The Bikers Lord Revenge Bride

FIVE YEARS AGO SERAPHINA VEYNE "How long has it been since your hysterectomy, Lady Veyne?" For a moment, I honestly think Dr. Evelina Crowne is joking. I stare at her, waiting for the smile that will tell me she made a mistake. "My what?" I ask with a small laugh, shaking my head. "I think you've got the wrong patient. I've never had a hysterectomy." Dr. Crowne's expression does not change. She looks down at the papers in front of her, then back at me. "Seraphina, according to your medical records and the scans we just took, your womb was surgically removed about three months ago. That would also explain why you have not had your monthly bleeding." Her words take a moment to reach me. Then I laugh again, louder this time. "No. That cannot be right." I am only here because I have missed two monthly cycles. Normally, I would not worry too much about it. Running the Veyne Atelier keeps me busy enough to forget half the things happening around me. As the chief designer of my husband's growing fashion house, stress has become part of my daily life. But this time, I needed answers. Three months ago, Cassian had forced me to end my pregnancy. I had cried and begged him not to make me do it, but he had insisted that another child would ruin everything we had built. He said our family needed peace, and the business needed me focused. So when I missed two more cycles, I became worried that something might have gone wrong. "Doctor, there must be some mistake," I say. "I had an abortion three months ago. That is all. Cassian arranged everything. He found the medical hall, made the appointment, and took care of the entire procedure. There was no hysterectomy." Dr. Crowne's face becomes more serious. "Did you experience any unusual pain after the procedure? Heavy bleeding? Fever? Weakness?" I think back to those first few days. "It wasn't pleasant," I admit. "I was in pain for a while, but nothing seemed serious. My husband handled everything. He would have told me if something had gone wrong." Wouldn't he? Of course he would. Dr. Crowne studies me quietly before lowering the file in her hands. "Seraphina, you cannot have children anymore." My breath catches. For a few seconds, I cannot move. I stare at her as though she has started speaking another language. "No," I whisper. "There is no mistake in the scan." "No." I shake my head quickly. "That doesn't make sense. You must have mixed up my records with someone else's." "I am sorry." My chest tightens. Cassian and I have been married for three years. We have a two year old daughter, Elowen. Our marriage has never been perfect, but I have always believed there was love between us. I trusted him with my life, my family, my work, and my future. He would never do this to me. Someone must have made a terrible mistake. I stand before Dr. Crowne can say anything else and force a smile onto my face. "It's fine. I'll call my husband. Once he hears about this, he'll sort everything out. We'll probably laugh about it later." I leave before she can stop me. The moment I reach the courtyard outside the medical hall, my hands begin to shake. I keep telling myself it is only a mistake. People make mistakes with records all the time. But this was not some missing document or wrong name. Someone had removed my womb. I sit inside my carriage and immediately call Cassian. He does not answer. I call again. Nothing. I try a third time and get his voice messenger. I stare at the device in my hand before letting out a nervous laugh. "Come on, Cassian. Pick up." Then I remember the important meeting he told me about yesterday. He was supposed to meet several wealthy merchants from Valeria today. He had said the meeting could take hours. I smile to myself. "Just wait until you hear what the doctor told me," I mutter. "She thinks I had my womb removed." I imagine him laughing when I tell him. Cassian always knows what to do when things go wrong. He always makes problems disappear. At least, that was what I believed. A dull ache settles in my chest when I think about the abortion. I never wanted it. I had cried for days after it happened. I had wanted another baby, but Cassian told me that Elowen was enough for now. He said the Veyne Atelier needed stability and that another pregnancy would damage my reputation and the business. He told me he was protecting our family. I believed him. Even now, some foolish part of me still wants to believe him. I wipe the tears gathering in my eyes and take a deep breath. "Everything will make sense soon," I whisper. But when I arrive home, I no longer feel as confident as I did at the medical hall. The gates open, and I drive into the courtyard. The house is strangely quiet, yet several lamps are burning inside. Elowen should still be at the royal children's academy. I step out of the carriage and walk toward the house. Before I can unlock the door, I notice that it is already open. "Cassian?" I call as I step inside. "Are you home?" No answer comes. I take another step. "You won't believe what happened to me today." Then I stop. Clothes are scattered across the sitting room. A woman's leather satchel lies on the couch. I know that satchel. I made it myself. My fingers go cold. It belongs to Isolde. Isolde Veyne. Cassian's cousin. My best friend. The woman who held my hand when Elowen was born. The woman who brought me warm herb broth whenever I was too exhausted to eat. The woman who promised me again and again that she would always protect me and my daughter. My heart begins to pound. Then I hear it. A soft moan coming from the bedchamber. My bedchamber. Our bedchamber. I take a step toward the sound. "No," I whisper. Another voice follows. Cassian. His voice is low and breathless. "Did you get rid of Elowen?" My entire body goes cold. Isolde gives a quiet laugh. "What do you think I am? Of course I did. But what about Seraphina? What happens if she finds out?" "She already knows," Cassian replies. There is amusement in his voice. "By now, the medical hall will have told her that her womb was removed during that so called abortion. Can you believe she actually thought I would give her more children?" My hand flies to my mouth. I cannot breathe. Cassian continues. "If Elowen had died from those herbs I put in Seraphina's morning tea when she was pregnant, this would have been much easier. But the girl survived. It doesn't matter anymore. Seraphina is finished now, and we can finally be together." A quiet sound comes from Isolde. "I am tired of pretending to be your cousin," she says. "Why didn't you just get rid of her?" My legs feel weak. I press myself against the wall, terrified that they will hear me. Cassian's voice becomes cold. "Because we needed her." There is a pause. "Her designs built the Veyne Atelier. She brought the talent, the ideas, and the reputation. But now she is no longer useful." He laughs softly. "She is disposable." Something inside me cracks. I push the door open. "Where is my daughter?" They both turn toward me. Isolde quickly pulls the sheet over herself. Instead of looking ashamed, she smiles. "Well, look who finally found us." My eyes fill with tears. "You." My voice shakes. "After everything I did for you." Isolde gives a small laugh. "Oh, Seraphina. I really did feel sorry for you. I just didn't feel sorry enough to stop." I rush toward her. "Where is Elowen?" Cassian catches me before I can reach her. I fight against him, screaming and hitting his chest. "Let me go!" "Elowen!" I cry. "Where is my daughter? What did you do to her?" Cassian holds me as though I weigh nothing. "Let me go!" My voice breaks. "Please, Cassian. She's our daughter." He looks down at me with a cold expression I have never seen before. "Oh, stop crying." "Where is she?" "Where you're going, you won't have time to worry about anyone else." I stare at him in horror. "What does that mean?" I struggle harder. "Give me back my daughter! Give me back my baby!" My tears fall freely now. "You took my womb. You took my child. What more do you want from me?" Isolde's expression turns cruel. "You killed your own baby." I freeze. "What?" She steps closer. "Did Cassian force you to end the pregnancy? No. You agreed to it." "I didn't want it." "You still did it." Her words cut deeper than anything else. "If it had been up to me, you would have died with that womb." A broken cry leaves my mouth. I cannot recognize my own voice. Then suddenly, loud pounding shakes the front door. BANG! BANG! BANG! "Royal Guard! Open the door!" Cassian releases me. Before I can understand what is happening, the doors burst open and several royal guards rush inside. I turn toward them. "Help me!" One of the guards looks directly at me. "There she is." Cassian points at me. "That's Seraphina Veyne. Arrest her." My mouth falls open. "What?" The guard grabs my arms and pulls them behind my back. "No. Wait. Please. You don't understand." "Seraphina Veyne, you are under arrest for theft and fraud." "What are you talking about?" "You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to legal counsel. Anything you say may be used against you before the royal court. Do you understand?" I stare at Cassian. He is standing beside Isolde. She has wrapped the sheet around herself, and he has one arm around her. He looks almost amused. "Did you really think no one would discover what you did?" he asks. "What I did?" My voice cracks. "You stole designs from struggling designers and claimed them as your own during the last Veyne Atelier campaign. You tried to destroy Isolde and me because you were jealous." I stare at him in disbelief. "Those are my designs!" I struggle against the guards. "Everything in this house belongs to me. Those designs are mine!" Cassian laughs. "Then prove it." The guards tighten the restraints around my wrists. The metal feels cold against my skin. I look at Cassian one last time, hoping to see even a little regret in his eyes. There is none. Not even a trace. As the guards drag me away, something inside me finally gives up. My faith. My marriage. My family. My motherhood. Everything I thought I had built with the man I loved is gone. And in a single night, my entire life has been turned against me.