My sister wanted my fiancé. My own family stripped me naked and sold me in a secret auction. By the time Adrian finally came for me, I had already lost my mind. He carried me away without a word. The next day, our family empire crumbled. My parents met a violent end. My sister? She ended up with him—my fiancé. While I was recovering, Adrian became the city’s most feared man—and he never left my side. Just before our wedding, I went to surprise him with my recovery news. But then I heard moans. “Shut up,” he growled. “If Stella hears you, you’re dead.” Then my sister’s moans flooded the room—hot and heavy. I froze. Swallowing my tears, I ripped the curtain open. “Adrian, I found you!” The intimate atmosphere evaporated in an instant. I let my face go stiff at the sight of them tangled together. They sprang apart. Adrian quickly yanked his jacket over a disheveled Chloe. “Why are you hitting that lady?” I asked, tilting my head. “She’s crying.” Chloe scoffed, a sneer twisting her flushed face. “Still a complete idiot.” Adrian scrambled into his clothes. His gaze landed on my blank, innocent expression, and a wave of palpable relief washed over his features. “Stella, don’t worry about her. She’s just a staff member. Hubby will take you to try on pretty dresses now.” I squirmed, pushing myself away from Adrian’s embrace. My reaction was strong. “Let go of me! You smell disgusting! I don’t like it!” Adrian’s face froze for a second. He quickly recovered, kissing my forehead. “Okay, it’s Hubby’s fault.” He gently placed me on a chair, then immediately went to change. He only reappeared after ensuring not a trace of any “bad smell” remained. Mr. Davis brought out dozens of wedding shoes. I shook my head at every single pair. “I don’t like them.” Adrian barely glanced at them, just lifted a finger. “Next.” Just then, Chloe, fully dressed, emerged from the dressing room. “Adrian, I want her to help me try them on!” Adrian’s hand, resting on my waist, tensed. Chloe’s face twisted into a scowl. But when Adrian nodded, her reaction was explosive. “You want me to try on shoes for a fool?” Her shriek made me flinch. Adrian’s expression turned stone cold. He subtly raised a hand, and Mr. Davis moved to forcibly bring Chloe over. “It’s your privilege to assist Stella with her shoes. If you refuse, get out of the city immediately.” Chloe’s face went from pale to ashen. Finally, she begrudgingly knelt, helping me try on the heels. The moment her hand touched my ankle, I kicked her hard, sending her sprawling. I burrowed into Adrian’s arms, crying. “Ouch! Her nails hurt!” Adrian frowned, his gaze flicking to Chloe’s perfectly manicured nails. “Cut your nails.” Chloe’s suppressed fury ignited. She snatched the high heel off the floor and slammed it down. “Adrian, if you want to humiliate me by siding with her, just say it! I wasn’t born to be a doormat!” With that, she ran out, sobbing. “Adrian, is the pretty lady angry?” Adrian patted my back, comforting me. “Don’t mind her.” His voice was ice-cold, yet his eyes tracked Chloe’s retreating figure with an intensity that chilled me. Halfway through the wedding dress fitting, Mr. Davis entered, his face pale, and whispered something into Adrian’s ear. Adrian, unfazed, continued to tap his cigarette, but his expression grew darker and darker. A moment later, he tugged at his tie, unable to sit still any longer. “Stella, something’s come up at the office. I’ll have Mr. Davis take you home for now.” I dropped the wedding dress I was holding, rushing to grab his hand. “Adrian, please don’t go? Today is-” “Stella, be good. Don’t be difficult.” Adrian stroked my head, then hurried away without a backward glance. My unfinished words died in my throat. Mr. Davis picked up the wedding dress and came over. “Madam, let me help you try it on.” I caught his slightly pitying gaze. I lowered my head, my voice barely a whisper. “No need. I don’t like it.” And then, even quieter, “I won’t need to try one on ever again.”
It was almost midnight, and Adrian still wasn’t home. I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought. Outside, a storm raged, and the birthday cake on the table had completely melted. In seven years, this was the first time he’d missed my birthday. Suddenly, a deafening crack of thunder, and the entire mansion plunged into darkness. My mind went utterly blank. “Adrian!” No response. I stumbled to my feet, my back drenched in cold sweat. With visibility so poor, I tripped and fell hard. “Madam! Madam-” The butler heard the commotion and rushed in, holding a candle. I was curled on the floor, clutching my head, trembling with fear. “Don’t touch me!” Just when I thought I was about to lose it, the front door burst open. A familiar scent filled my nostrils. Adrian rushed forward, pulling me tightly into his arms. “Stella, don’t be scared, don’t be scared. I’m here.” He was soaked, dripping wet, but his arms around me were scorching hot and tight. Yet, I had already completely lost control. This was the first time I’d consciously experienced darkness since my recovery. Long-buried memories surged back, overwhelming me. I screamed and cried, my flailing hands leaving red marks on Adrian’s face. “Get lost! Don’t touch me!” My erratic behavior made Adrian realize something was seriously wrong. He rushed me to the hospital. In a haze, I felt like I was drowning, constantly gasping for air. “Mr. King, your wife suffers not only from night blindness but also severe PTSD. She must have experienced immense trauma to be in this state.” The doctor’s words drifted in intermittently. “Also, Miss Chloe’s condition is very serious. If she doesn’t receive a uterine transplant soon, she may never be able to have children.” It turned out Chloe had gotten into a car accident after running out. When she woke up, she had a complete breakdown and tried to commit suicide with a knife. “Adrian, if you blame me for being so ruthless back then, then I’ll make your punishment come true and pay her back!” The room was terrifyingly silent, save for the cold hum of machines. After a long silence, Adrian sat beside me. He gently wiped a tear from my eye, then leaned in and kissed me softly. His voice was choked with a slight sob. “Don’t let her hurt too much.” I desperately tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t move a muscle, only able to feel myself being wheeled into the operating room. When the cold surgical scalpel pressed against me, I gripped it with all my might. “Ow! Madam, please let go!” The doctor leaned in frantically, practically shouting in my ear. When he heard my whispered words, he gasped sharply. “I understand. I’ll relay your message to Mr. King.” With that, he hurried out of the operating room. But just as he was about to ask Adrian if he wanted to proceed with the surgery, news suddenly arrived that Chloe’s condition had worsened. Adrian’s furious roar cut through the air, clear as day. “One more wasted word, and they’ll suffer another second! Do it!” “But Mr. King, your wife…” “Shut up! What does an idiot need with a womb? Stella will have me in the future! You utter one more goddamn word, and you’re out of this hospital tomorrow!” The doctor returned to the operating room, a bitter expression on his face. The scalpel in my hand loosened its grip. As my abdomen was cut open, a few tears slipped from my eyes. Gasps echoed through the operating room. Assistants covered their mouths in shock. “Oh my god, it’s a nearly formed baby!” … When I finally came to, I was in a hospital bed. Adrian walked in and found me staring blankly at the ceiling, my eyes devoid of emotion. A flicker of pain crossed his eyes. He took my hand, kissing it tenderly.
“Stella, you’ve been asleep for a long time. Everything’s okay now. I’m right here.” I stiffly turned my eyes to him. My belly felt hollow. My heart felt hollow, too. “Adrian.” My voice was so faint, it felt like it would disappear any second. “I hurt so much.” Adrian’s eyes were bloodshot. He casually picked up a fruit knife from the table and sliced his own palm. “Don’t be scared, Stella. Adrian will hurt with you.” Blood dripped onto the floor. My memories swam for a moment. Throughout those years I was lost in my haze, Adrian had stayed by my side, never leaving, his devotion bordering on obsession. Countless doctors had told him I was beyond help, that recovery was impossible. Everyone urged him to give up. He just looked at me, barefoot in the yard. He smiled, took off his shoes, and walked with me on the pebbles, until the ground was stained with blood. “If she can’t get better, then I, Adrian King, don’t mind being a self-deceiving fool for the rest of my life.” While I was lost in thought, Adrian stroked my face. “Stella, how about that pretty lady moves into our home to take care of you from now on?” I was incredulous, but still instinctively shook my head. “I hate her!” Adrian, however, didn’t catch the emotion in my words. “Stella’s the best. Don’t be difficult. That lady is like this because of you; we should repay her doubly.” He made the decision, leaving no room for argument. After I was discharged, Chloe moved into the King mansion, ostensibly to care for me. Adrian had her move into the top-floor attic. When Chloe complained, he merely glanced at her, his tone flat. “Stella likes quiet. If you have a problem with that, you can get out of the King residence.” After returning from the hospital, I had nightmares every night. Waking up again, the spot beside me in bed was already cold. I quietly made my way up to the attic. Suppressed, desperate gasps echoed from behind the door. Chloe’s voice was thick with tears and indignation. “You make me move in, then humiliate me like this? Adrian, does it thrill you to see me cry?” “After all this, you’re just too scared to admit you’re in love with me, aren’t you?” Adrian’s shadowed profile was hidden in the crack of the door. He didn’t speak, but his movements turned savage. His ring-adorned hand traced Chloe’s scarred abdomen, eliciting a shiver. “You? You’re not even worthy.” I don’t remember how I got back to my room. It wasn’t until my phone screen lit up that I snapped back to reality. “Ms. Sterling, we’ve located your family through the genetic database.” I tugged at my lips. My long-numb face finally managed a smile, even as tears streamed down. The next day, a loud commotion woke me. “Who puts baby’s breath in a garden? It’s so lame. Dig them all up and replace them with my favorite roses!” “But Miss Chloe, Mr. King personally planted all of these for Stella…” Chloe’s face contorted into a snarl. She slapped the gardener hard. “Are you blind? Can’t you see who the future lady of this house is?” The gardener, not daring to delay, immediately brought in the roses. Chloe caught sight of me coming downstairs, and disdainfully blew on her nails. I calmly watched her. She frowned, her gaze locking onto my eyes. Suddenly, as if realizing something, her face contorted in shock. “You…” Before she could utter another word, Adrian strode over, picked me up, and gently placed me on a soft blanket. “Silly Stella, why aren’t you wearing shoes again?” He turned his head, his eyes flashing a warning. Then, without a hint of mercy, he stomped on the roses at his feet, crushing them. “The King residence doesn’t need any flowers other than baby’s breath.” The gardener, looking pale, immediately agreed and rushed to dispose of the roses. Chloe bit her lip, her eyes red-rimmed. After nightfall, a large fire suddenly erupted in the garden. Chloe stood in the center of the flowerbed, her face streaked with tears. “I like roses! If you force me to like these wild weeds, I’d rather die!” “Adrian, don’t go! It’s dangerous!” I instinctively grabbed Adrian. But he roughly threw me to the ground and plunged into the blazing inferno. His eyes bloodshot, he scooped up Chloe, completely ignoring the burns on his own forearm. “Crazy woman!” Chloe looked up and kissed him, biting his lips until they bled. “I am crazy! If you don’t like it, just leave me alone!” The servants’ sympathetic glances all turned to me. Watching them kiss so brazenly in the flames, I calmly got to my feet, wiping the blood from my forehead where I’d hit it. Like an idiot, I turned and walked away.
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