---- And now, he had betrayed it. He had fled, quite literally, like a man escaping a crime scene. All he wanted was to get back to Nikki-to hold her, to breathe her in, to believe, even fora second, that everything could still be all right. She had no idea what had happened. When he returned unexpectedly, she thought he had rushed back just for her. She wept in his arms, moved beyond words. She didn't notice how stiffly he held her. When Lily didn't show up at work afterward, he didn't care. Not really. Then, a month later, she reappeared-this time in his parents' villa, gently touching her belly as she said she was pregnant. His parents were ecstatic. They immediately insisted that she move into the estate in the ---- eastern suburbs. And he said nothing. He didn't stop them. Because by then, he had stopped caring. Sure, the child existed. But his marriage, technically, remained intact. That house-though furnished with exquisite taste and carefully chosen pieces-was a symbol they all understood. It was never meant to be lived in. He and Nikki still lived in the modest two- bedroom flat he had bought with his first paycheck. That tiny apartment was packed with memories-laughter, midnight snacks, shared dreams. It held the best of them. He had thought their bond was unshakeable. Nikki trusted him without reservation. But he'd miscalculated one thing: the depth of her love. ---- He never thought she would be willing to have his child. This was the same woman who had once, choking back tears, told him, "Levi, I never want to have children. Not in this life. Even if it kills me. Are you really sure about this?" And yet... she had secretly gotten pregnant. She had planned a surprise for him. But just as her heart was swelling with joy, he had shattered it with the weight of his betrayal. How much must that have hurt? So she left him. Truly left him. He had seen it in her eyes. That clarity. That finality. Just now, downstairs-he had fled, unable to face the truth.