After Leo Carter’s older brother passed away, his mother proposed that he marry his late brother’s pregnant wife, Ariel Sullivan.

Leo refused.

“Fawn is my life,” he said coldly. “I’d rather give up inheriting my brother’s position as the don than ever betray my wife.”

I was deeply moved by his devotion. That was until I accidentally overheard a conversation between Leo and his mother.

“The child in Ariel’s womb is clearly yours,” his mother said sharply. “So why won’t you marry her?”

Leo exhaled a cloud of smoke. His gaze drifted somewhere far away, unreadable.

“I promised Ariel I’d leave my brother with an heir,” he said calmly. “But this stays between us. If Fawn ever finds out, I’m dead.”

His mother’s expression darkened.

“So what if she finds out? She can’t even have children herself. Are you going to end the family bloodline because of her?”

Leo cut her off, his voice suddenly cold and dangerous. “If she finds out, she will leave me. And I can’t survive losing her. If you want a grandson, then keep your mouth shut.”

I stumbled away in a daze, and the blood in my veins slowly turned cold. Leo understood me better than anyone. He knew that in my world, love could not tolerate a betrayal. So the moment he betrayed me, I made my decision.

I was leaving.

I was holding a pregnancy test in my hand, my heart full of joy as I planned to find Leo Carter and share the unexpected news with him. Instead, I overheard something that shattered me completely.

A month ago, Leo’s older brother had been killed in a violent shoot-out. With his death, the position of the don was forced onto Leo’s shoulders.

Back then, Leo’s mother had desperately begged Ariel Sullivan to stay. “I’ve lost one son. I can’t lose my daughter-in-law, too. You must leave an heir for the Carter family.”

A month later, Ariel was pregnant. I had always believed the child was my brother-in-law’s posthumous heir, but the truth was, the child was Leo’s.

My mind buzzed violently, as if my entire world was spinning. I couldn’t process it or accept it.

Leo was warning his mother in a low voice. “This child is my brother’s posthumous son. Don't ever mention in front of Fawn again that I should marry Ariel. She won’t like it.”

His mother responded reluctantly, her eyes filled with undisguised dissatisfaction toward me. “Why do you love her so much? She can’t even give you a child. You almost ruined your life for her. If I hadn’t secretly drugged you and arranged for you to sleep with Ariel, the Carter family wouldn’t even have a successor by now.”

Leo cut her off, his voice icy. “I won’t pursue the matter of the drugs. And even if Ariel is carrying my child, Fawn will be my one and only wife.”

Immediately after, his phone rang. He answered it, and his expression changed instantly.

“Ariel isn’t feeling well. I’ll take her to the doctor.”

I watched him leave in a hurry. Behind me, Leo’s mother smiled with satisfaction.

“And he says he has no feelings for her,” she said softly. “Look at how nervous he is. He’s already fallen for her.”

I leaned against the wall, forcing myself to stay calm, but the hand holding the pregnancy test was shaking uncontrollably.

Logic told me that pretending I knew nothing was the best choice. Leo would never let me discover the truth, and if I acted ignorant, I could remain his cherished, protected wife. However, I knew I would never be able to do that.

The naked truth suffocated me, and I staggered away quietly, not alerting anyone.

Three years ago, my parents died in a violent mafia fight. Since then, Leo had become my only family. I gave up my inheritance from the Jossa family to marry him, believing he would be my strongest support, my unshakable anchor. Yet, in the end, he betrayed me.

I called my late father’s former secretary. After my parents’ deaths, all of the Jossa family’s assets had been managed by him. He had been nothing but loyal to my father.

“In three days,” I said quietly, “I’m leaving Leo and returning to the family. I want you to erase all traces of my whereabouts.”

My father’s secretary, Mr. Will Harmon, was stunned.

“Why? Leo loves you so much. If he can’t find you, he’ll go insane.”

My lips curled into a bitter smile.

“He won’t,” I said softly. “He’ll have a new wife. And he’s about to become a father. Before long, he’ll forget about me.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

Finally, Mr. Harmon sighed. “I never thought Leo would betray you… But don’t be sad. Everything in the Jossa family belongs to you. In three days, I’ll have everything prepared and personally hand it over to you.”

I was just about to thank him when a low, familiar voice suddenly sounded behind me.

“Who’s about to become a father?”

My hand tightened around the phone as I hung up. When I turned around, I met Leo’s slightly nervous gaze, and my chest tightened with a mix of bitterness and pain.

“It was a friend,” I said. “He’s about to become a father… Do you want to be a father?”

Leo visibly relaxed. He stepped forward and pulled me into a deep embrace.

“It’s okay,” he said gently. “I’m not in a hurry.”

A bitter taste spread through my mouth.

He’s not in a hurry? If he wasn’t, why was he so eager to get Ariel pregnant?

The affection in Leo’s eyes looked the same as always, warm and sincere.

“Life is better with just the two of us anyway,” he continued. “I’ve bought tickets for us to go on a cruise three days from now. Let’s travel around the world together, okay?”

The itinerary he described was tempting. However, in three days, I would be leaving him.

I gently pushed him away, suppressing the ache in my chest as I asked, “Leo… what if I gave you a child?”

My hand unconsciously rested against my lower abdomen. This unexpected pregnancy had caught me completely unprepared. Even though I had decided to leave, I didn’t want to lie about the child’s existence. Leo was the father. He had the right to know.

Instead, he fell silent, and that hesitation sent a chill straight through me.

“Fawn,” he said, “we’re still young. Let’s talk about children later.”

I felt a jolt in my heart. It took a long moment before I forced out a quiet response.

“Okay.”

Since the child was not wanted by its father, there was no reason for me to reveal its existence. I would leave with it. Even without a father, it would still be the most precious thing in my life.

Leo clearly let out a sigh of relief. Thinking we had reached an understanding, he happily took out an exquisite diamond necklace.

“The moment I saw this at the auction, I knew it belonged to you,” he said.

He looked at me tenderly and fastened the necklace around my neck with his own hands. Just as his lips were about to brush my cheek, the bedroom door was suddenly shoved open.

Ariel stood in the doorway, one hand supporting her pregnant belly. Her face was pale, and when her gaze landed on us, her body swayed weakly, as if she were about to faint.

Leo’s expression changed instantly. He strode over and pulled her into his arms, while I was caught off guard and knocked to the ground, my knee slamming hard against the edge of the table. Tears spilled out from the pain. However, Leo’s attention was entirely on Ariel. He didn’t even spare me a glance.

“You’re pregnant. How could you run around like this?” he scolded Ariel. “What if something happened to the baby?”

He guarded her carefully, the tenderness in his eyes stabbing straight into mine, making it hard for me to breathe.

Ariel clutched his collar tightly as she nestled against him, her voice trembling with tears. “I was scared all alone in the room…”

Leo soothed her, then turned to me with a helpless expression.

“Fawn, you know how important this pregnancy is. Nothing can happen to the baby. I’ll get her settled and come right back.”

I stayed silent for a moment, then nodded obediently.

His gaze softened even more, and his voice grew gentle. “Get some rest. I’ll be back to keep you company once I’ve taken care of Ariel.”

With that, he supported Ariel and hurried away. At the very last moment, Ariel turned her head and shot me a provocative glance. Stealing my husband seemed to bring her great pleasure.

Without realizing it, my feet followed after them. Perhaps, unless I saw Leo’s betrayal with my own eyes, I wouldn’t be able to leave him once and for all.

I followed them quietly until they were at the door of Ariel’s bedroom.

Back on her own territory, Ariel grew bold. She wrapped her arms around Leo’s neck, her freshly painted red lips brushing against him on purpose, teasing him.

“I saw that diamond necklace,” she said. “It’s a one-of-a-kind design, exclusive worldwide. I’m so jealous of her!”

Leo gently pushed her away, his voice strained as he fought back desire. “Don’t do this. You’re still in your first trimester. You can’t… do that right now.”

Ariel’s lips curled into a smile, and she leaned in even closer, fanning the flames instead. “I don’t care. I want a diamond necklace too—one bigger and more expensive than hers.”

Leo let out a quiet sigh. His tone softened into a level of indulgence I had never heard before.

“Your child will be the successor to the Carter family. All the power and status will be yours. Don’t fixate on those worthless little things.”

Every word was a stab to my heart. He gave Ariel everything that truly mattered—power, status, and a future, while he gave me nothing more than trinkets he bought on a whim.

In that moment, something inside me finally died. I stumbled back to my room, my legs barely able to support me, and called Mr. Harmon again.

“Prepare the divorce papers between Leo and me,” I said quietly. “Handle everything here as well. Book me a flight. I’m not coming back.”

By the time I was done packing, dawn had broken without me realizing it. I checked my phone. There was not a single message. Leo had forgotten his promise to return right away, spending the entire night in Ariel’s room. My heart still ached dully, but I no longer felt disappointed.

During breakfast in the living room, Leo rushed downstairs, his hair a mess. When he saw me sitting at the dining table, he let out a long breath of relief.

“I didn’t see you in the bedroom,” he said, still shaken. “You scared me to death. I thought you’d gone somewhere.”

He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms, his voice trembling with fear.

“I was really scared when I couldn’t find you. From now on, wherever you go, you have to tell me first, okay?”

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. If he were truly afraid of losing me, he wouldn’t have done the things that hurt me so deeply.

After hesitating for a moment, I took out the divorce papers that Mr. Harmon had prepared. However, before I could speak, Ariel came rushing downstairs in tears.

Leo’s mother chased after her anxiously, shouting, “Don’t run! My precious one, be careful of the baby!”

Ariel ignored her. She held up a cruise ticket and demanded angrily, “You’re going on a world tour with her? What about me? Are you just going to leave me here?”

Leo shoved me aside without hesitation and turned to Ariel, panic flashing across his face.

“Don’t get worked up! Be careful of the baby. If you want to go, I’ll buy you a ticket right now!”

He pulled out his phone and walked away. The moment his back was turned, Ariel looked at me and flashed a vicious smile. Then, in one swift motion, she yanked open her clothes, pinched her own arm hard, and collapsed against the wall with her hair in disarray.

“Fawn, I won’t go on the trip anymore,” she cried out. “Please don’t hit me!”

Leo spun around just in time to see Ariel slowly fall to the floor. His expression darkened instantly.

He rushed forward, scooped her up, and looked at me with unmistakable disappointment.

“She’s carrying the Carters’ baby,” he said coldly. “How could you lay a hand on her?”

I waved my hands frantically. “I didn’t touch her–”

However, Leo’s mother pointed straight at me and shouted, “She pushed her. I saw it with my own eyes.”