Chapter 1

The Seele family's eldest son, Felix Seele, died of a heart attack at the age of 32. The entire Seele family was plunged into mourning.

The memorial service after the funeral was scheduled for that day. The sky had been overcast all day, and by dusk, the rain finally started to fall.

In the Seele residence, all the rosewood furniture in the main hall had been moved out and replaced with simple white decor. Fresh flowers were piled high in front of the photo at the center of the room. In it, Felix wore a custom suit, the hint of a smile on his face perfectly measured.

The air was thick with the mixed scents of flowers.

Georgia Walker, busy greeting guests, had been walking back and forth the whole morning. Most of the people present that day were from political and business circles. Some were familiar faces, while others she had only ever seen on television.

Outside, the rain grew steadier, turning into a fine curtain.

A guest accidentally spilled his drink. When Georgia went to check on him, she saw that his black dress shirt was soaked through over a large area.

"Mr. Wagner, please wait a moment. I'll run upstairs and grab you a clean shirt," she said.

Tom Wagner looked at her, knowing she was the thoughtful wife of the Seele family's second son, Fred Seele. He thanked her politely. "Thank you, Mrs. Seele."

"It's no trouble at all." Georgia glanced around the room. Just a moment ago, she had still seen Fred, but he was nowhere to be found now. She figured he still couldn't accept Felix's sudden death. Outwardly, the two brothers had always seemed very close.

She hurried upstairs and headed to the third floor, where she had prepared some spare clothes in the third room. Compared to the bustle downstairs, the third floor was almost unnervingly quiet.

She padded softly on the carpeted floor and was about to push open the door when she suddenly heard a woman's muffled sobbing from inside. The sound made her heart clench—it was made by her sister-in-law and Felix's wife, Helena Linden.

Helena had just lost a husband who adored her; no way could she withstand the blow. Of course she would come up here to hide and cry.

Georgia had always gotten along well with Helena. She felt she had to go in and comfort her.

"Fred, once the memorial is over, Grandma is going to send me abroad. Did you know that? She won't allow an outsider like me to be in charge of the company's key projects anymore. She wants to push me out of the inner circle. I don't want to leave, Fred. Help me…"

Georgia's hand, which had been reaching for the doorknob, froze in midair and slowly drew back. The next second, she heard her husband's low voice from inside the room. "How am I supposed to help you? If you don't want to go abroad, I can plead with Grandma."

"I want a child," Helena said. Immediately after that came the faint sound of clothes brushing together. "Fred, give me a child. Please?"

Georgia was stunned by the words. How could Helena even say something like that?

"Helena, calm down."

"Fred, do you still blame me for choosing Felix back then?"

Fred didn't respond. The silence was heavy.

"It was Grandma who arranged it. I didn't have a choice. That night…" Helena's voice broke again, shaky with the sobs she tried to hold back. "When I woke up, I found Felix asleep next to me. Fred, you've always known with whom my heart really lies…"

"That's enough. Don't bring up the past."

"Is that a yes?" Helena's voice lifted with a trace of joy. "I knew you wouldn't just stand by and watch me get sent away."

"Helena, even if Felix is gone, I'll still protect you and keep you within the Seele family. You don't need to worry about that," Fred said.

Helena wept. "But if I don't give the Seele family an heir, what right do I have to stay? Gia said she'll spend her whole life taking care of Sophie because of her congenital heart disease. She won't have another child."

Fred paused. Then, he said, "She's never said that to me."

Helena's voice became sorrowful. "She told me in private. Fred, Sophie's heart condition will plague her for her entire life. I can give you a healthy child."

The room went quiet for a moment. Then, Georgia heard the sound of an intimate kiss. "Fred, this is my greatest wish. Make it come true for me, please?"

Georgia went rigid, and her blood ran cold. She couldn't listen for another second. She turned around and headed downstairs.

Just at the stairs, she saw her four-year-old daughter, Sophie Seele, hopping along as she traded candy with a few other children her age.

"Mommy!" Sophie ran over happily and wrapped herself around one of Georgia's legs. "I've been playing games with the other kids. It's so fun!"

Georgia felt a sharp, tearing pain in her chest as she looked at Sophie's carefree face. She crouched and gently wiped the sticky chocolate stains from the corner of Sophie's mouth.

Sophie immediately pulled two pieces of chocolate out of her pocket and shoved them into Georgia's hand. "Mommy, these are for you."

Georgia's throat clenched. Her fingers were chilly as she accepted them.

Not far away, the emcee's voice rang out, inviting the guests to move to the memorial hall. The words snapped Georgia out of her daze. She smoothed Sophie's hair and said, "Soph, be good. Go to Jane and have her get you something to eat, okay? I need to take care of the guests."

"Okay!" Sophie nodded obediently and skipped away.

Georgia stood up, her hand gripping the banister so tightly her knuckles went white. She drew in a deep breath. So all these years, the loving marriage she thought she had, the brotherly affection, the warm, sisterly bond with Helena… All of it had been a lie.

She walked slowly back downstairs. Guests approached her one after another with their condolences, forcing her to put that perfectly appropriate, gracious smile back on her face.

"Mr. Wagner, I'm so sorry. I couldn't find any spare clothes upstairs. I've asked one of the maids to bring you a new towel and a trench coat. Please make do with those for now so you don't catch a cold," she said.

Tom thanked her politely again.

The memorial began. Somber music floated through the hall. As the deceased's younger brother, Fred took to the podium to deliver the family's eulogy.

Georgia looked up at him. He stood tall and straight in a black suit, his handsome features set in grief. He was the man she'd shared a bed with for six years, yet it now felt like a thick fog had settled over him. She could no longer see him clearly.

She turned to glance at Helena on the other side of the hall. She wore a long black dress with a white camellia brooch pinned to her chest. Her face was as pale as a sheet, and her eyes were red and swollen. Two close friends flanked her, holding her up. She looked so fragile that it was as if she might faint at any moment.

Georgia's stomach churned as she thought of all the times Helena had been kind to her in the past.

By the time the memorial drew to a close, the rain outside had lightened. The guests began to disperse.

After seeing a few important guests out, Fred walked over to Georgia, rubbing his brow. "You must be exhausted. You've been on your feet all day."

As he spoke, he reached out to gently tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear. Almost instinctively, she tilted her head ever so slightly, avoiding his hand.

His face stiffened, and his hand suspended awkwardly in midair.

She said, "I am a little tired. I'll take Soph home first. She needs to take her medicine. You stay here a bit longer and keep Grandma company."

…

On the drive back, Sophie slept curled up in Georgia's arms. She didn't understand loss, so as she slept, there was a contented little smile on her lips.

The city lights streaked past outside the car window. Georgia closed her eyes, her heart suddenly feeling hollow.

It turned out tenderness could be so cheap, and so-called devotion could be so fake. She knew that from this day on, some things would never go back to the way they were.

She traced a finger across Sophie's soft cheek and bent down to kiss her. Not long after Sophie was born, doctors had diagnosed her with a congenital heart defect. It had been a heavy blow to the whole family.

Thankfully, once she got a bit older, surgery would be possible. But in the meantime, she needed careful, attentive care. Her diet and activity had to be strictly monitored.

What had happened that night had shattered something deep inside Georgia. She couldn't keep being just the gentle, accommodating Mrs. Seele who ran the household anymore. For Sophie's future—and for herself—she needed to understand exactly what part Fred was playing in this so-called display of brotherly affection.

…

That night, Fred stayed at the Seele residence. A little after 11:00 pm, he called home to report to Georgia. "Gia, there are still a few important guests here at the house. I need to stay and entertain them. You and Soph go to bed early."