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?

Outside the solicitor's office, Eliana Harvey waited for Christopher Harvey to arrive so they could begin the divorce process. After everything that had happened the night before, she knew their marriage was past saving. Even if Octavia’s child had been conceived before the wedding, even if he’d never physically cheated, the way he focused on Octavia and their child—the favoritism—was something she could neither forgive nor accept.

She waited until the office closed for lunch, and finally spotted Christopher heading toward her.

“Eliana, is this your handiwork?” Christopher demanded, storming up the steps and shoving his phone in her face.

“What are you talking about?” Eliana asked, confused—until she saw the photos on his phone. Pictures of Christopher with Octavia and their child had leaked online. Octavia was a high-profile actress, and having a child with a married man was plastered all over the entertainment news—a full-blown scandal.

Eliana was taken aback. Why was Christopher—when she was the victim—coming at her with such anger?

“What do you mean, Christopher?”

“Are you really going to play dumb?” he said through gritted teeth, his grip tightening around her wrist. “Did you send that text this morning, threatening I’d regret it if I didn’t show up? Is this your doing?”

“So, Christopher, you’re accusing me of leaking your affair online?”

Stunned by his anger and accusations, Eliana felt she had to clarify. “I didn’t do it. The message I sent was just…”

She remembered what he’d told her before—that he didn’t want to upset his grandmother because of her fragile health. She’d been afraid he wouldn’t show for the divorce, so she’d sent him a firm text to make sure he followed through. All she’d meant was that if he didn’t come, she’d go ahead and file on her own.

“Enough, Eliana!” Christopher barked, cutting her off before she could finish.

“Mark my words: if anything happens to Octavia and Gage because of this, I won’t let you off the hook!” With one last cold, heartless warning, he turned and walked away.

Eliana stood at the office entrance, watching his car disappear. The chill wind slipped down her collar, and she wrapped her arms around her shaking shoulders. This was the man she’d been married to for three years. He had betrayed her and hurt her—and now he was blaming her for a scandal involving another woman.

“That jerk Christopher, throwing you under the bus to protect her? What kind of man does that?” Zora Morales fumed when she pulled up to pick Eliana up. She was furious at how Christopher had misunderstood and insulted her friend, but she couldn’t deny a grim satisfaction that the media had finally caught wind of Christopher, Octavia, and their love child. “Octavia having a baby out of wedlock with a married man? That’s going to hit her career in the entertainment industry hard. Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person!”

Unlike Zora, Eliana stayed calm. She stared out the window at the familiar city, saying a silent goodbye. She’d planned to finish the divorce and then leave, but now she didn’t want to wait another day.

“Zora, my visa was approved this morning. I’m leaving in a couple of days. Please take care of yourself.”

Eliana glanced back at Zora, her heart tight with reluctance to leave behind her closest friend.

“Why so soon?” Zora asked, surprised. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her best friend—a sister, really. Still, she understood that leaving was the only way Eliana could escape this deep despair.

Determined to move on, Eliana booked a flight for the next day. Her luggage, however, was still at the mansion. The last time she’d tried to leave, Christopher had stopped her. And earlier, the housekeeper had refused to tell her where her suitcase was hidden.

Eliana decided to return to the mansion while the housekeeper was out on her usual afternoon shopping trip. As she approached the door, a group of tabloid reporters suddenly swarmed her:

“Ma’am, are you Mrs. Harvey, the wife of the CEO of Harvey Group? Did you know about today’s news regarding your husband’s illegitimate child?”

“There have been rumors for years that actress Octavia was Mr. Harvey’s true love. Were you aware of their past? And why didn’t Mr. Harvey marry Octavia instead?”

“When you and Mr. Harvey married, had he already ended things with Octavia? When did you learn about their child?”

“Or has Mrs. Harvey known about the child all along and silently approved?”

The reporters bombarded her with questions, leaving Eliana momentarily stunned, unable to respond.

Three years ago, when she married Christopher, there had been no wedding ceremony because his father had died shortly before. Over the years, Christopher had never included her in public appearances, making this her first exposure as Mrs. Harvey—in the most ironic way possible.

As Eliana stood frozen, unsure how to handle the press, a luxury car pulled up to the mansion entrance. An elegant middle-aged woman stepped out—Winona. A sense of foreboding washed over Eliana as her mother-in-law approached.

Sure enough, Winona walked straight to the reporters and spoke without hesitation.

“I'm Winona Harvey, Christopher’s mother. Thank you all for your interest in our family matters. Allow me to answer your questions.”

“First, as his mother, I know my son’s heart. Over the years, the only woman he has truly loved is Octavia. I admire her goodness and understanding. She was always our ideal choice for a daughter-in-law.”

“Unfortunately, my son was ensnared by a manipulative woman, which led to his separation from Octavia. Noble as she is, Octavia kept her pregnancy a secret and moved abroad with the child.”

Her words set the reporters off at once:

“Who is this manipulative woman who came between Christopher and Octavia?”

“What do you think?” Winona sneered, casting a mocking look at a pale-faced Eliana.