Chapter 01

At the most expensive hospital in São Paulo, Stella emerged from the doctor's office, her face pale and hopeless. Her legs felt weak, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.

Fortunately, someone caught her.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Stella shook her head, sat down on a chair in the hospital corridor, and covered her face with both hands.

She wanted to cry but couldn’t shed any tears. Seeing this, the family driver stood by her side, unsure of how to comfort her.

All of this was because of her son, Liam Collins, who was battling leukemia. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, none of the treatments were effective.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Anna Collins, the family matriarch, immediately took control.

"Carla, call Nathan and tell him to come home immediately!" Anna commanded coldly.

"Mother-in-law, is this really necessary?" Carla frowned. "I heard he’s involved in a project that requires his presence…"

Before Carla could finish, Anna cut her off sharply.

"So work is more important than his son? Should we just let Liam die?"

"Mother-in-law, that’s not what I meant. I’ll call him right away," Carla said, her expression changing as she rushed out of the hospital.

"Ella, don’t worry. Even if all other treatments have failed, there’s still one with the highest chance of curing Liam," Anna said, trying to comfort Stella, whose eyes were red, her voice hoarse from crying.

"I know, Mrs. Collins. I’m going to see Liam. I want to be near him."

Stella didn’t want to think about the final option. It required her and her husband, who had left over four years ago, to conceive another child, whose hematopoietic stem cells could be used for a transplant.

Standing outside Liam’s hospital room, Stella patted her face to brighten her expression, added a forced smile, and opened the door.

"Mommy!!" Liam called out cheerfully upon seeing her.

"Sweetheart, you’re awake! Are you in pain?" Stella rushed over and embraced him.

"I’m fine, Mommy!" Liam replied, then looked at her closely. "Mommy, have you been crying?"

"No, I’m fine," Stella said, trying to smile, but Liam stared at her intently.

"Your eyes don’t lie, Mommy!" Liam pointed out her fib. Even at just three years old, he was incredibly perceptive.

"It’s just dust, sweetie. I wasn’t crying," Stella said, rubbing her eyes.

"Every time you cry, you use that excuse," Liam said, hugging her tightly. "Mommy, I’m okay. I’ll get better soon, trust me!"

"I know." Despite her sadness, Stella managed to laugh and kiss his forehead.

"Mom, is it true that Dad is coming back?" Liam suddenly asked.

"Who told you that?" Stella asked.

"Grandma," he replied, looking at her.

"Are you curious to meet him?"

"I don’t want him to come back. Honestly, I don’t even want to meet him," Liam said firmly.

But Stella knew he was lying. No matter how angry he was at Nathan for abandoning them, Liam was still a child, and his heart longed for paternal love.

That night, Stella returned home late after accompanying Liam at the hospital. Passing by Anna’s room, she noticed the light was still on.

"Anna hasn’t gone to bed yet?"

She was about to call out when she heard a male voice from inside.

"You’re not deceiving me, are you? Is there really no other way? You understand there’s no love between us, right? Do I really have to have another child with her? After everything she did to me?"

Nathan had returned home…

Talking about her, his tone was filled with disdain, just as it had been four years ago. He still believed Stella had used their child to trap him into taking on the title of Mrs. Collins—a position he thought didn’t belong to her.

Even after all these years, he felt forced to endure the same situation again for the sake of an unwanted child.

"Nathan, please," Anna said, taking a deep breath. "Let’s think about Liam’s well-being. He has nothing to do with our conflicts. He’s just a child."

Stella didn’t want to hear any more. She retreated to her room and found Nathan’s black suitcase on the carpet next to the bed.

Four years ago, this had been his room, but he had left for Europe with his mistress, Olivia Carson, the day after their wedding and never returned. Stella had been living here alone ever since.

Though he was back, she knew he wouldn’t want to stay in the same room with her—and she didn’t want to be near him either.

As Liam’s parents, their relationship was filled with hatred and estrangement.

Feeling exhausted, Stella didn’t move the suitcase. She went straight to the bathroom for a hot shower, then turned off the lights and lay down to rest. She needed to be ready for Liam’s routine exams in the morning.

But as she pulled the blanket over herself, she felt someone next to her—a hand grabbing her forcefully.

She couldn’t break free from the strong grip and quickly turned on the bedside lamp.

She saw the man clearly—Nathan.

He was incredibly handsome, even more so than she remembered from four years ago.

"Nathan, what are you doing? Let me go!" Stella yelled as Nathan tried to remove her clothes.

"Isn’t this what you wanted, Stella? Another child?" Nathan asked coldly, holding her face.

"Let me go right now!" Stella yelled, mustering all her strength to push him away. In a moment of desperation, she slapped him across the face, startling him into stopping.

Even in the dim light, Stella could see the red mark her slap had left on Nathan’s cheek. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly escaped from his grip.

Nathan touched his cheek, his expression cold enough to send shivers down Stella’s spine.

Without a word, he opened his suitcase, grabbed his clothes, and went into the bathroom. Soon, she heard the sound of water running.

Drained of energy, Stella collapsed onto the floor. She didn’t know why Nathan had suddenly appeared in her room, but she could tell he was here reluctantly.

That night, Stella slept uneasily, haunted by the doctor’s words about Liam’s only remaining treatment. She knew this was why Nathan had returned, despite everything.

Liam’s conception had been an accident, and Nathan had abandoned her the day after their wedding. He hadn’t cared about their son until now, when circumstances forced his return.

With her mind replaying the past, Stella finally drifted off to sleep.