Elena returned to the villa.

"Madam, you are back." Linda came over with a grin.

Elena glanced at her but said nothing. Yes, she was back. Her body had returned, but everything else had left already.

In truth, she had not come back willingly. She had been forced back by the chains Noah still held over her. But no one could make her stay.

She would leave soon.

She would marry Elias Rowan and take her aunt away. She would be free from Noah and his influence.

’Only seven more days,’ she murmured to herself.

Without a word, she strode toward the stairs.

"Madam," Linda called from behind, slightly puzzled. "What are you going to cook for dinner tonight? I’ll start preparing."

Elena paused. "Cook whatever you want."

She walked up the stairs.

Linda stood there, stunned, watching her enter her room.

For five years, Elena had personally cooked for Noah with care. This was the first time she had refused.

Linda let out a deep sigh. "I hope things get better between them."

Inside the bedroom...

Elena walked into the closet. She pulled open a drawer and took out a small wooden chest. Her gaze lingered on it for a moment before she opened it.

Inside lay a blue diamond pendant in a gold chain.

She picked it up carefully, brushing her thumb on the diamond. Her lips curled slightly, but her eyes turned watery.

This was the pendant her father had gifted her on her tenth birthday. It was the last birthday she had celebrated with him.

"Papa, I really miss you," she whispered. "Noah didn’t keep his promise. He doesn’t love me anymore."

A tear slid down her cheek.

"He cheated on me... He killed my baby..."

Her words trailed off, her voice breaking into sobs.

"I am leaving him. And..." After a brief pause, she said, "I’m going to marry a stranger. I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. But I can’t stay here anymore. I just want to get away from him and his family’s influence."

Her lips trembled. "I wish you were with me."

She cried silently for a while, then wiped her tears. "From now on, I won’t rely on anyone. I’ll take my charge on my own. I’ll be fine."

She looked at the other expensive jewelry and branded bags in the closet. Those were the gifts from Noah.

Once she had treasured them. And now, they felt meaningless.

"I don’t need any of this." She looked at the pendant in her hand. "This is the only thing that is truly mine."

"What are you looking at?" Noah’s voice from behind startled her.

Elena put the pendant inside the chest and closed it. "An old gift."

She slid the wooden chest back into the drawer. Before she could step back, she felt his strong arms around her waist. Her body stiffened instantly.

"I got something for you." He brought a file in front of her eyes.

Elena wasn’t excited. She no longer wanted anything from him. But she was curious to know what he had brought her this time to express his fake love for her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Check it."

Elena took the file and opened it. Her breath hitched as she saw the ownership transfer documents of this very villa.

"Surprised?"

Elena turned to him. "This..."

"I’ve been planning this for a while," he said, holding her shoulders. "And I finally got the legal documents. This house is now yours."

Elena’s lips curled involuntarily. But there was no warmth in her eyes. ’Is this your way to compensate me?’ she thought bitterly.

Seeing her smile, Noah thought she was happy. "I know you will love it. Everything I have is yours, Elena. You just have to demand it."

Elena’s smile turned sharp. "I never wanted this. All I wanted was a happy family with you, with our child."

The smile on his face faded.

"And the baby is gone now." Her voice broke. "With it, everything is gone. My hope. My dream. My desire. And this..."

She held up the file. "It means nothing to me."

She shoved it against his chest and walked out of the closet.

Noah stood there, frozen, holding the file. An unknown fear struck him. Then his body lurched forward as he bolted. The file fell to the floor.

"Elena, wait..." He desperately pulled her into his arms. "I know this is nothing. I’m not trying to compensate you."

Elena remained still. She didn’t resist.

"I just want to see you smile. If you don’t like it, I’ll give you something else."

He turned her toward him. "Tell me, what do you want? I’ll give you anything."

Elena held his gaze. She couldn’t understand how he could perform so convincingly that it felt real. Every word he spoke sounded sincere. His gaze held promises.

For a moment, she felt as if he would do everything he said. But then she remembered how cruelly he had orchestrated that accident to kill their child just to avoid the wedding. He had not trusted her and even made her apologize to his first love.

His words, his promises, and his sincerity meant nothing to her. Maybe she would have fallen for them in the past, but not now.

"Okay." She gave a slow nod. "Then bring our child back. Can you do that?"

Her words landed like a blow to his chest.

His legs moved back unwittingly. He opened his mouth, but he couldn’t speak for a moment.

"I can’t," he said, his voice hoarse. "I..."

He reached out and held her hands tightly. "But we can have another child."

She jerked her hands back and turned aside.

"Elena..." He rounded her and stood in front of her. "We still can hold the wedding."

Elena’s expression froze.

’Wedding? He dared to say that?’ 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Just to avoid it, he had already killed their child, and he now wanted to hold the wedding.

The audacity.

’And he expects me to be happy to hear it?’

Elena didn’t want to cry. But tears still pooled in her eyes. At that moment, she realized one thing painfully.

’He doesn’t care about what I feel. He never did.’

All he knew was himself, his thoughts, his convenience, and his own happiness. Everything else came later.

"Just give me some time, okay?" Slowly, tentatively, he moved in closer and reached out to touch her face. "Let me handle Tessa’s surgery and then..."

"I am tired." Elena stepped back, avoiding his touch.

"Come." He guided her toward the bed. "Lie down. I’ll give you a head massage."

Elena wanted to stop him, but he had already made her lie down.

Noah sat beside her, his fingers sliding into her hair.

"You don’t have to do this," Elena said, trying to sit up.

He held her in her place. "Stay still. Just enjoy it."

Elena stopped resisting and let him massage her head. She watched him, emotion stirring in her chest.

He looked gentle and caring, as if he had done nothing wrong.

It didn’t seem like he could be cruel enough to orchestrate the murder of their child.

Was that all a lie?

Elena’s mind was in chaos. Part of her still wanted to think that it was just a terrible nightmare, that she would wake up, and everything would be fine again. Their baby would still be growing in her womb.

There would be no Tessa between them. Their wedding would happen on the scheduled date.

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Do you miss our baby?" she asked quietly.

His hands paused. An uneasiness flickered on his face. Before he could respond, his phone rang.

When he saw Tessa’s name on the screen, he answered quickly, "Hello."

"Noah, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have disturbed you. But...I-I am scared. I feel restless alone here. Can you please come for a while?"

He stood up, his body instinctively wanting to reach Tessa. But he forced himself to pause and glanced back at Elena.

He covered the speaker with his palm and said slowly, "Sorry, something urgent has come up. I need to leave."

Elena had already heard Tessa’s voice. She sneered in her mind.

He would leave anyway, even if she asked him to stay.

"Go," she said flatly.

A faint smile twitched his lips as if he was relieved. Pressing the phone against his ear, he said, "I’ll be there soon."

He walked out.

Elena smiled bitterly. One phone call from Tessa was enough for him to abandon everything.

"You already chose her over our baby and me," she muttered. "Now, I’m letting you go."