Elena's POV

Tears blurred my vision as I held my phone tightly, anger and hatred urging me to smash it against the floor. Why the heck would he choose to ruin such a beautiful day?

How could he give in to such a nasty distraction? Was his heir suddenly less important to him?

A bloodcurdling noise suddenly filled the air, and my tears dried up immediately. I got up from my seat and rushed towards the door, feeling the baby jiggling happily inside my womb. I let out a soft groan as I grabbed the doorknob, heaved a deep sigh, and then forced the door open.

"Master Zane has arrived!" the maids happily screamed. "His private jet has just landed. He is back!"

Sounds of rejoicing filled the entire place as I stood outside my room with a painful smile plastered across my lips. It had been four hours since he sent that video to me through social media. Four hours of illegal club enjoyment.

"Make way for your master, for crying out loud. Get the fuck out of the way!"

"I'm gonna bite you... I'll slap your cheeks. Come on, get lost. You're standing in his way!"

I heard the angry voices of his personal bodyguards, who must have been having a difficult time clearing people out of his path so he could move through. I couldn't pinpoint why the maids were so happy, but I guessed they didn't want to lose their jobs. They had to show excitement at his arrival, even though he lowered their salaries last month simply because it pleased him.

As soon as Zane appeared in the corridor, my mood shifted. It felt as though I hadn't seen him in ten years. It had only been eight months. His handsome face, coupled with those dangling gold bracelets and necklace, pulled me in instantly.

"Zane!" I heard a distressed woman call his name out of the blue. "Why would you leave me behind?"

"I'm so sorry. Gosh. I was in a hurry." Zane turned around as the woman caught up to him. He pulled her into a quick hug and rubbed his palm over her head.

The smile on my face vanished instantly as I stared at the horrifying scene before me. I retreated to my room and sat on the bed, keeping the door open for him.

How could he visit me with his ex standing beside him and holding his hand as though she belonged there?

The birthday cake was already on my desk, surrounded by several balloons carrying his name. I kept my gaze fixed on the doorway until I heard his voice at the entrance.

Then he walked in.

He slipped his hands into his pockets, looked me in the eye, and gave a quick shake of his head. Within seconds, the woman from the video stepped in as well.

She was wearing the same clothes she'd worn at the club, and that sneaky smile that had appeared on her face when he spanked her returned the moment she saw me.

"It's been a long time," Zane finally said. He heaved a deep breath as he pulled Phoebe closer to himself. She gave a quiet moan and rested her head on his shoulder. "How have you been, Elena?"

Elena?

How dare he call me Elena?

What happened to the sweet pet names that used to make his pregnant wife excited and giddy at his arrival?

"What do I say?" I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady. "You... alright, I've been as good as I can be. And...?"

I rolled my eyes towards Phoebe, who wasn't even looking at me.

"Oh." He raised a brow and lifted her chin before guiding her towards the bed. "Meet Phoebe Monroe. She had to come with me because of an emergency and some business matters."

"Emergency?" My voice gradually faded, but he looked away and walked back towards the door. He received a gift from someone outside and returned.

"Here is the birthday cake," he said, handing it to me. "You may need to eat it before it goes bad."

My gaze moved across the cake in his hands before returning to Phoebe.

"Isn't this the same woman from the past? Zane, isn't this your ex?"

"And then what?"

He dropped the cake onto the floor, his gaze hardening on my face.

"I will not tolerate hostility towards Phoebe Monroe. She is new here, and you think it's a bad idea to say hello to her?"

"What?" I chortled, closing my eyes with a sigh. "Why would I do that? Did she say hello to me when she walked in?"

"When was the last time you went on a trip?" he asked, cupping my jaw as his dark gaze bored into mine. "Give me a precise answer. Does it ever happen unless I decide it does?"

"I'm back. If you need a reminder, I'll give you one." His voice turned cold as I lowered my gaze. "I own this place, and you do what I want you to do. Do you understand?"

"Elena, do you understand me?"

He gave my cheek a series of slow taps until I opened my eyes and answered.

"I get it," I forced out. "What I don't get is why you think it's proper to bring a whore into our private room after eight months of ghosting me."

"What motherfucking statement did you just utter?" He turned towards me with an angry stare. "Are you accusing me of bringing a woman here after I clearly told you she's here because of an emergency?"

"I don't get why you're so hostile towards Phoebe. I really can't wrap my head around why you hate her so much."

"Hate her?" I shot back. "How can I hate someone I don't know?"

He looked at me and laughed quietly.

"You don't know her? Then how do you know she's my ex? I won't tolerate this level of hatred from someone like you."

"A minute, Phoebe."

Fuming, he stepped outside.

Phoebe rolled her eyes at me and headed towards my kitchenette to grab a cup of water.

As she emerged from the kitchenette, anger seeped into my bones.

"Who gave you the right to go in there?"

"Hm?"

"What the fuck were you doing in there? Does this place belong to you?"

"Xavier Zane, maybe?"

"I'm not sure you're in your right senses."

"Why do you hate me so much?" Phoebe suddenly burst into tears. "I didn't steal your things. I didn't defraud anyone. Why do you despise me? What did I do wrong?"

Her sobs grew louder as my heart began to pound in my chest.

Tears streamed down her face as she shattered the cup on the floor and dropped to her knees among the broken glass.

"Get up," I ordered, my voice shaking with fear. "Get up. You know I didn't do this to you."

She continued sobbing, and the moment her cries became louder, Xavier entered the room again.

"Holy fuck!" He rushed towards her and helped her away from the broken shards. "Phoebe! What happened?"

His furious glare landed on me as I shook my head desperately.

I couldn't even speak.

"Look at your face. Isn't that blood? My fucking goodness!"

Zane shouted for help. The emergency team arrived quickly and took Phoebe away while he remained behind in the room, quietly bending down to gather the shards.

"I didn't do anything." My voice broke as tears streamed down my face. "I didn't. I swear. I was on my own. She did this to herself. I-"

"Shut your fucking mouth," he ordered as he continued picking up the broken pieces.

Anxiety crept into my chest as exhaustion settled over me. I considered running away from the room, but suddenly it felt like a terrible idea.

As soon as he was done collecting most of the shards, he rose to his feet and held them up.

"Is this how far you'll go? Is this the best you can do to ruin my day and prove how much you hate Phoebe, who never offended you?"

"I didn't do it."

"I said, shut the hell up!" he yelled. His voice filled the room. "What right does a vagabond like you have to talk back to me?"

"But I can't keep quiet and let that manipulative bitch accuse me of something I didn't do!" I shot back.

He stormed towards me and delivered a stinging slap across my face.

"You must have gone crazy. Really crazy. It's all my fault." His angry gaze remained fixed on me. "It's all my fault for allowing you to stand in this precious room and do this to someone like Phoebe."

"You hate her but won't admit it. You've always hated her."

"I don't even know her!"

"You're really crazy!"

The shards in his hands dropped one after another as he grabbed my shirt and kicked me to the floor.

"You're never obedient. Always ready to defend yourself, even when you're wrong!"

As I hit the floor, a sharp pain exploded through my abdomen.

I rolled weakly across the ground as my hands moved protectively to my swollen belly. My gaze filled with horror when I noticed the bloodstained shards nearby.

My terrified eyes lifted to his face as he walked out of the room, uttering his final words without a trace of remorse.

"You think I care? Go fuck yourself. Maybe you'll get pregnant again."

Elena's POV

"Is anyone in here? Can someone turn on the lights, please?" I called out for help as I tried to get up from the bed I found myself on, but my hands were already tied to it.

"Where am I? Who brought me here? Come on, someone, please?"

The lights came on suddenly, and Xander's figure appeared beside me. Fear seeped into my bones as I gasped at his creepy act.

"What's this?" I asked, anger suddenly replacing the fear in my heart. "What the fuck are you doing to me?"

He gave a quiet laugh and turned his head away, refusing to say a word despite the number of questions I asked.

"Why the heck are my hands chained to the bed? Am I a criminal or a psychiatric patient?" I yelled at him, and then a doctor stepped into the room, quickly gaining my attention.

He moved closer to me and clasped his hands together, his expression filled with pity.

"I'm sorry, Miss Elena. We couldn't save your child."

"What?!"

My gaze dropped to my tummy, and it was as flat as ever.

What the fuck happened to my precious baby that I was supposed to deliver in a month?

"How? What happened? How did..." Tears filled my eyes as the doctor's face blurred. "This couldn't have happened. Say something, you fucker."

"Well, we tried our best," the doctor continued. "But fate had a different story for you. You reportedly fell onto shards of broken glass and harmed your unborn child."

Fragments of memories from last night began returning as the doctor lowered his head apologetically.

"I'm sorry once again. I have to be on my way now."

I lay back on the bed as I continued trying to free my hands and legs from the chains, but the metal only clanged against itself. Xander kept his back turned towards me, his lips uttering no words.

"Didn't you just hear that we lost our child? How can you be so heartless and remain quiet? Take off these chains. I need to get the hell out of here. Now!"

"Lower your voice." He turned to me with a sharp stare, placing a finger against his lips. "You're not talking to your subordinates. Watch your tone."

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"You heard me right." He didn't have a single tear in his eyes. "I came here to explain the next phase of your life. I won't tolerate you raising your voice at me. Anyway, that's all you can do."

I held his gaze firmly as he spoke, my heart beating rapidly while my mind waited for clarification.

"Remember how obsessed you've always been with me?" he asked, shaking his head. "You've always wanted to be my precious wife and give birth to my golden child, right? Wasn't it that same obsession that led you to poison Phoebe in the past?"

"No. Don't go there, Xander. Don't ruin this day with false accusations again."

"Oh, sorry. I'm not sorry. Your day is already ruined." He smiled faintly. "Records show that you poisoned Phoebe so she'd die and pave the way for me to notice you. Unfortunately, that backfired, and an innocent woman died in her place."

"Stop calling me a murderer!"

"Shouldn't we call ourselves what we really are?" he asked with another faint smile. "I won't ask why you did it because I already know. Now the case has been reopened, your beloved unborn child, whom you always called Darius, is gone, probably caught between heaven and earth. How useless can you be, Elena?"

"Xander!" I yelled. "Stop. Stop this already. I'm hurting."

"You should be." He stood up, his tone filled with anger. "This is only the beginning, Elena. You're screwed. You think you can kill someone and get away with it?"

"I didn't poison anyone. When did this happen? When did you ever see me do something like that? What are you even talking about?"

"Of course. Playing the victim as usual. It's always worked, but it won't work anymore." He laughed quietly at my confusion. "You are nothing but a murderer, Elena."

"Fuck you."

"I'd rather fuck Phoebe, thank you."

I scoffed, my gaze fixed on him as he moved towards the desk and picked up a file. He pulled out several documents and handed them to me. Then he gave me a pen.

"We're getting divorced," he revealed.

My glare met his face.

"I'm shocked to see you're surprised. You shouldn't be. I can't risk losing my reputation by staying married to a murderer who has nothing to offer me."

"Sign the papers now. The police will be here to pick you up soon."

He forced the pen into my hand.

"Xander?" I called quietly. "Xander, is this really happening?"

"Don't worry. When the police arrive, you'll find out." He shrugged. "Just sign the papers and let's get this over with. I'm done with this relationship that gave you the right to assault important people."

He pointed to the signature line.

"Now. Sign it, Elena."

A restraining order? Divorce papers?

Was that why he chained my hands and legs so I wouldn't run away?

Could the doctor not protest? Did he not see the chains?

"Sign this fucking shit." He grabbed my hand and gave me a dangerous stare. "I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life in prison if you choose to remain stupid."

"Xander, I can't..." My tears fell onto the documents. "I can't believe this is happening to me. I'm innocent. I didn't... Xander, please rethink this."

The blaring horn of a police vehicle filled the air.

Xander rushed to the window to look outside before returning to me. An excited smile crept onto his lips.

"You're going to prison anyway. The time has come. Sign it or not, you no longer have access to me."

I shut my eyes and released a shaky sigh. My trembling hand found the signature line, and I signed my name.

He unlocked the chains just as the police arrived, advising me to keep quiet and not resist arrest.

"Off to prison she goes. Woohoo."

Xander's words echoed in my head as the police dragged me out of the hospital room.

How did I not see this coming?