Bound By Vows, Sealed In Love

Caiden sprang to his feet and locked the door to Iris' office.

Anxiety gripped Iris. "What are you doing?"

"You really are a generous wife." Caiden's voice was smooth but unreadable. He strode closer with a cool, unreadable look, taking off his watch unhurriedly.

Iris stood up abruptly and yanked her chair forward, putting it between them. "There are cameras everywhere. Do you seriously want your face plastered all over the news for causing trouble again, right after your little run-in at the police station?"

Caiden took his time studying her, eyes lingering on the plain white coat she wore. It was standard-issue, nothing flattering, but the way she carried herself made even that simple uniform seem striking.

"We're married, Iris. Worst case, someone sends out a memo about a certain doctor needing to keep things professional. No one's getting on the news for this."

That was when Iris realized something was off and made a break for the door, but she never stood a chance.

He moved fast, catching her wrist and steering her into the lounge, where the small bed she used for her afternoon naps waited.

She landed hard on the bed and winced. The sharp pain in her shoulder stunned her, and her chance of escape disappeared.

Caiden joined her on the bed, one knee pressing down for balance as he pinned her hands above her head.

When he looked her in the eye, his eyes gave off the warmth of someone utterly in love. Yet, as he lowered his eyes, there was nothing behind his gaze but chilling detachment.

"You might be good at scheming, but I have no interest in settling for trades like this. Iris, I only want a baby when you're the mother."

Caiden drew out the word "only" so she would hear the finality in it.

Despite her urge to fight back, he held her firmly. The way he leaned in surrounded her with his scent—a strange mix of comfort and distance.

"Why bother running away?" he asked. "I made myself clear. Once the baby's born, we'll go our separate ways. But if you keep talking about divorce, I'll just assume you're asking for another night with me."

Iris kept her lips pressed together.

He shrugged, letting arrogance slip into his tone. "Even if you ask for it, I might not oblige. So try to keep your head down and maybe you'll catch me in a decent mood."

Her silence said everything her glare could not.

He clearly had no patience left, moving on with a flat expression as he picked up something from beneath her—a velvet ring box.

Popping it open with a single hand, Caiden revealed her wedding ring inside.

Iris had spent days searching for that ring, half-convinced she had tossed it out. It turned out she had left it here.

Nothing in Caiden's voice gave away what he was thinking. "You make it obvious just how much you want out of this marriage."

Iris opened her mouth to say something, but he had already let go of her hand. The ring box found its place on the cabinet in plain view. Next, he took his watch from his pocket and fastened it around his wrist, turning away with no glance at her, as if she no longer existed.

Out of nowhere, Iris asked, "You refuse to accept Ariana's child, but what about the one from that woman on the Autumn Avenue? Is that baby never going to be part of your family?"

Caiden stopped in his tracks, pausing for a heartbeat.

Iris' voice softened as she spoke from the heart. "I'm sorry, Caiden. I grew up starved for affection. When you were kind to me, I thought you had feelings for me. So when your mom suggested marriage, I agreed. If I'd realized sooner that I meant nothing special, I would have never stepped into your life. I would've let you chase after what you truly wanted without interfering."

Not a word came from Caiden, but the silence between them felt icy.

No one could blame him. Dredging up their history only added to the bitterness, and she knew it.

Still, Iris continued, "I just want to fix my mistakes and let you go. If you agree to divorce, you'll have the freedom to pursue real happiness and start your own family right away. Why are you hanging onto this just to hurt me?"

Caiden's parting words were colder than the silence. "You think I'm clinging to this marriage out of spite? Don't flatter yourself. I'm not ending things just because I hate losing. When things are even between us, then we'll both walk away."

Caiden left Iris there, and she sank onto the bed, not ready to move or face the world.

Every part of her ached with weariness, body and soul.

Her phone lit up on the nightstand, and she answered without much energy. "Hey, Melody."

Melody Fletcher, the obstetrician Iris had sent Ariana to, whispered into the phone, "You wouldn't believe the scene in my office just now. That woman was practically shrieking. Half the hospital probably thought I was trying to remove her uterus for your sake."

"You need to stop reading those wild romance novels," Iris replied, sitting up. "So... is she pregnant?"

"Not even close. I did an ultrasound—she's on her period right now."

Iris chuckled. "Then let her go."

Since middle school, Melody had always had her back. Today was no different—even if she was baffled by the strange request for an abortion appointment, she still played along.

Before sending the woman on her way, Melody lowered her voice. "So, who is she to you?"

"She's the woman Caiden's seeing right now."

A beat passed before Melody let out a wicked cackle. "Maybe I should've removed her uterus."

Rolling her eyes, Iris replied, "If you mess with her, Caiden will come after you. Don't give him a reason."

Caiden had always been waiting for Melody to slip up, and targeting Ariana would be all the ammunition he needed.

Melody was never one to hold her tongue. "If he wants a fight, tell him to come back from abroad first."

Iris' voice was ice-cold. "He's already back in town."

A heavy pause hung between them before Melody said, "Okay, forget I said anything."

After a moment, her tone softened. "So, are you actually planning to divorce him?"

Rising to her feet, Iris let her gaze rest on the ring box. "He said I owed him a child—the one I lost."

Melody's voice rose, sharp with disbelief. "You mean the one I helped you abort last year?"

"That's right."

Memories of that day stirred fresh outrage in Melody. She launched into a fierce, thirty-minute rant about Caiden's heartlessness, not holding back for a second.

With every sharp word from her friend, Iris felt her mood lift a little. When the call ended, a new message popped up from Caiden's mother, inviting her to dinner in honor of his return.

Iris accepted without much thought.

That evening, Iris reached the Wells Mansion but didn't see Caiden.

His secretary said he was busy and wouldn't make it.

That left only Iris and Caiden's parents seated around the table.

Caiden's mother, Caroline Wells, said to Iris, "Ariana Watson has left the city. I made sure of it."

For a moment, Iris froze, glancing at her mother-in-law. "So you were aware?"

A weary sigh escaped Caroline. "Caiden hurt you again."

The way she lingered on the word "again" told Iris everything—Caiden's parents knew about the woman living on the Autumn Avenue but had chosen not to interfere.