When Colette returned to the Ferrero Residence, a thin stack of papers weighed heavily in her hand: a divorce agreement.

Just moments before, she had called her family, her voice unwavering as she declared her decision to divorce. No matter the consequences, no matter the losses tied to severing the marriage alliance, she was ready to bear it all.

Her parents had scolded her sharply, their voices cutting through the phone line.

“Colette! Haven’t you already embarrassed the Moore family enough?!”

“You made a scene on your wedding night, and the Ferrero family let it slide because of our ties. And now you’re throwing a tantrum?!”

Colette had bit her lip, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. If she had a choice, she wouldn’t have torn apart the marriage alliance; she had only wanted a quiet life in the Ferrero family.

But after everything that had unfolded, she saw the truth clearly: Magnus and Spencer had never seen her or the child growing inside her as anything more than a pawn in their games.

Magnus knew what would happen if he left her alone there, but still, he chose to meet Camille.

“Even if it means embarrassing myself again, I’m getting a divorce!”

Her father’s anger flared at her words, his rage almost palpable.

“No matter what happens, the marriage alliance between the Moore and Ferrero families cannot be broken! If you insist on divorcing, we’ll adopt Camille as our goddaughter!”

The moment those words left his mouth, everything changed. Their fury seemed to evaporate in an instant.

Gwen Moore, her mother, suddenly beamed with excitement.

“Why didn’t we think of this before? We can adopt Camille as our goddaughter! She’s sweet, well-behaved, and capable. If she joins the Moore family, she’ll definitely bring us honor!”

Like flipping a switch, they went from furious to eager, their thoughts now consumed with finding the perfect excuse to welcome Camille into their fold. They even pressured Colette to go through with the divorce immediately.

Colette’s heart, already shattered, was now ripped open once more, but this time, it was by her own parents.

She looked up at the sky, letting out a bitter laugh that seemed to mock her own pain.

"Don’t worry. I’ll get a divorce."

With a final, resolute glance at the villa she had once called home, she walked inside.

Magnus had always played the part of the perfect husband, greeting her with a warm smile the moment she returned. He’d even go as far as to help her take off her shoes and socks as if to prove his devotion.

But today, as Colette searched every corner of the house, she found no sign of him.

It wasn’t until she reached the second floor that she heard his voice, the familiar, low sound of him panting.

And then, to her horror, there were two other voices, voices thick with shameless passion.

At that moment, her body went stiff, frozen to the spot.

She never could have imagined that their so-called "sharing" would mean three people together. And worse, this betrayal, this humiliation, had unfolded in broad daylight while she had been at the hospital for a prenatal checkup.

Colette’s hands trembled as she threw open the bedroom door with a force that echoed through the room.

The three figures tangled on the bed and froze in shock at the sight of her.

But Magnus and Spencer quickly snapped to attention, rushing to cover Camille with a quilt, desperate to shield her from Colette’s gaze.

Spencer’s voice boomed, sharp and defensive.

“Who gave you permission to come in?! Camille’s body is none of your concern!”

Magnus, too, looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and confusion.

“Colette, weren’t you at the hospital? Why are you back so soon?”

Colette's gaze was cold, filled with an icy disappointment that made the air feel heavier.

She glanced slowly at the trembling woman wrapped in the blanket, the image of betrayal carving into her heart.

“This so-called ‘urgent company matter’... was this it?”

Magnus stiffened, his body freezing at the words. His mouth opened, but no sound came out, the weight of the truth pressing down on him.

Then, from the bed, Camille’s voice broke through, weak and remorseful.

“I’m sorry… Colette, I’m so sorry… I know you’re angry; it’s all my fault… You can hit me, yell at me... I won’t fight back.”

Magnus instantly panicked, his arms shooting out to pull her close. His voice roared in anger.

“Colette, you’ve gone too far!”

“Even if you saw something, couldn’t we have talked it out afterward? Why barge in like this?”

“Don’t you know how humiliating this is for a woman? Did you ever think about Camille’s feelings when you burst in here like that?”

Colette looked at him, stunned, disbelief spreading through her like a cold fog.

Her heart, already numb from everything she had endured, was stabbed again.

So, he did understand that it was a woman’s humiliation to be caught like this.

Yet, on their wedding night, he had let Spencer and the whole Ferrero family barge in, a crowd of strangers watching them.

Even her parents had stood there.

The nightmarish scene flashed before her eyes, those photos, naked and degrading. Every time she dared step out into the world, she was bombarded, cursed, and taunted. It was too much for her to bear.

Her vision blurred, swallowed by the darkness of those memories.

With the last of her strength, Colette slammed the divorce papers in front of Magnus.

“If you love her so much, then divorce me! I’ll give you what you want!”

Magnus furrowed his brows in irritation as if her words were some kind of joke.

“Colette, are you a child? Throwing a tantrum over something so trivial?”

“Our families have been intertwined for generations. Our bond is deeper than that. It can’t just end with us.”

Colette could no longer be bothered to argue. Without hesitation, she flung the divorce papers at his face.

“I’ve already spoken to my family. They agreed. All that’s left is for you to sign.”

At those words, the confident look on Magnus’ face slowly began to falter, as though his resolve was beginning to crack.

Magnus stared in disbelief as he picked up the divorce agreement. Colette’s signature was already on it.

“This can’t be… How could your family agree to this? What about the cooperation between our families?”

Thinking back to how her parents had glowed with excitement when they spoke of adopting Camille as their goddaughter, that same bitter feeling spread through Colette once more. She tugged at the corners of her mouth, forcing a faint smile.

“It’s just a divorce between us. The cooperation between the families stays intact.”

“The Moore family will adopt Camille as their goddaughter. That way, the families remain tied through marriage.”

As soon as the words left her lips, both Magnus and Spencer’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Really? Uncle and Auntie are actually going to adopt Camille?” They rushed to embrace Camille, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Camille, did you hear that? You’re going to be the Moore family’s daughter now!”

“You won’t need to feel inferior about your background anymore. I’ve always said you’re a precious gem, and you’ll never be left to gather dust!”

Magnus, eager now, turned to Colette and snapped, “Where’s the pen? You came here to divorce me, and you didn’t even bring a pen?”

He gave her a suspicious look.

“Colette, you’re not just here to test my reaction, are you?”

“I’m telling you, this is happening whether you like it or not!”

Colette quietly observed the three of them on the bed. They’d known each other since childhood, but right now, they all felt like strangers. It was as if she’d never truly known them at all.

Without a word, she pulled out a pen and handed it to him. Only then did Magnus breathe a sigh of relief, hastily signing the divorce agreement.

As though afraid she might change her mind, he immediately locked the document in the safe.

Once everything was settled, he slowly dressed and approached her, draping his arm over her shoulders.

“Colette, you’ve really helped Camille this time. We won’t forget this.”

“Don’t worry. Even after the divorce, I’ll still treat you the same. You can continue living here at the residence.”

Colette coldly shrugged off his hand.

“I already booked a flight. Once the divorce is finalized at City Hall next week, I’m leaving.”

Magnus froze, his hand suspended awkwardly in midair. For once, a flicker of guilt stirred within him.

“Colette, you don’t have to be like this. I was wrong earlier. I thought you were trying to hurt Camille. But now that you’ve helped her, of course, I won’t treat you like that again. Just stay.”

Colette suddenly burst into laughter, a bitter, hollow sound. Tears streamed down her face as she laughed.

Stay? Stay and wait for them to figure out how to kill her baby and remove her uterus.

She didn’t want to stay another second. Without a word, she turned, ready to return to her room and pack.

But just as she reached the door, Spencer’s voice rang out, stopping her in her tracks.

“Wait! There’s one more thing before the divorce!”

Spencer’s gaze fell heavily on Colette’s belly, his eyes dark and unyielding.

“Even if you divorce him, the child you’re carrying still has Ferrero's blood. He’s entitled to the Ferrero inheritance.”

“Colette, you almost fooled us. How cruel, trying to steal the Ferrero fortune!”

Colette instinctively covered her belly, stepping back in alarm. The child was the only thing she had left to protect.

When she’d made the decision to divorce, she had already resolved to shield the child from this twisted family. His father had abandoned him; she never would.

“I can sign an agreement. Neither I nor my child will have anything to do with the Ferrero family.”

“I’m divorcing you because I refuse to let my child be born into a family like this! He will never return here!”

Her words left Magnus and Spencer in stunned silence. Their hands clenched tightly as they exchanged a look. After what felt like an eternity, Magnus sighed, stepping forward with a predatory grace and moving through the dim light like a shadow.

“Colette, I want to believe you.”

“But this involves Camille’s safety. I can’t take that chance.”

“We’re already divorced! Magnus, this is your child too! Can you be this heartless?!”

Colette clutched her belly, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at him.

But Magnus simply reached out, grabbing her wrist with a force that left her breathless.

“This child was an accident from the start. Doing this now… is just putting things back on the right track.”

His grip tightened, too strong for her to break free. Colette, already weakened by her pregnancy, had no strength to resist.

Tears slid down her face, and in desperation, she turned to Spencer, the man who had once been her fiancé, the one she had known for nearly ten years since their childhood engagement.

“Spencer, we’ve known each other for so long. You know me better than anyone. I’ve never gone back on my word!”

But instead of the sympathy she had hoped for, Spencer’s eyes grew colder.

He grabbed her other arm, and they dragged her toward the door together with Magnus.

“You still have the nerve to talk about character?!”

“You said you were in Japan during the earthquake, but Camille saved me. You stole her credit because she was too kind to speak up!”

“If I hadn’t overheard the doctors talking, I never would’ve known she damaged her uterus saving me that day! I was such a fool; I almost fell for all your lies! How could I ever trust someone like you again?!”

Colette’s eyes widened in shock, her mind blank. Spencer was speaking of something that had happened four years ago.

But it wasn’t Camille; Colette had been the one to drag Spencer’s injured body out of the rubble, lifting stone after stone with her bare hands, her fingers raw from the effort, leaving scars that still ached today.

Colette couldn’t help but defend herself. “I don’t know what happened with Camille, but I never lied. I was the one who pulled you from that rubble!”

Spencer’s laugh was cold and sharp. “How many times have you pulled this act? You think we’ll believe you again?”

At that moment, Camille rushed over, her voice frantic. “Colette! Let me explain! I promised I’d keep that secret for you, and I meant it; I never wanted to ruin things with Spencer. He only found out by accident! I swear, I didn’t mean for it to happen!”

Colette was left even more confused.

She had barely spoken to Camille, much less asked her to keep secrets.

Yet, Magnus and Spencer had already decided and wouldn’t give her a chance to explain. Spencer wrapped an arm around Camille’s waist and led her back to the bedroom, throwing Magnus a look that spoke volumes.

Magnus immediately understood. He pulled out his phone and dialed for a private doctor, then grabbed a tie and roughly bound Colette’s hands behind her back. Just to be thorough, he tied her feet as well.

Colette was forced to lie face down, her stomach still sore from the earlier crowd incident at the hospital. Now, it felt like invisible hands were crushing it from all sides. The pain was excruciating, draining the color of her face.

With her body pinned, she couldn’t even turn over. A hot stream began to flow between her legs, and as she locked eyes with Magnus, her voice trembled with desperation.

But Magnus remained utterly unmoved. It wasn’t until the sound of a car pulling up outside did he finally cast a brief glance down at her.

And all he said was, "Colette, the doctor said inducing labor at eight months is risky. With your condition, we can’t use anesthesia. If you just relax and stop being so stubborn, it’ll hurt less. Otherwise, I can’t promise what’ll happen."

He kissed her gently on the forehead, then picked her up in his arms, walking toward the car.

"We’ll find a way for Camille to have her own baby. And if you really love children so much, maybe we’ll let you be the godmother."