I was five months pregnant when my own best friend pushed me down the stairs… and I lost my baby.

My younger brother tried to sue her, but the people backing her framed him for assaulting a client. In the end, his law license was revoked.

I begged my husband to help us. He promised me that he would.

But the very next day, my brother was taken away; he was arrested on false charges of rape brought up by her lawyer.

That night, I went to my husband’s study, desperate for answers. What I heard instead was his conversation with the lawyer.

“Mr. Breitbart, the connections on that side are already settled. Your wife’s brother won’t be getting out anytime soon. But if she ever learns that you’re the one who had her brother framed and thrown in prison, I’m afraid she won’t be able to accept it.”

Stellan’s gaze was heavy, and his voice—once the very sound of safety to me—was cold as ice.

“Only by sending him to prison can I force Ayana to release a clarification video. Zella didn’t mean it. She pushed Ayana because she was terrified I would abandon her for my wife. I will never let Zella go to jail.

“As for Ayana… I’ll make it up to her. She’ll never know the truth, not in this lifetime.”

My body trembled as the words sank in. I staggered back, unable to stop the tears streaming down my face.

The man I once saw as my salvation—the one I entrusted with my heart—was the very devil who had sent my family to hell!

He sent my brother to prison for the sake of my so-called best friend without even caring that she was the one who killed our baby!

I could no longer hold it in. With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and sent my father a message.

[Dad, I agree now with what you once asked of me. I can take Mom and Jayven with me to you. But I have one condition. I want you to destroy the Breitbarts.]

Stellan Breitbart and Zella Bucknill… I would drag them both down to hell with me!

1

Ayana’s POV

Inside the study, Stellan was still speaking with Atty. Branigan.

I switched my phone to silent mode, waiting for my father’s reply.

“But wouldn’t this be too cruel to Ma’am Ayana?” The lawyer’s tone carried a trace of pity for me. “Zella is her closest friend, yet you sacrificed your child with your wife for Ms. Bucknill and even had her younger brother thrown into prison. If your wife ever learns the truth, I don’t believe she will simply withdraw the lawsuit.”

Stellan’s expression remained calm, but his words cut like a blade.

“I won’t give her that chance again. If Ayana refuses to withdraw the lawsuit and record a clarification video, then perhaps her mother will have no choice but to voice… certain objections.”

My heart clenched at once.

My mother had been in a car accident on the very day Stellan and I married. Even now, she still lay unconscious in the hospital. She couldn’t possibly rise from her bed to speak on my behalf.

What exactly did Stellan mean by those words?

A chill spread through me, as if I had fallen into an ice cellar.

Just then, my father called.

I glanced one last time at Stellan and Atty. Branigan inside the study before turning away to answer.

On the line, Dad stayed silent for a long while. His silence unsettled me until my chest grew tight.

Finally, he said, “Ayana, I’m relieved you’ve finally made this choice. Ever since your mother left me all those years ago, I’ve never stopped searching for the three of you. But at that time, my family faced a crisis. By the time I came to my senses, your mother had already disappeared with you and your brother.”

Regret colored his voice.

I, too, thought back to that time.

I was six years old when we left with Mom. I still remembered pieces of it. She had left because Dad had wronged her.

Before meeting Stellan Breitbart, I never trusted any man besides my younger brother.

It wasn’t until Stellan appeared—until I became close friends with Zella Bucknill, his childhood sweetheart—that he began pursuing me.

He courted me with unwavering persistence for three whole years.

In the end, I let myself be moved and chose him.

I never imagined the man I had chosen so carefully would one day betray me just the same…

The thought made me tremble uncontrollably.

Forcing myself to stay calm, I replied firmly, “Dad, about that, I have no right to forgive you on Mom’s behalf. You know very well about her current condition. I need your help. In return, I’ll agree to the marriage alliance you proposed—so long as you help me destroy the Breitbarts and save my brother.”

Only then did he seem to understand what had happened. His voice hardened with anger.

“The only reason I sought out a marriage alliance for you was because I believed Stellan was unworthy of your trust. It wasn’t meant to force you into it, Ayana. That was my mistake. I never expected Stellan would stoop to something so vile.

“I’ll come to get you as soon as possible. But your marriage with Stellan—how do you plan to deal with it?”

He agreed at once to help.

My gaze drifted back toward the study, Stellan’s cold words still echoing in my mind.

After a long pause, I heard my own voice ring out, cold and resolute.

“Give me seven days. I’ll divorce Stellan… and I’ll make sure he remembers it for the rest of his life.”

The moment I finished speaking, a sound came from the study.

Before I could react, Stellan caught me standing there.

His eyes softened as they landed on me, but in their depths flickered a trace of suspicion.

“Ayana? What are you doing here?”

2

Ayana’s POV

Stellan stepped forward and helped me up, his eyes brimming with concern. Yet, beneath that tenderness, I caught the flicker of suspicion in his gaze.

“I just came downstairs,” I said softly, steadying my voice. “I wanted to talk to you about my brother.”

Swallowing down all the anger boiling inside me, I forced myself to appear as though I had heard nothing.

The lawyer, seizing the moment, quickly slipped out of the villa.

Stellan watched him leave, and then he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Darling,” he said gently, “I asked the lawyer about Jayven’s situation too, but…” His voice trailed off, and hesitation clouded his expression.

I looked at him without betraying my emotions, though sorrow welled in my chest. My voice rasped as I asked, “What is it? Is it that difficult?”

Stellan frowned deeply, and then he forced a smile.

“The evidence the other party presented is simply overwhelming. Even after consulting several lawyers, there’s no way to turn things around. And besides…” His eyes darkened. “Zella sent people to warn us. She said if you insist on suing, she’ll cut off your mother’s medication… and even have her thrown out of the hospital.”

As he spoke, he quickly reached out to steady me, as if afraid I would collapse from the weight of his words.

A sharp ache stabbed at my heart. I couldn’t stop myself from retorting, my voice biting, “Is Zella’s influence really so powerful? Stronger than you, the head of one of Alabama’s top financial groups?”

His expression stiffened. A bitter smile curved his lips.

“Darling, the company hasn’t been doing well lately. I truly can’t help it. It’s my fault. But if you push forward with the lawsuit, both your brother and your mother will suffer endlessly. I grieve for the child we lost, too… but please, just withdraw the case. Record a clarification video. Otherwise, I honestly don’t know what else I can do.”

Stellan had never shown weakness before me.

No matter what he faced in the past, he always carried the burden alone. He never once revealed such a vulnerable side.

But I knew the truth—Breitbart Corporation wasn’t in trouble at all.

All of this—his helplessness, his plea—was nothing but an act to make me withdraw the lawsuit. He was doing it all for the sake of protecting his precious first love.

How could he be so cruel?

I fixed my gaze on his eyes, unflinching.

His performance was flawless, even covering his face with his hand as though weighed down by grief.

If I hadn’t overheard the truth earlier, I might have been deceived. I might have been moved enough to give in and agree to withdraw the lawsuit.

But now…

I forced the words out from the tightness in my throat.

“Has it really come to this, Stellan? Zella killed our child. And you truly want me to withdraw the lawsuit?”

My voice trembled slightly.

A flicker of guilt flashed across his eyes, but in the next instant, he spoke without hesitation.

“Darling, I want revenge for our child, too. But right now, your brother and your mother matter more. I swear—when the time is right, I’ll make her pay for killing our baby. Darling, please… listen to me, alright?”

He coaxed me gently, pressing a phone into my hand.

“When you record the video, just say you fell by accident—that Zella only reached out to catch you.”

Eagerness glimmered in his eyes.

And at that moment, I finally understood. In Stellan’s heart, whether it was my brother, my mother, myself, or even the child we lost—none of us would ever compare to Zella.

I shut my eyes, despair washing over me. My voice came out hoarse.

“Fine. I’ll withdraw the lawsuit. I’ll record the clarification video. But it has to be seven days from now.”

His pleased expression froze instantly.

“Why seven days later?”

My hand drifted to my belly, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

“Because I want… to at least mourn our baby for seven days.”

He probably saw the look on my face because guilt flickered again in his eyes.

“Alright. Seven days, then.”

With that settled, he drew me into his arms.

His embrace was still as warm as ever… yet I could no longer feel any sense of safety within it.

3

Ayana’s POV

The next morning, I had barely woken up when Stellan pulled me along to the prison.

My younger brother was being held there, awaiting an uncertain fate.

Stellan gently stroked my hair, his eyes filled with endless tenderness.

“Ayana, promise me,” he coaxed softly, “when you see your brother later, don’t get too emotional, alright? I just want you to understand what he’s been going through these past few days.”

A chill of foreboding rippled through me at his words.

Before I could ask what he meant, Jayven limped into view.

I had never seen him in such… a miserable state.

His clothes were so filthy that their original color was unrecognizable. His arms, knees—any part of him I could see—were covered with bruises and wounds. Even his once-handsome face was swollen and bloodied, his lips split with dried crimson at the corner.

My chest clenched in unbearable pain. My knees gave out, and I collapsed against the glass partition, the wound on my body throbbing dully.

“Who did this? Who hurt you?”

Fury blazed in my eyes.

Jayven’s gaze flickered with pain. He glanced toward Stellan before forcing out hoarsely, “No one... I accidentally fell.”

Rage boiled over, clouding my mind. I wanted to tear every person in this place apart!

Those injuries—there was no way he had done that to himself.

I was about to demand answers from the guard beside him when Stellan pulled me back firmly.

“Darling,” he murmured, his voice full of false coaxing, “you promised me you wouldn’t lose your temper. You know who’s really behind your brother’s injuries. It’s my failure. I couldn’t protect him. If you don’t want him to suffer like this any longer, then let’s withdraw the lawsuit. Record a clarification video, alright?”

His hand closed over mine, pressing it against his chest.

“Seeing you in such pain feels like knives cutting into me, too.”

On the other side of the glass, my brother struggled to press closer, desperation etched on his battered face.

Tears blurred my vision. Then I heard the guard sneer, “You think you’re still the great lawyer you once were? If you don’t want another leg broken, you’d better think carefully about what to do.”

Something inside me snapped. I slammed against the glass, my voice raw with anguish.

“He’s innocent! It’s you people who hurt him! I swear, I will not let you get away with what you did to my brother!”

Before I could finish, Stellan clamped his hand tightly over my mouth.

“Ayana,” Jayven rasped, bracing his palms against the glass as if trying to touch me, “don’t worry about me. Do what you think is right. I can endure it.”

The next moment, the guards dragged him away without mercy.

I thrashed against Stellan’s hold, but I couldn’t break free. Only a broken, helpless cry tore from my throat as I watched my brother vanish from sight.

When had he ever been reduced to such humiliation?

He had always been the model student, later a respected lawyer. If not for me, he would never have been dragged into this nightmare!

My tears fell uncontrollably.

As if scalded, Stellan abruptly released me. His eyes filled with contrived sorrow.

“Darling, I know how much you’re hurting. I’m hurting, too. But your brother’s situation—it’s beyond my control. Please, just withdraw the lawsuit.”

At last, hatred sharpened my gaze as it fell on him.

For Zella, he had caused the death of our baby, smeared my brother’s name, and now even had him beaten within an inch of his life—just to force me to withdraw the lawsuit as soon as possible.

He was doing all of this only so Zella wouldn’t go to prison.

But years ago, when Stellan was down and desperate, it was Jayven and me who saved his life!

The thought filled me with bitter regret. If only I could go back, I would have left this monster to die!

Clenching my teeth, I spat out, “Stellan. If I refuse to withdraw, will you really stand by and watch my brother die in there?”

My voice was hoarse, like words scraped raw against sandpaper.

His eyes darted away, evasive.

“Ayana, this isn’t up to me.”

“Liar! This is all you—”

Before I could finish accusing him, his phone rang.

He seized the chance to escape, answering quickly. “Darling,” he said hastily after a pause, “I’ll try to see if I can smooth things over. Take care of yourself.”

With that, he left me standing there, abandoning me without glancing back.

Tears poured down my face like rain.

But I saw it—the name flashing on his screen.

The call was from Zella.

Stellan was fucking lying to me again!