That afternoon, Elena went shopping to find a proper gift for Arthur’s birthday.

She entered a luxury gift shop filled with exquisite items. Crystal sculptures shimmered under the light. Antique tea sets, handcrafted clocks, rare paintings, calligraphy pieces, and other unique collections lined the shelves.

Every item was expensive and beautiful. But nothing caught her attention. She kept looking. Then her eyes landed on a jade longevity plaque displayed inside a glass case.

The plaque was carved from deep green jade. Intricate carvings of cranes and pine trees carried blessings of long life and peace.

The shopkeeper approached. "Jade symbolizes protection, virtue, and good fortune. This is perfect to gift someone you care about."

Elena turned to the middle-aged man with a soft smile. "I’m taking this."

"Sure."

The shopkeeper took the jade plaque and went to the counter to make the bill.

"Elena, you are here shopping too?" A familiar voice from behind drew her attention.

She turned and saw Tessa.

Elena’s expression cooled instantly.

Tessa approached her with an overly bright smile plastered on her face.

Elena didn’t want to waste her time on her. She wanted to walk past her, but Tessa stood before her, blocking her way."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Tessa said lightly. "You are acting as if you don’t know me. Come on, Elena."

She reached out and held her hand. "Don’t be mad anymore. We can be friends."

Elena withdrew her hand at once.

"I don’t want to be your friend. Move aside. You are blocking my path."

But Tessa didn’t move. She looked at Elena with open arrogance.

"Why are you still so bitter?" she asked coldly. "You already found someone else and moved on. You should be happy. But it seems you are still clinging to the past."

She stepped closer, her tone turning threatening.

"Or are you planning to come back to Noah? Don’t forget that I am carrying his child."

Tessa placed a hand on her still flat belly.

"His parents have already accepted me. I am going to give birth to the Sinclair family heir. If you try to stand in my way, I’ll make you pay."

Elena’s heart twisted painfully. She had once carried Noah’s child. And that child had been killed mercilessly.

The memory turned her heart cold. A bitter smile spread across her lips.

"Good for you that you are pregnant," she said quietly. "But be careful. A miscarriage can happen at any time."

Tessa’s face darkened instantly. "Are you threatening me?"

Elena shook her head. "No. I’m cautioning you."

Her gaze swept over her from head to toe.

"You are pregnant, yet you are wearing high heels. Aren’t you afraid?"

Tessa lost her patience. She raised her hand to slap her.

"How dare you curse my child?"

Elena caught her wrist in mid-air.

The two women glared at each other.

Elena didn’t back down. She leaned slightly closer and whispered, "You are quite brave to continue this pregnancy with a heart condition. As the baby grows, the strain on your heart will only increase. You could die."

"You..." Tessa’s eyes flared with fury.

Elena chuckled softly. "I am actually impressed with you. Risking your own life to protect your child, that’s not what I expected from a woman like you."

"A woman like me?" Tessa snapped. "What kind of woman do you think I am?"

Elena sneered. "A selfish gold digger, of course. You took money from Richard and left Noah once. You didn’t care about him at the time. And now you are back and seduced him. Clearly, you want the Sinclair family’s inheritance."

Tessa’s mouth tightened with rage.

"You’d do anything for it," Elena continued. "Even lie. A woman like you would never willingly risk her life. So tell me, are you really pregnant? Or are you lying about your heart condition?"

For a split second, Tessa’s face paled.

’Does she know something?’ she wondered in her mind anxiously.

But the fear vanished quickly. She still held the trump card that could shatter Elena completely.

A sly smile returned to her lips.

"Why don’t you worry about yourself instead of wasting your energy on me?" she mocked. "Weren’t a failed marriage and a miscarriage enough?"

Elena gritted her teeth.

Tessa stepped closer and leaned forward. "Out of spite, you married a stranger without even knowing his background. Do you really know what kind of man he is? His past? His family? Do you know anything about him?"

The questions burned Elena. Yes, it was true that she knew little about Elias. But in just a short time, she had known him enough to earn her trust.

She wouldn’t tolerate anyone speaking ill of him.

"Shut up," Elena snapped. "Someone like you has no right to speak about my husband."

Tessa laughed. "Your husband? Oh, Elena, you are so naïve."

She pulled out her phone and opened a photo. "The man you call your husband already has a family."

She held the screen in front of Elena. "Take a look. He has a wife and a child. You are nothing but his mistress. A temporary plaything."

Elena’s eyes widened.

In the photograph, Elias sat beside a woman on a hospital bed, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. A little boy sat on his lap, smiling brightly.

The scene looked painfully intimate. They looked like a perfect family of three.

The color drained from Elena’s face. Tears blurred her vision. Her chest ached as though someone had torn it open.

She had barely survived the betrayal of her first marriage.

And now, another betrayal?

She snatched the phone from Tessa. Her eyes locked onto the photograph.

Pain, confusion, and disbelief—all crashed into her all at once. She remembered the phone call Elias had received the day before.

That one call had made him excited and had left urgently. He had not told her where he was going. He hadn’t explained what had happened.

At the time, she had been confused and curious.

Now, she understood.

He had gone to his other family.

Her fingers trembled around the phone.

’Why? Why did he lie to me?’ Her thoughts spiraled painfully. ’If he already has a family, why did he marry me? Why would he do this to me?’

"Shocked?" Tessa’s mocking voice broke through her thoughts. "This is what happened when you act recklessly."

She snatched her phone back. "You know, Elena. A lowly bumpkin like you doesn’t deserve a wealthy man. The luxurious life you’ve enjoyed all these years only existed because the Sinclair family pitied you. Otherwise, Noah wouldn’t have even glanced at you, let alone married you."

She folded her arms arrogantly. "And soon after he discarded you, you went to find another rich guy?"

She laughed. "But that man is also playing with you."

Elena could no longer hear Tessa’s voice. A loud ringing filled her ears. Her mind had descended into complete chaos.

The world around her seemed distant, blurred, and unreal.

She turned and walked toward the exit in a daze.

"Madam, the jade plaque." The shopkeeper hurried after her. He lifted the gift box. "Your bill hasn’t been paid yet."

But Elena didn’t even look back.

She strode out of the shop as though she hadn’t heard him. Her steps were unsteady. Her eyes were vacant.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

’Elias, I told you not to betray me. I told you to let me know if you liked someone else. But you lied to me.’

His kindness, his protection, his promises, and the warmth in his eyes whenever he looked at her flashed through her mind.

Everything now felt like a cruel joke.

’You are no different from Noah.’

Elena felt truly afraid of opening her heart again.