The next morning, I woke up holding five positive pregnancy tests.

For several seconds, I thought everything from the night before had been a nightmare.

Then a sleepy voice came from my stomach.

【Mom… I’m hungry.】

I nearly fell off the bed.

“You’re awake?”

Silence.

Then:

【Of course I’m awake. I’m a fetus, not dead.】

I covered my face.

Wonderful.

My unborn child was sarcastic.

“Who is the reborn protagonist?”

【Hmm?】

“The woman trying to steal your father.”

The little voice immediately became alert.

【Oh! Her!】

I waited.

【I forgot her name.】

I stared at my stomach.

“You forgot?”

【Mom, I died before I was born last time. My information is limited!】

I wanted to cry again.

Instead, I made breakfast.

While eating, I opened the building’s security application.

If someone had planted that underwear in our trash, there had to be a way to enter the apartment.

Daniel and I lived on the twenty-third floor of a modern residential complex. Cameras covered the elevators and corridors.

I contacted management and requested footage.

At first, they refused.

Then I mentioned a possible unauthorized entry.

Twenty minutes later, they sent me the access records.

I expected something mysterious.

Instead, I found something ridiculously obvious.

Three days earlier, while Daniel was at rehabilitation and I was at work, someone had entered using the temporary code Daniel had given his physical therapist.

The visitor stayed seventeen minutes.

The name registered at reception was:

Iris Shen.

My fingers froze.

I knew Iris.

She was the daughter of Professor Shen, Daniel’s former doctoral adviser.

She had returned from overseas two months ago.

Beautiful.

Elegant.

Rich.

And extremely interested in Daniel’s rehabilitation.

The baby suddenly screamed inside me.

【HER!】

I dropped my spoon.

【That’s her! That’s the woman!】

“Iris?”

【Yes! Bad auntie! Future Dad becomes super rich because of his medical robotics patents. She knows!】

I stared at the phone.

“How does she know?”

【Because she was reborn too.】

Too?

I decided not to unpack that sentence before coffee.

“What happens next?”

The baby became unusually serious.

【She makes you think Dad cheated. You leave. Then she arranges a job for you through someone you trust. The job is fake.】

My appetite disappeared.

【They take you far away. Your phone gets taken. You can’t escape.】

I gripped the edge of the table.

“And Daniel?”

There was a pause.

【Dad looks for you for years.】

My throat tightened.

【He becomes very scary. Very rich too. He never marries Bad Auntie.】

That surprised me.

“He doesn’t?”

【No. Dad doesn’t like her.】

“Then how does she steal him?”

【She doesn’t.】

I blinked.

“What?”

【She thinks if you’re gone, Dad will eventually choose her. But Dad just becomes grumpy and works all the time.】

Despite everything, I almost laughed.

That sounded exactly like Daniel.

My phone rang.

Felix.

I answered immediately.

“Is Daniel okay?”

There was a pause.

“Sister-in-law?”

“Yes.”

“You sound… different.”

“Is Daniel okay?”

“He’s fine. We’re checking into the hotel.”

Then Felix lowered his voice.

“But he hasn’t eaten.”

My irritation returned instantly.

“Why?”

“You broke up with him yesterday.”

“I did not break up with him.”

“You literally said, ‘Let’s finish.’”

“That was temporary stupidity.”

Felix became silent.

Then:

“Should I quote you?”

“No!”

A faint laugh came through the phone.

“Tell him to eat.”

“Tell him yourself.”

“He won’t answer me.”

“He’s sitting three meters away.”

My heart jumped.

“Put me on speaker.”

“No.”

“Felix.”

“I value my life.”

Then the call ended.

I stared furiously at the screen.

The baby sighed.

【Uncle Felix was annoying in my previous life too.】

At least we agreed on something.

That afternoon, I went to the hospital.

Blood test.

Ultrasound.

Seven weeks and four days.

A tiny heartbeat filled the examination room.

I stopped breathing.

There it was.

Daniel’s child.

Our child.

The sarcastic little traitor inside me suddenly became quiet.

“Is that you?” I whispered.

【I’m handsome, right?】

I burst out laughing and crying simultaneously.

The doctor looked concerned.

I blamed hormones.

When I returned home, someone was waiting outside my apartment.

Iris Shen.

She wore a cream coat and carried a paper bag.

“Clara.”

Her smile was gentle.

“I heard Daniel left for the conference. I thought you might be alone.”

Every hair on my arms rose.

“I am.”

“I brought dinner.”

I looked at the bag.

Then at her.

The baby’s voice exploded.

【DON’T EAT IT!】

I almost shouted.

Instead, I smiled.

“How thoughtful.”

Iris entered.

Her eyes immediately traveled around the apartment.

Especially toward Daniel’s desk.

Interesting.

“I heard you two argued,” she said.

“Who told you?”

She hesitated.

“Felix mentioned something.”

Lie.

Felix barely tolerated Iris.

I poured tea but didn’t drink it.

Iris sighed.

“Clara, can I be honest?”

“Please.”

“Taking care of someone with Daniel’s condition isn’t easy.”

There it was.

“You’re young,” she continued. “You have your whole life ahead of you. Nobody would blame you for leaving.”

I smiled.

“You think I should?”

“I think sometimes love becomes responsibility.”

“And if Daniel recovers?”

Her fingers tightened around the cup.

Just slightly.

But I saw it.

“The doctors aren’t optimistic.”

Interesting again.

Because Daniel’s newest specialist had told us the opposite.

There had been nerve response in his left leg.

We hadn’t told anyone yet.

Not even Felix.

I leaned back.

“You seem very informed about my boyfriend.”

Her smile stiffened.

“His father and mine are old friends.”

Then she reached into her handbag.

“I actually know of a job opportunity for you.”

My blood went cold.

She placed a business card on the table.

“A private healthcare company is hiring. Excellent salary. Housing included.”

I stared at the address.

A remote county several provinces away.

The baby began crying.

【Mom.】

I didn’t move.

【That’s it.】

My hands became ice.

【That’s how she sent you away last time.】

I lifted my eyes toward Iris.

She was smiling.

Patiently.

Confidently.

As if she already knew which choices I would make.

Perhaps in another life, I had.

Not this one.

I picked up the card.

“Thank you.”

Her smile widened.

“You’re interested?”

“Very.”

【MOM?!】

I ignored the screaming fetus.

“When would they want me?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Perfect.”

Iris left twenty minutes later looking delighted.

The second the door closed, I photographed the card, saved the security footage and called a lawyer.

Then I called Daniel.

He answered on the fifth ring.

“What happened?”

No hello.

Of course.

I took a breath.

“Daniel, I owe you an apology.”

Silence.

“The underwear wasn’t yours. Someone entered the apartment and planted it.”

His voice changed immediately.

“Who?”

“Iris Shen.”

A long pause.

“Are you certain?”

“I have security records.”

Another silence.

This one felt dangerous.

“Lock the door.”

“I already did.”

“Don’t let anyone inside.”

“I won’t.”

“I’m coming back.”

I blinked.

“What about your conference?”

“Felix can present.”

“But—”

“Clara.”

His voice was quiet.

“Someone entered our home while you were alone.”

My eyes suddenly burned.

Yesterday, I had accused this man of ordering women to our apartment.

Today, he was prepared to abandon an important conference because I might be unsafe.

“Daniel.”

“Yes?”

“I have something else to tell you.”

I placed one hand over my stomach.

The baby became completely silent.

“I went to the hospital today.”

His breathing stopped.

“Why?”

“I’m not sick.”

“Then?”

I smiled through my tears.

“Come home first.”

“Clara.”

“For once, don’t argue.”

He exhaled slowly.

“I’ll take the first flight.”

After we hung up, my stomach immediately erupted.

【Mom! Why didn’t you tell Dad about me?!】

“Because I want to see his face.”

【What if Dad faints?】

“He won’t.”

【What if he cries?】

That made me pause.

Daniel?

Cry?

Impossible.

Three hours later, my doorbell rang.

Too soon.

Daniel couldn’t possibly be back.

I checked the camera.

Iris stood outside again.

But this time she wasn’t alone.

Two men were behind her.

My blood ran cold.

I didn’t open the door.

Iris pressed the bell again.

“Clara?”

I remained silent.

“We need to talk.”

One of the men moved beyond the camera’s view.

Then I heard something metallic scraping against the lock.

The baby began screaming.

【Mom! Run!】

I backed away.

【Those are the men!】

My heart slammed against my ribs.

【Those are the men who took you last time!】

I grabbed my phone.

Before I could dial emergency services, another notification appeared.

Daniel.

A single message.

I’m downstairs.

Then came another.

Don’t open the door.

I stared at the screen.

A second later, the hallway camera showed the elevator doors opening.

Felix stepped out first.

And behind him—

Daniel rolled forward in his wheelchair.

Iris turned around.

Her face lost all color.

But what happened next shocked everyone.

Daniel gripped the armrests.

His jaw tightened.

Then, slowly, painfully, he pushed himself upward.

Once.

Twice.

His knees trembled.

But he stood.

I covered my mouth.

Outside my door, Iris whispered:

“Daniel…?”

He looked directly at her.

His voice was colder than I had ever heard it.

“Step away from my girlfriend’s door.”

Inside me, our baby screamed with joy.

【I KNEW IT!】

Then added proudly:

【My billionaire dad’s legs are coming back online!】