Chapter 3

Mother was gone, and Nolan truly became my only support in this world.

In the end, I listened to him and obediently stayed in bed for two days.

During these two days, I peeked like a thief at the joyful posts the other three were sharing on social media.

Aria was unusually active these two days. She posted a photo of the three of them on Instagram with the caption:

[Since the law doesn't allow three people to be together, I'll just be your little sister for life. From today on, I'm changing my last name to Sterling!]

In the photo, Aria had successfully undergone surgery, her newly reconstructed face looking almost like a female version of Nolan.

She was crouching between the twin brothers, holding a bouquet of roses. At first glance, she really did look like their sister.

Nolan and Blaine also posted on Instagram one after another.

The content of their posts was the same:

[Congratulations to my beautiful princess on her successful discharge from the hospital!]

The photos they posted were identical to the one Aria had shared.

The only difference was that they had each cropped out the other, leaving only themselves with Aria in the picture.

Because Aria had a beauty mark under her right eye, both men had changed their profile pictures to a heart with a smiley face, with the beauty mark deliberately left under the right eye. I trembled as I scrolled through the screen, reading the congratulatory comments for the trio. Tears unknowingly fell onto my phone's screen.

Back in high school, Blaine and Nolan had competed to win my affection.

Elaborate breakfasts on my desk each morning, backpacks always filled with snacks and flowers, walking me home after school - for a time, I was the envy of every girl on campus.

They would say:

"You're so lucky, being pursued by twin brothers at the same time. One's a star student, the other's the school's popular bad boy, and they're both so handsome. You're like a heroine walking out of the fiction to reality!"

"In the old days, men could have multiple wives. Why can't women marry two guys nowadays? Especially since Seraphina is so beautiful."

Whenever I heard these playful remarks, I couldn't help but laugh and tell them to stop being silly.

Although the Sterling brothers had identical faces, I had given all my love to Nolan alone.

When Nolan presented me with a scrapbook made of 99 photos of us together, I thought we would be hand in hand for life.

But all the kindness shown to me by the Sterling brothers gradually faded away when Aria returned to the country. They had Aria move into the home that Nolan and I would share after being married, making her the true mistress of this house.

The wall that was supposed to display our wedding photos now showcased various pictures of Aria with the Sterling brothers.

Even the home's decor followed Aria's preferences, with lavender hues painted everywhere.

At that moment, seeing the three figures on the bed about to begin another round of intimacy, I fled in a nearly frantic state.

But I hadn't taken more than two steps when my legs gave out, causing me to fall hard onto the floor.

The people inside, hearing the strange noise, quickly dressed and rushed out to investigate.

"Seraphina? When did you get back?"

Nolan called out my name while scooping me into his arms, placing me on the daybed.

He tucked me in and lay beside me, holding me tightly, with a flicker of panic in his eyes.

Yet I couldn't discern if that hint of panic was out of concern for me or worry about me discovering their threesome.

The man I had shared a bed with for years, to whom I had given my heart countless times, turned out to be someone who had plotted against the lives of my mother and me for the sake of his beloved woman.

I even... was carrying his child. I originally planned to tell him about our child at the wedding, as a surprise gift for him.

With teary eyes, I choked out softly:

"I miss my mom..."

Nolan wiped away my tears, his voice tinged with restraint.

"I've already postponed our wedding. You're weak right now and need to rest properly. Seeing you like this breaks my heart too."

"It's all my fault. If only my medical skills were more advanced, maybe Mom wouldn't have passed away."

I glanced at Nolan's neck and noticed that the necklace made from a rib bone was indeed nowhere to be seen.