Stephanie gave a knowing look to the servant, and the divorce papers were immediately handed to Luke. His name and Kayla's were printed in bold, glaring letters.

Luke's hands clenched. In a flash of anger, he ripped the papers in two. His voice was sharp, almost strangled.

"You can't divorce me. How could you even think of divorcing me?"

Stephanie put on a concerned expression.

"Luke, you've treated my sister so well, and she still wants a divorce. Could it be that... she's fallen for someone else?"

That was all it took. Luke completely lost control. He grabbed Kayla's wrist, gripping so hard it hurt.

"Luke, let go of me!"

"Never!"

His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy with rage.

"Whoever that man is, I'll kill him myself. And you... Kayla, you will never leave me. You're mine. Forever!"

Of course, Luke never found this so-called other man. But from that day on, he no longer allowed Kayla to leave the house.

He claimed it was for her and the baby's safety, but in truth, it was imprisonment.

Around the villa, a twenty-four-hour automated security system was installed, along with rotating guards. No one was allowed in or out. Inside, all the servants were replaced with unfamiliar faces. After Luke discovered the flight information on Kayla's phone, he confiscated every communication device she owned, cutting her off completely from the outside world.

"I know this isn't fair to you," Luke said, his tone deceptively gentle. "But I will never let you end the child we fought so hard for. And I certainly won't let you hire a lawyer or file for divorce.

"Kayla, be good. I've spoken to the doctor. Your extreme emotions are just hormones from the pregnancy. Once you give birth to our child, you'll come to your senses."

Come to her senses? Did that mean accepting that her own child was being labeled a worthless illegitimate child by everyone? Or accepting that her husband was the father of another woman's child?

Kayla said nothing and only looked at Luke calmly. That quiet gaze alone was enough to strip the once-invincible businessman of all composure, forcing him to retreat from her room in disarray.

She was locked away for half a month.

She missed the abortion appointment she had scheduled.

She also missed the flight that could have carried her to freedom.

Not long after, Luke's mother, Katie Lloyd, arrived.

The moment Katie stepped through the door, she coldly ordered Kayla to kneel.

"You shameless wretch. Has Luke not done enough for you? For you, he went against his entire family. He begged them until they almost disowned him, took every consequence they threw at him, and nearly destroyed himself in the process. He ended up in the hospital for a month and almost didn't make it out alive. He even scheduled a vasectomy for you! And how did you repay him? You cheated on him. You dared to get pregnant with another man's child. How can a woman be this disgusting? I'll kill you!"

Stephanie stood to the side, putting on a show of concern.

"Please calm down, Madam Hudson. My sister just can't stand being lonely. That's why she kept sneaking around with other men. Please forgive her this once."

The more Katie listened, the angrier she became. She raised her hand to slap Kayla.

However, Kayla caught her wrist.

"My child is not illegitimate."

"What did you say?"

"I said, the child I'm carrying is Luke's."

Panic flashed across Stephanie's face. She rushed forward, grabbing Katie's arm.

"Madam Hudson, she's lying just to escape punishment. Please have someone shut her up."

Kayla swung backhandedly and slapped Stephanie hard. Then she looked straight at Katie and said, "The illegitimate child is the one in her belly. If you don't believe me, I can go with you right now and do a paternity test."

Katie was still hesitating when Luke burst into the room.

The moment he heard from his staff that his mother had gone to the villa, he abandoned the meeting he was in and rushed back without a second thought. It was only when he saw Kayla standing there, unharmed, that he finally let out a breath.

The next second, Stephanie threw herself into his arms. She covered her swollen, reddened cheek and cried pitifully, tears streaming down her face.

"Luke, Kayla accused me and said the baby I'm carrying is an illegitimate child. I saved her back then, and now she's trying to destroy me. She's pushing me into a corner with no way out. If that's how it's going to be, I might as well die."

She turned as if to run out, but Luke caught her arm and pulled her back.

Kayla watched the man she had loved for so many years. Even though her heart had already turned to ash, she could not stop a small flicker of hope from rising. She hoped he would finally tell the truth. That he would give her, and the child she carried, a shred of justice.

Katie stared at Luke anxiously.

"Is what Kayla said true?"

Luke's eyes flickered with hesitation, only for a moment. Then he shook his head.

"Stephanie's child is not illegitimate."

He even looked at Kayla with something close to desperation, as if begging her to understand his struggle and pain.

The disappointment tore through her chest, leaving a hollow ache as cold despair poured in without mercy.

Katie flew into a rage and slapped Kayla hard across the face.

Luke stepped forward instinctively to stop her, but Stephanie held him back.

"After what she's done, your mother needs to vent her anger. Otherwise, it'll be bad for her health," she said softly.

Katie patted Stephanie's hand with affection.

"You're such a good girl. You're a hundred times better than that wretch. And now you're carrying the Hudson family's eldest grandson. You should move in right away so Luke can take good care of you."

She then turned, glaring at Kayla through clenched teeth.

"A shameless woman like you has no right to stay here. Divorce Luke immediately and get out of the Hudson family. Now."

Stephanie obediently agreed out loud, but when no one was looking, she shot Kayla a triumphant smile.

Just as she believed she was about to step into her rightful place as the lady of the Hudson family, Luke brushed her hand aside. He pulled Kayla into his arms and spoke with unmistakable resolve.

"Kayla will not divorce me. And she will not leave the Hudson family. Unless I am dead, I will never let her leave my side."

Katie clenched her fists in anger. Stephanie's face twisted with frustration, but she held herself back and offered a compromise.

"The child I'm carrying needs a father's care too. How about this? I move into the master bedroom with Luke, and Kayla can stay in the basement. That way, she gets punished for slapping me."

Luke of course refused.

Katie slammed her hand down on the nearby table.

"If you won't even agree to this, then get that wretch out of the house!"

And so, Luke personally escorted Kayla to a cold, damp basement.

"Don't worry, Kayla. Once Mom calms down, I'll bring you back upstairs," he promised.

During those weeks in the basement, Kayla could hear Stephanie's belongings constantly being moved into the house.

Stephanie wasn't comfortable in the master bed, so Luke dismantled the custom bed Kayla had spent an entire year commissioning from a master craftsman, replacing it with a latex mattress Stephanie liked.

Stephanie was allergic to pollen, so Luke uprooted all the sunflowers Kayla had carefully nurtured and replaced them with an infinity pool she preferred.

Stephanie even converted Kayla's music room into a nursery. She smashed the piano Luke had painstakingly refinished for Kayla, then set it ablaze until it was nothing but ash.

"Soon I'll completely replace you as the lady of the Hudson family," Stephanie sneered. "As for you and your child, I'll make sure the baby is born, despised by everyone, and left to die in misery."

Only then did Kayla finally understand why Stephanie had deliberately handed her abortion appointment slip to Luke.

Stephanie wanted Kayla to watch it with her own eyes, to see her child rejected by the world and pushed toward ruin.

The moment Luke appeared, Stephanie instantly changed her tone.

"I was only trying to persuade my sister to carry the baby to term."

Luke's expression twisted into one of anguish.

"Kayla, I can't believe you're still thinking about giving up our child. I am so disappointed in you!"

Kayla didn't even want to look at him anymore.

All she wanted now was to leave Luke and go somewhere she wouldn't be disturbed.

The only question was, how could she even reach the outside world?

Kayla began to take the initiative with Luke. She would even take his hand and guide it to her belly.

"I heard that babies who grow up listening to their father tell stories become smarter," she said softly.

For the first time in ages, Kayla was no longer cold or distant. She was showing affection, even joy, about the baby. Luke was over the moon. He spent the entire day holding his wife, unwilling to let her go.

When Stephanie complained that her stomach hurt and asked Luke to stay with her, he refused without a second thought, saying he was too busy with work.

But the moment Kayla mentioned craving mac and cheese, Luke canceled his meetings, went into the kitchen himself, and cooked a full spread just for her. He even promised he would come every night to tell the baby a bedtime story.

Stephanie finally snapped.

She intercepted Kayla while she was walking in the backyard, her hatred spilling out through clenched teeth.

"You shameless wench. You stole eighteen years of my life, and now you want to steal my husband too!"

Kayla let out a cold laugh.

"First of all, you were the one who thought the Campbell family was too poor and willingly followed a trafficker just because he promised you a limited edition Barbie doll. You only came crawling back after hearing the Campbells had made it big, trying to snatch the real daughter's place. The shameless one is you, not me. Second, Luke's marriage certificate still has my name on it. I am his lawful wife."

Stephanie looked like she was on the verge of losing her mind, then a strange, twisted smile appeared on her lips.

"What do you think would happen if the two of us fell into the water at the same time? Who do you think Luke would choose?"

Kayla reacted faster than she did.

She grabbed Stephanie around the waist and dragged her straight into the pool.

"Kayla!"

Luke did not hesitate for even a second. He dove into the water after them.

Stephanie flailed helplessly at the surface, looking as though she might sink at any moment.

"Luke, I can't swim. I'm going to die!"

Luke had been swimming decisively toward Kayla, but he suddenly froze.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Stephanie clung to his shoulder. Her face was deathly pale.

"My stomach hurts so much. I can't hold on anymore. Luke, save me."

The glare of sunlight off the water made the hesitation and confusion in Luke's eyes painfully clear.

So this was the man who always swore Kayla would be his first choice. All it took was a few words from someone else, and he was already hesitating over whether to save his wife first.

So this was how it was. Even the firmest vows only held in the moment. With time, they turned into blades, cutting straight into Kayla's heart.

Driven by instinct, Luke still chose to save Kayla first.

But he only shoved her toward the edge of the pool. He didn't even help her out before rushing back to Stephanie, pulling her into his arms as if she were a priceless treasure he had almost lost forever.

Only after carrying Stephanie out of the pool, calling the family doctor, and confirming she was fine did Luke finally remember Kayla. She was still clinging to the railing with both hands, barely keeping herself from sinking.

When Kayla was pulled ashore, Stephanie was wrapped in the only cashmere blanket. She shot Kayla a smug look, watching her lips tremble blue from the cold.

A sharp wave of unease surged through Luke. He reached for his wife, wanting to drape his jacket over her shoulders, but his hand was knocked away without mercy.

"Kayla?"

"No need. I didn't die in the water, and I won't die on land either. I can walk back on my own."

Luke could sense he was on the verge of losing something precious, but Stephanie was tightly gripping his arm, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Luke, I don't blame you for saving my sister first. Really, I don't. But my stomach hurts so much. Can you take me to the hospital?"

Kayla returned alone to the basement. Only after locking the door did she pull a phone wrapped in plastic from inside her clothes.

She had stolen it when she dragged Stephanie into the pool.

In the chaos, the plastic had not been sealed properly. Fortunately, the phone still worked.

Kayla immediately dialed a number she had recited in her mind hundreds of times. After a few rings, a low male voice answered.

"Who is this?"

"It's me, Kayla. I'm willing to sell you the copyright to 'Celestial Bliss.' on one condition. You get me out of the Hudson family for good, away from Luke, as fast as possible."