Chapter 4

Iris Holloway POV

"Liam Sterling, who are you truly thinking of when you look at me every day?" I finally couldn't hold back, piercing through the layers of this false pretense.

Liam Sterling's brow furrowed slightly as he placed the milk on the table. "Iris, you've been too sensitive lately. I understand that hormonal changes are significant during pregnancy, but don't be unreasonable."

"I'm unreasonable?" I let out a soft laugh, though my eyes were red. "Do you dare to say you brought Jace Holloway here just for him to recuperate? Do you dare to say you didn't marry me for the umbilical cord blood in my belly?"

Liam Sterling's eyes instantly turned cold, the atmospheric pressure around him dropping to freezing point.

"You looked in my safe." He stated it as a fact, his tone absolute.

I didn't deny it, raising my head to look him straight in the eye: "Yes. So what? Are you going to kill me for your Jace?"

Liam Sterling stepped forward, pinching my chin. The force wasn't heavy, but it carried a warning.

"Iris, I've given you the best life, the honor of being Mrs. Sterling. As long as you obediently give birth to the child, nothing will change. Jace is your own younger brother, after all; saving him is your rightful responsibility."

"What did you say?" My tears splattered onto his hand. "By what right do you make decisions for me! That's my child!"

"And my child too." Liam Sterling released his grip, looking down at me. "Don't do anything foolish. You should know that in New York, without my permission, you can't even walk out that front door."

He turned and left, his back resolute.

I collapsed onto the sofa, trembling all over.

That evening, Jace Holloway knocked on my bedroom door.

He walked in smiling, carrying a plate of sliced fruit: "Iris, have some fruit. Liam specifically had it air-shipped for you."

I looked at him coldly: "Get out."

Jace Holloway wasn't bothered. He simply sat down on the sofa, crossing his long legs. "Iris, why are you so angry? Actually, you should thank me. If I hadn't gotten sick, how would Liam ever have noticed a mediocre woman like you?"

He leaned forward, lowering his voice, his tone filled with malicious gloating.

"Don't you understand? That glass conservatory you're so proud of, Liam actually built it for me to watch the stars. The reason you have all this now is also because of me."

My fingertips dug into my palms, my nails almost breaking.

"Have you said enough?"

"No," Jace Holloway's smile grew even brighter. "Iris, guess what: once the baby is born, will Liam keep you, a woman who has lost her usefulness, or will he openly be with me?"

I abruptly stood up, picked up the water glass from the table, and fiercely splashed its contents onto Jace Holloway's face.

"Shut up!"

Jace Holloway shrieked, then stumbled to the floor, knocking over the fruit plate.

The door was violently flung open, and Liam Sterling strode in.

Seeing the mess on the floor and the water stains on Jace Holloway's face, his expression instantly turned utterly grim.

"Iris Holloway, what are you doing!"

He roughly pushed me away, pulling Jace Holloway into his embrace.

I stumbled back a few steps, my side hitting the corner of the table hard, a searing pain shooting through me.

But Liam Sterling didn't even glance at me, only anxiously checked Jace Holloway for injuries.

"Liam, don't blame Iris, I accidentally made her angry…" Jace Holloway murmured, leaning against him.

I clutched my faintly aching stomach, looking at the embracing pair before me, and suddenly burst out laughing.

As I laughed, tears streamed down my face.

In this house, even my breathing felt wrong.