“He runs his trading company; you have your tech research and production; there’s no clash between you two.”

“Besides, I did it for our family. Your health isn’t the best, you can’t have children, and the Ellison Group is such a large company that it needs an heir, doesn’t it? Evander is tall, handsome, and a top university graduate. What’s wrong with me giving birth to an outstanding successor for the Ellison name?”

I stared at Reese in disbelief. Had I not seen her with my own eyes, I would’ve thought someone had swapped out her soul.

We had known each other for twenty years, yet I had never realized her values had rotted this far. Had she been poisoned by some twisted view of love and family?

My chest heaved. The scar on my lower abdomen, the one I got shielding her from a bullet, still flared up on rainy days. And now, she tossed it aside as if it meant nothing.

On our wedding night, she had clutched my hands and promised we would live a child-free life, swearing I would never have to endure the pain of surgery. Her solemn vow still echoed in my ears.

And now, she spoke of an heir like it was some noble mission?

Just as I was about to speak, the phone rang sharply, slicing through the silence.

Reese glanced at the screen and immediately rose to her feet.

"I’ve been on a plane all day. I’m exhausted. I’ll sleep in the other room tonight," she said, patting my shoulder lightly. "You should get some rest, too."

She turned slightly, her voice softening as she looked at me.

"Darling, I know this is hard to swallow all at once. But we’ve known each other for twenty years, been married for ten, and weathered so much together. I do love you; please try to understand me."

Unwilling to let her go like that, I reached out and caught her wrist.

"Get rid of the baby," I pleaded. "Let’s have our own child… okay?"

She froze for a breath, then suddenly shook off my grip, her face flushed with fury.

"Matteo, I never thought you could be so heartless! He’s already six months old, and he is moving inside me. How can you even say that? He’s alive, he’s real!"

Just as her voice trembled with anger, her phone rang again.

She shot me a glare before picking up the call.

A soft, milky voice came through the speaker, full of childish grievance. “Mommy, brother took my ice cream again. Daddy said to call you.”

Reese’s expression lit up in an instant. Her tone softened into something sweet and coaxing.

“Be good, Sebastian. When Mommy gets there, I’ll buy you more ice cream, alright?”

Then came a man’s voice, deep, gentle, and tinged with affection. “Darling, it’s okay. They just miss you too much. And I miss you too.”

“What should we do?” he chuckled lowly, a helpless kind of warmth in his voice. “We’ve only been apart for one day.”

Reese glanced my way, then turned her back and walked toward the bedroom. Even though she lowered her voice, every word still reached my ears, clear as day.

“Alright, alright, baby. Didn’t I say? One week at most, and I’ll be back.”

“Honey, next time, don’t post on my Instagram…”

“Hmm. I’m not mad, really. Just remember to keep it hidden next time. Love you.”

I collapsed onto the couch like a puppet with its strings cut.

A wave of invisible needles pricked at my chest, not sharp but steady and suffocating. The pain didn’t scream, but it spread slowly, tightening around my ribs until I couldn’t breathe.

Reese and I had grown up side by side. We were the classic childhood sweethearts — everyone knew we’d end up together.

When I was twenty-two, I had just returned from studying overseas when tragedy struck. Uncle Benedict and Aunt Ophelia died suddenly in a car crash.

With the company left without a leader, her uncles and cousins circled like vultures, all eager to snatch a piece of the Ellison Group. Within a month, the capital chain collapsed, and half the clients vanished without a trace.

Back then, Reese clung to me like a lifeline, her voice trembling in fear.

“Brother Matteo, what do I do? What should I do?”

At that turning point, I knelt before her in front of the entire company and proposed.

I promised her I would never touch a single share of the Ellison Group. I swore that if we had children, they would bear the Ellison surname, not mine.

My father flew into a rage and threatened to cut all ties with me. He didn’t even show up at the wedding.

But within just half a year of marrying Reese, I had stabilized the company, crushed a few power-hungry relatives, and fired her scheming uncle.

Who would’ve thought he’d hold such a vicious grudge? Fueled by resentment and aided by her eldest uncle, he hired a hitman to take Reese’s life.

The moment the trigger was pulled, I threw myself in front of her. The bullet tore through my lower abdomen, damaging my pancreas beyond repair and leaving me forever unable to have children.

That day, Reese clung to me, sobbing uncontrollably. Her vows were tear-soaked, trembling as she promised she would love only me for the rest of her life, that she would never leave me, no matter what.

Later, her uncle was thrown behind bars, and her eldest uncle resigned on his own. The entire Ellison family business has been in our hands since that day.

Reese, your vows still echoed in my ears. How could you treat me like this now?

Was your so-called love nothing more than pity? A transaction?

I didn’t know when I had dozed off on the couch. When I opened my eyes again, morning light poured through the window. My head was heavy, my nose stuffy, and I must’ve caught a chill after sleeping in the cold all night.

Suddenly, Reese opened the bedroom door, her voice bright and cheerful as she answered a call.

"Yes, yes, just follow the location I sent. Four cleaners right away; the sooner, the better. I’ve got relatives arriving this morning. I can pay extra if needed."

Relatives? I stared at her in confusion. Most of her relatives had already severed ties with us, and mine had long been out of the picture.

A strange unease crept into my chest, coiling tighter with each passing second.

No, it couldn’t be. She had just said yesterday that the white guy wouldn’t be coming to the U.S.

She promised she wouldn’t stir up our lives.

Watching Reese bustle around, light on her feet and humming softly, I asked, my voice laced with doubt, "Reese, who’s coming over?"

She froze for a beat as if only just remembering I was still there. Then, with an awkward smile, she walked over and spoke in a soft, careful tone.

"Matteo, I’m sorry. Evander suddenly decided to come with the kids last night. He only told me after boarding the plane. I couldn’t stop him."

"You know how he is, impulsive and emotional. Don’t be mad, okay?"

She slipped her arm around me, her touch light as she patted my back.

"Don’t worry. They’ll only stay a couple of days. I’ll send him back right away, alright?"

"Don’t be upset. I’ve got so much to prepare, rooms, supplies for the kids, so many things..."

She paused, then added casually, "Oh, right, Evander wants to try some American specialty liquors. Could you run to the supermarket and grab a few types? He also wants to try some local food, so get those too. I really can’t spare the time."

"And pick up the best pajamas and toiletries for them," she added with a wave of her hand as if it were no big deal.

As she spoke, she directed the cleaners, organizing them to freshen up our bedroom, changing the sheets and carpets.

My eyes widened as I watched them start moving my things out of the master bedroom and into the guest room downstairs.

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. The words exploded out of me.

"Reese, what the hell do you mean by this? You’re letting him stay in our bedroom?"

She didn’t even hesitate.

"You can sleep anywhere, can’t you? The master bedroom is bigger, and Evander has two kids. It’ll be more comfortable for them."

I met her gaze, my voice colder than I intended.

"So you want me to sleep downstairs while my wife sleeps upstairs with her ex-lover and their illegitimate children?"

Reese froze for a moment, her eyes flashing with fury. Then, her expression twisted, sharp, and angry.

"Matteo, when did you become so cruel? Illegitimate children? Ex-lover? I’ve told you, they’re my family too. Evander came all the way here overnight. That means he’s accepted you."

"He’s not jealous or trying to kick you out. And you’re making a fuss over one bedroom? When did you become so petty and narrow-minded?"

I stood there, stunned, the words ringing in my ears.

So this was how she saw me?

Two men, and she couldn’t even tell who truly came first.

So, when her old lover showed up, I was supposed to play the good host, buy him food and drinks, or risk being labeled petty and narrow-minded.

Fury ignited inside me. Without thinking, I hurled the vase off the coffee table, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Reese, you're cheating on me, and I’m the narrow-minded one? Then tell me, what the hell does being open-minded even look like?"

"A threesome? He gets the first half of the night, and I get the second? Or maybe I take Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and he gets Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and on Sundays, you get to choose?"

Seeing my face red with anger, my finger pointed directly at her, Reese snapped. She dropped the towel from her hands and fired back, her voice a sharp blade.

"Matteo, you’re disgusting! When did you turn into this filthy, vile person? I work so hard for this family, and this is what’s going through your head? Are you even human?"

It was the first time since our marriage that we’d had such a heated argument. A shouting match that rattled the walls.

Suddenly, Reese stopped yelling. I followed her gaze, and at the doorway stood a tall, handsome white man and two identical little boys.

That was the first time I laid eyes on Evander. Just like the pictures on her social media, she was handsome, with a bright smile, radiating strength and masculine energy.

And then there was me.

Red-eyed, haggard, hair a mess, thin as a rake, my clothes wrinkled from the drunken sleep I’d had on the couch the night before.

I was clearly the inferior one.

Evander stood there, shrugging helplessly, and opened his arms.

"Reese, I really didn’t mean to cause trouble. I’m so sorry."

He said this as he took the boys' hands and turned to leave.

Reese panicked, rushing toward him and hugging him from behind.

"Evander, I won’t let you leave!"

Evander turned around, wrapping her in his strong arms. He kissed her forehead gently, speaking in a soft, reassuring tone.

"Reese, did I make things hard for you?"

"But the kids really missed you. All hurt his head, and I couldn’t calm him down."

Only then did Reese notice the bandage on one of the boy's heads. He looked up at her with a pitiful expression.

"Mommy, my brother hit me."

Reese's heart melted instantly. She scooped him up, cradling him in her arms.

"Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. Mommy didn’t take care of you properly."

She ushered them into the house, her warmth evident.

Evander stood by the door, his blue eyes twinkling with indifference as he smiled at me.

"Matteo, sorry for the intrusion. I brought you a gift from Italy."

He unrolled a painting with casual grace.

In the painting, lush green grass spread out beneath a towering tree, its thick branches casting a vast shadow.

Beneath the tree, a thin, weary-looking donkey lay sprawled.

My pupils dilated. I hadn’t expected such a sly move; this was a direct insult and a mocking gesture.

Reese, her face lighting up, placed the boy down and exclaimed with delight.

"Evander, how thoughtful! A gift!"

She kissed him lightly on the cheek as if rewarding a child.

"You Americans really value relationships. Your family is my family, too."

Evander chuckled, slipping his arm around her waist. Lowering his head, he kissed her deeply.

Right in front of me, they showed me what a true Italian kiss looked like.

Five long minutes ticked by before Reese pulled away, her face flushed with the heat of the moment. She straightened up, annoyance creeping onto her features.

"Look at Evander. Why can't you learn from him? He's attentive, considerate, everything you aren't."

I let out a bitter laugh, grabbed the painting, and ripped it straight down the middle, then tore it again, just to be sure.

Reese’s eyes widened, her face paling as her anger quickly swelled.

Evander's expression was unreadable, his usual calm demeanor faltering ever so slightly.

Without warning, Reese rushed at me, her palm connecting with my cheek in a sharp slap.

"Matteo! How could you humiliate Evander like that? What do you think I am to you?"

"Evander kindly brought you a gift, and you tore it up right in front of him. Do you even have a shred of dignity left? You've really disappointed me."

I fixed my gaze on Reese and pointed at Evander.

"Reese, now that everyone's here, let's settle this once and for all. Do you want him or me?"

"If you want me, then tell your ex-lover to take his illegitimate kids and leave the country. Never see them again."

Reese stared back at me with cold eyes.

"What if I choose Evander?" she asked, her voice steady.

I froze, the words momentarily stuck in my throat. After a long silence, I finally spoke.

“Then let's get a divorce. I'll step aside for you two."

Reese lifted her chin, her gaze sharp.

"Do you have to make a scene, Matteo? Do you have to drive Evander and the kids away?"

I met her eyes, unwilling to argue any further.

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Reese took a deep breath, pulled a blue marriage certificate from her bag, and slammed it down on the table in front of me.

"Evander isn’t a third party. He’s my legal husband overseas. If anyone’s leaving, it's you."