Chapter 1

Eight months pregnant, my husband, Damian, a detective, finally cleared his schedule to accompany me to my first prenatal checkup.

We'd barely stepped into the hospital when his secure phone vibrated violently.

A name flashed across the screen, a blur, but Damian, usually so calm, panicked instantly.

"Anya, red alert, urgent! Another international fugitive has crossed the border. I… I'm so sorry…"

He was frantic, his voice carrying the undeniable authority of his position.

With a hurried apology, he rushed off.

As I watched his SUV speed away, my fingers crumpled the ultrasound report in my hand.

Hailing a taxi with my heavy belly, I quickly told the driver, "Follow that SUV."

A "red alert" for a fugitive? What a pathetic lie.

My dad's intelligence agency hadn't received any such notice, and Damian, a regular detective who usually just assisted with cases, wouldn't be chasing some high-priority target.

I wanted to see who this "boss" was, giving him such urgent "orders."

As soon as I muttered the words "catching him," the taxi driver floored it, catching up to Damian's car. I had no idea who Damian was going to meet, but a terrifying gut feeling made my skin crawl. To my surprise, after several twists and turns, the car pulled up to the entrance of the police department's private community.

I let out a long breath of relief. At least it wasn't a hotel. This was a residential area provided for high-ranking officers by the department, and Damian had been assigned a villa here too. Before my first pregnancy, I'd lived there briefly for a few months; the neighbors were always friendly. But as I spotted a fleet of luxury cars and festive decorations from afar, I felt a pang of confusion. Was today some special occasion?

Just as I was about to follow him in, a security guard stopped me. "Officer's private community. Unauthorized personnel keep out."

I blinked, then chuckled, explaining, "I just went in. I'm Detective Damian's wife."

To my shock, the guard looked at me with open disdain. "Detective Damian's wife is Ms. Serena Hayes. Who are you? You should check your facts before trying to impersonate someone."

My body froze, rooted to the spot. Serena Hayes… the living blood bank Damian found for me…

Snapping back to reality, ignoring the guard's protests, I pushed past him, my large belly leading the way to the villa's entrance. Inside the grand hall, it was packed with celebrities and powerful figures, their laughter echoing through the air. My mother-in-law, Martha, who always preferred a quiet life, was unusually busy socializing. And my husband, Damian, was doing something completely out of character: cradling a baby and bottle-feeding him, smiling blissfully next to a petite woman.

That woman was Serena Hayes…

In that instant, my heart felt like it was seized by a giant hand, making it impossible to breathe. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

When I was pregnant with my first child, Damian had worried about complications during delivery due to my rare blood type. He'd searched the entire country to find a living blood bank for me. That person was Serena, then a struggling student. After I gave birth, he said he'd send her away. Out of sympathy, I suggested we let Serena stay and work as an administrative assistant at the precinct. I even often asked Damian to bring her supplements. But I never imagined that Damian would cheat on me with her, and even set her up here.

This villa was our marital home, meticulously decorated by him after he became precinct chief. It was a bit far from the hospital, so when I got pregnant again, Damian, worried about me, bought a new house next to the city hospital and we moved out. I never thought it would become their legitimate home, where they raised a child…

"Congratulations, Detective Damian! Your wife is virtuous, and now you have a newborn son. You're truly a winner in life!"

"Oh, Serena is so lucky to have found such a doting husband like Damian. I'm so jealous!"

Mrs. Hayes, the Deputy Commissioner's wife, fawned over my mother-in-law, Martha, patting her hand. Martha's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she looked at Serena, then boasted, "It's my Damian's good fortune to have married such a wonderful wife as Serena."

Damian didn't shy away, leaning in to whisper intimately to Serena. I couldn't hear what he said, but Serena blushed, then raised her glass to the guests. "I was worried it would affect Damian's reputation at the precinct, so we kept it quiet. Please don't mind." She gestured around the room. "Today is our baby's 100-day celebration. Please drink up, consider it our wedding reception."

Seeing Serena handle the situation so gracefully, everyone chuckled and offered compliments. "How could we mind, Mrs. Chief? We still owe you a 'Happy New Marriage'!"

"I say," one of Damian's officers chimed in, "why don't you two pretend to be the bride and groom again tonight? How about a cross-arm toast?"

Damian's subordinates cheered, and the party's atmosphere reached a fever pitch. Serena feigned bashful resistance, but Damian wrapped an arm around her waist, linking their arms for the toast. Just as he was about to drink, his gaze locked onto me, standing just outside the door.

He shoved Serena away, making her gasp as red wine splashed all over her.

"Anya…"

Wiping away the torrent of tears with one hand, I rushed forward, my big belly swaying, and slapped him.

Smack!

The sharp crack echoed through the silent hall, freezing everyone in place.

"Damian!" Serena's eyes rolled back, and she lunged at him, screeching at me, "Anya! How dare you—"

Smack!

Another slap, and Serena's cheek instantly swelled, sending her stumbling back into Damian's arms, whimpering pitifully. I flexed my tingling palm.

"Anya…" Damian started, his voice a roar.

"Damian!" My voice was even louder, my head tilted, my eyes fixed on him in a cold, deadly stare. "Is this the 'red alert fugitive' you were so desperate to catch?!"