Chapter 1

"My baby is definitely going to look just like his father with sharp brows and bright eyes. He's gonna be so handsome. He might even have the same little red birthmark at the corner of his eye."

The woman's smug voice rang through the quiet hallway, drawing curious glances. Shannon Caldwell couldn't help but look over.

The woman wore a mask, but her eyes gleamed with barely contained pride.

Hearing her describe her baby's future features, Shannon was reminded of someone—her husband of five years, Caspian Bellwether, the illustrious prince of Astrivale.

He had a red birthmark at the corner of his eye too.

Just as Shannon was about to step forward and ask, the hospital intercom called her name.

Across the desk, the doctor studied her test results with a serious expression. Seeing that, Shannon clenched her hands. She felt like a giant hand was gripping her heart, making it hard to breathe.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally spoke. "Ms. Caldwell, all your test results are normal. We're not sure why you haven't been able to conceive all these years. We could run more tests…"

Shannon barely heard the rest.

Her mind kept repeating the same thing—she was perfectly healthy, yet after all these years, she still couldn't get pregnant.

Shannon stumbled out of the consultation room and sank into a nearby chair, staring blankly at the medical report in her hands.

Tears fell one by one, slowly soaking the paper.

She and Caspian had grown up together. They were childhood sweethearts.

Everyone in their circle knew she was his first love—the woman he placed on a pedestal.

When Shannon was 17, he called her to the sycamore tree. Under the moonlight, he blushed as he pulled out hundreds of love letters he'd written over the years. Stumbling over his words, he finally confessed to her.

On the day she turned 20, he wasted no time proposing. "Shannon, I don't want to risk someone else taking you away."

She wasn't one for grand gestures, and he wanted to protect her from the public eye, so their wedding was a small, intimate affair with only family and close friends. Few outsiders even knew they were married.

But that never stopped Caspian from loving her.

Especially after Shannon discovered her infertility. He had always comforted her, shouldering the blame himself.

When his parents started pressuring her, he stood firmly in front of her, his face cold. He declared it was his choice not to have children and vowed to give up his heirship if they kept pushing her.

Shannon was deeply touched but also wracked with guilt. Determined to conceive, she tried every folk remedy she could find. She even became a regular at the gynecology department.

Yet five years passed, and her belly remained flat.

Leaving the hospital, she took out her phone, wanting to call Caspian. She just wanted to see him and have him hold her.

But then she remembered he was still at work and decided to go find him instead.

The moment Shannon stepped into his office building, she saw a familiar figure ahead that looked a lot like Caspian. He was carefully helping a pregnant woman up the stairs.

"Caspian?" she called hesitantly.

Caspian instinctively turned around.

When he saw her, his body stiffened, and he quickly whispered something to the woman beside him. Only after she left did he step down the stairs and stand in front of Shannon, blocking her view.

A strange unease settled in her chest. Why was he acting so nervous?

"Who was that?" she asked.

Caspian's expression remained calm. "Just a random stranger. She was struggling with the stairs, so I gave her a hand."

From childhood, Caspian had always been strict about personal boundaries, never touching any woman but her.

Even his secretaries were all male.

His friends teased him about being a henpecked husband, but he didn't mind. He accepted it openly. "Yeah, I'm completely whipped. I'm allergic to every woman except Shannon."

A man like that wouldn't just casually help a pregnant woman.

But before Shannon could dwell on it, Caspian changed the subject. "By the way, what did the doctor say about your test?"

Her eyes flickered with disappointment. The grievance she had just managed to suppress surfaced again, and her eyes grew misty once more.

Realizing something was wrong, he pulled her into his arms and gently stroked her back. "It's okay, babe. I've told you before. You don't need to stress about pregnancy. I'm completely fine without children. You're all that matters to me. Don't cry. It hurts me to see you like this."

Caspian wiped away the tear clinging to her lashes and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

It took a long time for his warmth to calm her, and Shannon finally squeezed his hand in return.

Back at Bellwether Manor, Caspian went straight into the bathroom. She sat alone on the bed, just about to tuck the medical report into the drawer.

Suddenly, a message notification chimed, making her hand freeze mid-motion.

Her body trembled uncontrollably. After a long pause, she took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and opened the message.

Just as Shannon expected, it was another message from Caspian's mother, Alena Hewitt, urging her to have a baby.

Ever since she'd found out she had trouble conceiving, Alena had been hounding her with texts, constantly asking if Shannon had undergone more tests and when she'd finally have a baby.

Now, every time her phone chimed, she felt an irrational sense of dread.

As the phone screen went dark, Shannon closed her eyes, struggling internally for a long moment. Then, she reopened them, walked to the closet, and pulled out the dress hidden at the bottom.

Chapter 2

The bathroom door creaked open, and a pair of delicate arms wrapped around Caspian from behind.

He stiffened. Before he could turn around, Shannon buried her face into the crook of his neck and brushed her soft lips against his skin.

"Caspian... I want you..."

A flicker of pain flashed through his eyes. "Babe, you don't have to do this. There's no rush for a baby."

Her slender fingers traced down his abdomen, making his breath hitch.

"But I want you right now..."

Caspian's gaze darkened. In one swift motion, he scooped Shannon up and tossed her onto the bed, pinning her beneath him.

His kisses rained down, hot and urgent. Their breathing grew heavier.

"Babe..."

Just then, an abrupt ringtone shattered the moment.

Caspian ignored it. His kisses trailed down her shoulder and neck, one after another.

Shannon gasped and nudged him. "Caspian... Your phone..."

He didn't care. Instead, he pulled her closer. "Forget it. Focus on me."

The incessant ringing continued, finally killing the mood entirely.

With a sigh, Caspian pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. "Let me take this. I'll be right back."

He grabbed his phone and stepped outside.

Shannon sat up, then wandered to the balcony.

Caspian never took calls in private, no matter how big or small the matter. What kind of call would make him hide it from her now?

Just as she reached for the balcony door, Caspian opened it first.

His brows were furrowed as he spoke softly into the phone. Seeing her approach, he quickly covered the receiver and gave her an apologetic look. "Babe, there's an emergency at work. I have to go."

Before Shannon could respond, he snatched up his keys from the table and disappeared into the night.

Her heart sank, and a bitter taste rose in her throat.

Since Caspian had taken over the company, he rarely came home. They barely spent any nights together.

And now, when they finally had a chance, it slipped through her fingers again.

Shannon stood there for a long time before finally gathering up the scattered clothes on the floor.

As she carried them to the laundry room, a folded piece of paper slipped from Caspian's pocket and fluttered to the ground.

Shannon was about to pick it up. But the moment she saw the words, her pupils constricted, and her heart pounded wildly.

The bold, glaring words "Pregnancy Test Report" hit her like a shockwave.

In the guardian's signature section, one name stood out—Caspian Bellwether.

A buzzing noise filled her ears. Shannon couldn't hear anything else. Her hands trembled as she picked up the report.

At first, she thought it had to be a mistake. After all, there were plenty of people with the same name.

But after staring at it for a long time, she couldn't lie to herself anymore. She knew Caspian's handwriting better than anyone. He had signed every one of her report cards since they were kids.

Suddenly, she remembered something Alena had said after one of her relentless inquiries about a grandchild.

"If you can't give birth, then I'll have Caspian find someone else who can. One way or another, I'm getting a grandchild this year!"

Had Caspian really found someone else?

Shannon quickly dismissed the thought. That was impossible.

He loved her too much for that. When Alena had first suggested it, he had been so furious that he nearly destroyed half the villa in his rage.

"Never. If I have a child, it'll only come from Shannon."

Even Caspian's father, Steve Bellwether, had pointed a finger at him and called him a disgrace.

But now, Caspian's signature was right there, clear as day, on a pregnancy test report.

Doubt and denial tangled inside her. Shannon reached for her phone, wanting to call Caspian.

But then she remembered the way he had left in such a hurry. What if it really was something urgent? She didn't want to disturb him unnecessarily.

After a long hesitation, Shannon lowered her phone and tucked the report away.

That night, she lay awake, tossing and turning.

Chapter 3

After a restless night and the balcony door left ajar, Shannon woke up groggily, her body burning with heat. Her eyes felt so heavy that she could barely open them.

Reaching out blindly, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and dialed Caspian's number.

She called over a dozen times, but he never picked up.

Just as she was about to give up, the line connected. "Caspian..."

"Who is this?"

A sweet, feminine voice answered instead.

Shannon's phone slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a thud. The noise on the other end grew chaotic, followed by a long pause before Caspian finally spoke.

"Babe?"

He called her several times before she finally bent down to pick up the phone. She asked in disbelief, "Who was that just now?"

"No one," Caspian replied quickly. "I was in a meeting. My business partner picked up my phone by mistake. Don't overthink it."

Before Shannon could press further, he changed the subject. "What's wrong? Why were you calling?"

Shannon wanted to tell him she had a fever and needed him to take her to the hospital.

"Ouch! It's so hot!"

A sharp cry suddenly rang out from the other end. Caspian's tone turned slightly anxious as he quickly ended the call. "I have to go. I'll call you later."

The line went dead.

Maybe it was the fever, but a deep sense of grievance welled up inside Shannon.

Caspian had never hung up on her before, not even in the middle of an important meeting. He would always make sure she was okay first.

But now…

She lay in bed for a while before stumbling to the medicine cabinet for some cold medicine. Then she drifted off again.

When Shannon woke up next, she was no longer in her bedroom. She was lying in a hospital bed.

Caspian was beside her. Seeing her awake, he finally relaxed and pulled her into his arms. "Babe, you scared me."

It turned out that he later called her back, but she never answered.

Sensing something was wrong, he rushed home, only to find her flushed and asleep. Panicked, he took her straight to the hospital.

For the rest of the day, Caspian didn't leave Shannon's side, as if he were afraid something might happen again.

Seeing him like this warmed her heart. It felt like the Caspian she knew was finally back.

Then his phone rang.

His fingers tensed around the device as he glanced at the caller ID. He glanced at Shannon before turning away to take the call in the hallway.

The hospital's walls weren't well-insulated.

Shannon could hear a woman's voice from the other end of the phone. "I don't care. I want you here with me right now! Or I'll run away with your son! Believe it or not!"

Caspian didn't sound annoyed. Instead, his voice was full of indulgence. "I just have to take care of something here. I'll come over as soon as I'm done, okay?"

Maybe he was too focused on the call to notice the shock on her face.

Shannon couldn't believe her ears. It felt like a lightning strike, sending a tremor through her entire body.

What did she just hear? Was she hearing things?

Caspian had a son?

Her mind raced back to the pregnancy test report she had found, the moment she saw Caspian helping a pregnant woman, and the words she overheard at the gynecology department.

Shannon's grip on the blanket tightened. Just then, the door creaked open.

She quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Seeing her asleep, Caspian let out a sigh of relief and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before quietly leaving the ward.

The moment he stepped out, Shannon opened her eyes, yanked out the IV, and silently followed him.

She watched as Caspian weaved through the hallways, turning left and right, before finally stopping in front of the gynecology department.

Just as Shannon was about to step closer, Caspian pulled a woman exiting the prenatal exam room into his arms and gently comforted her. "Was the baby good today? Did he give you a hard time?"

Shannon's eyes widened in shock.

At the same time, the woman nestled in Caspian's arms looked up. As if sensing something, she looked in Shannon's direction.

That was when Shannon finally saw the woman's face. It looked almost exactly like hers when she was younger.

Chapter 4

At that moment, the whole world fell silent.

Shannon felt an invisible hand clutching her heart, as if ripping it from her chest, leaving her gasping in pain.

She stood frozen, watching as Caspian held the woman close. He whispered to her, kissed her, and laughed with her. Then, the two of them disappeared from sight.

Caspian had someone else.

That was the only thought left in Shannon's mind.

The downpour soaked her from head to toe, but she walked through the rain as if she felt nothing.

Her empty eyes stared ahead, while the scene she had just witnessed replayed over and over in her head.

12 years. It had been 12 whole years.

Other than her parents, Caspian had been the best person to her in the entire world.

He had been so good to her that Shannon used to think meeting him had cost her all the luck she'd ever have.

She thought of the young man who once climbed through her window in the middle of the night. His eyes had shone with confidence as he promised to love her forever.

He had shielded her with his own body when she was cornered by thugs.

He had firmly defended her when Alena berated her for not having a child.

How did Caspian become this person?

The man who once only had eyes for Shannon now had someone else by his side.

The lips that had belonged only to her now kissed another.

The hands that had only traced her body were now roaming over someone else's.

Pain tore through her chest, ripping her heart apart piece by piece.

The villa was dark, the suffocating silence pressing down on Shannon like a cage.

But she barely noticed. She sat curled up on the floor, scrolling numbly through the files the butler, Ryan Buchanan, had sent her.

So, this was the truth.

After confirming Shannon couldn't have children, Alena had pressured Caspian time and time again to find another woman to bear his child.

Caspian had refused—over and over—because he loved Shannon too much.

But in the end, Alena resorted to slitting her wrists, threatening her own life again and again. Until one day, she lay in the bathtub, covered in blood.

And so, Caspian caved.

He chose Elsie Barker, a woman from the lowest rungs of society who bore an 80% resemblance to Shannon.

Caspian chose Elsie because she resembled Shannon—and so would the child she bore. Secondly, she had neither power nor money, making her easy to discard when the time came.

At first, out of love and guilt for Shannon, Caspian never touched Elsie. The plan was only IVF. Until one night, a business partner got him drunk.

And in his drunken haze, he mistook Elsie for Shannon. That was one reckless night.

And that night was Shannon's birthday.

Her husband was in bed with another woman on her birthday.

Shannon let out a strangled laugh, tears spilling down her face. She didn't even know if she was crying over how pathetic she was or laughing at the irony of his so-called devotion.

Caspian was the one who said it didn't matter if they had no children. "Having you is enough for me, babe."

But in the end, he still slept with another woman for the sake of a child.

Caspian, oh, Caspian. This was the love he swore was worth dying for?

If he really couldn't take it anymore, if he really wanted a child, he could have just told her. She would have been devastated, but she would have divorced him and walked out of his life.

He shouldn't have said he loved her while having a child with another woman, creating a whole new family.

Shannon trembled as she put down her phone. Lifting her gaze, she took in the home she and Caspian had built together.

Every corner of this place was filled with proof of their love.

She used to look around with nothing but happiness in her eyes. She told Caspian that one day, when they were old, they'd pass this house down to their children, so they could carry that love forward.

But now? It made her sick.

She grabbed a hammer from the toolbox and tore through the house—shattering their wedding photo, destroying the furniture they had picked together, and demolishing every gift Caspian had ever given her.

She didn't stop until there was nothing left.

Chapter 5

Chaos.

That was Caspian's first thought when he opened the door.

The entire living room was wrecked beyond recognition. Amid the shattered remains, Shannon sat on the floor, knees drawn to her chest, head buried.

He didn't stop to ask questions. He rushed over and pulled her into his arms.

"Babe, are you hurt?"

Shannon lifted her head. The worry in his eyes was so real that it was hard to believe this same man had betrayed her.

She shoved him away. Her voice was icy as she asked, "Who's Elsie Barker?"

Shock flashed in Caspian's eyes, and his lips turned pale. "Who's that? I don't know any Elsie Barker."

Shannon let out a bitter laugh and threw that pregnancy test report at him. "You don't know her? Then why is your name on here?"

His entire body stiffened. His breath hitched. "Babe, I—"

But Shannon was done listening. She wiped her tears away and said clearly, "I know everything, Caspian. Stop lying. Let's just get a divorce."

Caspian panicked completely. He held her tight, his voice trembling as he said, "No. No, I don't want a divorce!"

She looked up at him, heart twisting with irony. "But you're already dirty to me."

His face went ghostly white. "That was an accident, Shannon. It only happened once. I swear. I'm not dirty."

"But to me, you are." Her voice didn't waver. "You betrayed me. You betrayed us!"

Shannon closed her eyes. "Let's just end this, Caspian. We can still part on good terms."

Caspian held her tighter. "Shannon, please, don't leave me. I'll do anything you want. Just don't divorce me."

Shannon shook her head. "Your promises mean nothing to me now. Let me go, and I'll let you go too."

Then she turned and walked away.

As Caspian watched her walk away, his trembling fingers clutched his chest as if trying to squeeze out the pain inside, but all he felt was an even deeper agony.

"Shannon, are you really leaving me?"

"Yes."

Her voice was steady, but he could see her fists clenching at her sides.

Something in him snapped. He sucked in a deep breath and turned to the house staff.

Shannon shut her eyes, forcing herself to stay calm.

Caspian couldn't hold back anymore. He took a deep breath, then turned to a maid. "Take Shannon to her room. No one lets her out unless I say so."

Shannon turned around in disbelief, staring at him. "Caspian, are you seriously locking me up?"

He shook his head. "Not locking you up. I just need you to cool down. Shannon, listen to me. She looks like you, so will the baby. Once she gives birth, I'll send her away, and we can go back to how things were. Just like before, okay?"

Shannon found his words utterly ridiculous.

He had a baby with someone else, and he actually thought they could pretend it never happened?

She looked at him in despair. "That's impossible. The second you got her pregnant, you destroyed us."

Caspian trembled, his face turning pale, but he remained stubborn. "It doesn't matter, Shannon. We have time."

After speaking, he waved his hand, signaling the maid to take Shannon back to her room.

"Make sure she stays in her room. No one sees her except me."