3 ##Chapter 3 I returned to my room and packed my luggage, taking a fresh look at myself in the mirror. No longer the understated, plain, shadow-like woman Axel preferred. The person in the mirror wore flame-red lipstick, precise eye makeup, a red slip dress with a leather jacket draped over her shoulders-sharp and unfamiliar. For the first time in five years, I dressed the way I liked. I dialed a number. "I need a drink." At the bar, the lighting was intimate, low music vibrating through the air. Kate-my most trusted friend and business partner in finance-looked me up and down, laughing softly: "Now this is the you I know. Not some socialite who buried herself for a man." I tilted my head back and downed my drink, the liquor burning my throat. "Pathetic, isn't it? I gave up my seat on the board of directors for Axel. And he treated my sacrifice like air." "Stop calling it pathetic-you belong at the center of the game." She tapped her glass, her gaze cold and sharp. "Come back, Grace. The James family daughter shouldn't be cowering in some star's shadow." I curved my lips, a long-lost edge flashing in my eyes: "I will." Kate studied me, then suddenly lowered her voice with meaningful intent: "But... have you considered that the child might actually be Axel's?" The glass slipped from my hand, liquor splashing across the table. My heart seized suddenly. "Impossible." I denied it in a low voice, but my voice was so weak even I didn't believe it. Ever since Ella moved in, Axel's behavior had become increasingly abnormal. All his patience and tenderness poured out for her. That child... could it really be Axel's? I drank glass after glass until the world began to spin. My last memory was of Axel, heavily disguised, angrily storming into the bar and forcibly carrying me from the booth. "How dare you drink like this without me here? Do you know what would happen if the paparazzi caught this?!" He hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing. I struggled desperately, unwilling to let him touch me. But drunk and powerless, I could only be carried away by him. ...... The next morning, I woke with a splitting headache, still wearing last night's clothes as I stumbled downstairs. The scene in the living room made me freeze in place. Ella sat in the center of the sofa, looking relaxed, with new cushions and a vase behind her that I'd never seen before. She turned her head, her eyes smiling: "You're finally awake. Axel was so worried about you last night-he carried you all the way to the bedroom." She lightly stroked her belly, her tone full of provocation: "Grace, you really should learn to depend on him." I stared at her, my lips curling coldly: "Depend on him? What gives you the right to lecture me?" Her smile stiffened, but she still put on a fragile act: "I just... don't want to ruin your marriage." I couldn't help but laugh coldly: "Drop the act. Don't forget-you're living under someone else's roof, yet you dare sit on this sofa with the airs of a mistress of the house." My voice dropped coldly: "If you really don't want to ruin anything, then get out of here immediately Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!