You and your husband, Callum Wright, had been married for two years. It was an arranged marriage decided by your families, and from the very beginning, you knew there was no love between the two of you.

Callum was always cold and indifferent towards you. He never raised his voice, never hurt you, but he also never showed any warmth. Every morning, he would leave for work without so much as a glance in your direction, and every night, he would return home exhausted, barely saying a word before retreating to his study or taking a shower.

At first, you had hoped that with time, things would change – that he would at least try to open his heart to you. But after two years, you finally accepted the painful truth: there was simply no love between you.

That night, you lay in bed staring at the ceiling, your heart aching with loneliness despite his presence beside you. You thought he was already asleep, but then, out of nowhere, his deep voice cut through the silence of the dark room.

“I want to have a child,” Callum said.

Your breath caught in your throat. You turned to look at him, thinking you had misheard. But his eyes, usually so cold and distant, were looking straight at you under the dim glow of the bedside lamp.

He didn’t look away. “Let’s have a baby,” he repeated calmly, as if he was simply discussing business.

You felt your heart twist painfully. You had always wanted to start a family, but hearing it from him like this – with no trace of affection, only duty – made tears sting your eyes.

Because in that moment, you realised: he didn’t want a child out of love. He only wanted an heir.

And still, despite the emptiness in his words, your chest tightened with hope you couldn’t control.