Chapter 105

The parenting book slipped from Evelyn's hands onto her lap with a soft thud.

A sharp pain pierced her chest.

Adrian had never celebrated her birthday.

Her lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. Why humiliate herself knowing he never loved her?

Every comparison was another stab to the heart.

Yet she couldn't bring herself to hate Adrian.

She had willingly swallowed his lies like honey.

The only mistake was her own foolishness.

Victoria stared at the live broadcast, missing Evelyn's fleeting bitter smile.

Closing the book, Evelyn rose and walked into the courtyard.

These past months were the most leisurely of her life.

Before eighteen, she'd spun like a top—rising at dawn, studying medical texts even in the bathroom, collapsing into bed at midnight.

Now she worked three hours daily, free to spend the rest as she pleased.

The villa complex stood eerily silent. A cold wind swept through as the solitary moon hung overhead.

With her heart emptied, the world felt hollow too.

From now on, only her career and children would occupy that space.

"Eternal Devotion" trended for three days. Adrian had designed the necklace for Isabella, clasping it around her neck himself.

When the news notification popped up, Evelyn felt nothing.

Isabella's social capital skyrocketed after that birthday gala.

Spring returned to Vienna in a riot of blossoms.

Four months later, after two grueling days in labor, Evelyn delivered twins.

At her most excruciating moment, her phone buzzed with an alert: Adrian vacationing in Maldives with his fiancée.

She bit her lip bloody, nails digging into her palms. She had to survive for these babies.

Frederick rushed back before the birth. Cradling his great-grandchildren, tears streamed down the old man's face.

Their bloodline mattered not—these were the Roland legacy.

The boy was named Tristan. "Serene heart, enlightened soul," Frederick declared.

Evelyn frowned. "Are you sending my son to a monastery?"

He flicked her forehead. "Nonsense! My heir will conquer the world."

The girl was named Felicia. "Much prettier than my name," Evelyn muttered.

Her own name came from the fortune teller who found her.

"Lacking wood elements, so we called her Chu Chu." Frederick beamed at the infants, grinning ear to ear.

By late summer, Gabrielle finally permitted outings.

"Four months of postpartum confinement is absurd!" Evelyn glared indignantly.