Chapter 1

The day Sophia returned home from the postpartum care center, I had just finished processing my resignation at the firm.

Walking up to the villa entrance, I heard a burst of laughter drifting from within, accompanied by the distinct pop of a champagne cork.

"What a beautiful child. That high bridge of the nose is the spitting image of Liam."

My mother-in-law was delightedly teasing the infant in her arms, while Liam walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of exquisite Wellington steak.

"I made this especially for you. You've just given birth, so you need the best protein for your recovery," he said, sitting down by the sofa and tenderly cutting the steak to feed Sophia. The atmosphere was the very picture of an enviable family of three.

My father-in-law, swirling a glass of red wine, was grinning from ear to ear. "This kid is definitely going to be an artist, just like his dad. Thank goodness he's nothing like that block of wood, Ethan, who knows nothing but reinforced concrete and has zero sense of romance."

My hand tightened involuntarily around the doorknob.

I remembered when I first met my father-in-law; he had patted my shoulder and said that being an architect was excellent—that we were the elite who built the city's backbone.

He once told me that he had wanted to go into civil engineering when he was young, and if not for his poor math skills, he wouldn't have switched to sales.

Yet now, he claimed engineers were unworthy of romance.

I had merely gone away on a project survey for a year, and this family had already completely marginalized me.

I lowered my head, the corner of my mouth twitching into a bitter smile.

Sophia and I have been married for three years. She said she wanted to focus on her gallery career and didn't want children for the time being. Knowing the pressure of running a gallery, I never pressured her.

I still remember the day I left for the survey; she was dissolved in tears, saying she would count the days until I returned.

Throughout the year, we emailed every day, sharing our lives. Even the partners at the firm teased us, calling us a model couple.

But just a month ago, when I finally wrapped up the project early and rushed home, ignoring the exhaustion of the long drive without a word of complaint...

What I saw was a heavily pregnant Sophia, snuggled up against her first love at an art exhibition.

Liam's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Ethan, when did you get back? Why are you standing at the door instead of coming in?"

Hearing his voice, everyone in the room looked toward the entrance.

When my father-in-law saw the cardboard box of personal effects in my hands, his brow furrowed tightly.

"How did I end up entrusting my daughter to a man with no ambition like you? What a buzzkill. Now you've lost your job, too? Do you expect the Davis family to support you?"

"Is this how you act as a husband?" my mother-in-law chimed in with sharp accusation.

"If you can't even keep a job at a top-tier firm, what are you good for?"

"Sophia needs the best care right now, and the baby costs money everywhere. If you don't work, do you expect this family of three to live on air?"

Hearing this, I could only manage a wry smile.

"Whoever the wife and child belong to, naturally, that's who should support them."

"Ethan Hunter, what are you saying? How can you be so cold-blooded?" Sophia finally couldn't hold back, shouting at me with red-rimmed eyes. Perhaps due to the emotional agitation, she clutched the wound on her abdomen and frowned in pain.

"If Liam hadn't saved me from that fire three years ago, I would have been reduced to ashes long ago. He is overflowing with talent but has never been recognized, and now he's been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The doctor says he doesn't have much time left. His only wish was to leave behind a descendant."

"Why do you always have to target him? In your eyes, am I just some shameless woman?"

Liam gently patted her shoulder to soothe her while turning to me with a pained expression. "Ethan, please, stop talking. I know this is all my fault. I promise, once the child is a little older, I will leave. Please don't let me affect your marriage."

Looking at the four of them, who had clearly formed a united front, I felt the situation becoming increasingly absurd.

So, this was the real family.

Just then, Sophia suddenly spoke up: "Ethan Hunter, my patience has limits. If you dare target Liam without cause again, you don't need to come back to this house!"

"If you still want to live a good life, keep your mouth shut. At the baby's christening next week, I can announce in front of all the guests that you are the child's godfather, or even the father in name."

Next week?

I glanced at the sleeping infant in the cradle. Next week, I would be stepping onto a flight to South America.

But before I left, I didn't mind giving them a "gift" they would remember for a lifetime.

I nodded, my expression remaining unchanged.

"Alright."