CHAPTER SEVEN_ Claire’s POV

The mansion felt small. Smaller than it ever had.

Even from my bedroom, I could hear the reporters crowding outside the tall gates.

The atmosphere was buzzing, like my home was a spectacle.

Cameras flashed.

Voices carried faintly through the glass.

I could hear them talking about me— my marriage, my body.

Since my medical report got leaked, I had not dared to leave the house.

Every time I reached for the door, my chest tightened with dread, until I couldn’t breathe.

My phone lay face-down on the nightstand. I hadn’t turned it back on since last night.

I hadn’t heard from Lucian either.

I told myself that meant nothing. That he would come home eventually.

And finally, he did.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway woke me.

I froze.

Lucian was home.

I raced out of the bedroom before I could stop myself.

The front door opened and Lucian walked in, controlled and confident as always.

I heaved a silent sigh of relief.

Then I heard another footstep. It was lighter. Slower.

Eva Sterling walked through the threshold like a woman returning home after a vacation.

The scent of her perfume filled the living room and the relief died in my chest instantly.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs as they entered the hall.

Lucian didn’t look up at me at first. Eva did.

She wore a soft cream dress that clung loosely to her body. She looked radiant. Confident.

And behind her, were two large suitcases.

She smiled when she saw me.

Lucian finally glanced up, but his expression didn’t change when his eyes met mine.

“Claire,” he said. “We need to talk.”

I didn’t move. I couldn’t bring myself to. I couldn’t even speak.

Since the words wouldn’t come out, I let the silence speak for me.

“This is temporary,” Lucian continued. “It’s necessary.”

Necessary.

He said it like that single word explained everything.

How was bringing another woman into our home necessary?

I stared at Lucian, completely dumbfounded.

That’s when Eva stepped forward, her hand resting lightly over her stomach.

I looked down at her flat stomach, which she cradled possessively.

That’s when it hit me.

“For the baby,” Lucian added. “And for the company.”

In that second, the world tilted.

My breath hitched in my throat. I felt my chest tighten, like the air was being knocked out of my lungs.

Eva stepped closer to Lucian, her shoulder brushing against his arm. It was almost romantic.

“I didn’t want to impose,” she said softly, though her eyes glistened with cruelty. “But Lucian insisted. I’m two weeks along and he wants me somewhere safe.”

That’s when I turned to Lucian with a sharp glare. “Safe?” I asked through gritted teeth.

Lucian frowned. “This isn’t the time.”

“When will it be?” I retorted immediately.

Lucian didn’t answer. Instead, he turned toward the hallway.

“Camilla.” He called.

She appeared almost immediately, hands clasped tightly in front of her apron. Her eyes flicked to mine, apologetically, then to Eva.

“Make sure Eva is comfortable and well taken care of.” Lucian instructed. “She shouldn’t be stressed.”

Camilla nodded slowly.

She didn’t look at me again.

It felt like something in my chest had cracked, but I held myself upright. I wouldn’t let them see me break.

Eva smiled at Camilla. “Thank you. I know this is very sudden.”

Then she turned to face me, smiling at me pitifully.

“I hope you don’t mind. This isn’t really about you anymore.”

Lucian had already started walking toward his study.

He didn’t spare me as much as a glance.

No pause.

No acknowledgment that I was still standing there.

Eva looked around the house, like she was already familiar with the space.

“Still the same,” she murmured. “Very quiet. I plan to change that.”

She looked down the hallway.

“The east wing will be perfect for the baby. It’s quieter.” She added. “That means we’ll need to move some of your things. Babies are sensitive to cluster.”

She spoke so casually_ like she was stating the weather.

She glanced toward the staircase, then looked back at me.

“I’ll let the staff know what needs to be moved.”

Then almost like an afterthought, she added. “Don’t worry, you’ll always be remembered. Just not needed.”

With that, she turned and walked away, heels echoing through the mansion.

Camilla followed her, instructing the staff to bring the suitcases along.

Lucian hadn’t brought Eva home to protect a child.

He had brought her home to replace me.

And just like that, I wasn’t the woman of the house anymore.

She was.