"Are you enjoying your vacation?" On the other side of the line, Madam Creed sounded positively delighted. "Oh, immensely," she said dramatically. "I went shopping today and nearly bought out an entire boutique."

Seb shook his head with amusement. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is wonderful," she corrected proudly. Then her tone softened slightly. "You sound happy tonight." Seb stared ahead through the windshield silently for a second.

Happy. That word felt strange after so many years of obsession and anger and grief tangled together inside him. But tonight... Tonight, he did feel happy. More than happy. Victorious.

Madam Creed continued warmly, "I’m glad to hear your old self again, Sebastian." His smile widened slightly. "And honestly," she added carefully, "I’m relieved you’ve finally decided to move on from Amara."

The smile on Seb’s face faded slightly. Move on? No. Never that. But he said nothing. Instead, he started the engine casually. "So when are you coming back?" he asked.

Madam Creed laughed softly in surprise. "You want me home already?" Seb rolled his eyes immediately. "No, Mother. I’m just checking on you." His tone became playful again.

"Stay there. Spend more money. Your son is in a fantastic mood tonight."

"Well now I’m curious," she said suspiciously. Seb smirked to himself but stayed quiet. Some surprises were better revealed in person. Madam Creed sighed dramatically afterward.

"You know what would make me even happier?" Seb already knew where this conversation was going.

"Mother..."

"If you finally allow me to introduce you to a nice girl." Seb groaned quietly.

"Someone elegant. Stable. Preferably not emotionally catastrophic this time."

"Mother." She ignored him completely.

"You need a wife eventually, Sebastian." His expression darkened slightly at that word. Wife. There had only ever been one woman he imagined beside him.

Only one. "We already discussed this," Seb said calmly. "You promised to stay out of my love life." Madam Creed huffed.

"I promised to try." Seb laughed softly under his breath despite himself. Then slowly, his smile returned. Because now he had something she didn’t know yet. Something that changed everything.

"Well," he said casually as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot, "when you finally come back, I have a surprise for you."

Madam Creed immediately perked up. "What kind of surprise?" Seb’s fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel. The image of Seren waking up flashed through his mind again.

Then Amara. Tomorrow. "She’s going to love me again," he thought quietly to himself. The certainty of it filled him with dangerous excitement.

"You’ll like it," he said aloud, unable to stop smiling now. Madam Creed laughed warmly. "You sound mysterious tonight."

"You’ll see."

"Now I’m impatient."

"Good."

"Sebastian Creed..." He laughed again, softer this time. "Goodnight, Mother."

"Goodnight, son." The call ended. Seb lowered the phone slowly, his smile lingering as he drove through the city lights. To anyone watching, he looked like a man finally healing.

Finally moving on. But the truth was far more dangerous. Sebastian Creed was not letting go. He was preparing to take everything back.

—-

Early the next morning, the mansion was quiet. Soft gray light filtered through the curtains, painting the bedroom in pale silver tones. The city outside was just beginning to wake, but inside the room, exhaustion still clung heavily to the air.

Amara sat at the edge of the bed with her phone pressed against her ear. Her voice sounded tired. Too tired.

"Janet, I’ll be unavailable for most of the morning," she said softly. "James will be there to help with anything important." She paused to listen.

"And Janet..." Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone. "If anything goes wrong, call me immediately. Don’t hesitate." After a few more instructions, she ended the call slowly.

Then silence returned again. Amara lowered the phone into her lap and rubbed her face tiredly. She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the Vale family’s voices again.

Tainted blood. Not a Vale. Divorce. The words chased her through the entire night until sleep became impossible. Behind her, the bedroom door opened quietly.

Julian walked in carrying that same gentle calm he somehow always wore around her, even when he himself was breaking apart inside. The moment he saw her sitting there awake, his expression softened immediately.

"You didn’t sleep at all, did you?" Amara forced a small smile.

"I’m fine." Julian gave her a look that clearly said he did not believe her for even a second. Without arguing, he walked over and sat behind her on the bed. Then gently, his hands settled against her shoulders.

Amara closed her eyes automatically the moment his fingers began massaging the tight muscles there. Slow. Careful. Like he was afraid she might shatter from too much pressure.

"No, you’re not fine," he murmured quietly. Amara said nothing. Because honestly? She was too tired to pretend properly anymore. Julian continued kneading the tension from her shoulders gently.

"Try to relax," he whispered. "Breakfast will be here soon." His thumbs moved slowly along the stiffness in her neck. "And don’t worry," he added softly. "I’m not going to talk you out of anything you want to do."

Amara’s eyes opened slightly. Julian’s voice remained calm behind her. "I’ll support you." The sincerity in those words made her chest ache. Amara turned suddenly to look at him. "Even the divorce?"

The question slipped out before she could stop it. Julian’s hands paused for only half a second. Then he smiled. Not bitterly. Not sadly. Just softly. Painfully softly.

"Well," he said quietly, "you attached a condition to loving me." Amara’s expression faltered immediately. Julian leaned back slightly, looking at her carefully.

"You said if the baby isn’t mine..." His voice remained gentle despite the heaviness of the words. "Then maybe we should divorce." Amara looked down instantly.

But Julian reached out immediately, lifting her chin gently so she would look at him again. "And I also gave you a condition." His eyes locked onto hers completely now.

"If you can look me in the face and say..." His voice lowered. "Julian, I don’t love you anymore. In fact, I never did. Please let me go.’" A small smile tugged faintly at the corner of his lips.

"Then I promise you," he whispered, "I won’t blink before signing the divorce papers." Amara stared at him silently. Her heart started beating painfully hard because he sounded so sure. So calm.