LOGIN"Sign the papers, Serenity. I don't love you." Those were the last words Jackson said to me before he threw me out of his villa. He chose his first love over his pregnant wife. I left with a broken heart, hiding the secret of the twins growing in my belly. Five years later, I returned as a top jewelry designer. But why is my ex-husband blocking my way, looking at my children with red eyes? "Serenity, are they mine?" I smiled coldly. "No, Mr. Billionaire. They call another man Daddy now."
View MoreThe air in the living room was suffocating. It was our third wedding anniversary, but there were no candles, no flowers, and no celebration.
Instead, there was only a stack of cold, hard documents on the coffee table.
"Sign them," Jackson said. His voice was devoid of any warmth, as if he were talking to a stranger rather than the woman he had shared a bed with for three years.
I stood there, my hand instinctively protecting my flat stomach. inside my bag, a pregnancy test report was still warm. I had just come back from the hospital. Two heartbeats. Twins.
I had planned to surprise him tonight. I thought this news would finally melt the ice in his heart.
"Jackson, what is this?" I asked, though I could clearly see the bold words at the top: DIVORCE AGREEMENT.
Jackson stood by the window, his tall, imposing figure blocking the sunlight. He turned around, his handsome face expressionless. "It's exactly what you see, Serenity. I want a divorce."
My heart shattered. "Why? Did I do something wrong? I've tried so hard to be a good wife..."
"You did nothing wrong," Jackson interrupted, checking his expensive watch impatiently. "But you know ours was a business marriage. My grandfather forced me to marry you. Now that he has passed away, there is no reason for us to continue."
He paused for a second, then delivered the final blow.
"Besides... she is back."
My blood froze. She.
I didn't need to ask who "she" was. Chloe. The love of his life. The woman who went abroad to pursue her modeling career five years ago, leaving Jackson heartbroken.
"She called me yesterday," Jackson said, a rare tenderness flashing in his eyes—a look he had never given me. "She needs me. I promised her that when she returned, I would be a free man."
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. "So, three years of marriage meant nothing to you? I was just... a placeholder?"
"I will compensate you," Jackson said coldly, pushing a check across the table. "Ten million dollars. plus this villa. It’s enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Just sign the papers, Serenity. Don't make this ugly."
Ten million.
I looked at the check, then at the man I had loved secretly for ten years. I realized how foolish I was. I thought I could warm his heart with time. But his heart didn't belong to me at all.
I took a deep breath, fighting back the urge to scream. I thought about the babies in my belly.
Should I tell him?
"Jackson, I have something to tell you," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I went to the hospital today..."
"I don't care," Jackson cut me off sharply. He looked annoyed. "Serenity, unless you are dying, I don't want to hear it. Chloe is waiting for me at the airport. I need to go. Now."
He didn't care.
He was rushing to pick up another woman, not caring that he was killing his wife and his unborn children.
If I told him now, what would happen? He would probably think I was using the babies to trap him. Or worse, he might demand I get rid of them to make room for Chloe.
No. I won't let him hurt my babies.
A sudden surge of strength filled me. I wiped my tears and looked at him. The love in my eyes died, replaced by a cold resolve.
"Fine," I said. My voice was surprisingly steady. "I agree."
Jackson looked slightly surprised by my sudden change, but he nodded. "Good."
I picked up the pen. My hand shook as I signed my name: Serenity Lewis.
Then, I picked up the check he gave me.
Rip.
I tore the ten-million-dollar check into pieces in front of his shocked eyes.
"I don't want your money, Jackson," I said, throwing the confetti-like paper at his chest. "And I don't want this villa. It smells like you."
"Serenity, don't be childish," Jackson frowned, his jaw tightening.
"I'm not being childish. I'm setting myself free." I grabbed my bag—the one with the pregnancy report inside—and turned to the door. "From this moment on, we are strangers. Don't worry, I will disappear from your life completely."
I opened the door. Thunder rumbled outside. Heavy rain was pouring down, just like the storm inside my heart.
"Wait," Jackson called out behind me. For a second, I hoped he would stop me.
"You forgot your coat. It's raining."
I let out a bitter laugh. That was it. That was all the kindness he had left.
"Keep it," I said without looking back. "I don't need it anymore."
I stepped into the rain. The cold water soaked me instantly, mixing with the hot tears on my face. I placed a hand over my stomach, whispering to the tiny lives inside.
Baby, don't be afraid. Daddy doesn't want us, but Mommy loves you. Mommy will protect you.
I walked away from the villa, away from Jackson, away from the pain.
Goodbye, Jackson. When we meet again, I will be someone you can no longer afford to hurt.
The Sterling Manor was supposed to be a place of unbreakable rules and impenetrable security. But today, its defenses were being severely tested by a four-year-old in a Batman onesie.Julian Sterling, son of Alex and Cassandra, stood at the entrance of the Grand Pantry. His arms were crossed over his tiny chest, his eyebrows knitted in intense concentration behind his plastic blue glasses."Objective," Julian whispered to himself. "The high-fructose strawberry gummy bear jar. Altitude: twelve feet. Defensive measures: Level-four laser grid, pressure sensors, and Grandma Margaret’s constant vigilance."He pulled a customized smart-tablet out of his diaper bag. He began to type rapidly."Alex locked it," a voice said from the kitchen counter.Julian jumped, spinning around.Nova, his seventeen-year-old aunt, was sitting cross-legged on the marble island, eating an apple. Her violet eyes were amused. She wore a casual oversized hoodie and no shoes. Since the war ended, she was learning h
(Bonus Story 1)The Mediterranean Sea was a perfect, crystal-clear sapphire under the midday sun.Floating gracefully on the calm water was the Sovereign Serenity, Jackson’s four-hundred-foot mega-yacht. It was a masterpiece of naval engineering, featuring everything from a cinema to an indoor botanical garden.But currently, the most powerful man in the world was standing on the aft deck, arguing with a seagull."This is private property," Jackson Sterling warned the bird, which was aggressively eyeballing his plate of fresh caviar and toast. "I bought the airspace above this ship. Technically, you are trespassing."The seagull squawked defiantly and hopped closer to the plate."Don't test me. I will buy your entire island and pave it," Jackson narrowed his dark eyes.A soft, melodic laugh broke the standoff.Serenity emerged from the master suite, wearing a flowing, semi-sheer white cover-up over her swimsuit. She carried two glasses of iced champagne. The sea breeze played with her
Pier 88, Manhattan. A Glorious Summer Morning.The harbor was alive with sunlight reflecting off the deep blue waves. A massive, towering vessel was slowly navigating its way to the docks.It was the Sovereign Serenity, returning to New York after ten glorious, incident-free years of sailing across the world.A massive crowd waited on the pier, but there were no press passes allowed today. It was a private gathering of a very large, very powerful family.The boarding ramp lowered to the ground with a heavy metallic clank.Jackson Sterling, stepping onto American soil for the first time in a decade, looked incredibly sharp. His hair was entirely silver now, lending him an aura of ultimate, undisputed authority. He offered his hand.Serenity stepped down next to him. She was glowing, wearing a white summer dress, her timeless beauty undisturbed by the years."Grandpa!"A loud, excited shout rang through the crowd.Julian (13) ran up the ramp. The young genius had ditched the preppy suit
Ten Years Later.Deep in the Andes Mountains, Peru.The air inside the ancient, unmapped temple was thick with dust and secrets that hadn't seen the light of day for three thousand years."Watch your step," Ash said, shining a high-powered, shoulder-mounted halogen flashlight into the gloom. He was twenty-eight now, rugged, broad-shouldered, and wearing a leather exploration jacket equipped with dozens of hidden tech-pouches."I can see fine in the dark, Ash," Nova replied.At twenty-five, Nova Sterling was a breathtaking force of nature. She wore practical cargo pants and a tank top. She didn't need a flashlight. Her eyes glowed with a faint, controlled violet light that illuminated the stone corridor.They reached a massive circular stone door blocking the main burial chamber. It weighed at least twenty tons.Ash pulled out a portable laser cutter. "Give me about two hours to slice through the locking mechanism. I can probably bypass the counterweights if I—""Ash, put the laser awa
The Hive. Tokyo Underground.It wasn't just a room. It was an infinite corridor of humming black towers—servers stacked twenty feet high, cooling fans roaring like a jet engine. The air was hot and dry."It's here," Kian stopped at a heavy blast door marked Sector Omega. "I can feel her signal. It’
The Sterling Penthouse. 7:00 PM.The dining table was set with impeccable precision. Silverware gleaming, crystal glasses polished.Jackson stood at the head of the table. He was casually sharpening a steak knife.Shhhk. Shhhk. Shhhk."Jackson," Serenity sighed, adjusting the flowers. "Please stop
The School Gymnasium. 4:00 PM.Most students had gone home, but the heavy sound of a punching bag being hit echoed through the empty hall.THUD. THUD. THUD.Kian was alone. He had taken off his school shirt, wearing a black tank top that was drenched in sweat. His muscles were lean but scarred—tatt
The Sterling Private Airfield. New York. Dawn.The stealth jet touched down, its tires screeching on the wet runway. The sun was just rising, painting the sky in soft shades of orange.Waiting on the tarmac stood Jackson, Serenity, Margaret, and even Liam.As soon as the ramp lowered, Serenity ran


















Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.