MasukShe immediately began recording—but she had no interest in watching their intimate scene. She simply sent the recording to Cillian’s phone.
When she returned to the villa she shared with him, Cillian arrived less than five minutes later.
Ironically, now that they were on the verge of divorce, her husband was showing up at home more frequently than he had in the past four years.
“Cut the tricks. Your secret recording can’t be used as legal evidence,” Cillian barked the moment he stepped in. “Besides, I didn’t have sex with Regina. I won’t let her reputation be ruined.”
“Regina is pure—not vicious like you,” he added coldly.
Bellatrix felt as if her heart had been pierced again. But she held herself upright, refusing to faint, and snapped, “Enough, Cillian. I don’t care about you and Regina anymore. I sent you the recording because I want to talk about my father’s company. Why are you trying to destroy him?”
Cillian’s pupils contracted. He stepped closer. “And if I told you this wasn’t my doing—would you believe me?”
Bellatrix stared at him, wide-eyed. She shook her head. “Only you could’ve done it.”
“So you came here to surrender?” Cillian sneered.
Bellatrix closed her eyes. She had no choice. She opened her mouth to speak, “I agree—”
“I changed my mind,” Cillian interrupted with a dismissive wave. “Tomorrow, you’re coming with me to meet a client. If you can help me secure the deal, I’ll agree to invest in your father.”
“Why?” Bellatrix asked, confused. “Didn’t you just want my kidney?”
“The doctor said Regina’s body is too fragile for surgery—for now,” Cillian said impatiently. “Don’t get ideas. It’s only temporary.”
Bellatrix coughed again.
Cillian frowned. “Get out of my sight. You don’t need to come to the company tomorrow. Be at this club at 7 p.m.”
He tossed a business card at her and left.
That night, Bellatrix tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Before heading to the club, she decided to meet with Regina.
The next morning, she did her best to cover her dark circles with makeup.
She didn’t want to give Regina the satisfaction.
As soon as she arrived at the café where Regina was waiting, Regina’s shrill voice rang out, dripping with sarcasm.
“Well, big sister, you look terrible. Was it because Cillian and I made love last night, and it hurt you that much?”
Bellatrix shut her down. “Cillian explained everything—he didn’t sleep with you. Want me to call him right now? We’ll see who’s telling the truth.”
“You—!” Regina shrieked. “Cillian was just worried about my fragile body. That’s the only reason we didn’t!”
Bellatrix rolled her eyes. “Get to the point. I’m busy. I don’t have time to waste with you.”
Regina dropped the act. She stirred her coffee, then looked up with a sly smile. “Big sister, I’m taking your kidney. And I want you to leave Cillian.”
“Regina... you’re not even sick, are you?” Bellatrix said, staring at her rosy cheeks and commanding aura. The one who was truly ill—was her.
Regina didn’t admit it. But her smug grin grew wider.
“Regina, all these years and your tricks haven’t changed one bit.”
Bellatrix still remembered how Regina, as a child, had destroyed their father’s beloved paintings to gain sympathy—then pinned the blame on her.
Even worse, Regina once cut her own finger with a pencil sharpener and accused Bellatrix of hurting her.
Those incidents were endless.
Back then, Regina was only seven. A seven-year-old, already fluent in lies and manipulation.
Bellatrix had pitied her because she was a child born out of wedlock, ostracized by others.
But all that fragile sweetness had clearly been a mask.
Now, Regina’s smile faded. “Bellatrix, whether I’m sick or not, this is what you owe me—what the entire Lancaster family owes me.”
“We owe you?” Bellatrix scoffed. “You disappeared without a word four years ago.”
Bang!
Regina slammed her coffee cup onto the table. Her expression twisted in fury. She glared at Bellatrix, gritting her teeth.
“If that old bastard hadn’t interfered, forced me to leave, how could you have ended up as Mrs. Laurente? I was the one meant to marry Cillian—not you, Bellatrix!”
Bellatrix’s brows furrowed. Her father forced Regina to leave?
That made no sense.
She didn’t want to argue anymore. She stood up, ready to leave.
“Bellatrix,” Regina said, her voice cold and sharp, “Cillian may have loved you once. But the truth is, he loves me now. Don’t blame me for being ruthless—blame yourself for being weak.”
Her words made Bellatrix’s steps falter for a moment.
Why did everyone say Cillian once loved her?
Then why—when she finally tried to love him—did he start to hate her?
Avery’s words echoed in her mind.
No, she didn’t want to dwell on the past anymore.
She only wanted to secure investment for her father’s company.
“Regina, take my kidney, take my place as Mrs. Laurente—Cillian can have you. But he refused to grant me a divorce. Maybe you can help me with that.”
Regina’s eyes widened—clearly, Cillian hadn’t told her.
Bellatrix didn’t press it.
“That’s why I came today. Help me convince him to divorce me.”
She didn’t wait for a response. She left and went straight to a boutique.
She had to look flawless. She had to help Cillian win that contract—for the sake of her father’s health.
And she trusted Cillian enough. If he said her kidney wasn’t needed for now, then Regina had no way to force the issue.
At 7 p.m., Bellatrix arrived at the club Cillian had specified—Mystique.
Mystique was Miami’s most infamous pleasure club. To enter, one had to be a member.
And members were required to have a net worth of over one billion dollars. No exceptions, no matter your fame or power.
Bellatrix walked through the corridors, glancing at couples openly engaged in sexual acts. Her stomach twisted with tension.
She knew what entering this place meant.
She pushed open the door of the VIP room—and saw Cillian and a man, each holding a nearly naked woman in their arms.
But at the same moment, everyone in the room turned to look at her.
The stranger glanced at Cillian and grinned.
“So this is the woman you brought me?” he asked, and began walking toward Bellatrix.
A whole month went by in the blink of an eye.Charlie successfully recovered and was discharged from the hospital, placed on monthly visits to monitor his progress.The first week or two post the surgery were the toughest. He couldn't move a muscle without it hurting him.That's when Cillian and Bellatrix discovered he was a cry baby.Any little thing would make him wail and cry.And if it wasn't a little thing, then he was being stubborn and refusing to take his medicine.That was a tough period.But they managed and soon, it was a distant memory.Cillian and Bellatrix spent that one month, making up for lost time.They did everything together.From grocery shopping to bathing Charlie, they did it all together.Elise and her father were also always around.Joel was doing a lot better and had even begun using a cane instead of his wheelchair.Charlie loved hanging out with them and they did a good job of spoiling him rotten.But no one could compete with his mother and father when it
The day that followed were spent preparing for Charlie's long Awaited surgery. On the night before the surgery, Bellatrix stood beside Charlie's bed, with Cillian at her side.They both stared down at him with gazes of adoring parents.After a while, Cillian broke the silence."He's a strong kid."Bellatrix nodded in agreement, her hands coming up to hug herself."He is."Cillian noticed the action, but chose not to comment on it."Bella, he'll be fine." He reassured, taking her hand in his.Her eyes flickered to him and for a moment, she looked like she wanted to pull her hand away, but ultimately didn't."I know," she finally managed. "But, I can't help feeling nervous. What if something goes wrong?""Then we'll find a solution. As long as he's alive, we can find a solution."Those words weren't directed to her, but rather to himself.He needed reassurance. He was just as worried as her.Bellatrix sensed that, and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her features."We've b
The clouds wept.As if to celebrate their reconciliation, the moment Bellatrix and Cillian returned to the main house, it started raining.They joined Elise and Joel in the tearoom, just as discussed earlier, for tea. And by the time they were wrapping up, it was still raining.So, after exchanging glances, one which Bellatrix didn't fail to notice between Elise and her father, the former suggested.“Cillian, it looks like it's going to be raining for a while. Why don't you tough it out here?”Bellatrix nearly choked on her tea. That was the most shameless method of telling someone to stay over for the night.And here her mother was, SHAMELESSLY doing it.“Ellie is right,” her father joined in. His inclusion made her completely ignore the nickname she promised to tease them all about one of these days. “It's raining cats and dogs out there, it would be hard to get home like this. Stay in the guest room.”“Dad–” she wanted to object, then her father added.“Charlie would feel at ease t
The soft atmosphere of the garden pressed down on Bellatrix's chest as she walked in.Behind her, Cillian trailed like a loyal puppy, the heat of his stare causing her stomach to stir.At last, she stopped in the center of the garden, sheltered from the sun creeping in by a cherry blossom tree, and turned to face him.“What you must have to say must be pretty important for you to stare so hard. Wanna burn a hole straight through me?”His lips quirked upwards, a faint smile polishing his features.“I apologize–”“Stop apologizing. It makes me feel like I'm bullying you all the time,” she muttered and released a heavy sigh.A second of silence stretched between them before she turned around, scanning the garden as she spoke.“You don't actually have anything to say, do you?”Cillian tensed behind her, briefly, then he smiled softly. He wouldn't put it past her to notice.“Father and mother's conspiracy?” She threw a glance over her shoulder and was met with a smile that answered her que
Walking out of the station, Cillian threw a glance at Bellatrix by his side.“Satisfied now?”Her expression remained neutral, but there was a slight tug at the edge of her lip. She adjusted Charlie, who was now in her arm, to the other side, before throwing a glance his way.“Ever heard of closure?”The question was unexpected, but it made Cillian frown. Closure? She needed closure from Damien for what?That was a question only Bellatrix could answer.Cillian, feeling a bit insecure about once again being left in the dark about matters concerning her and most annoyingly, Damien, felt his eyes twitch.It was a slight discomfort, something that anyone else would have missed, but Bellatrix saw it.All it took was one glance at him and she chuckled under her breath.“You needed it,” she said, answering the question that lingered in the air.His eyes snapped towards her and she repeated.“You needed closure. Siblings and stuff,” she sighed dramatically, scrunching up her nose at the unple
Cillian blinked once, then frowned at her.“Bella.”His ever soft tone remained, but there was a note of warning in it. Bellatrix met his gaze for a second, sending him a sign to calm down as she turned back to Charlie.He thought to protest, but just as he parted his lips, Charlie shook in his arms, eyes carrying that one sparkle he was growing to adore.“R-really?” His voice sounded just as excited. Bellatrix however, didn't look as excited.If anything, she looked like she was battling with herself for the suggestion she'd just made.That was something unusual.The Bellatrix he knew, the one that grew him in like a magnet, wasn't someone who doubted her decisions.Yet, here she was and something about this opened Cillian's eyes to get another revelation.She was doing this for him, wasn't she?His eyes softened and the words of protest glided down his throat, disappearing before it had the chance to slip past his lips.“Can we?” Charlie quipped.Bellatrix nodded, though her movemen







