LOGINSarah looked up at the ceiling.
“Ten more minutes,” she said quietly. “Tell him he can come in after ten minutes.” Hanosa bowed slightly and left, closing the door behind her. When her footsteps faded, Sarah stayed still on the bed. It was an unspoken rule between her and Ronan—something never discussed, yet always followed. Whenever he returned home, he never came straight into her room without permission. He always had Hanosa ask when he could enter, and she always answered in minutes. It was almost ironic, because he didn’t need to do that. The room was his too. He could have walked in whenever he wanted. But maybe that was how they kept the only thing left of their marriage—distance. Sarah rose from the bed and walked to the bathroom to freshen up. Usually, whenever Ronan wanted to see her, she would put in a lot of effort to look perfect for him. She would wear her most beautiful dress, apply a soft, expensive perfume, style her hair, and put on a little makeup. Once, she had even tried to dress like Mia—copying her hair, her clothes, even the way she smiled in her photos. She had done it all in the foolish hope that Ronan would notice her again. She was hope that night would turn into something beautiful, and he would become the man he once was—warm, gentle, and attentive. But she was wrong. No matter how hard she tried, he never truly looked at her. So tonight, she didn’t try at all. After showering, Sarah wore a simple cream-colored satin pajama and wrapped her hair in a towel. As she dried it with a hair dryer, she glanced at the clock and saw that ten minutes had passed. Right on cue, the door opened quietly without another knock. Ronan entered as if he had every right to. Sarah sat at her vanity, facing the mirror. From the reflection, she saw him sitting at the end of the bed, posture straight, dressed in a white suit she had already seen on Mia’s I*******m account. A few seconds of silence passed before his voice broke it. “Tomorrow is Shenina’s birthday, right?” he asked flatly. Sarah replied softly, “Yes.” He nodded once, as if confirming something he already knew. Even though he had failed as a husband, Sarah couldn’t deny that Ronan was a good father. He never missed a single important moment in their daughter’s life. He was always there for their daughter's birthday, remembered every detail—her favorite toys, her favorite color, even her kindergarten activities. And in front of Shenina, he always made sure they looked fine together. Perhaps that was why Sarah had not filed for divorce yet. Beneath all the pain, Shenina was her first reason to stay, and the second one was because she has nothing yet in assets. Ronan looked at her through the mirror, expressionless and calm. “Shenina is already five,” he said suddenly. “It’s the right time to give her a sibling.” Sarah froze for a moment while applying her night cream, then looked at him through the mirror. “Should we?” she asked flatly. He nodded once. “Yes. You haven’t given me a son yet. We will program a baby boy.” She held her breath for a moment, then let out a bitter, almost silent laugh. She looked at her reflection, smoothing the remaining cream on the tip of her nose. “How could Shenina have a sibling,” she said calmly, “if her father never touches her mother?” “I will touch you starting tomorrow,” Ronan said without emotion. “Only to make you pregnant.” The words hit harder than any scream could. Sarah wanted to ask if that was all she was to him—a machine for bearing children. But her tongue refused to move. She was too tired to fight again and again. Ronan stood and walked toward the door. “Prepare yourself starting tomorrow,” he said, not looking back. “I will come to this room, and the doctor will start our program.” His hand was already on the doorknob when Sarah spoke. “Why not let your girlfriend give you a son?” she asked coldly. He stopped. Silence stretched for a few seconds before he slowly turned to her, his eyes sharp and filled with warning. “Remember who you are, Sarah,” he said firmly. “You have not fulfilled our family agreement to give me a son.” Sarah said nothing. Another reason his family had accepted her was because they wanted a male heir. A son born from her womb—a woman of noble blood meant higher status, greater honor, and more power among the elite. And she was nothing more than a tool to make that happen. Before closing the door, Ronan looked at her again, his tone almost mocking. “Oh, and one more thing,” he said. “Stop using your second account to check on Mia. Stop watching what I do.” Sarah couldn’t speak. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her mind racing. But then a realization struck her. How did Ronan know she had been watching his girlfriend?“I see it now,” Alex continued, his voice trembling as he held back his anger. “With my own eyes. You are abusing your wife.” Ronan was startled. Instinctively, his hand released the pinch at once, as if burned. Sarah pulled her arm back to her chest, her fingers trembling as she rubbed the aching spot. “Were you following me?” Ronan snapped, his face flushing red. “How dare you stalk us!” His voice rose, loud enough to make several guests in the distance turn their heads, though they were still too far away to fully understand the situation. “That’s illegal,” Ronan added quickly, trying to regain control. “You followed us! We’re husband and wife. This is a private matter!” Alex stepped forward one pace. “You’re forgetting one thing, Ronan,” he said coldly. “This is a public banquet. I wasn’t following anyone. I simply saw a woman being hurt right in front of my eyes.” He glanced briefly at Sarah, then looked back at Ronan. “You’re extremely rough with your wife. Something is cl
“What are you doing to my wife?” he snapped, his piercing gaze locked onto Alex. Sarah flinched. Her body trembled even more as she was pulled. Her breath caught, and instinctively she folded both arms in front of her chest and lowered her head, trying to calm herself. But the shaking would not stop. Ever since Ronan’s slap earlier, her body seemed to have lost all control. Alex raised both hands, his palms open. “No,” he said quickly but calmly. “I’m not doing anything. I was just trying to help your wife. Look at her. She’s shaking.” Ronan snorted, glanced briefly at Sarah, then looked back at Alex with a cold, fabricated smile. “Oh, that?” he said lightly, as if this were nothing more than a small misunderstanding. “That’s because she’s hungry. She hasn’t eaten dinner yet.” Sarah lifted her face slightly, startled. Ronan continued without giving her any chance to object. “We were actually planning to eat and enjoy the banquet,” he went on, his tone sounding convincing. “B
Sarah straightened her back, even though the throbbing pain in her cheek still pulsed like waves that refused to recede. Her eyes met Ronan’s directly, as she tried to gather whatever courage she had left. “I don’t have any kind of relationship with him,” she said at last, her voice low yet firm. “We’re just friends. That’s all.” Ronan let out a short laugh, humorless. There was a sharp note of sarcasm in it. “I don’t care,” he said coldly. “I still don’t like it. Stay away from him.” Sarah frowned. “Why?” she shot back. “Am I not allowed to have friends?” Ronan’s gaze hardened. His jaw clenched, the vein at his temple tightening. “No,” he said without hesitation. “You are not allowed to be friends with that man!” That possessive tone made Sarah’s chest feel tight. She drew in a breath, then smiled faintly—a smile that looked more like a challenge. “Why?” she asked softly. “Is it because he’s richer than you?” The words had barely landed when Ronan moved. SLAP! The sou
Alex greeted Sarah the moment their eyes met. His smile appeared naturally, different from the polite smile he gave to other guests. There was real warmth in it, as if the grand room suddenly shrank until only the distance between the two of them existed.“Sarah,” he said lightly, then without hesitation, he reached out his hand first.The gesture was simple, yet it was enough to make Sarah freeze for a moment. Instinctively, she glanced to the side, toward Ronan.Ronan’s jaw tightened, his gaze sharpening. He clearly did not like what he was seeing. There was restrained anger in his expression, cold but pressing, as if the grip of his hand on Sarah’s arm was meant to remind her of her place and her role tonight.Sarah took a slow breath. Refusing Alex’s handshake would look rude, even suspicious, especially in front of so many important eyes. With a trained, thin smile, she finally reached out and shook Alex’s hand.“Hi,” Alex said, his smile widening. “I did not expect to see you he
The next day, exactly on the appointed night, Sarah stood in front of the mirror in the Vexler family guest room. A long dark-colored gown wrapped her body elegantly, chosen by one of Madam Vexler’s assistants without asking for her opinion. Her hair was neatly styled, her face lightly made up, just enough to make her look proper standing among a noble family.Ronan waited outside the room. When Sarah stepped out, he glanced at her briefly, then gave a short nod. There was no praise. No comment. Only a brief evaluation, like someone inspecting an item before taking it out.“Remember,” Ronan said quietly as they walked toward the car. “Focus. Smile. Do not drift off.”Sarah nodded. “I know.”“And behave like a good wife,” Ronan added, his tone hardening slightly. “Do not make me repeat it there.”The drive to the Hermes family residence was silent. City lights flashed past the window while Sarah sat upright with her hands folded in her lap. She took a slow breath, preparing herself for
Ronan let out a light sigh, as if Sarah were the one asking too many questions. He looked at her with an expression of patience that felt forced.“Because those are two different things,” he replied calmly.Sarah looked at him, confused.“You are my wife,” Ronan continued. “The mother of my child. That position cannot be replaced.”Then he added in a flat tone, “Mia is my happiness.”The words pierced without needing to be raised. Ronan spoke as if dividing roles in his life was something normal and rational.“I want our household to run well,” he went on. “Without drama. Without excessive behavior. You stay in your position, and I will not make things difficult for you.”Sarah gave a small smile, barely visible. Not because it was funny, but because her heart was already too tired to be shocked.“So,” she said softly, “according to you, fixing this relationship means I stay silent, obedient, and pretend, while you continue being with another woman.”Ronan did not deny it. He simply l







