Alexis Brandt POV:

My dreams were a cruel replay of the past. I saw myself, fresh out of college, crossing paths with a struggling Austin. He was just a kid then, ambitious but lost. I' d offered him my meager savings, believed in his crazy dreams. He swore he' d repay me, that he' d make me his queen. Then he found me, years later, a self-made billionaire. We built Aether Corp together. Every late night, every impossible line of code, every victory was ours. And then… the scandal. The insider trading. My choice. My sacrifice.

"Marry me, Alexis," he' d pleaded in the sterile courtroom, his eyes filled with tears, "I' ll wait for you. Five years, a lifetime, it doesn' t matter. You' re my everything."

I woke up, my face drenched in tears, the phantom pain of his betrayal a fresh ache. My arm throbbed, the burn from Eva' s porridge a constant, fiery reminder. My body felt heavy, bruised, and used. What a fool I' d been.

I dragged myself out of bed. The house was silent. Austin and Eva were gone. On my bedside table, a folded napkin. Austin' s scrawl. "Alexis, as long as you behave and keep Eva calm, anything you want is yours. We can be a family."

A family. I scoffed, a dry, humorless sound. I tore the napkin into tiny pieces, flushing them down the toilet. Family? With that viper and her parasitic child? Never.

My arm screamed with pain. I needed a doctor. I called a taxi, giving the driver the address of a small, discreet clinic I knew. The doctor, a kind older woman, cleaned and bandaged the wound without asking too many questions. As I was paying, the nurse handed me a file. "Mr. Alexander's medical report," she said. "He left it here last month."

My hand trembled as I took it. Why would Austin leave his medical report here? Curiosity, morbid and defiant, pricked at me. I fumbled with the clasp, and the folder sprang open, papers scattering across the floor. My eyes landed on a bold, damning phrase: "Azoospermia – permanent infertility."

My breath hitched. Infertility. Austin was sterile. Eva' s baby… it wasn' t his.

The realization hit me like a physical blow. All the lies, the manipulation, the pain he'd inflicted on me for a child that wasn't even his! My mind flashed back to Austin' s furious face, his accusations, his cold dismissal. All for a lie. The irony was so immense, so cruel, I almost laughed. But the laugh caught in my throat, turning into a choked sob that burned my eyes.

This was his karma. This was his reckoning.

I carefully gathered the papers, folded the report, and slipped it back into the file. I needed to be calm. I needed to be smart.

My phone buzzed. Austin. I answered, my voice surprisingly steady. "I'm at the clinic," I stated, offering no further explanation.

"Get over here now, Alexis." His voice was sharp, impatient. "I need you."

I felt a surge of disgust. He needed me. Always needed me. But never saw me. The emptiness in my heart solidified into cold resolve. He was a blind fool, led by the nose by a cunning snake. And I, the loyal one, had paid the price. I was done paying. It was time for him to.

Alexis Brandt POV:

Austin's security detail drove me to a secluded mountain temple, nestled in the Hollywood Hills. As I stepped out of the car, I saw them. Eva, draped dramatically against Austin, her head resting on his shoulder, looking pale and fragile. Disgust churned in my stomach.

"Oh, Alexis," Eva purred, her voice sickly sweet. "My poor baby must have been so frightened. We came here to pray, but I'm just too weak. Austin, darling, perhaps Alexis could pray for us? For our child's well-being?"

My brows shot up. My blood ran cold, hot fury bubbling beneath my skin. She wanted me, the real victim, to pray for her and her illegitimate child? I yanked my arm away from her touch, the flimsy pretense of civility vanishing.

Eva stumbled, a calculated sway that sent Austin's arm immediately around her waist. "Alexis!" Austin hissed, his voice lethal. "What are you doing? Eva is fragile. Go pray. Go beg for forgiveness. For your sins."

"My sins?" I choked, a bitter laugh escaping me. "The only sinners here are you and your whore."

Eva clutched Austin's arm, her eyes wide with feigned hurt. "Austin, don't! She's upset. Let me do it. I'll pray for our baby." She began to sink to her knees, a pathetic, manipulative display.

Austin's grip on her tightened, but his eyes were fixed on me, dark and menacing. "Don't push me, Alexis," he warned, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't make me use other means to make you obey."

I met his gaze, my own eyes cold and empty. A faint smile touched my lips. "Fine," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I'll pray."

I turned, my back to them, and began to ascend the ancient stone steps. My knees hit the rough stone, sending a jolt of pain through me. One step. Two steps. Each one a deliberate, agonizing act of submission. I heard Austin's sharp intake of breath, a flicker of something in his eyes. Was it guilt? Regret? I didn't care.

He watched me go, Eva clinging to him, her triumphant smirk hidden from his view. Step by painful step, I disappeared into the winding mountain path, the rising sun casting long, twisted shadows. My knees were numb, my forehead bleeding, but I kept going. It was a pilgrimage of penance, not for my sins, but for his.

By the time I reached the summit, the sky was a bruised purple and orange. Austin and Eva stood waiting at the temple doors, their faces impassive. I staggered, my legs barely holding me up. My voice was hoarse, ragged. "Is this enough, Austin?"

Eva, still not satisfied, piped up. "Perhaps a few hours of chanting, darling? For extra blessings?"

Austin snapped. His face contorted with a sudden, violent rage. "Enough!" he roared, cutting her off.

Eva flinched, startled by his unexpected outburst. The world swam before my eyes. My body swayed, then gave way. I collapsed.

Austin's face contorted with alarm. He rushed forward, catching me before I hit the ground. His arms were surprisingly gentle as he scooped me up, his panic palpable. "Alexis!" he cried, his voice laced with genuine fear. He hurried down the mountain, carrying me, shouting for his car.

Alexis Brandt POV:

I woke to the sterile scent of antiseptic, the soft hum of hospital machinery. Austin sat beside my bed, his face etched with concern, but his presence felt like a violation.

"Alexis? How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice soft, almost tender. He reached for my hand.

My heart was a block of ice. I pulled my hand away. His tenderness felt false, a cruel parody of the man I once knew. I remembered countless mornings like this, him hovering, bringing me breakfast in bed, brushing my hair from my face. Those memories were poisoned now.

"I'm hungry," I said, my voice flat, emotionless. "I want the steamed buns from that place on the west side of the city." It was a test. Our favorite place, miles away, always a special treat.

Austin paused, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, then nodded. "I'll go get them," he said, rising.

The moment he left, a suffocating feeling choked me. I needed air. Needed to escape the confines of this room, the memories it evoked. My body was still weak, but I forced myself out of bed, my feet dragging. The corridor was empty. I needed to clear my head.

As I rounded the stairwell, I heard voices. Eva's, loud and triumphant. I froze.

"He actually believes it!" Eva crowed, her voice dripping with malice. "He's so stupid. He'll never check!"

Another voice, a man's, low and cautious. "Don't be careless, Eva. He's not as foolish as you think."

"Oh, please. You brought me to him, Julian. You'll make sure everything works out, won't you?" Eva giggled. "He' s so obsessed with Alexis, he just needed a replacement. And I'm the perfect one. Once I drain Aether Corp dry, we'll be set for life!"

My heart hammered against my ribs. Aether Corp. My company. My sacrifice. This was a setup. A corporate espionage plot. And I was the pawn. My hands trembled, but I fumbled for my phone, hitting record. Every word, every poisonous confession, was being captured.

A tin can, carelessly placed on the floor, clattered as my foot grazed it. Eva' s head snapped up. Her eyes, devoid of their usual sweetness, were sharp, predatory. "Who's there?"

I stepped out, my face a mask of feigned innocence. "No one," I whispered, trying to walk away.

But Eva was faster. Her true colors showed, a venomous flash. "Oh, Alexis," she hissed, her voice a cruel parody of her usual sweetness. "Just the person I wanted to see. I was wondering how to get rid of you."

Before I could react, she lunged, grabbing my arm. Then, with sickening precision, she feigned another stumble, dragging me with her. We tumbled down the long, unforgiving hospital stairwell. My head hit the concrete steps, sending stars exploding behind my eyes. Pain seared through my body.

Austin, steamed buns in hand, appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes wide with horror. He saw me standing, then Eva tumbling. His face contorted, a primal rage erupting. "Eva!" he roared, dropping the food, rushing to her side.

Eva, clutching her stomach, wailed. "My baby! Alexis... she pushed me! She tried to kill us!"

Austin's head snapped up, his gaze burning through me, hotter than any fire. "You evil bitch!" he screamed, his voice laced with pure hatred. "You're a monster! You're worse than an animal!"

I stood there, blood trickling from a cut on my forehead, my body a mangled mess of pain. I touched my chest, my heart strangely numb. There were no words. Only this crushing emptiness.