After saying that, Judy cast a casual glance at our stomachs.

"No matter how upset you are, you shouldn't take it out on the babies," she said lightly. "If Lesley and Eddie found out, they'd lose their tempers. After all, the babies' cardiogen is priceless medicine."

I stared at Judy. Something about her words felt wrong.

Sure enough, she frowned and sighed like she couldn't help herself.

"But it's a good thing the sick one isn't Arthur. The brothers used such a clumsy lie to keep you two in the dark. You're both smart. You probably would've figured it out soon, anyway. I mean, at the birthday party, Arthur drank gallon after gallon of whiskey and looked perfectly fine."

She suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide.

"Oh, no! They told me not to say anything. How did I let that slip?"

Gloria and I looked at each other.

Only then did it hit us.

Arthur had never looked sick at all.

When we went down the mountain during my pregnancy, I had seen him myself, full of energy. But I had been exhausted from the long walk, barely able to stay upright, let alone pay attention.

Now, that memory came rushing back, and a chill crept up my spine.

If the babies' cardiogen wasn't needed for Arthur, then who was it for?

In this world, there was only one person Lesley and Eddie cared about that much.

The woman standing right in front of us. Judy.

Lesley said Judy was so ill that she could barely breathe, and she needed plants nearby to help her rest.

Then why hadn't he noticed that his fragile patient was standing here in our villa, stirring up trouble?

They watched Judy so closely that there was no chance they missed it.

The second she went out, someone would have followed her to protect her.

Yet, they still allowed her to show up here. How was that anything but enabling her?

They might've even enjoyed it, believing Judy was getting jealous and fighting over them.

Seeing how pale Gloria and I had gone, Judy finally smiled, satisfied.

"Oh, right," she added casually. "Lesley and Eddie are about to take me back to the Mistbound Pack's territory. It's market week over there. They're going shopping with me. I figured you probably don't want to see them right now, anyway. This is a good chance for you to rest and recover."

She sounded considerate, but her eyes kept drifting to our bellies.

She was showing off!

When she left, Gloria and I forced ourselves up with the servants' help and followed.

I wanted to push them to sever our bonds as soon as possible. Neither of us wanted to be tools they used to make Judy jealous ever again.

But all we saw was Lesley and Eddie walking on either side of her, guarding her closely.

Lesley spoke gently. "Why did you come out so late? Do you know how worried Eddie and I were?"

"Yeah," Eddie chimed in right away. "This place is so remote. What if something happened? You've only just started feeling better. Don't wander around."

That tenderness, the way they treated her like something precious, was something Gloria and I had never once received.

Judy laughed softly. "Stop it. I heard that Margot and Gloria were upset because of me, so I came to smooth things over."

Lesley lifted a hand and stroked her hair, his voice full of affection. "They're always like that. Don't mind them. You shouldn't come here and suffer like this."

Eddie nodded. "Exactly. I'll divorce Gloria soon, anyway. She's just some stray girl. She really thinks she can climb all over me?"

Lesley echoed him, making his stance clear. "They're both difficult. It's obvious they're not fit to stay with the Dixons."

"Lesley!" I screamed, my voice breaking. "You're going to regret this!"

"You heartless ingrate!" Gloria shouted, too, shaking with rage. "I carried your child! Is this how you see me?"

If the Dixon brothers had just turned around and taken one look, they would've seen it.

They would've seen that the round swell of my stomach and Gloria's was gone. They would've known our babies were dead, and they would've known every word we said was the truth.

We could've finally torn Judy's lies apart.

But they only stiffened for a second.

Just as they were about to turn, Judy let out a soft, pained sound. She pressed a hand to her chest and swayed.

"My chest feels tight."

They panicked instantly.

Lesley scooped her up and sprinted down the mountain without hesitation. His arms were strong and steady. Even on the rocky path, she didn't jolt once.

Yet, he had forced me to walk those same roads for a full day and night while I was heavily pregnant.

Eddie didn't even look back. "Those two cruel women must've upset Judy. That's what triggered her condition. Take her back now. I'll go get a doctor."

Judy won again.

Gloria and I were left standing there alone.

We didn't belong with the Dixons. Our husbands refused to stand up for us.

Even severing our bonds felt impossible.

With no other choice, Gloria and I wrote a letter and asked Regina to rush it to my father.

By the time my father arrived, our bodies had mostly recovered.

But after everything we endured during pregnancy, then miscarrying without proper care, the damage would probably follow us for life.

My father never blamed me for being stubborn, for insisting on marrying a werewolf.

He just held my hand, eyes red, and said, "I will cure you."

So I wouldn't have to suffer more on the road, my father stayed at the villa for the time being.

Not long after, Lesley and Eddie hurried back from out of town.

They abandoned their trip with Judy. They must've heard that the famous chief healer had arrived.

I was sure they weren't worried that my father would hold them accountable. They only wanted him to treat their precious, "frail" Judy.

Judy walked slowly around the room, saying nothing at first. Then, her eyes reddened.

She finally raised her voice just enough.

"They only took me home because I wasn't feeling well and missed home. They just wanted me to get some fresh air. To me, they're like brothers. There's nothing between us. It's not what Margot and Gloria think.

"A woman's reputation is everything. What did I ever do to deserve being accused of something so disgraceful?

"Are you jealous of me? Or is it that you simply don't want to help me? If you don't want me alive, just say it. There's no need to destroy my name.

"At this point, I might as well die!"

Footsteps rushed toward the room.

Judy chose that exact moment to turn and slam herself into a pillar.

Eddie caught her just in time and pulled her into his arms. His hands were shaking, as if he had nearly lost something precious.

Then, Lesley charged forward without warning and slapped me across the face.

My head snapped to the side. I fell to the floor, the taste of blood filling my mouth. I heard his voice, burning with rage.

"Why are you so jealous? What did Judy ever do to you? You're so vicious that you'd rather see her dead!"

Then, his breath hitched.

His hands clamped around my arms, yanking me up from the ground.

"Your belly's flat," he said hoarsely. "What happened? Where's the baby?!"