“Eight months after divorcing me because I “couldn’t give him a family,”

It was insane.

And terrifyingly patient.

Ryan stared at his mother.

“You stole Mia’s embryo?”

“Yes.”

“You put it inside Lauren?”

“Yes.”

“You let me believe—”

“I gave you the child you wanted.”

Ryan laughed once.

Then he covered his face.

Lauren removed her wedding ring.

She dropped it on the table.

“You knew?”

Ryan looked at her.

“No.”

“Did you know anything?”

“I knew Mom moved money.”

My heart stopped.

There it was.

The truth.

Ryan continued quickly.

“I thought it was temporary.”

“How much?” I asked.

He looked at me.

“How much did you know?”

He said nothing.

I stepped closer.

“How much, Ryan?”

His eyes filled with shame.

“Two million.”

Lauren backed away.

I nodded.

So there it was.

Not innocent.

Not mastermind.

Something worse in a way.

A man who had noticed the door was unlocked and decided stealing was acceptable as long as he didn’t ask who picked the lock.

“You knew you were stealing from me.”

“I thought I’d repay it.”

“You divorced me.”

“I didn’t know Mom kept moving money after—”

“You divorced me while my inheritance was holding up your company.”

He looked down.

“And you called me this morning to mock me.”

“Mia.”

“You thought I was barren.”

His face broke.

“I was angry.”

“No. You were cruel.”

He stepped toward me.

“I didn’t know about our daughter.”

“You wouldn’t have cared yesterday.”

“That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?”

He had no answer.

Suddenly Lauren doubled over.

A gasp escaped her.

Everyone froze.

She grabbed her abdomen.

Ryan rushed toward her.

“Lauren?”

She pushed him away.

“Don’t touch me.”

Another sharp breath.

Dr. Sloane moved forward automatically.

“Sit down.”

Lauren’s face was pale.

“Is something wrong with the baby?”

Those words hit me differently now.

The baby.

My biological child.

Ryan’s biological child.

Growing inside a woman who had helped destroy my marriage but had also just discovered that her own pregnancy had been built on a lie.

Dr. Sloane knelt.

“It could be stress. We need to get you checked.”

Lauren looked at me.

For the first time, there was no arrogance.

No victory.

Only terror.

“Mia.”

I stepped toward her.

“I didn’t know.”

I believed her.

That surprised me.

“I swear to God, I thought it was a donor egg.”

Tears ran down her face.

“Patricia told me I had poor egg quality. She said Ryan would leave if I couldn’t give him a child.”

I slowly turned toward Patricia.

The cruelty was familiar.

Same method.

Different woman.

Tell her she was defective.

Make her afraid.

Offer the solution.

Control her.

Lauren had helped hurt me.

But Patricia had chosen her because she knew exactly what insecurity to exploit.

Dr. Sloane looked up.

“We need an ambulance.”

“I have a car downstairs,” Naomi said.

“No. Ambulance.”

Lauren grabbed my hand.

I looked down.

Her fingers trembled.

“If something happens—”

“It won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“No.”