로그인EPILOGUE The judge’s voice was the last thing I heard before my world went dark. "Full legal and physical custody is awarded to the father, Lucas Vance." That sentence ended my life as I knew it. I remember sitting at the wooden table in the courtroom, my hands shaking so hard I had to hide them under my thighs. I looked at Lucas. He didn’t gloat. He didn’t cheer. He just sat there with a cold, satisfied expression. He had used my lies against me. He told the court that a woman who could lie to her husband for years was a woman who could not be trusted with a child’s future and the judge agreed. That was two years ago. Now, my life is measured in small moments and a lot of empty space. I live in a one-bedroom apartment on the edge of town. It is small, and the heater makes a clicking sound every night that keeps me awake. My furniture is cheap. My walls are bare. I don’t decorate because there is no one here to see it. The silence is the hardest part. I used to complain about th
EVA’S POVAs the words left Henry’s lips. “Your obsession is at the door” —I felt a wave of humiliation crash over me. I had never experienced such shame in my entire life. My throat tightened, but I said nothing. I turned to the clock. It was already 3 p.m., yet the day felt painfully endless. And with every tick, the tension only thickened.The clock on the wall read exactly 3:00 PM.Every tick seemed to echo louder, matching the weight pressing against my chestI had been watching it for the past hour like my life depended on it. Maybe it did. My nerves were unraveling slowly, breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat. I should have gone to meet Lucas like he asked. Maybe it would’ve spared me this mess, or at least delayed it.But no. I wanted a few more hours to pretend everything wasn’t falling apart. I wanted time. Now I realize that time isn’t something you beg for when the truth is racing straight at you.I heard the knock.Before I could even take a step toward the door, Henr
Eva’s POV (Continues)Henry’s wine glass hovered near his lips, the surface trembling as he took another slow sip. The bottle reflected in his eyes, dim and still. I sank into the nearest chair, my hands locked in my lap. My heart hurt with each word he spoke, each revelation tearing our world apart.He set the glass down gently and cleared his throat. His tone was even—almost distant—yet each syllable felt like a blow.“I knew everything,” Henry began. His voice was calm, but I felt the weight of a thousand late nights and whispered collisions behind it.“When you became pregnant with Jude, I was suspicious. In fact, I knew he wasn’t mine.” His eyes never left me.My hands tightened into fists. The room spun. “You… you knew?”“Yes.” He nodded. “I saw the doctor privately. The timeline of your pregnancy—according to the report—did not match when we were intimate. It didn’t align.”He paused, glancing at the glass as if expecting it to explode. Then he set it aside.“I remained silent.
Eva's POVHe walked calmly to the side of the living room, the air around him so unnervingly still, and poured himself a drink. I watched, my heart pounding against my ribs. Then he poured another into a second glass and extended it to me.“Have a seat,” Henry said, his voice almost too quiet.“I’m fine,” I replied, my voice strained, my eyes locked on the way his hands gripped the glass.“You’ll need to sit down for this,” he said again, sipping his drink and leaning against the table with a casualness that only heightened my fear.I stayed standing, my arms crossed tightly against my chest.What could he possibly say that would warrant me needing to sit? I had lived the worst already, hadn’t I? The truth about Lucas. The truth about Jude. Everything was already falling apart.He stared at me, his expression unreadable. “Eva… you remember those times you got anonymous texts?”I froze.My breath hitched. I stared at him, eyes wide. “What are you saying?”He gave a sly smile and let ou
EVA’S POV(Continues)“You knew all along?” I whispered, my throat dry and my legs barely able to hold my weight.Henry stood a few feet away, arms crossed, face cold and unreadable. The man who used to smile at me like I was his world now looked like a stranger. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating.“You knew?” I asked again, voice trembling. “Why did you play along? Master in the betrayal game?”His eyes darkened. “Don’t turn this around, Eva. Don’t you dare.” He stepped closer, each word slicing deeper into me. “I gave you every chance to come clean. I waited. I begged with my silence. I stayed calm, watching you choose him over and over, even after everything we built.”“Henry… I don’t understand anything right now,” I whispered, almost choking on my breath. “You’re scaring me.”“No, Eva. Listen.” His voice was low but deadly serious. “I’m done with this game. It’s time to get things over and done with.”I stood there frozen. I had spent the last few days terrified
Eva’s POVHenry's eyes bore into mine, demanding answers as I stood frozen, torn between the truth he sought and the storm Lucas's arrival would unleash, my heart racing with every step echoing in the hallway.Now he stood in front of me with tired eyes—no anger, no rage. Just quiet accusation. And I realized the thread had finally snapped.He didn’t raise his voice. His tone was flat, icy, but resolute.“I gave you chances, Eva,” he said. “So many chances to tell me the truth.”My legs started to tremble. Tears flooded my eyes—I had lost count of how many decisions I’d made to lie, to silence, to shield a secret I thought I could manage. I crossed my arms, unable to speak. Feverish guilt shuddered through me.He continued, “But you kept lying. You played me. You strung me along with half-truths and silence.”My chest tightened. Every lie, every omission, every stolen moment with Lucas—all of it converged into a roaring tornado inside my mind.“Now,” he said, voice rising just enough
HENRY’S POV (Continues)I squeezed her hand gently. “Let’s make this official,” I said, pulling her into a tight hug. I wanted to wave everything away—the silence, the unease, the questions. I wanted to believe in us again.“Okay,” she whispered, her voice muffled against my shoulder.We pulled apa
HENRY POV The office was quiet by the time I shut down my computer and grabbed my coat. Most of the staff had already gone home, the lights dimmed in the hallway. But I couldn’t stop thinking about my boss—Lucas. He hadn’t said much during our meeting. Normally, he was sharp, firm, even cold in
LUCAS POVI got into the car, shutting the door with a low thud that seemed louder than it should have. My fingers gripped the wheel tightly as I drove through the morning traffic. The streets were full of people going about their day, completely unaware that someone out there was pulling strings i
LUCAS’S POV “Give me that,” I said, nodding toward Eva’s phone. My voice was low but carried the weight of command. Eva’s fingers unclenched around the device. She placed it on the table, her hand shaking. I ignored her fear and lifted the phone straight into my palm. Mark arranged his small bla







