Chapter 3

Calvin ended the call in the next second. He stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows in the house at Ravenport, a faint trace of displeasure crossing his impossibly handsome face. He glanced at his brand-new phone, ultimately deciding against calling the number at the top of the screen.

Back at the chapel, his phone and SIM card had both been smashed. He'd originally wanted to tell Elise about it. She was his wife, after all. But it seemed that the preferential treatment she'd enjoyed these past few years had given her a bit of a temper, so he wanted to teach her a lesson.

Elise was oblivious to this. After a full night's rest, she went to Fulton Group and handed in her resignation.

Things went smoothly. When Calvin had first put her on the books, it had only been in a small, nominal position. No one in the company actually knew who she really was. So as long as she finished handing over her work, she could leave.

When her coworkers found out she was quitting, they couldn't help sighing. "It's for your kids, right? They're what, four or five now? That's the age when they can't be left alone and cling to you like crazy, and you treat them like treasures. You always had their photos on your desk, and you even have pictures of them on your necklace."

Elise stiffened. She loved Calvin deeply, and naturally, she loved their children as well. Even miles apart, she'd always paid great attention to Rowan and Regina. But…

She shook her head and smiled lightly. "It has nothing to do with them."

She meant it. Fulton Group was a huge corporation with international ties, but it was in construction and real estate, which were fields that didn't suit her at all.

In the past, as Calvin's wife and because of the Fulton family's status, she'd never really considered building a career of her own. But now that she'd decided to divorce him, she needed to choose her own path.

Her gaze dropped to her phone, where a notification about a heritage crafts festival named Bloom & Blossom flashed across the screen.

Crafts like perfumery, lace-making, and curating modern reinterpretations of traditional culture were part of the festival. Out of nowhere, her interest was piqued.

A moment later, she sent a text to her cousin, Liam Stanton. "Can you help me get a ticket to this event?"

He replied almost instantly. "Of course. But haven't you always been super busy? You're always running around taking care of the Fultons and your kids. Do you even have time to come?"

"I do."

Elise thought for a beat before adding calmly, "I'm getting a divorce."

Liam froze on the other end of the line. Then, he sucked in a sharp breath. "Are you really going through with it? We're talking about the Fultons here."

This was the kind of family that could build a private outdoor playground for their grandchildren in the most expensive part of the city. And that wasn't even half of it.

Elise had lost both her parents. If it hadn't been for the favor her grandfather, Arthur Stanton, once did for the Fulton family, there was no way they could've forced Calvin to marry a college professor's daughter. It didn't matter that Arthur was a master of classic arts.

"I wasn't happy in the marriage, so I've decided to leave." Elise smiled.

Liam couldn't tell if he felt more regret or admiration. In the end, he just sighed. "But can you bear to leave Regina and Rowan behind?"

Elise glanced at her phone. She'd given the twins a phone when they'd returned to Ravenport, worried that they would miss her so much they would cry. But in the past year, unless she called them first, they'd never once called her on their own.

They came from a family with power and influence beyond imagination, and they already recognized another woman as their mother. So why should she cling so desperately to the idea of blood ties?

…

Meanwhile, at Serenity Estate in Ravenport, a nutritionist gently reminded Rowan and Regina, "The two of you remember what your mommy told you, right? No picky eating. Your health isn't great, so you need a certain amount of fat to grow up strong. You can't have too many sweet things."

Rowan hesitated at the mention of Elise. Regina, however, didn't care at all. "It's already past the time that Mommy usually calls us, so there's no way she'll find out about this. Besides, Sabrina said that we're just kids and should focus on having fun and being happy. Right now, what makes me happiest is eating all these cupcakes."

Right after she said that, a melodic laugh drifted down from upstairs. Sabrina came over to the twins and gently tapped Regina on the forehead. "You're such a little imp. But yes—you two can eat whatever you like."

"Yay! You're the best, Sabrina! I wish you could live with us forever!" Regina's innocent cheer made Sabrina's lips curve into a pleased smile.

The nutritionist frowned slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but when her gaze landed on Sabrina, she swallowed the words back down.

She'd originally assumed Elise was the lady of the house, but Sabrina came and went freely at Serenity Estate. Regina and Rowan were also especially close to her. If she offended Sabrina, Calvin would probably be very displeased…

Rowan, on the other hand, looked a bit torn. The last time he'd ignored what Elise had told him, he'd ended up seriously ill.

Sabrina treated him well, and he really did like her. However, Elise had warned that if he kept eating like this, he would get very sick again, and Calvin would be worried, too. He couldn't make his parents worry over his greed for sweets…

The uneasy feeling in his chest made him extra cautious with every bite he took.

Regina, however, paid the price for her gluttony. Because she'd eaten all kinds of junk food and too many rich, creamy desserts, she ended up with a bad stomachache that night.

She curled up on her bed, trembling from the pain. Her fair, round face, usually bright and lively, now looked pitiful and drawn from diarrhea.

As soon as Calvin heard that she was unwell, he rushed home. She clutched his sleeve and asked tearfully, "Daddy, is it because I was naughty that Mommy punished me and made my tummy hurt?

"She said last time that if I kept sneaking cupcakes, she would turn into a witch and curse me. I didn't mean to… I want Mommy to come back and undo the spell…"

More importantly, every time she was sick, Elise would always make her a bowl of warm, comforting soup.

She sobbed hard, her face a mess of tears and snot.

Standing off to the side, Sabrina bit her lip, looking guilty. "Calvin, this is my fault. I should've watched her more closely. I let her eat too many cupcakes."

Regina's lips quivered. Afraid that Calvin would blame Sabrina, she quickly rushed to defend her. "Daddy, it's not Sabrina's fault. It's because Mommy forgot to call and remind me! She doesn't care about me at all…"

Rowan blinked in confusion. It was a good thing he'd remembered what Elise had told him after he'd gotten sick last time. Even if she could never compete with Sabrina in everything else, at least she always paid close attention to everything about them.

Still, thinking of how kind Sabrina was to him, he couldn't help chiming in, "Daddy, Mommy used to remind Regina and me every single time. Regina's still little—it's normal for her to forget."

"Got it." Calvin's tone turned stern. "From now on, you two have to listen to what the nutritionist says. No overeating, and no more sneaking sweets."

He didn't think Sabrina had caused any of this, of course. Instead, his dissatisfaction with Elise deepened. Before, she'd always warned the twins over and over, never letting the smallest detail slip by. If not for her complete lack of contact this time, Regina would never have gotten sick.

How could she just flounce off back home and stop checking in on the twins' lives just because she was angry?