Mrs. Graves’ smile froze halfway across her face.

She had been expecting Claudine to back down. But ten million? That was not part of the plan.

For a few tense seconds, Mrs. Graves hesitated. Then, grinding her teeth, she gave a reluctant nod.

“Fine. I’ll agree to it. But only if you promise—swear on whatever you hold dear—that you’ll never show your face in front of my son again. You know exactly what’ll happen if you do.”

Her lips curled into a tight, smug smile. There was a threatening undertone behind her controlled voice, like she’d been expecting this moment all along.

Without missing a beat, she turned to her butler.

“Draw up the contract.”

Claudine didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. She signed her name without hesitation.

“I’ll make sure you get every last cent,” Mrs. Graves said, her eyes flicking over the signature with thinly veiled contempt. “I’ll wire fifty million into your account today. The rest comes after you disappear for good.”

“I’ll have your exit arranged in a week. International flight, one-way.”

Her tone was dismissive, triumphant even. She didn’t hide the disgust in her eyes, nor the thrill she felt seeing Claudine finally step out of their lives.

Claudine knew. She had always known.

Mrs. Graves had never seen her as anything more than a nuisance. After Mr. Graves died, she pulled every string, used every trick in the book to force Elliot into a divorce. But back then, Elliot had stood in front of her like a fortress.

“She’s my wife. The only one I’ll ever have,” he’d declared in front of everyone. “If any of you bring this up again, I swear I’ll end my life right here.”

His threat had silenced them all.

After all, Claudine had no family. No legacy. Her only support had been the Pitts Family—until now.

Steadying herself, she met Mrs. Graves’s cold stare with calm defiance.

“No need to arrange anything. I’ll leave on my own in a week.”

Mrs. Graves smiled, smug and satisfied.

“Good. Smart girl. Now be a good dog and get out of my way.”

The words dripped with venom.

What none of them knew was that Claudine wasn’t even a blood relative of the Pitts Family. She’d been adopted. Three days ago, her biological brother had reached out, asking her to come home and reclaim her real name.

But everyone had been too preoccupied mourning Elliot’s brother to care. It was the most fragile moment in the Graves Family's history. She had planned to wait before telling anyone.

Now… what was the point?

“One more thing,” Claudine said coolly. “Don’t tell Elliot about this.”

Just as the words left her mouth, the door burst open and Elliot stormed in, his face a storm of rage and panic.

“Mom! Are you pressuring Claudine again? About having a child with Maeve? I’m warning you—I’ll never agree to something so sick and twisted!”

He positioned himself firmly between Claudine and his mother, shielding her with every ounce of righteous anger he could summon.

Claudine looked at his back, her heart hollow.

In another time, she might’ve cried from relief. But now? Now it just felt pathetic.

Disgusting.

Sick and twisted? And yet he’d spent the night making love to Maeve in the hospital room next to hers.

Mrs. Graves opened her mouth to speak, but met Claudine’s eyes and thought better of it.

“Someday, you’ll agree to it,” she muttered instead, before walking out with her usual air of superiority.

Elliot pulled Claudine into his arms, his voice trembling.

“Claudine, why didn’t you wait for me? I was so scared when you disappeared... I thought something happened to you.”

But Claudine’s face remained blank.

If she hadn’t left, was she supposed to stay and keep listening to his moans through a paper-thin curtain?

She couldn’t. She wouldn’t.

“Claudine,” Elliot said softly, “even if the doctors say you’ll never have children again, I don’t care. You’ll always be my wife. If it really comes to it, I’ll adopt. I don’t need—”

His voice buzzed in her ears. She couldn’t hear a word.

Then she cut him off coldly.

“Elliot, go ahead. Have a child with Maeve. The Graves Family needs an heir.”

Her words sliced through the air like a blade.

Elliot’s expression twisted in shock and fury.

“Did my mom put this idea in your head? I’m going to talk to her right now!”

Claudine’s strange reaction made Elliot feel uneasy. Could she already know about him and Maeve?

But before she could say a word, a loud commotion came from outside.

“Mr. Graves! Mrs. Melvin passed out again!”

Elliot rushed out as fast as he could.

He cradled Maeve’s unconscious body tightly, his eyes filled with panic and fury.

“Call the doctor! What are you all standing around for?”

The hallway broke into chaos. Soon, Elliot sat at Maeve’s bedside, his face heavy with worry as he fired questions at the doctor.

“You told me she'd be fine as long as she took the medicine. Why did she faint again?”

The doctor, however, was all smiles.

“Congratulations, Mr. Graves—Mrs. Maeve is pregnant. She’s about two months along!”

Claudine froze for a moment. Maeve and Melvin had only been married for half a month and she had once accidentally seen Melvin's medical report—he had azoospermia, meaning he would never be able to have children.

So, the baby Maeve was carrying… It didn’t take a genius to guess whose it was.

Mrs. Graves rushed over, clutching Maeve’s hand with excitement, showering her with comfort and praise.

Elliot’s face lit up, unable to hide the joy in his eyes. He and Maeve shared a look so intimate, it might as well have been silk threads drawing them together.

Claudine closed her eyes, face numb and turned to leave.

But Maeve called out behind her.

“Claudine, aren’t you happy for me? I’m pregnant.”

Maeve looked at her, half-smiling with smug amusement.

Claudine opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Mrs. Graves shot her a sharp, scornful look.

“What’s with that face? Can’t have kids yourself and now you’re upset Maeve’s pregnant? Even a hen lays eggs eventually.”

“Maeve’s the capable one here—barely married a few weeks and already expecting. Not like you, always bringing bad luck. Got your own parents killed and now you've lost a child too, leaving the Graves Family without an heir. You’re absolutely useless.”

Claudine had grown used to Mrs. Graves’ constant jabs, but this time, her eyes drifted slowly to Elliot.

He didn’t say a word.

Didn’t stop them.

Didn’t defend her.

Just watched in silence.

“It’s okay, Claudine,” Maeve added, voice sugar-sweet. “I know you’re still grieving your loss. Here, take this bracelet— consider this a gift for your child.”

At that moment, Claudine finally noticed—the only heirloom her mother had left her, the bracelet, was now in Maeve’s hands.

Her pupils dilated in shock. She stepped forward on instinct to grab it, but Elliot shoved her back with force.

“Claudine, be reasonable. Maeve’s pregnant now. It’s just a bracelet. I’ll buy you another one—heck, I’ll buy you a few.”

She staggered backward, staring at Elliot with disbelief.

He knew.

He knew what that bracelet meant to her.

Elliot looked away, guilt flickering across his face.

“You know how much it means to me, don’t you?” Claudine’s voice cracked. “It was the last thing my mother left me!”

Her eyes burned red as she screamed, voice hoarse with fury.

She could endure everything else—but not this.

“Ugh, a keepsake? How morbid.” Maeve sneered, peeling the silver bracelet off her wrist with exaggerated disgust.

With a loud crack, she let it fall to the floor, where it shattered into jagged pieces.

“Claudine, that’s enough! You’re being completely out of line!” Elliot roared.

She knelt down, trembling hands gathering the shards, her eyes wide with disbelief.

This was the first time Elliot had ever raised his voice at her—for Maeve’s sake.

“For now, stay away from Maeve. You need to reflect on your behavior.”

He turned to the staff.

“Take her to her room. No one lets her out unless I say so.”

Claudine clenched her fists until her nails pierced her palms, the sharp pain the only thing anchoring her to reality.

“Don’t touch me!”

She yanked her arm away and walked off without looking back.

She was done with all of it.

Claudine was confined to her bedroom, but gossip had a way of seeping through the walls.

“Mr. Graves spent the night in Maeve’s room again. Looks like there’s a new lady of the house.”

“Yeah, I heard Maeve was his first love. Somehow he ended up marrying Claudine by mistake.”

“Mistake or not, Mr. Graves brother died saving him and now Maeve’s carrying the Graves Family’s only heir. It makes the real lady of the house pretty obvious, isn’t it?”

“I feel bad for Claudine. She’s an orphan and back when Mr. Graves had nothing, she stuck by him through thick and thin. And now—just because of some fortune teller’s nonsense—her only child was ripped out of her… all so Maeve could be cured.”

The maid didn’t finish her sentence. A chill crept down her spine.

Claudine was standing behind her.

Her face was eerily calm.

“M-Mrs. Graves…”

No one knew how broken she truly was inside—her heart was already in shreds.

The maid quickly fled, but not before throwing in one final blow as she walked off:

“Don’t call her Mrs. Graves anymore. Mr. Graves said from now on, there’s only one lady of the house–—Mrs. Melvin Graves.”

That night, Claudine came down with a high fever. Burning up and barely able to stand, she forced herself to find the family doctor—only to be met with rejection.

That night, Claudine came down with a high fever. She dragged herself to the family doctor, only to be turned away.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Claudine,” the doctor said, not meeting her eyes. “Mr. Graves instructed us to prioritize Mrs. Maeve from now on.”

Claudine gave a bitter laugh, her body trembling as she made her way back. As she passed Maeve’s room, she heard something through the door.

Moans. Gasps.

She froze.

Through the crack, she saw Elliot—shirtless—pressed against Maeve, kissing her feverishly.

“Mmm, Elliot… careful. I have baby in there.”

“Relax, Maeve. Of course I’ll be gentle,” he murmured against her skin. “This baby’s the Graves Family's only heir, after all.”

The air was thick with passion and Claudine felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“I just wonder,” Maeve purred, “if Claudine is as stiff in bed as she is in real life…”

“Don’t talk about her,” Elliot grunted. “She’s like a corpse in bed—stiff, unresponsive. Not like you. You drive me crazy. You’re the one I’ve always loved.”

“If you hadn’t broken up with me back then, I never would’ve married her.”

His words slammed into her like a freight train.

Claudine bit down on her lip so hard it bled, not even realizing it.

When she finally snapped out of it, her face was soaked with tears.

She turned and walked away. She didn’t even know how she made it through the night.

The next morning, she sent her brother a text.

[I’ve made up my mind. I’ll join you and the family overseas. I just need to settle something first.]

His reply came almost instantly.

[You serious? That’s amazing, Claudine. Mom and Dad are gonna be thrilled. I’ll take care of the immigration paperwork.]

[What about your husband.]

[I’ll divorce him.]

Her whole body felt drained. Her forehead still burned.

Before she could rise, the door creaked open.

It was Maeve.

Smirking, she gently touched her still-flat stomach.

“I take it you saw everything last night? Elliot’s been sleeping with me every night now. And this baby… it’s his.”

Claudine’s heart clenched. So it had all been intentional. Maeve had wanted her to see.

“Oh, and that bracelet? I smashed it on purpose. And guess what? I casually mentioned that your baby’s stem cells might help cure me and Elliot didn’t even hesitate. He personally took the baby out of you.”

She gave a mocking laugh.

“You have no idea, Claudine… That thing was nearly formed. Almost a little person.”

“Enough! Get out of my room!” Claudine’s voice shook with rage.

She didn’t want to hear anymore. Couldn’t bear to think about it.

That baby had been her whole heart.

And they’d destroyed it like it meant nothing.