Chapter 1

Seraphina’s POV

After bleeding for six hours in the emergency room because of the abortion my husband forced me to have, the first thing I saw when I woke up was his engagement announcement.

The woman in Silas Wolfe’s arms was Evelyn Hart, his first love. The woman who abandoned him ten years ago and suddenly returned six months ago.

My fingers tightened around the thin hospital blanket instantly as another sharp pain spread through my lower abdomen.

On the television hanging across the hospital room, reporters surrounded Silas and Evelyn excitedly while cameras flashed endlessly around them.

“Mr. Wolfe! Are the pregnancy rumors true?”

Evelyn lowered her head shyly and touched her stomach.

Silas immediately wrapped an arm around her waist protectively.

That tiny movement pierced through my chest harder than the abortion pain.

The baby I had just killed for Silas suddenly felt like the cruelest joke in the world.

Because just yesterday, Silas sat beside my hospital bed holding my face gently while promising me.

“Be good, Seraphina. Once the abortion is done, I’ll speak to Grandpa personally so we won’t need to hide our marriage anymore.”

Back then, I believed him like an idiot.

I still remembered how badly my hands shook while signing the abortion consent papers.

Silas sat beside me the entire time handling business documents calmly while I silently cried.

Whenever I hesitated, he would pull me into his arms and kiss my forehead softly.

“Don’t overthink things. This is only temporary. I’m doing this for our future.”

Our future? Meanwhile, less than twenty-four hours later, he was publicly announcing another woman as his fiancée.

A reporter suddenly laughed awkwardly.

“Mr. Wolfe, there were rumors for years that Miss Seraphina was your girlfriend. Does Miss Hart mind?”

The banquet hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone in Northbridge knew I had followed Silas for ten years like a dog hopelessly in love with its owner.

No one knew that six years ago, Silas had secretly married me.

No wedding, no rings, no blessings. Just signatures in the courtroom and a marriage certificate hidden from the entire world.

Because Silas said his grandfather would never accept an orphan as the future Mrs. Wolfe.

At that time, I told myself love was enough. I waited for him to publicly acknowledge me year after year like an idiot.

I waited so long that eventually I even forgot I was legally his wife.

I stared at the television quietly and waited for Silas to deny the rumors carefully and instead announce me as his wife.

Instead, he chuckled lightly.

“Seraphina?” His tone sounded amused. “She was only a secretary who stayed beside me longer than others.”

“She misunderstood our relationship and became emotionally dependent.”

My blood turned ice cold.

Secretary. Emotionally dependent. Ten years together, six years of marriage, reduced to two humiliating sentences.

Beside him, Evelyn smiled softly.

“Silas has always been too kind. Some women misunderstand kindness as love very easily.”

“Seraphina is just a poor orphan my family took pity on,” Silas added casually. “Without the Wolfe family, she probably wouldn’t survive outside.”

The crowd burst into laughter instantly.

The hospital door suddenly opened and Silas walked in still wearing the black suit from the engagement banquet.

The scent of Evelyn’s perfume still lingered on him.

My stomach twisted instantly.

His eyes landed on the dark television screen before moving toward me lazily.

“You’re awake,” he said.

I stared at him quietly and said nothing.

Silas loosened his tie impatiently.

“You embarrassed Evelyn tonight,” he said coldly. “The reporters frightened her with those questions about you.”

My chest tightened as I almost laughed from disbelief. I had just aborted his child yet the woman he was worried about was Evelyn.

Silas walked closer and placed a velvet box on the bedside table.

Inside sat a diamond necklace. Probably another piece of jewelry thrown at me to stop me from causing trouble.

His usual method whenever he wanted something from me.

“Take a break for the next few days,” he said casually. “Don’t appear publicly for now.”

I finally spoke for the first time. “So everyone can focus on your engagement?”

Silas frowned slightly like he disliked my tone.

“It’s temporary. Evelyn’s aunt is dying. Her last wish is to see Evelyn married before she passes.”

He sounded almost irritated that I wasn’t understanding enough.

“You know I can’t refuse her.”

Three years ago, when the only woman who took care of me and acted like my mother in the orphanage was dying from liver cancer, she held my hand weakly inside the hospital room and smiled painfully.

“I want to see your husband once before I die. You love him so much… how can I leave without blessing your marriage first?”

So I called Silas again and again. I begged him, cried, and pleaded with him to come even for ten minutes.

But every single time, he rejected me coldly.

“I’m busy.”

“There’s a board meeting.”

“I’m overseas.”

“If I don’t work, how can I afford to take care of you?”

“Stop being childish.”

In the end, she died while holding my hand without Silas fulfilling her last wish.

Even during her funeral, Silas only sent flowers through his assistant.

Yet now for Evelyn’s aunt’s dying wish, he was willing to publicly announce an engagement.

Then he sighed and sat beside my bed before reaching for my hand gently.

“Seraphina,” he said patiently, “you know you’re different from everyone else. The person I trust most is still you.”

“I only agreed to this engagement because Grandpa’s been pressuring me for years. Once things settle down, I’ll publicly announce you as my wife.”

I stared at him silently.

This man really thought I was stupid enough to believe that.

Maybe I was for ten whole years but not anymore because two weeks ago, I found out I was never an orphan.

I was the missing daughter of the Vale family, the richest family in Northbridge.

And in three days my real family was coming to take me home.