(Chloe’s POV)

When I woke up again, I was met with a sea of white.

My head throbbed with intense pain.

"Chloe!" Leonardo rushed over, his eyes bloodshot, filled with exhaustion. "You’re awake? Does your head still hurt?"

"You suddenly passed out at the hospital."

Looking at his anxious face, I suddenly felt a sense of confusion.

In the past, when I had a common cold, he would always stay by my side, never leaving.

But this time, it was his fault, and he hadn’t regretted it from the beginning to the end.

I silently pulled my hand back, unwilling to look at him.

Leonardo froze for a moment before explaining again. "Zoe, it’s not that I didn’t want to stop Father, but the more I resist, the worse the punishment will be. It won’t just be Black Gate; I must protect your life first."

"So," I said in a hoarse voice, "You also believe that I hurt your child?"

Leonardo’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, but he chose to remain silent.

This moment of silence felt like a dull knife, cruelly slicing through my last bit of hope.

With red eyes, I slowly said, "I only ask you one question: Leonardo Ferraro, do you believe in me, in the name of God?"

Leonardo furrowed his brows, his voice filled with anger. "Chloe, Ella’s allergic reaction, Zoe also pointed fingers at you, how can I believe you?"

"Didn’t I tell you to just wait until it’s all over? Why did you have to provoke Zoe?"

My tears suddenly fell.

I thought I wouldn’t hurt anymore, but my chest still felt like it was being ripped apart. I quickly turned away, not wanting him to see me in such a vulnerable and broken state.

"Let’s go," I whispered so faintly that it was almost inaudible.

"Wait a bit, okay?" His voice softened as he tried to get closer again. "Soon, when Zoe gives birth to this child, we’ll definitely leave. I swear, I’ll take you to see the Southern Sea that never freezes."

Can we go back to the past?

I closed my eyes, my throat tightening. I knew very well that we could never go back. After all, he now had Zoe and two children. For them, he hurt me time and time again, choosing others over me.

I slowly turned my back to him, not wanting to say another word.

Leonardo looked at me, his face filled with pain. In the end, he only reached out and brushed my hair, softly saying, "Sleep. I’ll be here with you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the door was pushed open by a maid from Zoe’s side. "Mr. Leonardo, Zoe has been crying and asking for you. The doctor says emotional fluctuations might hurt the baby..."

Leonardo frowned. He glanced at my turned back, hesitated for a moment, then stood up. "Chloe, I..."

I gave a self-mocking laugh and mumbled, "Go."

"Wait for me, I’ll go check on them and come back to take care of you."

Watching him leave, I bitterly smiled. "Leonardo, you’re lying. You won’t come back."

Sure enough, that night, he never came back.

The next day, when I was discharged from the hospital, it was pouring rain outside.

I packed my things and stood at the hospital door. Leonardo texted me, asking me to wait for him.

I waited for a long time, until the rain got heavier, and the sky turned completely dark.

Leonardo had promised to come pick me up, but he never appeared.

My phone died.

Watching the sky darken and the rain showing no signs of stopping, I had no choice but to open the heavy umbrella and start walking home.

The wind nearly snapped the umbrella frame as I staggered forward.

Suddenly, I slipped and fell heavily into a puddle.

The umbrella made a crisp sound, cracked, and rainwater soaked me completely.

By the time I made it home, drenched and miserable, it was already late at night.

I stood in the hallway, hearing Zoe’s crying voice coming from the living room.

Her voice was soft and trembling. "Leonardo, I know you only have Chloe in your heart... but the situation is special now. I... My milk ducts are clogged, it hurts, and Ella has been crying for milk."

She sobbed, "The usual methods don’t work, the doctor said... maybe we need the father of the child... to help. Do it for Ella, please help me. Don’t worry, Chloe will never know..."

I froze at the door, feeling all the blood in my body freeze.

In the living room, I couldn’t see his face, only his tense back.

After a long silence, I saw Leonardo’s left hand slowly raise, his fingertips brushing aside Zoe’s clothes, his right hand caressing her her chest.

(Chloe’s POV)

Then the door slammed shut behind them, sealing me out of that world.

I couldn’t watch anymore, and I ran out into the rain.

The heavy downpour hit me, but I couldn’t feel the cold.

In my mind, I replayed the scene from when we were together for the first time. How carefully, how lovingly Leonardo treated me. He whispered in my ear with a hoarse voice:

"Chloe, you’re my first and will be my last..."

And now, these lips that once belonged to me, were kissing another woman.

I bent down in the rain, my legs numb, and waited until the mansion lights finally turned off before staggering back to the empty room, collapsing to the floor.

In the middle of the night, I developed a high fever.

I don’t know how long it took, but I heard someone calling me.

"Chloe? Chloe?"

I struggled to open my eyes and saw Leonardo holding a bowl of medicine, sitting at the bedside.

"Why are you burning so badly..."

He gently touched my forehead with the same tenderness as before.

But as he got closer, all I could see was the scene from the bedroom earlier.

I turned away, avoiding his touch.

Leonardo stiffened, and after a moment of silence, he let go of me.

He spoke softly, "Zoe wants to have a wedding. She says she wants the children to know that their parents once loved each other and received the priest's blessing, giving them a legitimate identity."

After a pause, he turned to look at me. "But this wedding is fake, I’m just holding a ceremony in form, giving the family and the children an explanation. Don’t overthink it."

My lips trembled, but I couldn’t say a word.

My heart felt like it was gripped by an icy hand, each beat bringing excruciating pain and absurdity.

I thought, "Leonardo, oh Leonardo. You have a child with her now, and you’re still holding a sacred wedding ceremony. How can this be fake? What am I then?"

Leonardo kept talking, explaining the necessity of the ceremony, promising that after it was over, we would leave together.

I looked at his moving lips, suddenly feeling so exhausted.

I slowly closed my eyes, letting those words turn to dust, falling on my already dead heart.

I never spoke another word.

Leonardo stayed with me in the hospital for three whole days, taking care of me meticulously.

When he fed me medicine, he would gently blow on it before carefully bringing it to my mouth.

At night, whenever I moved slightly, he would wake up, hurriedly grab my hand, and not let go until he confirmed I was alright.

When the doctor gave me anti-inflammatory injections, he would hold me in his arms, gently covering my eyes with his fingers, whispering soothing words: "Don’t look, it’ll be fine soon."

But once he brought me home from the hospital, he immediately started preparing for the wedding.

To prevent me from causing trouble, he even confiscated my phone and stationed guards at the door, watching me 24 hours every day.

In the large mansion, only one butler remained to take care of me. I didn’t resist, silently packing my things.

On the wedding day, my phone was returned to me, filled with photos Zoe had sent.

Leonardo, dressed in a suit, gently placed a ring on Zoe’s finger. They kissed passionately amidst the blessings of everyone. Their happy little family cut the cake together.

Each photo felt like a knife, carving deeper into my already broken heart.

I was about to turn off the phone when the door suddenly opened.

Jack, Don Liam’s assistant, stood at the door. "Everything is arranged."

He handed me a plane ticket. "I promise, once you leave, he’ll never find you."

I silently took the ticket, grabbed my packed suitcase.

As I walked out of the mansion, the sun was just right. I didn’t look back, heading for the car waiting on the side of the road.

I didn’t say goodbye to Leonardo.