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.

Renee’s POV

The first thing I noticed was the softness beneath my body.

Then came the scent.

Fresh linen. Lavender.

And something rich and expensive I couldn’t recognize.

Slowly, my heavy eyes fluttered open.

A massive crystal chandelier sparkled above me while golden morning sunlight poured through towering glass windows. The bedroom was enormous—larger than the tiny apartment Lucas had forced me to live in after our marriage.

For several long seconds, confusion clouded my mind.

Where was I?

I turned slightly and noticed Andrea sitting quietly beside the bed, her face filled with relief the moment she saw me awake.

Before I could speak, a deep familiar voice came from across the room.

“You fainted from exhaustion.”

My heartbeat skipped instantly.

Adrian Knight sat calmly near the window, dressed in another perfectly tailored dark suit while scrolling through something on a tablet. Even in silence, his presence dominated the entire room effortlessly.

“The doctor said your body is under severe stress,” he added without looking up.

My fingers moved instinctively toward my stomach.

The tiny movement did not escape his sharp eyes.

His gaze finally lifted to mine.

“The baby is fine.”

I froze.

Heat rushed to my face immediately.

“You—”

“The doctor informed me,” he interrupted calmly. “You don’t need to look so frightened.”

But I was frightened.

Terrified, actually.

Because this stranger now knew the one secret I had desperately tried to protect.

I quickly pushed the blanket aside and climbed out of the bed.

“I should leave.”

The moment my feet touched the floor, dizziness slammed into me again. My vision blurred instantly.

Before I could fall, Adrian was already beside me.

His arm wrapped firmly around my waist, steadying me with ease.

“Do you always run while half-conscious?” he asked coldly.

I immediately avoided his eyes.

“I don’t want to trouble anyone.”

For a brief moment, something strange crossed his face.

Almost anger.

Almost pity.

“You saved a stranger’s life yesterday,” he said quietly. “Yet you act as though your own life has no value.”

“I only helped because she deserved to live,” I whispered.

“And what makes you think you don’t deserve the same?”

His words hit harder than I expected.

Before I could answer, Adrian spoke again.

“I know who you are, Renee.”

My entire body stiffened.

“You’re the daughter of the late billionaire Samuel Reed.”

Shock crashed through me instantly.

“How… how do you know that?”

Adrian slowly released his grip on me before stepping back.

“7 years ago, I visited your father to sign a business contract. You walked past us that day.” His eyes remained fixed on mine. “You probably never noticed me, but I remembered your face.”

My breathing became uneven.

“I have kept your image in my memory ever since.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything yesterday?” I asked carefully.

He exhaled slowly.

“Because I needed to be certain I wasn’t mistaken. There are too many people willing to lie for money.”

Silence filled the room.

For the first time in weeks, I felt something unfamiliar.

Safety.

But fear still lingered because of the child growing inside me.

Adrian returned to his seat near the window.

“What happened to your father’s company?” he asked. “I heard it now belongs to Lucas Williams.”

The moment his name left Adrian’s lips, shame burned through my chest.

The shame of sacrificing my father’s legacy for a man who never loved me.

“Can we not talk about the company?” I said softly.

His expression darkened slightly.

“Did you sell it to him?”

I couldn’t answer.

That silence alone told him everything.

“You’re married to Lucas Williams?” Adrian asked again.

I lowered my eyes, unable to speak.

“Tell me everything, Renee,” he said firmly. “About the company. About your family. About what happened after your father died.”

Tears slowly gathered in my eyes.

“I transferred everything to Lucas after our marriage,” I confessed painfully. “The shares… the contracts… all of it.”

Adrian stared at me in disbelief.

“You gave him your entire inheritance?”

I nodded weakly.

“And after everything, he still divorced you?”

I swallowed hard.

“He doesn’t even know about the pregnancy.”

For several seconds, Adrian said nothing. His jaw tightened dangerously.

Then he finally spoke.

“The contract I signed with your father years ago was worth two billion dollars. We were supposed to split the profits equally once the project was approved.”

I looked up at him immediately.

“The deal was delayed after your father’s death,” he continued. “But it has finally been approved.”

My heart pounded wildly.

“I intend to honor the agreement your father made.”

I stared at him speechlessly.

“You mean…”

“You are entitled to your father’s share.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, hope flickered inside me.

A new beginning.

A new version of myself slowly awakening from the ashes Lucas left behind.

“Are you willing to start over?” Adrian asked quietly.

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“And the baby?”

I instinctively placed my hand over my stomach again.

“I’ll protect my child,” I whispered. “No matter what happens.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks despite my efforts to stop them.

Adrian noticed immediately.

“Why are you crying?”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

“Because my father trusted me with everything… and I handed it all to someone who never deserved it.”

The room fell silent again.

Then Adrian asked the one question that changed everything.

“Do you want your company back?”

I slowly lifted my head and looked directly into his eyes.

Suddenly, Lucas’s final expression during the divorce flashed through my mind.

Cold. Cruel. Victorious.

Then my own words echoed loudly inside me.

You’ll regret this someday.

At that moment, something inside me hardened completely.

“Yes,” I said firmly. “I want it back.”

For the first time since I met him, Adrian smiled faintly.

“Then let’s take it back together.”

A dangerous silence followed.

“I don’t want Lucas to know where I am yet,” I continued. “Not until I become strong enough to destroy everything he built with my father’s name.”

My voice no longer trembled.

“I need to grow. I need to rebuild myself. And when the time comes…”

I slowly wiped the tears from my face.

“I’ll make Lucas Williams regret ever betraying me.”

Adrian watched me carefully, as though seeing a completely different woman standing before him.

And maybe he was right.

Because the weak Renee who once begged for love was gone.

The woman standing here now only wanted revenge.

I leaned back against the wall slowly, my fingers resting protectively over my stomach.

Then, for the very first time since my world collapsed, I made a promise to myself.

I would never allow anyone to break me again.