Chapter 4

I pressed the earpiece in.

"Are you trying to ruin everything?" Cassius hissed, his voice dangerously low. "Who gave you permission to wear my shirt in front of Evelyn?"

"Cass... I just—" Selena's voice trembled.

"Shut up," Cassius cut her off, entirely devoid of pity. "Don't test my limits. If Evelyn finds out about this, you will die a very ugly death."

This was my husband. He ruthlessly protected my untouchable status as his wife, only to hide his filthy betrayal right under my nose.

"Then let me die! Me and this baby!" Selena practically shrieked, breaking down. "I'm bleeding... The doctor said if this continues... we might lose our child."

Dead silence stretched through the earpiece for two seconds.

"What did you just say?" Cassius's voice completely changed. His usual arrogant composure shattered, replaced by raw panic. "What? Bleeding? Since when? Are you in pain?!"

I closed my eyes.

Five years ago, I took a bullet for him and fell into a coma with a raging fever. Even when doctors issued two critical condition notices, Cassius had stared at me through the ICU glass with absolute, calculated composure.

But now, Selena and her unborn child easily crushed his vaunted self-control.

"I'm taking you to the hospital right now," Cassius urged. "Go back to your room and change. Now."

I pulled the earpiece out and closed the wiretapping app.

Two minutes later, Cassius and Selena appeared at the top of the stairs.

Cassius met my gaze without a flinch.

"Selena isn't feeling well. I'm taking her to the hospital on my way out."

Selena tilted her head, shooting me a provocative, triumphant look from behind his back.

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked.

"No need." Cassius refused without hesitation.

He added, "By the way, our men stirred up some trouble at the docks. It's an emergency. I won't be back at the estate for the next two days."

What a perfect excuse. It covered up his panic today and gave him an airtight alibi to stay by her hospital bed.

Out of a five-year unwavering habit, he stepped closer and leaned down to kiss me goodbye.

I lowered my eyes and simply turned my head to the right. "You should hurry."

Cassius froze for a second, but he didn't try again.

"Wait for me to come back," he said, turning and striding away.

I listened to the engine roar to life in the driveway before finally fading into the distance.

A brief ache welled up in my chest, but mostly, I felt liberated.

This is the last time you will ever leave me behind, Cassius.

For the next two days, Cassius didn't set foot inside the estate.

Which gave me the exact time I needed to cut ties for good.

I shoved my essentials into a duffel bag, calmly making my final preparations to leave.

Just as I zipped the bag shut, my phone vibrated rapidly on the table.

It was a video from Selena.

In the frame, Cassius was sitting on the edge of her hospital bed, holding an ultrasound scan. He lowered his head to kiss the paper, and then kissed Selena.

"Thank God, everything's fine," Cassius's husky voice echoed from the speaker. "I'll always be here for you. I love you both... my little family."

A text message popped up right under the video.

[Did you hear that, Evelyn? We're the real family here. As for you, you're just an outsider taking up space.]

I stared at the screen. In our third year of marriage, I had fantasized whether this man would show that exact same expression when I got pregnant.

Now I had my answer. Only, it belonged to someone else.

Expressionless, I locked my screen and waited for my pickup.

Just as I got into the car and headed out, Selena sent another text.

[Cassius insisted on taking me out for a commemorative photoshoot to comfort me. To record our family of three. If you know what's good for you, Evelyn, pack up and leave. Don't bother us anymore.]

I looked at the message and typed back:

[I wish you both happiness.]

After hitting send, I rolled down the window and tossed the phone precisely into a passing garbage truck.

My car merged onto the coastal highway on the outskirts of the city.

I could recognize this road with my eyes closed. Five years ago, at the cliff at the end of this highway, Cassius covered the ground with three thousand roses to propose to me.

The car took the final curve. The sea cliff came into view.

Reflectors and photography light stands stood against the wind near the edge of the cliff.

Selena stood there in a white dress that looked exactly like a wedding gown, resting a hand on her flat stomach.

And Cassius—the mafia godfather who would never bow down to anyone—was kneeling on the grass, pressing his cheek against her belly and leaving a soft kiss.

The photographer's camera flashed continuously.

I stared fixedly at the kneeling man through the car window.

My emotions were hollowed out, leaving nothing but a dead wasteland. He hadn't just soiled our present; he was stripping away the very starting point of our marriage's memories.

Just as a gust of wind blew past, Cassius suddenly looked up from his one knee.

Driven by some beast-like intuition, his gaze slammed right into the car window, locking onto me.

Cassius's face changed drastically in an instant.

Through the glass, I could read his frantic lips.

He was screaming my name.

Expressionless, I looked away.