ANMELDENLeonard’s question lingered in the apartment living room.“You’ve been talking badly about me to Adele by telling her about Arabella?”Sebastian leaned casually against the dining table.His expression remained calm.“I don’t need to talk badly about you,” he said flatly. “You’ve already done that yourself.”Leonard’s jaw tightened instantly.Meanwhile, Adele stood silently, watching him without a word.Leonard turned sharply toward her.“Whatever Sebastian told you… it’s not completely true.”A faint coldness entered Adele’s gaze.“Oh really?”“I was with Arabella.” Leonard rubbed his face roughly. “And I did love her once.”Adele’s chest tightened for a moment hearing that confession leave his mouth so easily.Love.How ridiculous.Because he had never once searched for her when she was nearly dead.“Then you had a strange way of showing love,” Adele replied coldly.“I didn’t leave Arabella without a reason.”Sebastian immediately let out a short, humorless laugh. His gaze sharpened
Leonard’s words lingered in the air for a long moment.Adele stood near the apartment window without answering right away.Meanwhile, Sebastian watched her from the dining table, his jaw tightening slightly.“Adele?” Leonard’s voice lowered. “I’ve done everything.”A coldness slowly entered Adele’s gaze. “And that’s exactly the problem.”Leonard frowned faintly on the other end of the line. “What do you mean?”“You abandoned the woman who just gave birth to your child.” Her tone remained calm. “And now you’re talking as if that proves your love.”The room instantly felt heavier.Because for the first time, Adele no longer sounded ambiguous.Leonard straightened on the penthouse balcony.“I did it for us.”“No.” Adele slowly shook her head. “You did it for yourself.”That sentence made Leonard’s jaw harden immediately.“I destroyed everything to have you.”“I never asked you to do that.”And somehow, that answer made something inside Leonard begin to crack.He had already left Vanessa.
The next morning, news of Vanessa Ashcroft’s death flooded every media outlet in London.“Leonard Ashcroft’s wife and newborn son die during childbirth.”The headline appeared everywhere.Some articles even described how Leonard looked “devastated” after losing both his fiancée and son at the same time.The funeral was said to be held privately at the Ashcroft family’s request due to Leonard’s deteriorating mental state.And as always—The public immediately sympathized.On the television screen in Adele’s apartment, a reporter was reading the news with a solemn expression.“The Ashcroft family has requested complete privacy during this mourning period…”Click.Adele immediately turned off the television.The room suddenly felt much colder.Sebastian stood near the kitchen counter holding a tablet displaying the same news.“They moved fast,” he murmured flatly.Adele’s gaze lingered on the black television screen for several seconds.Then she let out a quiet laugh.Bitter.“I forgot h
The call finally ended.The atmosphere inside the apartment felt heavy again.Adele was still standing near the window, her phone in hand.Meanwhile, Sebastian watched her silently for a few seconds before letting out a short breath.“That man has completely lost his mind.”Adele didn’t answer right away.Her gaze remained fixed on the rain outside the apartment.Because there was something about Leonard’s tone earlier that felt too calm.Too certain.And it only made her bad feeling grow stronger.On the other side of the city—Leonard finally answered Margaret’s call while continuing to drive toward central London.“Grandmother.”Margaret’s cold voice came through immediately.“Where is Vanessa?”Leonard kept his eyes on the road. “Why?”“Because that woman hasn’t been reachable for days.” Margaret’s tone sharpened. “And this should already be the time for her to give birth.”Leonard stayed silent for a few seconds.Then he answered calmly—“Vanessa already gave birth.”The atmosphe
The villa door slammed shut after Leonard left.The sound of his car slowly faded down the rain-soaked road leading away from the isolated countryside estate.And Vanessa was still kneeling on the floor.Ash cried softly in her arms.But Vanessa barely seemed to hear him anymore.Her gaze was empty.Her breathing uneven.Leonard’s words kept replaying inside her head.Slowly, Vanessa lowered her eyes to her baby boy.Tears continued falling uncontrollably down her cheeks.“Ash…” she whispered hoarsely. “Your father abandoned us…”The baby’s cries only grew louder.One of the maids finally stepped forward hesitantly.“Mrs. Vanessa… shall I help carry Young Master—”“Don’t touch my son!”Vanessa’s sharp scream made the maid immediately step back in shock.The massive villa suddenly felt colder.Vanessa hugged Ash tighter, as though afraid someone might take him away from her.And slowly—Her sadness began turning into something else.Anger.Pure hatred.On the drive back to London, Leon
Leonard’s car came to a stop right in front of the large classical-style villa.A light rain still fell over the quiet countryside road.Vanessa slowly studied the building before her while holding Ash, who was still sleeping soundly in her arms.The place was beautiful.Peaceful.Too peaceful.“I like it here,” she murmured softly.Leonard turned off the engine without saying much.His gaze shifted briefly toward the villa.Then to Vanessa.“Go inside first.”Vanessa gave a small smile before slowly opening the car door.Cold air immediately greeted them.Several servants were already standing in front of the villa entrance as though they had been waiting for hours.Vanessa began to feel as if everything had been prepared too carefully.But instead—She simply thought Leonard was trying to become a good father and future husband.Inside the villa—The massive room looked luxurious, yet strangely unfamiliar.No family photographs.No warmth that made it feel like home.Just a beautifu







