"Tonight's the last time—if you're not up for this, I won't push."

In the dim glow of their bedroom, Julian’s deep, gravelly voice held a sharp edge of seriousness. Leia froze mid-undress, her hands hovering over her shirt buttons, then lifted a bright smile to the lamplight. "What's that supposed to mean, darling?"

Before he could answer, she’d already undone the last button and leaned into his chest, her fingertips dragging slow, lazy circles across the warm skin over his heart. She smiled, her lips curling soft and sweet.

With a soft click, the bedside lamp flooded light over Julian’s sharp, perfect features—over that strong, smooth jawline that still made her heart skip a beat. When her hand lifted to brush his chin, he finally spoke, voice rough and gruff: "She's back."

"Who?"

"Piper’s recovery came a year earlier than anyone expected. All because of your bone marrow. She never would've bounced back this fast without it."

The second Piper’s name left his mouth, it hit Leia like a fist to the gut. A dull, unspoken ache settled deep in her bones, heavy and cold.

"So..."

Leia laughed a bitter, hollow laugh. Her face drained of color, but she forced a smile anyway. The light turned her skin almost translucent, and the hand that’d been drawing circles on his chest slowly fell away to her lap.

She sat up slow. Piper was back. That meant it was her turn to leave. Stifling the sharp ache clawing at her chest, she kept her tone light: "No need to thank me. It was all part of our mutual agreement."

The words "mutual agreement" made Julian’s handsome jaw twitch. A flicker of irritation cut through his cool composure. She was acting like this didn’t even matter. Like none of it mattered.

"Yeah," he replied flatly, swinging his legs out of bed and tugging on his pajama pants.

Leia stared at him blankly, a hurricane of emotion churning inside her. Five years of loving him. Two years of marriage. And she still couldn’t make him hers.

Julian walked to the dresser by the door, pulled out a folded sheet of paper, hesitated for a long beat, then walked back to the bed.

Leia studied his face, catching a flash of something that looked like reluctance, and quickly buttoned her pajama top back up. Her gorgeous blue eyes locked on his, a tiny flicker of hope clinging to her gaze. Would he miss her? Could he?

"Sign it."

He held the paper out. Leia instinctively bowed her head. When her eyes landed on the bold words at the top—*Divorce Agreement*—her heart dropped straight to her stomach, twisting so sharp it made her breath catch.

Her throat tightened, closing up around any words she might have said. She just stared down at the paper, eyes burning, tears pricking the backs of her lashes. After what felt like forever, she swiped at the wetness with the back of her hand and pulled a faint smile. "Alright. I'll sign."

Julian hadn’t expected her to agree so easily. Caught off guard, irritation pricked at him. "You’re in that much of a rush? You won’t even think twice about it?"

"Think twice?" Leia laughed, sharp and miserable, her head still bowed. "Looks like you’re the one who can’t wait to get this over with."

Julian went quiet, unable to find words, totally blind to the broken heart right in front of him. He sat down beside her, the unease coiled in his chest slowly loosening, and asked softly, "Is there anything you want to say? Anything at all?"

Leia bit her lip hard, shoving the pain burning in her eyes back down. Then she looked up, smiling bright: "No."

"But..."

She cut him off before he could go on: "That's all. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."

Her words stirred a fresh wave of unease in Julian. He frowned, voice sharp when he answered: "It's good you're taking it so well. I was honestly worried you wouldn't agree."

"Ha! You were worried I'd throw a big scene, weren't you?"

Her offhand, biting joke made Julian’s eyes go cold. He answered quietly, "Don't get me wrong. I don't care about the money. You should know I'm not like that."

Silence fell over the room. Leia’s hand clenched the papers so tight her knuckles went white, the veins in her wrist standing out stark against her pale skin.

Julian glanced at her, then stood and fetched a pen from the dresser. Staring at the fountain pen held out between them, Leia buried the pain twisting in her chest and forced a joke. "You're really generous, aren't you? This was supposed to be a sham marriage for mutual benefit, but I never expected a severance package of 888,000 pounds."

"Honestly, I am grateful to you. Over the past two years, my mom was critically ill. Without you standing by me, she never would've pulled through."

"Now that she's better, you deserve this. So 888k, plus a luxury car worth a million, and a mansion worth ten million—it's still being renovated, but it's yours."

"Why 888,000?"

Julian laughed, easy and unbothered. "Because 88 sounds like 'bye-bye' in Chinese. Fitting end for our arrangement, don't you think?"

Goodbye. The word sliced through her ears, sharp and hot and bleeding. He was that eager to cut all ties after two years of sharing a bed? Sleep with her, then pay her off to disappear—how was that any different from any other cold, heartless jerk?

The pain spread, warm and aching, through every inch of her.

"These past two years, we got along really well. Even as a married couple. You were wonderful."

As he spoke, a fleeting flicker of reluctance crossed his face, gone before she could be sure she’d even seen it.

Leia couldn’t speak for a long minute, her fists clenched tight at her sides. *Wonderful*. Did he mean in bed? They’d fit so perfectly together she’d let herself believe he loved her, only to find out it was all just her own stupid wishful thinking.

It was never going to go anywhere more than this. Their intimacy was just him satisfying his physical needs, and she just happened to be the one available when he needed it.

Her heart ached so bad she could barely breathe. After a long pause, she finally forced the words out: "We agreed from the start I wouldn't take anything when it ended. I can't accept this. Please take it back."

"But it's yours."

His voice was soft, gentle even, but every word pierced her heart like a needle. Two years of her youth. Her bone marrow. Her love. Every sacrifice she’d made—all of it gone, reduced to a check and a house.

"Alright then. Let's part on good terms."

She took the pen, her nose stinging, her hand shaking so bad she could barely scrawl her two name across the line.

He didn’t rush her… just glanced indifferently at the pen in her hand and said, "By the way, Piper's coming tomorrow night. She's staying here. It'll be easier for me to take care of her. If that bothers you..."

Before he could finish, Leia cut in, masking her pain with a mask of cool indifference. "It doesn't bother me. I'll be out in a few days, once I find a place."

"The mansion's still being renovated. You'll have to wait a little longer for it."

"Got it."

She forced a smile, then feigned nonchalance as she finished signing and handed the papers back to him.

"Thank you."

Julian took it, glanced over the signature, and felt an inexplicable heaviness settle in his chest. Without thinking twice, he tucked it into his bedside drawer.

Leia pretended to yawn, keeping her voice casual as she said, "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. You can take the couch tonight."

With that, she lay down straight away and pulled the covers up to her chin. Julian stood there, stunned for a few seconds, a tiny, sharp pang of loss tugging at his chest. He pushed the unease down and said, "Alright. Get some rest."

He turned and headed straight for the bathroom. The sound of water hitting the tile echoed through the room, his silhouette darkening the frosted glass door. Leia glanced over at it, her heart aching so bad she could barely draw breath.

She turned to face the wall, pulled the covers over her head, and let the tears fall silent and hot down her cheeks.

Much later, after she’d fallen asleep, Leia felt arms slip around her waist. Instinctively, she nuzzled closer, her soft messy head rubbing against his chest.

Julian’s hand slid into her hair, stroking it slow and gentle, his eyes fixed on her peaceful sleeping face.

That night, he couldn't sleep at all.

The next morning, Leia Shaw jolted awake. Her hand shot instinctively to the empty spot beside her, and all she felt was cold, unoccupied sheets. A crushing wave of loneliness swallowed her whole. It hit her then how deeply she’d come to depend on Julian’s presence, how used she was to having him right there. Now, her chest felt hollow, like something vital had been ripped right out of it.

From the balcony, she caught his voice, thick with honeyed affection: "I’m waiting for you at the airport. Don’t go wandering off alone — you’ll get lost and end up crying, and I won’t be there to fix it."

"Edinburgh’s changed so much these past two years. Once you’re settled in, I’ll give you the full tour."

His soft, coddling tone screamed how much he adored Piper Cooper. He treated her like she was the most precious thing he’d ever owned. That softness he gave Piper? It was nothing like what he’d ever given Leia. His affection for Leia had always been the fondness of an older brother doting on his pesky little sister. But with Piper? It was raw, real romantic love — the kind of concern that bleeds out of you without even trying.

Leia’s heart seized tight, twisted with envy and a sharp, throbbing pain. She clenched her fists until her palms were slick with cold sweat, every beat of her heart sending a sharp pang ricocheting through her chest.

"Alright, sweetheart. You want kisses? I’ll give you more than enough when I get back," Julian’s voice drifted in again. That’s when Leia couldn’t hold it anymore. She wrenched the blanket up over her head, desperate to block his voice out. She kept repeating to herself that she didn’t care, but hearing him flirt with another woman right outside her bedroom door hurt more than she could bear. The agony seeped into every cell of her body, settling heavy in her bones.

After he hung up, Julian walked back in from the balcony, cheerful as anything. He spotted Leia buried under the covers, hesitated for half a second, then stepped closer and tried to yank the blanket off.

Leia felt him tugging, and she clung tighter. She couldn’t let him see how broken she was right now. She couldn’t show him that vulnerability.

"Leia? You okay? Are you cold? Do you have a fever?" Julian asked, his voice sharp with urgency, his face draining of color with worry. He tugged harder on the blanket.

"I’m fine. Don’t worry about me," Leia’s voice came out thin and wobbly, muffled under the fabric.

"If you’re fine, why you hiding under there? C’mon out," he pressed.

Leia’s nose burned, tears threatening to spill. Why did he have to care? Why did he have to be sweet to her? Why did he spoil her until she relied on him for everything? If he didn’t love her, why did he still stick around? This man was poison — he’d rotted her heart and her soul right through, and here he was still acting like he gave a damn.

"Go meet Piper. Don’t waste your time here. I told you I’m fine," she said, her grip on the blanket never loosening.

"But I can’t leave you like this. What’s going on with you, Leia?" His soft, endless patience made it hurt even worse.

"I’m just cramping from my period," Leia blurted, desperate for any excuse to get him to leave.

"Alright, I’ll wait for you," Julian answered. He walked over to the sideboard, and a minute later he came back with a hot water bottle, painkillers, and a glass of warm water.

He stared down at her, at the way she clutched the blanket to her chest with those lost, heartbroken eyes, and said soft as silk: "Take the painkillers."

"Okay, just go. I’ll take them," Leia mumbled. Julian frowned. "Alright, then. I’m heading out. I asked Mrs. Tanner to make you oatmeal, okay?"

"Thanks," Leia breathed.

As soon as Julian’s footsteps faded down the hall, Leia flung the blanket off, gasping for air like she’d been drowning. Her face was streaked with tears, hot with all the messy emotion she’d just stuffed down. If she didn’t care, why did it hurt this bad? But she knew she cared. The truth of that hit her hard, and fresh tears spilled over before she could stop them.

Julian Shaw. You’re nothing but a cheating scumbag. A total asshole.

Worn out from sobbing, Leia dragged herself to the bathroom to wash up. The second she put her toothbrush in her mouth, a wave of nausea rolled over her so hard she could barely breathe.

Gag!

Gag!

Gag!

She spit up saliva with each dry heave, her stomach twisting into a tight, painful knot. Her chest ached worst of all, like someone was sitting on it, crushing her ribs. Sweat beaded on her forehead, dripping down her temple.

She leaned against the sink, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water on her heated face. A cold, creeping dread crawled up her spine. She’d missed her period last month… could she be pregnant?

The thought sent her reeling. If she was, she’d raise the baby alone. They’d used protection, sure, but things fail. If it happened, she wouldn’t think twice about doing it on her own.

Steeling herself, Leia finished washing up, pulled on a loose white casual outfit, and headed out.

Downstairs, Mrs. Tanner called after her: "Ma’am! You haven’t eaten your breakfast!"

Leia turned back and forced a smile: "I’ll skip it today, I have something urgent I need to do."

"Alright, honey. Be careful driving, won’t you? Mr. Shaw would be worried sick if something happened to you."

Worried? Leia paused mid-step. Would he, really?

Maybe he would have been, once. But not now. Not anymore.

In the clinic’s exam room, Leia handed her test results to the young doctor, her head spinning a little. "Doctor, could you take a look at these for me?"

The young doctor was handsome, polished, quiet and calm. He glanced up at Leia, and a flash of surprise crossed his face before it slid right back into neutral, professional mode. "Of course. Please, have a seat."

Leia sat down, her nerves buzzing. The ultrasound tech had already warned her the results might not be good, had pushed her to do more tests, and she’d been a walking zombie all morning. Now, watching the doctor furrow his brow, his face dropping into a grave line, her anxiety spiked until it was hard to breathe.

Finally, he looked up, his voice heavy with regret. "Do you have any family here with you?"

Leia frowned. "Is it bad? Just tell me. I can handle it."

Years of watching medical dramas had somehow prepared her for this exact moment.

The doctor sighed, clearly hating what he had to say next. "There’s good news and bad news. I just… I’m worried it’s going to be too much for you to take all at once."

Leia’s face tightened, panic coiling in her gut. "I can handle it. Please, just tell me."

Leaning forward, his expression serious, he said: "The good news is you’re two months pregnant, and the baby is developing perfectly."

Leia gasped. A rush of joy washed over her so fast it made her head spin, her pale cheeks lighting up with sudden, bright happiness. She was finally going to be a mom. She was carrying Julian’s baby — a little piece of them both.

But then the divorce agreement flashed through her mind, and that happiness died just as fast as it came. Her face went dead white again.

She clenched her hands in her lap, knuckles white. "What’s the bad news?"

Her sudden flip in expression caught the young doctor off guard, but he kept going: "The bad news is your mammogram showed a lump, and it’s almost certainly malignant. We’ll need to do a biopsy to confirm, but that’s the most likely outcome."

His words hit Leia like a lightning bolt straight to the chest. Her eyes blew wide, disbelieving. Her whole body started shaking uncontrollably, her nails digging so deep into her thigh they left crescent marks. Her bright, vibrant blue eyes went empty, all the life sucked right out of them as fear consumed her whole.

She never thought cancer would be part of this when she thought about being pregnant. Never.

After a long, breathless silence, she rasped out: "What do I do now?"

"You’ll need to terminate the pregnancy first, do the biopsy, and if it is breast cancer, we’ll need to do a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy."

Terminate the pregnancy? That’s a whole life. A living, breathing life.

It’s the only thing Julian ever left her.

A mastectomy… would she even still be a woman if she lost her breast? It was one of her best features. Losing it would leave her broken. Incomplete.

The exam room went dead quiet. A cold, heavy despair hung in the air, and hot tears welled up in Leia’s eyes, spilling over before she could stop them.

James. The name fit him—sharp, clean, just as appealing as the man himself.

"Thank you, Dr. James," Leia said, pushing herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled so bad she stumbled, but she caught herself on the exam table before she fell.

As he watched her walk out, something unreadable, tangled and twisted, settled over James's face.

Leia couldn't even tell you how she made it out of the hospital. Her mind was completely blank, like someone had wiped it clean. Even her usual bright, vibrant blue eyes felt dulled, dimmed by the weight of what she'd just learned.

The sky rumbled, and then rain suddenly poured from the sky. Leia tilted her face up to the sky, closing her eyes as the ice-cold water soaked her hair and skin. She couldn't even feel the cold anymore.

She stood there on the narrow sidewalk, completely drenched, while every other person around her scrambled for cover under store awnings.

One question looped over and over in her head: Should I tell Julian?

Rain mixed with her tears, and you couldn't tell one from the other anymore.

---

Julian had just walked Piper through the front door of their home. When the housekeeper, Mrs. Taylor, spotted the unexpected soft-spoken young woman on his arm, she froze for a second, stunned.

After a beat of awkward silence, she finally said, "Sir, you're home at last."

"I am," Julian replied, one hand steady on Piper's back as he guided her to the couch, every move protective.

"Piper, why don't you make yourself comfortable? I'll make you some hot cocoa. You just got in, the weather's turned absolute garbage out there—can't have you catching a chill," he said soft, his eyes warm with affection.

Mrs. Taylor couldn't wrap her head around how tender he was being. What on earth was going on here? Julian adored his wife. How could he be this attentive to another woman? Wouldn't that break Leia's heart?

"Thank you, Julian. Don't fuss over me, I'm not that fragile," Piper said with a sweet, gentle smile, brushing a strand of hair back from her face. Julian chuckled soft, and caught Mrs. Taylor staring at them, curious. He could feel her confusion, so he explained calm and steady: "Mrs. Taylor, this is Piper. She's going to be staying with us from now on."

"Oh," Mrs. Taylor breathed, her mind spinning with questions. What was this girl to Julian? How could she just waltz in here and stay like this? But she was just the housekeeper, so she smoothed her suspicions into a polite smile. "Hello there! Just call me Mrs. Taylor."

Piper smiled back, calm and composed, even if she still looked a little delicate around the edges. "Mrs. Taylor, just call me Piper, please."

"Alright, I'll go get dinner started for you two," Mrs. Taylor said, and headed for the kitchen, her brow furrowed the whole way, still turning over what the connection could be between Julian and this new girl.

Once Piper was settled, Julian stood up and shrugged out of his suit jacket. He scanned the house, and unease settled over his sharp, handsome features, a faint frown tugging at his mouth.

"Mrs. Taylor, where's Leia?" he asked.

Mrs. Taylor poked her head out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Mrs. Shaw said she was stepping out for a bit. Left around nine this morning, and it's almost five now—she still hasn't come back."

Julian's face went dark at the news, cold anxiety washing straight through him.

Piper could feel he was upset, so she reached out and gently rested her hand on his. "Julian, don't worry. Leia probably just got held up with something. She'll be home soon."

"But it's pouring out, and she hates the cold. I'm gonna call her, check in," he said, and pulled his hand away to grab for his phone. Piper's eyes flickered, a flash of sharp, cold malice gone before anyone could catch it. This woman had stolen her place for years and still refused to walk away. Now that Piper was back? There was no room left for Leia.

Julian paced the living room, jaw tight with frustration. God damn it—Leia's phone was straight to voicemail. He couldn't reach her at all. His concern slowly turned into irritation.

"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Taylor called from the kitchen.

Julian turned to Piper and said, "Why don't you go ahead and eat without me?"

"But..."

"It's fine. She's always been scared of storms, I can't just sit here and wait. Don't worry, I'll be right back with her," he reassured her, cupping her face gently and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Okay, but be careful," Piper answered, her voice laced with quiet disappointment. This little kiss on the forehead was the most intimate thing he'd ever done with her.

Julian grabbed an umbrella and headed straight out. The rain was only getting worse, the sky pitch black except for flashes of lightning that split it open, thunder rolling right after. His worry for Leia gnawed at him deeper every second.

Leia had no one—no friends, no family. She'd grown up in an orphanage. In their two years of marriage, she barely ever left the house, her timid nature kept her close to home. She was terrified of rain too. Whenever it poured, she'd hide inside and pull all the curtains closed. He'd asked her once why she hated it so much, and she'd told him, "My parents got swept away in a flood when I was seven. I never even found their bodies. That's why I'm scared."

Julian slid into his car fast and pulled out into the storm, windshield wipers fighting to keep the rain off the glass.

---

Leia didn't know how she'd dragged herself home, but by the time she made it to the front door, she was completely worn out, every bone in her body aching. When you've been pushed right to the edge of pain, fear doesn't have any hold on you anymore. The rain was just background noise, nothing more.

Pregnancy. Breast cancer. Divorce. Everything felt like a fleeting, bad dream that had vanished into thin air.

When Mrs. Taylor saw her, soaked and exhausted, she jumped. "Oh my goodness, Mrs. Shaw, what on earth happened to you? You're completely soaked through. Come in, go get a hot shower right away."

Leia forced a smile, and it felt like it took every bit of strength she had left. Raindrops ran from her forehead down to her lips, and they tasted salty when she spoke: "I forgot my umbrella, and I couldn't hail a cab for the life of me."

"Oh honey, Mr. Shaw went out looking for you. Didn't you run into him?"

Leia was surprised, and a tiny flicker of warmth bloomed in her cold chest. She shook her head. "No, we must have passed each other. I'll call him."

"Okay, Mrs. Shaw. Mr. Shaw really does care about you, I see it every day. He loves you so much."

Love. Leia laughed quiet to herself. Love's just like wine—only the person drinking it knows if it's bitter or sweet.

Right then, Piper walked into the entryway, her voice soft and smooth as silk. "Hello, Leia. I'm Piper Cooper."

Piper's soft voice, laced with quiet grace, pulled Leia's gaze up. When she looked, she saw nothing short of classic, timeless elegance.

Piper's long hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and she wore a crisp, perfect Victorian-style dress. Her fair skin still held the faint faint marks of recovery from illness, but her features were delicate, calm, the kind of quiet, fresh beauty that doesn't scream for attention but holds it anyway.

Next to her, Leia couldn't help but feel insecure. No wonder Julian preferred her. Leia's looks were too bold, too striking. She had these hypnotic dark eyes, with a tiny beauty mark in the corner that added an edge to her that people always misread.

Next to Piper, who was as ethereal and elegant as a white lily, Leia was just a bright, bold red rose—tempting, but untouchable.

Who wouldn't pick someone as refined and lovely as Piper? Especially when Leia showed up looking like a drowned rat.

Leia pulled herself out of her head, and smiled. "Hello, I'm Leia."

"You're completely soaked. Come in and change into something dry, or you'll catch a cold. Mrs. Taylor, could you bring Leia a warm cup of coffee?" Piper suggested, that faint thread of authority weaving right through her kind words. Leia hesitated for a second, then smiled and stepped inside.

Mrs. Taylor followed behind her, smiling. After Leia finished her shower, she walked out into the living room to find Julian was already home. The second he saw her, he hurried straight over.

"Where have you been all day? Why was your phone off? Do you have any idea how scared I was?"

"I'm sorry, my phone died. I just went to the hospital to pick up some medication for a stomachache," she explained. Even through his angry scolding, Leia felt that little flicker of sweet warmth in her chest.

Julian sighed, his voice softening immediately. "Next time, tell me before you go. Or let me come with you."

"Alright, don't worry," Leia promised him, as the rain kept beating against the windows outside.