This was the fifth year of Ethan’s torment. The heiress of River City’s most prominent family had chosen him, a chauffeur’s son, as her fake boyfriend to avoid an arranged marriage. Rather than being her boyfriend, he was more like a toy she had casually picked up. She deliberately made him wait outside in the pouring rain all night, forced him to buy alcohol for her and her lover, and mocked him mercilessly when he was nearly in tears with worry. But because of love, he never thought of leaving her. Until the day the young miss used his sister’s life as a bargaining chip in her games. That day, he made up his mind to disappear from her world. Soon, rumors spread throughout River City that the once-proud heiress had gone completely mad trying to find him. Summer rain nights are always humid and sticky. Ethan had been standing in front of Olivia’s door for nearly three hours. The rain had long since soaked through his clothes and hair, but the items in his arms remained clean, in stark contrast to his disheveled appearance. For the first time, Ethan felt that summer could be this cold, chilling him to the bone and making his heart ache with bitterness. Two hours earlier, Ethan had suddenly received a message from Olivia, the cold words like frost. “I want cake. Bring it to me within thirty minutes.” Nothing but a command, without any other words. Ethan wasn’t angry; instead, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes as he immediately set off for South Street to fulfill her order. After buying the strawberry cake, Ethan even bought a bouquet of jasmine flowers. Although it wasn’t cheap for a poor boy saving money for his sister’s medical treatment, it was worth it for Olivia. “Olivia, I’m already at your door.” Ethan’s voice message was full of anticipation. He waited nervously at the door for a while, but the door before him never opened. Ethan thought Olivia might be asleep; she often slept at odd hours. So he stood at the door, waiting patiently. As dark clouds covered the quiet night sky, threatening to bring a downpour, the flowers in his hands gradually lost their vitality. Yet he still couldn’t get any response from Olivia or hear the crisp sound of the door opening. Wait a little longer, Ethan consoled himself. Raindrops began to fall steadily, creating beautiful ripples on the ground. Ethan couldn’t help but call Olivia, and after a long while, she finally answered. “What are you doing? Don’t you know you’re disturbing my movie?” Her tone was full of impatience. Seeing her unfriendly attitude, Ethan cautiously asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted strawberry cake? I’ve already bought it and I’m at your door, but I haven’t heard from you… Is there something urgent?” Olivia was silent for a few seconds, and there seemed to be some giggling from the other end of the line. “Nothing urgent, I was just having fun and forgot about you. Since you’ve already bought the cake, go buy a bottle of wine and bring it over.” Ethan was about to speak, but the call was disconnected. Olivia loved to drink, especially the special cocktail from that restaurant in the north of the city, which wasn’t easy to buy without connections. Ethan hardly hesitated and didn’t think much of it, immediately setting off to buy wine for Olivia, even though his clothes were soaked by the heavy rain. He had no complaints. The journey wasn’t easy. He stumbled into the restaurant, dripping wet, and was mocked by the wealthy diners for a long time. Fortunately, Ethan arrived just in time and managed to buy the last bottle of special cocktail before closing time, using Olivia’s name. By the time he rushed back to Olivia’s house in the pouring rain, it was almost midnight, and he was soaked to the bone. But the cake, wine, and even the flowers didn’t have a single drop of rain on them. Ethan had just put on a pleasing smile and was about to step in when he saw that the person opening the door wasn’t Olivia, but a face he despised. Nathan. “He’s really obedient, isn’t he? Olivia, you’ve trained your dog well.” Instantly, laughter erupted from the living room. “Miss, we’ve heard that this little pet of yours is very well-trained, and seeing it today, it’s indeed true.” “That’s right, remember our deal? That club of yours is mine now.” The group laughed together, looking very pleased with themselves. “Ethan, are you a dog? You’re so obedient. We left you outside for so long and you didn’t even get angry. You even went all the way to buy wine and bring it back. You’re really worthless, aren’t you? And you made me lose my favorite sports car to someone else. How embarrassing!” Olivia slowly walked into Ethan’s line of sight, her proud expression mixed with a hint of anger. This wasn’t the first time such a scene had occurred, but Ethan still handed her the items with a bitter smile, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying. “Eat it quickly, before it’s not fresh anymore.” Olivia snorted coldly, with a sarcastic smile at the corner of her eye, and knocked over the cake with one sweep. “Useless thing, it’s been hours, how am I supposed to eat it now?” The cake and flowers were mixed together, now all smeared on Ethan’s face, wet and sticky. “Don’t be angry, Olivia. This kind of trash isn’t worth your attention.” Olivia’s slender waist was held in Nathan’s arms as he patiently coaxed her. “A chauffeur’s son is indeed a lowly creature. I really don’t know what Olivia saw in you.” Olivia’s lips curled slightly, looking at Ethan with a half-smile. “He can’t even compare to your little toe. You don’t need to lower yourself to his level.” Ethan had long known that Olivia didn’t like him that much, but seeing this scene and hearing her cold words, his heart ached intensely. Ethan was seventeen when he came to the Thompson family. His mother had passed away then, and his father, in poor health, could only work as a driver to make ends meet. He also had a younger sister with leukemia, and life was very difficult. He could never forget the first time he saw Olivia at seventeen. Such a bright and charming girl appeared before his eyes, as beautiful as an oil painting, making him fall hopelessly in love. Due to the difference in their status, he only dared to bury this feeling deep in his heart, letting it grow wildly. Until the year his father also passed away, which was also the year Olivia was forced by her family to marry Nathan. To rebel against her parents, she deliberately confessed to him. For Ethan, who had just lost his family, this was like a warm ray of sunshine, making him deeply immersed in it, craving this warmth. Even though Ethan knew from the beginning that this was just Olivia’s means to defy her family and avoid the arranged marriage, he was still as happy as a child receiving a beloved gift. During their five years of dating, Ethan gave his heart and soul to her, wanting to melt her icy exterior and enter her heart, making her fall in love with him. But he never expected Nathan to appear at this time. He was Olivia’s legitimate fiancé, an arrogant and disrespectful young master. Whenever attending important banquets, Olivia always brought Nathan by her side. When many people inquired about their relationship, Olivia’s answer was always the same. “Nathan is my fiancé, we have a very good relationship.” Olivia’s eyes sparkled with laughter, looking at Ethan with a challenging gaze. Faced with such situations, Ethan could only swallow his grievances, his heart sinking into an endless sea, feeling extremely bitter. But he loved Olivia too much. As long as she kept him by her side for one more day, he would wholeheartedly be good to her. Ethan let out a long sigh, enduring the pain in his heart, and mustered up the courage to try and pull Olivia back. “Olivia, your stomach isn’t feeling well. Don’t drink alcohol. Let me make you some porridge.” As soon as he finished speaking, jeers erupted from the crowd. “What porridge? You’re just a chauffeur’s son. Olivia only keeps you as a boyfriend to play with, like a pet. Don’t try to act all high and mighty here!” “You don’t really think you’re the master, do you? Her real fiancé is right here. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” Olivia didn’t refute. Her beautiful eyes flashed with coldness as she shook off Ethan’s hand. “Who do you think you are to tell me what to do? Get out of here, don’t ruin the mood between me and Nathan.” Ethan pressed his lips together, unable to say anything. He turned around silently and left. After returning home, he was about to eat something to fill his stomach and warm up his rain-soaked body when he found that the chicken soup he had prepared for his sister in the afternoon had long since gone cold. Ethan’s eyes welled up with tears, his nose stinging. For Olivia’s sake, he had forgotten to visit his sister today. Emily suffered from severe leukemia. Her greatest wish was to see her brother and Olivia finally together, happy and content. But Olivia disliked him, and by extension, didn’t care for Emily. Ethan absent-mindedly reheated the soup. He understood that he was just a stopgap measure, a joke. Ethan could endure the torment and pain Olivia gave him, but he didn’t want Olivia to despise his sister or do anything to harm her. After all, she was his only family left. So he decided to tell his sister that he and Olivia wouldn’t have a future together. Ethan rode his bike to the hospital, only to find the room empty. He thought the medical staff might have taken his sister to the bathroom, so he turned to look for her. Little did he know, his sister had already been dragged into the abyss by a group of demons. “Olivia, it’s boring with just us drinking. We’ve played the same games over and over.” “Yeah, don’t you often go to that club? The games there must be exciting. Teach us how to play.” Olivia and Nathan often threw parties at the villa, usually lasting from morning till night. After playing for so long, they naturally felt bored. A few playful young masters started looking for more exciting entertainment. “Are you sure? Don’t be sore losers when the time comes,” Olivia glanced at those who spoke, with a half-smile curling her lips. Hearing this, Nathan revealed a faint smile: “Olivia, don’t underestimate them. They might play even more intensely than us!” Olivia nodded and led everyone to a secret room filled with divine statues, as solemn and sacred as a church. “This is a secret base that I begged our family’s old man to build for a long time. You guys are in for a treat today.” Olivia held a wine glass, her red lips alluring, proudly introducing the place to everyone. “This is contraband, Olivia. You’re really daring.” “What’s the big deal? Name one young master from a rich family who doesn’t touch this stuff nowadays?” Several people gathered around the table, carefully examining the tools on it – syringes, surrounded by “magical elixirs” that would let them experience an extreme high. “Don’t worry, these doses won’t get you addicted, but……” Olivia picked up a syringe from the table and scanned the room: “If anyone dares to talk, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” “Relax, Olivia. With me here, they wouldn’t dare,” Nathan put his arm around Olivia’s shoulders, his expression carrying a warning as he looked at everyone present. Everyone immediately understood, and for a moment, no one dared to speak. “Miss, Mr. Ethan’s sister is here. She says she has something to give you.” The butler knocked on the door, and everyone felt their fun was being spoiled. “These siblings are really like ghosts that won’t go away. They’re both such pests!” “Just send her away. Don’t let her ruin our fun.” Nathan’s eyes held a playful glint: “Sending her away is no fun. Since Ethan treasures his sister so much, he probably wouldn’t mind letting her join our game.” The crowd egged them on, and Olivia just slightly tilted her head, resting it on her hand, silently agreeing to his idea. “Bring her in.” Emily passed through the dark staircase, timidly hugging the doll in her arms, her eyes full of fear. “Little Emily, do you like feeling happy? Light and floating, like flying in the sky.” Olivia pretended to be gentle, stroking Emily’s hair. “I like it!” “Then let’s play a game together.” Olivia led her to a chair and pressed a mechanism. Soon, Emily’s hands were locked to the chair, unable to move. “How long do you think this little girl can last? Ten minutes?” “That’s too little! Kids have good bodies, it should be at least half an hour!” Everyone laughed, carelessly joking about it. “Since that’s the case, why don’t we make a bet? Let’s see how long she can hold out.” The one who said this was Nathan. Everyone placed their bets, taking out checkbooks and writing numbers. Whoever guessed closest would get all the checks on the table! Emily was trembling, cautiously opening her mouth. “Sister, what game do you want me to play? My brother is waiting for me to go home.” Olivia frowned slightly, curled her lips, and deliberately coaxed her: “Don’t you want me and your brother to take you to the amusement park together? If you complete this game, I’ll agree to it.” Emily’s eyes lit up. How could she distinguish between true and false intentions? She nodded resolutely. Olivia sneered, beckoning Nathan to take the syringe and mercilessly inject it into Emily’s body. “Sister! It hurts, it’s so cold!” Emily cried out, struggling constantly. “You little bitch, don’t give up so easily. This is just the beginning.” Nathan held her down tightly, letting the drug enter Emily’s body, watching her tear-filled eyes with great satisfaction. “Sister……” Emily looked to Olivia for help, but she just silently played with her soft hair. Gradually, Emily’s consciousness became more and more blurred, and her limbs stopped struggling. There wasn’t the excitement everyone had expected, so they found it boring and left in droves with their favorite drugs and syringes, without anyone checking Emily’s condition. Shortly after everyone left, Emily kept coughing, her lips turning whiter and whiter, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. She weakly called for help in the empty secret room: “Help… save me… Sister… Brother…” There was no response. Finally, Emily’s hand slowly fell, and she stopped breathing.
On his way to the bathroom, Ethan met Emily’s caregiver, which confused him. “Mrs. Chen, isn’t Emily with you?” “No, she said she was going to find you this afternoon. I even sent her to the villa gate. I think she brought some kind of gift.” Ethan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He hadn’t seen his sister in the villa just now. Cold sweat broke out all over his body as alarm bells rang in his head. He hurriedly rushed back to the Thompson house. It was already late at night. As soon as Ethan entered, he almost bumped into the butler who had just finished cleaning up after the party. “Ethan, why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?” The butler steadied Ethan’s body, asking with concern. Ethan was almost in tears with anxiety. “Mr. Chen, have you seen Emily? When I went to the hospital to find her, the doctor told me Olivia had taken her away.” “This is not good! Come with me!” Hearing this, the butler immediately realized something was wrong. He had only seen Emily come in, not go out, and quickly led Ethan to search. The secret room wasn’t locked because no one dared to come here except Olivia. The two quickly passed through the dark staircase. “Emily!” The scene before his eyes almost made Ethan faint. Under the dim light, Emily’s small body was slumped over, lifeless. The butler’s heart sank, and he immediately went forward to check. His fingers trembled as he placed them under Emily’s nose, then he collapsed to the ground in shock. Emily…… was dead? 2. Emily’s body was covered in bruises, with needle marks left behind. Her face was pale, and her body was cold. The gift she had brought was carelessly thrown on the ground, trampled and covered in dirt. “Don’t scare me, Emily!” Ethan immediately rushed over to hug his sister. Seeing the girl’s ashen face and rigid body, his heart felt as if it had been buried in an icy wasteland, completely frozen. “Emily, wake up, open your eyes and look at me. I’m your brother! Who did this to you?” Ethan’s tears fell like broken strings of pearls, rolling down one by one in grief. He couldn’t believe his sister was gone. He called her name over and over, unable to accept this cruel reality. “Emily, I’ll call a doctor. Just wait a little longer, it’ll be okay soon.” “Emily, are you in pain? Let brother blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.” Seeing Ethan about to go mad, the butler quickly had someone hold him back. “Ethan! Calm down. Emily is gone. Let her rest in peace.” Forced to let go of his sister, Ethan kept mumbling “It’s not possible.” He couldn’t believe his sister would leave him so easily. Just yesterday she was such a lively little girl, how could she become a cold corpse today? Who had taken her life? “Mr. Chen, you must know what happened. Tell me who killed her. This is very important to me. She was my only family left!” Ethan spoke each word with extreme pain, his saliva mixed with tears smeared all over his face. The butler couldn’t bear it and had someone retrieve the surveillance footage. Olivia was crazy. She had specially installed cameras in this secret room just to watch everyone’s expressions as they took the drugs. The course of events was cruelly presented to Ethan. He stared blankly, his eyes filled with despair and numbness, as if struck by lightning. “Why! Why did you do this to Emily!” He cried out in anguish, feeling hatred towards Olivia for the first time – extreme hatred. He had long known about Olivia’s bad habits, with drug use being one of them. He had never dared to question it, but that was his sister! How could these people treat a human life as a game! Divine statues hung on the walls, yet these people were committing demonic acts. How ironic! He held his sister’s lifeless body, his eyes bloodshot, bloodshot veins spreading in his eyes. He had cried for so long that his tears had dried up. “Revenge! I want revenge! I want these beasts to die a horrible death!”
Ethan wanted to copy the surveillance footage to report to the police and seek justice for his sister, but Mr. Chen refused. “Ethan! You don’t have the power to fight against them! Besides, I’m part of the Thompson family… I’m sorry.” The butler sighed repeatedly, feeling helpless despite his wishes. Ethan’s heart felt like it had sunk into an icy abyss, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. A strong sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart, almost making him want to kill all these people! To accompany his sister in death! What kind of status did the Thompson family have? They were well-known throughout River City, with power that could overshadow everything. Anyone in their eyes was just an ant crawling at their feet. It was just an insignificant girl who died, why would they face any consequences? Thinking of this, Ethan’s heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. He hated his own powerlessness, hated his cowardice that gave them the power to hurt Emily. After the cremation, Ethan looked at the box in his arms. His sister, who once smiled brightly at him while holding a candied haw, now lived only in his memories forever. Five days later, Ethan returned to Olivia’s villa like a wandering soul from a mass grave. He forced himself to endure the discomfort in his heart and pushed open this heavy door. Ethan was enveloped in an aura of despair, completely at odds with the lively atmosphere. “Isn’t this Ethan? Why do you look so miserable after not seeing you for a few days? Did Olivia torment you again?” Laughter erupted from the living room as scorching gazes suddenly fell on Ethan. “I don’t have time to deal with him. I’m busy going on a date with Nathan!” Olivia snorted coldly, leaning into Nathan’s arms, her coquettish voice inviting pity. “You have the nerve to come back. You really are the Thompson family’s dog. Your skin is so thick.” Nathan was angered by the sight of him and walked over, looking at him with disdain. “Excuse me.” Ethan moved his dry lips, indifferently uttering two words as he walked past Nathan, who was blocking the doorway. In the past, he could only swallow his grievances and suffer alone in response to Nathan’s provocations. But now, there was only desolation left in his heart. “What? Are you angry? Nathan and I just like to play some intimate games. You surely won’t mind, right?” Olivia crossed her legs, swinging them back and forth, staring at Ethan carelessly. Hearing this, Ethan’s bloodshot eyes glared fiercely at Nathan and Olivia. “Playing games?” Ethan laughed maniacally, then pointed at everyone present and asked hatefully: “Is everything just a game in your eyes?” “Even my sister’s life was just a game to you!” Ethan’s words were filled with blood and tears, his voice hoarse as if he was about to cough up blood. He wished he could tear apart everyone before him. “Oh, so you found out.” Olivia snorted with laughter, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I just wanted to make her happy too. After all, poor people like you must live very bitter lives.” The others were only stunned for a moment. Hearing Olivia say this, they quickly resumed their laughter, obviously not taking Ethan’s words seriously. “That’s right! She should be grateful!” “Hey Ethan, did your sister share with you how good it felt?” Ethan stared at the group with bloodshot eyes, shouting with all his might: “Do you know how old my sister was? She had leukemia and was already very weak! Yet you made her take drugs and left her there without checking on her. You beasts!” The game they spoke of so casually had cost him the last person in this world who truly cherished him. Everyone seemed to have never seen Ethan rebel like this before, and they were all slightly shocked for a moment. Olivia’s face turned ugly, having lost face. She coldly said, her voice as if laced with ice: “What are you raving about? Your sister, like you, was just a dog of our family. Whatever I wanted her to do, she had to do it.” Hearing Olivia say this, Nathan also sneered. “That’s right, Ethan. Is your sister so precious? Can’t she even make us happy? Can’t she even take a joke?” Hearing these words, Ethan’s anger surged, and he could no longer control his emotions. He shouted hysterically once again. “My sister was a living, breathing person! Not a chip for your entertainment! You murderers should all go down and keep my sister company!”
Murderers? Olivia laughed mockingly. No one had ever dared to call her that before. Olivia’s beautiful eyes darkened like a deep swamp, bottomless. “So what? Are you going to report me? Or kill me? Ethan, know your place. Don’t try to challenge my bottom line.” Ethan suddenly laughed, tears rushing down uncontrollably. “Bottom line? When you trampled on my bottom line, did you ever think about how humiliated I felt!” “These five years, how I’ve endured all the insults, what you’ve done to us siblings, you know better than anyone. If being loved by you means being toyed with, mocked, at the cost of my family’s life, then this kind of love disgusts me to the extreme!” Olivia seemed to see him like this for the first time. Her brows furrowed, not knowing what to say for a moment. At this time, Nathan walked over to Ethan’s side with a mocking expression. “Ethan, I’m half responsible for this too. Don’t blame Olivia. Why don’t I go apologize to your sister?” “After all, your poor sister was struggling so painfully yesterday. You don’t know how heart-wrenching her cries were, like she was between life and death. It was quite a spectacle! It would be a shame if she didn’t become an actress.” His light tone seemed to not take human life seriously at all, and there was even a hint of pride. Ethan felt his head buzzing. He grabbed Nathan’s collar and gave him a hard punch! Nathan’s howl of pain instantly sobered everyone up. He covered his face, his eyes immediately reddening, his face turning ashen. The people around were in an uproar. “Ethan actually dared to hit Nathan. I see he really doesn’t know his place anymore. He’s out of control!” “Olivia, Young Master Nathan has never suffered such a big grievance since childhood. This time you can’t protect Ethan anymore.” Olivia stood not far away, coldly watching this scene. After who knows how long, she slowly walked over in her high heels. Looking at Ethan, she laughed lightly, but that laugh was bone-chillingly cold. The next second, she kicked Ethan in the stomach. His body, already weak, was caught off guard and fell to the ground. “Who told you to touch him? Don’t you know our relationship? Am I giving you too much face?” Olivia stepped on Ethan’s face, her heel scraping across his face, leaving a not-so-light wound. Seeing this, others rushed forward to pin down the struggling Ethan. Ethan’s face was humiliatingly pressed against the ground, unable to move at all. He could only lift his face, watching helplessly as Olivia looked down at him. That once bright girl now seemed like a ripe fruit, her heart beginning to rot, the core growing darker and darker. “You and your sister were just dogs of our Thompson family. Whatever I told you to do, you had to do it. Let alone playing with me, even if I told you to crawl and bark like dogs, you’d have to do it immediately. Do you understand?” Ethan was in heart-wrenching pain, but suddenly burst into laughter. He stared blankly at the white ceiling, his voice hoarse as he said word by word: “Olivia, I never want to see you again in this life.” “Let’s break up.”
Olivia, the person he loved, cherished, and loved for so many years, in the end, even cost him the life of his only relative. The huge blow completely awakened him. They were never from the same world. After saying he wanted to break up, Ethan dragged his painful body and struggled to get up, stumbling a few times. Without even packing his belongings, he turned and left without looking back. “Ethan! You dare!” For some reason, hearing these words made Olivia feel very uncomfortable. She felt gloomy and instinctively called out to stop him. “Don’t forget who you’ve been living off these years! You’re nothing without me!” Olivia’s threats and warnings didn’t stop Ethan’s steps. He left the villa without any hesitation, decisively. From then on, Olivia really never saw Ethan again. Olivia very much disliked the feeling of things slipping out of her control. The person who used to follow her every command had now disappeared without a trace. She was extremely displeased. Her mind kept replaying the day he left, his back looking so lonely yet determined, as if he really wanted to never see her again in this life. Afterwards, Olivia kept attending various parties, using strong alcohol and drugs, but she just couldn’t get Ethan’s figure out of her mind. Seeing her absent-minded appearance, Nathan bought many gifts trying to make her smile, but she remained unmoved. “I feel so bad. Quickly make me something to eat and bring it over.” Olivia lay panting by the bed, her arm still pierced with the syringe she had just used. The servants didn’t dare to neglect her and hurriedly cooked some porridge to bring over. The moment it entered her mouth, Olivia smashed the bowl to pieces. “Are you all useless! You can’t even make a decent meal!” “Get out, all of you!” The drug-addled Olivia had a volatile temper. The servants were all frightened into silence and hurriedly left the room, pushing and shoving each other. “Ethan, Ethan!” Olivia mumbled, smashing things around the bed to pieces. Seeing that Ethan didn’t respond, she angrily stormed into Ethan’s room barefoot. The room was empty, the bed sheets neat, even covered with a thin layer of dust, obviously uninhabited for days. It was then that Olivia woke up from her dazed state. They had broken up. She irritably ran a hand through her hair, sitting on Ethan’s bed and lighting a cigarette. All their past moments together swirled in her mind. Olivia firmly believed that in a few days, Ethan would definitely come back begging for her forgiveness. “It was just a game, why is he taking it so seriously? It’s not like anything happened to his sister.” Olivia couldn’t understand. Was this Ethan’s new tactic to make her love him? Or was it because Nathan’s provocation went too far and Ethan was jealous? Thinking of this, Olivia frowned impatiently and sent a message to her personal assistant. [Go buy some things Ethan likes.] [Alright, what does Mr. Ethan like?] Olivia was stunned. She seemed to have never understood him. She became more irritated and threw her phone far away. Never mind, Ethan would come back to find her no matter what. These gifts didn’t matter. However, what Olivia didn’t expect was that for several days in a row, Ethan had no news at all. No one, not even herself, could find him. He had vanished from this world. “Miss, you can’t continue injecting anymore.” The private doctor came to the villa to check Olivia’s physical condition and earnestly reminded her. Olivia nodded nonchalantly, but didn’t take it to heart at all. She had been dreaming of Ethan these past few days, but couldn’t bring herself to go find him. She could only relieve her restless emotions by taking drugs, which led to an overdose. Olivia remembered that every time she was in a bad mood and took drugs, Ethan would thoughtfully prepare food for her and stay by her side. Now that he was gone, it felt like a piece was missing from her life. Olivia casually dismissed the doctor, ignoring his advice and continuing to indulge in a life of debauchery. Soon, her body couldn’t take it anymore.
Olivia woke up in the middle of the night, her chest hurting badly. She tried to call a doctor but found her phone was dead. She could only drag herself to find suppressants, but the pain and burning sensation made it difficult to move. If only Ethan were here, he would surely rush over to take care of her, staying by her side every step of the way. Ethan was always the first person to truly care about her. “Ethan, don’t go.” Olivia curled up on the floor, her face pale and her breathing weak, but she still mumbled Ethan’s name. When Mr. Chen found Olivia, he was startled and hurriedly called Dr. Zhou. When Olivia woke up, she saw the empty room, with servants and the doctor looking at her with worried faces. She still didn’t see the person she wanted to see most. In the past, when things like this happened, let alone fainting, even if she just had a headache, Ethan would be by her side taking meticulous care of her. But since Ethan had decisively broken up with her, he had truly vanished from Olivia’s world without a trace. For some reason, a surge of indescribable anger suddenly welled up in Olivia’s heart. Her eyes darkened, and the atmosphere in the entire villa turned bone-chillingly cold. Everyone lowered their heads in silence. “Bring Ethan to me, no matter where he is. I want to see him immediately. Tell him the Thompson family has lost something and suspects he took it.” No one dared to disobey her order. Ethan was thus forcibly brought away by Olivia’s people. When he arrived at the villa, Ethan was tightly holding Emily’s urn. His face was ashen, with no light in his eyes. “I thought you had a backbone and they couldn’t bring you back.” As soon as he entered, Olivia sneered at him sarcastically. Nathan was also sitting by the bed, looking at him arrogantly. “Didn’t you say something was lost? Check then.” Ethan mechanically raised his arms to let the bodyguards search him. Throughout the process, his expression remained blank. He didn’t even lift his head, just silently watching Olivia’s bodyguards open his suitcase and search, finally finding nothing. Olivia had deliberately called Nathan over to provoke Ethan, but his demeanor showed no sign of caring. The two were like strangers who had never met before. Could it be that he really didn’t care about her anymore, didn’t love her anymore? Was he really leaving her? Olivia didn’t believe it. She thought Ethan surely couldn’t live without her. Seeing him about to turn and leave, a surge of anger and indescribable panic suddenly swept over her. Seeing this, Nathan’s eyes flashed with a cold light as he called out to Ethan. “You rude thing, don’t you even know how to say hello?” Nathan narrowed his eyes, staring at him resentfully, as if trying to see through him. He had been with Olivia for so long, but had never seen her care about someone so much, and that person was actually Ethan! The thought that he couldn’t even compare to a chauffeur’s son made Nathan furious. He didn’t attack Ethan directly, but just smiled slightly: “Poor people like you would never admit to stealing. Who knows, maybe it’s hidden somewhere inconspicuous, like the box you’re holding.” Hearing this, Ethan finally seemed to come alive. He tightly hugged the box, glaring angrily at him. “Don’t you dare touch it!” Nathan raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, this box was Ethan’s weak point. He felt increasingly smug in his heart and was determined to find out what Ethan was treasuring so much. Seeing Ethan refuse to let go, Nathan directly reached out to snatch it. With a crash, the urn in his arms fell to the ground, instantly shattering. Along with it, Ethan’s heart shattered into pieces. The air was terrifyingly quiet. After a long while, Nathan covered his nose and glanced at Ethan disdainfully. “Are you so poor that you can’t even afford flour? I thought it was something valuable!” Ethan looked at the ashes scattered on the floor, his pupils shaking. “No!” He fell to his knees, frantically trying to gather the ashes on the ground with his hands. “No, it’s all mine, it’s all mine.” Ethan had no container to put it in. He could only use his clothes to protect his sister’s soul, desperately trying to gather it up with his hands. He didn’t even dare to cry, fearing his tears would wet the ashes and prevent his sister from resting in peace. Seeing him like this, Nathan suddenly became interested. He liked seeing Ethan devastated, in pain, and helpless. “Ethan.” Nathan disregarded everything and directly stepped on the pile of ashes, swaggering over. He bent down and whispered in his ear: “Oops, I seem to have dirtied it. I’m so sorry! Do you need me to compensate you?” The little bit of ashes that had just been gathered up were now filthy beyond recognition. Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot, almost bursting. He could no longer maintain his rationality. That was his deceased sister! It was his only reason for living in this world! Ethan suddenly stood up and used all his strength to kick Nathan down. He viciously punched his face, with a ferocity that seemed intent on killing him. This still wasn’t enough to vent Ethan’s inner rage. He kicked Nathan’s stomach hard, wishing he could make him pay with his life for his sister! “Help… help… this madman wants to kill me.” Nathan was beaten to within an inch of his life and could only desperately slap at Ethan’s movements, crying out loudly for help. “What are you all standing there for? Are you waiting for someone to die?” Olivia was also frightened and screamed for the bodyguards to pull Ethan away. Ethan was thrown heavily to the ground, cradling the scattered ashes on the floor, crying heart-rendingly. Nathan barely escaped with his life, lying on the floor gasping for breath like he had just survived a great calamity, his face still showing traces of fear.
“Olivia, he wanted to kill me… We can’t keep this dog around anymore, or he’ll surely take revenge on us one day!” Nathan, a grown man, was now shedding tears in fright as he cowered behind Olivia. “Olivia, I just spilled some cheap flour, and he wanted to kill me for it. If we don’t deal with him, where will you put your face in the future?” Olivia comforted Nathan while looking down at his face covered in bloody marks, her heart filled with anger. It was just some flour, yet Ethan dared to hit Nathan. Wasn’t this deliberately opposing her? Could it be that Ethan knew she had fallen ill because of him, and that’s why he dared to be so reckless? Olivia’s expression instantly turned vicious. She gave a look to her bodyguard, then turned to face him with a terrifying expression. “You treasure it so much, it must be because you can’t afford to eat, right? Don’t worry, you won’t waste it if you eat it.” As soon as Olivia finished speaking, Ethan’s heart stopped. His pupils dilated as he shook his head desperately, “Are you crazy?” He tried to scoop up the ashes on the ground, wanting to escape this hell. But the next second, the bodyguards firmly restrained him, rendering him immobile. “Olivia, you’ll face retribution for this. Do you know what this is? This is……” Before Ethan could finish speaking, the bodyguards grabbed a handful of ashes and stuffed it directly into his mouth. Ethan clenched his teeth tightly, desperately trying to dodge. “Get away! I won’t eat it!” This was Emily’s ashes. How could they dare to do such a rebellious thing! Why did his sister have to suffer such torment even after death? “If you want to eat, I’ll feed you until you’re full! Hold him down properly!” Seeing Ethan resist so fiercely, Nathan grabbed his chin and forcefully poured it in. Ethan wanted to bite his tongue to avoid swallowing it directly, but the large amount of powder choked him into a coughing fit. The gray-white ashes covered his entire face, looking quite ridiculous. Gradually, Ethan stopped struggling. Tears slid into his sideburns as his hands fell limp. His eyes were filled with deathly stillness. Olivia was startled by Ethan’s expression and panicked for a moment. “Stop! I don’t want him to die yet.” She called for Nathan to stop, a flash of complex emotions crossing her eyes. Nathan’s eyes were bloodshot, showing no intention of stopping: “He wanted to kill me. I won’t let him off easily!” “Enough! Nathan, if you kill him, no one will clean up this mess for you!” Olivia scolded angrily, signaling the bodyguards to let go of Ethan and stop Nathan’s actions. Hearing this, Nathan was indignant. Not killing Ethan left him unsatisfied, but seeing Olivia’s cold expression, he didn’t dare to act rashly. “This can’t end like this! I’m going to report him to the police!” Nathan quickly picked up his phone, but it was knocked away by Olivia the next second. “I think you’ve gone mad too. With Ethan in this state, if our drug use gets exposed, what then? I have the Thompson family to protect me, but what about you? The Ji family has more than just you as a son.” Olivia frowned, threatening him. She wasn’t concerned about Nathan’s life or death; she just didn’t want Ethan to go to jail. She didn’t want Ethan to leave her. “Then what should I do? Olivia, are you just going to watch me get beaten up for nothing?” Nathan pretended to be pitiful, tears streaming down his face, but only irritated Olivia. “Just have Ethan kneel down and apologize to you. Don’t keep harping on it. I don’t like you like this.” After saying this, the bodyguards immediately pressed Ethan down. Ethan’s proud spirit had long been crushed. Like a walking corpse, he knelt in front of Nathan. “Kowtow! Don’t you even know how to apologize?” Nathan was dissatisfied but didn’t dare to vent. He temporarily couldn’t afford to offend the Thompson family. Ethan was forced to bow his head, heavily kowtowing on the ground. Once. Twice. Until Nathan revealed a triumphant smile, he was finally pulled up and thrown aside like garbage. He got up and desperately tried to induce vomiting, powder mixed with bloody saliva hanging on his lips. Olivia, already nauseated from her illness, now felt her stomach churning at the sight. “Get him out of here! Can’t you see the young miss is disgusted? A bunch of useless things!” “No! No, I haven’t taken her home yet!”
Ethan wanted to take the scattered ashes on the ground with him, using all his strength to resist the bodyguards. The bodyguards’ strong arms restrained him, rendering all his struggling useless. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as his sister’s ashes were swept away like garbage. The floor was left without a speck of dust. The last glimmer of hope in his heart was also severed. He hung his head, laughing self-mockingly, his eyes filled with deathly stillness. His only relative had left him too, in such a humiliating and painful way. He didn’t understand why he was still alive. It would be better if he were dead, Ethan thought. His laughter grew more and more frenzied, already in utter despair, startling everyone. “Olivia, you won’t die a good death!” As soon as the words left his mouth, he fainted. Olivia didn’t know what had come over her, but she suddenly felt a twinge in her chest. There was even a moment of reluctance. It was just flour, right? Was it that important? Had Ethan really become so poor he couldn’t afford food? “Go buy him a few more and send them over. Also, buy some daily necessities for him.” Olivia instructed the butler. Ethan suddenly opened his eyes, as if waking from a nightmare. He also wished that everything just now had been a nightmare. If he opened his eyes, he would still see his sister smiling at him, the family sitting together for a meal. But this was something he couldn’t even hope for in his dreams anymore. Soon, Ethan fully woke up and found several similar boxes not far in front of him. “It’s just a box. I had people buy many. See if you like any of them.” “I also had people buy a lot of food for you. You don’t need to treasure that cheap flour so much anymore.” Olivia tried hard to suppress her pride and dissatisfaction, speaking softly and gently: Ethan lifted his eyelids to look at the person in front of him, feeling only hatred and ridicule. “Let me go.” Seeing his cold and distant demeanor, Olivia felt she was losing face and instantly dropped her smile. “Ethan! Don’t be ungrateful. This is my charity to you. You should be thanking me.” Olivia’s eyes flickered. Suddenly remembering something, she raised her chin and said arrogantly and haughtily. “Don’t forget, your sister still needs your meager salary to pay for medical expenses. If you continue to be so unresponsive and throw tantrums with me, I’ll make sure you can never save your sister’s life.” “Of course, if you choose to come back now! I’ll pretend none of this ever happened!” Hearing this, Ethan pulled a sarcastic expression. He slowly lifted his eyelids, staring at Olivia until she felt uneasy. She still dared to mention Emily in front of him! Then again, she never valued the lives of these ants. “Mm.” Ethan nodded. He stayed not because of love or hatred, but to take away his sister’s belongings. He absolutely wouldn’t allow his sister’s things to remain in such a filthy place.
Olivia was both delighted and very surprised, not understanding why Ethan had suddenly changed his mind. But the urgent matter was to keep Ethan. He couldn’t leave her again. Ethan went to Emily’s former room, tears streaming uncontrollably. He quickly packed up all her things, moving like a walking corpse towards the villa’s main door. Emily’s innocent smiling face still lingered in his mind. Now he could only look at these cold photos to remember her. “Ethan, what do you mean by this!” “I’m telling you, if you leave, I’ll never forgive you in this life!” In Olivia’s view, what Ethan feared most was being abandoned by her, being disliked by her. As long as she used these threats, he would surely turn back and stay. Ethan didn’t hear Olivia’s words at all. His eyes and heart were filled only with his sister’s belongings. His footsteps didn’t pause for a moment as he was about to leave without looking back. Watching his retreating figure, Olivia panicked. At this moment, she finally realized that all the things she had done – the threats, the coaxing – were just to keep Ethan by her side. Perhaps unknowingly, Ethan had already become the most important person in her life, the person she couldn’t do without on her life’s journey. She had fallen in love with Ethan long ago, but just never wanted to admit it. The high and mighty heiress of River City falling for a poor boy – she was afraid of being laughed at, so she kept hurting him again and again. But she never thought Ethan would leave her. She was afraid, and she absolutely wouldn’t allow it. “Quick, stop him! I don’t care what methods you use, you must bring him back!” Having received the order, several servants and bodyguards immediately chased after Ethan to block his path. Olivia followed closely behind, coming to Ethan’s side and hugging him tightly. “Ethan, don’t you want to stay here with me? Don’t you love me anymore? Why do you have to leave?” “Are these things very important to you? They’re just a few old photos. If you like, we can go take new ones together.” Olivia glanced at those photos from the corner of her eye. They were already covered in dust, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit disgusted. She forced herself to touch them with her delicate hands. But Ethan held onto the photos tightly, afraid Olivia would snatch them away. In the chaos of the struggle, the photo was torn from the middle, separating him and his sister, dividing the living and the dead. He looked at the torn photo paper, crying like a child, but his cries were so mournful. He couldn’t protect his sister, and now he couldn’t even protect her photo. He was truly a useless brother. Olivia was also stunned, not expecting it to turn out like this. She stiffly pulled at her lips. “What are you crying about! What do you want me to do for you to come back? I’ll have someone bring glue to stick it back together, okay? Stop making a fuss! My patience has limits too!” No matter what Olivia said, Ethan ignored her. He took the torn photo and dragged his heavy body towards the exit. Ethan’s repeated refusals finally angered Olivia completely. She, the noble young miss, everyone’s darling, didn’t lack just one person, did she? She wanted to see how long Ethan could remain so proud! Three days. Five days. A week. Half a month passed… Ethan truly vanished like smoke, never appearing in any place Olivia could see again. She felt empty inside, never having felt so powerless before. She knew Ethan was like this because they had toyed with his sister. Since that was the case, she would make everyone apologize. In any case, Ethan must return to her side. Olivia disregarded everyone’s objections and forced Nathan and the others to go apologize to Ethan. In front of Ethan’s door, Olivia took a deep breath and knocked. They knocked for a long time but received no response, just like how Ethan could never knock open her door before. Olivia suddenly had a bad feeling. She pushed Nathan. “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and kick the door open!” As soon as the door opened, the house was empty. Everything was gone. “Olivia, the place is deserted. Why did you drag us here? Are we supposed to apologize to thin air?” “Yeah, it’s not like we forced her to take it. Why should we apologize?” “Olivia, are you high? He’s just a chauffeur’s son. Didn’t you hate him the most? Why are you suddenly so concerned about him?” “Shut up, all of you!” Olivia’s gaze was terrifyingly cold, as if she would kill someone the next second. Everyone was scared into silence. Olivia stumbled out of Ethan’s house looking like she had gone mad. Her eyes were blank as she kept mumbling, “It’s not possible, it can’t be, it won’t be…” The rain poured down on her, extinguishing the last bit of hope in her heart. She leaned against the car door, at a loss, her face full of panic. Mr. Chen’s words kept echoing in her ears. Emily… was dead. A few minutes ago, Olivia had called the butler. “Mr. Chen! Where’s Emily? Bring her to me.” Olivia knew Ethan cared most about Emily and wanted to use this to threaten him. To her surprise, the butler was silent for a long time, stammering and unable to speak. Olivia grew increasingly irritated, stamping her foot angrily: “What are you mumbling about? I told you to bring Emily here!” On the other end, the butler let out a heavy sigh and finally made up his mind to speak. “Miss, Emily is no longer with us.”
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