Chapter 3

By the time I returned to the bedroom, night had fallen. As expected, Damian still had not come back.

A maid brought me dinner and explained that Damian had instructed the kitchen to prepare my favorite cream of mushroom soup. He had even gone out of his way to summon our family doctor to check on me.

When tears dripped down my cheeks and fell into my food, all I could feel was the bitter irony of it all.

The doctor confirmed that the baby was fine. Only after seeing him out did I finally let out a sigh of relief.

Right then, my phone rang. It was my father.

“Elena, they’ll be there tomorrow night to bring you home. Are you absolutely sure about this?”

I gazed out the window at the rose garden.

Five years ago, my father asked me, “Can you promise me that man will never hurt you?”

I nodded without the slightest hesitation. Looking back, I could almost laugh at my own naivety.

“I’m sure, Dad. I’m coming home with my baby.”

After hanging up, I walked toward the baby’s room at the end of the hallway.

Three months ago, Damian had personally chosen the room for our child. It was filled with everything we had prepared for the baby’s arrival.

However, when I wheeled my suitcase inside and pushed open the door, I froze for a moment.

The once pale blue walls had been repainted. The crib Damian had personally picked out was gone, replaced by a double bed in complete disarray.

The closet was filled with women's dresses.

Vivian stood by the window, instructing the servants as they arranged fresh flowers.

When she saw me, surprise flashed across her face. “Donna? What brings you here?”

I stared at the empty corner of the room and asked, “Where are my baby’s things?”

“Don Luccese had them moved.”

A subtle, knowing smile tugged at her lips as she continued,

“I’ve been busy organizing the allies’ banquet lately, and I often have to work late into the night. Don Luccese was worried it wouldn’t be safe for me to travel back and forth alone, so he asked me to stay at the estate for a while. I only wanted to use a guest room at first, but he said this room had the best natural light and would be perfect for me.”

I gripped the doorframe, my nails digging so hard into the wood that they nearly left marks. “So you turned my baby’s room into your bedroom?”

The smile faded slightly from Vivian’s face. “Donna, the baby hasn’t even been born yet. Of course, I’ll move out once the baby arrives.”

She said it so casually as though there was nothing wrong with what she had done.

I took a deep breath, turned around, and went to find the butler. Then I followed his directions, and I made my way to the basement storage room.

The air was damp and musty. The crib had been carelessly propped against a corner, while the tiny clothes I had bought for our baby sat in cardboard boxes, gathering dust.

Slowly, I crouched down and picked up one of the little outfits.

Suddenly, I remembered how Damian had knelt beside the crib just three months ago, awkwardly trying to figure out how to install the safety rails.

He laughed and said, “Elena, our baby is going to be the happiest child in the world.”

Before our baby had even been born, their belongings had already been banished to a storage room.

Clutching the tiny outfit to my chest, I could barely hold back my sobs.

So this was what happened when someone fell out of love. Even the child they had once looked forward to welcoming into the world could end up suffering for it.

Footsteps suddenly sounded behind me.

“Elena?” Damian had returned at some point without my noticing.

The moment he saw me kneeling on the floor, he hurried over, reaching down to lift me into his arms.

“Honey, what are you doing down here? The floor is cold. Come on, get up.”

I shook my head and stayed where I was. “Who ordered the crib to be moved?”

Damian paused for a moment. “What’s the matter? Vivian has been handling a lot of family business lately. Some people aren’t happy with her, and I don’t feel comfortable letting her stay somewhere alone. There are guards here. She’ll be much safer staying with us.”

I lifted my head and looked at him. “So you gave her our baby’s room?”

His brows drew together slightly.

“Elena, the baby won’t be born for another five months. This room is closest to ours, which makes it convenient for me to call on her when I need something. Besides, she’s only staying temporarily. Once things settle down, I’ll have the room put back the way it was.”

He took the tiny outfit from my hands and gently brushed the dust from its fabric. Then he bent down and kissed my forehead. “Don’t be sad, darling. Once the banquet is over, I’ll personally help you set up the baby room again, all right?”

I did not answer. I no longer wanted that room, just as I no longer wanted the man standing before me.

My phone suddenly vibrated with a new message from my father: [Tomorrow night, nine o’clock. West gate.]

I tightened my grip on the phone.

In just one more day, I would be able to leave this place with my baby. There was just one problem left—the divorce papers.

After a moment’s thought, I sent a message to the number I had saved.