로그인ELENA“Congratulations, Mrs. Elena. It’s a boy.”“Thank you, Doctor.”The moment I finally gave birth to my baby boy all by myself, I broke down in tears. Yes. All alone.There was no family by my side, no one holding my hand. The only people there were the doctors and nurses helping me through the delivery. Every time a wave of contractions tore through me, I could only squeeze my eyes shut and silently repeat one name in my head while clinging to the last scraps of my consciousness.I had to hold on. This baby was all I had left in this world. Then, finally, a piercing cry shattered the silence of the room. My ragged breathing and the sweat soaking my face suddenly felt worth it the moment I saw my tiny baby boy.Leon.A name I had chosen long ago, in the quiet loneliness of my life. But the happiness lasted only a moment. The warmth of Leon against my chest was suddenly taken away when the medical team hurried him out of the room. The atmosphere instantly turned tense. The doctor,
I stared at the empty glass on my desk before reaching for my phone. Without giving it much thought, I called Gavin.He answered quickly. “Boss?”“How is it?” I asked immediately. “Any news about Elena?”Gavin let out a quiet sigh on the other end. “Nothing yet. The people we sent have checked several nearby cities, but there’s still no trace of her. Her old number is still inactive, too.”I rubbed my forehead, trying to suppress the frustration building inside me. “Keep looking. Expand the search area.”“We already have. But so far, nothing. Finding her is like looking for a needle in a haystack. This country is huge. She could have moved somewhere far away—or even left the country.”“Hmm. I know.” I stared at the ceiling for a moment before asking, “Gavin. Are you busy tonight?”“No. Why?”“Come with me to Starla Club. I need a drink.”There was a brief silence before he answered, “Sure. What time?”“An hour from now. I’ll meet you there.”“Okay. See you.”The call ended.I set my p
ELENADays turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Little by little, my belly grew larger.I had long since lost track of exactly how many weeks it had been since my last prenatal checkup. All I knew was that the baby inside me was moving more and more often, and these days, I wore nothing but loose-fitting clothes.I was living in a small town far from the capital—a place where no one knew the Ashford name, and no one knew who my husband had once been. After I was thrown out, I moved from one job to another.At first, I worked as a waitress at a small restaurant near the bus terminal. The pay was barely enough, but it covered the rent for a cramped boarding-room. Then I found a job as a cinema ticket clerk. The hours were more regular, but the pay was even smaller.Now, on top of those jobs, I worked as a freelance housekeeper whenever I could. Washing clothes, cooking, cleaning people's homes—anything, as long as it paid. I deliberately kept myself busy. The more exhausted my body
CEDRIC I stared silently at my phone screen. My last call to Elena had just been rejected. She hadn’t simply failed to answer. It hadn’t rung for a long time, either. My call had been declined immediately.I let out a short breath and opened our chat. The messages I’d sent earlier were still there. Every single one had only one checkmark. None had turned into two. They hadn’t even been read.The same thing had been happening for the past few days. I scrolled back through our conversation to make sure. Sure enough, not a single message had been delivered. My heart began to pound faster. I tried calling her again. The result was the same—the call ended immediately.I set my phone down on my desk and leaned back in my chair. My eyes fell shut for a moment.Did she block me?The thought surfaced out of nowhere, and it was difficult to ignore. Elena had started keeping her distance after Edward’s threats, but she had never completely cut me off like this. Usually, even if her replies were
ELENAAfter the funeral, the world felt much quieter.I stood on the porch of my parents’ now-empty house. The afternoon breeze drifted softly through the air, carrying the scent of wet earth after the rain. In my hand, the house sale documents I had just signed still felt cold. Tomorrow, the keys would be handed over. Tomorrow, this house would officially no longer belong to me.I had deliberately kept Mother’s death private, telling no one outside the small circle of people who already knew. There had been no obituary. No invitations. No formal announcement. Even Maria had only informed a few distant relatives who truly needed to know, with strict instructions not to spread the news.I didn’t want the Ashford family to come, because I didn’t want to see Edward’s face or hear Cedric’s fake voice of sympathy. I didn’t want them touching Mother’s grave or trying to “help” in their usual calculating way. Lilian had suffered enough because of them. I wouldn’t let the Ashford shadow stain
-ELENA- I stood in the courtyard of the Ashford mansion, my fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of my large suitcase. Tears streamed endlessly down my face. No matter how heavy my heart felt, I had no choice but to walk away from Edward Ashford’s residence without looking back. The overcast sky had once again swallowed the heavens, mirroring the emptiness inside me. Dragging my suitcase behind me, I stopped at the mansion gates and wiped away the tears pouring down my cheeks. Less than a minute later, a taxi passed by. I quickly raised my hand. I climbed into the taxi still crying, my shoulders trembling violently. The driver immediately got out and placed my suitcase in the trunk. “Where to, miss?” he asked in a flat voice after getting back behind the wheel. I wiped at my still-flowing tears, but my voice caught in my throat. “Th-The… house where my mother lives. The address is in Riley Hills Residence.” The driver nodded once. “All right.” I gave a weak nod and turne
ELENAThe next morning, the Ashford mansion felt far livelier than usual.Several maids moved back and forth through the dining room, placing dishes one after another onto the long table. The rich aroma of food filled the air, yet somehow it only made my stomach turn again.I took a slow breath bef
ELENAI wasn’t sure if I had truly woken up or if part of me was still trapped in the night I desperately wanted to forget.All I knew was that my body felt unfamiliar the moment I opened my eyes. When I turned my head, Cedric was sleeping soundly beside me. For a few seconds, I could only stare at
ELENAIt was already six in the evening when I finally returned from the hospital.The moment I stepped into the bedroom, the first thing I saw was that dress. I picked it up slowly. The fabric was thin and light, revealing far more skin than I was ever comfortable showing.Edward hadn’t only given
ELENAI didn’t sleep at all that night.After leaving Edward’s study, I sat motionless at the edge of the bed. It was already two in the morning, yet his words still echoed relentlessly inside my head.Divorce me… or sleep with another man to give me an heir.I squeezed my eyes shut.The cruel part







