Chapter 4

Bianca stumbled back home in a daze, her mind still reeling.

She had barely stepped through the door when her phone buzzed again with a new message from Lucy. This time, it was a video—one she could barely stand to watch.

She could hear Lucy's taunting voice. "On your knees. I like it from behind."

The rustle of clothing and the unmistakable sounds of bodies entwined filled the audio, echoing in Bianca's ears and making her stomach churn.

She gripped her phone so tightly that her knuckles went white, and her face drained of color.

Moments later, a new message arrived. "The woman he doesn't love is always the other woman. Stop fooling yourself and get lost."

The wave of disgust and heartbreak that washed over Bianca was overwhelming, threatening to suffocate her.

She pressed a hand to the wall, steadying herself as she fought the urge to throw up. Tears of hurt and fury welled up and spilled over, burning tracks down her cheeks.

After a while, she wiped her tears away. With cold determination in her eyes, she stared at the phone as messages kept flashing across the screen.

At last, she tossed the phone aside, like she was letting go of her last shred of hope. There was nothing left to hold her here.

From this moment on, whatever ties she had to Sebastian and Christian were cut, as if their paths had split for good and they were nothing but strangers from now on.

That night, Bianca slept deeply and undisturbed.

When morning came, she got up early and began packing every single gift Sebastian and Christian had ever given her over the last ten years. She boxed everything up and left it all at the front door.

She had already arranged for a resale company to pick up the items, and everything would be sold, with the proceeds going to charity.

Just as she finished, Sebastian and Christian, who hadn't come home the night before, finally pulled up outside.

As soon as they stepped out of the car, they spotted the boxes stacked by the door and immediately recognized them as their old gifts to Bianca.

Christian, puzzled and a little anxious, reached out and held her hand. "Mommy, what's going on? Why are you throwing all this away?"

Bianca barely glanced at him, her expression unreadable and cool. "I'm donating it. Other people need these things more than I do."

Sebastian, picking up on her icy mood, quickly guessed she must be upset about him taking Christian out all night without saying a word.

Trying to smooth things over, he pulled her into a hug, softening his voice as he tried to coax her. "Come on, honey, I'm sorry. Christian woke up in the middle of the night wanting to see a movie, so I took him out. I just didn't want to disturb you. You're not really upset about that, are you?"

If it were before, his pleading might have melted her heart. But now, it left her cold as stone. Bianca pushed him away without hesitation, her face set and unmoved.

But then, Sebastian grabbed her wrist and pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket. He unclasped a sparkling diamond bracelet and fastened it around her wrist.

"Here, take this as a peace offering. Please don't be upset with me," he pleaded, his gaze locked on hers.

In the past, a gesture like that would have brought Bianca to tears. But now, she felt nothing. Her expression stayed cold and indifferent.

Then, she heard Christian's inner thoughts. "It's a good thing the saleswoman gave that bracelet for free when Daddy bought Lucy's gift. Luckily, he didn't throw it away."

So, it was nothing more than a leftover freebie.

A small, bitter laugh escaped Bianca as she yanked her hand free, the bracelet slipping off and falling to the floor with a sharp little clink.

She straightened, looking at both of them with clear, cold eyes. "I don't want it. Take it back."

Turning on her heel, she walked back to her room, leaving both of them standing in the entryway, completely at a loss.

Christian, worried and uncertain, turned to Sebastian and asked, "Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy? Is she mad at us? Do you think she found out about Lucy?"

Sebastian's expression darkened, his face clouded with a mix of emotions as he watched Bianca walk away.

Trying to convince both himself and Christian, he said gently, "No, there's no way she knows. Her birthday is coming up, so we'll surprise her and make her happy, alright?"

Christian nodded in agreement.