The rain in Nation Y didn't fall; it mourned. It streaked against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Valerius estate like silver scars on cold marble. Inside, the air was suffocating, thick with the scent of white lilies—Elara's favorite, and coincidentally, the flower of funerals.
Elara stood in the grand dining hall, her fingers trembling as she adjusted a single petal. The table was set for two: fine bone china, vintage crystal, and a bottle of wine that had aged longer than her marriage. Today was her third wedding anniversary with Elias Valerius. In her pocket, a crumpled slip of paper felt like it was burning through her silk dress. Positive.
For three years, Elara had been a ghost in her own home. She had been traded to Elias to merge their family's corporate empires, a silent bride who stayed in the shadows while her stepmother, Lady Malvina, paraded her vapid stepsister, Seraphine, as the true star of the nation's social scene. Elara had spent a thousand nights waiting for a man who treated her like an inconvenient piece of property. But today, she thought, everything would change. A child meant a real family.
The heavy oak doors swung open with a bang that echoed off the vaulted ceilings. It wasn't Elias alone.
Seraphine entered first, draped in silver fox fur that looked far too expensive for a "guest." Her eyes sparkled with a cruel, feline triumph. Behind her walked Elias, his silhouette sharp and imposing in a charcoal suit. He didn't look at Elara; his gaze slid over her as if she were a piece of broken furniture waiting for the junk haulers.
"Still playing house, Elara?" Seraphine cooed, her heels clicking rhythmically on the marble. "You really shouldn't have bothered with the dinner. Elias and I just came from the Ministry. They've decided that someone as 'invisible' as you shouldn't be the face of the family legacy anymore."
"It's our anniversary, Elias," Elara said, her voice small but steady. Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach, shielding the flickering life inside her. "I thought, for once, we could be a family. Just us."
Elias stopped, his eyes cold as the Atlantic. "We need a partner with presence, Elara. Someone who understands the weight of the Valerius name. You've always been a shadow. You occupy space, but you provide no light."
"I'm pregnant, Elias."
The silence that followed was absolute, heavy enough to crush the lungs. Elias froze, his hand tightening on his briefcase. Seraphine's smile didn't just fade; it curdled into something lethal. A child meant Elara could never be pushed aside. It meant her bloodline was anchored to the throne of their empire forever.
"A child?" Seraphine whispered, her eyes turning into shards of ice. "How... wonderful. A Valerius heir. We must celebrate properly. Let's go to the Cliffside Villa tonight. The fresh air will do the mother-to-be some good before the real work begins."