Chapter 4

Cordelia finished her black coffee. She turned off her iPad and gracefully stood up from the wicker chair in the sunroom.

She walked out into the main hallway. She intended to head to her home office on the second floor to review some blueprints.

As she ascended the grand staircase, she noticed the heavy silence of the estate felt different today. It felt suffocating.

She turned toward the left corridor. To get to her office, she had to pass directly by the entrance to the guest wing.

Approaching the heavy oak doors of the guest suite, Cordelia's footsteps slowed down. A faint sound caught her attention.

She stopped entirely. Her breath caught in her throat.

A muffled, high-pitched moan leaked through the thick wood of Ava's door.

It was followed by the low, unmistakable rumble of Julian's voice. The words were indistinct, but the tone was raw and intimate.

Cordelia's hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Her fingernails bit painfully into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped indentations.

A sudden, sharp thud against the wall inside the suite made her flinch. The physical reality of their affair hit her hard in the chest.

She closed her eyes. She fought the violent urge to kick the door open and expose them right then and there. She reminded herself of Penelope's warning. She needed evidence, not a screaming match.

Cordelia forced her hands to un-clench. She took a deep, silent breath. She continued walking past the door without stopping.

She entered her home office. She shut the door quietly but firmly, locking herself in her safe space.

She sat at her desk. She pulled out a hidden leather notebook from the bottom drawer. She meticulously logged the date, time, and location of the incident. It was raw data for her lawyer.

Hours passed. Cordelia immersed herself in reviewing fabric swatches for her studio. She completely detached her mind from the toxic house around her.

Late in the afternoon, the office door handle rattled. A sharp knock followed.

Cordelia quickly slid the notebook under a stack of blueprints.

"Enter," she called out.

Julian walked in. He was wearing a fresh white shirt and dark slacks. His dark hair was slightly damp from a recent shower.

He leaned against the edge of her desk. He projected an aura of casual dominance, completely unbothered by his actions earlier in the day.

Cordelia looked up. Her eyes scanned his damp hair. A wave of deep disgust churned in her stomach, but she expertly hid it behind a blank stare.

Julian cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"Have you been feeling unwell lately, Cordelia?" he asked casually.

"I am fine," Cordelia replied neutrally. "Why would you think otherwise?"

Julian smirked slightly. He leaned closer, invading her space.

"Cordelia, we have been married for three years, and my mother has been asking about children lately," he asked with a probing, hypocritical gentleness. "Have you... noticed any changes in your health recently?"

Cordelia's blood ran cold. The horrific memory of her past-life pregnancy, the pain, and her subsequent death flashed before her eyes in vivid color.

She maintained eye contact. Her voice was steady and ice-cold.

"No. I am not."

Julian sighed. He ran a hand through his damp hair, expressing his frustration.

"The Astor board is pressuring me for an heir," Julian stated. "It's your duty as my wife to secure the family lineage."

He completely ignored the sickening irony of his infidelity. He treated her like a corporate incubator.

Cordelia stared at him. She analyzed the sheer audacity of a man asking his wife for a baby just hours after sleeping with his mistress down the hall.

She picked up her silver pen. She tapped it rhythmically against the mahogany desk.

"Stress is bad for conception, Julian," Cordelia said. "Perhaps you should manage your 'charity cases' better."

Julian's eyes narrowed instantly. He caught the subtle jab. His posture stiffened as he realized she wasn't backing down.

He straightened up. His tone dropped to a dangerous warning level.

"Do not take your fertility issues out on Ava," he warned.