Chapter 256

Hate. That word hit Lucien like a poisoned ice shard, plunging straight into his chest, draining every drop of color from his face. Calliope stared at him, eyes sharp. In that past life, those seven years, her obsession with having his child had twisted into something unhealthy. Day after day, filled with empty hope-each time ending in disappointment. That kind of soul-crushing despair had already eaten away all the love she had for him, bit by bit, until there was nothing left. She couldn't even remember when exactly she stopped loving him. All she knew was-at some point, her whole world shrank into just one word: pregnancy. What did love even feel like? She honestly had no clue anymore. That's why, the second she saw that photo, she could accept his betrayal so quickly. And that's why in this new life, she wasted no time cutting herself loose from that rotting mess of a relationship. The signs had always been there. Facing his agonized, contorted expression, Calliope just felt... cal