Chapter 1054:

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But her longing for a child didn’t give her the right to harm an innocent life. Whether it had been Jordyn, Cara, or Zandra, the loss of their children had always left a weight in her chest. Children were blameless. They didn’t deserve to be taken from the world before they had ever laid eyes on it. She was determined to protect this one.

Cathryn lifted her chin and met Andrew’s eyes. “I’ve told you before — if you simply told me you’d fallen for someone else, I would walk away. I wouldn’t cling.”

In the past, Andrew had paid little mind whenever she said such things. He had assumed she was guarding her pride, and since he would never love anyone else, her words had slid right off him.

But now, faced with the weight of everything around them, hearing her say it again made his chest sink. If their positions were reversed — if she gave her heart to someone else — he would tear the world apart to win her back. So did Cathryn truly not love him anymore?

His expression darkened, his face drawn and tense, and he nodded slowly. “Fine. Since you’re dead set on Kyla keeping the baby, I’ll bring her to Brooks Manor so the pregnancy is properly managed.”

Cathryn’s eyes widened, shock flickering across her face. She had imagined Kyla carrying the child quietly, somewhere removed from their lives — not Andrew bringing her straight into Brooks Manor. What would that make her, his wife, in her own home? If word of this spread, what would it do to the Brooks family name?

Kyla’s eyes glittered with anticipation as she looked at Andrew. “Mr. Brooks, are you really going to take me to your home?”

Andrew ground his teeth, his gaze fixed on Cathryn. “Kyla, you’re carrying my child. Since you’re the mother, the family is obligated to care for you. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Brooks?” He emphasized the address deliberately, and Cathryn’s hands curled into fists at her sides, the color draining from her face.

𝗪𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺

When she said nothing, the tension in Andrew’s expression eased — just slightly. So she still cared, after all.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Cathryn said at last, drawing a slow breath. “Pregnancy is hard enough. At Brooks Manor, both Kyla and the baby will be properly looked after.”

Andrew’s eyes sharpened. She didn’t care. His jaw locked, a vein jumping at his temple, and he pressed each word with deliberate force. “Brooks Manor can only have one lady of the house. If Kyla moves in, what exactly does that make you?”

Cathryn pulled in a long, quiet breath, dropped her gaze, and said, “I’ll leave.”

Andrew closed his eyes, pain rolling through him in slow, heavy waves. When he opened them again, they were cold and distant.

“Let’s go, Kyla,” he said, turning away.

Kyla hurried after him. They walked off and left Cathryn standing there alone, and neither of them looked back.

Cathryn watched them go — watched Kyla draw close to Andrew’s side. She pressed her teeth into her bottom lip, her chest aching as though something inside it was being torn open. She’d had no other choice. This was the sacrifice she had made to protect Andrew’s child.

Her legs gave beneath her. Her vision flooded with black, and she crumpled to the floor.

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