Chapter 4

Chloe's POV

The Foster family's ancestral mansion was ablaze with lights, packed to the brim with guests.

Holding Dotty's hand, I walked into the grand ballroom beside Lucas, drawing every single gaze in the room onto us.

"Lucas is out! Congratulations!"

"The heir to the Foster family willingly serving four years in prison for the woman he loves—you won't find another man with that level of devotion in all of New York."

Flattery rolled in from every direction. Lucas nodded and smiled politely in return, his arm resting securely around my waist in a posture of effortless intimacy.

A sweet, docile smile remained plastered on my face, but inside, I was freezing like an ice cellar.

Halfway through the reception, Yvonne Qiao walked over, holding her daughter's hand.

She offered Lucas a radiant smile, her tone graceful and impeccably poised: "Congratulations, Lucas. And congratulations on finally reuniting with the woman and child you love."

Lucas nodded. "Thank you."

His response was neither overly familiar nor deliberately cold.

It was measured to absolute perfection.

Standing quietly at his side, I couldn't help but marvel at the sight—both of them were consummate actors, truly worthy of an Oscar.

Yvonne Qiao turned back to me, greeting me with a gentle smile. "Hello. You must be Chloe Lin?"

I offered a faint smile as well, pretending to look at Lucas Foster with curiosity. "Lucas, who is this?"

Lucas's expression didn't waver in the slightest. "She's an old friend of mine, Yvonne Qiao."

"Really? Just a friend?" A teasing, knowing smile played on my lips. "How come I've never heard you mention her before?"

Lucas remained completely composed. "She's lived abroad for years, so we haven't stayed in close touch. That's why I never brought her up."

A cold sneer rose within my chest.

If I hadn't seen their intimate display in that private dining room with my own eyes yesterday, I would have swallowed his explanation whole.

This man could lie through his teeth without batting an eye.

Taking over the conversation, Yvonne spoke with utmost sincerity. "Ms. Lin, even though you didn't know about me, I've always known about you. I know how much Lucas loves you, and I know how much he suffered for your sake. I just hope you cherish him and don't take his devotion for granted."

Hearing this, Lucas knitted his brows slightly. "Yvonne, don't bring that up. I love Chloe, and whatever I did for her was entirely my choice. I don't want her to carry guilt just because I spent four years in prison. All I need is her love."

Yvonne lowered her gaze, looking somewhat hurt. "You're right. I shouldn't have said that."

With that, she took her daughter's hand. "I'll take Niu Niu over to play with her friends. We won't disturb you two any longer."

She turned and walked away.

I caught the fleeting shadow of desolation in Yvonne's eyes as she turned her back.

Lucas's gaze lingered on her retreating figure, the solemn tension between his brows deepening by the second.

The arm he had wrapped around my waist slowly dropped away.

As if he were fighting desperately to keep his emotions in check.

I took in every subtle nuance in silence, a wave of profound revulsion churning in my gut.

When he was with Yvonne, he yearned to return to my side; now that he was standing beside me, he couldn't stop aching for her.

He was so greedy.

So utterly filthy.

"I need to use the restroom," I said, abruptly slipping my hand from his grip.

Lucas snapped back to reality. "Want me to come with you?"

"No need. Tend to your guests."

I turned and walked away briskly, terrified that staying one more second would shatter my restraint and drive me to smash everything around me to pieces.

Inside the restroom, I propped my hands against the vanity, staring at my pale reflection in the mirror. I took several deep, shuddering breaths before I could barely swallow down the turmoil inside me.

Just then, an uproar erupted from outside.

Someone shrieked in sheer panic:

"Help! A child fell into the water!"

My heart plunged into an icy abyss.

I bolted out of the restroom, scanning the grand hall in a frantic search.

Dotty was nowhere to be seen.

My mind went entirely blank. I stumbled through the crowd, rushing madly toward the back garden where everyone was gathering.

A massive circle of onlookers had already formed around the pond.

Amidst a violent spray of water, a drenched Lucas hauled a child out of the pond.

The little girl was wearing a pink ruffled dress, her hair clip washed away, wailing at the top of her lungs.

It was Yvonne's daughter.

Lucas carried the little girl ashore, his face pale with raw terror and panic, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Don't be scared, Niu Niu. Daddy is here. You're safe now, you're okay..."

Yvonne threw herself forward, wrapping her daughter in a desperate embrace, tears streaming down her face. "Niu Niu! You scared me to death..."

The onlookers surged around them in a flurry of concern, but my eyes darted past the crowd until they finally landed on my own daughter.

Dotty stood alone to the side, her small frame trembling, her tiny hands wringing together as she stared at the chaotic crowd in bewildered helplessness.

From beginning to end, not a single person had spared her a glance.

My heart seized with excruciating pain, as if squeezed in an iron vice.

I hurried over, dropping to my knees to pull my daughter into my arms. "Dotty, are you okay?"

Dotty shook her head, her lips pressed tight, her eyes rimmed with red.

I scooped her up into my arms, desperate to get away from this place.

Yet before I could take two steps, Yvonne's shrill voice rang out behind me.

"Stop right there!"

My footsteps halted, and I turned around with a flat, calm expression. "Is there a problem?"

Yvonne demanded furiously, "Your daughter pushed mine into the pond and nearly drowned her! You think you can just walk away without even an apology?"