Chapter 143 Welcome to…?

Chapter 143 Welcome to…?
Chapter 143: Welcome to…?

Claudia noticed it from the hallway first.
The door to Roy’s bedroom was half open, just enough for her to see Coco crossing the room, barefoot, wearing one of Roy’s shirts. 

It hung loose on her body, the sleeves rolled carelessly, the collar slipping off one shoulder as if it belonged there.
Again.

Claudia didn’t react immediately. She didn’t storm forward. She didn’t raise her voice. She simply stood there, watching long enough for something cold and deliberate to settle in her chest.

So this was where things were heading.
She turned away quietly and walked down the corridor, her steps measured, controlled. By the time she reached the guest wing where Inna stayed, her face was calm, almost pleasant.

She knocked once.
Inna opened the door, surprised. “Madam Claudia?”

“May I come in?” Claudia asked softly.

Inna hesitated, then stepped aside. “Of course.”

The room smelled faintly of soap and something herbal. Inna had clearly just showered. She wore a simple house dress, her hair still slightly damp, her expression guarded.

Claudia walked in, looking around briefly before turning back to her. “We need to talk. Privately.”

Inna closed the door. “Is something wrong?”

Claudia smiled faintly. “That depends on how honest you plan to be.”

Inna stiffened. “I don’t understand.”

Claudia gestured toward the small sofa. “Sit.”

The word wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. Inna obeyed, sitting slowly. Claudia took the chair opposite her, crossing her legs with calculated ease.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Claudia said calmly, “Coco was wearing Roy’s shirt again.”

Inna’s breath hitched before she could stop it. “I—”

Claudia raised a hand. “You don’t need to explain. I’m not here to fight you.”

Inna frowned. “Then why are you here?”

“Because screaming doesn’t work anymore,” Claudia replied. “And because you’re smarter than you pretend to be.”

Inna looked down at her hands. “I don’t want problems.”

“I know,” Claudia said gently. “You never do. That’s why you keep ending up in them.”

The silence stretched, uncomfortable.

Claudia leaned forward slightly. “Tell me something, Inna. Do you love Roy?”

Inna’s lips parted, then closed. Her throat tightened. “That’s not…”

“Answer me,” Claudia said softly.

Inna swallowed. “I don’t know.”

“That’s a lie,” Claudia replied without malice. “You know. You just don’t want to say it.”

Inna’s eyes glistened. “Love doesn’t change anything.”

Claudia nodded. “Exactly.”

Inna looked up, confused.

“Love,” Claudia continued, “is beautiful. But it doesn’t win elections. It doesn’t secure legacies. And it certainly doesn’t silence enemies.”

Inna’s heart began to pound. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” Claudia said slowly, “that love is temporary. Babies are not.”

The word landed heavily between them.
Inna stiffened. “That’s not something you should joke about.”

“I’m not joking,” Claudia replied. “I’m offering you clarity.”

Inna stood abruptly. “This conversation is inappropriate.”

Claudia didn’t move. “Sit down.”

Inna hesitated, then sat again, her hands trembling slightly.

“You’re scared,” Claudia observed. “Not of me. Of disappearing.”

Inna’s eyes burned. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know,” Claudia said, “that you’ve spent your entire life being useful but never chosen.”

The words cut deeper than shouting ever could.
Inna looked away, her voice barely steady. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because Roy is heading into a season where perception matters more than truth,” Claudia replied. “And Coco is chaos. Beautiful chaos, but chaos nonetheless.”

Inna whispered, “And I’m not?”

Claudia smiled. “You’re stability.”

“That’s not love,” Inna said bitterly.

“No,” Claudia agreed. “It’s power.”

Inna shook her head. “Roy doesn’t see me that way.”

“He will,” Claudia said. “If you give him permanence.”

Inna’s chest tightened. “You’re asking me to trap him.”

“I’m asking you to protect yourself,” Claudia corrected. “And him.

Inna laughed weakly. “By having a baby?”

“Yes.”

The room felt suddenly too small.
“What about Coco?” Inna asked.

Claudia’s eyes hardened slightly. “Coco is a moment. Moments pass.”

“And if Roy doesn’t want this?” Inna asked.

“He will,” Claudia said confidently. “Men like Roy don’t resist legacy. They surrender to it.”

Inna whispered, “This is wrong.”

Claudia leaned forward. “What’s wrong is letting another woman rewrite history while you remain invisible.”

Inna’s hands clenched in her lap. “You’re promising me things you can’t guarantee.”

“I can guarantee protection,” Claudia said. “Influence. Permanence.”

“And love?” Inna asked quietly.

Claudia paused. “Love grows where safety exists.”

Tears slid silently down Inna’s cheeks.
“I don’t want to be a pawn,” she said.

“Then be a queen,” Claudia replied. “Queens don’t beg to be loved. They secure their throne.”

Inna closed her eyes.
Images flooded her mind of Coco laughing freely, Roy’s attention drifting, her own reflection fading into the background again.

“What happens after?” Inna asked.

“You become untouchable,” Claudia said. “No one replaces the mother of a child.”

Inna’s voice broke. “I just want to matter.”

Claudia softened. “Then this is how you do it.”

The room fell silent again, heavy with truth and temptation.

After a long moment, Inna opened her eyes.
“If I agree,” she said slowly, “there are rules.”

Claudia nodded. “Of course.”

“No public humiliation,” Inna continued. 

“No pretending I don’t exist.”

“Agreed.”

“And Coco stays away from me.”

Claudia smiled faintly. “I can arrange that.”

Inna inhaled shakily. “You’ll protect the child?”

“With my life,” Claudia said without hesitation.

Another pause.
Then Inna whispered, “I’ll do it.”

Claudia stood, smoothing her dress. “Good.”

Inna looked up at her, fear and fragile hope intertwined. “I’ll get pregnant for Roy.”

Claudia’s smile was slow, satisfied.
“Welcome,” she said, “to permanence.”