Return to Sender: Heart Not Included

Yale froze. For a brief moment, panic flashed in his eyes. It was the kind someone would have if his mask had been stripped away. However, he quickly covered it up by forcing a smile, as though he had just heard some ridiculous joke.

Sighing, Yale looked at me with pity. He gently patted my head and said, "You must miss my brother too much, Sasha. That's why you're mistaking me for him. I understand how you feel. Still, I have to tell you that I'm not Yale.

"Drink your milk and get some rest. Once you relax, you won't have these wild thoughts."

Then, Yale moved away to put distance between us. It was as though he were afraid I might pick up on something he didn't want me to see.

"I might not be Yale, but I'll still take care of you and the baby. After all, your child will be the heir to the Salvatore family. As his uncle, I have a duty to watch over him," Yale added.

I bit down hard on my lip, kept my head lowered, and said nothing. I couldn't bear to look at the face of the man I had once loved so deeply. He had once been so sincere, but now, he was hiding behind a mask of lies.

"Alright, I understand. I'm going to bed now. You should leave," I said.

As soon as I finished speaking, a voice called from the hallway.

"Darling…" Gwen stood at the door in a lace camisole dress, looking seductive.

I had the same dress too. It had been a birthday gift from Yale last year. I didn't expect she would have one as well.

Putting on a pitiful look, Gwen said, "The cancer in my legs is acting up again. It hurts. Could you help me massage them?"

Yale hesitated, looking conflicted. He was caught between the woman who used to be his fiancee and the one who now had that title.

He was silent for a long while. No one knew what he was thinking.

Eventually, he said, "Alright. You should rest early. I'll go with you for your checkup tomorrow."

Then, Yale turned and walked away with Gwen.

As they left, Gwen turned back and shot me a mysterious smile. It was laced with provocation. I could tell her smile was the smug grin of a winner.

Gwen did it on purpose. She wanted me to notice something. However, she didn't need to because I was already aware.

As I lay in bed, tears of injustice slipped from the corners of my eyes against my will. I thought back to when Yale and I first met.

Five years ago, we met at an auction held by the Valcrest auction house.

Yale was the head of the Salvatore mafia family. Meanwhile, I was the daughter of the Lewis family, who owned a real estate empire. We both had our eyes on the same antique Solarian jewelry box.

When I had gotten a good look at Yale's stunning face, I had blushed. Even though he radiated the dangerous air of a mafia heir, I was still deeply drawn to him.

His blonde hair and enigmatic blue eyes had me utterly captivated from the start. I knew there was no escape.

I had given up the jewelry box to him. Unexpectedly, after the auction, Yale had gifted it to me.

After that, we had lost contact because we had forgotten to exchange numbers. However, his face had stayed in my mind every day. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him.

Then, a month later, Yale had shown up at my front door and confessed to me. He had told me how, during the past month, he had missed me and had been consumed with thoughts of me.

After that, we started dating. We were a happy, sweet couple.

It was two years ago when Yale proposed to me with an emerald ring. It was a Salvatore family heirloom. Three months ago, he had found out I was pregnant. He had been filled with childlike excitement then.

Yale would lie on my belly and talk to the baby. He had bought a bunch of baby toys and clothes. He had even built a playground for our unborn child, which was set to be completed in a year.

And now? Yale had faked his death as though it were some game.

He had handed me this fatal news the night before our wedding—all for a woman who claimed her life would soon end.

Was it real, though? Was Gwen truly dying? Because if she were, then why had she smiled victoriously at me?

This was all a conspiracy. I didn't even know when Yale had abandoned me. After all, our relationship had always been good. He did love me.

However, he was now caring for and being attentive toward me under the guise of my brother-in-law. It was as though doing so could somehow ease the pain I was feeling from losing him.

No. It wouldn't ease anything.

…

The next day, Yale showed up on time, ready to take me for my prenatal checkup.

I had just finished getting dressed when I heard a weak, feeble voice calling out.

"Quinn, I've been throwing up all morning. My entire body is in so much pain that I can barely stand…"

It was Gwen. She looked pale as she clutched the wall for support, swaying unsteadily on her feet. The next second, she gasped and fell backward.

Yale rushed forward and caught her immediately.

"What's going on? Is your condition worsening again? I'll get your medicine," he said.

He carried Gwen in his arms and placed her on the sofa. Next, he slid a cushion behind her back so she would be comfortable. Then, he pulled out a blanket and covered her with it.

Yale sounded helpless yet indulgent as he comforted her. "You need to take your medicine on time. What if I hadn't been here just now, and you had fallen down the stairs?"

I entered the living room. Only then did he seem to notice me.

"I'm sorry, Sasha," Yale said.

His earlier tenderness was gone, replaced by a cold, businesslike tone. "Gwen's not feeling well, so I can't take you for your checkup. You'll have to go by yourself. I've arranged a driver for you and made an appointment with the hospital's doctor. You can head straight there."

He had arranged everything flawlessly.

As for Gwen, who had been so pale moments ago that she seemed about to faint, she flashed me another victorious smile. There was a hint of smugness in her eyes. Just like last night, they also held a challenge.

I caressed my belly and bit my lip, willing myself not to cry. However, the moment I turned around to leave, my tears fell anyway.

The checkup went smoothly. The black-and-white ultrasound image showed the baby's features clearly.

I couldn't keep him. However, the Salvatores owned this private hospital. So, everything I did couldn't escape Yale's watch.

After hesitating for a long while, I said I wanted to take a walk in the garden. The bodyguard accompanying me allowed it. When he wasn't paying attention, I slipped into a taxi.

I wanted to head to another hospital, one that wasn't under the Salvatore family's surveillance.