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."

Colette curled up in agony, cold sweat dripping down her forehead.

She could feel liquid continuing to flow from beneath her, but by now, she was so weak that words escaped her.

It wasn’t until she lay on the operating table in the Ferrero family’s private hospital that the doctor spoke in surprise.

"The amniotic sac has already ruptured. We can’t use drugs to terminate the fetus anymore."

Magnus panicked, his voice urgent. "Then what now? Are you saying we can’t get rid of the baby?"

The doctor’s brow furrowed. "It’s too late. We’ll have to deliver the child first."

Colette clung desperately to the doctor’s hand as if it were the only lifeline left in a stormy sea.

"Doctor, please! I beg you! You have to save my baby!" she cried, her voice trembling with raw fear.

Magnus, seething with frustration, pounded his fist against the operating room door. But it was already too late; Colette had gone into labor, and there was nothing more he could do. The doctor urged him to step outside.

The birth was traumatic, premature, emotionally taxing, and complicated by the inability to use anesthesia. Colette teetered between consciousness and oblivion, but in the end, the baby was born safely.

Tears filled Colette’s eyes as she struggled to lift her hand, her fingers brushing against the baby’s tiny, wrinkled face.

Just as she was about to express her gratitude to the doctor, the door flew open. Magnus stepped inside, his face cold, his expression darker than ever.

His gaze froze when he saw the baby in the doctor’s arms, and his voice came out dazed.

"This... this is really my child?"

Colette nodded, her heart pounding, hoping that seeing the tiny life might soften him.

"Yes. You’re a father now."

"This is your own child; no father could hurt their own baby. I’ll keep my word. I’ll leave, and I won’t stand in your way."

Magnus hesitated, his hands trembling as he took the baby into his arms. His face revealed the storm of emotions churning inside him.

Suddenly, a familiar ringtone pierced the air, pulling Magnus's attention away.

Camille’s soft voice echoed through the speaker, full of the usual sweetness.

"I heard from Spencer that Colette delivered safely, and it’s a boy! Colette is so lucky. I just knew she and the baby would be okay."

"Grandpa Enrico is over the moon. He said he refuses to allow the divorce and insists the baby will be the Ferrero heir. He already tore up the divorce papers."

"Colette’s talk of divorce was probably just a moment of anger. You should talk to her, don’t let your relationship suffer because of me—"

But before Camille could finish, Spencer’s furious voice suddenly cut through, his rage crackling over the phone.

"That child cannot stay! The whole divorce was Colette’s scheme! She knew Grandpa would side with her if she had the baby!"

"Because of her, Camille’s been punished for kneeling for three whole months! If she brings that baby back into the family, Camille’s life will be ruined!"

Magnus froze, the words hitting him like a tidal wave.

His arms trembled as he held the baby, his expression swirling with conflict and pain.

The voices were so loud that Colette heard every word. Despite just having given birth and still being extremely weak, she dragged herself off the operating table and fell to her knees, begging Magnus Ferrero.

“Magnus, please believe me! I will take the child and leave! I’ll talk to Grandpa myself! I’ll take the punishment for Camille!”

“Please, I’m begging you, don’t hurt the baby!”

Magnus looked down at Colette in her pitiful state, then back at the newborn in his arms. A flicker of hesitation and pity crossed his eyes.

But then, he placed his hand around the baby’s tiny, fragile neck.

“Colette... I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you…”

And with that, he began to squeeze.

The baby’s face instantly turned purple-red, and a pained, piercing cry echoed throughout the operating room.