Chapter 8
Sienna had vaguely admitted that she was the one who saved him, never offering specifics, but it was enough. In Hugh’s eyes, she became the girl who wasn’t even afraid to die for him–his savior, his light in a world of suffocating darkness. From that moment on, Sienna was elevated to a pedestal no one could touch.”
That was why, no matter how unreasonable or selfish her actions were, Hugh always found a way to justify them. He convinced himself there were reasons, explanations only she knew and so he tolerated everything–even when it meant hurting me.”
Now, Hugh stood frozen, staring down at my lifeless body.
The stillness in the room was oppressive, suffocating him inch by inch. His mind spun wildly, unable to reconcile the woman lying there with the one he’d spent years ignoring and blaming.
If this really was me–if this cold, lifeless body belonged to Ava–then what about the baby?”
The thought crept into his mind, sharp and jagged, but he refused to let it settle. He couldn’t. Accepting it meant facing the possibility that everything–my pregnancy, my pain, my death–had been real. And if that was true, it meant facing what he had done.
So, instead, he latched onto the only explanation his mind could bear. This was all a trick. A setup. I must have staged my death, conspiring with the hospital, the staff, maybe even Charles, just to shift blame onto him.”
He threw himself into investigating, determined to uncover proof of my deception. But no matter how deep he dug, every piece of evidence only led him further from the lie he wanted to believe.}]
The truth–brutal and undeniable–was the opposite of everything he’d held onto.}]
For years, he’d believed my sudden appearance in his life was calculated, a woman conveniently inserting herself into the weakened Miller Consortium for her own gain. To him, I had been nothing more than a business partner, a convenient alliance sealed with marriage papers. His heart, his devotion, had always belonged to Sienna.
But now, with every piece of truth spilling from Charles‘ mouth and every uncovered detail painting a new picture, everything Hugh thought he knew crumbled.
He stumbled home, the house we had once shared pressing down on him with a weight he could no longer ignore.}
Mason, the butler, glanced back when Hugh entered. “Sir, has Madam not returned yet? The people delivering the baby crib came today, but we weren’t sure which room Madam wanted it in, so we held off. We were waiting for her to choose.“}
The words hit him like a punch, but Mason wasn’t finished.
“And also, Madam mentioned she’d be going on maternity leave soon. She was planning to leave the kitchen her recipe for your hangover soup, so they could make it right even when she wasn’t here.”
Mason hesitated, his voice softening. “Sir… you’ve always been cold to Madam, but she truly loves you. She’s always been so kind to us, never acting above anyone. About Miss Sienna–Madam surely didn’t mean to cause trouble. After all, she’s carrying your child…“}
Hugh’s eyes reddened, his chest tightening painfully. The confusion twisted inside him until he could barely breathe.}]
Ever since Sienna had returned, all he’d heard were accusations. Sienna’s trembling voice telling him how cruel I was, how I schemed and manipulated to drive her away, how I stole him and the life she deserved.}]
In his mind, I had been petty, vicious, selfish. But now–to the people who actually lived in this house, who saw me every day–I was none of those things.”
I had been gentle. Quiet. Thoughtful in ways he never noticed. Even when he ignored me, pushed me aside, I still took care of him. I had been there, day after day, without demanding anything in return.
Without a word, Hugh turned and headed upstairs.}
Since Sienna’s return, she had taken over the master bedroom without hesitation, leaving me to the much smaller guest room down the hall. When Hugh pushed open the door, the soft scent of lavender drifted out–faint, comforting, painfully familiar.
The room was tidy, but on the bed lay something small.
A half–knitted baby sock, the soft yarn curled loosely around the knitting needles. I had been working on it recently, my fingers gently shaping each loop and stitch for the child I thought we would raise together.”
Hugh walked over, his large hand picking up the unfinished sock. The wool was soft against his skin, but his fingers trembled as they held it.
The weight of it–something so small, so full of hope–made it hard to breathe.
He forced himself to straighten and called for Mason, his voice low and rough. “Look into everything,” he ordered. “Everything from the past few years. Every detail. Every incident.”
For three days, Hugh locked himself away, barely leaving the room. Mason compiled files, records, photos, surveillance footage- everything he could find–and delivered it all to Hugh’s desk.
One by one, Hugh went through each file. Every punishment, every scolding, every argument where he had sided with Sienna–all of them unraveled. Behind them, hidden in shadows and carefully manipulated words, was Sienna’s hand. Her whispers, her accusations, her well–timed tears.%
The picture they painted was one Hugh could no longer ignore.
Finally, he reached the last file.
It was grainy surveillance footage from the day his mother had taken him to the rooftop. Though the video was old, it was clear enough. A small figure stood at the edge, arms stretched desperately, holding onto him with all her strength.
The girl wasn’t Sienna. It was me.&
Evan through the distortion it was unmistakahla–mu fara nale and etrosked with toere mulia
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10:09 AM
Even through the distortion, it was unmistakable–my face, pale and streaked with tears, my lips bitten red as I clung to him, my arms trembling under the strain. Blood smeared the wall where my skin had torn, but I never let go.“]
Hugh’s hands shook as the footage looped, the images cutting deeper each time.”
Tears welled in his eyes, blurring the screen. The truth–the real truth–was too much to bear.
Finally, with trembling fingers, he reached for the USB drive his assistant had given him days before. It took him several tries to plug it in, his hands shaking too badly to guide it properly.
The screen flickered to life and the footage played.§
There I was–at the abandoned amusement park, my face pale with terror, my hand protectively covering my swollen belly. Hugh’s breath caught in his throat as the ride dropped, the camera capturing every agonizing second.”
Even in the final moments, my gaze was locked on our baby, my face a portrait of helplessness and despair.
The laptop snapped shut with a loud clap, but the images burned behind his eyelids, impossible to escape.
His hands clutched his head, fingers digging into his scalp as if he could tear the memories out by force. The divorce papers I had quietly prepared before my death lay on the desk beside him, their edges crumpled from his grip.§
His chest heaved, his breath coming in ragged gasps before the dam finally broke.
“I’m sorry, Ava…” His voice cracked, raw with grief. “I’m so sorry… I really didn’t know…“}]
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