Chapter 2

Julian's face darkened instantly. His brows drew together in irritation.

“Clara, I’m not joking. Don’t push me with this kind of behavior just to get a reaction.”

“I came here to invite Dr. Beaumont to collaborate with the Ministry of Defence. If you ruin this deal, don’t blame me for walking away from my promise to marry you.”

His threat made me laugh, cold and sharp.

If sabotaging his mission could cure his arrogance, I might have considered it.

I met his stern gaze and answered calmly, “I’m not here for you. You can relax.”

No sooner had I spoken than Grace stepped in with a pitiful look.

“Clara, I know you’ve never forgiven me for what happened at the wedding… but I didn’t have a choice.”

“I was pregnant. The doctor told me it was too risky to end the pregnancy. If I had the baby alone, in our conservative little town, my life would’ve been ruined by the gossip.”

She choked up, tears brimming in her eyes. I, on the other hand, remained expressionless.

Julian had claimed Grace was injured protecting him from local thugs during one of his missions.

Yet for something so serious, I’d never heard a word about it.

Not until the day of the wedding.

Up until then, both of them had acted as if nothing had changed.

Julian had fussed over my health, telling me not to overwork myself with wedding preparations.

Grace had insisted on sleeping next to me that night, crying as she clung to me.

She said, “Clara, if Julian ever hurts you, I’ll make him pay.”

Lying there in the dark, I’d felt grateful.

Even though our parents were gone, I still had Julian and Grace.

They were the two most important people in my life.

So when I saw Grace wearing my wedding dress, stepping into the bridal car in my place, it shattered something inside me.

I lost control.

I threw away my usual calm and composure and broke down in front of everyone.

Grace and I had been adopted together. We weren’t related by blood, but I’d always treated her as my real sister.

I never imagined that someone so seemingly sweet and innocent could betray me without the slightest hesitation.

When I didn’t respond, Grace looked sorrowfully at Julian.

“Julian, Clara’s waited for you all these years. It’s not fair to her. Maybe… after tonight, we should file for divorce.”

“But what about Andy? If people find out he doesn’t have a father, he’ll be bullied…”

She looked so fragile and helpless. Julian immediately grabbed her hand, eyes full of concern.

“Don’t talk nonsense. A soldier’s marriage isn’t something that ends so easily. And besides, your sister used to love you more than anyone. She’d never let Andy suffer.”

“But… she came here just to win you back…”

That did it.

Julian turned to me again, his patience wearing thin.

“Clara, I know making you wait five years was wrong. So here’s the solution—move in with us.”

“You don’t have much going on back in Belgravia anyway. Just helping out at the local library, right? Come live with us. You can cook, help around the house. That way you’ll see me and Grace every day.”

His words were so absurd I couldn’t help but laugh.

He really thought a top physicist, respected by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, would drop everything to become his housemaid.

Grace blinked in surprise at my reaction, then quickly softened her tone.

“Clara, if that’s what you want, I’ll serve you tea every day. Whatever makes you happy.”

Julian smirked smugly. “You won’t need to lift a finger. If I let her live with us, she’d probably wash your feet every night out of gratitude.”

He chuckled, his gaze landing on me with smug satisfaction.

“After all this time, you finally got what you wanted. So stop making a scene, will you?”

I wiped the smile from my face, my eyes turning cold as ice.

“Live with you two? So I can wake up every morning and vomit at the sight of your faces?”