Maia firmly believed that even if a marriage lacked passionate love, there should at least be mutual respect.
Because of this, in the five years of her hidden marriage, she had always fulfilled her role as a devoted wife and mother.
"The test results show that you're pregnant."
The moment she walked out of the hospital, Maia was eager to share the good news with her husband, Blake. But after several calls, all she got was the automated message that his phone was turned off. Left with no choice, she contacted his personal assistant, and learned that he had gone to pick up the twins.
Wanting to surprise them, Maia decided to wait at home and asked the chef to prepare a lavish dinner.
Time ticked by, second by second.
She waited for a long time, but Blake and the children were nowhere to be seen. A sense of unease crept over her.
His phone was still powered off.
Just as she was about to grab her coat and go out to look for them, her phone received a news alert.
The video clip showed an upscale restaurant. Blake, dressed in a bespoke black suit, sat with their twin boys. Seated across from him was a woman Maia knew all too well.
Jelynn Xerri. Blake’s first love, the woman he had never forgotten.
In the flickering candlelight, the four of them looked like a picture-perfect family. Luca sweetly called her "Aunty Jelynn" and Blake’s eyes were filled with indulgent affection. The trending headline 'A Match Made in Heaven' paired with such an image was undeniably romantic.
In the clip, Jelynn gently asked Luca, "Who do you like more, Aunty Jelynn or Mommy?"
The boy’s crisp "Aunty Jelynn" felt like a knife twisting in Maia’s heart. Covering her lips, she rushed to the bathroom and retched.
Five years of marriage. Four-year-old twin sons.
Yet she had never seen Blake so gentle and considerate in public. The perfect version of him existed only when he was with another woman.
As night fell, Blake finally returned home, holding his drowsy sons by the hands.
The manor was pitch dark. When he turned on the lights, he saw the untouched feast laid out on the dining table.
Frowning, he picked up the landline and dialed Maia.
The moment the call connected, he questioned her, his voice sharp with impatience. "Maia, do you even care about this family anymore?"
Lying in a private hospital ward, Maia’s face was ashen.
"Blake, let's get a divorce."
As soon as the words fell, the call was abruptly cut off, leaving only the endless beep of the disconnected line.
...
Time passed in a blur. Two years later, in Yachel Village.
A sudden downpour shattered the peaceful night.
Maia had just coaxed her daughter to sleep when she heard the rumble of a car engine outside, followed by the urgent ringing of the doorbell.
Walking to the window, she saw a black luxury sedan parked outside the gate.
The rain poured heavily, obscuring the figure standing in the storm.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Maia simply switched off the bedside lamp, silently sending her response to the visitant outside.
At the gate.
Yoel noticed the light on the upper floor window go out. Glancing at the car, he had no choice but to keep pressing the doorbell.
Maia lay back down and decisively disabled the doorbell via app. But moments later, there was urgent thumping on the gate.
She sighed, picked up her phone, and answered the video intercom.
Her voice was cold and firm. "If you don’t leave now, I’ll call the cops."
Hearing her voice, Yoel quickly explained, "I sincerely apologize for disturbing you so late, but the rain is too heavy to continue our travel. My boss' sons are running a fever, and the villagers mentioned that you have medicine for children. We're willing to pay a high price for it."
Maia flatly refused.
Just as she was about to hang up, Yoel hastily added, "Ma'am, I swear we're not bad people. My boss is Blake Quillan, president of World Corp. If you name a price, we’ll pay it!"
Blake Quillan?
Her ex-husband.
Hearing that name again felt like a lifetime ago.
A sudden clap of thunder roared across the sky, startling her sleeping daughter awake.
The turmoil of reunion and the ache of past wounds were instantly drowned out by the sound of her child’s cries. She quickly set down her phone and went to soothe her daughter.
Outside, Yoel heard the baby crying and seized the chance to appeal to her emotions.
"Ma'am, you're a mother too. You know how dangerous a fever can be for children. Please, we’ll only take the medicine, I promise we won’t bother you."
Children…
Yes, those two were her children too.
Even if they didn’t like her.
This village was too remote, and the nearest hospital was a two-hour drive away.
Ten minutes later.
Yoel stared at Maia in shock, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"M-Mrs... Quillan?"
Standing at the doorway, Maia handed him a bottle of medicine.
"I'm not Mrs. Quillan. Take the medicine and leave."
Inside the black Maybach.
Dressed in a black suit, Blake opened his eyes. His deep gaze was cold and unreadable as he looked out the car window, locking onto the figure standing in the rain.
Holding his feverish sons in his arms, he watched Maia through the downpour, his emotions hidden beneath his sharp stare.
The heavy rain drenched her clothes despite the umbrella she held.
Just as she turned to leave, Yoel called out, "Madam, do you want to see the boys? They’ve been missing you."
Maia forced back the pain in her heart, not turning around. "No need. Maybe we were never meant to be."
The moment the man stepping out of the car heard her words, his face darkened, an icy chill radiating from him.
From behind her came his deep, frigid voice.
"Maia Diaz!"
She paused for the briefest moment but didn’t look back. Without hesitation, she closed the gate behind her.
Blake watched her resolute departure, a replay of the past unfolding before his eyes.
Yoel glanced at the worsening rain and hesitated. "Boss, driving in this storm is too dangerous. I'll ask around the village and see if someone can take us in for the night."
From the second-floor window, Maia silently watched as Blake got back into the car and his personal assistant hurried off with an umbrella.
Drawing the curtains, she pressed a hand against her pounding heart, feeling an unsettling numbness spread through her limbs.
For the past two years, as a mother, she had missed her sons every day. She secretly kept tabs on them, ensuring they were well.
But she had no power to take them away from the Quillan family.
And besides, they preferred their beloved Aunty Jelynn.
Hiding behind the curtain, she silently watched the car below.
"Madam! Something’s wrong! The boys just threw up!"
In the end, Maia's heart softened.
She let Blake and his people inside and quickly tended to her sons' fever.
In the living room.
Blake discreetly observed the surroundings. Children’s toys and supplies were everywhere. His expression darkened, and a cold chill spread through him.
Recalling the villagers mentioning Maia’s baby daughter, he scoffed derisively.
They were all drenched from the storm, but the warmth inside eased the chill.
While Maia focused on treating the twins’ fever, a sharp gaze never left her. Once she was done, she simply gave a few instructions and went upstairs.
…
By morning, both boys’ fevers had subsided.
Sitting at the dining table, Noah and Luca hesitantly observed Maia and the toddler girl.
Noah whispered, "This lady looks like Mommy."
Luca huffed, "But Mommy abandoned us. She’s a bad person!"
Meanwhile, little Fleur, suckling on her milk bottle in her baby high chair, looked curiously at the strangers around the table.
After finishing her bottle, she naturally handed it to the person seated next to her - Blake.
Just as Maia was about to take the milk bottle, Blake extended out his hand. Their fingers touched, and Maia immediately retracted her hand.
Fleur thought they were playing with her, so she reached out and grabbed Blake's fingers, placing her little hand in his palm.
She blinked up at him with eyes identical to Maia’s.
But the little girl's interest faded as quickly as it appeared. Letting go of Blake's hand, she waved at the boys across from her.
"Bubba," she called sweetly to the twins, "Fleur, play."