Moving into Darius’s mansion felt unreal—like I had wandered into someone else’s life.

He gave me the largest room. The bed was soft, the sheets smooth as silk, the closet filled with clothes I never imagined wearing. Shoes were arranged by color, jewelry catching the light with every small movement.

Every morning, breakfast was brought straight to my door. Every evening, he returned with gifts. But he never once took me outside.

No dinners out. No parties. Not even a simple walk.

One night, I gathered the courage to ask, “Can I come with you next time?”

He just smiled, leaned closer, and kissed me instead of answering.

And just like that, my question disappeared.

The staff hardly spoke to me. Their eyes passed over me like I wasn’t there. A few offered polite smiles, most simply bowed and left. I tried to act like it didn’t bother me.

I kept telling myself it was enough. I loved him. He said I belonged to him. That should’ve been enough… right?

One evening, while holding me, Darius murmured, “Someday, I’ll make you my wife.”

I believed every word.

Our nights were always quiet. He’d pull me close, run his fingers through my hair, and stay silent. For the first time in years, I felt safe. Like maybe I finally had a place where I belonged.

When he left for Paris, he pressed a kiss to my forehead and whispered, “Wait for me.”

So I did.

Days passed. Then weeks.

No calls. No messages. Still, I waited.

Then one morning, as I was clearing my breakfast tray, I overheard the maids talking in the hallway.

“I heard Mr. Voss’s fiancée is studying in Paris,” one whispered.

The other sounded shocked. “Then what about the girl here? Kaia? I thought she was the fiancée.”

A quiet laugh followed. “No. She’s just someone to warm his bed.”

The words hit harder than anything I’d ever endured. I went back to my room, closed the door, and cried until my eyes burned dry.

The next morning, my body felt off. Heavy. The smell of food made me nauseous. Every time I stood, the room spun.

One of the maids noticed. “You should get checked,” she said.

So I went—alone. My hands trembled the entire way.

After the test, the doctor gave me a gentle smile. “You’re pregnant,” she said. “About two months.”

For a moment, everything stopped. Then my heart started racing. I clutched the paper to my chest, tears falling freely.

“He’ll be happy,” I whispered. “He has to be.”

I thanked the doctor and hurried back, holding the result like it was something precious.

Maybe this would change things. Maybe now, I’d finally matter.

When I reached the mansion, I heard voices coming from the living room.

His voice.

My heart leapt. He was back.

I ran toward it, smiling so wide it hurt.

Then I heard laughter.

A woman’s laughter.

I froze.

No… it couldn’t be. I knew that sound.

I pushed the door open.

Elowen was sitting on Darius’s lap, kissing him.

His hands rested on her waist.

They both looked up. Darius’s expression was cold—like I meant nothing. Like he didn’t even recognize me. And Elowen? She blinked, acting surprised.

“What are you doing here?”

Darius didn’t even move. “Where have you been?” he asked flatly, then added, “Go prepare drinks and snacks for my guest.”

For a second, I couldn’t breathe.

My voice came out small as I stared at her. “W-why are you here?”

She let out a short, sharp laugh. “You’re seriously asking me that?”

She raised her hand, showing off a diamond ring. It glittered under the light. “I’m Darius Voss’s fiancée. See this?”

Everything inside me went cold. The room seemed to tilt.

No… that couldn’t be true.

I turned to Darius, my lips trembling. “T-tell me she’s lying.”

He didn’t even look at me. His jaw tightened, his eyes somewhere else.

The silence said everything.

Elowen stepped closer, her perfume suffocating. “Babe,” she said sweetly, turning to him, “why is that Langford servant in your house?” She pointed at me like I was nothing. “Didn’t I tell you about her? She’s the reason my parents are dead. Evander and Leonhart hate her for it. They locked her away for years. And now you bring her here? That hurts, Darius. It really does.”

My throat tightened. I could barely breathe.

Each word felt like it was tearing through me.

I waited—just one word from him. Anything.

But Darius only sighed. His voice was cold. Detached. “Elowen, relax. I only brought her here to keep my bed warm. Nothing more.”

My knees weakened. My hands trembled.

The words didn’t feel real.

So that was all I was.

The maid had been right.

The man I thought had saved me—the one who promised me safety, a future—was no different from the rest.

“Oh… I see,” Elowen said, tilting her head like she understood. “You’re a man. You have your needs. Fine.”

She walked up to him, grabbed his collar, and kissed him right in front of me—slow, deliberate.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even look away.

When she pulled back, she turned to me, her eyes burning.

“You bitch,” she hissed—

And before I could react, her hand struck my face.

SLAP!

The sound rang through the room.

I staggered back, one hand pressed to my cheek, the sting spreading deep under my skin.

“Out of everyone, it had to be you?” she yelled.

I tried to speak—anything at all—but nothing came out. Only tears.

Elowen lifted her hand again, ready to strike, but Darius caught her wrist mid-air. “That’s enough,” he said sharply. Then his eyes shifted to me, empty and unreadable. “Kaia, go to your room. Don’t come downstairs unless I say so.”

My voice wouldn’t come back.

I could only nod and turn away, still holding my cheek.

Each step up the stairs felt heavy, like I was walking through water.

When I reached my room, I sat at the edge of the bed, my body trembling. A folded paper slipped from my pocket—the sonogram.

I stared at it for a long time, my vision blurring.

“Our baby,” I whispered.

And then everything broke.

I cried until I couldn’t breathe, until the world outside faded into nothing. All I could hear was the sound of my own heart shattering—while downstairs, I knew Elowen was probably clinging to him again, pretending to cry.

And he was letting her.

…

When I woke up, my eyes were swollen, my chest aching like I had nothing left inside.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains—soft, almost gentle—but it felt wrong. Too normal. Like nothing had happened.

I pushed myself up, head pounding—then I saw her.

Elowen.

Sitting on the couch like she owned the place, legs crossed, calm and satisfied, holding something between her fingers.

It took me a second to realize what it was.

The folded paper.

My sonogram.

“Well,” she said lightly, spinning it between her fingers, “looks like you’re pregnant.”

I froze. My heart dropped.

“Give it back,” I said quietly.

She smiled, slow and sharp, like she had caught something helpless. “Not yet. I want to tell you a story first. It’s a good one—you’ll enjoy it.”

“I said give it back.”

She ignored me completely, leaning back with that same glint in her eyes.

“You always thought you had everything, didn’t you, Kaia? Always loved. Always lucky. Want to know how I became his fiancée?”

I stayed silent. I didn’t want to hear any of it. But she continued anyway, her voice smooth and cruel.

“Two weeks ago, my brothers told me Darius took you. Leonhart and Evander—remember them? They said you were living here, that he was protecting you.” She let out a laugh that sounded wrong. “Can you imagine how that felt? You, the nobody Langford girl, suddenly in his arms.”

She stood and started pacing, like she was telling some casual story. “You were always the favorite. Even when we were kids. So I decided to take everything that was yours.”

She paused, turning to me with that practiced smile. “Leonhart told me Darius was going to Paris for business. I begged for an introduction. I made sure I looked perfect that night. You should’ve seen me—white silk, tears in my eyes, like some broken angel. Men fall faster when they think they’re saving someone.”

I stared down, trying not to cry, but my chest tightened again.

She chuckled softly. “You know what made it work? The shooting. Oh, Kaia, it was perfect. Leonhart hired men to stage it. I made sure Darius saw everything—the guns, the chaos. I pretended to protect him, even fell to the ground. Fake blood everywhere. I looked like a hero. He carried me all the way to the hospital, you know? Stayed there the whole night.”

Her eyes lit up at the memory. “When I woke up, he told me I saved his life. Said he owed me everything. So I told him what I wanted.”

She stepped closer, slow and deliberate, then crouched in front of me. “I told him I wanted him. I wanted to be his.”

I just stared at her. None of it felt real anymore.

Her smile widened, sharp and satisfied. “He gave me this ring. Promised me everything. All because he thought I took a bullet for him. Guilt is such a useful thing, don’t you think?”

Something inside me snapped.

I started laughing. Quiet at first—then louder. It came out wrong, broken, like I didn’t know how to stop.

Her smile faltered. “What’s so funny?”

I wiped my face, still laughing through the tears. “That’s it? Fake blood? A staged attack? That’s all it took for you to get him?”

Her jaw tightened. “Don’t laugh at me.”

But I couldn’t stop. It hurt, but I kept going. “You can have him,” I said softly. “I don’t care anymore.”

Her expression shifted. The anger faded, replaced by something colder. She tilted her head, smiling again—soft, almost gentle. But her eyes stayed the same.

I recognized that look.

I stood quickly, stepping back. “What are you doing?”

She moved closer. “You’re pregnant. I’m his fiancée—the one who saved him.” Her smile deepened. “Let’s see who he chooses to save first.”

Before I could react, she grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. I tried to pull away, but her grip tightened.

“Let go of me, Elowen!”

Suddenly, her voice changed—loud, shaking, like she was the victim. “Kaia! Stop! You’re hurting me! Why do you always hurt me?”

“I said let go—”

Before I could finish, she staggered backward, still holding onto me. My foot slipped at the edge of the stairs.

Everything happened too fast.

Her scream echoed through the house. “Kaia! Please—don’t hurt me!”

And then—

We fell.

I couldn’t move.

The floor felt freezing against my cheek, and above me, the white light spun, blurring in and out of focus. Pain tore through my stomach, spreading to my back until I couldn’t tell where it began or ended. Then voices broke through.

Shouting.

Footsteps rushing closer.

Someone called my name.

Darius.

My heart stirred, fragile but hopeful. He came… he was coming for me—

But then I saw him.

He ran past me. Straight to Elowen.

She lay a few steps away, crying softly, clutching her arm as if it were broken. Without hesitation, he gathered her into his arms, panic clear in his eyes.

“Call the doctor! Now!” Darius shouted.

One of the maids stammered, “Sir, Miss Kaia is bleeding too—”

“Deal with her later!” His voice cut through everything. “Elowen comes first!”

First?

Something inside me shattered. Their voices faded. The light dimmed.

And then—nothing.

---

When I opened my eyes, all I saw was a white ceiling. The sharp smell of medicine filled my nose. My throat felt dry, almost impossible to swallow. There was a bandage wrapped tightly around my stomach.

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through me, forcing me back down.

The door opened.

Darius walked in. His face was set, his eyes colder than I had ever seen.

“So this is how you repay me?” His voice was steady, but anger lingered beneath every word. “I took you out of that place. Gave you everything. And this is what you do in return?”

I stared at him, confused. “W-what do you mean?”

He stepped closer, arms crossed. “Stop pretending. You tried to hurt my fiancée. Do you even realize she once saved my life? She took a bullet for me. And you… you pushed her down the stairs.”

My stomach twisted. “No, Darius, please—it wasn’t me—”

“Enough.” His voice rose slightly. “You always have an excuse. Always crying, always acting like you’re the victim.”

I shook my head, tears spilling over. “Please, just listen to me—”

A knock interrupted me.

A nurse peeked in, her gaze lowered. “Sir… Miss Elowen just woke up. She’s crying. She’s still in shock and asking for you.”

Darius’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked toward me for a brief second—cold, empty, like I didn’t matter at all.

“Save it,” he said quietly. “I’ll deal with you later.”

Then he turned and walked out.

The door closed softly behind him. But to me, it sounded final—like something breaking beyond repair.

“Don’t worry, baby… we’ll leave. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

My hand slowly reached toward the IV needle. I just wanted to go. Anywhere. Away from all of this.

But before I could do anything, the door slammed open.

Leonhart and Evander rushed in like a storm.

Leonhart’s eyes burned with fury. Evander looked at me like I was something disgusting.

Evander moved first. His hand struck my face hard, the sound echoing through the room.

“How dare you, Kaia?” he shouted. “How dare you try to kill our sister?”

My head snapped to the side, my cheek throbbing. “I didn’t,” I whispered.

Leonhart’s voice came louder. “Don’t even think about lying. You already killed our parents. Wasn’t that enough? Now you’re going after Elowen too?”

Tears filled my eyes again. “She’s the one who—”

Leonhart stepped closer, pointing at me. “She’s the one what? You said that before. Every time you say that, someone ends up dead. Mom. Dad. Now Elowen?”

“No,” I cried, shaking my head. “You don’t understand. She lied. She set me up. Please, Leonhart—you have to believe me.”

Evander grabbed the metal tray beside my bed and slammed it to the floor. It crashed loudly—glass shattering, water spilling everywhere. “Shut up!” he roared. “You think anyone would choose your word over hers? You’re nothing. Just a stain on this family. A curse that won’t disappear.”

I covered my mouth, sobbing.

Evander leaned in closer, his voice low, filled with hatred. “Why are you still alive? Just die already and spare us the trouble.”

Leonhart grabbed my chin roughly, forcing me to look at him. His eyes were cold, almost hollow. “You’ll pay for this, Kaia. Even if Darius lets you off, we won’t.”

Then they turned and walked out, the door slamming shut behind them.