Chapter 3
When I woke up, Luca was sitting by my bed, his face dark as a storm cloud.
“You just couldn’t stand the thought of Sophie having a proper christening ceremony, could you? Couldn’t bear the idea of looking like a fool in front of all those society wives, so you ran to Eleanor for divorce papers?”
I tried to explain, but Luca cut me off with an irritated wave.
“Whatever. Sophie’s got a big heart–she’s letting me throw you a bone. Your twins can attend the christening too.”
“But let’s get one thing straight. Their clothes, their gifts, everything has to be second–rate compared to Sophie’s son. Respecting their older brother is something they’ll need to remember for the rest of their lives. Might as well start teaching them their place now.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I said coldly.
In three days, I’d be taking my children and disappearing forever. I didn’t need his pathetic scraps of dignity.
For some reason, that set Luca off completely. He smashed the medicine bowl in his hands against the wall.
“Fine! Then take your kids and go live somewhere far away where I never have to see you again!”
He stormed out, and Sophie immediately walked in with a crew of movers.
She dropped her sweet act entirely, barking orders at the staff with obvious glee.
“Seraphina, you’re not even his wife anymore. What the hell are you still doing in the master suite?”
When Jade tried to stop them, Sophie flashed some kind of authorization.
“Mr. Devereux’s direct orders. You want to challenge him, you little bitch?”
I pulled Jade back and watched them destroy everything in the room with cold detachment.
Even the pair of intertwined glass swans Luca had handcrafted for me in Murano, Italy–flying all the way to Venice just to make them himself as an engagement gift–ended up as scattered shards on the floor.
Jade was crying. “Those were from your engagement! He went to Italy just to make those for you!”
Sophie’s eyebrows shot up. “No wonder Luca specifically told me to smash those to bits. Seraphina, you filed for divorce, so keeping that romantic crap around would just be humiliating for him.”
Yeah. Humiliating.
In my previous life, when he threw me to the wild animals, I’d begged him to spare the children for the sake of what we once
had.
He’d kicked me away in disgust and said that loving me had been the biggest mistake of his life.
Sophie yanked me out of bed. “Stop spacing out and get the fuck out!”
She’d had someone destroy my shoes too.
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ENDING THE LAST BETRAYAL LOOP: Faked My Death and Found REAL FREEDOM
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Chapter 3
I walked barefoot through e wreckage.
Three years of memories, every trace of what Luca and I had built together in this room.
Apparently it only took about fifteen minutes to destroy it all so thoroughly that nothing recognizable remained.
It was pouring rain outside, and Sophie tossed me a broken umbrella.
Jade and I did our best to keep the babies dry.
But by the time we reached the tiny cottage they’d assigned us, the blankets were still damp.
Around midnight, both babies developed high fevers. Jade ran out to get the family doctor.
Sophie’s people blocked her at the door. “A divorced nobody is lower than the servants. You think she gets to use the family doctor?”
I bit back my pride and ran through the rain toward the main house where Luca was staying.
Through the window, I could see him holding Sophie, both of them cooing over the baby in the crib.
One of the maids sighed wistfully. “The little prince barely whimpers and Mr. Devereux calls in three doctors to watch over him all night. The baby and Miss Sophie really are the center of his world.”
I’d always known that in Luca’s heart, my children could never compare to Sophie’s.
But seeing that perfect family scene still felt like getting stabbed in the chest.
I pushed past the maid and burst into the courtyard, falling to my knees in the mud.
“Luca, please! My babies have fevers. I’m begging you to send a doctor.”
A crack of thunder split the sky, and Sophie’s baby started screaming.
Sophie came running out, tears streaming down her face. “Seraphina, why are you trying to scare my son?”
She shoved me hard, and I tumbled down the steps. A small black velvet pouch fell from my coat–the kind used for hex bags and curses.
The maid picked it up. “Oh my God, it’s got the little prince’s personal items in it!”
Sophie collapsed into Luca’s arms, sobbing. “Seraphina, I followed protocol and asked you to leave the master suite, but you’re trying to curse my baby!”
“He’s only been alive for one day. How can you be so evil?”
The baby inside was screaming bloody murder, his face turning blue.
The whole place erupted in chaos, and Sophie grabbed a small knife from the side table, pressing it against her own throat.
“Seraphina, I’ll give Luca back to you! Just please don’t hurt my son!”
Luca’s eyes went wide with panic as he lunged forward to stop her.
“Sophie, don’t do anything stupid! Put the knife down!”
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ENDING THE LAST BETRAYAL LOOP: Faked My Death and Found REAL FREEDOM
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Chapter 3
The family doctor was moned immediately. After examining the baby, he turned to us with a grim expression.
“The child’s condition is critical. He needs an immediate cardiac blood transfusion. The closest genetic match would be from his half–siblings–we need blood directly from their hearts to save him.”
Without hesitation, Luca barked, “Bring me those two bastards!”
11.43
