

His grip around my arm tightened slightly.

“You need a hospital,” he said firmly.

“I said I’m fine,” I whispered weakly.

“You nearly fainted twice in less than five minutes.”

I tried pulling away again, but my body no longer had strength left.

The man’s expression darkened slightly.

“For someone trying so hard to appear strong,” he said quietly, “you look like you’re carrying the weight of the world alone.”

His words pierced straight through me.

Pain tightened painfully inside my chest again.

For a second, Lucas’s face flashed through my mind.

The betrayal.

The humiliation.

The divorce papers.

I immediately lowered my eyes.

“I’m used to it,” I whispered.

Something unreadable crossed the stranger’s face.

Before he could respond, one of the bodyguards stepped forward respectfully.

“Sir, the car is ready.”

The man ignored him again.

Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and handed me a black card.

“My name is Adrian Knight,” he said calmly. “If you need help, call the number on that card.”

I stared at the card in complete surprise.

Even without recognizing the name, I could already tell he was someone powerful.

Very powerful.

“I can’t accept this,” I said quickly.

“You saved someone’s life tonight,” Adrian replied. “Consider it repayment.”

His voice remained calm, yet strangely commanding.

The little girl suddenly ran toward me and hugged me tightly around the waist.

“Thank you for saving my grandma,” she cried emotionally.

My heart softened instantly.

I gently stroked her hair before smiling faintly.

“You’re welcome.”

The elderly woman slowly approached me afterward with trembling steps.

“Young lady,” she said gratefully, “thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” I replied softly.

But the woman continued staring at me carefully.

Then her eyes slowly dropped toward my stomach.

“You’re pregnant,” she said gently.

I froze completely.

Even Adrian’s expression shifted slightly.

Before anyone could say another word, exhaustion finally overtook me completely.

Darkness swallowed my vision.

And the last thing I felt before collapsing was Adrian Knight catching me in his arms.

Lucas POV

Despite the fact that Renee had already left my life, I still couldn’t completely erase her from my heart. No matter how hard I tried, memories of her kept returning to me like a wound that refused to heal.

That night, I sat alone inside my study room, staring coldly at the photographs displayed on my phone screen.

Pictures of Renee in another man’s arms.

Pictures that had been sent anonymously on the very night of our wedding.

Each image burned deeply into my chest like poison.

As if that was not enough, another shocking truth followed immediately after. I was told Renee was never the true daughter of the late billionaire Samuel Hart. According to the information I received, she was only an orphan Samuel had taken in out of pity.

Everything I saw and heard completely changed the way I viewed her.

The woman I once loved suddenly became a stranger in my eyes.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I said coldly.

The door opened, and my mother, Clara Williams, walked inside elegantly.

“You are still thinking about Renee?” she asked with disgust written all over her face. “That shameless woman is no longer worth your attention.”

I remained silent.

Clara slowly sat opposite me.

“We should be grateful the truth was exposed before it became too late,” she continued. “At least she already transferred Samuel’s company ownership to the Williams family before leaving. Now all you need is to focus on Jessica. She is the only woman worthy of becoming the daughter-in-law of this family.”

I leaned back against my chair and sighed heavily.

“We can never accept someone like Renee into this family,” my mother continued bitterly. “And very soon, the entire world will know she was never Samuel’s biological daughter. Once her fake identity is exposed, she will have nothing left.”

Her words echoed in my mind.

Still, something inside me felt unsettled.

“Mother,” I finally spoke, “do you truly believe Renee is capable of everything she was accused of?”

Clara frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“I keep wondering who has been sending those pictures and messages to me,” I said slowly. “Something about this entire situation doesn’t feel right.”

“Well, whoever sent them clearly knows her very well,” Clara replied quickly. “Perhaps one of her relatives or someone close to her.”

I lowered my gaze.

“To be honest… I truly loved Renee,” I admitted quietly. “Maybe even more than I ever loved Jessica. But after seeing those pictures that night, everything about her started irritating me. I hated myself for loving her that deeply.”

Clara shook her head.

“She deceived you, Lucas. A woman like that deserves whatever suffering comes her way.”

Then suddenly, my mother brought out a folded document from her handbag and placed it on the table.

“What is this?” I asked.

“This is what I found where Renee stood before leaving the mansion,” she replied.

I opened the document carefully.

The moment my eyes landed on the result, my heartbeat paused.

Pregnancy Test Result — Positive.

My eyes widened slightly.

“She was pregnant?” I muttered.

A strange feeling rose inside my chest instantly.

For a brief moment… I almost felt happy.

But Clara immediately destroyed that feeling.

“That child does not belong to you,” she said firmly. “It belongs to the man she cheated on you with. Don’t be foolish enough to celebrate another man’s child.”

I clenched the paper tightly in silence.

Part of me wanted to believe my mother.

But another part of me refused to accept it completely.

Before I could think further, the door suddenly opened again.

Jessica walked in with a bright smile on her face.

“Lucas,” she called softly. “I have good news.”

I looked up at her.

“What is it?”

Jessica slowly handed over another medical report.

“I’m pregnant.”

The moment I saw the result, Clara immediately stood up excitedly.

“The true heir of the Williams family!” she exclaimed happily.

Jessica blushed shyly while holding her stomach gently.

“You have truly proven yourself worthy of this family,” Clara praised her warmly. “Just within one month, you’re already carrying Lucas’s child.”

A proud smile spread across Jessica’s face.

For the first time in days, the tension inside the mansion seemed to disappear.

I looked at Jessica quietly before speaking.

“I have a surprise for you.”

Her eyes brightened immediately.

“A surprise?”

I nodded slightly before taking out my phone.

Within minutes, the sound of a car horn echoed outside the mansion.

Jessica looked confused.

“What’s going on?”

I stood up and walked toward her.

“Close your eyes,” I told her gently.

She smiled excitedly before obeying.

I carefully held her hand and led her outside the mansion while Clara followed behind us happily.

The cool evening breeze moved softly around us as we stepped into the front compound.

The brand-new luxury car was already parked proudly in front of the mansion entrance.

A latest black BMW series.

The exact model Jessica had admired countless times online.

I stopped walking.

“Open your eyes.”

Jessica slowly opened them.

The moment she saw the car, her mouth fell open in complete shock.

“Oh my God…”

Her hands instantly covered her lips.

“Lucas… is this… really mine?”

I slipped the car keys into her palm.

“Yes. It’s yours.”

Jessica screamed excitedly before throwing her arms around my neck tightly.

“I can’t believe this!” she cried happily. “Lucas, thank you so much!”

Clara smiled proudly from behind.

“I told you my son would never disappoint you.”

Jessica quickly rushed toward the car, touching every part of it excitedly like a dream she never wanted to wake up from.

Tears of happiness filled her eyes.

“This is the exact car I wanted…” she whispered emotionally.

I watched her quietly.

For that moment, Jessica looked truly happy.

Yet strangely…

Even while standing beside her, my mind still wandered back to Renee.

And deep down inside me…

Something felt terribly wrong.