Giving Up Our Love

After Leo Carter’s older brother passed away, his mother proposed that he marry his late brother’s pregnant wife, Ariel Sullivan.

Leo refused.

“Fawn is my life,” he said coldly. “I’d rather give up inheriting my brother’s position as the don than ever betray my wife.”

I was deeply moved by his devotion. That was until I accidentally overheard a conversation between Leo and his mother.

“The child in Ariel’s womb is clearly yours,” his mother said sharply. “So why won’t you marry her?”

Leo exhaled a cloud of smoke. His gaze drifted somewhere far away, unreadable.

“I promised Ariel I’d leave my brother with an heir,” he said calmly. “But this stays between us. If Fawn ever finds out, I’m dead.”

His mother’s expression darkened.

“So what if she finds out? She can’t even have children herself. Are you going to end the family bloodline because of her?”

Leo cut her off, his voice suddenly cold and dangerous. “If she finds out, she will leave me. And I can’t survive losing her. If you want a grandson, then keep your mouth shut.”

I stumbled away in a daze, and the blood in my veins slowly turned cold. Leo understood me better than anyone. He knew that in my world, love could not tolerate a betrayal. So the moment he betrayed me, I made my decision.

I was leaving.

I was holding a pregnancy test in my hand, my heart full of joy as I planned to find Leo Carter and share the unexpected news with him. Instead, I overheard something that shattered me completely.

A month ago, Leo’s older brother had been killed in a violent shoot-out. With his death, the position of the don was forced onto Leo’s shoulders.

Back then, Leo’s mother had desperately begged Ariel Sullivan to stay. “I’ve lost one son. I can’t lose my daughter-in-law, too. You must leave an heir for the Carter family.”

A month later, Ariel was pregnant. I had always believed the child was my brother-in-law’s posthumous heir, but the truth was, the child was Leo’s.

My mind buzzed violently, as if my entire world was spinning. I couldn’t process it or accept it.

Leo was warning his mother in a low voice. “This child is my brother’s posthumous son. Don't ever mention in front of Fawn again that I should marry Ariel. She won’t like it.”

His mother responded reluctantly, her eyes filled with undisguised dissatisfaction toward me. “Why do you love her so much? She can’t even give you a child. You almost ruined your life for her. If I hadn’t secretly drugged you and arranged for you to sleep with Ariel, the Carter family wouldn’t even have a successor by now.”

Leo cut her off, his voice icy. “I won’t pursue the matter of the drugs. And even if Ariel is carrying my child, Fawn will be my one and only wife.”

Immediately after, his phone rang. He answered it, and his expression changed instantly.

“Ariel isn’t feeling