Chapter 1

Chapter 1 The seventh time I dragged Landon out of his assistant's bed, he handed me a divorce agreement.

"Sign it," he said, blowing out a stream of smoke.

"Kelsey is pregnant. I won't let my flesh and blood be born out of wedlock."

He looked at me with complete indifference. "Don't worry. Once the baby is born, we'll remarry, and you can raise the child as your own."

"That way, nobody in high society will mock you for being barren anymore."

I gripped the pen tightly. Instead of screaming or breaking down like I used to, I calmly signed my name on the dotted line.

The next morning, I booked an appointment at the clinic to end my own pregnancy.

Landon had no idea that this time, I was truly walking away.

"Are you completely sure about this?" the doctor asked, pointing to my medical chart.

"Your uterine lining is exceptionally thin. If you go through with this procedure, you might never be able to conceive again."

I stared blankly at the tiny flicker on the ultrasound screen.

The doctor sighed. "Go home and think it over. Discuss it with your family, because this is a life-altering decision."

I didn't even know how I managed to walk out of the clinic.

The bright California sun beat down on my shoulders, yet a bone-chilling cold wrapped around my entire body.

A mother and daughter passed by me on the sidewalk. The little girl tugged at her mother's sundress, whining, "Mommy, can we get peach gelato today?"

The young mother smiled warmly. "Of course, sweetie. Anything you want."

They walked past me, their laughter fading into the bustling crowd. I watched them until they disappeared around the corner.

My chest tightened as if stuffed with wet cotton, aching so fiercely that tears pricked my eyes.

This was the baby I had prayed for during our seven years of marriage―a child carrying both Landon's blood and mine.

Dazed and exhausted, I returned to the penthouse.

The moment I opened the door, I saw all my belongings tossed into messy piles across the foyer. Kelsey sat on the designer sofa with her legs crossed, tilting her delicate chin up at me.

"Now that you and Landon are divorced, stop clinging to him like a desperate leech," she sneered.

"This is my home now. Pack your junk and get the hell out."

I stood in silence as Landon walked out of the open kitchen, carrying a bowl of warm organic soup.

Seeing me, his tone was as casual as checking the weather. "You're back? Good. Pack your boxes and move out today."

I looked at Landon. He was still as strikingly handsome as the day we met, but the overflowing tenderness in his eyes was now directed entirely at Kelsey.

It had been years since he looked at me with that kind of devotion.

Noticing my hesitation, Landon frowned. "What's the problem?"

Yes, what was the problem?

I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh, knelt down, and slowly began packing my scattered items.

When I stood up, darkness rushed into my vision. The room spun wildly, my knees buckled, and my body pitched forward uncontrollably. A pair of strong arms caught me firmly before I hit the hardwood floor.

I looked up into Landon's sharp, familiar jawline.

A flicker of instinctive gentleness lingered in his gaze, making my heart skip a beat.

He released me almost instantly, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Kelsey, the soup is still simmering on the stove. I'll go check on it."

Kelsey pouted, displeased, but said nothing.

As soon as Landon disappeared into the kitchen, she glared at me with venom. "That was pure muscle memory, honey. Don't flatter yourself into thinking he still has feelings for you."