Juliet stood frozen, methodically feeding item after item to the flames. Damien watched her cherished belongings crumble to ash. "How did you figure it out?" he asked, brow furrowing.
Facing the man she'd loved for years, Juliet couldn't believe his unshakable calm even now. A bitter smile twisted her lips. "After everything, don't you think I'm owed an explanation?"
Damien stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her like old times. "Juliet, just hear me out. I did this for you. I gave you access to my life without all the baggage. Whatever Charleigh and I have—it's just a family arrangement."
A bitter laugh escaped her, calm on the surface despite the raging storm within. "So you tricked me into a sham marriage, sped up the delivery, and then handed my baby over to her?"
Damien averted his gaze, dodging the truth. "Juliet, we can still have more kids..."
"Enough." Juliet cut him off sharply. His words were still dripping with lies.
Ignoring her resistance, Damien tightened his grip. "Juliet, I came to discuss Jace. Don't you want to see him?"
Juliet froze, her voice stuck in her throat. How could she not ache to see her own baby? Now that she'd been freed, it finally clicked why Damien had come.
Damien and Charleigh were bound by a marriage of convenience. It wasn't until after the wedding that they discovered Charleigh couldn't conceive. To preserve powerful alliances and secure a legitimate heir for the Freeman legacy, everything—the courtship, the love, the wedding—had been a charade. Their families conveniently looked the other way while Damien scheduled regular medical screenings to vet her genetic suitability.
She was nothing but a pawn, exploited from start to finish.
"Fine," Juliet said, realizing that playing along was her only shot at seeing her son.
The drive to the private estate was dead silent. She realized this was Damien's actual home. To her surprise, Charleigh was waiting at the entrance. As they stepped out, Charleigh hooked her arm through Damien's with sickening affection. "Welcome back," she purred, then told the staff, "Show Ms. Dunn where to change."
Juliet understood that to see her son, she'd have to pose as a servant. She had no choice. Silently, she slipped into the uniform while the butler ran through the household rules. That's when she learned her child's full name: Jace Freeman.
The butler handed her a stack of clean linens and led her to a room. Through the partly open door, she heard heavy breathing and muffled moans—left ajar deliberately to rub in her humiliation. Juliet knew exactly who was in there. Charleigh was mocking her again, but all she could do was swallow her pride.
After what felt like an eternity, the activity ceased. "Come in!" Charleigh's voice rang out, deceptively sweet.
Damien, with his back to Juliet, wore fresh crimson scratches across his skin, seemingly indifferent to them being on display.
The room reeked of sweat and scandal. Head bowed, Juliet stepped in, fighting back nausea as she stripped the soiled sheets and put on clean ones.
Soon after, the sound of little excited footsteps came rushing closer. A young boy bounded into view, his hand held by a nanny. "Mom! Dad! You're both here! I'm back from school," Jace announced brightly.
