He placed the pen in my hand,his face soft and gentle,pretending to be the loving husband he once was.

If this were before I knew the truth,I would have signed without even looking.I wouldn’t have questioned anything.

But now,my hands trembled as I picked up the contract.I was about to open it when Noah stopped me.

“There’s nothing to check.Just sign it.”

I paused.Even though I already knew he didn’t love me anymore,seeing this contract still crushed me like a heavy mountain falling on my chest.

“Noah…”My voice shook.“Do I really have to sign this?”

When he saw the pain in my eyes,his expression tightened.

He reached out,like he wanted to touch my face gently,the way he used to.But before his hand could reach me,his phone buzzed with a new message.It was from Eine.

It was a photo.She only showed her neck,covered in red marks,along with a single sentence.[Tonight…can I see you again?]

Just one message and every bit of softness disappeared from Noah’s face.Desire and impatience flashed in his eyes.

When he looked back at me,his voice turned sharp and cold.“Shannon,hurry and sign it.It’s only an estate.I still have work at the company and I need to go.You understand,don’t you?”

The moment he finished,I took the pen from his hand.Expression blank,I signed my name on the last page,stroke by stroke.

When I put the pen down,it felt like something inside my heart went empty,or maybe something finally let go.

Noah didn’t care about my expression at all.He grabbed the signed contract and rushed out of the villa.

Watching his figure disappear in the distance,I gathered every broken piece of myself and went upstairs to pack.

A few minutes later,my phone buzzed.It was a message from Eine.She showed a picture of her and Noah naked,holding each other.Their faces were hidden,but I knew.We both knew.

[I know you were outside the villa earlier.You must have heard everything,right?Noah removed ten hearts from your babies for me.And if I want,even your heart belongs to me.The only person he truly loves…is me.]

[If I were you,I would leave now.If you stay,the next one to die won’t just be your children~]

By the time I finished reading,I couldn’t stop my hand from clenching so tightly.

Eine…this murderer…never once felt guilty for killing my children.Instead,she dared to show off in front of me.

I wanted to burn everything.I wanted Noah and Eine to suffer in hell.

Unable to hold back,I tore the wedding photo off the wall and smashed the frame into pieces.Everything in this villa,including Noah Harvey himself,meant nothing to me anymore.

All I wanted…was for my children to come back.

Noah did not come home all night.I lay awake,replaying everything from the past over and over again.

Ten pregnancies.Every time,I gave all of myself.

Back then,Noah looked just as excited as I was.He even signed us up for parenting classes for the sake of our future child.But in the end,he destroyed everything because of Eine.

When I walked out of the villa,I did not look back.

I had already packed every last one of my belongings.Anything that carried even the smallest memory of Noah Harvey—I destroyed it all.

Maybe he wouldn’t even notice yet.

The moment I signed the resignation papers,it felt like a weight finally lifted off my shoulders.

Years ago,to help strengthen the partnership between our companies,I let Noah arrange a position for me at Harvey Corporation as a marketing manager.And now that I was leaving,I wanted to hand everything over properly.

The HR manager looked at me with regret in her eyes.“Shannon,your resignation process is at the final step.But…are you really not staying?I believe Mr.Harvey still cares about you.”

For a second,I froze.

Then sharp laughter suddenly cut through the air beside us.

“This is hilarious.Mr.Harvey and our Eine are the real couple.And Shannon?Who knows where this stray woman even came from.Seven years clinging to him so shamelessly.If I were him,I would have fired her long ago.”

The others burst out laughing.

I lowered my gaze and forced a small,bitter smile.

Seven years of marriage,yet Noah never once revealed who I truly was.I once tried to show affection toward him at work,but he would snap at me in front of everyone.

Only when we returned home would he apologize,looking guilty.He always said Harvey Corporation was still unstable,so we needed to keep our marriage a secret.

So,I waited.One year after another.But the announcement never came.Everyone at the company thought I was just a shameless woman chasing him.

Then one day,he brought Eine into the company as his secretary.

And suddenly I became the one they called the homewrecker,the woman destroying their love.

Because I was constantly dealing with pregnancy after pregnancy,I had no strength left to fight rumors.I never imagined everything would fall apart like this.

I ignored their voices and turned to the HR manager.“Mr.Harvey already knows about my resignation.”

Then I walked toward Noah’s office.

Just as I reached the door,my phone rang.

[Ma’am,regarding the large money transfer from Dr.Hudson that you asked us to investigate…We found something.There’s also security footage related to the truth from back then.You’re going to need this.]

The files came through immediately.

As I opened them,my hands began to shake uncontrollably.Noah’s cold face and his merciless words echoed in my mind again and again,tearing me apart from the inside.

“Noah Harvey…I hate you.I hate you.”

I lost all strength and leaned against the wall,struggling to stand.

“Shannon?”

At that moment,I suddenly heard Noah’s voice behind me.

My whole body froze.Behind me,Noah kept walking closer.There were no employees around,so I understood why he dared to call me by my name.

After all,in front of others,he always called me by my job title.

Forcing a small smile,I pressed down every shaking emotion inside me.“It’s nothing.I just need you to sign a request.”

Hearing this,Noah smiled gently and guided me into his office.“Shannon,you’re still not well.Didn’t I tell you to rest at the villa?I already asked the team to hand your work to Eine.”

“For now,just rest and take care of your body.I’m still hoping for our baby.”

He patted my arm as if comforting me,but the touch felt like needles under my skin.

Eine had always wanted to push me out of the company,but she never managed to do it.Now,Noah finally found the perfect chance.

Staring at his face,I forced a stiff smile and then said without hesitation,“Mr.Harvey,please approve my request first.”

His expression darkened immediately.“Shannon,why are you calling me that?”

I looked at him calmly.“We’re at work.Didn’t you say I must call you by your surname here?”

Then I handed him the page.With one signature,everything would end.

He didn’t sign.He just looked at me,unsure.Then he reached out to slide the screen,trying to see what the request was.

My heart suddenly tightened.I was afraid something might go wrong.

Luckily,right at that moment,his phone rang.

Even though he moved quickly,I still clearly saw the name on the screen.Eine.

The phone kept ringing for thirty seconds before he finally answered it with a deep frown.

From the speaker,a soft child’s voice called out sweetly,“Daddy.”

Instantly,Noah’s expression softened.

Eine’s voice followed gently,“Noah,our child misses you so much.He keeps calling‘Daddy,Daddy.’I feel invisible already.We’re downstairs in the parking lot.Come meet him,please?”

Hearing that,Noah looked at me.When he saw I didn’t react,he finally nodded.

He hung up,didn’t spare another glance at the document,signed it quickly and casually brushed a kiss against my cheek as if pushing me away.

“Shannon,I have something to take care of.Go home first.”

Then he rushed out,not waiting for a single word from me.

The moment I heard that child’s voice,my whole body turned cold.For that child of his and Eine’s,Noah sacrificed ten of my children.

Now,their happy family of three was finally united,while I would never see my children again.Hatred and grief burned through my chest like fire.Almost without thinking,driven by something dark,I followed behind him.

***

In the parking lot,I saw Noah holding Eine and their child,full of tenderness.

The little boy’s cheeks were rosy as he giggled,calling,“Daddy!Daddy!”

Eine smiled with pure happiness.Even Noah let go of all his cold pride,lowering himself to become the protector of their warm little family.

Anyone passing by would think they were perfect.

But behind them,all I saw was blood-red betrayal.

I stood there watching them get into the car.Bitterness,pain and hatred rushed up my throat,leaving me unable to speak a single word.

Just as I turned to leave,Eine suddenly looked right at me.

Her eyes were full of pride and there was a hint of hidden cruelty.

Before I could react,she widened her eyes dramatically and pointed at me.“Noah!Oh no,Shannon saw us!What if she finds out the truth?Our son is here.What if she tries to hurt him?Maybe I should go to her and apologize.”

“She can do anything to me,it’s fine.As long as she doesn’t hurt the child.I would give my life for him.”

As she said that,tears poured down her face.

Noah’s expression instantly darkened.His eyes turned sharp as he looked in my direction.When he confirmed that the figure in the distance was really me,his heart tightened hard.

For one moment,he didn’t dare look into my eyes.He was afraid he would see disappointment and disgust there.But after hearing Eine’s words,something inside him hardened.His eyes turned icy,like he had made a decision.

“Eine,don’t worry.She will never have a chance to get near our child.Everything will go exactly the way I planned.”

He would never let me walk away.

Thinking of that,a cruel light flashed through his eyes.

The next second,he slammed his foot on the gas pedal and drove straight toward me.

My eyes widened in shock as everything happened.

I never imagined he would actually do it.That he would press the accelerator without hesitation.

The sound of the car smashing into my body exploded in my ears.A sharp pain spread through my whole body.

In the last moment before darkness swallowed everything,I saw Noah’s cold and merciless eyes.