Her voice cracked. Her expression crumbled into something wounded and pitiable, as though she'd endured a thousand injustices.

She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to. Ivan understood perfectly.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said immediately. "I told you I'd take care of you both. I don't go back on my word."

His gaze swung to me, cold as a blade. "Stella, are you so desperate to keep me that you'd frame a child?"

His fingers locked around my wrist and squeezed—so hard I heard the bones creak. But that pain was nothing compared to what was happening inside me.

The tiny life tethered to mine was slipping away. I thought of the dream—

Instinctively, I clutched at the hem of Ivan's shirt, my voice barely a whisper. "Help me... my stomach hurts so much..."

But Ivan's expression hardened. "Stop faking it. In your last life, you delivered a healthy boy just fine. Nothing's going to go wrong this time either."

The pain was so intense I couldn't form words. Maybe my expression was convincing enough, because Ivan wavered, half-believing, and moved to help me up.

But Glenda grabbed his arm. "Ivan, let me take a look. I've been through childbirth before—I know what I'm doing."

She pressed Cooper into Ivan's arms. He seemed about to say something, but the boy's whimpering cut him off. Ivan cradled the child carefully, drifting toward the window, patting his back and murmuring softly.

Glenda came closer. Slowly, she peeled back the blanket—and her eyes went wide.

Dark crimson blood was seeping from between my legs, soaking through my nightgown.

Then she smiled. "Oh my, it's nothing at all! Stella, you really are delicate, aren't you?"

Ivan's face went cold, just as she'd intended.

"I knew it, Stella. You were faking."

Glenda flashed a coy smile. "Isn't a wife meant to be pampered? She's just a little sensitive, Ivan. You should comfort her more."

"If she can't handle this much pain, imagine what labor will be like. You'd better book her an epidural in advance."

Then her expression shifted to something pitiful. "Though I've heard epidurals and C-sections can affect the baby. For Cooper's sake, I gritted my teeth and pushed through it all on my own."

Ivan scoffed. "Who's giving her an epidural? My son was perfectly well-behaved. No drugs, no interventions—smooth natural delivery."

Pride dripped from every word. A flicker of jealousy passed through Glenda's eyes.