---- Chapter 7 "Nothing," Joana said, her voice flat. She turned her gaze to the window. As if on cue, a message notification lit up her phone, which she had placed face down on the nightstand. It was another one from Kaylee. This one was a photo of a stunning, five- star private island resort at sunset: The text below it read: "He's booking this for our babymoon. He says he wants our child to be conceived in paradise." Joana remembered Kaylee's words from the hospital. He's even planning to buy a private island for me. Darius saw her staring at her phone. "What is it?" he murmured, his voice gentle. "See something you like? | can book a trip for us. Anywhere you want to go. An island, a resort... anything. Just for you." Joana turned to look at him, a bitter smile on her face. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. "No, thank you," she said, her voice calm and clear. "| never set foot on polluted ground." Darius stiffened. Her words hit him, a sharp, unexpected jab. A flicker of panic crossed his face. He pulled her closer, his grip tightening. "What are you talking about? I'll find a new ---- place. A place that is only ours. Don't be jealous." She didn't answer, just stared out the window, her expression unreadable. For the next few days, Darius was a ghost. He left before she woke up and came home long after she was asleep. The house staff whispered excitedly, certain he was planning another grand surprise for her. "Mr. Madden is so loyal," one of the maids commented as she cleaned. "Always keeping the romance alive." Joana listened to their chatter with a dead heart. One evening, Darius came home early, his eyes shining with excitement. He took her hand. "Come with me," he said, pulling her toward the door. "l have a surprise for you. A place you'll love." Just as she was about to refuse, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Kaylee. "Guess who's more important to him now?" At the same moment, Darius's personal phone vibrated. Joana glanced down and saw the screen light up with a new message. It was a provocative photo of Kaylee in lingerie, accompanied by the text: "I'm waiting for you." Darius's face went pale. He quickly shoved the phone in his pocket. "Something's come up," he said, his voice strained. ---- "Urgent work. | have to go. We'll do the surprise another time." Joana just looked at him, her eyes searching his. A small, chilling laugh escaped her lips. The sound seemed to unnerve him. Without a word, she opened the car door and got out. He hesitated for a moment, then the car screeched away from the curb, leaving her standing alone on the sidewalk. A few hours later, another message from Kaylee arrived. It was a photo taken in a lavish hotel room. In the foreground was a half-empty glass of red wine and a man's luxury watch -one Joana recognized as Darius's favorite-lying on a bedside table next to a rumpled, messy bed. The text below it read: "He says I'm even more desirable now that I'm pregnant. He just can't resist me." Joana stared at the photo, but she felt nothing. A strange, cold calm had settled over her. It was over. She had already made her decision. Nothing he did could hurt her anymore. For the next week, Darius didn't come home at all. Joana didn't care. Kaylee's messages continued, a relentless barrage of photos and taunts. Darius on a private jet, tucking a blanket around a sleeping Kaylee. Darius at a high-end auction, holding up a paddle to bid on a pink diamond for her. Darius in the kitchen of her villa, playing the piano for her. ---- Each message was a declaration of his love for Kaylee, a twisted testament to his betrayal. Joana ignored them all. She spent her days methodically erasing herself from the home they had shared. She was not just leaving. She was becoming a ghost.