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.

"Nothing," Eva whispered, her voice soft as her eyes welled with tears. She stared out into the night skyline of Veritas.

A second later, fireworks burst across the sky, looking brilliant and blinding.

Then, she remembered what Cleo had said earlier that day. "He's setting off fireworks in Marrowind tonight to celebrate our little miracle."

The sky sparkled, dazzling and surreal, but it wasn't for her.

Leo followed her gaze, misreading the look in her eyes. He smiled indulgently, thinking she was dazzled.

"You like fireworks? I'll plan a whole fireworks show just for you. It'll be even bigger than this. On your birthday, I'll light up the sky from Halden Bay all the way to Elmridge Park. Just for you, okay?"

He pulled her into his arms, holding her like something rare and priceless. His voice was low and coaxing.

Eva let out a soft laugh. "Leo, I don't like what's already been used."

His body stiffened instantly.

Silence stretched between them before he tightened his hold on her, his voice low and hoarse. "Then I'll find another way to surprise you. I'll make sure you never envy anyone again."

But Eva didn't answer. She just kept her eyes on the sky as the last spark fizzled into darkness.

That was what their love had become—briefly dazzling, then completely gone.

…

In the days that followed, Leo changed. He left early every morning with a motorcade, didn't return until late at night, and canceled all routine meetings.

He gave only one instruction to his subordinates. "Keep everything low-profile. No one disturbs Eva."

Even the maid had picked up on the shift. Their whispers behind closed doors were filled with speculation and mischief.

"Mrs. Sereno, Don Leo must be planning something big for you. He just ordered a one-of-a-kind Karamir sapphire ring. We also heard he's been talking to some custom artisans in Merilan."

"Sounds like someone's about to become the happiest woman in the world," another giggled.

Eva said nothing.

A few nights later, Leo finally came to her in person. He was dressed in all black, his expression unusually light.

He gently took her hand. "Eva, come with me tonight. I want to show you something. I promise you'll love it."

She opened her mouth to turn him down, but her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Cleo.

"Eva, take a guess. Right now, who do you think matters more to Leo—me or you?"

She glanced up instinctively, catching a glimpse of Leo's expression just as he opened a new message.

It was a photo of Cleo in sheer black stockings, with her legs posed deliberately. The message beneath it was even more suggestive. "Clock's ticking."

Leo swallowed hard.

In just three seconds, he snapped the phone shut and murmured, "Eva, a deal's gone sideways. I need to take care of it. Let's do it another day, okay?"

Eva looked at him with calm, unreadable eyes.

Then, she smiled. There was no argument, and she made no effort to keep him.

A few hours later, Cleo sent her another message.

This time, it was photos—ripped condom wrappers tossed into a trash can. One after another, messy and deliberate, like trophies lined up for display.

"Eva, you lost again. I'm still carrying Leo's child, and he couldn't keep his hands off me. Tell me, how much more proof do you need that he loves me?"

Eva stared at her phone, and for the first time in a long while, she felt grateful—grateful that she was leaving.

No matter how vile or humiliating it all was, none of it could hurt her anymore.

Leo didn't come home for days. Eva didn't ask, and she didn't go looking for him.

The only thing that kept arriving relentlessly was Cleo's messages.

She sent photos of racks filled with limited-edition designer dresses. There was a bowl of neatly sliced fruit, with a sticky note attached that read, "Leo cut it himself—he was afraid I might slip and hurt my hand."

She even included snapshots of Wynoran-style dishes, all carefully prepared by Leo himself, as if to prove a point.

"Eva, you know what he told me? He said that I'm the one who really understands him. He kissed me ten times while cooking. Can you even cook? Do you even remember what Leo likes?"

Eva scrolled through each image in silence.

She didn't reply.

She was busy erasing her presence from the villa—her clothes, her books, her makeup, even the little fleece throw she always curled up with on the couch.

She had made up her mind.

She was leaving Leo.