Chapter 1

Before Alex Shaw could demand an explanation, Celia Inman's voice rang out again, "Eva, have you lost your mind? Zach is the child you had with Hugh after that one-night stand years ago. I can't believe you kept him. The child was a mistake from the start. You… You two are outrageous!"

Eva Laurent remained unmoved. She just gazed at Zachary Laurent with tender affection.

Seeing that her words had no effect, Celia gave up. "Just think this through carefully. Don't come crying to me when things get so messy that you can't fix them!"

She stormed off in a huff.

The commotion seemed to startle Zachary. He suddenly opened his eyes, and his face scrunched up as if he were about to cry.

Eva cooed, "It's okay, sweetheart. Go back to sleep."

She rocked him gently, soothing him in a soft voice. "Mommy's here, baby. Go to sleep. Daddy will be back soon."

"Mommy…" the little boy murmured sleepily before closing his eyes again.

It wasn't long before he drifted back to sleep.

"You're such a good boy." Eva planted a kiss on his forehead.

Alex stood frozen in place, completely at a loss. A sharp ache stabbed through his chest again and again.

He never could have imagined such a scenario. His wife, who had held him in her arms just last night and told him she didn't want children because she wanted to enjoy a few more years with him as a couple, already had a son.

And the child's father was none other than her adoptive younger brother, Hugh Laurent. So it wasn't that she didn't want children. She just didn't want one with him.

When the elevator doors opened, Alex slipped away and ducked into the copy room next door.

"Eva," Hugh's voice came from the doorway.

Unable to resist, Alex walked over to the window and looked inside at the two of them.

The moment Hugh saw Eva, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek.

"Hugh!" Eva greeted him with the same unrestrained delight she always showed him.

She even reached up to loosen his tie for him and said, "You must be exhausted. Go home and get some rest. I've already taken care of everything for you."

"You're the best, Eva."

"Mm-hmm."

Eva nestled against him and said somewhat coyly, "Now that you know how good I am to you, why don't you stay? Settle down here in Josarth and let me take good care of both of you."

The deep affection in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Alex clenched his fists, and his fingertips trembled. The bitter ache in his chest crept up into his throat. It felt as if a lump had lodged itself there and sealed it shut. He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

He had no idea how he'd gotten into the elevator or how he'd left the company. By the time his mind had cleared enough for him to think straight, he was already standing in Pearl Park.

This was where he had fallen in love with Eva at first sight.

Five years ago, Josarth's most prominent families held a gala at Pearl Park. Alex had accompanied his best friend, Harlan Lynch, to the event.

The venue had been packed with people, with everyone squeezing past one another. When Alex had tried to help a child who had fallen, he accidentally slammed into the glass window behind him. The glass shattered, leaving his left arm covered in deep cuts and blood.

Eva had happened to be passing by. Without hesitation, she removed her shawl and wrapped it around his arm to stop the bleeding. After that, she'd taken him to the hospital. She didn't leave until his wounds had been treated.

"Don't tell me you've fallen in love with her at first sight."

At the hospital, Harlan had noticed Alex staring intently at Eva's retreating figure. He couldn't resist teasing him.

Alex nodded. "Yeah. I've made up my mind. I'm going to pursue her."

Harlan tried to talk him out of it. "Ms. Laurent is a domineering ice queen, and she's completely devoted to her career. It's one thing to admire her from afar, but she's not wife material. She doesn't know how to care for someone."

Yet, Alex refused to listen. He threw himself wholeheartedly into pursuing Eva.

Of course, it wasn't just because she had saved him. It was because of the feeling he'd experienced when their eyes first met. Beneath her gentle gaze, he'd glimpsed a faint trace of concern and tenderness, as though she genuinely felt his pain.

That single look had been enough to make him fall hopelessly in love.

He applied for a position at Laurent Group, worked hard to prove himself, and climbed the corporate ladder until he became a director working directly under her. Using his family's connections, he quietly secured numerous business deals for her.

In private, he prepared breakfast for Eva, organized her clothes, and bought her the latest designer jewelry. He even knew how much Eva cared about her adoptive brother, so he went out of his way to buy expensive watches to win Hugh's favor.

Two years later, Eva was the one who had proposed marriage.

Alex had been so happy that tears welled up in his eyes. He'd believed that after all his patience and devotion, he'd finally earned his happy ending.

Looking back, he realized he'd been the only one who had ever fallen in love. He had been acting out an entire love story all by himself.

It was absolutely absurd.

The sea breeze stung his cheeks, but the pain was nothing compared to the ache in his heart.

Alex stood by the shore, lost in thought for a long time. It wasn't until nightfall that he finally returned home.