I smiled slightly, pretending not to notice anything amiss.

Later, Yvonne made herself comfortable beside me, acting like she was in her home. It was a far cry from the timid scholarship student she had once been.

"Goodness, Candice, you look terrible!" she exclaimed dramatically, reaching for my arm, but I shifted away just in time to avoid her touch.

"Mr. Yeager, just look at how much Candice has sacrificed for you," she continued with mock concern. "Her complexion is so sickly, and her figure is completely gone—she's hardly the glamorous socialite she used to be."

Yvonne scooted away from me with obvious distaste, making eyes at Zayn when she thought I was not looking, her words dripping with contempt.

Before I could respond, Zayn frowned and snapped, "What nonsense are you talking about? Candice is still as beautiful as always!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Candice," Yvonne apologized with fake remorse. "I speak without thinking sometimes. You won't hold it against me, will you?"

Then, she added, "Though, honestly, I'll never want to carry a baby myself. Getting pregnant will make me so ugly that my husband may leave me."

I coldly picked up my phone and dialed security. "Hello? Someone has trespassed into our home. Please remove them immediately."

"Candice, I was just joking," Yvonne protested, clearly annoyed. "Why are you so sensitive?"

"Alright, alright! You've delivered the documents, and Candice has seen them. You should go now," Zayn said, pulling Yvonne toward the door while turning to me. "Honey, Yvonne's young—don't take her too seriously."

Once outside, Yvonne immediately threw herself into Zayn's arms. She whined, "Even though I don't have to suffer through pregnancy, it makes me sick thinking about my baby growing inside her, receiving all your attention. And the child will have to call her Mom!"

Zayn held her close, comforting her. "Be patient. We signed a prenup. If she discovered my infidelity, I'd lose everything.

"But our son will be different. He'll be the Summers family's sole heir from the moment he's born. Everything that belongs to the Summers family will be his!"

Then, his voice turned ice-cold. "As for Candice... Well, she'll be nothing but a discarded pawn when the time comes."

I let out a bitter laugh. Did Zayn and Yvonne really think I was that stupid?

I turned the video doorbell off, not wanting to see more of the despicable couple. After that, I returned to my bedroom and began refining my plan.

Due to my poor constitution, getting pregnant had been difficult, and my morning sickness was severe. Zayn had started working from home to demonstrate his devotion, only leaving for essential business dinners and staying on call 24/7 otherwise.

Yet, his attentiveness did not move me. In fact, I found his behavior hypocritical and nauseating. As his secretary, Yvonne frequently visited to deliver documents, and they would steal intimate moments whenever they thought I was not looking.

Believing I was oblivious, they grew bold enough to flirt right under my nose under the pretense of discussing work. Their behavior disgusted me, and I certainly did not want to witness their displays.

"I'm craving that artisanal bakery's cream puffs from downtown," I would say.

"Oh, and that famous steak from the bistro on Florue Avenue.

"Also, the juice from uptown and those sourdough donuts from the west side."

...

Whenever I mentioned my cravings, Yvonne had to grudgingly drive across town to fetch them, often getting stuck in traffic for hours. When she finally returned with the food, I would throw it straight into the trash in front of her.

"It's cold now. Are you trying to harm my baby?" I would snap. Sometimes, I would say, "I've lost my appetite."

Yvonne would tremble with anger as tears streamed down her face.

Eventually, Zayn would try to smooth things over. He explained, "It's just the pregnancy hormones. That little one must be giving her a hard time."

The mention of the baby softened Yvonne's expression, but when they were alone, she broke down. "She's torturing me on purpose! I'm just a secretary, not her personal assistant. Why should I run her errands?"

"Don't be upset," Zayn said as he comforted her, pulling her close. "Remember, she's carrying our baby. Once she delivers, you won't have to deal with her anymore."

"That wench," Yvonne seethed through gritted teeth. "Just wait until our son grows up and inherits the Summers fortune. I'll make her pay!"

I watched them on the surveillance feed with amusement, like a puppeteer pulling the strings of two marionettes.

After my parents died in a car accident, every relative crawled out of the woodwork, trying to grab a piece of the Summers fortune. Even my parents' most trusted allies turned against me, hoping for their share.

With an iron fist and ruthless determination, I drove away all those eyeing the Summers' assets—some ended up bankrupt, others in prison.

Then, I met Zayn, who seemed like a ray of sunshine—warm, bright, and gentle. For him, I had hidden my claws and masked my strong personality. After he joined the Summers Group, I had even stepped back from the company's operations, at least on the surface.

I took a deep breath, calming myself down. That feeling of complete control was exhilarating. Everything was falling into place, and I was just waiting for my prey to walk into my trap.

Nonetheless, I was not ready to spring it yet. Watching them dance in their cage, thinking they had reached paradise, only to strike when their guard was down, would be so much more satisfying.

Meanwhile, I did not make life easy for Zayn. I had given our night nurse paid leave, which meant when I got hungry at night, Zayn had to cook for me. If the food failed to satisfy me, he would have to redo it.

"Don't bother," I would say when he failed to satisfy my cravings. "The baby and I can go hungry."

My words only made him more determined to try again and again.

Just as Yvonne and Zayn reached their breaking point, little Lucas Summers was born. I had booked the most exclusive postpartum retreat center and hired the best maternity nurse, insisting on top-of-the-line everything—from formula to diapers.

When Yvonne came to visit with baby clothes, she muttered, "This bitch doesn't deserve this luxury center! It's all Zayn's money anyway."

However, her face brightened as she cooed, "Candice, your son is so lucky. He's born with a silver spoon in his mouth!"

I gazed lovingly at my newborn son. "Lucas deserves nothing but the best, and I'll make sure of that."

Her eyes flickered with triumph and resentment as she asked, "How wonderful that he's already the Summers Group's little heir. He'll take over the company when he's of age!"

I gave her a cool glance that made her shrink back. "Yes, I'll transfer all my shares to him when he comes of age."

Zayn, who had just rushed in from an online meeting, exchanged knowing looks with Yvonne, both wearing smug smiles. Lucas grinned his toothless smile, and I was so enchanted that I did not even spare the cheating pair a glance.

As I held my precious boy, I secretly looked forward to seeing their reactions when they discovered the truth.

...

As Lucas grew, his features increasingly resembled mine. Even though Zayn was puzzled, he pretended to be jealous, saying playfully, "Lucas looks just like you; there's nothing about him that resembles me!"

I remained indifferent. "And I wonder why..."

Zayn leaned in cheerfully, gently tapping Lucas's tiny nose. "My smart boy knows that his mommy is the better-looking one! Lucas, I can't wait for you to grow up and take over your mom's responsibilities so she can relax!"

I smirked to myself. Lucas was not even a month old, and Zayn was already so eager. I could not help but wonder how he would react when he realized I was the one in control, not them.

After Lucas was born, Yvonne visited more frequently, happily running errands despite my demands. She would occasionally mutter, "Why doesn't he look anything like me? He's like Candice's carbon copy."

Zayn always reassured her, saying, "Well, Candice carried him for nine months. It's normal that he looks like her now."

Soon, Lucas began showing signs of exceptional intelligence. Zayn proudly told everyone that Lucas had inherited his brains while ignoring how much the boy increasingly resembled me.

In elementary school, Lucas skipped three grades. He completed all his high school courses in three years and graduated as the state's top science student.

Within five years, he earned his Ph.D. and was acclaimed as a computer genius worldwide. His breakthrough chip technology led the domestic market and rivaled top international innovations.

Right after graduation, major international companies competed to recruit him. Meanwhile, the Summers Group announced that Lucas would take over as CEO.

Three days later, at the Summers Group's share transfer ceremony, just after I signed the agreement, Zayn suddenly took the stage. He grabbed the microphone and paused dramatically.

He said, "Thank you all for attending Lucas's succession ceremony. After careful consideration, I've decided to reveal the truth—Lucas is actually my child with Yvonne! Candice has no biological connection to him."

The room erupted into chaos. Camera flashes everywhere as reporters fired increasingly pointed questions.

"Mr. Yeager, are you saying you had an affair 18 years ago and made your wife raise your mistress' child?" one reporter demanded.

Another called out, "How does your conscience handle 18 years of deception?"

A third reporter asked, "Did you wait until Ms. Summers signed over her shares to reveal this? Was this your plan all along?"

The livestream comments section exploded.

[Oh my God, this is horrifying! They planned to steal her entire fortune!]

[I just looked it up. The mistress was a scholarship student Candice sponsored! What an ungrateful traitor! Karma will get her!]

Yvonne panicked, grabbing the microphone to defend herself. "What mistress? What Zayn and I have is true love—she's the outsider!"

Zayn's face darkened as he threatened them, saying, "Anyone who spreads more lies will face the consequences."

Then, he placed divorce papers in front of me with a grim expression. "Candice, let's end this. After 18 years, Lucas should be with his real mother."

I smirked and signed the divorce papers without hesitation. Yvonne burst into tears of joy and rushed toward Lucas. "My precious son, we can finally be together!"

Lucas was exasperated. He shook his head at me and stepped away from Yvonne. "My real mom is right here, so don't try to claim me as yours!"

Yvonne stumbled, frozen by his words. She looked pleadingly at Zayn, tears welling in her eyes.

"Lucas, stop this nonsense!" Zayn frowned. "I know this is hard to accept, but it's true. You're an adult now and the majority shareholder of the Summers Group—you need to handle this rationally."

Yvonne clutched Zayn's sleeve, looking hopefully at Lucas. She sobbed and said, "Are you angry with me, sweetie? I had my reasons. Your dad and I fell in love at first sight, but we were poor then and couldn't give you a good life.

"For your future, I had to let you grow up with this woman who stole your dad away from me!"

Yvonne angrily pointed at me before switching to a sweet smile. "But things are different now! My precious son is successful and has inherited the Summers Group—we can finally be a family!"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "So, I'm supposed to thank you for your thoughtfulness? My mom raised me for 18 years and gave me the Summers Group. Now, you want me to abandon her and use her company to support you two?"

He laughed coldly. "You two are the most shameless beings I've ever seen."

Yvonne choked on her words, her fake smile freezing on her face. On the other hand, Zayn exploded.

"Watch your mouth! She's your birth mother! You have an unbreakable blood connection—has all your education taught you nothing? Apologize immediately!"

I had planned to toy with this despicable couple longer, but their attempts to separate Lucas from me crossed a line. I asked, "What proof do you have that Lucas isn't my biological son?"

I gazed across the assembled media before playfully pinching Lucas's cheek. Lucas played along, crouching down his six-foot-three frame to match my height.

I asked, "How can you claim we're not related when we look identical?"