Five years ago, Cyrus Parker cried as he begged me to let his childhood sweetheart, Paige Gallagher, give birth to his child.

I agreed, but soon I named my conditions. Paige and her child were to be sent abroad, never to return to this country. At the same time, Cyrus needed to compensate me with half of the Parker family's assets.

Everyone called me a materialistic wrench who had her eye on the Parkers' wealth this whole time. As for Cyrus, he'd rather make an enemy out of the entire Parker family just so he could protect that child.

Five years later, when I go to a neighboring city on a business trip, I stumble upon a lost boy. So, I take him to the police station and have him contact his family there.

The police officer dials the phone number that the boy is able to recite for him. Soon, I hear a familiar voice coming from the phone.

"Don't be scared now. I'll come over and pick you up right away."

In less than half an hour, Cyrus, who's supposed to be in a business meeting that's taking place thousands of miles away, rushes into the police station.

I meet his gaze from my seat on the bench, leaving him stunned.

A smile appears on my face as I get up from the bench.

"I didn't even know you'd sired another son with another woman behind my back, Cyrus. It seems that you won't be able to keep the other half of your wealth now."

"Hear me out, Melanie—" my husband, Cyrus Parker, pleaded, stepping forward to shield his son, Caleb Parker, behind him. That instinctive gesture pierced my heart like a blade.

"This is not the place to talk," I cut him off, picking up my bag. "Let that woman come and collect her son. Then we'll talk."

"Paige isn't feeling well—"

I stared coldly at him. "Cyrus, do you want me to call Grandpa right now, or should I have the lawyer send you the papers directly?"

Cyrus fell silent. The agreement I held was enough to strip him of his position as CEO of Parker Corporation and leave him with nothing.

Just then, Caleb peeked out from behind Cyrus and shouted at me, "Don't bully my daddy, you evil woman!"

A child's words carried no malice, yet they cut deeper than any blade.

Cyrus hurriedly clamped a hand over Caleb's mouth, his eyes wide with fear as he looked at me.

"Such fine parenting," I remarked with a bitter twist of my lips. "It seems the only skill Paige has honed over the years is sowing discord."

With that, I turned and walked out of the police station.

Outside, the snow was falling heavily, the cold biting through to the bone.

My mind drifted back to five years ago, when Paige Gallagher had shown up at my door, heavily pregnant.

Cyrus had dropped to his knees before me, his eyes bloodshot, pleading that the Parker bloodline was thin and begging me to spare the child. At the time, I had just suffered a miscarriage and was at my weakest.

I had signed an agreement under two conditions. The first was that Paige and the child would leave the country and never return, and the second was that 50% of the shares in Parker Corporation would be transferred to me if they came back.

Cyrus' grandfather, Geoffrey Parker, had been so furious that he nearly beat Cyrus to death with his cane. But in the end, he had silently acquiesced, if only to appease me.

Cyrus had sworn to me then, "Melanie, I messed up, but you're the only one I love. You can take all my money, or even take my life. All I ask is that you let her have this child. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

And for five years, he had indeed kept his word. No matter how busy he was, he never missed our daily video calls, and gifts arrived without fail on every occasion. He had even canceled billion-dollar contracts just to spend weekends with me.

I had almost believed that time could truly heal all wounds.

…

When the snow outside stopped, Cyrus had the driver take Caleb home first. But Cyrus himself didn't dare to leave, nor did he dare let me leave. So, we sat in the cafe next to the police station.

"Melanie, it's not what you think," Cyrus said, his hands pressed to his forehead, voice low.

"Paige… She did actually go abroad. But she couldn't cope there. Caleb has asthma and a heart condition, and the medical costs overseas were simply too high. She just couldn't manage alone."

"And so you brought them back?" I countered, stirring my coffee slowly. "And not only that, you settled them in a luxury apartment under Parker Corp. and visited once a week. Cyrus, is this charity, or are you keeping a second family out there?"

"I was only there to visit Caleb!" he insisted desperately.

"Melanie, he's innocent. Every time Caleb has an attack, he cries for me. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just watch him die, could I?"

"But you can let me live like a fool, keeping me completely in the dark. Is that it?" I shot back. "Cyrus, did you think that as long as they never showed up in front of me, it wouldn't be considered a breach of contract? And what was your promise back then even worth, then?"

Cyrus fell silent.

Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen but did not answer.

Soon after, my own phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number. When I answered the call, Paige's weak voice came through the line.

"Hello, Ms. Lightwood. It's Paige. I know you're with Cyrus right now. May I speak to you, just for a moment?"

I turned on the speaker and placed my phone on the table.

Paige's voice carried a sob, but it wasn't shrill. Instead, she sounded pitiful.

"Ms. Lightwood, this is all my fault. I was incapable and unable to support Caleb on my own, so I shamelessly came back and begged Cyrus for help.

"Cyrus is a good man. He just felt sorry for Caleb. Please don't blame him. If you can't stand the sight of us, I'll take Caleb and leave right now. Even if we die out there, I won't cause trouble for the two of you ever again."

Suddenly, the sound of a child coughing came through the phone, followed by Paige's flustered attempts to soothe him.

Cyrus' expression immediately changed. He snatched my phone and shouted into it, "Paige, is Caleb having another attack? Don't move him around. His medicine is in the cabinet! I'll be back right away!"

After hanging up, Cyrus looked at me anxiously, his eyes filled with desperation.

"Melanie, Caleb's asthma is acting up. It could be life-threatening. I have to go over. We can talk about everything else after I get home, okay?"

I looked at the man before me. One moment he was apologizing to me, and the next, the moment something happened over on Paige's end, all his attention went to her again.

I knew him too well. Paige didn't need to make a scene or flaunt her presence in front of me. All she had to do was show her vulnerability, and Cyrus would be completely under her control.

I leaned back in my chair, my expression cool and detached.

"Go ahead, Cyrus. But once you walk out that door, we're really done."

Cyrus froze. He struggled for a moment and looked at me, then finally forced through gritted teeth, "Melanie, this is a matter of life and death. I can't just ignore it."

With that, he turned and left without looking back.

I watched his retreating figure, then picked up the cold cup of coffee in front of me and drank it in one go. Bitterness spread across my tongue.

I picked up my phone and called Geoffrey.

"Grandpa, I'm in Ludonia. I'd like to meet you."

Then, I went straight to Parker Corporation's branch office in Ludonia.

Geoffrey was inspecting the operations when I arrived, and he didn't seem surprised to see me. He dismissed everyone else, leaving only the two of us in the office.

"Mel, why do you look so pale?" Geoffrey asked, holding a cup of coffee as he studied me shrewdly.

I got straight to the point.

"You knew, didn't you? Paige has been back for three years, living in an apartment owned by Parker Corp., and spending Cyrus' money. With your eyes and ears all over the company, you can't possibly be unaware."

Geoffrey, who was sipping on his coffee, paused and let out a sigh. "Cyrus was muddle-headed, and he's soft-hearted."

He set his coffee mug down and continued, "I remember that child. Although he's illegitimate, he still carries the Parker blood. It's only natural for Cyrus to look after him given how sickly he is."

I scoffed. "Only natural? Then what was the point of the agreement Cyrus and I signed? Was it just a worthless piece of paper?"

Geoffrey's tone sharpened. "Mel! You are the lady of the Parker family. You need to look at the bigger picture. As long as that woman doesn't enter the household and threaten your position, what harm is there in leaving a little dignity for Cyrus in public? Besides…"

He paused, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over my flat stomach.

"It's been five years, and you still haven't shown any signs of getting pregnant. The Parker family's vast legacy needs an heir. Cyrus securing a bloodline outside is also for the family's sake."

A chill ran through me. In their eyes, my inability to conceive was a sin. Cyrus cheating on me was because he was soft-hearted, his having a bastard child was him securing an heir, and my anger was simply a lack of perspective.

"And what if I say I want a divorce?" I stared fixedly at Geoffrey.

His expression clouded over, and he slammed his mug down on the table.

"What utter nonsense! Do you think divorce is child's play? Parker Corp.'s current stock price can't withstand the turmoil. The half of the company shares we promised you are the family's guarantee to you, but they are also a restraint.

"Do you think you can just walk away with the Parker family's money? Dream on!"

Geoffrey narrowed his eyes.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. In this wealthy family, there was no warmth, only cold calculations of interest.

Just then, someone knocked on the office door. Geoffrey's secretary entered with an uneasy look on her face.

"Mr. Parker Senior, Mr. Parker is here, and he's brought the child with him."

Moments later, Cyrus walked in. He carried Caleb in his arms, with Paige following behind timidly.

Cyrus didn't even dare to look at me. Instead, he carried Caleb straight to Geoffrey. "Grandpa, Caleb heard that you were here and insisted on coming to see you."

Although Caleb looked pale, he greeted Geoffrey politely, "Hello, Great-grandpa."

Geoffrey's previously stern expression instantly softened, and he reached out to pat Caleb's head. "What a well-behaved boy."

Paige, who stood in the corner, stole a glance at me. Her eyes didn't match her fragile appearance; instead, they held a trace of smugness.

As long as Geoffrey acknowledged Caleb as his great-grandson, even if Paige wasn't accepted, she would still be regarded as someone who had made a great contribution to the family. And I would eventually be swept out the door.

There was an increase in confidence in Cyrus' gaze when he looked at me.

"Melanie, since Grandpa has spoken, can't you just accept it for the sake of the family?"

I could no longer hold back the nausea I felt. Covering my mouth, I rushed to the restroom and threw up until I felt the world around me spin.

When I returned, Paige suddenly dropped to her knees before me, tears streaming down her face.

"Ms. Lightwood, I know I shouldn't have come back, but Caleb needs a heart surgery. The best specialist in the country is right here in Ludonia. I only returned to save my son's life!"

She looked up, the picture of fragile distress.

"As soon as Caleb gets a successful surgery, I'll take him away immediately. I won't stay around and get in your way. Ms. Lightwood, you're a woman and you once had a child, too. Please, won't you show a little mercy, as one mother to another?"