In the armored car on the way back to the penthouse, I forwarded a scanned copy of our marriage contract to my legal counsel, Liam.

I said, "Liam, if the contract is ironclad, please prepare the execution documents as soon as possible. I want this over with, and I want everything that belongs to the Costello family back."

Soon, Liam replied, "Understood."

In the past, to reassure me about our marriage, Ronan had personally drafted this contract, sealing it with a blood oath in the presence of the Don. If he ever betrayed me or stopped loving me, he would forfeit all his legal assets and territorial control, leaving with nothing.

Back then, when he looked at me, his eyes burned with a fiery love, certain he would never break his vow.

Unfortunately, time can erode everything, even the strongest of oaths.

It was six in the evening when I returned home. The air hung heavy with the cloying mix of expensive cigars and cheap perfume. Ronan had clearly brought a guest home last night.

I forced myself to take a shower and took some painkillers to ease the sharp pain in my abdomen. The master bedroom was too filthy for me to touch, so I fell into a groggy sleep in the guest room.

In the middle of the night, the front door was violently thrown open, followed by the sound of urgent, heavy footsteps. The footsteps pounded past the master bedroom, straight to the guest room, and then—BAM!

The door was kicked open, the loud noise jolting me from a nightmare.

The next second, the harsh overhead light flickered on, illuminating Ronan's face, his brow deeply furrowed.

"I'm your husband, Serena! How could you discharge yourself from the hospital without a word? Do you have any idea how many of my enemies are watching you?"

When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I saw Ronan standing at the door, panting heavily, a crushed dessert box in his hand. His face was a cold mask of blame.

Jenna peeked out from behind him. She was wearing a man's silk shirt that was clearly several sizes too large for her. Her pale face was framed by long, dark hair, and her eyes held an innocent look. The silky fabric concealed nothing underneath, her long, fair legs looming in and out of view, impossible to ignore.

I recognized the shirt immediately; I had designed it for Ronan myself earlier this year.

Ironically, I clearly remembered him telling me just a month ago that the shirt had been ruined in a shootout.

He either didn't realize his lie had been exposed, or he simply didn't care. Without warning, he threw the expensive dessert box at my feet. The delicate cake shattered, and cream splattered onto my ankle, cold and sticky—a bitter reminder of the child I had lost.

Ronan pointed at me and yelled, every word laced with accusation, "How could you leave the hospital without telling me? Didn't you hear the doctor say your condition was critical, that something could happen at any moment?! Serena, grow the hell up! Stop acting like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum!"

"I've been looking for you for half an hour! Finn turned the entire hospital upside down! Would it have killed you to send a single text?!"

I stared at the cake's remains on the floor, my expression frighteningly calm.

"I was going to inform you, but you were busy comforting Jenna."

Jenna stepped out from behind Ronan, her bare feet padding on the carpet. She gently tugged at the corner of his shirt, her face a mask of guilt as tears instantly welled in her eyes. "Ronan, did I cause trouble for you two again? Serena seems really upset… It's all my fault."

"This has nothing to do with you, Jenna." Ronan soothed her gently, then shot me another glare. "I know you wanted this, so I went to buy it for you as soon as I got Jenna settled. And what happens? The nurse tells me you've already been discharged!"

"I've already told you, Jenna has no one to look after her. I'm just watching over her as her guardian to prevent her from causing more trouble! Why are you blowing this so out of proportion? It's a family obligation!"

He thought I had left the medical center just because he went to care for Jenna. He thought I was just throwing a fit.

Honestly, perhaps I should have thrown the blood-soaked surgical sheet in his face and told him I had miscarried, but I really didn't want to waste my time or energy. After all, there's no point in trying to wake someone who's only pretending to be asleep.

I turned my gaze to Jenna and replied, "Didn't you say she was severely traumatized? Why bring her all the way here instead of letting her rest at the medical center?"

Ronan froze, clearly not expecting me to change the subject so quickly. Then his expression tightened. "There are too many prying eyes there. I don't trust it. It's safer to keep her by my side."

Just then, Jenna chimed in, "I'm sorry, Serena. If it's too much trouble, I'll leave right away… I'll just go back to living in that basement…"

Before I could respond, Ronan said, "Stay. This is my home. You don't need her permission."

As if in retaliation for me leaving the hospital without his permission, he was determined to prove that in this house, his authority superseded mine.

I considered this, then met his cold glare. "Well, the guest room hasn't been cleaned. Since she's your 'responsibility,' she can have the master bedroom."

My tone was entirely sincere, but Ronan clearly didn't see it that way. His face contorted with anger. "How many times do I have to tell you, there's nothing going on between me and Jenna! It's not what you think! She's not the brightest, and her family is unreliable. What's wrong with me taking care of her?!"

"I always thought you were a magnanimous woman, fit to be the wife of the Underboss. But it turns out you're just as jealous and petty as any other woman!"

His expression was full of disappointment, as if I had committed some unforgivable, grave error.

Jenna tugged at his sleeve again, like a frightened little animal. "Ronan, if it's too much trouble, you really don't have to accommodate me… Really! If I've driven a wedge between you two, I'll never forgive myself!"

With that, she turned to leave, but Ronan grabbed her wrist. "There's nothing wrong between us, so there's no need for that. Besides, since Serena already told you to sleep in the master bedroom, you should just stay."

"What about her? Where will she stay?" Jenna glanced at me timidly, but her eyes glinted with a flicker of triumph.

Ronan scoffed, his cold gaze sweeping over my pale face. "She can sleep wherever she damn well pleases. If she wants to throw a tantrum, she can do it alone."

With that, he pulled Jenna out of the room by her wrist, leaving me alone with the sharp, twisting pain in my abdomen.

It was a reminder that this house, a symbol of my status, no longer had a place for me.