Ada wore a maid's uniform, and across the room, a little boy had trashed the place.

When Bella walked in, Ada popped up from beside Steven and flashed a polite smile. "Mrs. Rocca, you're back. Madam Miranda sent me to look after Oliver."

Bella's lips pressed tight, breath catching.

How dare Steven—how dare he bring them here?

Steven noticed her face shift and rushed in. "Babe, I texted you this afternoon. Maybe you missed it. Mom brought Oliver back from an orphanage. She said he was meant to be with us."

All the heartbreak she'd spilled in that empty meeting room was gone. What was left burned hot.

They really thought she was stupid.

"Steven, are you trying to rip my heart out on purpose?" Her voice shook with fury.

Steven frowned, thrown by how hard she snapped.

"Don't be mad! You know my family needs an heir. I saw how much you still grieve for the baby we lost, so I gave in to Mom. If you don't like it, I'll have him sent away right now."

Everyone knew Steven loved Bella. His one rule—Bella first.

Even now, he was ready to toss out his own son if she asked.

That kind of twisted devotion only made her stomach turn.

She was about to lay it all bare when the boy—Oliver—suddenly wailed.

"You're a bad lady! Daddy, why are you with this bad lady? Don't you want me anymore?"

The shrieking drilled into Steven's skull. "Oliver! Who told you to talk like that?"

Then to the household staff: “Are you all deaf? Get him out of here!”

Staff scrambled to scoop up the crying kid and rush him off.

Ada panicked. "Mr. Rocca, it's all my fault. Please don't blame Oliver."

As she said it, her eyes clung to Steven, all soft and pitiful.

Steven sighed, voice dropping. "I'm not blaming him. He's just a kid—he doesn't know better. Go take care of him."

Bella watched it play out, her chest icing over with every second.

She yanked away from Steven and went upstairs, slamming the door in his face.

He lingered outside, frustrated but still trying to sound gentle. "Babe, it's my fault. I'll send the kid away first thing in the morning. If you don't want me with you tonight, that's fine. Just rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

Bella slid down against the door, listening as his footsteps faded. Her chest ached so deep it felt hollow.

What difference did it make if the kid stayed or not? Blood doesn't just disappear. In the end, the one who'd have to leave... was her.

She didn't answer. She locked the door.

Alone, she slumped against the cold wood. Once Steven’s footsteps disappeared, whatever strength she had left gave out—and she slid to the floor.

She was just so tired—bone-deep, soul-deep tired.

She didn't know how long she sat there until her phone buzzed. She unlocked it with numb fingers.

A text—from an unknown number.

Ada.

[You shut Steven out. Don't blame him for coming to me.]

Bella's eyes flew wide. She pushed to her feet and stepped out of the bedroom.

At the end of the hall, the study light glowed.

The door hung half open. Inside, Ada's syrupy voice drifted out. "Steven, that hurts..."

Steven's grunt cut rough. “Didn’t want pain, but still trying to seduce me? You really don’t know how to behave—even after having a kid.”

Bella froze, ice tearing through her veins.

She never thought Steven would fall this low, this fast.

Ada's soft moan slipped out, shaky but deliberate. "I just saw how upset you were after fighting with your wife... I wanted to cheer you up."

"Don't make excuses for being easy," Steven snapped. "If you want Ollie to stay in this family, don't pick fights with Bella."

Bella couldn't take it.

She didn't even know how she made it back to her room.

In the bathroom, she gripped the sink and retched until her stomach burned.

Only when the pain twisted sharp did she slowly lift her head to the mirror.

No tears left.

She was the proud Beaufort heiress. This—this wreck—wasn't who she was meant to be.

She sat hollow for what felt like forever, until the sky bled pale. Only then did she finally crawl into bed.

This time, she was done. She didn't want him anymore.

Bella came downstairs and froze. Ada was setting the table like she owned the place.

After a whole night of working her charms on Steven, Ada was no longer in her maid uniform. She'd traded it for a sleek designer dress that clung to her.

Her face carried just enough of a resemblance to Bella's to make the comparison sting. No wonder Steven picked her.

"Mrs. Rocca, you're up. Come have breakfast," Ada said, smiling too sweetly.

She tilted her head, just enough to show off the love bites along her neck. On her wrist, a glittering bracelet caught the light.

Bella's chest tightened. She knew that piece instantly. The Rocca heirloom Miranda used to wear. Steven had once begged for it on Bella's behalf, but Miranda refused, saying it didn't belong on a woman who couldn't give the family an heir.

Now it sat proudly on Ada's wrist.

Bella clenched her fists, the weight of it all crashing down. Everything she'd held onto felt like a joke. She'd kept quiet out of respect for their families' history, but in the end, Miranda had chosen Ada as the one to stand at her side.

Even Steven's buddy at the hospital yesterday knew about Ada. The only idiot in the dark was her, strung along by Steven's empty promises.

A bitter laugh slipped out. If Steven had really wanted a kid, she could've accepted that and walked away. But after what happened in the study last night, her chest still burned. She almost wished she could just slap him across the face.

Almost—but not quite enough. She wanted him to regret it forever.

Steven strolled downstairs, looking fresh, like he'd slept easy. When his eyes caught Ada's, she ducked her head, all shy.

Then he turned and saw Bella's pale face. His smile faltered. "Babe, did you catch a cold in the rain yesterday? Maybe I should skip work and stay with you."

Every second near him made her feel suffocated, dirty.

"No," she said flatly. "Work's more important. I'll rest at home."

Steven frowned. She used to cling to him; now she was shutting him out. But he knew when she made up her mind, there was no swaying her.

He looked at the staff. "Take good care of Bella."

They traded glances, unimpressed by his little show, and nodded.

Just then, Ada stepped up and reached for Steven's collar. "Your collar's crooked. Let me fix it."

Without even thinking, he bent his head for her.

That tiny, thoughtless move cut deeper than anything else.

The staff sucked in a quiet gasp, eyes darting to Bella, afraid to even breathe.

Steven caught himself too late. He jerked back, forced a polite distance, and muttered thanks.

"I'm off to the office." He bent down to brush a kiss against Bella's forehead. "Be good. Wait for me to come back."

His voice was the same soft tone he'd used in the study last night.

At the table, Bella stared at the food, but it tasted like nothing. Steven's fake sweet act, Ada's smug little performance—it all spun in her head until she felt sick.

She shoved her chair back and headed upstairs to pack. The mansion was just ghosts now, and she needed to rip them out.

Ada slipped in after her. "Ms. Beaufort, you're good at pretending. Ollie's the Rocca heir, and I'm his mom. You don't belong here."

Bella's smile was sharp and cold. "So what?"

Ada blinked, then doubled down. "I know you don't want a divorce, but stop clinging to the title of 'Mrs. Rocca.' The family will never accept a woman who can't have kids."

Bella laughed, short and cutting. "'Mrs. Rocca'? If you want it that bad, take it."

She pulled the divorce papers from her bag and held them out.

"You know how Steven feels about me. He won't make divorce easy. I'm giving you the papers—if you're capable, get him to sign and send them back. If not, get used to being the secret lover for life."

Ada's eyes lit up as she snatched them. Spotting Bella's signature, she squinted. "You're really willing to leave Steven?"

Bella's chest clenched. Love had swallowed most of her life—how could walking away not sting?

She shut her eyes, forcing it down. When she opened them, only ice was left. "I'm not fighting over a man."

She'd once risked her life for Steven. Betrayal killed that.

Ada sneered, sure Bella was just putting on a show, but still walked off with the papers.

Bella stared at the walk-in closet stacked with Steven's gifts. All she felt was empty.

She packed her clothes, documents, the basics—nothing left behind. Steven's gifts? Boxed up and shipped to the auction house.

If she was leaving, every tie had to be cut clean.

The staff peeked from the hallway, whispering, but she didn't explain a thing.

By the time she finished, the sun was already slipping past noon. Sitting in the living room with her suitcase, she waited for Heidi to pull up.

That's when it hit her—she hadn't seen Oliver all day. Had he really been sent away?

Still trying to piece it together, she saw Steven rush in, Ada and Miranda right behind him.

"Mrs. Rocca, where's Ollie?!" Ada cried, throwing herself at Bella and shaking her arms.

Bella stumbled back, slamming into the corner of a table. Pain shot through her side.

She gasped. "What are you even talking about? How would I know where he is?"

Ada only sobbed harder. She snatched a fruit knife off the table and pressed it to Bella's throat.

"Mrs. Rocca, I know you hate Ollie, but how could you hide him from Mr. Rocca and send him away? Give me back my Ollie!"