Chapter 1

It was 8:00 pm in Colburn.

Jamison Group's celebration party was in full swing. Laughter echoed across the venue as glasses clinked and compliments flew freely.

At the center of the crowd stood Carter Jamison, the man of the hour. Once from a fallen family, he had clawed his way back up. He had rebuilt the crumbling Jamison Group from the ground up and taken it public again. The achievement was enough to earn endless praise.

"Congratulations, Mr. Jamison. You're truly young and accomplished. I look forward to working with you."

"Mr. Jamison, not only is your career thriving, but your family life seems just as perfect. My wife always says a good partner at home makes all the difference. You're a lucky man."

Of course they were envious. Carter's wife had taken on the role of stepmother at such a young age and raised his two children as if they were her own. What man wouldn't admire that?

As soon as his wife was mentioned, Carter, who had been basking in the spotlight, glanced around the room.

Across the crowd, his wife, Rhea Ravelle, stood poised and elegant in a sleek black evening dress.

She was the one who had planned every detail of that night's party a month in advance. Even in the midst of her busy schedule, she hadn't once neglected the kids.

Now that the children were growing up strong and his career was finally steady, Carter had to admit that none of it would have happened without Rhea.

Just then, Rhea approached with the twins in tow and gently linked her arm with Carter's.

Compliments flowed from all directions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jamison, with their two adorable children, make a truly picture-perfect family."

"They're truly blessed!"

Rhea smiled graciously. "You're all too kind. Thank you for supporting Carter all these years. We hope to—"

Before she could finish speaking, a surprised voice rose from the entrance. "Lauren? You're Lauren Thayer, right?"

A security guard chimed in, "Mrs. Miller, this woman's been lurking around all night. Do you know her?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it cut straight through the chatter, and everyone heard it.

Rhea's heart skipped a beat the moment she heard the name "Lauren Thayer".

Before she could react, her arm was suddenly empty.

Carter was already striding toward the door. His expression was tense, with a flicker of anticipation in his eyes.

Lauren Thayer? How many Lauren Thayers could there be in this world? And how many would just happen to show up here?

At the entrance, a guard was holding a woman by the arm, demanding, "Who are you? Do you have an invitation?"

"Let go!" The sharp voice came from Carter.

The guests quickly followed.

The name Lauren Thayer was familiar to all of them.

She was Carter's childhood sweetheart, the woman he was once engaged to. More importantly, she was the birth mother of the two kids Rhea had raised.

"Lauren? Is it really you?" Carter grabbed her arm like he couldn't believe it.

His tension and concern at that moment didn't escape Rhea's eyes, making her chest tighten.

"Carter, I-I just missed the kids so much, so I came to see them. I didn't mean to intrude… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry…"

In her plain clothes and red-rimmed eyes, Lauren looked at the two children beside Rhea with quiet longing.

Seeing that, Carter felt like something sharp had stabbed him right in the chest.

He remembered Lauren as a bright and fearless person. She was always laughing, nothing like the fragile, pitiful version of her standing in front of him now.

He kept his gaze locked on her like she might disappear again if he blinked. "Where have you been all these years?"

Silence suddenly blanketed the crowd.

"Who's that woman Mr. Jamison's holding? Is she his mistress?"

"No, that's Lauren. She was once the heiress of the Thayer family. When the financial crash hit years ago, it took down both the Jamison and Thayer families. She and Mr. Jamison were engaged, but after giving birth to the twins, she vanished. The wedding never happened."

"Wait, she's the biological mom of the twins? That makes Mrs. Jamison…"

Every eye turned to Rhea.

She clutched the children's hands and was forced to watch her husband disregard her completely as he fussed over another woman in front of everyone.

Lauren looked helpless as she said, "I-I got really sick after giving birth. We were struggling so much, and I didn't want to drag you down. I know leaving without saying goodbye was wrong, but the kids are innocent. Now that you're doing well, please treat them well."

To the others, it sounded like she was accusing Rhea—the stepmother—of not treating the children well.

Carter frowned. Lauren had been sick after giving birth? She left to avoid being a burden?

Lauren pulled her arm away and said, "I should go. Carter, let me go."

"Stay," he said.

Upon hearing that, the crowd reacted in their own quiet ways, though most eyes inevitably drifted to Rhea.

But what power did she have to stop any of this? Lauren was the children's biological mother. That was a fact that no one could erase.

Just then, Arielle Jamison, the older twin, looked up at Rhea and asked, "Mom, who's that lady Dad's hugging?"

Adrian Jamison, the younger one, chimed in with confusion. "Why is Dad holding another lady?"

The room was already quiet, so the two children's voices reached everyone present when they spoke.

Carter paused, as if something had just occurred to him, then said, "Apologies, everyone. It's getting late. I'll invite all of you over another day."

"Oh, of course! We'll take our leave then, Mr. Jamison."

The guests made a swift exit.

Once the room was nearly empty, Carter reached out and gently wiped the tears off Lauren's cheeks. "Don't cry. If you really want to see the kids, then stay the night. Spend some time with them."

Lauren lifted her head in surprise. Her expression was tinged with hesitation. "C-Can I do that?"

Then she turned to Rhea. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Jamison. I just want to see my kids. I hope you don't mind."

How could Rhea say no to that?

It was only natural for a biological mother to want to see her children.

Rhea lowered her gaze and replied, "Of course not."

A rare hint of relief appeared in Carter's eyes when she agreed. He instructed the butler, Devan Witt, "Get the guest room ready. Make sure it's spotless. Lauren's a clean freak."

Lauren's eyes lit up at that. It seemed that he still remembered.

Rhea, on the other hand, lowered her gaze and said nothing.

Once inside, Lauren crouched to look at the twins and tried to touch their faces. But Arielle and Adrian both instinctively backed away.

Instantly, a look of hopelessness washed over Lauren's face. "Carter, do they hate me?"

Carter immediately told the kids, "Arielle, Adrian, this is your one and only mother. Come on. Call her 'Mom'."

Rhea's heart twisted painfully. One and only mother? Then what was she?

The maids watching from the side frowned.

Rhea might not have given birth to the kids, but she had raised them since they were babies. They thought that Carter's words were a little too harsh.

"I don't want to!" Adrian snapped, his temper flaring. "She's not our mom! Our mom is right here!"

As he said that, he gripped Rhea's arm tightly and ducked behind her.

How could Rhea not be their real mom? Adrian couldn't believe it. He felt that Carter had to be lying.

Carter tried to explain, "Rhea isn't your birth mother. Lauren is. She's the one who loves you the most. No one can compare to a birth mother. So, you two need to be respectful."

Rhea's head jerked up. She wouldn't deny a mother's love. But Carter's words left her feeling excluded.

She had given everything to raise Arielle and Adrian like they were her own. She had even sacrificed having children of her own to care for them.

Arielle snorted. "I don't know about any of that! All I know is, the one who loves us the most and takes care of us is Mom! It's Rhea, not anyone else!"