Ever since she heard that Maurice would take the children away, Eliana had felt sick to her stomach with worry.

Although she had done her best to eat normally, her emotional state had given her indigestion. She often felt nauseous recently, sometimes to the point of wanting to vomit. But she didn't mention it to anyone.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity and fretting the whole time, Eliana finally heard Maurice open the basement door.

The first question she asked was about her children. "Where are Aileen and Adrian?"

Maurice felt upset by her question. Was she really so afraid that he would hurt Jonathan's children?

"See for yourself," he replied. He took out his phone and showed her a video.

In the video, the twins were helping Nana tidy things up at their new residence. Neither child showed any fear on their face. It appeared that the kids were all right.

Eliana breathed a sigh of relief, and she felt her heart settle in her chest.

Suddenly, something occurred to her. Where was Kimora? She was supposed to be taking care of the twins.

"Maurice, where is Kimora? She should be there too," she said.

"Don't you know that she works for Jonathan? Did you think I would keep a ticking time bomb like her around?"

Eliana remained silent. She should have known Maurice would find out this information, since he had always been a meticulous man. How could she have expected otherwise?

"Now, I'll give you two options. If you obey me, you can see your children again. But if you choose to resist…" Maurice paused, and his eyes grew colder. "Then I'll see how capable Jonathan is of getting the children back from me."

This was the first time Eliana had heard him speak so coldly to her. Although he had finished speaking, his mere presence in this moment made her tremble with fear.

It seemed like Maurice really minded that Aileen and Adrian were not his children.

Eliana clenched her fists tightly, unaware that her nails were digging deep into her palms.

She knew what Maurice wanted, which was for her to obey him completely.

"I choose the first option," Eliana said as she closed her eyes, squeezing the words out through gritted teeth.

She didn't dare bet on choosing the second option. She was too afraid that Maurice would hurt Aileen and Adrian if she did.

Her children were her entire world. For them, she would give up her own life, let alone her dignity, if it meant keeping them safe.

When Maurice heard Eliana's choice, his eyes narrowed. Rather than feeling pleased, he became more irritated.

Was this woman really willing to do anything to protect Jonathan's children?

"If you are willing to obey me, then prove it," he said coldly.

He wanted to see how far she was willing to go.

Eliana's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened, and her body trembled.

He approached her step by step, his body radiating a dangerous aura. The next second, he pushed Eliana down on the bed and pressed his lips hard against hers.

Eliana held back her desire to escape and didn't resist as Maurice climbed on top of her.

He held her waist with one hand while his lips moved across her shoulders and lingered around her neck. He couldn't wait to remove her clothes as if he was unwrapping a gift.

Though he simply wanted to punish Eliana in the beginning, now his intentions had shifted.

Lost in the moment, Maurice failed to notice that the woman's face was getting paler and paler. A tense expression appeared on her forehead, as if something was brewing inside her body.

Just as he was about to remove another layer of clothing, Eliana couldn't stand it anymore.

She shoved the man on top of her away and lay with her head over the side of the bed. Then she immediately vomited.