“I'm so sorry, Chris. I never should've told you about Gage. It's caused nothing but trouble, and that's on me. But don't worry—I'm going to take Gage and leave. I wouldn't want to mess up what you have with Eliana.”

“Let's not do this now, Octavia. Gage is my son. You're not taking him anywhere. I'll handle everything. Just focus on taking care of him.”

Eliana stood by the elevator, too far away to hear what Christopher and Octavia were saying. All she could see was Christopher gripping Octavia's trembling shoulders, his face tight with worry and tenderness.

Eliana forced herself to act like she hadn't seen a thing and headed for her car. But at the door, she realized her keys were gone.

Her purse was a mess, so she knelt and dumped everything onto the ground, searching carefully. Suddenly, a pair of polished black dress shoes stopped in front of her.

“Looking for this?”

Eliana looked up. Christopher was holding her keys. She'd forgotten she'd taken them out in the elevator and dropped them by the doorway—right where he could find them.

“Thanks.”

She stood and reached for the keys, but her fingers only caught the keychain. Christopher didn't let go.

Eliana met his cold, piercing gaze again.

“Eliana, I get that this thing with Gage is hard for you to accept. But if you're going to be angry, be angry at me.”

His tone was calm, but his words were a warning, plain and simple.

Ha.

A mocking smile flickered across Eliana's lips. How ironic. She was the one who'd been lied to and hurt, and yet she was being cast as the villain.

“Christopher, you've got it wrong. There's nothing I can't accept.”

“Oh, and don't forget to sign the divorce papers. I'll see you at the solicitor's office next Monday.”

Steeling herself, Eliana finally pried the keys from Christopher's hand. Christopher watched her drive off without looking back, his expression hardening to ice.

Three years of marriage, and Eliana had always been gentle, kind, considerate. She'd stayed composed in front of him, never once storming off the way she had today.

Instead of going home, Eliana went to her friend Zora's apartment. Zora was working the night shift and had left warm dinner rolls out for her, but Eliana couldn't eat.

Exhausted, she curled up on the sofa and didn't move. The ache in her chest dulled into numbness—she felt nothing. All she wanted was to get out of the city as soon as possible.

She'd already made plans with her adoptive brother, Bradley, to work at his media company overseas as a screenwriter, helping him out wherever she could.

In college, a script she'd written had been picked up by a famous director and turned into a hit drama series. After graduation, several top production companies offered her jobs. But the Harvey family accepted the Petersons' proposal for an arranged marriage, and she married Christopher right after graduation.

Now, as she planned her exit from the Harvey family, she could finally chase the career she'd always wanted.

But before she could move on, she had loose ends to tie. One of them: finding the person who'd been swapping her vitamins for birth control pills over the past three years.

Two days later, the results came back:

“Eliana, we found him. Just like you thought. The guy who swapped out your imported vitamins was a courier named Liam Stone. He's already left the delivery company.”

“But I did some digging. Liam's ex-girlfriend used to work as Octavia Jensen's assistant.”

“Octavia!”

Zora's words hit Eliana like a jolt. She hadn't expected any of this to trace back to that woman.

“So it's possible Octavia secretly paid her assistant—and her assistant's ex—to make sure I couldn't get pregnant. That way, she'd have a better shot at bringing her child into the Harvey family.”

Eliana's grip tightened around her coffee mug.

Christopher had hidden that woman and child from her. She could accept that. She wouldn't fight or argue. She was even willing to step aside. But if Octavia was behind the vitamin switch, Eliana couldn't swallow her rage.

Around noon, Eliana went to a luxury hotel. When she knocked on the presidential suite, Octavia opened the door, looking surprised:

“Eliana?”

“I have something to ask you.”

Eliana skipped the pleasantries and walked right in. With no one else around, she cut straight to the point:

“Do you know Liam Stone?”

A flicker crossed Octavia's perfectly made-up face before she shook her head, playing dumb:

“No, I don't know him. Who is he?”

“You really don't know?”

“I don't think I've ever heard that name.”

“Well, he was your former assistant's boyfriend. From what I hear, your former assistant, Tammy Chen, tried to kill herself over Liam while she was working for you.”

“So, Ms. Jensen, you're sure you don't know him?”

Eliana's piercing gaze locked onto Octavia's innocent act. Life wasn't some story full of dramatic coincidences.

Octavia's fingers curled tighter instinctively, but her face stayed locked in that mask of innocence:

“Eliana, I really didn't know Tammy's ex-boyfriend was named Liam Stone. My relationship with Tammy was strictly professional. I don't pry into people's private lives.”

“And what about Iris Rhodes?”

Eliana pressed on. Iris Rhodes was the one who'd first recommended the imported vitamins to her. She, Octavia, and Iris had all been classmates at the same university. Iris and Octavia had been close friends in the theater program.

“Octavia, surely you remember Iris Rhodes?”

Eliana stepped closer, her sharp gaze fixed on the subtle shifts in Octavia's expression. She'd already caught a flicker of guilt in Octavia's shrewd eyes when Liam's name first came up. Now, as she asked about Iris, Octavia's gaze wavered.

“Mama!”

Before Octavia could answer, a child's voice rang out from the doorway. Eliana looked over and saw Christopher walk in with a small child in his arms—presumably his and Octavia's child.

“Eliana, what are you doing here?”

Christopher's face darkened the second he saw Eliana with Octavia.

“Chris, it's fine. Eliana just came by for a casual chat.”

Octavia rushed to explain before Eliana could get a word out. But as she tried to reassure him, Christopher noticed Octavia's eyes welling up. His expression turned even colder as he strode over and grabbed Eliana:

“Come with me.”

“Let go!”

Eliana shook him off hard and pulled the vitamin bottle from her bag:

“Christopher, I came here because of this…”

“Chris, it really wasn’t me!”

When Eliana Harvey confronted Christopher with her suspicions about the vitamins—spilling out everything she’d found in a rush—Octavia Jensen flat-out denied it.

“I honestly don’t even know Tammy’s ex-boyfriend’s name. After she stopped working for me, we lost touch. Why would I ever conspire against Eliana?”

“Eliana, I know my presence—and our child—has hurt you. If you’re angry, yell at me. Hit me, even. But I can’t admit to something I haven’t done!”

Eliana watched Octavia deliver an award-worthy performance. Guilt clung to her like a shadow, yet she played the innocent part flawlessly. And female intuition? It gave Eliana an answer she couldn’t ignore.

“Octavia, you know exactly what you did.”

“Enough, Eliana!”

Christopher’s voice sliced through, cold and firm. He couldn’t believe Octavia would swap Eliana’s vitamins for contraceptives. She hadn’t been back to Dublin in years. The Octavia he knew wouldn’t hurt an ant—let alone do something so despicable.

“Daddy’s scary, Mommy. I’m scared!”

Christopher’s sharp tone and dark expression frightened little Gage, who ran straight into Octavia’s arms.

“Shh, Gage. It’s okay. Mommy’s here. Don’t be scared.”

Octavia knelt on the carpet, gently soothing the child in her arms. Seeing the guilt flicker across Christopher’s face for scaring his son, Eliana tightened her grip on the vitamin bottle. Suddenly, the truth didn’t seem to matter anymore.

“Eliana!”

Christopher snapped out of it and caught Eliana leaving. He hurried after her and grabbed her arm.

“I’ll get to the bottom of this. I’ll give you an explanation.”

“Don’t bother!”

Eliana shook him off.

“Maybe I should thank whoever switched my vitamins for contraceptives. At least I didn’t end up having your child!”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Eliana?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

With a bitter smile, Eliana turned and stepped into the elevator without looking back.

Watching her go, Christopher frowned deeply, his mind spinning. Who could have swapped Eliana’s vitamins for contraceptives? Could it really be…?

“Chris, Gage is having an episode!”

Octavia shouted suddenly, jolting Christopher from his thoughts. He rushed back into the room and found Gage convulsing on the floor. He scooped Gage into his arms and shouted for someone to call an ambulance.

Eliana left the hotel and slipped straight into Zora Morales’s waiting car. Earlier, Zora had wanted to confront Octavia with her, but Eliana had insisted on handling it alone.

“Eliana, what did she say? You don’t look good—did it get ugly?”

“No.”

Eliana shook her head wearily, closed her eyes, and sank into the seat. Her mind replayed the way Christopher had stood protectively beside Octavia and their little family. Somehow, the truth had stopped mattering.

“Zora, once my visa goes through, I’m leaving.”

She opened her eyes and gave Zora a wry smile. Zora understood: Eliana’s disappointment in Christopher was pushing her to leave Dublin as soon as possible. Sympathy twisted in Zora’s chest, and she pulled Eliana into a warm hug.

“Eliana, you have to let go of the people who hurt you. There’s nothing worth holding on to. You’re amazing, and someday you’ll find someone who treasures you.”

Eliana just leaned on Zora’s shoulder, tears falling quietly. She no longer dared hope for someone better. At first, she’d thought maybe she didn’t deserve Christopher. But marriage should be a partnership of equals, and she wasn’t going to make herself small for anyone.

At the very least, she had loved and given with her whole heart. Why should she have to accept a marriage tainted by betrayal?

Later that afternoon, Eliana got a call from her adoptive father, George Peterson, inviting her over for dinner. She agreed, planning to see her adoptive parents before leaving the country. That evening, she bought gifts and went back to the Peterson house.

George and his wife, Calliope, had prepared a lavish dinner. But when they saw Eliana arrive alone, George’s disappointment showed.

“Eliana, why didn’t Chris come with you?”

“He’s busy today.”

Eliana didn’t mention Christopher’s illegitimate child.

Her mother had left her for a wealthy businessman when she was five, and her father had raised her after that. At eight, her father died in a work-related car accident while driving for the Petersons. Out of guilt, the Petersons took her in—but they treated her like nothing more than a servant’s child, never with real warmth.

Three years ago, when Tessa Mason decided on a whim to match Eliana with Christopher, George eagerly proposed the union. Mrs. Mason arranged the marriage soon after. Only then did the Petersons start treating Eliana well—not out of love, but because they wanted to flatter the Harveys and save their nearly bankrupt real estate company.

Eliana knew full well that if her adoptive parents found out she planned to divorce Christopher, they’d fight her tooth and nail. So she kept her plans to herself—at least until she left for good.

Despite his disappointment over Christopher’s absence, George knew better than to offend Eliana—now the family’s golden ticket. Throughout dinner, he and Calliope were overwhelmingly warm and welcoming, letting Eliana pretend, just for a moment, that she had a family.

After dinner, as Eliana sat with Calliope on the sofa, her adoptive mother brought up the topic carefully.

“Eliana, you know your father’s company has struggled since the crisis three years ago. Fortunately, a project we’re developing now looks very promising.”

“We’d hate to let someone else swoop in and reap the benefits. Would you mind asking Chris if he’d be interested in investing? We’re family, after all. It’s good to make money together.”

As she spoke, Calliope handed Eliana a document folder. Eliana paused for a moment, then took it and opened it. Inside was a property development proposal and an investment contract.

So this was the real reason her adoptive parents had called her back tonight.

The fleeting warmth Eliana had felt in the Peterson home vanished in that instant. Ever since they’d taken her in eighteen years ago, she’d known George and Calliope had never truly seen her as their daughter.

Still, no matter what, they had given her a home when she was an abandoned child. For that, she would always be grateful.

Yet, holding the documents as she left the Peterson house, Eliana felt like she was carrying something scalding. She’d resolved to divorce Christopher. How could she possibly ask him to invest in the Petersons’ project?

After leaving the Peterson residence, Eliana wandered with no destination, the hours blurring together. It was well past midnight when she finally made it back to the villa.

"Mrs. Harvey, you're back!" the housekeeper greeted her.

"Is Christopher here?"

"No, he hasn't come home yet."

"Oh."

Eliana nodded. He was probably still with Octavia and their son, Gage. Heavy with thoughts, she went upstairs and pulled out the proposal her adoptive mother, Calliope Peterson, had given her. She stared at it blankly for a while, then headed into the bathroom for a bath.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, the bedroom door swung open. Christopher walked in. Eliana froze in the doorway.

She was wrapped in nothing but a towel. She'd planned to let her skin air-dry before changing into pajamas—she hadn't expected him home so late. The towel barely covered her, doing little to hide her long, shapely legs. Droplets slid down the elegant line of her collarbone and disappeared into the soft curve of her chest. Her skin glowed like porcelain—fresh and pure, like a rose newly risen from water.

Christopher's expression darkened at the sight of her, ethereal and fresh from the bath. He crossed the room toward her with purpose.

"Why didn't you dry your hair?" he asked, sliding his cool fingers through her damp hair, grazing her cheek.

His touch made Eliana go rigid. Sensing her resistance, Christopher pulled her into his arms.

"Still mad at me?" he murmured, his warm breath fanning her ear, his lips brushing the shell of it.

"I need to dry my hair," Eliana said, trying to pull away, but his arms locked around her.

He lifted her onto the counter like she weighed nothing, then grabbed the hairdryer and started drying her hair himself.

"I can do it myself," Eliana protested, reaching for the dryer. His quiet, irritated whisper stopped her cold.

"I hate it when you push me away."

His eyes were dark, deep—a swirling vortex that threatened to pull her under. His hand slid through her hair, tilting her face up, his thumb brushing her lips.

"Eliana..." He switched off the dryer, his voice a low murmur against her ear, hot with unmistakable want. "I want you."

"It's late. I just want to sleep—mmph!"

Eliana wasn't in the mood for intimacy, but he silenced her protests with a commanding kiss. In three years of marriage, unless it was that time of the month, he'd sought her out often. She'd once thought his intensity meant his feelings were growing. Now she realized it might have been nothing but physical. If he truly cared, how could he have lied to her for so long?

The thought of the child he'd had with Octavia made her resist. Christopher released her with an irritated sigh. He watched her clutch the towel to her chest, her eyes red with shame. Some of his anger ebbed, but the tightness in his jaw and neck gave him away.

Not wanting to drag out the standoff, Eliana slipped past him and left the bathroom. When she came back from the closet in her pajamas, she froze. Christopher was holding a document—the proposal Calliope had given her. She hadn't decided how to bring it up with him. Now he'd found it on his own.

"So this is why you came back tonight?" he asked, lifting the proposal.

Caught, Eliana pressed her lips together. She couldn't deny it. If not for this, she wouldn't have come back at all.

"Ha..." A cold laugh escaped him. He nodded slowly. "I was just a cash cow for your family, wasn't I?"

The bitter sarcasm in his words cut straight through her. Was that really how he saw her?

"Christopher..." She wanted to explain, but he cut her off, snatching up a pen to sign the contract at the end of the proposal.

"Are you satisfied now? Stay away from Octavia and Gage. Otherwise, I'll make sure the Petersons pay back every penny they've taken from me over the years."

His warning was clear, final. He tossed the signed contract at her and slammed the door behind him. The sound echoed through the room—and straight through Eliana.

For a long moment, she just stood there. Then, slowly, she bent down and picked up the contract. Her face was pale, but she managed a bitter smile. He'd agreed to invest—not out of love for her, but to keep her away from Octavia and their child. Shame crashed over her, overwhelming. In a burst of frustration, Eliana ripped the signed contract to shreds and flung the pieces into the air. She couldn't betray her adoptive parents' trust—but she would not endure more humiliation for Octavia and her child.

Monday morning, Christopher was in a board meeting when his phone buzzed. Eliana's name flashed on the screen. He declined the call. A text came through seconds later:

"Christopher Harvey, I'm waiting for you at the solicitor's office. If you don't show up, you'll regret it!"

His expression darkened. Everyone in the room noticed; silence fell. But Christopher ignored the summons. He turned off his phone and continued the meeting. He had no intention of going to the solicitor's office.

Until his assistant, Uriel Mason, rushed in.

"Mr. Harvey, something's wrong..."

No one heard what Uriel whispered, but they all watched Christopher's face go grim. He left the meeting without another word. Curious looks passed around the table. In the eight years since he'd taken over the company fresh out of college, Christopher had never walked out of a meeting halfway through—no matter how bad the crisis. What could possibly be urgent enough now?