Claire Reed thought she married the man of her dreams, Evander Kensington, but she had no idea that their marriage was built on a lie; a family vow that trapped him by her side. His heart, however, belonged to another woman, his white lotus. No matter how hard Claire tried to win Evander’s love, he only grew colder, and his family treated her like she didn’t exist. When she lost their unborn child, Claire’s world shattered. She wanted to see Evander, but he didn't bother to check on her. Instead, he went to meet that white lotus. Unable to bear the betrayal, she decided to free Evander from this marriage, leaving behind a letter and divorce papers, claiming she now had someone else she loved! ~~~~ "You’re mine, and I’ll never let you go!” he declared, his voice dark with possessiveness. “But I don’t want you anymore! You can have Susan—I’m now in love with someone else!” Claire shot back, her words sharp and final. "You can't be with anyone. Do you even know how sleepless nights I've without you?" Evander's hold on her tightened. "I'll see how you become some else when I'll claim you," he pronounced before crashing his lips on her.
Evander's POV
I was grateful Claire cared about Eliam. I couldn't leave him with my mother or anyone else. All they did was cast shadows over him, making him feel unloved and unwanted.
When he was little, the maids took care of him. But they didn't hold their tongues. I thought they were kind, but they gossiped about him when they thought no one was listening. They blamed him for things he couldn't control, calling him unlucky, like he brought bad luck just by being born. It was cruel, and it hurt him in ways I hadn't seen at first.
As he got older, it became worse. They weren't just rude— they started hurting him. Pinching his arm when he cried, ignoring him when he was hungry, leaving him outside in the cold as "punishment." I was shocked. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.