The Amoura Eva wasn't just expensive. It was priceless.

In the black market, it would only appear at the most exclusive underground auctions. Leo only found out because one of his informants intercepted the catalog and sent word before the auction began.

Leo asked, "Eva, why did you sell the Amoura Eva?"

Eva didn't look at him. Her voice was calm. "Did you go to the auction?"

Leo froze. A flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. After a beat, he spoke, his voice low and careful. "I just... wanted to find you something. Maybe pick out a new piece. So I—"

Eva cut him off. "I didn't sell it. I donated it."

Leo's jaw clenched, and he gripped her hand. "Eva, I know you're compassionate. You always have been. But if you wanted to donate something, you could've chosen anything else. Not that necklace."

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a velvet box, placing it in front of her. When he flipped it open, there it was—the Amoura Eva, shimmering under the soft light.

He said, "I got it back. This necklace is proof of how much I love you. No one can take that away from you. Not even you."

He leaned in and gently fastened it around her neck.

Eva looked down at the necklace. It felt heavier than ever.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. This man could sneak around with another woman, then come home and deliver a love confession so flawless that she almost bought it.

Leo had always been quick with his hands and even quicker with his mouth—and he never lost at either.

The necklace had never been proof of love. It was a shackle—an exquisite, glittering chain designed to keep her locked in place. His perfect sugar baby.

Later that night, as Eva was about to fall asleep, Leo's phone vibrated on the nightstand.

He silenced it instantly, slipping his arm around her and gently stroking her back with practiced tenderness.

But a few seconds later, his phone vibrated again.

Leo's brows drew together. This time, he answered it, lowering his voice. "Keep it down. Don't wake Eva."

The voice on the other end was tipsy and loud, clearly hyped on whiskey and ego. "Leo! We're all at the Red Rose Club tonight. If you don't show, everyone's gonna think your wife's got you on a leash!"

Leo's voice went cold. "I'm with Eva tonight."

"Come on, Leo! Don't tell me you've forgotten about us. It's been years, and we finally got the whole crew together tonight. You're seriously not coming? You promised we'd never change, Leo. Don or not, you'll always be one of us."

Eva opened her eyes. "Go ahead. It's been a long time since you all saw each other."

Leo hesitated, but she had spoken. He nodded. "Then you're coming with me. If you don't go, neither will I."

Eva didn't argue. She got up and changed.

At the Red Rose Club, the moment they pushed open the door to the private room, a wave of perfume, liquor, and smoke hit them. Inside, half-naked women lounged over leather couches while Leo's men drank and shouted over a poker game.

Leo's jaw tightened, and his voice was icy. "Out."

The room froze. Then, someone finally reacted. "Shit—Eva's here! Out, all of you!"

The women scattered like smoke in the wind. The room instantly quieted.

One of Leo's men gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and chuckled. "Ten years, and you still haven't changed. No other woman can even get near you."

Leo's voice was flat. "Self-control is the bare minimum for a married man."

Eva stood beside him in silence, watching.

Someone lit a cigarette, and Leo shot him a glance. "Put it out. Eva hates the smell."

Someone else passed him a glass of wine. But Leo waved it off, saying, "I'm not drinking. Eva doesn't like me drinking."

Another tried queuing a track on the karaoke screen. Leo reached over and shut it off. "Too loud. Eva doesn't like noise."

The men exchanged helpless glances. Eventually, they settled into a quiet poker game, each of them careful not to step out of line.

Leo picked up a knife and started slicing an apple with practiced precision. Within seconds, a neatly plated fruit tray appeared in front of Eva.

"Here. Eat something."

Noticing that she only had a thin shawl over her shoulders, he immediately took off his coat and draped it around her.

"Cold?"

"A little."

"A little means yes," he said softly, then called a server to bring hot tea.

Across the table, someone finally couldn't hold it in. "Leo might be bulletproof out on the street, but at home? He's scared of his wife."

"Don Leo can run all of Veritas's underworld, but he can't do a damn thing when it comes to Eva."

Leo didn't bother replying. He just kept his eyes on Eva, his gaze tender and unwavering.

Eva stayed quiet the whole time. After a while, she just couldn't keep playing along.

She said, "It's getting late. I'm heading out."

Leo stood to leave with her, but his friends immediately blocked the way.

"Come on, Leo. Eva's health isn't great—let her rest. But the rest of us haven't seen each other in forever. You can't just bail."

"Yeah, let her head home. You stay and chill with us for a bit."

Eva gently pulled her hand from Leo's grip and said softly, "Simon will take me. You should stay."

Before he could stop her, she turned and walked out. Her steps were quick, and Leo didn't catch up.

The car had barely pulled away when Eva reached into her coat and felt a phone that wasn't hers. The phone had a sleek black casing. It was Leo's.

She frowned and told Leo's driver, Simon Walker, to turn around.

The car had barely stopped outside the Red Rose Club when Eva spotted Cleo stepping out of a luxury sedan.

She kept checking her makeup in the car's tinted window, then turned and walked into the club.

Eva's grip around the phone tightened as she followed.

Sure enough, Cleo stopped outside the same private room Leo was in. And the moment she opened the door, she threw herself into Leo's arms.

Leo slipped an arm around her waist, his fingers playfully brushing through her hair. "You just got my call. How are you already here?"

Cleo leaned into his shoulder with a coy smile. "I missed you. The second I got your call, I dropped everything and came straight here."

Leo smirked and said, "Then you deserve a reward."

With that, he kissed her—deep, hungry, and unapologetic. Their lips tangled as if no one else was in the room.

"Alright, alright! Save it for later. There's no need for the live show!"

No one in the room seemed the least bit surprised. Instead, they chuckled and joked like they had seen it all before.

Eva stood frozen outside the door, watching everything unfold. A cold numbness spread through her body.

So they all knew. Every single one of them had been playing along, putting on a show just for her.

"Now that Cleo's here, can we finally turn this party up a notch?" someone joked.

The guys exchanged grins, clapping their hands.

A second later, the same scantily clad women from before poured back in from the adjoining room, draping themselves over the men like accessories.

Within moments, everyone had someone in their lap.

The rules were simple—spin the bottle. Whoever the neck pointed to had to answer a question.

After a few rounds, the bottle finally stopped on Leo. The room erupted with cheers and whistles, the energy building to a high.

"Alright, Leo. When was the last time you had sex?"

The guy grinned, and everyone instantly caught the insinuation.

Leo raised a brow, his expression calm and unreadable. "Yesterday. In my car."

That answer sent the room into a frenzy.

"Damn, how was it?"

Cleo was already flushed scarlet, tucked tight in his arms. Leo smirked and answered slowly, word by word. "Hot. Absolutely unforgettable."

"See? I told you—lovers are always better than the wife."

"No kidding. Guys like us? You gotta have a few extras outside the house."

"As long as you keep it quiet, man, you can live the dream. Eva will never find out."

At the mention of her name, Leo's expression froze, and his smile vanished.

"Don't ever bring this shit near Eva. If she finds out... You know what happens next."

"Yeah, yeah! We got it! No one's telling her a thing. Don't worry."

The laughter continued inside, loud and shameless. But outside that door, Eva stood frozen in place. Her entire body felt numb, like the life had drained right out of her.

She turned and walked away like a ghost, hollow and lifeless.

Simon noticed something was off and rushed toward her. He was about to head inside to inform Leo, but she stopped him right away.

"Don't tell him I was here. And I don't need a ride. I just want to walk for a bit."

A heavy downpour broke out suddenly, but she moved through it like she didn't feel a thing.

She didn't know how long she wandered. She only knew that it was long—longer than that snowy night years ago, when she had twisted her ankle and Leo had carried her home.

She wondered if true love ever really stayed the same in this world. Did it ever remain unwavering and unbroken?

Eva burned with a fever all night.

Leo stumbled into the villa just before dawn, still reeking of alcohol from the Red Rose Club. The moment he stepped inside, he sensed something was wrong. The air was too still, too quiet.

Then he saw Eva. She had collapsed on the bed, her cheeks flushed red and her skin burning to the touch.

In an instant, the haze of alcohol vanished. He swept her into his arms and rushed her to their private hospital.

"Get a doctor. Dr. Wilson—now! If anything happens to her, I swear, I'll bury every one of you with her." His voice was ice-cold, laced with barely contained fury.

When Eva opened her eyes again, the sharp scent of antiseptic stung her nose. She stirred, barely able to move, her limbs heavy and her mind hazy.

A nurse noticed her stirring and gasped with relief. "Mrs. Sereno, thank God! You've had a high fever for over 24 hours.

"Mr. Sereno's been here the whole time. He just stepped out. There was an emergency call from the syndicate he had to take."

Eva raised a hand weakly and murmured, "You don't… need to tell him I'm awake."

The nurse hesitated, then nodded and quietly slipped out of the room. Silence fell over the room.

From down the hallway, Eva could hear Leo's voice, low and measured as he spoke on the phone.

His tone was calm and composed, yet beneath it, she caught the unmistakable edge of restrained excitement. "Good news? It's confirmed? Alright. I'll be there soon."

He hung up, and his footsteps echoed farther and farther away.

Eva forced herself upright, her body still weak and unsteady. She reached for the coat and draped it over her hospital gown before slowly making her way toward the door.

Her footsteps were nearly silent as she moved down the stairs, trailing the familiar figure ahead.

Just as she reached the lower level of the hospital, she saw it. Leo was carefully guiding Cleo out of the obstetrics department.

Cleo looked radiant, with a soft glow in her eyes and a smile curving on her lips. Her hand rested lightly on Leo's arm, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Cleo spotted her first. "Mrs. Sereno?" she said, eyes wide with faux surprise. "Wow. What a coincidence! You're here too?"

Leo looked up, and their eyes met. His entire body went stiff, as if she had caught him in the middle of a crime.

In a flash, he dropped Cleo's hand.

He said quickly, "Eva, I just... I was downstairs picking up medication and ran into Cleo. She told me she was pregnant. I didn't want her to get hurt, so I offered an arm. That's all."

His excuse came out rushed, his voice tight with barely hidden panic.

Eva's gaze dropped to Cleo's stomach.

She inhaled slowly, then looked up again. "Ms. Guzman, when did you conceive? And where's the child's father? Didn't he come with you?"

Cleo smiled sweetly, her voice soft. "I just found out. I'm barely a month along. My husband couldn't make it here today, but he already bought me a few properties and transferred 100 million dollars into my account. He even said he's setting off fireworks in Marrowind tonight to celebrate our little miracle."

Leo's expression darkened, inch by inch.

Eva didn't even blink. Her face was devoid of emotion. "Is that so?"

Cleo tilted her head, the corners of her mouth curling in subtle provocation. "Mrs. Sereno, why don't you join us for dinner? I'll introduce you to my husband."

"No need. Eva doesn't have time for that kind of nonsense," Leo cut in sharply, his reply a beat too quick.

He turned to Eva, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. His voice dropped to a tender coax. "Darling, you're still recovering. You shouldn't be walking around like this. That woman is just a brand ambassador. You don't have to listen to a word she says."

Cleo's smile faltered. She looked down, her eyes turning red at the rims, like a scorned lover on the verge of tears. "I got carried away… Of course I'm not worthy of sharing a meal with Mrs. Sereno."

She then turned and walked off in a huff.

Leo hesitated for a beat, caught between instinct and impulse. He took half a step after Cleo, but when he saw Eva's unreadable expression, he stopped.

That night, back at the villa, Leo was visibly restless.

After tucking Eva into bed, he mumbled something about business and locked himself in the study.

Eva sat quietly in the bedroom. Then, her phone lit up.

It was a message from Cleo.

The screen showed a photo of a pregnancy scan. Then, came a string of cruel, deliberate taunts.

"Eva, I know you've already figured it out. The baby is Leo's. Don't be stupid. You think he loves you? Then what am I?"

"Do you know how obsessed he is with me? Every year on your birthday and on your anniversary, after you fall asleep, he comes to me. Every time, we go through an entire box of condoms. I can't even walk the next day."

"He's taken me in his Maybach, in his penthouse office, and even in your bed—he's taken me in 72 different positions. How many have you tried?"

Eva's fingers trembled slightly as she scrolled through the messages. Her chest tightened with emotions she couldn't name.

She took a deep breath and slowly locked the screen.

Just then, Leo slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His familiar scent enveloped her.

Like always, his voice was low and indulgent. "What are you looking at, darling?"

His chin rested in the crook of her shoulder, but all he saw was her phone's blank screen.

Eva didn't answer. She just stared silently out the window, into the night, where city lights blurred behind the glass.