Sofia Roth trailing behind her. The room's air thickened with tension as Cloe, her once beautiful face now red and swollen from

gging at her lips. "So, you're still alive,"

pped. Elizabeth

ands and, with a swift motion, hurled it at Cloe. The papers scattered across her bed, but one caught Cloe's eye

nfusion flooding her. What was th

houghts. "Look at it!" she snarled through

ound had just been ripped from beneath her feet. Never... be a mother? Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at Elizabeth, her heart

You can never give me an heir, Cloe!" Her voice was fil

al, intimate way. Her body, her future, her ability to have a family-all ripped away from her with that o

s isn't true... It can't be..." But deep

ily," she said, her voice laced with pride. Elizabeth's smile widened as she wrapped an arm around Sofia's shoulder, a gesture of approval that made C

won. Cloe's heart clenched as she met Sofia's gaze, her own face still red and swollen from all that had transpi

her voice cold and dismissive. "But that's not enough for me, or for the Taylor family. The

r. Her mind swirled with disbelief and agony, the sickness from the rain mixing with the emotional devastation

ng with venom. "Mrs. Taylor... don't forget, she's an orphan. She ca

g Sofia say it out loud, watching Elizabeth stand by and nod in agreement, made it all too real. Her entire life had been

age of being reduced to nothing in their eyes. Everything she had believed in, the love she thoug