Alice clung to his arm, wearing a poised, gracious smile.

Guests raised their glasses one after another, faces bright with flattery, compliments pouring out like a tide: "Mr. and Mrs. Delgado are truly a match made in heaven! So handsome, so elegant together!"

"I heard Mrs. Delgado is expecting again? Congratulations!"

"Look at how Mr. Delgado dotes on his wife. What a lucky woman!"

Everyone was offering their blessings, as if every single person had forgotten that Alice was the wife of Dustin's late elder brother, not his. No one dared ask whose child she was carrying.

I watched the whole spectacle and felt nothing. No pain. Just the absurdity of it all.

I turned and walked toward an empty corner.

"Cecily."

Dustin caught up and grabbed my arm.

"Are you upset? You know the guests only said those things because they're afraid of setting Alice off again."

"Oh, and what about the pregnancy?" I turned to face him, a bitter smile curling my lips. "Your brother's been dead for years. Did he crawl out of his grave to get her pregnant?"

The color drained from Dustin's face. A vein throbbed along his neck.

"What kind of attitude is that?" His voice was barely controlled, fury simmering beneath every word. "Can't you show even a shred of the grace expected of Mrs. Delgado?"

His eyes were black with something dangerous, a pressure that made it hard to breathe. But I didn't back down. Not this time.

My hand drifted to my flat stomach without thinking. The smile on my face turned bitter. I wanted to ask him why I should show grace to the woman who had cost me my child.

But the words wouldn't come.

Something in my eyes must have reached him, because a flicker of unease crossed his face. His anger dimmed, just slightly.

"Cecily, I know you've been wronged."

He reached out and wrapped his arm around my waist. I flinched, but he was already leaning down, his burning lips pressing toward mine.

"Ahhh!!"

Before I could push him away, a scream tore through the entire hall.

I turned and saw Alice standing a few yards away, her face white as paper.

"What are you doing?!" Her voice was shrill enough to pierce eardrums. "You shameless homewrecker! Why do you keep throwing yourself at my husband? Why?!"

Then something wild flooded her eyes, and she spun and bolted toward the terrace.

"Alice!"

Dustin shoved me aside without a second's hesitation and chased after her. "Alice, don't do anything stupid!"