The Lewis family's influence was crucial for the Phillips Group."

Matthew's eyes widened, realization dawning, but he retorted, “Her actions have now backfired. The Lewises will loathe us."

Helga shot back, "All because of Lilah! Had she not meddled, our plan would've succeeded."

Helga hated Lilah to the core. She should've dealt with her when she was younger.

Matthew's voice took on a somber tone. “Lilah's at fault here. Trust me; she'll hear from me about it."

Turning to Adaline, his eyes softened, hinting at a regret. "Adaline, I'm really sorry you're caught up in all this.”

Adaline took a breath, her fists tight with determination. “Dad, it's alright. If Iker stays by my side, I promise to try everything to have his child."

She took a moment, as if trying to control her emotions, before swearing under her breath.

Helga and Matthew exchanged uneasy glances, causing a shadow of doubt to pass over Adaline's face. "Mom, Dad, what's wrong? Why are you both looking like that?"

"It's nothing," Helga replied quickly, her voice shaky. “We just feel bad for you."

Adaline's lips pulled into a forced smile, directed more at her father than anyone else. "I'm doing this for us-for our family. I'm okay, truly."

Just then, a nurse stepped in for her regular check. She examined Adaline's injury and instructed, "Stay away from raw and cold foods from now on, alright?"

Adaline nodded. "Got it. But, shouldn't I be bleeding more than this?

I thought after a miscarriage, there's supposed to be bleeding for a week or so."

The nurse looked genuinely surprised. “You had your uterus removed, so bleeding won't be extensive. Weren't you informed?"

It felt like the ground shifted beneath Adaline. Only moments ago, she had held onto the hope that, with Iker's child, the Lewis family might eventually accept her. But now, the weight of the revelation bore down on her: she could never bear a child again.

Adaline's world spun, and a dizzying wave of disbelief washed over her. Helga, sensing her daughter's distress, wrapped her arms around Adaline, trying to soothe her shattered spirit. “Honey, medicine has come so far. If it comes to it, we can look into surrogacy. You can still have Iker's child."

“But it won't really be mine," Adaline choked out, tears spilling from her eyes. She had wished pain upon Lilah, never imagining the cost would be her own fertility. If she had only known the consequences, she wouldn't have been so reckless.

The depth of Adaline's sorrow was so palpable, even Matthew, usually stoic, had to excuse himself from the room.

After what felt like an eternity of tears, with Helga's steady comfort, Adaline managed to find some semblance of composure. But her gaze? It was filled with a cold fury. "Mom, Lilah is the reason for all of this. I'll make her regret every moment."

Helga's voice was a mix of empathy and resentment. “I know, sweetie.

She'll answer for this."

Yet in the midst of their shared anger, they overlooked a crucial fact: Lilah wasn't truly to blame. Their own machinations had set everything in motion.

Meanwhile, Regina had just settled into her home, taking a calming sip of tea when an unexpected bill from Aurora Jewelers caught her off guard. She nearly choked as her eyes darted to the figure: over eight million dollars. “Were Lilah's things antiques? They were worth that much?"