Raelynn Ortiz had only two secrets in her marriage. First, the Croix family never accepted her. They tricked Sebastian Croix into signing a divorce agreement before the wedding — without his knowledge. Their marriage was set to expire in seven years. Second… she secretly had a daughter behind Sebastian's back. For seven years, Sebastian never knew he had a five-year-old child. Raelynn thought that if she gave him her all, she could eventually warm his heart. But just three months before the divorce agreement was set to take effect, she made a chilling discovery — her husband had a secret of his own. The woman he truly loved was his cousin's fiancée. Seven years of devotion. Nothing but a ridiculous, absurd joke. Heart completely dead, Raelynn decided she would never tell him about their daughter. She filed for divorce without hesitation — she'd keep the child and leave the man behind. As far as she was concerned, he was nothing more than a sperm donor. Then, Raelynn rose from a scorned housewife to the youngest winner of the highest medical award. Sebastian, the man who had ignored her for years, finally learned the truth. She had already decided to leave him. She no longer wanted him. And their daughter's existence became public. The cold, aloof Sebastian cornered her in front of everyone, teeth clenched, and growled: "Divorce? Keep the kid and dump me? Honey… are you trying to kill me?" Raelynn held her daughter's hand and gave a faint smile. "Mr. Croix, listen carefully. My daughter's last name is Hudson. Not Croix."

Chapter 1For the first seven years of her marriage, Raelynn Ortiz harbored a massive secret: she had a daughter.The little girl was five years old now, and her husband had absolutely no idea.She had never given Sebastian Croix the chance to play daddy.On her break during the night shift, Raelynn listened to a voice note from her daughter, who was currently being raised out of state. Her sweet, innocent voice drifted through the phone:"Mommy~ Why haven't I ever met Daddy? Is he dead?"Raelynn actually gave it some serious thought.Not dead. But close enough.Little Lily Hudson was starting to develop her own thoughts, and a new dilemma was brewing in her tiny head.For instance, the kid had never met her biological father.Her curiosity was sprouting day by day.So much so that Raelynn was deeply considering whether she should just come clean to Sebastian. Tell him they actually had a five-year-old together, and he could skip the grueling newborn phase and effortlessly become a father.Closing the chat window with little Lily, Raelynn did some mental math.She and Sebastian only had three months left...Carefully choosing her words, she typed a line in her text thread with Sebastian—a chat history that was already pitifully sparse:[If we had a baby, would you...]Before she could hit send, the door was shoved open.A young nurse rushed in, looking frantic. "Dr. Ortiz! We've got an emergency. Suspected ruptured cyst—looks like they were way too rough in the bedroom during her first trimester"Raelynn immediately locked her screen.She shot up and followed the nurse out, her brow furrowed. "Are they out of their minds? You can't be that rough during the first trimester. Could they really not keep their hands off each other for five minutes?"But as the nurse pulled back the hospital curtain, the reprimand died in Raelynn's throat. She stared at the familiar woman on the bed.After a two-second pause, she called out the name in disbelief. "Seraphina Vance?"Her husband's... cousin’s fiancée??Seeing Raelynn, Seraphina stiffened imperceptibly but didn't answer.Raelynn instinctively assessed her condition.Seraphina was the fiancée of Sebastian's cousin.But that cousin had been sent to federal prison five months ago for corporate fraud, sentenced to a year and a half.Seraphina's stomach was completely flat, showing no signs of a bump. Even if she was pregnant, she couldn't be very far along.So where did this timeline-defying baby come from?But Raelynn wasn't one to pry into someone else's dirty laundry. She snapped on a pair of medical gloves. "Lie back down. I'll do a basic workup."Seraphina suddenly sat up, clearly displeased by Raelynn's presence. "I don't need you. I want a transfer."The young nurse looked at Raelynn awkwardly.Raelynn advised her calmly, "If you don't want permanent damage, lay back. I can do a basic check first."Seraphina frowned, hating Raelynn's composed, high-and-mighty attitude.Raelynn didn't waste her breath. As a doctor, she couldn't delay a patient's care. She leaned over to lift the hem of Seraphina's shirt.With a cold sneer, Seraphina swatted her hand away.It was a sharp, heavy blow.It stung.Raelynn looked down; the back of her hand was already bright red.Before she could even react, Seraphina suddenly softened her voice and called out to someone behind Raelynn. "Sebastian..."At the sound of that familiar name, Raelynn forgot about the stinging in her hand and turned her head.The man's strides were sharp and purposeful. His tailored overcoat was draped effortlessly over his arm, his tall, imposing figure exuding an untouchable elegance that commanded the room. As he approached, his gaze flicked sideways, locking with Raelynn's.But only for a fraction of a second. Without breaking his stride, he coldly looked away.He walked right past Raelynn as if she were a total stranger and stopped on the other side of the hospital bed.His deep, resonant voice was laced with an uncharacteristic edge of worry. "How is she?"Raelynn truly never expected this.The man stepping up as Seraphina's emergency contact... was the very husband she had been secretly married to for seven years!Watching Sebastian focus entirely on Seraphina in that moment, a thought crossed her mind.Did Sebastian see Seraphina viciously slap her just seconds ago?Basking in Sebastian's concern, Seraphina shot a fleeting, triumphant glance at the paralyzed Raelynn.She looked up at the man doting on her, her tone adopting the soft, coquettish whine usually reserved for lovers. "You know I only came to the hospital because my stomach was cramping."That single sentence made everything click for the surrounding staff.Wasn't this basically confirming that the man standing right here was the one who'd been so rough with her?Sebastian didn't deny it, nor did he offer any explanation to the room.Raelynn watched the scene unfold.She practically forgot how to breathe.She watched, paralyzed, as her husband showed such boundless care and indulgence... to his cousin's fiancée.Even though Sebastian was notoriously stoic, a woman's intuition was razor-sharp. How could she not feel the suffocating tension in the room?Especially when the reason Seraphina was in the ER was so deeply intimate—and her own husband was intimately involved!In that moment, a freezing chill seeped into her bones.She used to think Sebastian's coldness toward her was just his natural personality, that he simply didn't know how to love.Now she understood. He just saved his warmth for someone else.The reality of this situation and their identities was so absurd she wanted to laugh.Anyone with eyes could see exactly who had been in bed with her tonight.Seeing her stand there frozen, Sebastian finally let his gaze drift slowly toward her.His look stung like a physical blow, snapping Raelynn back to reality.Her gloved hand, which had been ready to examine the patient, trembled imperceptibly.It was as if the venom from Seraphina's slap was on a delay, leaving her brain starved of oxygen.The writing wasn't just on the wall; it was practically a flashing neon sign of his infidelity. Did she really need to humiliate herself further by verifying it?Noticing Sebastian treating Raelynn like an absolute stranger, Seraphina smirked subtly and took the initiative. "Sebastian, I want to transfer. Take me to a more reputable hospital.""Alright." Sebastian agreed instantly, as if he would bend over backwards for her every whim.There was an undeniable, impenetrable intimacy between the two of them.As a woman who had deeply loved this man for years in the role of his wife, how could Raelynn not feel it?It was so blindingly obvious that it tore at her chest.And Seraphina's demand for a 'more reputable hospital' was a blatant slap in the face—a clear mockery that Raelynn wasn't qualified to treat her.Sebastian handled the arrangements with flawless efficiency.Through it all, he didn't say another word to Raelynn, let alone show an ounce of...Shame!It wasn't until the two of them vanished from the clinic that Raelynn finally snapped out of her daze.Her coworkers, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, immediately erupted into fervent gossip."Oh my god! Young people today are wild."The young nurse's eyes were full of envy. "But that guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Looked like he'd be absolutely amazing in bed, too!"Raelynn kept her head down, her mind completely detached as she quietly peeled off her medical gloves. "Is he?"Missing the loaded tone, the nurse suddenly remembered something and leaned in, whispering, "Oh, right, Dr. Ortiz. You've been married for years, right? How come you never mention having kids?"Raelynn tossed her gloves into the trash can. "My husband suffers from severe erectile dysfunction. We're still seeking treatment."The young nurse snapped her mouth shut, her face flushing with profound embarrassment.She hadn't expected Raelynn to air out her husband's dirty laundry with such a straight face.But then again, it had to be true.Why else would someone be married for seven years without having a child?Because of that, she looked at Raelynn with even more pity.Raelynn hadn't told the truth.The reality was that Sebastian simply didn't want her to have his child.On the very first night of their marriage, he had looked at her with eyes like ice and stated, "I am swamped with work and have no time for children. I don't plan on having any. Don't get your hopes up, and don't try to negotiate with me."Back then, she was understanding. She knew he was genuinely busy.But now...Now she finally understood why he was so adamantly against having children.He was afraid that having a child would upset the woman he actually loved.The tragic irony was that, just moments ago, she had foolishly considered telling Sebastian about his daughter!Footsteps echoed again, and she looked up, locking eyes with Sebastian's unfathomable stare.The man had returned with the hospital discharge papers, looking at her with eyes colder than if she were a ghost.Had he overheard her little comment about his 'dysfunction'?On second thought.So what if he did? She didn't care anymore.True to form, Sebastian quickly looked away, turned, and walked off without a word.Raelynn wasn't surprised.Sebastian had always been like this.His impatience, his complete apathy, his refusal to waste any energy on her—he never bothered to hide it.Even if she wanted to pick a fight, it was impossible.She was left to swallow her frustration day after day, letting it rot in her chest.She might have had a husband, but she had no one to lean on.No emotional support whatsoever.That was one of the main reasons she had secretly given birth to her daughter and raised her behind his back.Dragging her heavy feet, she returned to her private office.Raelynn opened the bottom drawer of her desk. Inside lay two pristine stacks of documents.Before she and Sebastian had even signed their marriage license, Chairman Croix Sr. had approached her with these two files.One was a prenup. The other... was a divorce agreement.Her background was severely lacking compared to the Croix family. She and Sebastian were from two entirely different worlds. Had it not been for the massive scandal back then, the Croix family never would have let her through their doors.The old Chairman looked down on her.That divorce agreement came with a seven-year expiration date.Once the seven years were up, the divorce agreement... would go into effect.Back then, Sebastian hadn't even read the terms. He just signed it smoothly. He probably didn't even remember the document existed.She and Sebastian only had three months left before it all came to an end.She wasn't about to waste another second. She shoved the agreement into her bag, dragged her exhausted body through the rest of her shift, and finally headed back to the house they shared.The moment she stepped out of her heels in the foyer, she saw Sebastian descending the grand staircase.Raelynn froze in place.She didn't wait for him to initiate a talk. She didn't expect him to explain the ER incident.As he brushed past her, she finally found her voice. "Let's get a divorce.""I'll give you three months to sort out the asset division."Sebastian finally stopped in his tracks.His long fingers paused as he slowly adjusted his sapphire cufflink. His dark, icy eyes swept over her from head to toe. "Is this just because I took Seraphina to the hospital today?"Listen to that 'just because'.He knew perfectly well she'd care, yet he acted like it was nothing.Raelynn met his gaze head-on, her voice feather-light. "Yes."She was too exhausted to argue over the details.And he would never, ever find out about their child.Sebastian's eyes were completely void of emotion. He didn't care if she was throwing a fit. "You can throw your little tantrums at home, but when you step outside as Mrs. Croix, you know exactly how you're supposed to behave."That speech was nothing more than him protecting Seraphina's elegant public image.He didn't give a damn about how Raelynn felt.Raelynn saw it clearly now. So what if she caught them in the middle of their passionate affair?Chapter 2For the first seven years of her marriage, Raelynn Ortiz harbored a massive secret: she had a daughter.The little girl was five years old now, and her husband had absolutely no idea.She had never given Sebastian Croix the chance to play daddy.On her break during the night shift, Raelynn listened to a voice note from her daughter, who was currently being raised out of state. Her sweet, innocent voice drifted through the phone:"Mommy~ Why haven't I ever met Daddy? Is he dead?"Raelynn actually gave it some serious thought.Not dead. But close enough.Little Lily Hudson was starting to develop her own thoughts, and a new dilemma was brewing in her tiny head.For instance, the kid had never met her biological father.Her curiosity was sprouting day by day.So much so that Raelynn was deeply considering whether she should just come clean to Sebastian. Tell him they actually had a five-year-old together, and he could skip the grueling newborn phase and effortlessly become a father.Closing the chat window with little Lily, Raelynn did some mental math.She and Sebastian only had three months left...Carefully choosing her words, she typed a line in her text thread with Sebastian—a chat history that was already pitifully sparse:[If we had a baby, would you...]Before she could hit send, the door was shoved open.A young nurse rushed in, looking frantic. "Dr. Ortiz! We've got an emergency. Suspected ruptured cyst—looks like they were way too rough in the bedroom during her first trimester"Raelynn immediately locked her screen.She shot up and followed the nurse out, her brow furrowed. "Are they out of their minds? You can't be that rough during the first trimester. Could they really not keep their hands off each other for five minutes?"But as the nurse pulled back the hospital curtain, the reprimand died in Raelynn's throat. She stared at the familiar woman on the bed.After a two-second pause, she called out the name in disbelief. "Seraphina Vance?"Her husband's... cousin’s fiancée??Seeing Raelynn, Seraphina stiffened imperceptibly but didn't answer.Raelynn instinctively assessed her condition.Seraphina was the fiancée of Sebastian's cousin.But that cousin had been sent to federal prison five months ago for corporate fraud, sentenced to a year and a half.Seraphina's stomach was completely flat, showing no signs of a bump. Even if she was pregnant, she couldn't be very far along.So where did this timeline-defying baby come from?But Raelynn wasn't one to pry into someone else's dirty laundry. She snapped on a pair of medical gloves. "Lie back down. I'll do a basic workup."Seraphina suddenly sat up, clearly displeased by Raelynn's presence. "I don't need you. I want a transfer."The young nurse looked at Raelynn awkwardly.Raelynn advised her calmly, "If you don't want permanent damage, lay back. I can do a basic check first."Seraphina frowned, hating Raelynn's composed, high-and-mighty attitude.Raelynn didn't waste her breath. As a doctor, she couldn't delay a patient's care. She leaned over to lift the hem of Seraphina's shirt.With a cold sneer, Seraphina swatted her hand away.It was a sharp, heavy blow.It stung.Raelynn looked down; the back of her hand was already bright red.Before she could even react, Seraphina suddenly softened her voice and called out to someone behind Raelynn. "Sebastian..."At the sound of that familiar name, Raelynn forgot about the stinging in her hand and turned her head.The man's strides were sharp and purposeful. His tailored overcoat was draped effortlessly over his arm, his tall, imposing figure exuding an untouchable elegance that commanded the room. As he approached, his gaze flicked sideways, locking with Raelynn's.But only for a fraction of a second. Without breaking his stride, he coldly looked away.He walked right past Raelynn as if she were a total stranger and stopped on the other side of the hospital bed.His deep, resonant voice was laced with an uncharacteristic edge of worry. "How is she?"Raelynn truly never expected this.The man stepping up as Seraphina's emergency contact... was the very husband she had been secretly married to for seven years!Watching Sebastian focus entirely on Seraphina in that moment, a thought crossed her mind.Did Sebastian see Seraphina viciously slap her just seconds ago?Basking in Sebastian's concern, Seraphina shot a fleeting, triumphant glance at the paralyzed Raelynn.She looked up at the man doting on her, her tone adopting the soft, coquettish whine usually reserved for lovers. "You know I only came to the hospital because my stomach was cramping."That single sentence made everything click for the surrounding staff.Wasn't this basically confirming that the man standing right here was the one who'd been so rough with her?Sebastian didn't deny it, nor did he offer any explanation to the room.Raelynn watched the scene unfold.She practically forgot how to breathe.She watched, paralyzed, as her husband showed such boundless care and indulgence... to his cousin's fiancée.Even though Sebastian was notoriously stoic, a woman's intuition was razor-sharp. How could she not feel the suffocating tension in the room?Especially when the reason Seraphina was in the ER was so deeply intimate—and her own husband was intimately involved!In that moment, a freezing chill seeped into her bones.She used to think Sebastian's coldness toward her was just his natural personality, that he simply didn't know how to love.Now she understood. He just saved his warmth for someone else.The reality of this situation and their identities was so absurd she wanted to laugh.Anyone with eyes could see exactly who had been in bed with her tonight.Seeing her stand there frozen, Sebastian finally let his gaze drift slowly toward her.His look stung like a physical blow, snapping Raelynn back to reality.Her gloved hand, which had been ready to examine the patient, trembled imperceptibly.It was as if the venom from Seraphina's slap was on a delay, leaving her brain starved of oxygen.The writing wasn't just on the wall; it was practically a flashing neon sign of his infidelity. Did she really need to humiliate herself further by verifying it?Noticing Sebastian treating Raelynn like an absolute stranger, Seraphina smirked subtly and took the initiative. "Sebastian, I want to transfer. Take me to a more reputable hospital.""Alright." Sebastian agreed instantly, as if he would bend over backwards for her every whim.There was an undeniable, impenetrable intimacy between the two of them.As a woman who had deeply loved this man for years in the role of his wife, how could Raelynn not feel it?It was so blindingly obvious that it tore at her chest.And Seraphina's demand for a 'more reputable hospital' was a blatant slap in the face—a clear mockery that Raelynn wasn't qualified to treat her.Sebastian handled the arrangements with flawless efficiency.Through it all, he didn't say another word to Raelynn, let alone show an ounce of...Shame!It wasn't until the two of them vanished from the clinic that Raelynn finally snapped out of her daze.Her coworkers, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, immediately erupted into fervent gossip."Oh my god! Young people today are wild."The young nurse's eyes were full of envy. "But that guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Looked like he'd be absolutely amazing in bed, too!"Raelynn kept her head down, her mind completely detached as she quietly peeled off her medical gloves. "Is he?"Missing the loaded tone, the nurse suddenly remembered something and leaned in, whispering, "Oh, right, Dr. Ortiz. You've been married for years, right? How come you never mention having kids?"Raelynn tossed her gloves into the trash can. "My husband suffers from severe erectile dysfunction. We're still seeking treatment."The young nurse snapped her mouth shut, her face flushing with profound embarrassment.She hadn't expected Raelynn to air out her husband's dirty laundry with such a straight face.But then again, it had to be true.Why else would someone be married for seven years without having a child?Because of that, she looked at Raelynn with even more pity.Raelynn hadn't told the truth.The reality was that Sebastian simply didn't want her to have his child.On the very first night of their marriage, he had looked at her with eyes like ice and stated, "I am swamped with work and have no time for children. I don't plan on having any. Don't get your hopes up, and don't try to negotiate with me."Back then, she was understanding. She knew he was genuinely busy.But now...Now she finally understood why he was so adamantly against having children.He was afraid that having a child would upset the woman he actually loved.The tragic irony was that, just moments ago, she had foolishly considered telling Sebastian about his daughter!Footsteps echoed again, and she looked up, locking eyes with Sebastian's unfathomable stare.The man had returned with the hospital discharge papers, looking at her with eyes colder than if she were a ghost.Had he overheard her little comment about his 'dysfunction'?On second thought.So what if he did? She didn't care anymore.True to form, Sebastian quickly looked away, turned, and walked off without a word.Raelynn wasn't surprised.Sebastian had always been like this.His impatience, his complete apathy, his refusal to waste any energy on her—he never bothered to hide it.Even if she wanted to pick a fight, it was impossible.She was left to swallow her frustration day after day, letting it rot in her chest.She might have had a husband, but she had no one to lean on.No emotional support whatsoever.That was one of the main reasons she had secretly given birth to her daughter and raised her behind his back.Dragging her heavy feet, she returned to her private office.Raelynn opened the bottom drawer of her desk. Inside lay two pristine stacks of documents.Before she and Sebastian had even signed their marriage license, Chairman Croix Sr. had approached her with these two files.One was a prenup. The other... was a divorce agreement.Her background was severely lacking compared to the Croix family. She and Sebastian were from two entirely different worlds. Had it not been for the massive scandal back then, the Croix family never would have let her through their doors.The old Chairman looked down on her.That divorce agreement came with a seven-year expiration date.Once the seven years were up, the divorce agreement... would go into effect.Back then, Sebastian hadn't even read the terms. He just signed it smoothly. He probably didn't even remember the document existed.She and Sebastian only had three months left before it all came to an end.She wasn't about to waste another second. She shoved the agreement into her bag, dragged her exhausted body through the rest of her shift, and finally headed back to the house they shared.The moment she stepped out of her heels in the foyer, she saw Sebastian descending the grand staircase.Raelynn froze in place.She didn't wait for him to initiate a talk. She didn't expect him to explain the ER incident.As he brushed past her, she finally found her voice. "Let's get a divorce.""I'll give you three months to sort out the asset division."Sebastian finally stopped in his tracks.His long fingers paused as he slowly adjusted his sapphire cufflink. His dark, icy eyes swept over her from head to toe. "Is this just because I took Seraphina to the hospital today?"Listen to that 'just because'.He knew perfectly well she'd care, yet he acted like it was nothing.Raelynn met his gaze head-on, her voice feather-light. "Yes."She was too exhausted to argue over the details.And he would never, ever find out about their child.Sebastian's eyes were completely void of emotion. He didn't care if she was throwing a fit. "You can throw your little tantrums at home, but when you step outside as Mrs. Croix, you know exactly how you're supposed to behave."That speech was nothing more than him protecting Seraphina's elegant public image.He didn't give a damn about how Raelynn felt.Raelynn saw it clearly now. So what if she caught them in the middle of their passionate affair?Chapter 3For the first seven years of her marriage, Raelynn Ortiz harbored a massive secret: she had a daughter.The little girl was five years old now, and her husband had absolutely no idea.She had never given Sebastian Croix the chance to play daddy.On her break during the night shift, Raelynn listened to a voice note from her daughter, who was currently being raised out of state. Her sweet, innocent voice drifted through the phone:"Mommy~ Why haven't I ever met Daddy? Is he dead?"Raelynn actually gave it some serious thought.Not dead. But close enough.Little Lily Hudson was starting to develop her own thoughts, and a new dilemma was brewing in her tiny head.For instance, the kid had never met her biological father.Her curiosity was sprouting day by day.So much so that Raelynn was deeply considering whether she should just come clean to Sebastian. Tell him they actually had a five-year-old together, and he could skip the grueling newborn phase and effortlessly become a father.Closing the chat window with little Lily, Raelynn did some mental math.She and Sebastian only had three months left...Carefully choosing her words, she typed a line in her text thread with Sebastian—a chat history that was already pitifully sparse:[If we had a baby, would you...]Before she could hit send, the door was shoved open.A young nurse rushed in, looking frantic. "Dr. Ortiz! We've got an emergency. Suspected ruptured cyst—looks like they were way too rough in the bedroom during her first trimester"Raelynn immediately locked her screen.She shot up and followed the nurse out, her brow furrowed. "Are they out of their minds? You can't be that rough during the first trimester. Could they really not keep their hands off each other for five minutes?"But as the nurse pulled back the hospital curtain, the reprimand died in Raelynn's throat. She stared at the familiar woman on the bed.After a two-second pause, she called out the name in disbelief. "Seraphina Vance?"Her husband's... cousin’s fiancée??Seeing Raelynn, Seraphina stiffened imperceptibly but didn't answer.Raelynn instinctively assessed her condition.Seraphina was the fiancée of Sebastian's cousin.But that cousin had been sent to federal prison five months ago for corporate fraud, sentenced to a year and a half.Seraphina's stomach was completely flat, showing no signs of a bump. Even if she was pregnant, she couldn't be very far along.So where did this timeline-defying baby come from?But Raelynn wasn't one to pry into someone else's dirty laundry. She snapped on a pair of medical gloves. "Lie back down. I'll do a basic workup."Seraphina suddenly sat up, clearly displeased by Raelynn's presence. "I don't need you. I want a transfer."The young nurse looked at Raelynn awkwardly.Raelynn advised her calmly, "If you don't want permanent damage, lay back. I can do a basic check first."Seraphina frowned, hating Raelynn's composed, high-and-mighty attitude.Raelynn didn't waste her breath. As a doctor, she couldn't delay a patient's care. She leaned over to lift the hem of Seraphina's shirt.With a cold sneer, Seraphina swatted her hand away.It was a sharp, heavy blow.It stung.Raelynn looked down; the back of her hand was already bright red.Before she could even react, Seraphina suddenly softened her voice and called out to someone behind Raelynn. "Sebastian..."At the sound of that familiar name, Raelynn forgot about the stinging in her hand and turned her head.The man's strides were sharp and purposeful. His tailored overcoat was draped effortlessly over his arm, his tall, imposing figure exuding an untouchable elegance that commanded the room. As he approached, his gaze flicked sideways, locking with Raelynn's.But only for a fraction of a second. Without breaking his stride, he coldly looked away.He walked right past Raelynn as if she were a total stranger and stopped on the other side of the hospital bed.His deep, resonant voice was laced with an uncharacteristic edge of worry. "How is she?"Raelynn truly never expected this.The man stepping up as Seraphina's emergency contact... was the very husband she had been secretly married to for seven years!Watching Sebastian focus entirely on Seraphina in that moment, a thought crossed her mind.Did Sebastian see Seraphina viciously slap her just seconds ago?Basking in Sebastian's concern, Seraphina shot a fleeting, triumphant glance at the paralyzed Raelynn.She looked up at the man doting on her, her tone adopting the soft, coquettish whine usually reserved for lovers. "You know I only came to the hospital because my stomach was cramping."That single sentence made everything click for the surrounding staff.Wasn't this basically confirming that the man standing right here was the one who'd been so rough with her?Sebastian didn't deny it, nor did he offer any explanation to the room.Raelynn watched the scene unfold.She practically forgot how to breathe.She watched, paralyzed, as her husband showed such boundless care and indulgence... to his cousin's fiancée.Even though Sebastian was notoriously stoic, a woman's intuition was razor-sharp. How could she not feel the suffocating tension in the room?Especially when the reason Seraphina was in the ER was so deeply intimate—and her own husband was intimately involved!In that moment, a freezing chill seeped into her bones.She used to think Sebastian's coldness toward her was just his natural personality, that he simply didn't know how to love.Now she understood. He just saved his warmth for someone else.The reality of this situation and their identities was so absurd she wanted to laugh.Anyone with eyes could see exactly who had been in bed with her tonight.Seeing her stand there frozen, Sebastian finally let his gaze drift slowly toward her.His look stung like a physical blow, snapping Raelynn back to reality.Her gloved hand, which had been ready to examine the patient, trembled imperceptibly.It was as if the venom from Seraphina's slap was on a delay, leaving her brain starved of oxygen.The writing wasn't just on the wall; it was practically a flashing neon sign of his infidelity. Did she really need to humiliate herself further by verifying it?Noticing Sebastian treating Raelynn like an absolute stranger, Seraphina smirked subtly and took the initiative. "Sebastian, I want to transfer. Take me to a more reputable hospital.""Alright." Sebastian agreed instantly, as if he would bend over backwards for her every whim.There was an undeniable, impenetrable intimacy between the two of them.As a woman who had deeply loved this man for years in the role of his wife, how could Raelynn not feel it?It was so blindingly obvious that it tore at her chest.And Seraphina's demand for a 'more reputable hospital' was a blatant slap in the face—a clear mockery that Raelynn wasn't qualified to treat her.Sebastian handled the arrangements with flawless efficiency.Through it all, he didn't say another word to Raelynn, let alone show an ounce of...Shame!It wasn't until the two of them vanished from the clinic that Raelynn finally snapped out of her daze.Her coworkers, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, immediately erupted into fervent gossip."Oh my god! Young people today are wild."The young nurse's eyes were full of envy. "But that guy was drop-dead gorgeous. Looked like he'd be absolutely amazing in bed, too!"Raelynn kept her head down, her mind completely detached as she quietly peeled off her medical gloves. "Is he?"Missing the loaded tone, the nurse suddenly remembered something and leaned in, whispering, "Oh, right, Dr. Ortiz. You've been married for years, right? How come you never mention having kids?"Raelynn tossed her gloves into the trash can. "My husband suffers from severe erectile dysfunction. We're still seeking treatment."The young nurse snapped her mouth shut, her face flushing with profound embarrassment.She hadn't expected Raelynn to air out her husband's dirty laundry with such a straight face.But then again, it had to be true.Why else would someone be married for seven years without having a child?Because of that, she looked at Raelynn with even more pity.Raelynn hadn't told the truth.The reality was that Sebastian simply didn't want her to have his child.On the very first night of their marriage, he had looked at her with eyes like ice and stated, "I am swamped with work and have no time for children. I don't plan on having any. Don't get your hopes up, and don't try to negotiate with me."Back then, she was understanding. She knew he was genuinely busy.But now...Now she finally understood why he was so adamantly against having children.He was afraid that having a child would upset the woman he actually loved.The tragic irony was that, just moments ago, she had foolishly considered telling Sebastian about his daughter!Footsteps echoed again, and she looked up, locking eyes with Sebastian's unfathomable stare.The man had returned with the hospital discharge papers, looking at her with eyes colder than if she were a ghost.Had he overheard her little comment about his 'dysfunction'?On second thought.So what if he did? She didn't care anymore.True to form, Sebastian quickly looked away, turned, and walked off without a word.Raelynn wasn't surprised.Sebastian had always been like this.His impatience, his complete apathy, his refusal to waste any energy on her—he never bothered to hide it.Even if she wanted to pick a fight, it was impossible.She was left to swallow her frustration day after day, letting it rot in her chest.She might have had a husband, but she had no one to lean on.No emotional support whatsoever.That was one of the main reasons she had secretly given birth to her daughter and raised her behind his back.Dragging her heavy feet, she returned to her private office.Raelynn opened the bottom drawer of her desk. Inside lay two pristine stacks of documents.Before she and Sebastian had even signed their marriage license, Chairman Croix Sr. had approached her with these two files.One was a prenup. The other... was a divorce agreement.Her background was severely lacking compared to the Croix family. She and Sebastian were from two entirely different worlds. Had it not been for the massive scandal back then, the Croix family never would have let her through their doors.The old Chairman looked down on her.That divorce agreement came with a seven-year expiration date.Once the seven years were up, the divorce agreement... would go into effect.Back then, Sebastian hadn't even read the terms. He just signed it smoothly. He probably didn't even remember the document existed.She and Sebastian only had three months left before it all came to an end.She wasn't about to waste another second. She shoved the agreement into her bag, dragged her exhausted body through the rest of her shift, and finally headed back to the house they shared.The moment she stepped out of her heels in the foyer, she saw Sebastian descending the grand staircase.Raelynn froze in place.She didn't wait for him to initiate a talk. She didn't expect him to explain the ER incident.As he brushed past her, she finally found her voice. "Let's get a divorce.""I'll give you three months to sort out the asset division."Sebastian finally stopped in his tracks.His long fingers paused as he slowly adjusted his sapphire cufflink. His dark, icy eyes swept over her from head to toe. "Is this just because I took Seraphina to the hospital today?"Listen to that 'just because'.He knew perfectly well she'd care, yet he acted like it was nothing.Raelynn met his gaze head-on, her voice feather-light. "Yes."She was too exhausted to argue over the details.And he would never, ever find out about their child.Sebastian's eyes were completely void of emotion. He didn't care if she was throwing a fit. "You can throw your little tantrums at home, but when you step outside as Mrs. Croix, you know exactly how you're supposed to behave."That speech was nothing more than him protecting Seraphina's elegant public image.He didn't give a damn about how Raelynn felt.Raelynn saw it clearly now. So what if she caught them in the middle of their passionate affair?