Adrien POV:
I stormed into the house, the anger from the hospital still a raw wound inside me. "Where is she?" I barked at Reynolds, my butler, as he took my coat.
"Mrs. Stanley is in her room, sir," Reynolds replied, his voice calm as always.
"Has she caused any trouble? Tried to 'visit' Fallon again?" The words were laced with venom.
"No, sir. Mrs. Stanley has remained in her room since her return from the hospital. She hasn't made any attempts to leave."
Good. At least she's not completely stupid. "She'd better not. If she thinks she can harm Fallon and get away with it, she's sorely mistaken."
Reynolds hesitated, a flicker of something in his eyes. "Sir, if I may… Mrs. Stanley has always been a very kind woman. Even after… after everything, she has always shown respect to myself and the staff."
Kind? I scoffed. She' s a viper in silk, Reynolds. You' re just too naive to see it.
My mind flashed back to my wedding night. The shattered remnants of my perfect life, the torn dress on her, the other man's jacket. She played the innocent, the heartbroken bride. But I knew better. I had seen her.
She arranged this. She wanted to hurt Fallon. She wanted to make me look like a fool.
"Don't be fooled by her act, Reynolds," I warned, my voice cold. "She's a master manipulator. She'll do anything to secure her position. Don't forget that."
Reynolds bowed his head, saying nothing. His silence, I knew, spoke volumes. He still believed her. He still saw the innocent girl I had once, foolishly, thought I knew. He didn't see the woman who had shattered my world.
Alina POV:
The familiar pain in my head was a dull throb as I walked through the grand halls of Adrien's mansion. My "home." My prison.
My things were no longer in the guest bedroom. They had been moved. Into the sprawling master suite. Into Adrien's bedroom. A cold shiver ran down my spine. Had the elder's words truly had such an impact? Was this meant to be a reconciliation? A cruel joke?
As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard his voice. "She's a master manipulator. She'll do anything to secure her position."
The words hit me like shards of glass, piercing my heart. I leaned against the cold marble wall, my legs suddenly weak. He still believed Fallon. He still believed the lies.
I had foolishly hoped, even after all the pain, that he might eventually see the truth. That he might look past Fallon's machinations and see the woman who had loved him for years. But I was wrong. He would never believe me. He would never love me. He would never see this child as anything but a burden, a reminder of his hatred.
The last flicker of love, of hope, I held for Adrien, extinguished. It turned to ash in my heart.
He didn't just misunderstand me. He relished my suffering. He wanted to punish me. And now, with this child, his punishment would be endless.
The decision I made in the hospital, the desperate resolve to escape, solidified into an unshakeable conviction. I had to leave. For my child. For my sanity. I couldn't let my baby grow up in this house, surrounded by such hatred and lies. I couldn't let it be tainted by Adrien's contempt.
I thought of my mother. The only person who had ever loved me unconditionally. She was still in the hospital, recovering from her own illness. I needed her. I needed her comfort, her strength, before I could figure out my next step.
