Chapter 1
I barely survived delivering twins, and the first thing I did was kneel in front of Luca Devereux and ask for a divorce.
Because I remembered what happened in my previous life.
Back then, Sophie Reed had gone into labor the same day I did. Two women, two births, same household. Luca couldn’t bear the thought of his precious mistress being overshadowed, so he came up with the most twisted solution imaginable–he gathered all the newborns and held a fucking lottery to decide which baby would be declared the Devereux heir.
His mother Eleanor felt sorry for me, so she rigged it. My child won.
Sophie spent the entire next night kneeling in the pouring rain, holding her baby. The kid caught pneumonia and died. She hanged herself that same evening.
Luca completely lost it. His hair went white overnight, and in his grief–fueled rage, he dragged me and my child to the estate’s private menagerie. He stood there and watched as the animals tore us apart.
“Sophie came from nothing,” he’d screamed at me, his voice breaking. “All I wanted was to give her some dignity, to let her be the mother of my heir. But you couldn’t even let her have that, could
uld you?”
His eyes had been wild, devastated. “You’re poison, Seraphina. Pure fucking poison. You don’t deserve the Devereux name.”
When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that delivery room, blood still fresh between my legs.
This time, I switched the babies before anyone could see. Then I walked out and filed the divorce papers myself.
Let him build his perfect little life with Sophie. I’m done playing his games.
Every woman who’d just given birth was dragged out to the estate’s main courtyard.
We looked like death warmed over–pale as ghosts, still bleeding, faces twisted with exhaustion and pain. The other women were muttering complaints under their breath.
“Seraphina already have twins–a boy and a girl. Obviously her son’s going to be the heir. What’s the point of this bullshit lottery?”
About fifteen baby strollers sat scattered across the courtyard, their sunshades pulled down to hide the crying infants underneath. But Luca was taking his sweet time showing up.
I felt sorry for the other women, so I had the staff bring out cloaks to distribute. Their hostile glares softened just a bit.
We waited for hours. The babies cried themselves hoarse before Luca finally strolled in with Sophie like some kind of princess.
Sophie was wrapped in thick fox fur, her sedan chair draped with the finest silk money could buy–completely sealed off from the cold. Her cheeks were rosy pink, glowing with health. She looked nothing like a woman who’d just pushed out a baby.
The rest of us looked like walking corpses in comparison.
When Luca saw the scene, he turned on me instead of her.
“What kind of wife are you? You’re bundled up nice and warm while these women who just gave birth are freezing their asses
off.”
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ENDING THE LAST BETRAYAL LOOP: Faked My Death and Found REAL FREEDOM
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At his signal, the servants r clothing I owned, handing
1 the cloak off my back. Then they went to my room and brought out every piece of warm out to the others.
I’d nearly died delivering twins. I was already weak from blood loss, and now without my cloak, the cold hit me like broken glass. But I gritted my teeth and kept my eyes on Luca as he approached the strollers.
He knew exactly which one he wanted. He pulled back the sunshade and lifted out a baby.
“The Devereux heir is…”
Eleanor’s representative stepped forward to check the name tag tied to the baby’s ankle. Her face went white with shock.
After a long pause, she stammered, “Sophie Reed’s child.”
Luca lit up like Christmas morning, kissing the baby over and over with pure joy.
“Sophie, you’re the mother of my firstborn son. You’re a hero to this family. Tomorrow I’m making you my official second
wife!”
“Quick, someone get my son inside before he catches cold.”
He’d already decided on the kid’s title too.
When some of the other women tried to comfort their own crying babies, Luca snapped at them.
“Keep it down! You’ll upset my son.”
Watching Sophie’s cat–that–ate–the–canary expression, all the other women were pissed beyond belief.
“Eleanor’s people were supposed to oversee this. How the hell did Sophie’s kid win?”
“So what if he did? He’s still just a bastard. He’ll have to call Seraphina ‘Mother‘ anyway.”
Sophie’s triumphant smile faltered at that comment.
She loosened her grip, and the white ferret she’d been holding jumped out of her arms.
It let out a vicious shriek and charged straight at the babies in the strollers.
Every woman’s face went white with terror as they rushed to protect their children.
For “fairness,” all the babies had been wrapped in identical blankets. The courtyard erupted into chaos as the ferret bit person after person with its razor–sharp teeth.
I pushed through the crowd to grab a baby, but the ferret came straight for me instead.
One swipe of its claws shredded my face, and then it latched onto me, refusing to let go.
When servants tried to help, pulling at the animal until it screamed bloody murder, Sophie immediately burst into tears.
“Luca, they’re hurting my Snowball!”
Luca waved the servants away.
The ferret went completely feral, tearing holes all over my body.
11:43
ENDING THE LAST BETRAYAL LOOP: Faked My Death and Found REAL FREEDOM
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Chapter 1
My secretary jade dropped to her knees, begging Lucà, “Please, sir, help Seraphina! She almost hemorrhaged to death delivering the twins. She can’t take this kind of traumal”
But Luca ignored her completely.
Only after I was covered in blood did Sophie finally call her pet back.
I was shaking as I handed the baby to Jade, who was trying to help me stand.
When I looked up, Luca was right in front of me.
He slapped me across the face so hard my ears rang.
“Seraphina, you tried to frame Sophie again, didn’t you? Trying to steal her son’s rightful place as heir!”
Again?
I wiped the blood from my eyes and saw the undisguised disgust on Luca’s face.
So he remembered the previous life too.
“Do you admit your guilt?”
Even the other women couldn’t stomach this anymore.
“How is any of this Seraphina’s fault? Christ, Luca, what happened to you? You never used to be like this.”
They were right. Even though I’d been forced on him through Eleanor’s arrangement–a way to keep him under control–Luca had treated me well at first. He’d given me respect, privileges, even let me into his private study where he conducted business.
Everything changed after Sophie arrived.
Under the pitying stares of everyone around me, I dropped to my knees, trembling.
“You’re right. I don’t deserve to be your wife. I’m asking for a divorce.”
Luca’s next insult died in his throat.
He watched me knock my head against the ground until blood pooled beneath me, then spoke with obvious irritation.
“Give me a break with the drama. You’re Eleanor’s choice. Nobody can touch you.”
“Next time you want to pull this victim act, at least bring some official divorce papers to make it believable.”
“Fine, I’m in too good a mood to deal with your bullshit today. But in three days, we’re throwing a massive christening ceremony for my son. You better make sure it’s absolutely perfect.”
Chapter 26
Chapter 2
