When Love Descends Into Darkness

Just then, the doorbell rang. A deliveryman stood at the door with his arms full of packages for Yvette. She barely spared me a glance as she rushed forward to tear open one box after another."Caleb picked out everything himself because he's worried about me being uncomfortable during pregnancy. I swear he'd bring home the whole mall if he could. This must be a freebie. My baby won't need it—why don't you take it?"Caleb frowned. "Yvette," he warned.But instead of looking chastised, she only pouted and wrapped herself around his arm."Caleb, you know how important a pregnant woman's emotions are. If you keep scolding me like this, the baby might get scared."It was a blatant act, but Caleb fell for it. The irritation on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a flicker of concern as he reached out to touch her stomach.As if the barely formed fetus inside her could even feel fear!I said nothing and walked back slowly to my room.And at that moment, the child I had longed

Caleb must have given Yvette instructions because she no longer taunted me, although she lived in this house. She just acted like I didn't exist.Every day, I racked my brain, searching for a way to reach the outside world. Eventually, I thought of Yvette.But to my surprise, she refused me outright."Natalie, I have to listen to Caleb. You don't understand what we have. As long as it's what he wants, I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen."It seemed like she wasn't trying to provoke me—her eyes told me that much. That unwavering determination wasn't something that could be faked.Maybe I had been wrong about them. The bond between Caleb and Yvette was unbreakable and built on a trust so deep that nothing could shake it. It was deep that Caleb would rather sacrifice his own wife and child than betray her.Every night when he got home, he went straight to Yvette's room. He would sit by her bedside, carefully feed her warm milk, and stay until she fell asleep.By the time

I didn't look back at their faces. Without hesitation, I turned and walked into the operating room. I couldn't wait for the day they finally discovered the truth.Lying on the cold surgical table, I felt a life slipping away from me. This baby was never meant to be, but still, I couldn't stop the sobs from breaking free.When I woke up, two blurry figures stood by my side."Nat, I'm so sorry I was late. You must be in pain," Mom said.Mom's hand trembled as she stroked my hair gently. I gave her a faint smile, and tears streamed down her face in an instant.Dad's eyes turned crimson, and his anger was barely contained. "Nat, I swear—I won't let a single one of those people who hurt you go unpunished. Don't worry. As long as we're here, no one will ever hurt you again. We'll always be by your side!"At that moment, I finally felt what it meant to have a family. I was no longer an orphan. I had my parents with me, and they would never abandon me.When I had been young, I had often

Three months passed, and Yvette gave birth to a baby boy.Caleb was over the moon. He doted on Yvette even more and granted her every wish. But with her still recovering and the baby still too young to travel, there was no way he could leave.And every time he so much as mentioned worrying about me, Yvette's eyes would brim with tears, forcing him to push everything else aside and stay with her.It wasn't until he heard from the nanny that I had also given birth—to a son—that he finally let out a breath of relief."Caleb, will you love Natalie's child more than mine?" Yvette asked.The question caught Caleb off guard. After all, wouldn't any father love his own child? Although he had already decided to raise Yvette's son as his own, there was still a difference.At the sight of his hesitation, Yvette's face crumpled. The moment she started crying, the baby followed. Their tears made Caleb flustered."I won't. I love both of them. Yvie, don't worry. I promised you before, and tha

I never truly understood the power Mom and Dad held until they brought me home. Even if the Lawson family multiplied tenfold, they still wouldn't have come close.The estate before me looked like an actual castle, complete with multiple grand gates just to get inside.By some twist of fate, Dad's last name was also Sinclair, so I didn't even have to change mine.The Sinclair family was centuries old, with its influence stretching globally. But for all its wealth and power, it was a bloodline that ran surprisingly thin.Among Dad's generation, none of his brothers had children—only he did. And that child was me, making me the sole heir to an empire.From the moment I had gone missing, Mom and Dad had never stopped searching for me. Now that I was finally back, they—and the entire family—pinned all their hopes on me.After I had a brief reunion with my loved ones, Dad immediately began grooming me as his successor, determined to make up for the 20-something years of my life we'd mi