Dinner time crept up before Lilah realized it, and it wasn't until a servant reminded her that she finally shut her laptop and stood up.

The sky outside was already darkening, with only the villa still lit up.

She followed the servant downstairs into the dining room, still in her workwear. Even though the former Lilah hadn't been all there mentally, she'd always joined them for meals.

At the table, Gabriel sat across from Verity, both dressed neatly for dinner.

Little Aiden sat quietly beside Verity, holding his utensils in his small hands. His silent expression was a copy of Gabriel's, like they were cut from the same mold.

Verity wore a gentle, just-right smile as she leaned over to adjust Aiden's napkin, speaking softly, "Aiden, how's the creamy mushroom soup today? I had the kitchen add extra mushrooms just for you."

But her eyes, clearly, were stealing glances at Gabriel, a faint pink coloring her cheeks like she was glowing with joy.

Gabriel was slicing into his steak, movements smooth and effortless-detached, though, as always.

The whole scene had that fake family warmth vibe, making Lilah's sudden arrival feel like she didn't belong.

Lilah's eyes scanned the table until she spotted the extra seat placed off to the side.

She walked over, picked up the plate set there, and calmly placed it right next to Gabriel-directly across from Aiden-and sat down without hesitation.

Verity froze, visibly thrown by the bold move.

The air felt like it thickened for a second, even the servants opted to stare at the ground, pretending to disappear.

The subtle clatter of cutlery on porcelain was the only sound, as Gabriel stopped moving entirely. The tension around him was unmistakable, his lips pressed tight, giving Lilah a glare icy enough to cut glass.

"What?" Lilah met his gaze, calm and unbothered. "You're not seriously suggesting Aiden's biological mother sit way over in the corner, are you?"

The overhead light highlighted the sharp angles of Gabriel's face, casting a cool shadow that made his expression even harder.

But Lilah didn't flinch. She lifted an eyebrow slightly, her eyes still as water-quiet, deep, unreadable. But her message was clear: I'm sitting here. Deal with it.

And her title as Aiden's mother still held power. Gabriel said nothing-just picked up his utensils again like he accepted it, even if reluctantly.

The second it became clear he wasn't going to argue, Verity's fake smile nearly cracked. Her fingers clenched around her napkin, knuckles going pale.

She forced out a sweet tone. "Lilah, what brings you to this side of the table today? Feeling unwell, maybe?"

"You're just a nanny on the Wallace payroll. Do you really think it's your place to ask?" Lilah said casually, running her fork through the vegetables on her plate.

The word "nanny" landed like a slap across Verity's face-twice.

Color drained from her cheeks, but she didn't dare shoot back.

She saw Gabriel reach for the salt, and quickly leaned in to hand it to him first, acting like everything was fine.

Her movement was so smooth it was almost affectionate, like she belonged right there next to him.

Lilah gave an unhurried smirk. "Honestly, Miss Nolan's nanny energy feels more like First Lady of the House."

"I didn't mean anything by it... just trying to help..." Verity looked like she'd cry, turning towards Gabriel with a pitiful "Gabe..."

Just then, Gabriel moved. He gently but clearly shifted away from her, brushing off the gesture without even looking bothered.

Verity bit down on her lower lip hard.

That crazy woman really did just humiliate me right in front of him.

Bitch.

Lilah, meanwhile, acted like she hadn't noticed Verity's murderous glare.

Instead, her eyes landed on the plate of shrimp in front of Aiden. The little guy had tried a few times to reach it but kept falling short, and eventually gave up, poking at his rice in silence.

Without saying anything, Lilah leaned over slightly and nudged the shrimp plate closer to him.

Aiden blinked, stunned. His big dark eyes went wide with surprise.

This was new. The mom he remembered only ever yelled at Verity. But tonight, she wasn't mad at all.

He looked at the plate that had suddenly appeared in front of him, then quickly sneaked a glance at Lilah.

Lilah glanced back and gave him a quiet smile, doing her best to look warm and gentle.Aiden ducked his head, poking at the rice in his bowl. His long lashes trembled slightly.

"Aiden, you've got a bit of sauce by your mouth. Lemme help you wipe it off."

Verity suddenly leaned in, picking up a napkin and dabbing at Aiden's lips.

Startled by the sudden gesture, Aiden shrank back a bit, his little face scrunching up with discomfort.

"Miss Nolan, Aiden's fully capable of taking care of himself. You don't need to jump in for everything," Lilah said, frowning slightly.

Verity's hand paused midair, then she quickly put on her usual soft, innocent smile. "I mean, I've always looked after him. He's still so little, I just want to make him feel cared for..."

"He's little, which is exactly why he needs to learn to do things on his own. Besides, you're not exactly gentle-you didn't notice he looked uncomfortable?" Lilah shot back, her tone sharpening.

Verity's fingers loosened their grip instinctively. Her face darkened for a split second.

Gabriel looked up from his meal, gaze flickering toward Aiden.

The kid rubbed his own cheek, expression turning slightly sour.

A flash of something unreadable passed through Gabriel's eyes before his face returned to its usual impassiveness.

He said in a flat tone, "Let Aiden eat on his own."

That one sentence landed like a slap across Verity's face, echoing what Lilah had said.

Verity stiffened in her seat, staying silent now.

But her fingers clenched tight around the utensils, a faint bitterness flaring in her eyes.

Lilah, just you wait.

Dinner was finally over-thankfully.

Lilah set down her napkin, wanting nothing more than to get away from this suffocating table.

Her eyes landed on Aiden-his soft, sweet little face tugged at her heartstrings.

Too bad the original woman's insanity had pushed Gabriel to sever all ties with her and her son.

As she stood to leave, a small hand tugged gently on the corner of her shirt.

Aiden looked up at her, hesitant eyes blinking. "Can I... take the puppy out for a walk with you?"

Lilah was caught off guard, eyes flashing with surprise. Before she could say a word, a sharp voice cut in.

"Aiden!" Verity stomped over, yanking at his hand without warning. "You're such a good boy, but your mom's not in the right state to walk with you, sweetie..."

She pulled on him so hard it made Aiden wince, his shoulder tensing up, though he didn't dare push back.

Seeing the sad look on his face, a rage sparked hot and fast in Lilah's chest.

"Miss Nolan, your job is to care for the child, not to control him."

She stepped forward, gaze fierce, locking on Verity like a laser beam.

"If Aiden wants his mom's company, you-as the nanny-don't get to overrule him."

Verity widened her eyes, playing innocent. "Lilah, I get you're upset, but I've been raising him all this time..."

"Enough."

Gabriel's low, cold voice cut through the tension.

No one had noticed him getting up, but now he stood with unreadable eyes trained on them.

"Let Aiden go with whoever he wants."

Verity's face went pale. She said nothing further, but the unwillingness showed plainly.

Lilah ignored Verity's poisonous look and reached a hand out toward Aiden. "Let's go."

...

The fluffy white puppy bounded ahead, the leash loose in Aiden's grip.

Lilah slowed down her pace to keep a short distance behind.

Then suddenly-Aiden tripped over something and tumbled forward hard.

Gabriel had followed along out of worry for Lilah.

Seeing Aiden fall, his face instantly darkened. "Lilah! What did you do?!"

But she reacted faster than he did. The moment Aiden lost his balance, she dropped to her knees.

Both arms folded tightly around Aiden, catching him securely before he hit the ground. Her voice rose a notch, edged with fury. "Gabriel, are you blind or what?!"

Protectively cradling Aiden, Lilah glared up at Gabriel.

He froze for a second, caught off guard, staring at her delicate, worried face. For a moment, it felt like he was really seeing her for the first time.

Her neat clothes outlined her elegant features, and her eyes, though glaring at him, burned with a fierce sort of beauty. And strangely... his heart skipped a beat instead of feeling offended.

The moonlight was chilly, and even the breeze seemed to have paused.

Gabriel gradually let go of the hostility in his eyes. He bent down carefully to check Aiden's injuries-just some scrapes, nothing serious. Then his gaze shifted to Lilah.

He was quiet for a moment before he finally said in a low voice, "Sorry. I blamed you."

Wait, what? Gabriel... actually apologized?

Lilah froze for a beat.

She instantly tapped into her inner actress, blinking a few times, her long lashes fluttering.

"In your eyes, am I really that awful?" she asked, voice trembling slightly, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked straight into Gabe's.

"I know I messed up before, lost control sometimes. But I've never hurt Aiden."

Her words hit like a key turning in a lock, unlocking something in Gabriel's memory.

That delicate, tear-streaked face overlapped with the screaming mess he remembered. The soft stir of sympathy he'd just begun to feel was quickly drowned by a wave of doubt. Was she playing the same card again-just fishing for pity?

But something in her expression-real hurt, maybe-made him hesitate. A flicker of confusion flickered through him.

Truth be told, no matter how over-the-top Lilah had acted in the past, she'd never once laid a hand on Aiden. Her only target had always been Verity. If Gabriel thought carefully, none of Verity's stories could actually be proven.

It all came down to one question-who did he trust?

Catching that trace of hesitation in his eyes, Lilah sneered inwardly, but on the outside, she cried harder.

Gabriel frowned deeply, overwhelmed by a wave of restlessness and inner mess.

He got up, tone cold and clipped again. "To the doctor."

He reached out, trying to pull Aiden away from her arms, but Aiden only clung tighter to her, shrinking back slightly.

"Can Mom come too?" he murmured, eyes wide and pleading as he glanced up at Gabriel.

Lilah had just been thinking about how to sway Gabriel further.

Hearing that, she immediately lifted her tear-streaked face to meet his gaze.

Gabriel froze for a second, then gave a stiff nod. "Fine. Come."

Lilah hid the small victory glow in her eyes and stood up cautiously.

For the first time, the three of them walked side by side down the dim path.

But just as they reached the clinic, a silhouette darted toward them-Verity.

Clearly she'd heard something and rushed over. "Aiden, are you okay?"

The moment Verity saw Aiden holding Lilah's hand, her expression soured.

That brat! Already getting close to Lilah?

She'd told him a million times-Lilah's insane!

Does he have a memory of a goldfish?!

She reached for Aiden, trying to pull him away with a face full of fake worry. "Let me take care of him."

"Verity." Lilah shifted slightly, stepping between her and Aiden. "There's a doctor here. Or are you planning to moonlight as one now too?""Lilah, I was just worried..." Verity tried to keep calm, but her eyes were glistening with fake concern as she looked at Gabriel. "Besides, Aiden isn't nearly as timid when he's with me."

"If you care so much, Miss Nolan, how about getting him a glass of water? That's more in line with what your 'job' looks like," Lilah shot back with a smirk, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Verity was completely thrown off, her face flushing red then turning pale in seconds.

Gabriel's voice finally cut through the tension, cold and commanding. "That's enough. Let the doctor check him."

Like hitting a pause button, Verity froze. She clenched her jaw, clearly pissed, and stepped aside, though her eyes stayed locked on Lilah like venomous darts.

Since when did Lilah get so close to Gabriel?

Jealousy clawed at Verity's insides, and she bit her lip hard. No... this couldn't go on.

That lunatic has to be dealt with-fast.

...

The doctor finished examining Aiden and confirmed it was just a minor scrape. Disinfecting it would be enough.

Lilah and Gabriel both exhaled in relief.

The brief calm was interrupted as Mr. Reed showed up at the door.

"Sir, about the surveillance footage you asked for..." He hesitated, looking uneasy. "There was a malfunction during that time. That segment's missing."

No footage?

Lilah's heart sank.

Yeah... she'd expected this, but Verity really moved quick this time.

Before she could process it, a maid stepped out from behind Mr. Reed.

The maid kept her head down, nervously wringing her hands. "Sir, I saw it this afternoon."

"Madam suddenly lost it and pushed Miss Nolan over. She just tried to calm her down, but Madam even slapped her!"

Gabriel's expression went stone cold, the air around him growing sharp.

Clearly, his trust in Lilah wasn't solid yet...

Well, not surprising. Verity spent three years plotting this-she wasn't going down easy.

Lilah squinted slightly.

Sure enough, Verity was hitting back hard-and fast. She even had someone lined up to back her claim.

But Lilah wasn't someone you could frame this easily.

Such a sloppy setup-she'd tear it apart with her eyes closed.

She didn't scream or panic like the original Lilah would have. Her voice was calm, almost too composed. "Really? So you saw me push her and hit her?"

"Then tell me-where was I standing when I pushed her? Which hand did I use to slap her? Was she standing when I hit her, or already on the floor? And were you the only one who saw it? Because I remember other people being there too..."

Her rapid-fire questions were razor sharp, each one hammering home and making the maid shrink.

The girl clearly hadn't braced for this kind of confrontation-she panicked on the spot.

"I-I... I... uh..."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, watching the maid's evasive expression. His brows knitted tight, his whole posture stiff and tense.

Sensing his indecision, Lilah's eyes reddened. She looked straight at him, her gaze full of pain and disbelief.

"Gabriel, do you really believe her over me?"

Gabriel stared silently at the woman crying in front of him, a flicker of hesitation showing in his deep eyes.

His lips moved slightly but no sound came out-he seemed to hesitate.

Noticing this subtle shift, Lilah felt a spark of hope surge in her chest.

She jumped on the chance before it slipped away, dropping her gaze and speaking gently, "Gabriel, I know I messed up before, I wasn't thinking clearly... but this time, it really wasn't me."

Her eyes darted toward the uneasy maid, and the momentary vulnerability in her tone turned razor sharp.

"You sure no one else saw anything besides you?"

The maid instantly paled, cold sweat dripping down her temples.

"I... I..."

Her lips trembled, and her eyes darted around the floor, too scared to meet anyone's gaze.

"Enough," Gabriel's voice cut in, low and steady.

There was a flicker of surrender in his eyes, one even he didn't notice.

"This ends here. Lilah, go get some rest."

The weight in Lilah's heart finally lifted-she'd played her cards right.

Gabriel was starting to doubt. He wasn't sticking to just one side anymore.

She quietly murmured an "okay," still looking frail, and turned toward the stairs.

Just as she turned her back to him, she paused like she'd just remembered something, then said casually, "And... about the divorce?"

Behind her, silence stretched on. Her heartbeat picked up slightly.

Finally, Gabriel answered, "We'll talk about it later."

Those simple words hit her like music to her ears.

The axe of divorce? Shelved for now.

She held the stair railing, moving up with feigned exhaustion but genuine urgency.

But the moment she stepped onto the hallway, a slender figure stepped out from the shadows, blocking her path.

It was Verity, her face full of undisguised animosity.

"Rough day, huh? You look wiped. Lilah, you've dragged this out for three years. Be smart and leave before you're kicked out. That'd be a real mess, wouldn't it?"

"Oh? Funny thing is... someone's been trying to butter him up for three years too, and guess what? Still irrelevant."

Lilah tilted her head, her cold gaze slowly scanning Verity from head to toe like she was just a cheap prop in the wrong room.

One sentence-and Verity's smug smile collapsed.

Her lips tightened, her face turned pale, and her frustration boiled over. "Why are you looking at me like that? Everyone knows you're mentally unstable. Gabriel gave up on you ages ago. Why don't you pack up already-?"

But her forced arrogance was crumbling fast.

Lilah cut in, voice calm and slow, "Sorry to disappoint you. Gabriel just told me... we'll revisit the divorce. Later."

She paused, watching Verity freeze mid-breath-then let a faint, satisfied smile bloom.

"As long as I'm still here in the Wallace home, you're nothing more than a maid."

"You think you can weasel into this spot? Please. Not everyone gets to fantasize about being Mrs. Wallace."

With that, she turned, gripped the door handle, and shut it firmly behind her without sparing another glance.

"Bang!"

Verity stood there, face dark like a storm cloud, biting her lower lip so hard it almost bled.

That bitch...

She couldn't waste more time.

Lilah, just wait.

Lilah opened her eyes, got out of bed, and walked to the window for a look outside.

Almost all the faces cleaning the yard were unfamiliar.

She instantly got the message.

Gabriel moved faster than she'd expected.

After getting cleaned up, she had just settled into the single couch when there was a soft knock at the door.

A girl in her early twenties stepped in, her spotless maid uniform practically shouting "new hire." She carried a tray with a steaming cup of coffee, her eyes cautious.

"Ma'am, your coffee," she said, voice light but laced with nervousness.

Lilah didn't take the cup right away.

Instead, she watched the girl, her calm gaze somehow pressing.

The girl stiffened under the gaze, fingers tensing slightly around the tray.

"What's your name?" Lilah spoke evenly.

"Nina Carter."

"Scared of me?"

"No, not at all, ma'am..." Nina's eyes dropped to the floor.

"Know why the last staff got replaced?"

Lilah walked slowly back to the couch. Nina followed, hearing the question hang in the air.

Nina blinked, then nodded.

"The last maid wasn't careful with her duties."

"She talked too much." Lilah's voice was flat. "If you do your job right, I won't treat you poorly. But I can't stand betrayal. If I find out you're taking orders from someone else... let's just say getting fired will be the least of your worries."

"Yes, ma'am. I would never do that!"

Nina's hand trembled a little, her already pale face turning whiter.

Definitely green. Way too young and easy to read.

Lilah sighed. "Just leave the coffee. Next time, take it straight to the dining room."

"Yes, ma'am."

Later, dressed and ready, Lilah made her way to the dining room.

A long white linen-covered table stretched before her. Verity, dressed in a soft yellow dress, sat right beside Gabriel's usual spot, gently feeding Aiden spoonfuls of oatmeal.

The moment Lilah entered, Verity's hand paused ever so slightly.

Then she smiled.

Lilah stared her down, eyes cold.

A nanny eating at the family table – all because she's 'looking after' Aiden.

Now that Gabriel wasn't around, she dared to sit right next to the head seat, acting like she owned the place.

"Lilah, you're here. Perfect, I have something to tell you," Verity said sweetly.

Lilah sat directly across from her, not bothering to hide her attitude.

Let's see what trick she has up her sleeve today.

"Go ahead," she said, casually beginning her meal.

Verity subtly pulled Aiden closer, fingers brushing over his hair like a subtle claim. "Gabriel specifically asked me to stay close to Aiden. He thinks a familiar face is better for the little one right now."

"The doctor's here today for your psych evaluation. So until your recovery begins, Aiden won't be going anywhere with you."

"Oh? So you're gonna take him every day?"

Lilah let out a cold chuckle.

"Of course. You need to focus on getting better," Verity replied with clear satisfaction. "It's what Gabriel wants... He's just worried you might accidentally hurt the kid."

She finished, waiting for a reaction.

Lilah didn't bother replying. Her expression didn't even flicker.

She calmly sliced her bacon, didn't even look her way once.

That so-called psych evaluation didn't fool her-just another front.

No matter what the doctor found, she knew exactly the kind of info that would end up on Gabriel's desk.