(Elara’s POV)

I walked slowly through the gates, my soaked heels scraping weakly against the wet ground as rainwater dripped from my hair onto the marble driveway

One of the guards glanced at me before scrunching his nose slightly.

“She’s finally back.”

The other guard pushed the gates open lazily without greeting me.

I lowered my gaze and walked inside silently.

My dress clung heavily to my body from the rain while mascara stains lingered beneath my eyes. My loose bun had almost completely fallen apart after walking endlessly through the storm outside.

I had been too numb to call a taxi after getting thrown out of Mila’s birthday party.

So I walked, and walked… and walked.

While the humiliation replayed endlessly inside my head.

Mila smiling brightly beside Vivienne, my handmade bracelet disappearing beneath the table, the guests laughing and Damien protecting Vivienne.

A painful ache twisted through my chest again.

I swallowed hard and stepped into the mansion.

Warmth immediately wrapped around my freezing body, but somehow, it only made me feel emptier.

A maid passing by near the entrance slowed when she saw me. Her eyes swept over my soaked appearance before she whispered to the lady beside her, “Did you see the videos online?”

The other maid snorted quietly, “She caused such a huge scandal tonight.”

“I heard Mr Vale was furious.”

Their whispers followed me through the hallway.

I tightened my fingers against my wet dress and continued walking silently. The mansion was unusually bright tonight.

As I walked further inside, Damien’s voice suddenly echoed faintly from the living room ahead. He was on a call with his mother.

Fear immediately tightened in my chest.

Damien’s mother wasn’t in the country, but even hearing her voice was enough to make my body tense instinctively.

If she had attended Mila’s birthday party herself, she would have slapped me publicly without hesitation.

That was the kind of woman Evelyn Vale was.

Cold, cruel and proud.

I instinctively stopped beside one of the marble pillars near the living room entrance.

Her furious voice rang loudly through the phone “That useless woman publicly embarrassed our family! The entire upper class is talking about it.”

Damien sat calmly on the couch while loosening his tie. Exhaustion lingered faintly across his handsome face, but unlike his mother’s rage, his expression remained composed.

“The only reason I ever accepted Elara was because she was gullible and easy to control.” Her voice echoed.

I went completely still. She continued, now lowering her voice “Wasn’t the agreement simple?”

Damien answered. “It was. We needed a male heir, and Vivienne didn't want children. She didn't want to go through that stress and ruin her body…”

My breathing became shaky.

“Exactly!” His mother interrupted, “It was the reason I agreed that you married Elara. She existed for that reason.”

My knees nearly buckled, and I grabbed onto the pillar for support. Their voices suddenly felt far away.

My marriage… my acceptance into the Vale family…

It had all been centered around giving them a male heir.

Mrs Vale continued “But now that she’s becoming troublesome. You need to get her pregnant with a son first, then discard her afterward.”

Every word sliced deeper into my chest.

“I know, Mom,” Damien answered.

At that moment, Mrs Nora, Mila’s nanny, noticed me standing there “Mrs Elara?”

The room fell silent instantly.

Damien slowly turned toward the doorway… Our eyes met.

For one long moment, neither of us spoke.

Damien’s expression remained cold, and annoyed. Then without breaking eye contact with me, he lifted the phone toward his ear “I’ll call you later.” he said, ending the call.

Damien’s gaze drifted over my tear-streaked face before he finally said flatly

“Go upstairs.”

That was it.

No explanation… Just another order.

I shivered from the cold, climbing the stairs when it suddenly dawned on me that tonight was another day in the calendar that we “try” for another child.

A lone tear streaked down my cheeks as I headed straight into the bathroom.

Hot water poured over me while I stood beneath the shower silently, trembling slightly.

By the time I changed into my robe afterward, my fingers were still cold.

I had barely tied the belt around my waist when the bedroom door opened.

Damien walked inside calmly… as though he hadn’t just destroyed my entire world downstairs.

“My mother is furious with you,” he said flatly.

I stayed silent.

“You embarrassed me publicly tonight, and upset Mila… Do you know how much trouble you caused me tonight?” He said, sliding his hand around my waist.

His touch used to make my heart race, but tonight I only felt disgusted.

When he lowered his head slightly toward my neck, something inside me snapped completely.

Smack!

The slap echoed sharply across the bedroom.

He froze, shock flickering across his face.

This was the first time I had ever resisted him. The first time I had ever hit him.

“Get your hands off me.” I yelled.

Damien’s expression darkened immediately. “Did you just hit me? Over what? Because you’re jealous and insecure about another woman? Vivienne never even tried to ruin Mila’s birthday.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Insecure?

Was I insecure for finally realizing I had only ever been a baby machine to him and his family?

“You’re so petty, Elara. And that is why I don’t like coming home.” Damien said coldly, and grabbed his jacket from the chair nearby.

Before leaving, he turned toward me one last time “Don’t call me again until you’re very sober.”

My throat tightened painfully.

Then he walked out, the bedroom door slamming shut behind him.

The old me would have panicked and followed him desperately. I would have sent apology messages, bought him gifts and begged for his forgiveness even when I wasn’t wrong.

But now… as I stared at the empty room, I muttered “Dear baby, they don’t deserve you. I won’t bring you into this family.”

(Elara’s POV)

I barely slept that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I kept hearing the same words repeatedly.

“She existed for that reason.”

My chest tightened painfully again.

The room felt empty without Damien beside me but strangely… for the first time in years, I didn’t check my phone desperately to see if he had replied to my messages, nor did I send him any messages.

I slowly placed my hand against my stomach.

Last night, I had wanted to let this child go.

But after lying awake in that empty room for hours, something inside me changed.

This baby was innocent, unlike the Vale family.

Tears gathered in my eyes as I whispered softly, “I’ll protect you.”

I slowly sat up and wiped my face.

Seven days.

I would give myself seven days to leave this marriage.

Deep down, I knew the Vale family wouldn’t let me leave easily. Families like theirs cared too much about reputation and control.

Still… I was going to try.

I would quietly gather my documents, my savings and disappear before they noticed.

Then my thoughts drifted toward Mila. My heart softened immediately.

Maybe if I spent more time with her again… maybe if we became close like before… I could leave with both my children.

That tiny hope was the only thing keeping me together as I forced myself out of bed.

***

“Mila, wake up sweetheart.”

I gently brushed her curls away from her face inside her bedroom.

Mila frowned sleepily before turning away from me. I swallowed the ache in my chest and carried her toward the bathroom.

Steam slowly filled the room while I carefully bathed her myself.

I wanted to reconnect with her little by little, even if she hated me right now.

While shampooing her hair gently, Mila suddenly said, “Mommy Vivienne smells better than you.”

My hands paused briefly.

Mila continued innocently while playing with the bath bubbles. “She dresses prettier too.”

I quietly rinsed her hair. “And Daddy smiles more when she’s around.”

Every sentence quietly chipped away at me, but I endured it because she’s still my daughter.

After bathing Mila, Mrs Nora entered the room to help dress her for school. I quietly left for the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Not long after I finished cooking, Mila and Mrs. Nora walked into the dining room laughing about something.

Mila’s face was bright with excitement.

And strangely… that hurt me too, because she never laughed like that around me anymore.

I forced myself to smile anyway and placed her breakfast in front of her.

Mila stared at the plate blankly before taking a bite. Then immediately frowned. “You always make vegetables.” She said, pushing the plate away “while Mommy Vivienne lets me eat whatever I want.”

I swallowed hard before saying softly, “Too much junk food isn’t good for you.”

Mila sighed dramatically “You always nag.”

The stress from the previous night combined with every hurtful word Mila had said suddenly hit me all at once.

My vision blurred slightly, and I gripped the edge of the dining chair tightly.

Mrs Nora noticed immediately.

“Mrs Elara?”

She quickly hurried toward the kitchen nearby to get water.

When she was taking too much time, I reached weakly for Mila's water bottle. Mila suddenly grabbed it away “That's mine!”

I swallowed helplessly, feeling my chest being stabbed over and over again.

Mrs Nora soon returned with a glass of water and I quickly took it, gulping it because my throat felt unbearably dry.

But the moment the water slid down my throat, the taste felt strange.

I instinctively looked toward Mrs Nora.

The older woman avoided my eyes while adjusting Mila’s school bag nervously.

For one brief second, unease settled inside me... but I quickly dismissed it.

Mrs Nora was the only person in this house who had ever treated me like a human being. She would never hurt me.

Before I could think further, Mila started complaining loudly,

“I’m going to be late for school!”

The tension immediately broke. I quietly grabbed my purse and followed Mila outside.

The car ride was painfully silent.

Mila sat beside the window fiddling happily with the diamond bracelet Vivienne bought her while avoiding me completely.

I stared at her small face quietly.

She looked so much like Damien.

When we finally arrived at school, I moved to step out of the car but Mila immediately stiffened. She muttered quietly, “Can you not come down?”

I froze.

“Why?” I asked softly.

Mila avoided my eyes. “The other moms look prettier, and they dress better too.”

The words stabbed directly into my chest.

Still, I forced myself to smile weakly to respond when a familiar feminine voice suddenly echoed behind us.

“That’s not the way to speak to your mother, Mila.”

I turned immediately.

Vivienne stood there elegantly in a cream-colored outfit, sunglasses resting atop her hair while a luxury handbag hung loosely from her arm.

The moment Mila saw her, her face lit up instantly “Mommy Vivienne!”

My chest tightened painfully again.

Mila rushed straight into Vivienne’s arms excitedly. Vivienne hugged her naturally, “I came to return something you forgot at the party.” she said, handing Mila a small luxury gift bag.

Mila gasped excitedly “Another gift?!”

She hugged Vivienne tightly again.

I stood there silently watching them, unable to do anything.

Vivienne slowly lifted her gaze toward me. Beneath her graceful smile was triumph.

Then casually, she said softly,

“You should really take care of yourself, Elara.”

Her eyes briefly flickered downward toward my stomach for a second, just enough to make me uneasy.

Then she added quietly,

“Stress can be very dangerous for delicate things.”

My fingers instinctively curled around my stomach.

For one brief moment, suspicion flickered through my mind.

Did Vivienne know?

But I immediately dismissed the thought. No one knew about the pregnancy.

No one.

Soon afterward, Mila walked proudly into school beside Vivienne, holding her hand tightly.

I stood there watching them disappear until my chest hurt too much to keep looking.

Then quietly, I entered the car again.

Not long after the car started moving, the driver suddenly received a call. His expression immediately changed “Mrs Elara…” he said apologetically. “I’ve been summoned to join the escort lineup for Mr and Mrs Vale’s arrival from the airport.”

Dread immediately settled heavily inside my stomach.

Damien’s parents were returning... And that meant hell inside the mansion would become worse.

I quietly nodded.

The driver dropped me off at the nearest junction before hurrying away. Only after the car disappeared did I realize where I was.

This part of the city was filled mostly with elite private residences. There were barely any taxis around.

I wrapped my arms around myself and started walking slowly.

The more I thought about Evelyn Vale’s return…

the sharper the pain in my stomach became.

At first, I tried calming myself and breathing slowly but the pain only intensified.

My vision blurred.

A terrified sound escaped my lips before I could stop it.

Then suddenly... warm liquid began trickling down my legs.

I looked down.

Blood.

Panic crashed into me instantly.

My knees weakened as hurried footsteps sounded behind me, but the pain was too overwhelming for me to care who it was.

Everything around me spun violently...

Just before I hit the ground, strong arms caught me.

The last thing I heard before darkness swallowed me whole was a deep male voice saying my name.

“Elara?”

(Steele Morgan’s POV)

I wasn’t there by coincidence.

Years ago, after Elara married Damien Vale, my younger sister Aliana warned me repeatedly to leave her alone. She said Elara had made her choice and that I needed to respect it.

But forgetting Elara, and staying away from her were two different things.

So instead, I did the only thing I could. I quietly placed trusted people around her over the years. Not to interfere in her marriage or monitor her life obsessively, but to make sure she was safe. If Elara ever needed help, someone would always be nearby.

She never knew.

For a long time, the reports about her remained simple. Mrs Vale was fine. Then the reports started changing…

Elara looked thinner, and barely smiled anymore.

Then yesterday, the birthday scandal exploded online.

I saw the videos… Saw security dragging Elara away while the guests laughed and recorded her humiliation like it was entertainment.

So today, I personally came.

I only intended to see her once and leave.

Instead, I watched Elara step out of a car looking like she could barely stand. One hand pressed tightly against her stomach while pain flashed across her face.

Then I saw blood.

Everything after that happened quickly.

I remembered shoving the car door open while Rowan called after me. My bodyguards rushed behind me just as Elara’s body gave out completely.

I caught her before she hit the ground.

Even now, standing in the silent hospital corridor hours later, I could still remember how light she felt in my arms.

Too light.

The operating room doors suddenly opened, jerking me from my thoughts.

A doctor stepped outside while removing his mask before his eyes settled on me. “Mr Morgan? Please come with me.”

Something about his expression immediately made my chest tighten.

I followed him silently into his office.

The room remained quiet after we entered. The doctor sat behind his desk while glancing down at a report in front of him. I remained standing.

Several seconds passed before he finally asked, “Are you family?”

“No.” The answer came automatically.

Then after a brief pause, I quietly added, “…I should have been.”

Sympathy immediately crossed his face, clearly misunderstanding my words.

The doctor sighed softly before looking back at the report. “The patient was pregnant.”

My brows furrowed slightly.

Pregnant?

“We’re sorry,” he continued gently. “We couldn’t save the baby.”

For a moment, everything around me seemed distant.

Elara had been pregnant?

Then the doctor lowered his voice further. “We also found traces of abortive compounds commonly used in medication to terminate pregnancies.”

My eyes slowly lifted toward him.

“No,” I said immediately.

Because the Elara I knew would never willingly hurt her own child.

Years ago, Aliana owned a tiny goldfish she adored. When it died unexpectedly, Elara cried harder than Aliana herself. She spent nearly three hours digging beneath a tree in our backyard because she insisted Sunny would feel lonely if nobody buried him properly.

That was who Elara was.

Too soft-hearted for cruelty.

A woman like that would never willingly hurt her own child.

“Could she have taken it unknowingly?” I asked quietly.

The doctor adjusted his glasses before nodding slowly. “It’s possible.”

Something cold settled heavily inside my chest.

This no longer felt accidental.

Someone had hurt Elara.

When I stepped outside the office, Rowan immediately approached me with concern written all over his face. “Sir, the investors are still waiting. Mr Haynes has called three times already.”

“Cancel everything tonight.”

Rowan froze slightly.

In six years of working beside me, he had never once seen me postpone an important meeting. Even during my father’s surgery, I attended meetings remotely because business remained business.

But tonight, none of it mattered. Elara was lying unconscious a few feet away.

Night gradually settled over the hospital while the corridors became quieter. Nurses passed occasionally, their footsteps soft against the polished floors. Through the glass window, Elara remained motionless beneath the pale lights.

The hospital gown swallowed her small frame completely.

She looked fragile.

Broken.

Alone.

For years, I had stayed outside her life because I thought distance was the right thing to do. But watching her lying there now, I realized something painfully clear.

Some promises should have been broken sooner.

Movement inside the room suddenly caught my attention.

Elara’s fingers twitched slightly.

I straightened immediately.

Slowly, her eyelashes fluttered open before her unfocused eyes moved around the room weakly. Without realizing it, my feet were already moving toward the door.

When I entered the room, her gaze slowly lifted toward me.

Confusion crossed her pale face at first.

Then recognition followed.

“…Brother Steele?”

Her weak voice tightened something painfully inside my chest.

After all these years, she still remembered me.

I stepped closer to the bed quietly while the room fell silent except for the soft beeping of machines nearby.

Then suddenly, her hand moved toward her stomach.

Fear flashed across her expression as she asked “How’s my baby?”

I couldn’t answer her. So instead, I quietly texted Rowan.

In no time, the doctor entered the room and explained everything again. The miscarriage, the abortive compounds found in her body… I watched Elara’s face as the truth slowly settled inside her.

Her fingers tightened around the blanket “That glass of water…” she whispered faintly.

“They killed my baby.” Her voice cracked as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She broke completely, her shoulders shaking in agony. I remained beside her quietly. Some pain could not be comforted with empty words.

Several minutes passed before the room gradually became quiet again.

Elara suddenly lifted her head, her red-teary eyes meeting mine. She spoke firmly “…Brother Steele, I want revenge.”