He Cheated With My Sister, I Took His Fortune

Chapter 5

Layla's smile triggered a momentary spike of panic in Evelyn's chest, but she quickly forced her composure back into place.

Smugly, Layla stroked her lower belly.

"Oh, really? I highly doubt that. Actually, I have some wonderful news—I just found out I'm pregnant. It's been about two weeks." Layla purred, her eyes gleaming. "Adrian was so worried about me being on my own that he practically begged me to move in. It looks like I'll be in your care from now on."

She paused, feigning a sweet, helpless sigh. "Your husband is just so incredibly attentive. This is my first pregnancy, you see, so he's completely over the moon and panicking about everything. You're not mad, right?"

Evelyn's face drained of color. Only now did she truly take in the subtle changes around the house—the foreign items, the shifted decor.

It felt as though her heart was being methodically sliced to ribbons.

During their three years of marriage, she had brought up the idea of starting a family countless times.

Every single time, Adrian had brushed her off, claiming he was buried in work and had no time for a child.

When she finally suggested she could raise the baby herself without bothering him, he snapped.

He told her he hated kids, that they were nothing but a burden, and that he never wanted them in his life.

And she had believed him. She had actually believed his lies.

As it turned out, he didn't hate children at all.

He just didn't want them with her.

He had simply been biding his time, waiting for Layla to carry his firstborn.

The heavy thud of footsteps broke the silence as Adrian walked down the stairs.

"Layla, your room is all set up," he said warmly. "Go on up and see if you like it."

Layla nodded happily, casting one last triumphant look at Evelyn before heading upstairs.

Only when she was out of sight did Adrian finally deign to acknowledge Evelyn's presence.

He rubbed his temples, putting on a show of exhaustion, before offering a hollow, casual greeting. "Oh. You're back?"

"Good. I actually need to talk to you about something," he continued, his tone shifting into businesslike detachment. "Layla's pregnant, and the father is completely out of the picture. Her mother kicked her out when she found out. She's in a really vulnerable position right now, so she's going to stay with us for a while. We'll look after her together."

He stepped closer, his voice dropping into a transactional murmur. "If you play along with this, I'll pull some strings and clear up that whole charity fund embezzlement mess for you in a few days."

Evelyn stared at him, her face completely numb. "Adrian, do you honestly take me for an i***t?" Her voice was dangerously quiet. "Stop playing me for a fool!"

The room plunged into a suffocating silence.

A flash of panic crossed Adrian's eyes, but he quickly reined it in. Taking a deep breath, he locked his gaze with hers. "So you know."

"Fine. Since it's come to this, I won't lie to you. Yeah, Layla's baby is mine." He waved a hand dismissively, as if brushing off a minor mistake. "It was an accident. She looks so much like you, and I was wasted that night—I mistook her for you. Who knew she'd get pregnant from a single mistake?"

He stepped even closer, attempting to sound reasonable. "Evelyn, if this gets out, it'll ruin both our families' reputations. Once the kid is born, we'll just raise it under your name. Down the road, I'll have a child with you too—our own baby."

A sharp, humorless laugh burst from Evelyn's lips.

"You are absolutely repulsive."

Enunciating every single syllable, she looked him dead in the eye. "Adrian, we're done!"

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked out, never once looking back.

Safely inside the elevator, Evelyn pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Nathan, is the property notarization finalized?"

"Yes, Ma'am," the voice on the other end replied instantly. "All asset division has been legally settled. The house, the shares, the trust funds—everything is accounted for. Besides, the evidence regarding the framing and defamation has been officially submitted to the authorities."

"Thank you for your hard work."

She hung up, stepping out into the parking lot. She unlocked her car and slid into the driver's seat.

Glancing at the rearview mirror, she took one final look at the house she had called home for the past three years.

She hadn't spent the last two weeks weeping in a corner. Instead, she had meticulously dismantled their marital estate, dividing and notarizing every single penny that belonged to her.

Finally, this pathetic excuse for a drama was over.

Back inside the villa, Layla hurried downstairs, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Did sis leave? Oh, maybe I shouldn't have moved in... Should I just pack my bags and go?"

Adrian pulled her into a comforting embrace, smoothing down her hair. "Don't worry about it. Evelyn is just throwing a tantrum, which only proves she still cares about me. I'll go sweet-talk her in a couple of days, and she'll come around."

He let out a scoffing laugh. "It's not like she can actually do anything anyway. At worst, she'll make a scene. If she does, I'll just use the opportunity to tell the media she's acting out because her charity embezzlement was exposed. Long story short, she has no choice but to swallow her pride and comply."

Layla looked up at him, her tears vanishing, and kissed him passionately.

Suddenly, the sharp ring of the doorbell cut through the air.

A moment later, the maid walked into the living room holding a thick envelope. "Sir, a package just arrived for you."

Adrian frowned, taking it from her. "Who's it from?"

He flipped the envelope over to check the sender's information. The name Evelyn was written in elegant script.

A smug smirk spread across his face. "See? She barely left the house and she's already sending me things. She's probably ready to crawl back and apologize."

Confident and self-assured, he tore open the seal.

Inside lay a notarized divorce agreement, already stamped with the cold, undeniable seal of the family court.

In an instant, the color drained from Adrian's face, inch by agonizing inch.

His hollow eyes stared at the bold, unforgiving letters on the page.

His lips trembled, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word.