Rowan had just arrived, intending to check on Samantha.

Instead, she saw Kinsley collapsing.

Rowan hadn’t expected to walk into this scene.

Panic gripped him as he rushed forward, crouching down to gather Kinsley into his arms.

Without hesitation, he turned and bolted toward the emergency room, his heart hammering against his ribs.

Behind him, Samantha stood frozen, momentarily stunned. Quinn, too, seemed slightly shaken, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her dress.

"Auntie, I think he was Kinsley’s university classmate. They seem really close."

Samantha’s expression darkened.

"Then why is she still clinging to my son?!"

"Quinn, you have a kind heart, no schemes, no deceit. Never let yourself be wronged, understand?"

Not once did she spare a thought for Kinsley’s condition.

Meanwhile, inside the emergency room, the situation had turned dire. The hospital had already issued two emergency notices.

"Kinsley! Stay awake! You’ll be okay!"

The usually composed Rowan was visibly shaken, his voice raw with urgency.

Kinsley barely managed to pry her eyes open.

"I’m fine," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

And then, darkness swallowed her whole.

***

Kinsley’s eyelids fluttered open and the first face she saw was Enzo’s.

Her lips parted, dry and cracked, but no sound came out.

Enzo barely spared her a glance, his voice laced with indifference.

"You're awake?"

She stared at him, dazed, as if time had rewound to the past, back to when his presence still held warmth.

Feigning a few coughs, Enzo rose from the chair, his expression unreadable.

"Since you’re fine, get up already."

"I was only gone for a few days and you’ve already stirred up trouble."

"Apologize to Quinn and this matter ends here."

Kinsley’s lashes quivered. She looked at him, confusion flickering in her eyes.

Seeing her hesitation, Enzo let out a low chuckle, void of humor.

"You don’t remember? Before you fainted, you bumped into Quinn. She’s fragile and now her leg is broken."

A cold scoff echoed in Kinsley’s heart.

Her hand instinctively rested on her lower abdomen as if seeking comfort in the silence. The words of defiance swirled on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she swallowed them whole.

"I understand."

Enzo’s gaze darkened, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. His voice turned even colder.

"Good. Don’t think faking an illness will get you out of this."

"Rowan was your classmate, wasn’t he? He seems awfully heartbroken over you."

For a fleeting moment, jealousy thickened the air between them.

Then, without another word, Enzo straightened and strode out.

The moment Enzo left, Kinsley struggled to sit up.

After a brief moment of thought, she stepped out, her mind set on one thing: finding Quinn’s ward.

When she arrived, the sight before her made her pause.

Quinn sat on the hospital bed.

"Enzo, I'm really fine. The wedding date is already set; we can’t postpone it over something this minor."

"Here, touch it and see. It’s really nothing."

A sudden tickle clawed at Kinsley’s throat, forcing out a harsh cough.

Enzo’s body stiffened. In an instant, he was by her side.

His hand lifted slightly, hesitating mid-air, before he withdrew it as if burned.

Turning away, his voice was steady, emotionless. "The wedding will proceed as planned. Just focus on recovering."

"And as for you, atone for your mistakes. Isn’t that what you do best?"

Kinsley bit her lip, something flickering in her eyes.

As soon as Enzo walked out, the sweetness in Quinn’s expression vanished.

Without a hint of discomfort, she stood up and strode toward Kinsley with ease.

A cold draft swept through the room.

Kinsley’s body tensed as a sharp pain surged through her chest. A metallic taste flooded her mouth before blood trickled from the corner of her lips, her face losing all color.

But Quinn wasn’t satisfied. She lifted her hand again, ready to strike.

Kinsley’s eyes turned icy as she blocked her without hesitation.

Her voice was frigid, each word sharp as a blade.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Quinn’s breathing turned ragged, her face twisting in anger.

"Kinsley, you’re shameless!"

"I am Enzo’s fiancée, yet you had the audacity to get pregnant with his child?"

"What, do you think this child will make Enzo change his mind?"

She let out a cold laugh, arms crossed as she loomed over Kinsley.

"Let me make one thing clear: Uncle Atlas’s life is between you two. You will never be together!"

"Even if Enzo agrees, Aunt Samantha will never let you set foot in the Keller Family!"

"My advice? Get rid of it while you still can."

With that, she sauntered toward the luxurious sofa and sat down, her glare never wavering. Her fingers clenched tightly around the armrest, the fury in her eyes barely contained.

Kinsley lowered her head, her hand instinctively resting over her stomach. Her voice was calm, indifferent.

"That’s none of your concern."

She turned to leave, unwilling to waste another breath.

But Quinn wasn’t done.

"Kinsley!"

"You’re not worthy! You don’t deserve to carry Enzo’s child!"

"The position of the Keller Family’s matriarch belongs to me and me alone!"

Feigning weakness, she deliberately made herself look disheveled, then stepped in closer, her presence suffocating.

Kinsley was in no condition to fight back.

She took a step back. Then another.

But in the next instant, Quinn’s fist struck without warning.

A sharp, searing pain exploded in Kinsley’s abdomen. Her breath hitched as she doubled over, unable to stand upright.

She reached out, trying to shield herself.

But Quinn was relentless. Her grip was like iron, her strength overwhelming.

Kinsley’s fingers fumbled for the door handle, her weak voice barely escaping her lips.

She tried to call for help.

But her cries were swallowed by the merciless blows.

She felt the life within her slipping away, warmth pooling beneath her as crimson stained the cold floor.

Kinsley’s eyelids fluttered shut. The pain was unbearable. Darkness swallowed her whole as she lost consciousness.

Quinn’s breath hitched. It wasn’t until she saw the vivid red spreading beneath Kinsley that the reality of what she had done struck her.

Her body trembled as she collapsed onto the floor, fumbling for her phone.

"Enzo, I’m scared; please, come quickly!"

On the other end, something clattered, his phone, perhaps, as he hurried over.

Moments later, Enzo appeared in the doorway.

His breath caught at the sight before him.

Kinsley lay motionless, her body lifeless on the bloodstained floor. His chest tightened.

Without hesitation, he strode forward, reaching down to scoop her into his arms.

But Quinn threw herself in front of him, her voice quivering, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I’m the real victim here, Enzo. Are you really going to leave your fiancée behind?"

For a heartbeat, he hesitated. His gaze locked with hers, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

And in that fleeting pause, Rowan stormed in.

Without a second thought, he crossed the room, lifted Kinsley into his arms and turned to leave.

"If anything happens to Kinsley, you’ll live to regret it."

The surgery stretched from day to night.

Rowan paced outside the operating room, his fists clenched, cold sweat trickling down his back.

When the harsh glow above the door finally dimmed, the doctor stepped out, his expression grave.

“The patient’s condition can’t be delayed any longer.”

“The medical resources here are limited. It’s best to proceed with the original plan.”

Rowan’s jaw tightened. His knuckles turned white, but he nodded in silence.

Kinsley was wheeled out soon after, still under anesthesia, her face pale and lifeless.

Meanwhile, her phone vibrated relentlessly, with hundreds of missed calls.

Enzo, unable to reach her, had resorted to a cold, cutting message.

[Kinsley, I only asked you to apologize to Quinn. Do you really need to go this far and pretend to be sick?]

[The internet is swarming with news about you. I suggest you respond publicly before things get worse.]

[I’m only giving you one chance.]

A strange frustration gnawed at him, a restless unease he couldn’t shake.

Rowan held Kinsley’s phone in his hand, staring at the screen, his expression unreadable.

Then, a faint voice broke the silence.

“Why is the light off?”

His breath hitched. His pupils shrank.

He waved a hand in front of her eyes. No reaction.

A terrible realization settled in his chest.

Kinsley let out a quiet, self-deprecating sigh.

“So it’s gotten this bad already?”

She slowly folded her hands over her stomach, her fingers trembling.

“Leaving is for the best. Bringing you into this world with a mother like me would only be irresponsible.”

“I’m sorry, truly sorry.”

A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. And in that moment, her heart shattered beyond repair.

Rowan parted his lips as if to speak but hesitated. After a brief pause, he finally asked,

“Kinsley, you’ll get better. Once you recover a little, let’s go abroad, alright?”

Kinsley froze for a moment before a faint smile tugged at her lips.

“Let me go on my own.”

She had already owed him too much. Since she could never return his feelings, it was best to make things clear now rather than later.

Just then, a nurse entered to check on her.

The phone beside her hadn’t been turned off yet. A voice drifted into the air, soft yet piercing.

“Enzo and I are getting married soon.”

“You’ve never liked me, but aren’t you afraid of what Enzo will do if he finds out?”

Kinsley’s fingers twitched.

Rowan waved the nurse away, his voice low and measured.

“Someone posted a video of your argument at the hospital. After some malicious editing, rumors started spreading.”

“Don’t let it get to you.”

She said nothing. She only turned her head away, her thoughts spinning in an endless loop.

If Enzo had ever truly trusted her, he wouldn’t have sided with Quinn time and time again.

If he had ever truly loved her, he wouldn’t have been blind to such obvious tricks.

Right now, she didn’t want to think. Didn’t want to remember.

As she closed her eyes, a vision surfaced: the child standing there, saying goodbye.

A few days later, on the eve of Enzo’s wedding, public outrage reached its peak. The storm refused to settle.

Someone had to step forward to end it.

Unable to reach Kinsley, he found another way, contacting Rowan instead.

The moment the call connected, his impatience flared.

“Is Kinsley with you? Put her on the phone!”

“If she apologizes publicly, I’ll try to minimize the damage.”

“After all, she’s the one at fault here.”

Kinsley clutched her phone tightly, momentarily frozen.

Rowan had gone out to buy her a meal. She had thought it was her own phone ringing.

A long silence stretched between them before she ended the call.

Without hesitation, she asked a nurse to buy her a plane ticket.

Fumbling to gather a few belongings, she took a taxi and left.

Before disappearing, she recorded a voice message for Rowan, telling him not to worry. Not to look for her.

The nurse watched her resolute figure vanish into the distance, anger simmering in her chest.

Moments later, she posted Kinsley’s abortion records online.

[Who is really at fault here?]

[What kind of mother would use her own child as a ploy?]

The revelation sent another shockwave through the internet.

At that moment, Enzo was helping Quinn try on wedding dresses.

The moment he saw the medical report, his posture stiffened, his expression dark and unreadable.

Quinn, oblivious, twirled in front of the mirror, her tone light.

“Enzo, do you think this one looks good?”

The sales assistants showered her with praise, but Enzo’s mind was in complete turmoil.

Frantically, he dialed Kinsley.

Her phone was off.

Unexpectedly, Rowan called instead.

Before he could utter a word, Enzo’s impatience flared.

“She was pregnant?”

“Whose child was it?!”

“Tell her to call me back!”

Rowan’s voice was cold, razor-sharp.

“Enzo, you really are a fool.”

“Chances are, she’ll never appear in your life again.”

At that moment, Kinsley was already on a plane, leaving behind the land that had brought her nothing but suffering.

She closed her eyes, exhaling softly and whispered to herself, “Enzo, let’s never meet again.”

From now on, she will be her own light and move forward courageously...