Chapter 3

Leo looked at Jolene in shock. His hands trembled as he tried to snatch the prenatal report from her to see it for himself.

However, Jolene took a half step back, folded it neatly, and slipped it into her bag. She closed her eyes and shook her head at him.

“Leo, don’t. You can’t afford to lose focus. You still have something important to deal with.

“Trust me. I’ll talk to Anna.”

Leo slowly withdrew his hand, clenching his fist at his side. When he looked back at me, there was pain he was trying hard to suppress.

“Anna, is our baby okay?”

Our eyes met. My lips trembled slightly.

That was the first time I saw his vulnerability, his sadness.

It was all because of me, only for me.

For a split second, I almost wanted to throw myself into his arms, to hold his face in my hands and tell him the truth.

The next second, Leo’s words were like a bucket of ice water pouring over me.

“Anna, you used to be so obedient. Why have you become so rebellious lately? Is it because of your new friend?”

Leo glanced at Susan and slowly stepped closer to me.

“Jolene, are you there? The scan results are out. Let your husband come in first. The doctor has something to tell him…”

The door to the next room opened, and the doctor’s voice echoed down the hallway.

I let out a self-mocking laugh and even clapped for them. Leo frowned and quickly tried to explain.

“Anna, listen to me. Jolene and I…”

“No, Leo! You can’t! You promised me…”

Jolene suddenly screamed. Her voice was hoarse and broken, gripping his arm tightly as she pleaded with him.

Leo seemed conflicted, but when he faced me again, his expression turned cold and controlled.

“Anna, go home first. I’ll explain everything when I’m done with this.

“Don’t overthink things. There’s nothing between me and Jolene. I have my reasons…”

“Overthink? Reasons?”

My anger surged up my throat. I looked at Jolene beside him and gave a bitter smile.

“Leo, just go ahead and be Jolene’s husband then. Don’t keep making the doctor wait.”

Jolene snatched the medication from Dr. Susan’s hand and shoved it into my arms, blocking my view with her body.

“Anna, the car is downstairs. Go home first.”

She pushed hard against my back, then lowered her voice so only I could hear.

“Anna, you need to disappear. Stay away from Leo. He’s mine!”

I shoved her hand away and steadied myself in front of her.

“Then keep your man in check. Stop letting him show up in my face all the time!”

Leo merely shot me a cold glance before walking into the next room to see the doctor.

He went in the name of Jolene’s husband.

Outside the hospital, Leo’s men forcibly shoved me into his bulletproof car.

Back at the villa, the maids kept their heads down, cleaning in silence, all deliberately avoiding me.

As I reached for the master bedroom door, a maid rushed over and blocked me.

She grabbed the handle tightly, refusing to let go.

"Madre, the boss said you need to stay in the guest room for the next two days. There are other arrangements for the master bedroom," the servant informed me.

I heard noises coming from inside the master bedroom. Without causing any trouble, I turned around and headed downstairs.

During my recent absence, Leo never reached out to me. I figured he was giving me space, so he must have been using the guest room for himself.

I did not expect he had not considered me at all.

He did not even bother to inform me, and he had already let Jolene take over my bedroom.

I was the only one who kept giving him chance after chance in my heart.

I was the only one who still cared about the missing things in this house.

Suddenly, chaos erupted outside the villa, followed by gunshots.

The maids screamed and fled through the back door. The front door was kicked open, and several men in black entered.

I turned to escape through the back, but Jolene appeared from upstairs and blocked my way.

She stood on the stairs like a victor, looking down at me.

“I changed my mind, Anna. I need to see you disappear with my own eyes.”

The men in black slowly advanced upstairs. Jolene suddenly grabbed her head and screamed, pointing behind me.

“Leo?! Why are you back?! Don’t come closer. It’s dangerous!”

The moment I turned to look, she shoved me hard from behind. At the same time, she lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs with me.

My back slammed into the doorframe. My vision darkened, and a thin stream of blood slowly spread beneath me.

After a few gunshots, everything went silent.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Anna, Anna she…”

“You’re already hurt! Stop worrying about her!”

Leo’s voice was hoarse as he comforted Jolene, completely ignoring me as I lay nearby, barely conscious.

He picked her up and stumbled toward the car in the yard.

My vision went black as a hood was pulled over my head.

Just as I reached for the hidden pistol in my boot, the person behind me gently squeezed my shoulder three times.

I calmed myself and allowed them to lift me up, throw me into the back seat, and speed away.

“You’re free now, Anna.”

The hood was removed, and light flooded my vision again.

The driver swerved sharply to avoid Leo's bulletproof car speeding towards us.

As both vehicles drove side by side, I clearly saw Leo in the back seat. His face was tense and furious, and Jolene was lying in his arms with her eyes closed.

He leaned down toward her face.

I turned away, feeling cold, and did not look back. I took off the fake abdomen padding and the empty blood bag, wiping off the fake blood.

Then I tossed them out the window, along with all the pain from before.

Thirty minutes later, the screen in front of my airplane seat began showing my obituary.

As the city outside shrank in the distance, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

From now on, nobody would disturb the peaceful life I planned with my child.

In this life, I vowed never to shed another tear for love.