To move Isabella Carrington's grave to New York, I went with my husband on a business trip.

I hadn't expected that the moment we separated, I would return to my former home only to see Leonardo Carrington walk in—his arm wrapped tightly around Rosalie Whitmore.

The moment he saw me, a smug smile spread across his face. "See?" he said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I told you. Three years gone, and Juliette still waits at home for me."

A few of his friends couldn't resist teasing. "Quit flaunting it," one of them snickered. "Everyone knows Juliette only has eyes for you."

Another chimed in, "She kept your bed empty for three years. Tonight, you'd better make it up to her."

Leonardo didn't even blush. Instead, he chuckled, punched his buddy lightly on the shoulder, and strode confidently toward me with open arms.

"Honey, have you missed me?"

The shock snapped, and just before he pulled me into his arms, I shoved him hard.

"We're already divorced," I said firmly, voice trembling with restraint. "Please, keep your distance."

His expression faltered for a split second, then he burst out laughing even louder, as if my words were some amusing joke.

"Alright, alright," he said, still laughing. "I get it. You're still angry about the divorce."

"But I only divorced you because I lost that bet, didn't I? We're going to remarry tomorrow."

Rosalie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You've been gone three years since the divorce. Maybe she has already married someone else."

Leonardo's face darkened at her words. "Impossible. The house is the same as it was three years ago, spotless, unchanged."

"She and Bella must be waiting for me."

At the mention of Bella, my fingernails dug into my palms.

He had left this house to me in the divorce.

It was filled with the sweetest memories of Bella.

I couldn't bear to sell it, not even after moving to New York. I kept someone coming to clean it regularly.

I hadn't expected he would twist that into... this.

Bella's face—twisted in pain in her final moments—flashed before me.

The sight of Leonardo and Rosalie standing here together made something dark and poisonous curl inside me.

Rosalie shot Leonardo a look, impatient. "Alright, fine," she said dismissively. "You're very charming."

She tossed in a casual tone, "But I'm starving. When are you going to cook me some soup?"

Leonardo looked sheepish. "Julie, Rose is picky and didn't eat on the plane. Why don't you make her some soup?"

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

When Leonardo was home, he insisted on having soup every single day.

Once, I had a high fever and could barely sit up, yet he still woke me early to cook.

I hadn't even taken a sip myself when he poured all of it into a container and left for work.

I thought he just really loved porridge.

Later, I learned that the soup I made went straight into Rosalie's stomach.

All my grievances, all the pain over Bella's cruel and sudden death, burst forth in a surge of rage and sorrow.

I slapped Leonardo hard across the face and screamed, "This isn't your home anymore. If you want to eat, go somewhere else!"

The moment those words left my lips, Rosalie lunged forward and shoved me hard.

"So you won't cook, fine! But did you have to hit him? Lunatic!"

Caught off guard, I crashed to the floor, trembling in pain.

Pain shot up my spine as I struggled to get up, bracing against the coffee table. Gabriel Blackwood, one of Leonardo's friends, picked up the papers lying on the table.

"Grave relocation? Whose grave is being moved?"

Leonardo shot me a look full of disgust, snatched the contract out of my hands, and tossed it straight into the trash.

My fingers shook with anger. I was about to grab it back when he caught my wrist.

His brow furrowed hard. "Juliette, your parents are both alive and well. Whose grave are you even trying to move?"

"Stop dragging all that bad luck into the house."

I glared at him. "Of course it's for Bel—"

"You two never quit," Rosalie cut in before I could finish. "I just got back and you're already fighting."

"If I'm not welcome, I'll just leave."

Her face was icy as she yanked her suitcase toward the door.

Leonardo's expression shifted instantly. He jerked free of me and lunged to stop her.

"Your place isn't even ready yet, and you're a total neat freak. Just stay here tonight."

Sensing the tension thick in the air, Gabriel stepped in to break it. "Juliette, Leo finally came back. Don't drive him off again."

"Oh, and where's Bella? Get her out here to greet her dad, or Leo really won't remarry you. Bella will end up fatherless."

I was so furious I actually laughed. "Who the hell wants to remarry him? I'm already married."

But my words drowned beneath their useless attempts to smooth things over.

Leonardo steadied himself and stepped closer. "Why hasn't Bella come out yet?"

My throat tightened before I could stop it. "She... she's gone..."

He froze, then let out a short, incredulous laugh. "Bella's six now. She should be in school."

"Which one? Let's go pick her up, take her out for a big dinner."

I stared at him, disbelieving, pitying Bella for having a father like this.

Leonardo had never been careless.

But now, he couldn't even see the grief in my eyes.

Back then, if Bella or I so much as caught a cold, he'd panic and rush us straight to the hospital.

He'd always call in the best doctors to check on us.

But once Rosalie came into the picture, he turned into someone I barely recognized. All his tenderness and all his care belonged to her.

He even let Rosalie hurt me and Bella.

I'd fought him over it countless times, but he always shut me down with the same excuse.

"Rose's boyfriend died saving me. Taking it out on you two is her right."

"Just bear with it, for my sake."

That decision cost me Bella.

Pain shot through my chest like a spasm, and just then, Rosalie leaned closer.

"Juliette, you're still the same as three years ago. Angry over every little thing."

She turned to Leonardo, her voice sharp with annoyance. "You begged me to stay here just so I could deal with her attitude?"

"Do you think I'm lowly and pathetic?"

With that, she spun on her heel and walked out without looking back, her face cold as stone.

Leonardo gave me one last look, disappointed and detached. Then, he hurried after her.

Once they were gone, their friends exchanged uneasy glances and quietly slipped away too.

Every look they gave me was laced with blame.

I stood there for a long time before finally pulling out my phone and putting the house up for sale.

Maybe I should've done it years ago and cut Leonardo out of my life for good.

On the day of the grave relocation, I hesitated for a long time before finally calling Leonardo.

When the call connected, I took a steadying breath. "Leonardo, are you coming to Bella's grave relocation?"

His voice came through sharp with irritation. "What grave relocation? I've got real work to handle. Can't you stop being so dramatic and calling me over nonsense?"

The line went dead before I could even respond.

I let out a short, bitter laugh. Of course. I should've known better.

After the staff handed me the urn, I held my daughter close and turned to leave.

I'd only taken a few steps when a voice I knew all too well floated over.

Instinctively, I turned, and there she was. Rosalie. Smiling, nestled comfortably in Leonardo's arms.

"Leo, you really spoil me," she said in that sugar-coated tone. "You actually ditched a deal worth hundreds of millions just to come with me to visit my dog's grave."

I froze.

So this was his "important business."

This cemetery had the best place in the city. It wasn't somewhere money alone could get you in.

To have Bella buried here, I'd called in every favor, emptied my savings, and begged until I finally secured one spot.

And yet Rosalie's damn dog was buried here without a hitch.

My chest felt tight, suffocating.

I turned to leave quietly, but Leonardo stepped into my path.

"Juliette, you never fail to surprise me," he said, voice dripping with contempt.

"I try to make peace, and you give me attitude."

"I stay at a hotel for two days, and you can't wait to come chasing after me."

He smirked. "Here's the deal. Apologize to Rose for what happened the other day, and I'll remarry you."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my nails digging into my palms. "I didn't do anything wrong, so I'm not apologizing. And for the record, I'm already married. I'm never going back to you."

The one who should be apologizing was Rosalie.

And now that she was back, I'd make sure she paid for everything she'd done.

I tried to shove Leonardo aside, but his hands clamped hard on my shoulders.

His face darkened. "What do you mean by married? You married another man? Letting Bella call a stranger dad?"

Before I could even answer, Rosalie's voice cut through, laced with mockery. "Leo, didn't you say she and Bella were waiting for you to come home? And now she's out here claiming she's remarried?"

Leonardo froze, then exhaled heavily. "Juliette, I know you're upset, but don't joke about something like that."

Rosalie's gaze slid to the urn in my hands, her lips curling.

"I don't know if she's really remarried, but I'd bet anything she's about to tell you those ashes are Bella's—just to make you dump me."

Leonardo's eyes snapped to the urn, fury sparking.

Instinctively, I held it tighter and stepped back.

I hadn't even said a word, but somehow, I'd already angered him.

"You're seriously trying to trick me with a box of ashes? How dare you curse Bella?"

His rage was blistering, and before I could stop myself, I blurted, "I'm not lying! This really is Bella!"

But I didn't even get the words out before he ripped the urn from my arms and hurled it to the ground.

"No!"

The urn shattered, the ashes scattering with the wind. My heart twisted painfully in my chest.

"Leonardo, that's Bella! How could you? How could you do this to her?"

I frantically tried to gather the ashes with trembling hands, shielding what was left with my body.

But Leonardo kicked me aside.

"Juliette, you've really disappointed me," he said coldly.

"All this because I lost one little bet to Rose? You curse Bella and try to guilt me into coming back?"

Hearing him pretend to care about our daughter made me laugh through my tears.

Lost once bet?

How dare he even say that?

From the day Bella was born until the day she died. Those three years, he lost to Rosalie over and over again.

The first time, Rosalie threw my one-month-old baby into a bucket of water. Bella almost drowned.

The second time, she locked me in a sauna and nearly cooked me alive.

There were countless others I can't even bring myself to remember. But the last one... the last one cost Bella her life.

I still remember clutching Bella's tiny, burning body and begging Leonardo to take her to the hospital.

Rosalie just sneered, "It was only laxatives. Does she really need to make such a scene?"

Leonardo hesitated for a moment, turned his back on us, and left with her.

Now, seeing me laugh like a lunatic, he looked stunned. He started toward me, but Rosalie shoved him back.

"The moment she cries, you're ready to believe her. You're so damn easy to fool."

Then, without a shred of hesitation, she stepped on Bella's ashes.

Something inside me snapped. I lunged and shoved her away.

I hadn't even pushed hard, but she fell, hitting her head on the pavement.

"Rose!"

Leonardo rushed to her, panic flashing across his face as he helped her up.

Blood trickled down her forehead as she clung to him, sobbing, "My boyfriend died saving you, and now you just stand there and let Juliette attack me over a box of fake ashes?"

Leonardo's eyes softened instantly, his voice low, full of pity. "Then what do you want me to do?"