Isla stayed at the house for several days.

Each night, Chase stayed with her until one or two in the morning. Only after she fell asleep would he quietly step out of the master bedroom.

One night, as Rosalie passed by the door, she heard Isla’s soft voice from inside, “Brother, we used to sleep in the same bed too. Can you stay with me tonight? I’m scared.”

Chase gently pulled the blanket up around her and stepped back.

“Isla, that was when we were younger, back then, no one cared about what was proper. But now I’m married. If I stayed here overnight, people might talk. Get some rest. My phone’s always on, call me if you need anything.”

Isla murmured unwillingly, “Okay… But Brother, while I’m here, can you not sleep in the same room as Rosalie? I don’t like her scent.”

“Hmm…”

Rosalie didn’t listen any further. She turned and quietly went back to the guest room.

There, she noticed a photo of Chase and Easton.

Her gaze fell on the familiar face she had loved for so long, and in an instant, her eyes welled up with tears.

She gently traced Easton's eyes and brows in the photo, which were so much softer than Chase’s.

Suddenly, Chase’s voice came from behind. “Rosalie…”

He had seen the photo in her hands, and his face instantly paled. He took the photo away gently.

His voice trembled with emotion. “We met late in life, so you didn’t know I had a twin brother. But he died a few years ago in an accident. After that, everyone in the family hid anything that reminded them of him, afraid the memories would come back… I never thought there was still a photo of us here in the guest room…”

Feeling his control slip, he wiped tears from his eyes. “I remember, before he died, he kept saying he wanted to bring his girlfriend home; he wanted to marry her. He loved that girl for years. But in the end, he never got to meet his future sister-in-law…”

Rosalie trembled all over. She clenched her fists to hold back her emotions. “Didn’t Isla tell you not to come to my room?”

Chase looked at her, surprised. “You heard that?”

Rosalie nodded. “I was passing by and caught a little.”

Chase reached for her hand, trying to pull her into his arms. “She’s just being stubborn. I’ll leave early in the morning, and she won’t even know.”

Then he leaned in to kiss her.

Rosalie dodged him and pushed him away. “Since Isla is being stubborn and not feeling well, you should just go along with her.”

She was already pregnant; there was no need to share a room with Chase anymore.

Besides, seeing that photo of Easton tonight had stirred up painful memories; she just wanted to be alone.

But the next morning, as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Isla standing by her bedside with a fierce look.

Before Rosalie could react, Isla shoved a cup of medicine into her mouth.

Isla shouted, “You vixen! It’s your fault! Brother has never disobeyed me before! I told him not to sleep in your room, so why was he here last night? Even his coat is still here!”

Rosalie tried to explain, but as the liquid went down, sharp pain exploded in her lower belly.

She pulled back the blanket and saw blood flowing between her legs.

Her eyes widened in horror. “No… no…”

Isla looked startled, but as Chase approached, she suddenly fell to the floor, grabbing his pant leg with tearful eyes.

“Brother! I asked Rosalie if you were with her last night, and she called me a seductress and accused me of incest. She even pushed me down. I was already scared because of the recent murders, and now my leg is swollen too...”

Sure enough, one ankle was clearly swollen.

Chase, distressed, lifted her up. “Don’t be afraid, Isla. I’ll take you to the hospital...”

Then his gaze turned cold as it landed on Rosalie, curled up in bed and clutching her abdomen in pain.

Rosalie cried out, “Chase, take... take me to the hospital...”

Cold sweat soaked her as the pain deepened, pressing down like a heavyweight.

She was terrified. She would rather suffer herself than lose the baby, James’s only hope.

With all her heart, she begged, “Chase, please save me. I don’t know what Isla made me drink...”

Before he could answer, Isla’s voice broke through in pain, “Brother, it hurts so much...”

Chase’s voice turned cold and sharp. “Rosalie, I told you long ago, you’re only my wife in name. You mean nothing to me. Now that you dared hurt Isla right under my nose, this pain you feel is your punishment.”

Without looking back, he carried Isla away.

Rosalie sank into deep despair as blood kept flowing from her lower body.

In her haze, she saw Easton smiling warmly at her.

“Rosalie, Rosalie, I love you so much. When we get married and have a baby... do you think the baby will look more like you or me? I’m really looking forward to our life together...”

Tears filled her eyes as she reached out, trying to hold onto that fleeting warmth, but pain overwhelmed her, and everything went black.

When she woke, she found herself in a hospital room; a servant had brought her there.

As the nurse gave her an IV, she scolded softly, “Ms. Rosalie, you’re still pregnant. How could you take poison?”

“Thankfully, you came in time for a stomach pump. You’re going to be okay, and the baby is safe, too. Where is your husband?”

Rosalie gently touched her belly, her eyes empty and full of despair. “The husband I knew is already in heaven.”

Outside the hospital room, Chase’s angry voice rang out, “When did I go to heaven?”

The nurse looked at Chase with clear disapproval. “Rosalie was poisoned this badly, and not a single family member stayed with her through the entire surgery. That’s incredibly irresponsible! Especially since she’s in a special condition—she’s preg...”

Rosalie cut her off softly, “It’s okay. I’m feeling much better now. Another patient probably needs you more. Please go.”

The nurse gave a few more instructions before leaving the room.

Curious, Chase asked, “Just now, the nurse said something about a special condition? She mentioned preg...”

Rosalie waved it off. “Nothing. I just happened to get my period.”

Chase didn’t press further and sat down beside her. “Rosalie, I know Isla has always been willful, but this time, she really crossed the line. I thought she was only being difficult with you. I didn’t expect things to get so serious. I’m sorry for what she did.”

“No need to apologize,” Rosalie said coldly, picking up her phone. “She poisoned me on purpose. I’m calling the police to have Isla arrested.”

Chase’s expression shifted instantly. He snatched the phone from her hand. “Rosalie, Isla already knows she was wrong. Do you have to be so unforgiving?”

Rosalie let out a cold laugh. “The doctor said if I’d come any later, I wouldn’t have made it. Do you think a simple ‘she knows she was wrong’ can fix this? You took my phone, but I have plenty of other ways to report this to the police.”

A flicker of coldness flashed in Chase’s eyes. His voice hardened. “Rosalie, I’ll have people erase every trace of the poisoning. Even if you report it, there won’t be any proof. Don’t waste your energy.”

Rosalie clenched her fists tightly. “What right do you have to do this?”

But after a long pause, she gave in wearily. “Forget it.”

After all, she was about to leave soon, carrying the baby with her. She didn’t want to stir up more trouble.

Chase noticed how she turned her head away, refusing to meet his gaze. A strange feeling stirred inside him, but he pushed it aside.

Isla, with only a mild sprain, was still admitted to the same hospital as Rosalie.

For days, Chase busied himself in Isla’s hospital room, bringing in the best medical team despite the minor injury.

Chase himself carefully prepared and fed every meal Isla ate to her.

Meanwhile, Rosalie recovered alone, but she often caught nurses whispering nearby with envy, “I wish I had a brother like him! So handsome, rich, and attentive. I heard his wife is here too, she had severe bleeding and needed a stomach pump. Her condition was much worse than Isla’s, but Chase barely visited her. It’s like he only truly cares about his sister…”

Rosalie didn’t pay attention to the gossip. All she wanted was to keep her baby safe.

One night, stepping outside for some fresh air, she passed Isla’s room and overheard her voice inside.

“Of course, I know Chase has been in love with me for a long time. But I never said a word. The only reason I stayed with the Hollis family was to take their fortune for myself. I’m just an adopted daughter. Money is the only thing that matters.”

“This whole drama was a test to see how much Chase really loves me. His wife nearly died because of me, but after a few tears, Chase was so worried only about me and ignored her completely. With a fool so blinded by love, I can definitely use him to destroy the Hollis family someday…”

Rosalie frowned slightly, never expecting Isla to harbor such deep malice toward the Hollis family. The poisoning wasn’t just a cruel act; it was a test of Chase’s loyalty. The love he poured out so freely had been wasted on someone so cold and calculating. It was almost laughable.

Just then, Chase’s cold voice cut through the air from behind her. “Rosalie, what are you sneaking around for? Planning to hurt Isla again?”

He reached out and grabbed her wrist, but then his eyes locked onto her hand, and he froze. “Where’s your wedding ring?”

Since they married, Rosalie had never taken that ring off. But now, her left ring finger was bare.

A hollow ache settled in Chase’s chest.

“I threw it away,” Rosalie said calmly, pulling her hand free, her voice light and distant.

Chase’s heart skipped a sharp beat. His grip on Rosalie’s wrist tightened instinctively.

“That’s our wedding ring; how could you just throw it away?”

Rosalie answered casually, “I’ve put on some weight lately. The ring doesn’t fit anymore, so I tossed it.”

That was only part of the truth. More importantly, now that she had succeeded in getting pregnant, there was no need to keep up the charade of a loving marriage with Chase.

Suddenly, a startled cry echoed from Isla’s hospital room. “Ah!”

Chase rushed over without hesitation. “Isla, what happened?”

“Brother, I accidentally fell out of bed…”

He gently lifted her back onto the mattress, concern flooding his eyes.

But his gaze lingered on Rosalie’s retreating figure.

The wedding ring on his own hand suddenly felt painfully out of place.

Isla called his name several times, breaking through his reverie. “Brother, I’m hurt. Can you massage it for me?”

As Chase massaged her injury, his mind kept drifting back to his earlier conversation with Rosalie.

Isla pouted softly, “Brother, I want that pear blossom cake from Roseville Bakery tomorrow. Will you get it for me?”

Chase, who had always spoiled her, surprised himself by refusing this time. “No. You’d have to wait in line for hours. I’ll have my assistant pick it up for you. Rosalie is being discharged tomorrow. I need to bring her home.”

The ride back was quiet, filled only with the hum of the engine and a heavy silence.

Suddenly, Chase broke the stillness. “If the ring doesn’t fit anymore, it can be resized. But since you threw it away, I’ve already booked an appointment with the designer to make a new one for you. It’s set for three days from now; he’ll reach out to you.”

Three days.

Rosalie froze; that was exactly the day she planned to leave.

She replied with a faint shrug, “Hmm.” After all, she had no intention of ever wearing that ring again.

Chase didn’t notice anything unusual and felt a small wave of relief wash over him.

But just as they stepped inside, a hospital report slipped from Rosalie’s bag and fluttered to the floor.

Chase reached to pick it up, but Rosalie was quicker.

It was her pregnancy report.

Chase caught a fleeting glimpse of a uterine ultrasound, and a spark of excitement stirred in his chest. “Rosalie, are you pre—”

Before he could finish, Rosalie cut him off coolly, “The poisoning was severe this time. It damaged my uterus, so the doctor ordered an ultrasound.”

A hollow ache settled in Chase’s heart, though a nagging doubt still lingered. “Rosalie, let me see your report—”

But she interrupted again, her voice sharp. “Chase, Isla isn’t as innocent as she seems. She’s been scheming all along, using you to destroy the Hollis family.”

That single accusation ignited a flare of rage in Chase, and the pregnancy report slipped completely from his mind.

His face darkened with a shadow of pain. “Rosalie, I know Isla went too far this time, but she’s been shaken by those recent murders. Her mind is fragile, and when she hurt you, she wasn’t in control. You’re fine now, so why keep holding on to this grudge and staining her name? Isla has always been kind…”

Rosalie opened her mouth to reply but fell silent.

There was no reason with someone so determined to destroy. She had done her part to warn him that if Chase refused to believe her, that was his burden.

From what she understood, between the twin brothers Chase and Easton, the family had always favored Chase. Easton had never found happiness there. He had confided in her more than once, sharing the pain of growing up in such an unfair home. Given all that, what happened in the Hollis family was no longer her concern.

Rosalie stepped into the guest room, voice cool. “Do as you please.”

Chase followed close behind. “Rosalie…”

But she blocked the door firmly. “Since Isla’s ‘mental trauma’ won’t heal anytime soon, we won’t be sharing a room for the next few days.”

A surge of frustration crashed over Chase. Rosalie had always longed for his attention, even craved his touch. But now, time and again, she pushed him away.

His temper flared, sharp and restless.

Then, as if a sudden realization struck him, he said softly, “Rosalie, are you jealous of me and Isla?”

The heavyweight in his chest seemed to ease immediately. “Isla has always been fragile. Naturally, I’ve had to protect her more. And yes, you’ve suffered a lot these past few days. But I told you from the beginning. I can give you everything except my love.”

“You always wanted to paint your portrait on Hollingsworth Mountain, right? I’ll go with you. No more anger.”

Rosalie’s expression softened, a quiet warmth blooming.

Hollingsworth Mountain was the place where she and Easton first fell in love. They never cared much for photos, and now, with Easton gone, the only way she could remember him was through a portrait in Chase’s likeness.

Seizing the chance to capture that moment before leaving the country felt like a blessing.

A gentle smile spread across her face. “Alright.”

Chase relaxed fully, a rare smile curving his lips.

Just then, Isla’s voice called out again. “Brother, I still want that pear blossom cake from Roseville Bakery. The one you get yourself.”

Without hesitation, Chase replied, “I’ll go get it for you right now.”