Riley is a psychologist who once met a mistress during an online consultation. Later, however, she discovered that the very same mistress had been sleeping with her husband—and had even given birth to his illegitimate child. Without hesitation, Riley filed for divorce and left the city with her daughter, moving to the capital to pursue a deeper academic career. Over the years, she transformed from a hospital newcomer into an internationally renowned professor of psychiatry and psychology, eventually becoming the youngest and most brilliant rising star in the medical field. Throughout this arduous journey, Sebastian—a man who stood at the very pinnacle of power—had been silently watching over her, always in the capacity of her daughter's uncle. One day, after winning a prestigious award, Riley went to thank him in person. "Sebastian," she said, "thank you for all your support along the way." To her utter surprise, Sebastian—a man notorious for keeping his distance from women—suddenly pulled her close by the waist and asked in a low voice, "And how exactly do you plan to thank me?" Riley's eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding so violently that she could not utter a single word. "How about giving yourself to me?" Sebastian leaned down and whispered in her ear. Later, with tears still glistening in her eyes, Riley asked him, "Don't you mind that I'm divorced and have a child?" "Divorce was never your fault," Sebastian replied. Then, his usually cold and stern features softened into a trace of tenderness as he added, "And as for the child—why would I ever dislike my own?"

Chapter 1“Doctor, I interfered in someone else's marriage and had a child with a man behind my boyfriend's back. Is that highly immoral?”Riley Vance was a psychologist. Today was her shift for online consultations, and this was the very first question from her newest client.The other woman, an affair, a secret child.The identities involved, the thrill of the taboo...No wonder she opted for an anonymous online session.Riley typed a professional response on her keyboard. “Could you tell me a little more about your situation?”“Our families have been friends for generations. We were childhood sweethearts, a match made in heaven, and both of our families were thrilled at the prospect. But just as we were about to get engaged, he fell in love with someone else. To please that woman, he forced me out of the country.”Riley let out a soft sigh.Childhood sweethearts couldn't compete with a sudden new flame. The prized catch had slipped away.Anyone would have a hard time accepting that. It was no wonder she was dealing with psychological issues.She typed: “Go on. I'm listening.”A good psychologist always had to be an excellent listener first.“It's not like I'm completely shameless. After going abroad, I found a boyfriend to try and forget him. But on the day I made my relationship public, he came to me behind his wife's back. We got together.”“I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist him. I got pregnant shortly after, and I had the baby without telling my boyfriend.”“When I offered him a legitimate relationship before, he didn't want it. Now, there's no way I'm breaking up with my boyfriend for him.”“Doctor, do you know? When I was giving birth, his wife was also close to her due date, but he chose to stay by my side. Doesn't that mean he loves me deeply?”Knowing she was the other woman and still having a child, stringing along a married man while refusing to break up with her boyfriend—what kind of twisted logic was this? It was completely morally bankrupt!Riley even wondered if something this crazy could actually happen in real life.In contrast, she was truly incredibly happy.Her husband, Pierce Landon, also had a childhood sweetheart named Seraphina Sutton.After learning about their relationship, Seraphina had tried endlessly to break them up. Eventually, she crossed the line, infuriating Pierce, and was sent abroad.Since then, Riley's life with Pierce had been warm and blissful. She was now over eight months pregnant, with just a month left until her due date.Even though she was heavily pregnant and her radiant complexion didn't look quite the same as before, Pierce treated her with the exact same passion as when they were first dating. At a single word from her, he would get out of bed in the middle of the night just to buy her a late-night snack.Her friends all said Pierce spoiled her completely, calling her the luckiest woman in the world.A message notification pulled Riley back to reality.“He's a man of high status, yet he personally changes our son's diapers. As soon as our son was born, he set up a ten-million-dollar education trust for him.”“This time, when my son and I returned to the country, he even picked us up personally. He bought us a massive estate and hired a dedicated butler and staff to take care of us, terrified we'd suffer even the slightest inconvenience.”Being the other woman and bragging about it so proudly—this person's mind was utterly twisted.Just as Riley was thinking about how to provide psychological counseling, the woman sent another message.“Doctor, you must be amazing to be a psychologist. Let me ask you a question: if your husband had an affair and a child with someone else, would you divorce him?”Riley was a bit annoyed. This woman was being incredibly rude.But on second thought, the client had psychological issues. Why should she hold it against a patient?She thought for a moment and typed on the keyboard: “Love is a two-way street. A one-sided betrayal shatters that balance. No one should cling to a relationship devoid of genuine sincerity.”“Doctor, you're absolutely right. The original wife should be as sensible as you.”After replying with that, the user went offline.Riley was left completely speechless. This person had to be out of their mind!If this wasn't her job, she would definitely post about it on social media to warn that poor wife.But now, bound by medical ethics, she had to keep it strictly confidential.Suddenly, the phone on her desk rang.Riley picked it up, and the voice of her best friend, Quinn Logan, instantly came through the line. “Riley, I just saw Seraphina is back in the country! And she's carrying a baby!”Riley's heart skipped a beat, her gaze subconsciously shifting to the grayed-out offline avatar on her computer screen.“Riley, did you hear me?”Riley snapped back to reality and shook her head. What was she thinking? Pierce loved her so much; things like an affair and an illegitimate child could never involve him.“I heard you. So what if she's back? What does it have to do with me?”“How does it not matter? What if she targets you again? Have you forgotten why she was sent abroad in the first place?”How could Riley ever forget?To ruin her wedding with Pierce, Seraphina had actually drugged her on her wedding day, intending for another man to assault her.Fortunately, Pierce found out just in time. In a blind rage, he had grabbed Seraphina by the throat.That was the first time Riley had seen Pierce so furiously unhinged. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his forehead and neck bulging, his gaze predatory and radiating absolute murderous intent.If Pierce's mother hadn't arrived in time to pull him off, Pierce likely would have strangled Seraphina to death.Afterward, Pierce forcibly sent Seraphina abroad. He even chose to pay exorbitant penalty fees to sever all business ties with the Sutton family. The incident caused a massive uproar in Riverport at the time.As a result, a saying still circulated among their elite circle to this day: Offend anyone but Mrs. Landon; you won't survive Mr. Landon's wrath.“Didn't you say she had a baby? That means she's moved on with a new relationship. Why would she come after me?”“That's true. Besides, Pierce loves you so much. Even if she had some twisted ideas, Pierce wouldn't let her get away with it.”Riley was about to reply, but the call suddenly disconnected.Did she get busy?Just then, a new client appeared online, and Riley resumed her consultations.At five o'clock, Riley turned off her computer and ended her shift.Actually, Pierce had long urged her to take maternity leave and rest at home. But she was a leading psychiatric specialist at the hospital, and the director wanted her to mentor the new interns.She didn't want to sit around at home doing nothing either, so she planned to follow standard protocol and start her leave two weeks before her due date.Riley rubbed her round belly as she walked out of the hospital, immediately spotting Pierce standing by his car, talking on the phone.The man was dressed in a bespoke silver-white suit, his figure tall and lean, the lines of his sculpted profile sharp and flawless.The sight brought Riley back to three years ago.At the time, she was still pursuing her doctorate, and Pierce had just taken over Landon Enterprises. He had stood by his car in a similar suit, waiting for her, before dropping to one knee with a ring to propose.The Landon family firmly opposed their relationship. She came from an ordinary background, while the Landons were the wealthiest family in Riverport. Their social statuses were worlds apart.Fully aware of the gap, she had rejected him.What truly made her decide to marry Pierce was something that happened on a bitter winter night.A freezing wind howled outside amidst a torrential downpour. Huddled under the covers in her hospital dorm, she was texting Pierce and casually mentioned she was craving hot, crispy fried chicken.Pierce replied: Wait a bit.She assumed he was busy, but half an hour later, he called and told her to come downstairs.She rushed down to find Pierce, his clothes soaked through. Smiling with pure adoration, he pulled a carefully sealed bag of fried chicken from his jacket and handed it to her. “Your fried chicken.”When she took it, it was still piping hot. Her heart aching, she pulled back his wet jacket, only to see that his chest was scalded red from the heat.At that moment, with a lump in her throat, she called him an idiot, but deep down, she made the absolute decision to marry him.“What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought.”The familiar voice pulled her back.Riley snapped out of her daze, realizing Pierce had already walked up to her.She shook her head. “Nothing. How come you're picking me up today?”Usually, their driver, Mr. Carter, picked her up from work.“Today is our anniversary. Of course I wanted to spend such a special day with you. I've booked a table at The Lotus Room. Let's go.”Pierce took Riley's hand and led her toward the car, asking as they walked, “Are you tired? Has the baby been fussy today?”Feeling the warmth of his palm, Riley couldn't help but smile. “I'm not tired. The baby has just been kicking a lot more lately.”Pierce's gentle gaze fell on Riley's belly. “Be good. Stop giving your mom a hard time, or I'm spanking you the moment you're born.”Riley shot Pierce a playful glare. “What kind of father are you? Planning to spank him before he's even born.”The two chatted and laughed all the way to the car.Pierce opened the passenger door.Just as Riley was about to get in, a faint, sweet, cloying perfume drifted into her nose.This scent...She felt like she had smelled it somewhere before, but couldn't place it right away.Riley turned to look at the man helping her into the car. “Why does your car smell like women's perfume?”A flash of panic crossed Pierce's eyes, quickly hidden. “The client I met today was a woman. Her car was in the shop, so after we signed the contract, I drove her back to her office.”Having no reason to doubt him, Riley got in.Pierce helped her buckle her seatbelt, walked around the front to get in, and drove toward The Lotus Room.During dinner, Pierce's phone, resting on the table, rang.Seeing that Pierce was wearing gloves to peel shrimp for her, Riley reached over to answer it and put it on speaker.“Don't answer.” Pierce stopped her. Seeing Riley's confused look, he maintained a calm expression. “It's an unknown number. Probably a spam call. Just hang up.”Riley nodded and declined the call.But a few seconds later, the exact same number called again.Spam callers rarely called back immediately after being hung up on.“It might be a client.” Pierce had already taken off his gloves. He picked up his phone and answered the call.Riley couldn't hear what the person on the other end said, but she saw Pierce's expression instantly tighten.She suppressed her anxiety until he hung up, quickly asking, “What's wrong?”“There's an emergency at the company. I need to head over there.”“Right now?”Pierce glanced at Riley's barely touched plate. “You eat first. Once you're done, I'll take you home before I go.”Riley didn't want to delay Pierce's work. “You go ahead. I'll call Mr. Carter to pick me up.”“No, I'll wait.”Riley took Pierce's hand and placed it on her rounded belly. “The baby is counting on you to make that diaper money. Go on, I'll be perfectly fine on my own.”Pierce gently stroked Riley's belly, his expression incredibly soft. “Alright, whatever you say.”He finished peeling the shrimp for her and called Mr. Carter before finally leaving.Just as Riley finished eating, Mr. Carter arrived.On the ride home, Riley thought about Pierce's tense expression during the call. Still feeling unsettled, she sent him a text: [How are things at the company?]He replied almost immediately: [Handling it now. Don't worry, it's nothing major.]Riley instantly felt relieved. She then dialed Quinn's number. “Hey busy bee, have you eaten?”“This is the last IV bag. Once it's done, I'm good to go,” an unfamiliar, distant female voice echoed through the phone.Riley's heart clenched. “You're in the hospital? What happened?”“I got into a minor car accident...”“A car accident? Is it serious? Which hospital are you at?”“Don't panic. It's a minor injury. I'll be discharged in a couple of days.”“You're admitted to the hospital and you call it minor? Tell me right now, which hospital? What room number?”Quinn gave her the exact address.Riley hung up and immediately told Mr. Carter to drive her to General Hospital.About twenty minutes later.Riley walked into the inpatient building. As she approached the elevators, she was surprised to see Pierce.He was holding a shopping bag in one hand and scrolling through his phone with the other.“Pierce, what are you doing here?”Hearing her familiar voice, Pierce's grip on his phone tightened. He paused for a second before looking up. “Riley? Why are you at the hospital?”“Quinn was in a car accident. I came to see her.”Chapter 2“Doctor, I interfered in someone else's marriage and had a child with a man behind my boyfriend's back. Is that highly immoral?”Riley Vance was a psychologist. Today was her shift for online consultations, and this was the very first question from her newest client.The other woman, an affair, a secret child.The identities involved, the thrill of the taboo...No wonder she opted for an anonymous online session.Riley typed a professional response on her keyboard. “Could you tell me a little more about your situation?”“Our families have been friends for generations. We were childhood sweethearts, a match made in heaven, and both of our families were thrilled at the prospect. But just as we were about to get engaged, he fell in love with someone else. To please that woman, he forced me out of the country.”Riley let out a soft sigh.Childhood sweethearts couldn't compete with a sudden new flame. The prized catch had slipped away.Anyone would have a hard time accepting that. It was no wonder she was dealing with psychological issues.She typed: “Go on. I'm listening.”A good psychologist always had to be an excellent listener first.“It's not like I'm completely shameless. After going abroad, I found a boyfriend to try and forget him. But on the day I made my relationship public, he came to me behind his wife's back. We got together.”“I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist him. I got pregnant shortly after, and I had the baby without telling my boyfriend.”“When I offered him a legitimate relationship before, he didn't want it. Now, there's no way I'm breaking up with my boyfriend for him.”“Doctor, do you know? When I was giving birth, his wife was also close to her due date, but he chose to stay by my side. Doesn't that mean he loves me deeply?”Knowing she was the other woman and still having a child, stringing along a married man while refusing to break up with her boyfriend—what kind of twisted logic was this? It was completely morally bankrupt!Riley even wondered if something this crazy could actually happen in real life.In contrast, she was truly incredibly happy.Her husband, Pierce Landon, also had a childhood sweetheart named Seraphina Sutton.After learning about their relationship, Seraphina had tried endlessly to break them up. Eventually, she crossed the line, infuriating Pierce, and was sent abroad.Since then, Riley's life with Pierce had been warm and blissful. She was now over eight months pregnant, with just a month left until her due date.Even though she was heavily pregnant and her radiant complexion didn't look quite the same as before, Pierce treated her with the exact same passion as when they were first dating. At a single word from her, he would get out of bed in the middle of the night just to buy her a late-night snack.Her friends all said Pierce spoiled her completely, calling her the luckiest woman in the world.A message notification pulled Riley back to reality.“He's a man of high status, yet he personally changes our son's diapers. As soon as our son was born, he set up a ten-million-dollar education trust for him.”“This time, when my son and I returned to the country, he even picked us up personally. He bought us a massive estate and hired a dedicated butler and staff to take care of us, terrified we'd suffer even the slightest inconvenience.”Being the other woman and bragging about it so proudly—this person's mind was utterly twisted.Just as Riley was thinking about how to provide psychological counseling, the woman sent another message.“Doctor, you must be amazing to be a psychologist. Let me ask you a question: if your husband had an affair and a child with someone else, would you divorce him?”Riley was a bit annoyed. This woman was being incredibly rude.But on second thought, the client had psychological issues. Why should she hold it against a patient?She thought for a moment and typed on the keyboard: “Love is a two-way street. A one-sided betrayal shatters that balance. No one should cling to a relationship devoid of genuine sincerity.”“Doctor, you're absolutely right. The original wife should be as sensible as you.”After replying with that, the user went offline.Riley was left completely speechless. This person had to be out of their mind!If this wasn't her job, she would definitely post about it on social media to warn that poor wife.But now, bound by medical ethics, she had to keep it strictly confidential.Suddenly, the phone on her desk rang.Riley picked it up, and the voice of her best friend, Quinn Logan, instantly came through the line. “Riley, I just saw Seraphina is back in the country! And she's carrying a baby!”Riley's heart skipped a beat, her gaze subconsciously shifting to the grayed-out offline avatar on her computer screen.“Riley, did you hear me?”Riley snapped back to reality and shook her head. What was she thinking? Pierce loved her so much; things like an affair and an illegitimate child could never involve him.“I heard you. So what if she's back? What does it have to do with me?”“How does it not matter? What if she targets you again? Have you forgotten why she was sent abroad in the first place?”How could Riley ever forget?To ruin her wedding with Pierce, Seraphina had actually drugged her on her wedding day, intending for another man to assault her.Fortunately, Pierce found out just in time. In a blind rage, he had grabbed Seraphina by the throat.That was the first time Riley had seen Pierce so furiously unhinged. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his forehead and neck bulging, his gaze predatory and radiating absolute murderous intent.If Pierce's mother hadn't arrived in time to pull him off, Pierce likely would have strangled Seraphina to death.Afterward, Pierce forcibly sent Seraphina abroad. He even chose to pay exorbitant penalty fees to sever all business ties with the Sutton family. The incident caused a massive uproar in Riverport at the time.As a result, a saying still circulated among their elite circle to this day: Offend anyone but Mrs. Landon; you won't survive Mr. Landon's wrath.“Didn't you say she had a baby? That means she's moved on with a new relationship. Why would she come after me?”“That's true. Besides, Pierce loves you so much. Even if she had some twisted ideas, Pierce wouldn't let her get away with it.”Riley was about to reply, but the call suddenly disconnected.Did she get busy?Just then, a new client appeared online, and Riley resumed her consultations.At five o'clock, Riley turned off her computer and ended her shift.Actually, Pierce had long urged her to take maternity leave and rest at home. But she was a leading psychiatric specialist at the hospital, and the director wanted her to mentor the new interns.She didn't want to sit around at home doing nothing either, so she planned to follow standard protocol and start her leave two weeks before her due date.Riley rubbed her round belly as she walked out of the hospital, immediately spotting Pierce standing by his car, talking on the phone.The man was dressed in a bespoke silver-white suit, his figure tall and lean, the lines of his sculpted profile sharp and flawless.The sight brought Riley back to three years ago.At the time, she was still pursuing her doctorate, and Pierce had just taken over Landon Enterprises. He had stood by his car in a similar suit, waiting for her, before dropping to one knee with a ring to propose.The Landon family firmly opposed their relationship. She came from an ordinary background, while the Landons were the wealthiest family in Riverport. Their social statuses were worlds apart.Fully aware of the gap, she had rejected him.What truly made her decide to marry Pierce was something that happened on a bitter winter night.A freezing wind howled outside amidst a torrential downpour. Huddled under the covers in her hospital dorm, she was texting Pierce and casually mentioned she was craving hot, crispy fried chicken.Pierce replied: Wait a bit.She assumed he was busy, but half an hour later, he called and told her to come downstairs.She rushed down to find Pierce, his clothes soaked through. Smiling with pure adoration, he pulled a carefully sealed bag of fried chicken from his jacket and handed it to her. “Your fried chicken.”When she took it, it was still piping hot. Her heart aching, she pulled back his wet jacket, only to see that his chest was scalded red from the heat.At that moment, with a lump in her throat, she called him an idiot, but deep down, she made the absolute decision to marry him.“What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought.”The familiar voice pulled her back.Riley snapped out of her daze, realizing Pierce had already walked up to her.She shook her head. “Nothing. How come you're picking me up today?”Usually, their driver, Mr. Carter, picked her up from work.“Today is our anniversary. Of course I wanted to spend such a special day with you. I've booked a table at The Lotus Room. Let's go.”Pierce took Riley's hand and led her toward the car, asking as they walked, “Are you tired? Has the baby been fussy today?”Feeling the warmth of his palm, Riley couldn't help but smile. “I'm not tired. The baby has just been kicking a lot more lately.”Pierce's gentle gaze fell on Riley's belly. “Be good. Stop giving your mom a hard time, or I'm spanking you the moment you're born.”Riley shot Pierce a playful glare. “What kind of father are you? Planning to spank him before he's even born.”The two chatted and laughed all the way to the car.Pierce opened the passenger door.Just as Riley was about to get in, a faint, sweet, cloying perfume drifted into her nose.This scent...She felt like she had smelled it somewhere before, but couldn't place it right away.Riley turned to look at the man helping her into the car. “Why does your car smell like women's perfume?”A flash of panic crossed Pierce's eyes, quickly hidden. “The client I met today was a woman. Her car was in the shop, so after we signed the contract, I drove her back to her office.”Having no reason to doubt him, Riley got in.Pierce helped her buckle her seatbelt, walked around the front to get in, and drove toward The Lotus Room.During dinner, Pierce's phone, resting on the table, rang.Seeing that Pierce was wearing gloves to peel shrimp for her, Riley reached over to answer it and put it on speaker.“Don't answer.” Pierce stopped her. Seeing Riley's confused look, he maintained a calm expression. “It's an unknown number. Probably a spam call. Just hang up.”Riley nodded and declined the call.But a few seconds later, the exact same number called again.Spam callers rarely called back immediately after being hung up on.“It might be a client.” Pierce had already taken off his gloves. He picked up his phone and answered the call.Riley couldn't hear what the person on the other end said, but she saw Pierce's expression instantly tighten.She suppressed her anxiety until he hung up, quickly asking, “What's wrong?”“There's an emergency at the company. I need to head over there.”“Right now?”Pierce glanced at Riley's barely touched plate. “You eat first. Once you're done, I'll take you home before I go.”Riley didn't want to delay Pierce's work. “You go ahead. I'll call Mr. Carter to pick me up.”“No, I'll wait.”Riley took Pierce's hand and placed it on her rounded belly. “The baby is counting on you to make that diaper money. Go on, I'll be perfectly fine on my own.”Pierce gently stroked Riley's belly, his expression incredibly soft. “Alright, whatever you say.”He finished peeling the shrimp for her and called Mr. Carter before finally leaving.Just as Riley finished eating, Mr. Carter arrived.On the ride home, Riley thought about Pierce's tense expression during the call. Still feeling unsettled, she sent him a text: [How are things at the company?]He replied almost immediately: [Handling it now. Don't worry, it's nothing major.]Riley instantly felt relieved. She then dialed Quinn's number. “Hey busy bee, have you eaten?”“This is the last IV bag. Once it's done, I'm good to go,” an unfamiliar, distant female voice echoed through the phone.Riley's heart clenched. “You're in the hospital? What happened?”“I got into a minor car accident...”“A car accident? Is it serious? Which hospital are you at?”“Don't panic. It's a minor injury. I'll be discharged in a couple of days.”“You're admitted to the hospital and you call it minor? Tell me right now, which hospital? What room number?”Quinn gave her the exact address.Riley hung up and immediately told Mr. Carter to drive her to General Hospital.About twenty minutes later.Riley walked into the inpatient building. As she approached the elevators, she was surprised to see Pierce.He was holding a shopping bag in one hand and scrolling through his phone with the other.“Pierce, what are you doing here?”Hearing her familiar voice, Pierce's grip on his phone tightened. He paused for a second before looking up. “Riley? Why are you at the hospital?”“Quinn was in a car accident. I came to see her.”Chapter 3“Doctor, I interfered in someone else's marriage and had a child with a man behind my boyfriend's back. Is that highly immoral?”Riley Vance was a psychologist. Today was her shift for online consultations, and this was the very first question from her newest client.The other woman, an affair, a secret child.The identities involved, the thrill of the taboo...No wonder she opted for an anonymous online session.Riley typed a professional response on her keyboard. “Could you tell me a little more about your situation?”“Our families have been friends for generations. We were childhood sweethearts, a match made in heaven, and both of our families were thrilled at the prospect. But just as we were about to get engaged, he fell in love with someone else. To please that woman, he forced me out of the country.”Riley let out a soft sigh.Childhood sweethearts couldn't compete with a sudden new flame. The prized catch had slipped away.Anyone would have a hard time accepting that. It was no wonder she was dealing with psychological issues.She typed: “Go on. I'm listening.”A good psychologist always had to be an excellent listener first.“It's not like I'm completely shameless. After going abroad, I found a boyfriend to try and forget him. But on the day I made my relationship public, he came to me behind his wife's back. We got together.”“I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist him. I got pregnant shortly after, and I had the baby without telling my boyfriend.”“When I offered him a legitimate relationship before, he didn't want it. Now, there's no way I'm breaking up with my boyfriend for him.”“Doctor, do you know? When I was giving birth, his wife was also close to her due date, but he chose to stay by my side. Doesn't that mean he loves me deeply?”Knowing she was the other woman and still having a child, stringing along a married man while refusing to break up with her boyfriend—what kind of twisted logic was this? It was completely morally bankrupt!Riley even wondered if something this crazy could actually happen in real life.In contrast, she was truly incredibly happy.Her husband, Pierce Landon, also had a childhood sweetheart named Seraphina Sutton.After learning about their relationship, Seraphina had tried endlessly to break them up. Eventually, she crossed the line, infuriating Pierce, and was sent abroad.Since then, Riley's life with Pierce had been warm and blissful. She was now over eight months pregnant, with just a month left until her due date.Even though she was heavily pregnant and her radiant complexion didn't look quite the same as before, Pierce treated her with the exact same passion as when they were first dating. At a single word from her, he would get out of bed in the middle of the night just to buy her a late-night snack.Her friends all said Pierce spoiled her completely, calling her the luckiest woman in the world.A message notification pulled Riley back to reality.“He's a man of high status, yet he personally changes our son's diapers. As soon as our son was born, he set up a ten-million-dollar education trust for him.”“This time, when my son and I returned to the country, he even picked us up personally. He bought us a massive estate and hired a dedicated butler and staff to take care of us, terrified we'd suffer even the slightest inconvenience.”Being the other woman and bragging about it so proudly—this person's mind was utterly twisted.Just as Riley was thinking about how to provide psychological counseling, the woman sent another message.“Doctor, you must be amazing to be a psychologist. Let me ask you a question: if your husband had an affair and a child with someone else, would you divorce him?”Riley was a bit annoyed. This woman was being incredibly rude.But on second thought, the client had psychological issues. Why should she hold it against a patient?She thought for a moment and typed on the keyboard: “Love is a two-way street. A one-sided betrayal shatters that balance. No one should cling to a relationship devoid of genuine sincerity.”“Doctor, you're absolutely right. The original wife should be as sensible as you.”After replying with that, the user went offline.Riley was left completely speechless. This person had to be out of their mind!If this wasn't her job, she would definitely post about it on social media to warn that poor wife.But now, bound by medical ethics, she had to keep it strictly confidential.Suddenly, the phone on her desk rang.Riley picked it up, and the voice of her best friend, Quinn Logan, instantly came through the line. “Riley, I just saw Seraphina is back in the country! And she's carrying a baby!”Riley's heart skipped a beat, her gaze subconsciously shifting to the grayed-out offline avatar on her computer screen.“Riley, did you hear me?”Riley snapped back to reality and shook her head. What was she thinking? Pierce loved her so much; things like an affair and an illegitimate child could never involve him.“I heard you. So what if she's back? What does it have to do with me?”“How does it not matter? What if she targets you again? Have you forgotten why she was sent abroad in the first place?”How could Riley ever forget?To ruin her wedding with Pierce, Seraphina had actually drugged her on her wedding day, intending for another man to assault her.Fortunately, Pierce found out just in time. In a blind rage, he had grabbed Seraphina by the throat.That was the first time Riley had seen Pierce so furiously unhinged. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his forehead and neck bulging, his gaze predatory and radiating absolute murderous intent.If Pierce's mother hadn't arrived in time to pull him off, Pierce likely would have strangled Seraphina to death.Afterward, Pierce forcibly sent Seraphina abroad. He even chose to pay exorbitant penalty fees to sever all business ties with the Sutton family. The incident caused a massive uproar in Riverport at the time.As a result, a saying still circulated among their elite circle to this day: Offend anyone but Mrs. Landon; you won't survive Mr. Landon's wrath.“Didn't you say she had a baby? That means she's moved on with a new relationship. Why would she come after me?”“That's true. Besides, Pierce loves you so much. Even if she had some twisted ideas, Pierce wouldn't let her get away with it.”Riley was about to reply, but the call suddenly disconnected.Did she get busy?Just then, a new client appeared online, and Riley resumed her consultations.At five o'clock, Riley turned off her computer and ended her shift.Actually, Pierce had long urged her to take maternity leave and rest at home. But she was a leading psychiatric specialist at the hospital, and the director wanted her to mentor the new interns.She didn't want to sit around at home doing nothing either, so she planned to follow standard protocol and start her leave two weeks before her due date.Riley rubbed her round belly as she walked out of the hospital, immediately spotting Pierce standing by his car, talking on the phone.The man was dressed in a bespoke silver-white suit, his figure tall and lean, the lines of his sculpted profile sharp and flawless.The sight brought Riley back to three years ago.At the time, she was still pursuing her doctorate, and Pierce had just taken over Landon Enterprises. He had stood by his car in a similar suit, waiting for her, before dropping to one knee with a ring to propose.The Landon family firmly opposed their relationship. She came from an ordinary background, while the Landons were the wealthiest family in Riverport. Their social statuses were worlds apart.Fully aware of the gap, she had rejected him.What truly made her decide to marry Pierce was something that happened on a bitter winter night.A freezing wind howled outside amidst a torrential downpour. Huddled under the covers in her hospital dorm, she was texting Pierce and casually mentioned she was craving hot, crispy fried chicken.Pierce replied: Wait a bit.She assumed he was busy, but half an hour later, he called and told her to come downstairs.She rushed down to find Pierce, his clothes soaked through. Smiling with pure adoration, he pulled a carefully sealed bag of fried chicken from his jacket and handed it to her. “Your fried chicken.”When she took it, it was still piping hot. Her heart aching, she pulled back his wet jacket, only to see that his chest was scalded red from the heat.At that moment, with a lump in her throat, she called him an idiot, but deep down, she made the absolute decision to marry him.“What are you thinking about? You're so lost in thought.”The familiar voice pulled her back.Riley snapped out of her daze, realizing Pierce had already walked up to her.She shook her head. “Nothing. How come you're picking me up today?”Usually, their driver, Mr. Carter, picked her up from work.“Today is our anniversary. Of course I wanted to spend such a special day with you. I've booked a table at The Lotus Room. Let's go.”Pierce took Riley's hand and led her toward the car, asking as they walked, “Are you tired? Has the baby been fussy today?”Feeling the warmth of his palm, Riley couldn't help but smile. “I'm not tired. The baby has just been kicking a lot more lately.”Pierce's gentle gaze fell on Riley's belly. “Be good. Stop giving your mom a hard time, or I'm spanking you the moment you're born.”Riley shot Pierce a playful glare. “What kind of father are you? Planning to spank him before he's even born.”The two chatted and laughed all the way to the car.Pierce opened the passenger door.Just as Riley was about to get in, a faint, sweet, cloying perfume drifted into her nose.This scent...She felt like she had smelled it somewhere before, but couldn't place it right away.Riley turned to look at the man helping her into the car. “Why does your car smell like women's perfume?”A flash of panic crossed Pierce's eyes, quickly hidden. “The client I met today was a woman. Her car was in the shop, so after we signed the contract, I drove her back to her office.”Having no reason to doubt him, Riley got in.Pierce helped her buckle her seatbelt, walked around the front to get in, and drove toward The Lotus Room.During dinner, Pierce's phone, resting on the table, rang.Seeing that Pierce was wearing gloves to peel shrimp for her, Riley reached over to answer it and put it on speaker.“Don't answer.” Pierce stopped her. Seeing Riley's confused look, he maintained a calm expression. “It's an unknown number. Probably a spam call. Just hang up.”Riley nodded and declined the call.But a few seconds later, the exact same number called again.Spam callers rarely called back immediately after being hung up on.“It might be a client.” Pierce had already taken off his gloves. He picked up his phone and answered the call.Riley couldn't hear what the person on the other end said, but she saw Pierce's expression instantly tighten.She suppressed her anxiety until he hung up, quickly asking, “What's wrong?”“There's an emergency at the company. I need to head over there.”“Right now?”Pierce glanced at Riley's barely touched plate. “You eat first. Once you're done, I'll take you home before I go.”Riley didn't want to delay Pierce's work. “You go ahead. I'll call Mr. Carter to pick me up.”“No, I'll wait.”Riley took Pierce's hand and placed it on her rounded belly. “The baby is counting on you to make that diaper money. Go on, I'll be perfectly fine on my own.”Pierce gently stroked Riley's belly, his expression incredibly soft. “Alright, whatever you say.”He finished peeling the shrimp for her and called Mr. Carter before finally leaving.Just as Riley finished eating, Mr. Carter arrived.On the ride home, Riley thought about Pierce's tense expression during the call. Still feeling unsettled, she sent him a text: [How are things at the company?]He replied almost immediately: [Handling it now. Don't worry, it's nothing major.]Riley instantly felt relieved. She then dialed Quinn's number. “Hey busy bee, have you eaten?”“This is the last IV bag. Once it's done, I'm good to go,” an unfamiliar, distant female voice echoed through the phone.Riley's heart clenched. “You're in the hospital? What happened?”“I got into a minor car accident...”“A car accident? Is it serious? Which hospital are you at?”“Don't panic. It's a minor injury. I'll be discharged in a couple of days.”“You're admitted to the hospital and you call it minor? Tell me right now, which hospital? What room number?”Quinn gave her the exact address.Riley hung up and immediately told Mr. Carter to drive her to General Hospital.About twenty minutes later.Riley walked into the inpatient building. As she approached the elevators, she was surprised to see Pierce.He was holding a shopping bag in one hand and scrolling through his phone with the other.“Pierce, what are you doing here?”Hearing her familiar voice, Pierce's grip on his phone tightened. He paused for a second before looking up. “Riley? Why are you at the hospital?”“Quinn was in a car accident. I came to see her.”