I looked at him quietly.
The same face. The same voice. The same man who had carried Lara on his shoulders and called her his little princess. How could he sit here and lie so naturally? How could he look me in the eye after killing our daughter?
I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask him why. Why Lara? Why our little girl? Why me? But the words never came out.
I just stared at him.
My silence seemed to make him uneasy. He reached for my hand and held it between both of his. "Marianne, I know you're hurting. I know this is unbearable." His voice cracked slightly as he lowered his head. "Believe me, if I could've taken Lara's place, I would've done it without hesitation."
The lie was so perfect it almost sounded real.
"The doctors tried everything," he continued quietly. "We tried everything. I would give anything to bring her back."
I nearly laughed.
Tried everything?
No.
He had made sure Lara never had a chance.
Before I could say anything, a sudden burning pain exploded through my lower abdomen. I gasped as it ripped through me like a blade. The pain came so suddenly that my entire body curled up.
"D-darius..." My voice trembled.
The burning sensation grew worse. Hot. Sharp. Unbearable.
I felt wetness beneath me.
Blood.
My heart dropped. The pain became unbearable.
He slammed the emergency button. "Doctor! Get in here right now!" His voice echoed through the room. "She's bleeding. Hurry!"
Footsteps rushed toward the room.
The last thing I saw was Darius gripping my hand tightly as if he couldn't bear to lose me.
Then darkness swallowed me whole.
---
When I opened my eyes again, the room was quiet.
Darius was still there. He sat beside the bed holding a medical report. His shoulders were slumped and his eyes looked red and swollen. Anyone walking into the room would've thought he'd spent the entire day crying.
The moment he saw me awake, he stood up. "Marianne, the doctor just spoke to me. The bleeding was worse than anyone expected. The surgeons did everything they could to save you." He looked down at the report before meeting my eyes again. "But the damage was too severe."
My fingers tightened around the blanket.
Darius swallowed hard. "They couldn't stop all the complications." He reached for my hand and held it carefully. "Marianne, you won't be able to have children anymore."
The room fell silent.
I felt strangely calm. Maybe because he'd already broken me. Maybe because there was nothing left to break.
Darius lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I know how much you loved Lara." His thumb rubbed gently across my knuckles. "I know how much you wanted a family."
"Once you're discharged, maybe we can adopt. We'll find a child who needs a home." His eyes softened. "You've always had such a big heart. Maybe having a little one around will help us heal."
The performance was flawless. I wondered how many times he'd practiced those expressions.
After a long silence, I glanced at the report and nodded. Seeing how cooperative I was, relief flashed across his face. He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly.
"Thank you," he whispered. "So many people would've fallen apart after this. You're stronger than anyone I know."
I nearly laughed. Fallen apart? I already had. He just didn't know it yet.
…
Later that evening, a nurse came in to help clean me up.
Darius refused immediately. "I'll do it. You can leave. I'll take care of my wife."
The nurse looked hesitant. "Mr. Davenport, are you sure?"
"I said I'll do it."
She quietly left. Darius rolled up his sleeves and filled a basin with warm water. Then he carefully wiped away the dried blood from my skin.
His movements were gentle. Patient. Almost tender. The same hands that had signed away Lara's life were now cleaning my body.
The irony was almost unbearable.
By the time he finished, it was already late. The city lights glowed through the hospital windows. Outside, the Davenport Group continued ruling the business world. La Serpienten continued ruling the shadows. And their king sat beside me pretending to be a devoted husband.
"Are you still hurting?" he asked quietly. "Do you need anything? I can call the doctor back."
I shook my head. "You haven't slept at all, have you? You look exhausted."
"I wasn't leaving you. Not now."
I forced a small smile. "I'm okay. Get some sleep."
For a moment, he hesitated, then he kissed my forehead. "If you need anything, wake me up. I'll be right here."
I nodded. A few minutes later, he fell asleep beside the bed. Only then did I reach for his phone, opened it and went to Whatsapp.
And the first thing I saw was a photo of Verona holding Carson, their son. The picture had been taken inside this very hospital. Both of them looked healthy, happy and alive.
My kidney had saved him.
The more I scrolled through their messages, the colder I felt.
Back when I was pregnant with Lara, Darius was constantly traveling. Meetings. Business negotiations. Mafia affairs. At least, that was what he'd told me.
I never questioned him.
So I went to prenatal appointments alone. I sat in the waiting room alone. I listened to our daughter's heartbeat alone. Even after Lara was born, Darius was rarely home. I used to tell myself he was working hard for our future.
Now I finally knew where he'd been.
Verona.
He had been with Verona.
Photo after photo filled the screen and there were thousands of them. Her pregnancy. Her doctor visits. Her birthday celebrations. Family dinners. Holiday trips.
Every important moment was carefully documented and Darius was in every single picture.
There were videos too.
In one, Verona was leaving a prenatal checkup. Darius wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.
"You did great today," he said warmly. "Now tell me what reward you want."
Verona laughed. "Anything I want?"
"Anything, baby."
They both laughed.
I stared at the screen. Back then, I'd been sitting alone in another hospital. Waiting for him to call. Waiting for him to remember I existed.
After every one of my appointments, I'd received the same message.
“Marianne, thank you for understanding. I have an important meeting today.”
Then I found an entire album dedicated to Carson.
His first smile, his first birthday… Every memory, every precious moment.
And Lara? My little girl was lying cold in a morgue.
Forgotten by the man who was supposed to love her most.
I slowly put the phone down. The difference between being loved and not being loved had never been clearer.
And for the first time in years, I finally understood something.
Darius Davenport had never chosen me.
…
The next morning, while he was out handling “business,” I moved without thinking too much. I called a lawyer and told them to prepare a divorce agreement.
After that, I called her.
Mrs. Davenport answered on the second ring, her voice sharp and unimpressed. “What now, bitch?”
I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak. “I agree to divorce your son, Darius. I don’t want your money or his money. I just want a favor.”
There was a pause, then a cold little laugh. “So even you finally got tired of pretending. Poor woman. Okay, fine. Speak. What do you want?”
My fingers tightened around the phone. “If you don’t want your son chasing me again, if you don’t want him losing his mind looking for me…” I took a breath, “Then help me disappear. Make it look like I’m dead. End it completely.”
Silence stretched on the other end.
“Fine. But if you’re playing games with me, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
“I’m not,” I said quietly. And I meant it more than anything I had ever said in my life. “I’m done.”
