Chapter 1

At seven months pregnant, my husband's first love, Claire, caused me to fall.

The severe hemorrhage cost me my baby—and ultimately, my uterus.

I had barely been wheeled into the hospital room when my husband, Evan Calder, tossed two documents onto my lap.

"You lost your uterus, but Lumen Group still needs an heir."

He tapped one of the files.

"Sign the adoption papers. Noah will become your legal child, and this will list him as the primary beneficiary of your estate."

I stared at the name printed on the page: Noah Calder, age six.

Married for five years, yet his child with Claire was already six years old.

"The whole company answers to me now. Sign it, and you get to stay Mrs. Calder."

"Otherwise..."

I signed my name on both documents.

Evan smiled, reaching out to ruffle my hair.

"That's a good girl."

But what he didn't know was that the company he just stole was only a fraction of my business in Chicago.

"She lost her uterus. She can't get pregnant again. This is the best arrangement."

Evan's voice drifted from the corner of the hospital room, sounding like he was giving someone on the other end a routine update.

"You've waited all these years just for today, haven't you?"

Whoever was on the other end said something, and he chuckled softly.

"Alright. I'll head back as soon as I wrap things up here. Make sure Noah goes to bed early. Don't let him stay up too late."

The call ended.

The room fell quiet again.

I stared at his back.

Five years.

I'd known him for six years, married him for five. I genuinely believed he was the gentlest man on earth.

Back in college, he worked part-time at a bar I visited with a friend. He sat on stage with his guitar, the spotlight hitting his face just right. He was so handsome.

He chased me for a year.

Brought me breakfast every morning. Waited outside my classes with an umbrella every time it rained. When I got sick, he skipped class to sit by my hospital bed.

My father was dead set against us.

"He's not from our world," he had said. "He must have an ulterior motive for approaching you."

I fought my father tooth and nail for Evan, insisting on marrying him.

Victor Lancaster couldn't stop me in the end.

He gave me startup capital and let me move to Chicago to build my own life.

I founded Lumen Group and handed over most of the day-to-day management to Evan. I thought we were building a marriage and a career together.

Looking back, it was a joke.

A week later, Evan came to pick me up from the hospital.

He packed my bags with practiced gentleness, playing the role of the perfect husband.

"Where is my phone?" I asked.

He paused.

"You need to rest right now. Having your phone buzzing all day will just be too noisy. I'll hold onto it for you."

He added smoothly, "If anything comes up, I'll handle it for you."

I didn't throw a fit. I just nodded.

The car pulled away from the hospital, heading toward that so-called home.

I looked out at the Chicago streets, my hand resting on my abdomen.

There used to be a seven-month-old baby in there.

A baby that kicked me, that quieted down when I spoke.

Now, there was nothing.

Evan thought that because I lost my child and he forced me to accept his and Claire's six-year-old son, he could seize control of my company.

But he forgot one crucial detail.

I am Mara Lancaster.

The only daughter of Victor Lancaster, the Las Vegas casino and resort tycoon.

Lumen Group was just one of my personal ventures.

My roots were never in Chicago.

Chapter 1

At seven months pregnant, my husband's first love, Claire, caused me to fall.

The severe hemorrhage cost me my baby—and ultimately, my uterus.

I had barely been wheeled into the hospital room when my husband, Evan Calder, tossed two documents onto my lap.

"You lost your uterus, but Lumen Group still needs an heir."

He tapped one of the files.

"Sign the adoption papers. Noah will become your legal child, and this will list him as the primary beneficiary of your estate."

I stared at the name printed on the page: Noah Calder, age six.

Married for five years, yet his child with Claire was already six years old.

"The whole company answers to me now. Sign it, and you get to stay Mrs. Calder."

"Otherwise..."

I signed my name on both documents.

Evan smiled, reaching out to ruffle my hair.

"That's a good girl."

But what he didn't know was that the company he just stole was only a fraction of my business in Chicago.

"She lost her uterus. She can't get pregnant again. This is the best arrangement."

Evan's voice drifted from the corner of the hospital room, sounding like he was giving someone on the other end a routine update.

"You've waited all these years just for today, haven't you?"

Whoever was on the other end said something, and he chuckled softly.

"Alright. I'll head back as soon as I wrap things up here. Make sure Noah goes to bed early. Don't let him stay up too late."

The call ended.

The room fell quiet again.

I stared at his back.

Five years.

I'd known him for six years, married him for five. I genuinely believed he was the gentlest man on earth.

Back in college, he worked part-time at a bar I visited with a friend. He sat on stage with his guitar, the spotlight hitting his face just right. He was so handsome.

He chased me for a year.

Brought me breakfast every morning. Waited outside my classes with an umbrella every time it rained. When I got sick, he skipped class to sit by my hospital bed.

My father was dead set against us.

"He's not from our world," he had said. "He must have an ulterior motive for approaching you."

I fought my father tooth and nail for Evan, insisting on marrying him.

Victor Lancaster couldn't stop me in the end.

He gave me startup capital and let me move to Chicago to build my own life.

I founded Lumen Group and handed over most of the day-to-day management to Evan. I thought we were building a marriage and a career together.

Looking back, it was a joke.

A week later, Evan came to pick me up from the hospital.

He packed my bags with practiced gentleness, playing the role of the perfect husband.

"Where is my phone?" I asked.

He paused.

"You need to rest right now. Having your phone buzzing all day will just be too noisy. I'll hold onto it for you."

He added smoothly, "If anything comes up, I'll handle it for you."

I didn't throw a fit. I just nodded.

The car pulled away from the hospital, heading toward that so-called home.

I looked out at the Chicago streets, my hand resting on my abdomen.

There used to be a seven-month-old baby in there.

A baby that kicked me, that quieted down when I spoke.

Now, there was nothing.

Evan thought that because I lost my child and he forced me to accept his and Claire's six-year-old son, he could seize control of my company.

But he forgot one crucial detail.

I am Mara Lancaster.

The only daughter of Victor Lancaster, the Las Vegas casino and resort tycoon.

Lumen Group was just one of my personal ventures.

My roots were never in Chicago.