I REGRETTED EVERYTHING.

**CHAPTER 001**

**9 MONTHS LATER**

The mansion was quiet when I stepped through the heavy doors of the Weldons Mansion.

It wasn't strange though. My mother-in-law and father-in-law had traveled out of the country for leisure or something, even though they were surprisingly old. They did that often, jetting off to wherever they wanted whenever they felt like it—something Cassian and I never did. Anyways, it left the house practically empty except for the staff, and they knew better than to be seen or heard unless they were called. A maid got fired last week because she roamed about too much and was accused of theft.

I closed the door behind me, the sound echoing through the large entrance hall. My shoes clicked against the tiled floors as I walked further inside, looking around at the place I'd learned to call home over the past nine months.

Home... What a strange word for a place that had never really felt like one.

It was evening, so Cassian was supposed to be back. He usually came home early, one of the few things I could predict about him. One of the few routines he actually kept.

I looked down at the report in my hands, my fingers trembling slightly as I held it. A smile pulled at my lips despite everything, despite the past nine months of hell I'd endured in this marriage.

My other hand moved to my belly, resting there gently like I could already feel something different.

I was pregnant.

The doctor's words still rang in my head from earlier today. *You're pregnant, Mrs. Rosa.*

And although my marriage hadn't gone well—hadn't gone well at all if I was being honest—I had a feeling this child would change everything.

It had to. There was no other option. This baby was my last hope, the one thing that could finally make Cassian see me as his wife.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[ 9 MONTHS AGO]

I can still remember the day everything changed. The day my stepfather Vincent called me into his study.

I was 19 years old. My mother had died three years before, leaving me and my twin sister Isolde with Vincent—a man who never really wanted me.

"You have an alliance, Rosa," Vincent had said, sitting behind his desk with that cold look he always gave me.

An alliance? What the hell was he talking about?

"The Weldons," he continued. "I'm sure you've heard of them, haven't you?"

Of course I had. The Weldon family—billionaires, powerful, untouchable.

"The Weldons have made an agreement with our family. They want a daughter for their son, Cassian Weldon."

My heart dropped. I looked at him, already knowing where this was going.

"Cassian Weldon said he met one of my daughters at a party he attended, and since then he had eyes for her, and that's why they came."

The party. I remembered it. Isolde had dragged me along, and I'd spent most of the night invisible while she charmed everyone in the room.

"So... is it you?" Vincent asked.

"No, it isn't. I never saw or spoke to any Cassian Weldon at the party I escorted Isolde to, so it's probably her..."

Vincent chuckled. "Funny, because I spoke to Isolde and she rejected it. She said she was in love with someone else and had a career to keep up with."

Of course. Isolde always got to choose. I never did.

"So you turned to me," I said, bowing my head.

I was the replacement. The substitute. The second choice.

"So... what is it you want me to do, stepfather?" I asked.

"I want you to marry Cassian Weldon. That way the family benefits and you finally get noticed."

"And if I say no?"

He chuckled. "That's the funny thing about your situation, Rosa... I'm not giving you a choice. It's either you marry him or find somewhere else to live."

I had nowhere to go. No one to turn to.

"The Weldons won't know which daughter was given because Isolde is your twin," Vincent explained. "This is a life-changing opportunity, Rosa. Take it. Prepare yourself, because in three days you'll be becoming Mrs. Cassian Weldon."

In three days, my life changed.

In three days, I was married at 19 years old.

In three days, my nightmare began.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was nine months ago.

Nine months of Cassian treating me like I was nothing. Nine months of sleeping in separate rooms. Nine months of him only coming to me when he wanted my body, and even then he would moan another woman's name.

*Elie.*

Always Elie.

I didn't know who she was. Some ex-girlfriend probably. Someone he loved before our arranged marriage forced us together.

My stepfather had told me Cassian loved one of us—which I knew was Isolde—but living with him I saw no love at all... which was, to me, weird and strange.

But now everything would change.

I placed my hand on my stomach again, feeling a flutter of hope.

Cassian wanted an heir. His father had made that clear. This marriage was about family legacy, about continuing the Weldon name, about giving his parents the grandchild they expected.

Well, I was about to give him exactly that.

Maybe then he'd finally look at me like I mattered. Maybe then he'd stop treating me like I was nothing, like I was invisible. Maybe then he'd hold me and tell me I did good, that I was important to him.

Maybe then he'd finally love me.

I reached the top of the stairs and paused, my hand gripping the railing as I caught my breath. The climb had left me a little winded, my heart still hammering in my chest from nerves and excitement and hope—so much hope it scared me.

The hallway stretched out before me, long and quiet, with our bedroom door at the very end. The door that led to the room where I'd spent so many lonely nights, where I'd cried myself to sleep more times than I could count.

But that was going to change now. Everything was going to change, wasn't it?

I straightened up and started walking, each step feeling both lighter and heavier at the same time. Lighter because of the hope bubbling in my chest. Heavier because somewhere deep down, a small voice whispered that I was setting myself up for disappointment again.

I ignored it.

The small file with the pregnancy test results was still in my hand. I folded it carefully and slipped it into the pocket of my gown, patting it to make sure it was secure.

I tried to imagine Cassian's face when I told him the news. Would he smile? Would he actually smile at me for once instead of looking at me with that cold, indifferent expression he always wore?

I imagined him pulling me into his arms, holding me close against his chest. I imagined him whispering in my ear that everything would be different now, that maybe we could really be a family.

The past few months, I'd found myself falling for Cassian despite everything. Despite how cold he was, despite the way he ignored me most days, despite how he made me feel worthless and small. I didn't know if to call it stupidity or madness, but I knew it was one of them.

Probably both.

But I couldn't help it. Something about him drew me in, made me hope for more even when I knew better.

I reached the bedroom door and stopped, my hand hovering over the handle. I could hear... nothing. The door was soundproof—something about needing privacy, Cassian had said.

Every room in the house was soundproof. I didn't know wealthy people valued speech more than all the thousands of ornaments they had and were actually supposed to hide. Pfft, how stupid.

I didn't know what Cassian was doing in there. Didn't know how he'd react to my news. But I had to believe it would be good. I had to believe this baby—our baby—would finally make him see me.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

This was it. The moment I'd been dreaming of.

I pushed open the door.

And in that moment, I regretted everything.