Chapter 8
Near closing time, Odessa called to ask Magnus if he wanted to have dinner together that evening.
For the first time ever, he lied to Odessa.
He declined her dinner invitation with the excuse that he needed to work late.
After hanging up, he glanced at the coffee table where his secretary had pre-ordered a birthday cake, then his lips curved into a
subtle smile.
At the hospital, Magnus looked at Sierra’s swollen cheeks and felt a pang of sympathy.
Last night, he had indeed gone too far.
In his memory, she’d always been the image of a strong, optimistic woman who seemed invincible against any storm.
Especially at that first meeting across the negotiation table-the first time Magnus had truly looked at any woman other than Odessa.
Sierra in her black business suit had radiated confidence, her assured manner of speaking deeply etched in his mind.
That day, there had been a safety accident at the factory in NYC. Just as Odessa was threatening divorce again, he’d gone on the
business trip to give them both cooling-off time.
Before leaving, his friend had given him terrible advice-saying he’d spoiled Odessa too much over the years, which was why she kept threatening divorce. Maybe he should find another woman to make her jealous, then she wouldn’t dare mention divorce again.
After meeting Sierra, Magnus suddenly thought it wasn’t a bad idea.
When it was over, he’d give her generous compensation. A woman as strong as her probably wouldn’t be heartbroken over romance.
So Magnus created a fake identity and began pursuing Sierra.
They ignited like kindling, burning out of control.
On passionate nights, holding Sierra with her flushed cheeks, her rosy skin drove him wild. In moments of lost rationality, he’d actually proposed to the woman beneath him.
On one side was Odessa, the drama queen causing chaos in his life. On the other was Sierra, the intelligent woman who understood
him.
Since Odessa was tired of their marriage, so be it.
The next day, Magnus had his lawyer deliver divorce papers to Odessa.
He married Sierra in a private ceremony, claiming they’d handle the legal paperwork later due to some delays with documents from another state. Sierra, ever understanding, didn’t push him on it.
Just when he thought he’d handled everything perfectly, the lawyer said Odessa refused to sign the divorce agreement.
Then the Verrier family called-Odessa had attempted suicide by slashing her wrists.
He rushed back to the estate in New York. The pale-faced woman sobbed in his arms, asking if he didn’t love her anymore.
Magnus was speechless in that moment.
Ultimately, years of affection defeated novelty. He planned to return and come clean with Sierra, but the moment they met, she
15.26
dropped bombshell news.
She was pregnant.
For the first time, Magnus played the coward, hiding in New York under the pretense of a work transfer.
White smoke curled upward as guilt from those memories filled his heart to the brim. He stubbed out his cigarette, picked up the cake, and headed to the hospital.
He would try to make it up to Sierra and Eli, as long as they behaved and caused no more trouble.
But when he reached the hospital room, it was empty.
Magnus’s heart raced with unease, as if something in his chest was slipping away.
He stopped a nurse. “Where’s the woman from this room?”
The nurse looked at him with unfriendly eyes. “She left with her child. A perfectly good woman beaten nearly beyond recognition-what was she supposed to do but run?”
“What?!” He was furious, ordering his bodyguards to search immediately.
The nurse muttered under her breath, “Acting all devoted now that she’s gone? You sure didn’t hold back when you had her beaten into the hospital! Otherwise why would she force herself to flee while running a high fever?”
Crash. Magnus hurled the cake against the wall, startling the young nurse.
He couldn’t be bothered arguing with a nurse and arranged for immigration to intercept Sierra.
She absolutely could not leave with Eli!
Soon came the news: “Mr. Everhart, the information you provided is wrong! Interception failed!”
“What do you mean?”
“Sierra Whitlow’s identity records have been completely wiped. No such person exists…”
Magnus gripped his phone tightly, veins bulging at his temples.
Excellent. So Sierra had been planning to leave all along. Identity deletion and new identity arrangements couldn’t be completed in a day.
Just as he was about to issue a global bounty, the bodyguards sent to the airport returned.
“Let me go!” Eli clawed and pounded at the bodyguards.
“Mr. Everhart, we brought the child back, but Miss Sierra… we didn’t catch her.”
He crouched down to touch the soft little face, but was slapped away by small hands.
Eli turning his face away looked just like Sierra when she was angry-it made one want to tease him.
“It’s fine. As long as the child is back, she can’t run far.” His tone was certain.
Eli glared at him with red-rimmed eyes, saying indignantly:
“Mommy won’t come back! Because you already have a wife and you bullied Mommy. I distracted the bodyguards so Mommy could escape. When I grow up, I’ll go find her. Give up that dream!”
“Eli, don’t make trouble. Call your mother-I’ll make it up to you both properly.”
Magnus was unconcerned, taking out his phone to dial and holding it to Eli’s ear.
He assumed it would be like the livestream-Sierra would give in for Eli’s sake.
Eli snatched the phone and threw it precisely out the half-open window.
