Chapter 11 Lauren had already returned to the guest room , with the maids carrying the mattress behind her . Only Rhea and Carter remained standing at the bedroom door . His voice was calm as he said , " I'll say it one last time . Lauren is the kids ' mother . I have an obligation to take care of her . Don't make a scene . I'm not in the mood tonight . " Rhea almost laughed . " Your bad mood isn't my fault . The two of you decided to take something of mine on your own . Did you ever consider how I might feel ? You care about her , so I have to be the one to sacrifice ? " " I told you , it's not like that ! " " Dad ... Mom ... " Arielle suddenly appeared . Both adults shut their mouths at once . Rhea's eyes were red , and she said nothing more . She took Arielle's hand and led her to the kids ' room . Arielle had clearly been listening in the whole time . Once inside , she said , " Mom , can you sleep with me tonight ? It's been forever since we shared a bed . " Knowing that Arielle was trying to comfort her , Rhea couldn't help herself . Tears slipped out despite her best efforts . " Don't cry , Mom ! " Arielle scrambled to wipe her face . " You won't be pretty when you cry . " She was mimicking what Rhea used to say to comfort her . As Rhea stared at the young girl she had raised with her own hands , the tears just kept coming . She had truly believed that as long as she loved Carter and took good care of his children , she would eventually build a happy home with him . She had dreamed of the day she could return to Draventh with Carter by her side , proudly showing her parents that she had made the right choice . But that dream was long dead . One day had changed everything . Now , the gap between them felt impossible to cross . Gritting her teeth , Rhea swallowed back her sobs . " Go to sleep . I'll stay with you . " Arielle was still worried about Rhea . Half - asleep , she murmured , " Mom , you're the best . I love you the most ... " That sentence shattered all of Rhea's defenses . She clutched Arielle's favorite plush toy , pressed it to her mouth , and wept soundlessly . Her shoulders trembled hard as she cried . The sight was utterly heartbreaking . Even when she felt lost and hurt like this , she had no one to turn to . Carter had only asked about her parents once since they got married . It was before the wedding , when he wanted to know if they would be attending . She had told him that they were too far away and couldn't make it . That only confirmed Carter's assumption that Rhea came from the countryside , far from Colburn . Since she clearly didn't want to talk about it at the time , he never brought it up again . But at that moment , Rhea missed her mother more than anything . Chapter 11 +25 BONUS Meanwhile , Carter entered Adrian's room to tuck him in . Knowing that Rhea was with Arielle , he wanted to check on Adrian . Adrian wasn't fully asleep . The moment he sensed Carter's arrival , he suddenly sat up . " Dad , do you love us and Mom ? " Carter paused , then smiled faintly . " Of course I do . " As for who he meant that love was for , it remained unclear . " Arielle and I don't like that lady . She made Mom cry . Dad , please tell her to leave . " Adrian spoke with the unfiltered honesty of a child . A trace of helplessness flickered in Carter's eyes . " But Lauren is your birth mother . " " I don't care ! Arielle and I only want our mom ! She's the only one ! " Adrian pouted . Carter had always assumed that blood relations would matter most . But now , his children were proving otherwise . He gently helped Adrian lie back down . " Go to sleep . " " Dad , you won't leave Mom , right ? " Adrian asked uneasily . That same night , far away in Draventh at the Ravelle residence , Rhea's mother , Ruby Johnson , suddenly jolted awake . " What's wrong ? " Woken by her sudden movement , her husband , Liam Ravelle , switched on the bedside lamp . Ruby was breathing hard . " I had a dream that someone bullied Rhea , and she was crying alone . " Liam went quiet . Ruby turned to him . " Why did you have to be so stubborn back then and tell her you were cutting ties ? Now , even if she's suffering , she won't come to us . "