"Why did you ruin the painting?" Belen's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief.

"It wasn't good enough." Ellen calmly took a new sheet of paper.

"You destroyed it just because Belen wanted it. You're so cruel," Nathan said, glaring at Ellen fiercely. "I'm telling Dad so he can punish you."

Belen shoved Ellen hard. "You don't deserve to be our mom!"

Faced with their snarling, ferocious expressions, Ellen remained oddly calm. "I don't think you deserve to be my kids either. If you want Rosalyn as your mom, go to her. You're not welcome here!"

Ellen turned back to her work, resuming her painting.

Belen's scream echoed behind her. "You're a terrible mom! I hate you!"

Ellen sensed something wrong and turned around.

Belen raised a vase and smashed it toward her.

Warm blood poured down Ellen's forehead, blurring her vision.

The searing pain made her vision darken, her fingers digging into the easel to keep herself upright.

She turned her head, seeing only Belen's vicious expression through the haze of blood. "You should be honored I even noticed your painting, and you dared to refuse!"

Nathan kicked a sharp piece of porcelain, the fragment grazing Ellen's ankle and drawing blood. "That's your lesson! Hurry up and repaint it for Belen!"

The faces of the two children suddenly seemed foreign and terrifying.

Were these really the children she had risked her life to bring into the world?

"What are you all fighting about now?" Samuel's irritated voice rang out, but he froze when he saw the blood on the floor.

Belen's tears spilled over. "Dad, Mom saw I liked her painting and destroyed it. She even said we don't deserve to be her kids!"

Samuel glanced at the ruined canvas, his fleeting sympathy replaced by displeasure. "Ellen, do you have to make everything a mess? You're their mother. You should guide them properly, not treat them like this."

Ellen endured the pain, looking at him and laughing. "Guide them? Am I, a mere housekeeper, qualified to guide the young master and miss? You think too highly of me. In Mr. Howard's eyes, even my breathing is unnecessary!"

Samuel stiffened. "The Mrs. Howard you want, the mother the kids want, is Rosalyn, not me, the housekeeper."

Ellen's gaze grew colder, but her tone lightened. "Isn't it better if I let you have what you want?"

The room fell silent.

After a long pause, Samuel broke the quiet, his teeth clenched. "What are you playing at? You didn't think about today when you climbed into my bed back then, did you? I've given you more than enough. What else do you want? Besides doing a housekeeper's work, what are you even capable of?"

Ellen laughed, anger surging in her chest.

For years after their marriage, no matter how she explained, he believed she had schemed to seduce him.

He was convinced she was useless.

Rosalyn took Samuel's arm, soothing him. "Mrs. Howard's upset right now. Let's take the kids and leave her alone."

Samuel glanced at Ellen reluctantly, then left with the children.

Watching their backs, Ellen's mocking smile widened.

She never should have stepped into that hotel, never should have drunkenly stumbled into Samuel's room.

That mistake led to this disastrous marriage and these misguided children.

But it wasn't too late to regret it now.

Samuel would pay for his bias and coldness.

...

The next day marked Samuel's father's eightieth birthday.

He had never mistreated Ellen, so after some thought, she attended gladly.

From the second floor, Ellen looked down at the scene below.

Rosalyn clung affectionately to Samuel's arm, with Nathan and Belen bouncing around them, looking every bit like a family of four.

They noticed Ellen's gaze but only smirked, unfazed, crowding around Rosalyn with provocative looks.

Samuel's approving gaze rested on Rosalyn.

"Rosalyn has been by Mr. Howard's side for a decade now, hasn't she? Truly the woman who's stayed with him the longest," a guest remarked.

"Even the young master and miss only acknowledge Rosalyn, completely ignoring their real mother."

Ellen swirled her wine glass, quietly listening to the guests' chatter.

"Rosalyn is Mr. Howard's favorite. She's called his secretary, but she's really his true love."

"If someone hadn't shamelessly schemed back then, who knows who'd be Mrs. Howard now." The speaker glanced at Ellen nearby, sneering.

"All these years, it's always been Rosalyn at his side at every event. It's clear who Mr. Howard truly cares about."

"Some people got pregnant to climb the ranks, but they only ended up raising kids for Miss Rosalyn."

"She dared to scheme against Mr. Howard. She got what she deserved!"

Such scenes were nothing new to Ellen. She listened calmly and turned to leave.

But a few steps later, Rosalyn blocked her path. "The divorce process is almost done. You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

Ellen chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Not a chance. All I want now is the divorce."

Rosalyn studied Ellen, finding no trace of deceit, and smiled with satisfaction. "I'll take over the Howard family from now on. I'll take good care of Mr. Howard and the kids, but I won't be just a housekeeper like you…"

Her words were cut off.

Bang!

A bullet grazed Ellen's face, striking the wall beside her.

A tranquilizer dart sliced through the air, striking Ellen Saunders squarely in the chest.

Her vision blackened, and she lost consciousness.

When she awoke, she found herself suspended by coarse ropes over a cliff, the roaring waves crashing below. One slip, and she would be lost forever.

Not far off, Samuel Howard's brows furrowed as he shouted at the kidnappers. "Release her now, or you'll regret it!"

"Samuel, don't worry about me! Save Mrs. Howard first!" On the other side, Rosalyn woke at the perfect moment, her voice laced with just the right amount of urgency.

Ellen remained silent, her cold gaze fixed on the bodyguard behind Samuel, who aimed a gun at the kidnapper behind her.

"Sir, Miss Morris and Mrs. Howard are too far apart. We don't have enough men to save both at once," the bodyguard reported, his words clear in Ellen's ears.

Samuel's eyes darted between the two women, and without hesitation, he ordered, "Save Rosalyn first."

His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt.

Belen and Nathan, already in tears, shrieked with childlike sharpness. "Let Rosalyn go! If anything happens to her, we'll make you pay!"

The kidnapper let out a mocking laugh. "Looks like the rumors are true. Mr. Howard doesn't care about his wife—his heart belongs to his true love."

Samuel's gaze sharpened, his tone resolute. "I'll say it one last time. Release Rosalyn. If she's harmed in any way, I'll bury you all."

"If Mr. Howard is so eager to save someone, why not try it himself?" the kidnapper taunted.

A blade flashed, and the ropes binding Rosalyn and Ellen snapped.

Both women plummeted toward the raging sea below.

"No!" Samuel's eyes widened, and he instinctively lunged toward Rosalyn, grabbing the rope at the last second. His arm strained, veins bulging, as he pulled her back to the cliff's edge.

Rosalyn collapsed into his arms, her legs trembling, her voice breaking. "Sir, I almost…"

"You're safe now," Samuel said, patting her back gently.

The children rushed over, sobbing uncontrollably. "Rosalyn, you're okay! We were so scared!"

"But what about her…" Rosalyn trailed off, glancing toward the other side as if suddenly remembering.

Everyone turned to look. The spot where Ellen had been tied was empty, the kidnapper gone.

"Mrs. Howard… is she okay? It's all my fault…" Rosalyn said, tears falling with guilt.

Belen quickly comforted her. "Rosalyn, it's not your fault. She deserves it."

"Yeah, it's better if she's gone. Then you can be our mom," Nathan added.

In an unnoticed corner, the faintest smirk curled Rosalyn's lips.

"Bad news!" Samuel's assistant stumbled toward them, panic written across his face. "Sir, the house caught fire and burned to the ground. Thankfully, no one was hurt."

"What?" Samuel's face darkened.

"That's not all. The partners we secured, led by the Floren royal family, suddenly backed out. If this continues, the company won't last long before it collapses."

The assistant's words hit Samuel like a thunderbolt.

He forced himself to stay calm, his voice icy. "Don't they know they'll face massive penalties for breaching the contract?"

The assistant gave a bitter smile. "The contract required you to sign in person this afternoon. If you don't make it within an hour, we're the ones breaching it."

"Get a helicopter here now," Samuel ordered decisively.

The assistant nodded, but a familiar voice, cold and clear, cut through from behind. "Sorry, I'm afraid you won't make it."

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, the bullet striking Samuel's calf with precision.

He grunted, dropping to one knee, his sharp gaze snapping toward the voice. "Who's there?"

When he saw the figure, shock coursed through him like lightning.

Ellen stood calmly, twirling a pistol, faint smoke curling from the barrel.

Behind her, the kidnappers knelt, bound and subdued.

Samuel's bodyguards raised their weapons, but Ellen was faster.

Gunshots echoed in rapid succession, each bullet hitting a bodyguard's knee, leaving them crumpled on the ground in seconds.

The children screamed in shock. "How does she know how to shoot? And so accurately?"

Samuel, grimacing through the pain, locked his bloodshot eyes on Ellen, his voice hoarse with disbelief. "Who… are you?"

At that moment, an elderly, authoritative figure stepped slowly from behind Ellen.

When Samuel saw the man's face, his pupils contracted, and he blurted out in disbelief, "The royal steward of Floren? Why are you here?"

"Are you all plotting against me?" Samuel's eyes surged with pained disbelief, his voice grinding through clenched teeth. "Ellen, do you hate me that much?"

The steward slid a document toward him. "Sign it, and I'll let you go."

Samuel's eyes scanned the divorce agreement, which left him with nothing.

His head snapped up, eyes red. "You're really going this far? Just because of one kidnapping, you're destroying everything between us?"

He spat the words through gritted teeth, a flicker of emotion he hadn't noticed himself.

He refused to believe Ellen would truly harm him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three gunshots rang out—one hit Samuel's leg, two struck Rosalyn.

Reality shattered his arrogance.

As Rosalyn collapsed, Samuel's pupils shrank, but he couldn't tear his eyes from Ellen's calm, gun-wielding profile.

Her cold, unfamiliar expression sent a suffocating pang through his chest.

The steward tossed a phone toward him, voice dripping with mockery. "Mr. Howard, we should thank your mistress for orchestrating this kidnapping. It gave us the opportunity."

"Shut up!" Samuel barked, his gaze still locked on Ellen, searching for a hint of hesitation.

He grabbed the phone.

Rosalyn screamed, "Don't look!"

Too late. The evidence lay bare before everyone.

Samuel whipped his head around, his glare like icy daggers piercing Rosalyn. "You orchestrated Ellen's kidnapping?"

The chill in his voice made Rosalyn feel like she'd been plunged into ice.

"I… I didn't, sir, you have to believe me…" Rosalyn, wincing in pain, reached for him, but Samuel flung her hand away.

Ellen's icy voice cut through again, laced with lethal threat. "If you don't sign, you'll miss the contract signing, and your losses will be far greater than this."

Her gun slowly rose, aiming at Rosalyn's forehead. "Not to mention, the lives of your little family of four are in my hands."

"Family of four."

The words stabbed Samuel's heart like needles.

He looked up sharply, staring at Ellen with an intensity so complex it startled him— a fear of losing something he couldn't name.

His chest heaved violently.

Finally, his head dropped, and with trembling hands, he signed. "…I'll sign."

Ellen took the agreement, turned, and walked away without a trace of lingering attachment.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," she said lightly. "The news issued a weather warning today—no flights allowed. You won't make it back for the signing. Good luck."

Her casual words hit like a final thunderbolt.

"Ellen!" Samuel roared, lunging forward instinctively, but the steward knocked him out cold from behind.

In the last second before darkness claimed him, he saw only her resolute back, never turning.

Behind him, the children wailed.

But none of it could make her glance back.

She was truly done with him.

...

Ellen returned to Floren, to the royal castle, unchanged as if she'd never left.

She opened a private art gallery, displaying all her paintings from recent years.

Not only the exhibited works but also the wall decorations were her creations.

Sunlight streamed in, blending with the paintings, creating a dreamlike glow.

The gallery bustled daily with visitors buying her art.

Ellen gradually forgot her past sorrows.

The door swung open again, and she looked up.

A pair of warm, affectionate eyes met hers, tinged with exasperation.

"Why are you here again?"

The man, dressed in a white suit, radiated elegance, like a prince under the sunlight.

He looked at Ellen, his eyes brimming with tenderness. "I'm here for a date."

Ellen shook her head, even more exasperated. "I already told my mother I'm not ready to date. You don't need to…"

His gaze grew warmer, and he bowed slightly in a princely gesture. "If dating's off the table, can I court you instead, Your Highness?"