Chapter 4

That evening, Dominic Costa brought Ava Morgan back to the estate and personally prepared a full table of dishes favored by humans.

Throughout the meal, he kept serving her food and refilling her soup, clearly familiar with her preferences.

In front of me, there was only a single glass of blood beverage.

“Ava, this soup is light—it suits your taste perfectly.”

“And this fish—you like it. Eat more. You need the nourishment.”

Watching their intimacy, tears welled up in my eyes.

I lowered my head and ate in silence.

I couldn’t show any extreme reaction.

I couldn’t let Dominic Costa notice that something had changed.

If he sensed my intention to leave, he would never allow it.

Besides, I was carrying his children—

that was something he absolutely could not know.

“Dominic, you’re taking such good care of me,” Ava Morgan said deliberately, glancing at me.

“Won’t Miss Sterling be upset?”

Dominic Costa froze for a moment before quickly explaining.

“She won’t be angry, Ava. You’re pregnant—you need proper nutrition.”

“Vivienne is a woman too. She’ll understand.”

I lowered my head, saying nothing, my expression carefully blank.

After dinner, I walked alone through the garden.

As I reached the pavilion, I saw Ava Morgan approaching.

“Miss Sterling, taking a walk alone?” she asked, sitting across from me with a faintly provocative smile.

“Not in a good mood?”

“You’re really good at enduring things,” she continued mockingly.

“You’d rather help raise another woman’s child than leave?”

I glanced at her, said nothing, and stood up to go.

“Stop right there!”

Ava Morgan suddenly reached out to block me, anger flashing across her face.

Clearly, my silence only enraged her further.

She wanted to see rage on my face—anger, hysteria—but there was none.

She had thought the child in her womb would provoke me—but it didn’t.

“Vivienne Sterling, you’re pretending, aren’t you?” she snapped.

“Pretending you don’t care. Pretending it doesn’t matter.”

“What kind of woman would willingly raise a child her partner had with another woman?”

“Why aren’t you angry? Why don’t you argue with Dominic Costa? Why are you acting so magnanimous?”

“How fake!”

“Are you trying to make Dominic feel guilty by acting generous—so he’ll compensate you?”

“That’s compensation, not love! Clinging to a loveless bond—you’re pathetic!”

I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to let myself cry.

“Oh, right,” she added suddenly, her tone turning strange.

“The child in my womb isn’t even Dominic Costa’s.”

“But Dominic is desperate for a child,” she smirked.

“I told him a lie—and he believed it.”

“Aren’t you afraid the truth will come out during bloodline testing after the child is born?”

“Not at all,” she said, her smile darkening.

“Because…”

She suddenly stood up and shoved me hard.

“This child will never be born.”

She then deliberately collapsed onto the ground, groaning in pain.

“My stomach… it hurts so much…”

She clutched her abdomen as blood slowly stained her clothing.

I was terrified.

I hadn’t touched her—how was she bleeding?

Dominic Costa rushed over at the sound, his face draining of color when he saw the scene.

“Ava!”

He hurried to pull her into his arms, then turned and glared at me.

“Vivienne Sterling—what did you do to Ava?”

“I didn’t…” I shook my head, but Ava Morgan cut me off.

Clinging to him, she cried out,

“Dominic, I’m fine—please don’t blame Miss Sterling.”

“I know she doesn’t like me… and she doesn’t like my child…”

Hearing this, Dominic Costa grew even angrier.

He shoved me aside and lifted Ava Morgan into his arms, leaving in a rush.

“Vivienne Sterling, you’ve gone too far!”

“If anything happens to Ava, I will never forgive you!”

I collapsed onto the ground, watching their figures disappear, my heart turning ice-cold.

Dominic Costa never came back that night.

The vast villa was left with only me inside.

I lay awake in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

My mind replayed Dominic’s look of distrust over and over—

along with Ava Morgan’s triumphant smile.

Early the next morning, I began packing.

I put all my belongings into suitcases and cleared away everything in the house that had anything to do with me.

Once everything was done, I dragged my suitcase out of the villa.

At the door, I paused and looked back.

This had once been my home with Dominic Costa.

Now, it no longer belonged to me.

Before leaving, I called my lawyer.

“Elder, have all my assets within the Bat Coven been settled?”

“They have, Miss Sterling. The funds have been transferred to your account.”

“The invitations for your Vampire King succession ceremony have been delivered to all Covens.”

“Everything is prepared.”

I nodded, a sense of calm washing over me.

“Good. Thank you.”

“I’m leaving now.”

After hanging up, I saw the top headlines on the vampire media network—

all featuring Dominic Costa accompanying Ava Morgan at the obstetrics wing.

“The Vampire Lord of the Bat Coven and his human companion are expecting a child. Let us await whether the Costa bloodline will ascend…”

Yes.

I had been with Dominic Costa for years—yet never once acknowledged publicly.

No recognized status.

Perhaps that alone had explained everything long ago.

The memories of our love tore painfully against the betrayal before me.

Tears fell uncontrollably.

I placed a hand over my abdomen.

At least, I still had my children.

Taking a deep breath, I deleted all of Dominic Costa’s contact information—

and turned to board the aircraft.