Chapter 1

Late at night, Melody Sullivan posted a photo of a newborn.

Her caption read, [Promoted to mom. Firstborn son!]

Less than an hour later, there was a knock at her door.

It was her ex-husband, the man she had divorced six months ago.

The moment she opened it, the look on Caleb Hunt's face made the small two-bedroom apartment feel ice-cold.

Melody tightened her grip on the doorknob. "Why are you here?"

He didn't answer, and his expression stayed flat as he stepped inside. His polished leather shoes against the worn, patterned tiles looked completely out of place.

This wasn't his first time here. He walked straight toward her bedroom.

His assistant, Zane Lewis, followed behind, holding a document. He handed it to her.

"Ms. Sullivan, long time no see. This is a custody agreement drafted overnight by Mr. Hunt's legal team."

Melody took it and flipped it open, and her eyes caught one line immediately.

[The eldest grandson of the Hunt family must be raised by the Hunt family.]

So, Caleb was here for custody.

At least he wasn't completely heartless. The agreement allowed her to keep the kid until he turned three.

If she agreed.

If she didn't, Caleb would take the baby tonight.

A dull ache spread through Melody's chest, slowly reaching every part of her body.

Before she could even process it, Caleb walked out of the bedroom.

"Where's the baby?"

When she married him two years ago, Melody already knew he was a quiet, distant, and cold man.

But he had been honorable. After a one-night mistake, he took responsibility and proposed.

She said yes because she had loved him for six years.

And now, at a moment like this, he barely said a word.

Was there really nothing he wanted to say?

Zane looked at Melody with sympathy. Sensing the tension, he quietly stepped out and closed the door behind him.

The cramped space felt even smaller in the quiet of the night.

Melody suddenly let out a soft laugh, breaking the silence.

"What baby?"

Caleb stood in the middle of the living room, his posture straight. The dim yellow light above him cast a glow that softened the sharp lines of his face.

Melody turned to face him. The light fell fully on her pale features, her clear eyes steady and unreadable.

She looked as if she truly didn't understand what he meant.

Caleb spoke, his voice flat. "If you count the days, you were already pregnant when we divorced. If that's the case, why did you insist on the divorce?"

It sounded like simple curiosity.

After marrying him, Melody realized that Caleb had only married her out of responsibility.

If there was any other reason, it was probably just to have a legal outlet for his physical needs. In two years, she had figured out exactly where she stood in his heart.

Melody grew up in an orphanage, so she lacked love and security.

This marriage had given her none of that, except for the moments at night when he held her in bed, when his eyes were only on her.

So, she was the one who asked for the divorce.

Caleb had only said one thing. "Fine, as long as you don't regret it."

The same afternoon they finalized the divorce, Melody applied for a transfer. She was sent to a branch office in another part of Ashbury City and promoted to general manager.

They hadn't seen each other for six months, and now she had a baby.

Caleb couldn't quite describe what he was feeling.

"Wasn't I just making room for Ms. Carter?" Melody said with a faint smile. "If you really take the baby back, do you think she'll agree to raise it? I heard you two are getting serious. What if she gets upset and leaves you? What then?"

Rumor had it that Wendy Carter was the only woman Caleb had ever loved.

They had grown up together. Later, they broke up for reasons no one really knew, and Wendy went abroad.

For years after that, Caleb stayed single and had no scandals. The media brought up their relationship repeatedly, saying he was waiting for her to come back.

Six months ago, Wendy returned.

That became the final push for Melody, the last thing that made her let go. The very night she heard the news, she asked for a divorce.

"That has nothing to do with you," Caleb said, his tone unchanged. "And it's not something you need to worry about."

He showed no emotion at all.

"You're a smart woman. The child shouldn't grow up in a place like this. Going back to the Hunt family is the right choice."

Melody was smart.

But no matter how smart someone was, logic didn't stand a chance once feelings were involved.

"Even a dog doesn't mind a poor home, and my child won't either," she shot back. "He doesn't look down on me, so why are you doing it for him?"

Her tongue had always been sharp.

Caleb knew that well. She was strong-willed and stubborn once she made up her mind.

Back at work, she had stood her ground against him more than once. For a project evaluation, she even risked getting fired just to argue her case.

The only place she had ever given in to him was in bed.

But this time was different.

No matter how stubborn she was, Caleb wouldn't give in.

"Melody, do you really think you can fight me?"

He didn't play fair. It felt like an invisible hand had wrapped around her throat, cutting off her air supply.

She had no way to argue or to push back.

Melody pursed her lips. "Mr. Hunt, you've got it wrong. That was Yvonne's baby. I just went to the hospital to see her after work, then came home."

Caleb frowned as he stared at her.

His gaze was filled with doubt and scrutiny as he assessed her. She was still wearing a tight, fitted skirt. Her waist was slim, her hips curved.

She didn't look like someone who had been pregnant, and even less like someone who had just given birth.

"You remember Yvonne Sinclair, right? I mention her all the time..."

Melody explained, but Caleb wasn't listening.

He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, placed it between his lips, and lit it. Then he walked to the window and took slow, steady drags.

Within just an hour, he had gone from suddenly becoming a father to not being one again. He needed to calm down.

They hadn't seen each other for six months, and something about Melody felt different now.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it. It wasn't how he remembered her. He studied her through the faint reflection in the window.

She had a bit of a temper. But during their two years of marriage, she had always been gentle with him in private. She was like a house cat, quiet and obedient.

Now, she felt more like a stray cat.

And she actually pulled a stunt like this?

Melody stepped closer and pushed the window open. The freezing winter air rushed in, clearing away some of the cigarette smoke.

"Even though it's a misunderstanding, I'm kind of curious. If there really were a baby, and you had to choose between the baby and Ms. Carter, who would you pick?"

She knew her place.

She had never even been one of Caleb's options.

"There are no what-ifs."

Caleb crushed out his cigarette. Not finding an ashtray after a quick glance around, he held the cigarette butt in his hand and walked out of her apartment.

He wasn't the type to linger in the middle of the night, reminiscing with his ex-wife. If he hadn't seen that post, he probably would never have come to see her again.

Unless it was like a month ago.

They had run into each other by chance at a hotel. He had been drunk, and they ended up sleeping together again.

Afraid of how awkward it would be, Melody got dressed and left before he woke up.

She had planned to bury that night and forget it ever happened.

But instead, it took root inside her.

She really was pregnant. She was six weeks along, and the baby was developing normally.

Outside, snow was falling. Thick, feather-like flakes drifted down, making the man dressed in black stand out even more.

Melody closed the window and leaned her forehead against the cold glass. She watched as he tossed the cigarette into a trash can, then got into the Bugatti parked by the curb and sped off.

That car looked so out of place in this neighborhood.

Just like Caleb, who never should have been part of Melody's life.