Author: Momo Chan

Thanksgiving week, my dead high school group chat pinged me: “Eleanor, Jessica’s getting married. Quit playing dead.” Scrolling 99+ messages, I learned: Jessica Reed—our former queen bee—was marrying over the holidays. Entire class invited. “Can’t come. Abroad,” I replied. Her minions attacked instantly: “Too scared to face her after stealing $500?” “Pretending to be overseas? Audacity!” Jessica “graciously” intervened: “Ancient history, Ellie! You must come!” The chat erupted praising her “kindness” to a thief like me. Joke. She’d framed me for that theft. Then I saw the groom’s name: James Cole. Family tree says he should call me Great-Aunt. “I’ll be there,” I typed, smiling coldly. 2 After sending that message, I immediately had my bags packed and a flight back to the States booked. When my mother learned I was returning for James Cole’s wedding, she told me to be gracious and to pick out a suitable gift on her behalf. After all, he worked directly under her, and he’d earned our corporation a significant amount of money over the years. James was competent, no doubt about it. But his taste in women was abysmal. Of all people, how did he end up with Jessica Reed? Grumbling aside, I had my butler select some appropriately lavish gifts and load them into the car. After landing, I had the driver take me straight to the wedding venue. The scene was exactly as I’d expected. Jessica was the center of a fawning circle, basking in their sycophantic praise. “Jessica, you’re still as gorgeous as you were in high school. You truly were the queen of our class. And you landed such a brilliant husband! A Vice President at Aurelian Global at his age!” “Totally! If it weren’t for Jessica, we’d never get to set foot in a five-star hotel like this for a wedding!” “I know, right? My husband works at Aurelian too, and he heard that Jessica’s husband is getting promoted to CEO next month! Congratulations, Jessica! I guess we’ll have to start calling you Mrs. CEO soon!” The title “Mrs. CEO” was thrown around like confetti, and Jessica was blooming under the attention. The moment I walked in, the faces that had been beaming at Jessica instantly froze over, their expressions shifting to undisguised contempt. “Eleanor Brown. You actually have the nerve to show up?” “Seriously. Do thieves have no shame these days? Showing up at your victim’s wedding, bold as brass. Unbelievable.” “And you came empty-handed? Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” “Oh, come on. She’s a thief, what do you expect? She probably can’t afford a gift. Look at her outfit—head-to-toe knockoffs. Probably stole those, too.” Every other word was “thief,” each one meant to grind me into the dirt. I laughed coldly to myself. That five hundred dollars had been a gift from my mother for concert tickets. The cash hadn’t even been warm in my pocket before Jessica accused me of stealing it from her. Later, after the principal investigated and found the truth, he asked me to keep it quiet. He said Jessica’s family was struggling and five hundred dollars was a huge amount for them. It was only out of respect for him that I didn’t press the issue and let her keep the money. I never imagined that after all these years, not only would she feel no gratitude, but she would also keep the lie alive. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. I just wanted the bellhop to bring up the gifts from the car so I could drop them off and leave. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, I decided to go downstairs and check myself. But in the next second, Jessica rushed toward me, and her hand cracked across my face in a vicious slap. “Eleanor Brown!” she shrieked. “After all these years, your hands are still just as sticky! Did you really think you could steal my ring and just walk away?” 3 The blow left me stunned, a smear of red lipstick tracing the path of her hand across my cheek. “What makes you think I stole it?” I demanded, my voice shaking with rage. “We were all in the back taking photos together! You were the only one out here in the main hall! If it wasn’t you, who was it?” Jessica shook out the contents of her purse, which she’d left in the hall. It was empty. “I can’t believe you haven’t changed a bit!” she cried, her voice ringing with theatrical despair. “That was a ten-carat, flawless diamond James bought for me from South Africa! It’s worth millions!” Her words hung in the air, and every eye in the room swiveled to me. “You shameless bitch!” one of her friends spat. “Jessica was just defending you in the back, telling us not to give you a hard time. And you turn around and steal her wedding ring?” “Once a thief, always a thief. A leopard can’t change its spots. Girls, let’s get her! For Jessica!” Before I could even react, Jessica’s pack of hyenas descended on me. One after another, their hands flew, each slap a fresh sting of humiliation. My hair was torn from its pins, cascading in a messy tangle around my shoulders. I tasted blood, a tooth chipped and sharp against my tongue. But that wasn’t enough. They ripped the emerald earrings from my lobes, tore the necklace from my throat, and yanked the designer watch from my wrist. A searing pain shot through my ear as the stud was torn out, and hot blood trickled down my neck. The skin on my throat was raw and red. “Don’t hold back, girls! Don’t stop until this bitch gives back Jessica’s ring!” “I didn’t steal it…” I tried to explain, but they were like a pack of rabid animals, deaf to reason. The slapping stopped, only to be replaced by kicks. I was shoved to the floor, my dress shredding under their assault. I had never felt such profound humiliation. I tried to cover myself, to preserve some shred of dignity, but they gave me no quarter. They grabbed ice-cold bottles of champagne and red wine from the bar and poured them over my head and body. The frigid liquid shocked my system, an icy fire that made my body tremble uncontrollably. I tried to hug myself for warmth, but my arms wouldn’t obey. “Eleanor, just admit you took the ring,” Jessica said, her eyes unnervingly cold. “For old times’ sake, I can let this go.” I was about to speak when someone shouted, “Mr. Davison is here!” Mr. Davison, our old high school homeroom teacher, entered the room and immediately began fawning over Jessica. “Jessica, you haven’t changed a bit. Still as beautiful as ever.” Jessica offered a brittle smile in return. Then, she grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back to present my bruised and battered face to our former teacher. “Mr. Davison, you’re just in time. Tell us, right here, right now. Did Eleanor Brown steal five hundred dollars from me back in high school or not?” Mr. Davison flinched at the sight of me, his eyes darting away nervously. For a fleeting moment, I thought he might finally tell the truth. I was wrong. “Oh, that? Wasn’t that case closed years ago?” he said with a sigh. “At the time, to protect Eleanor’s dignity, I didn’t announce the details publicly. But yes, it’s true. She’s the one who took your five hundred dollars.” His words were the final verdict. The crowd erupted in sneers and disgust, some of them spitting in my direction. “See? Even Mr. Davison says so,” Jessica sneered, her voice dripping with triumph. “Stop playing innocent, Eleanor. You can keep the five hundred dollars as a charity case. Now, give me back my ring!” A bitter, cold laugh formed in my heart. So, Jessica had bought him, too. Before coming to the wedding, I’d had my butler do a background check on Jessica’s most ardent defenders in the group chat. Every single one of them was sucking up to her because she was marrying James Cole, currying favor with the future wife of an Aurelian Global VP. Even Mr. Davison was no exception. He was siding with her in the hopes that Aurelian Global would fund a new building for his school. What none of them knew was that they were betting on the wrong horse. And in doing so, they had just made an enemy of the one person they could never, ever afford to cross. 4 “You know damn well whether I took that ring or not,” I seethed. “And that five hundred dollars? That was money you stole to—” Seeing I was about to expose her, Jessica lunged forward and slapped me twice more, hard, before giving her friends a pointed look. In seconds, they were on me again, dragging my broken body from the hotel lobby and out onto the cold pavement. Just then, the hotel bellhop who was carrying my gifts from the car saw the scene, his jaw dropping in shock. “Ms. Brown! What happened to you?” I was a mess of bruises and blood, my mouth too swollen to form a coherent reply. Jessica and her cronies saw the bellhop speaking to me, their eyes falling on the luxury gift bags in his hands and then to the gleaming black Mercedes parked at the curb. They put two and two together. “Look at that, the bitch drives a nice car,” one of them sneered. “Probably a gift from her sugar daddy. Must be some old man’s kept woman.” “My ring is worth millions!” Jessica shrieked. “That piece of junk isn’t even worth a fraction of it! Girls, don’t be shy. Smash it!” At Jessica’s command, they grabbed loose bricks from a nearby planter and went to work on the car. The windows, headlights, and hood were shattered and dented in a frenzy of violence. Not satisfied, they tore open the gift boxes in the trunk, flinging expensive perfume bottles and a ruby necklace onto the asphalt. “What is this garbage? She actually thought this was a worthy gift?” They continued their rampage, slashing the leather seats and prying open a deep compartment in the trunk, pulling out a picture frame. My heart stopped. It was the only photograph I had of my late father and me. On the back was a message he had written by hand. It was the only one in the world. “See! I told you she was some old man’s plaything! Here’s the proof!” “Look, there’s even a note from him on the back! ‘To my darling Eleanor, may you be happy and healthy forever.’ Ugh, how disgusting!” With a sharp crack, the frame was thrown to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. I scrambled to my feet to stop them, but I was too late. Shards of glass sprayed across my skin. The photo itself was torn into confetti and showered over my head. As I sobbed, trying to gather the pieces, Jessica’s stiletto heel slammed down on my hand, pinning it to the pavement. “Still won’t admit you stole my ring, Eleanor?” she taunted. “And you’re trying to piece together your little love note from your sugar daddy? Pathetic!” Pure hatred, cold and sharp, coiled in my gut. “Jessica,” I bit out through clenched teeth, “you are so, so finished. I will never let you get away with this.” My threat was met with howls of laughter. “Did I hear that right? A kept woman is threatening our future Mrs. CEO? That’s rich!” “Yeah, who the hell do you think you are? With one word, our Mrs. CEO could make sure you never work in this city again! And you have the nerve to threaten her?” “Looks like the bitch hasn’t had enough yet. Girls, let’s give her some more!” Jessica and her friends marched back into the hotel and emerged with a large can of red paint, ready to douse me in it. Just then, a top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce Phantom glided to a silent stop at the hotel entrance. The man who stepped out of the back seat was none other than today’s groom, James Cole. “Wow, now that’s a real power move! The VP of Aurelian Global! That’s a real luxury car, not like that cheap Mercedes some sugar baby drives after begging her old man!” “Jessica, you’re so lucky! Once you’re the CEO’s wife, don’t forget all the hard work we put in for you today!” Jessica preened like a peacock. “Don’t worry. All my friends who helped me today will be rewarded. When I’m the CEO’s wife, you’ll all get what you deserve.” Her friends gushed with thanks, ecstatic at the promise of future favors. Jessica, radiating triumph, ran into James’s arms and burst into tears. “James, thank God you’re here! Someone stole our wedding ring!” James’s brow furrowed. “Who would be so bold? To steal our wedding ring? They must have a death wish.” He stroked her hair. “Don’t cry, baby. I’m here now. I’ll make sure you get justice.” “It’s okay, honey,” she sobbed. “I already taught the thief a lesson. But you have no idea how stubborn she is. No matter what we did, she wouldn’t confess. If she doesn’t give back the ring, what will happen to our wedding?” Hearing this, James’s face darkened with fury. He was ready to fight for her honor. He strode over to where I lay on the ground. “This is the bitch who stole the ring?” he snarled. Everyone nodded eagerly, pulling out their phones to record, their faces alight with anticipation of the beatdown to come. My hair was a wild, matted mess, and my face was so swollen and bruised I was practically unrecognizable. James grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head up to get a clear look at my face. And then he froze. His face went pale with shock, and he stumbled backward, collapsing onto the pavement. “Great-Aunt… Eleanor? What… what are you doing here?”

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Seven years after we fled the country, my thirteen-year-old daughter, Anna, was a name whispered in concert halls across the world—a piano prodigy. She could conjure magic from the most difficult compositions, her fingers dancing over the keys to release torrents of beautiful music. Yet, one simple song—a lullaby—remained untouched. No matter how many times it was requested, she refused. She was terrified that if she played it, the melody would soften her heart, and she would forgive the man who had broken it. So, when that man, Julian Astor, appeared at our door with a grand piano handcrafted by a master artisan, asking her to play that one lullaby, Anna just calmly shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know that piece.” Julian’s eyes reddened. He took her hand, his grip desperate, and placed it on the cool ivory of the keys. “What do you mean you don’t know it? Anna, you’re a genius! Isn’t a piano what you always wanted? Daddy’s bought it for you. From now on, you just have to tell me what you wish for, and I’ll make it happen.” Anna coolly withdrew her hand. “That won’t be necessary, sir. I can earn my own money for pianos now. You should take this one back to your daughter.” The words struck Julian like a blast of arctic air. He pulled Anna into a clumsy, frantic hug. “Anna, what are you talking about? You’re my only daughter.” Anna tilted her head, a picture of confusion. “But didn’t you say only Sylvia’s daughter was worthy of being your child? Didn’t you give the piano you promised me to her?” She let out a small, careless laugh. “It’s fine, sir. If you love Sylvia, go ahead and raise her daughter. I have my mom. That’s enough.” A storm of emotions churned within Julian. Of all the scenarios he’d rehearsed in his mind, he had never imagined this—this unyielding, impenetrable wall. He didn’t know that we had already given him a thousand chances, each one met with his chilling indifference. In the five years we were married, he had endless opportunities to tell us the truth: that he was Julian Astor, the heir to the Astor fortune. But he kept his silence, a wall between us. Whenever Anna would say she wanted to play the piano for him, he’d play the part of the struggling father, brushing her off with a tired smile. “I’d love that, sweetie. But Daddy doesn’t have enough money right now. As soon as I do, I’ll buy you the biggest grand piano you’ve ever seen.” For five years, I took Anna to the city square every day to busk. And for five years, he watched us, his expression unreadable, his silence a heavy cloak. Every evening, as we trudged home, Anna’s eyes would shine with hope. “Mom, did we make enough for a piano today? I want to play Daddy a lullaby. It was the first song I ever learned!” And every time, I would count the meager collection of coins and bills in our jar and shake my head. “Almost, honey. We’re getting closer. Just a little more tomorrow.” Finally, a month before Anna’s birthday, as I counted the crumpled bills and heavy coins, my heart leaped. It was enough. Enough for the cheapest upright piano in the store. But when I took Anna’s hand and walked into the music shop, my world stopped. There, on the second-floor gallery, was Julian. He was holding another little girl, Sylvia’s daughter, as they admired a magnificent piano. My hand trembled as I pointed. “That piano… how much is it?” I asked the salesman. He gave me a practiced smile. “That one is a custom Steinway, ma’am. The gentleman ordered it a long time ago. It’s entirely handcrafted by a master in Germany. The price is eight hundred thousand dollars.” Eight hundred thousand dollars. The blood turned to ice in my veins. People had whispered that Julian wasn’t who he seemed, but living in our drafty, rundown apartment with its broken furniture, I never let myself believe it. To think he had willingly endured that squalor for five years… what a performance. Seeing my silence, Anna looked up at me, her face a mask of innocent curiosity. “Mom, does Dad have a lot of money? Did he order that piano for me?” She was too young to understand the scene playing out on the balcony above. I looked down at her faded, hand-me-down dress, my mouth opening and closing like a fish, no words coming out. Sensing my distress, Anna’s small voice piped up, “Mom, it looks like Dad is busy with that lady. Maybe we should just go home. We can come back and buy one another time.” Her voice grew quieter with each word, the disappointment on her small face a physical weight. But I was too lost in my own spiraling shock to notice. I just took her hand and led her away. Back home, I dug out our legal documents and searched his name and official residence online. The Crestwood Estates, a private, gated community in the heart of the capital. I’d heard of it, even from our side of the country. It was a place of legends, where land was measured in gold, a sanctuary for the nation’s absolute elite. Julian Astor, you played us for fools. I wondered, when you watched us leave every morning and return every night, rain or shine, to perform for spare change… were you feeling pity? Or were you laughing at us, two pathetic fools trying to claw our way up from nothing? A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I picked up the phone and dialed a divorce lawyer. Hours later, the sound of footsteps approached the door. Julian was home. Anna, as always, ran to the door to greet him, her face bright with love. But Julian didn’t even offer her a hug, his face a mask of exhaustion. Normally, Anna was used to his coldness. But today was different. She clung to the hem of his coat, refusing to let him pass. “Daddy, can you buy me a piano? My friend’s teacher taught her a lullaby, and I learned it just by listening. I want to play it for you.” “Alright, sweetie,” he said, the same old empty promise. “As soon as I make enough money.” “When is that?” Anna pressed, an uncharacteristic stubbornness in her voice. He hesitated, then finally sighed. “Soon. I promise.” Anna let out a whoop of joy, hugging my legs. “Mom, I’m getting a piano! I’m going to play so many songs for you and Daddy!” I smiled, my heart aching for her, but I allowed myself to hope. One day passed. Then two. A week crawled by. The promised piano was nowhere to be seen. One morning, I found Anna huddled under her covers, her small body shaking with silent sobs. Julian saw it too, but his face remained a blank slate. Then his eyes landed on me, and he brightened. “Oh, good, you’re here. Can you make some ginger tea and put it in a thermos for me? I need to take it with me.” Ginger tea. For Sylvia, of course. My own menstrual cramps were agonizing, a fact he had witnessed countless times, yet he’d never once offered so much as a painkiller. POP. That was the sound of the last thread of my patience snapping. The rage surged, hot and blinding, and before I knew it, the purse in my hand had connected with his head. The moment it happened, the tears came. He was the one who’d been hit, but I was the one crying, my sobs ragged and ugly. The blow had angered him, but the sight of my tears seemed to extinguish his temper. “You didn’t have to make it, Clara. What’s with the drama?” “The piano,” I choked out. “What about the piano you promised Anna?” He looked momentarily confused, as if he’d forgotten all about it. A flash of guilt crossed his face before he masked it with annoyance. “I’ll buy it. Do you have to hound me like a debt collector?” I’ll buy it. He’d said those words a thousand times over five years. A stone dropped in a well at least makes a splash. Julian’s promises vanished without a ripple. I stormed into Anna’s room and pulled her out from under the covers. “I’m divorcing your father,” I said, my voice shaking. “How would you feel about… going abroad? Just the two of us.” The idea of leaving the country was a foreign concept to a child like Anna, but it was our only real choice. The Astor family’s influence was too vast here. Only overseas could her talent truly flourish. My entire life savings would be just enough for two one-way tickets. Seeing my red-rimmed eyes, Anna wrapped her small arms around me. “Mom,” she whispered, “can we give Daddy one more chance?” Her voice was small but firm. “My birthday. If he forgets about the piano by my birthday… then we’ll leave.” “Okay,” I agreed. One last chance, Julian. That’s all you get. The next morning, we were back at our usual spot in the park. I was a graduate of a prestigious university, but after taking years off to raise Anna, no company would hire me. So, this was our life. I sold small toys and snacks from a folding table, while Anna sang and danced to draw a crowd. She was sweet and charming. Many people stopped by my little stall just because of her. “Excuse me, how much for the ice cream bars?” “Three dollars for one, five for two.” I looked up and froze. It was Sylvia. “I’ll take two, then. And please be quick, I don’t want my husband to see,” she whispered, acting as if she were a spy on a secret mission. She handed me a ten-dollar bill, darting her eyes around nervously as she stuffed the ice cream into her purse. Just then, a large hand shot out and grabbed hers. “Sylvia, I’ve told you a hundred times. You’re on your period, and you get cramps. No cold foods.” It was Julian. “We don’t want the ice cream,” he said, his voice flat. His eyes met mine, and his face instantly darkened. Sylvia, however, seemed oblivious. “Oh, come on, Julian. Look at her little girl, she’s so adorable. Let’s just buy two. It’s for a good cause.” The pity in her eyes was a dagger twisting in my gut. “Hiss—” In my distraction, the knitting needle I was holding slipped, piercing my finger. A bead of dark red blood welled up instantly. Seeing the blood, Julian frowned, taking an instinctive step toward me. “Julian! My stomach hurts so much!” The next second, Sylvia was clutching her abdomen, a pained expression on her face. Instantly, Julian turned, scooping her into his arms. As he held her, Sylvia rested her head on his shoulder and shot me a triumphant smirk. She knew. She’d known who I was all along. A sharp, acidic pain lanced through my heart. “Mommy, are you okay?” Anna, not understanding the adult drama unfolding, rushed to my side, blowing gently on my bleeding finger with her small mouth. “I’m fine, sweetie.” My heart melted. I pulled her into a tight hug. At least I still had Anna. As Julian started to walk away with Sylvia in his arms, Anna, still confused, called out to him. “Daddy, Mommy’s hurt! Come back and help her!” Julian’s steps faltered for a fraction of a second. Then, without turning back, he kept walking. I could faintly hear Sylvia’s voice drift back to us. “Julian, was that your daughter?” “No. I don’t know her. She must have mistaken me for someone else.” Mistaken me for someone else. Five years of devotion, five years of our lives, and all we were to him was a case of mistaken identity. I gently stroked Anna’s hair. “Did you hear that, honey? That man isn’t your daddy. We made a mistake.” That evening, the music shop called. A piano was waiting for me to sign for upon delivery. My heart hammered against my ribs. I rushed home with Anna, my mind racing. Julian was already there. Before I could speak, he pulled me into the bedroom. “Is your hand okay?” he asked, gently taking it to inspect the small wound. I pulled my hand back. “My hand is fine. Where’s the piano you bought?” “What piano?” I thought he was trying to surprise Anna, so I smiled. “Don’t play coy. The store already called me.” At that, Julian’s eyes flickered away. “They must have called the wrong number. Don’t worry, I’ll go buy one as soon as I have time.” As soon as he has time. He had enough time to stroll through the park with Sylvia, but not enough time to buy a piano he had promised his daughter weeks ago. The disappointment was a lead weight in my stomach. I didn’t know how I was going to explain this to Anna. Just then, my phone buzzed. A new friend request. My heart leaped, a dreadful premonition washing over me.

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On the day the Crown Prince exposed me as a woman before the entire royal court, I fell from the most revered Royal Tutor in the kingdom to the lowest of royal harlots. The System declared my mission an utter failure. I’d had four targets. Each was a man of immense power and prestige, yet each came to despise me, to hate me to the bone, all because of my stepsister. Fortunately, the System offered a reprieve: if I could bear the child of any of my four targets, I would be spared the punishment of annihilation. So, I cast aside my pride. I schemed and seduced. And on the final day of my deadline, I was with child. But as I lay in labor, all four of them hunted me down. The Prince, my former student, bound my hands and feet. The Master Healer, my own brother, forced a labor-inducing potion down my throat. The Lord Marshal, my childhood love, sliced open my belly with his longsword. And the Lord Chancellor, my husband, personally carved the heart from my newborn’s chest—all to use my child’s heart’s blood as a cure for my stepsister. And later, as they gazed upon my cold, stiffening corpse, these men who had wished for my death… they shattered. … I sat on a rough wooden cot in a dirt-floored hovel, stitching a tiny garment for my unborn child, when the door was kicked open. Crown Prince Kaelen strode in. His eyes fell upon my swollen belly, and his face became a mask of thunder. “Lady Seraphina,” he spat, the title a mockery. “You truly are with child? Whose is it?” I looked up at him. The timid boy who once hid behind my skirts, weeping, was gone. In his place stood an ungrateful viper I had raised myself. I set down my needle and thread, my face a placid lake. “Your Highness, Seraphina is no longer the Royal Tutor. I am a common whore. Whose child do you imagine I would carry? Another man’s whelp may be disloyal, but this child, no matter the father, will know only its mother.” One of my words must have struck a nerve, because Kaelen’s face flushed a deep, furious crimson. “Filth! This bastard cannot be allowed to live!” I wrapped my arms protectively around my stomach, my eyes fixed on him. Kaelen’s mother had died in the venomous games of court politics. He’d had his tendons cut and was left to die in the castle’s forgotten dungeons. All who passed by averted their eyes. Only I had stopped. I carried him back to my small quarters. I sought healers, spent every last System point I had to mend his broken body. I taught him to read, to wield a sword, even disguised myself as a man to enter the court and fight for him. I poured half my life into him, lifting him step by step to the position of Crown Prince. I remember the day he was named heir. We celebrated in his new palace apartments, his young eyes glittering like a constellation. “Sera,” he had said, his voice full of earnest devotion, “when I am king, I will change the laws. Women will be allowed to serve in the court, and you will never have to hide who you are again.” And yet, it was this same Kaelen who, before the entire assembly, ripped the official robes from my body and denounced me as a woman, a blight upon the kingdom. “You venomous snake, Seraphina!” he had roared. “My sweet Vivia is a paragon of kindness, yet you schemed to have her virtue stolen! How dare you stand in a position of power, enjoying wealth and glory? You will suffer a hundred times what she has endured!” My identity was exposed, and I was cast into a royal pleasure house. The System judged my final mission a failure. But it amended the task: if I could give birth to this child, this life connected to me by blood, my slate with these men would be wiped clean. Kaelen clearly saw me and my child as a stain. “Rest assured, Your Highness,” I said quickly, “once the child is born, I will take him far away. We will never trouble your sight again.” His expression only grew fouler. He suddenly lunged, using a restraining technique I myself had taught him, pinning me to the cot. He ordered his guards to bring rope, and he bound my hands and feet himself. My body, heavy with child, was slow and clumsy. I was helpless. “Kaelen, you treacherous dog!” I screamed, my voice cracking with fury. “You betray your own mentor, your own master!” He sneered. “Vivia is ill, Seraphina. She requires the heart’s blood of your unborn child to be cured. It’s just a bastard, after all. To die saving Vivia is a worthy end for it.” My eyes widened in horror. I shook my head frantically. Without this child, the System would erase me. I would truly die. Just then, another figure appeared in the doorway, both familiar and terrifyingly strange. It was the man I considered my dearest kin in this world: my brother, the Master Healer Theron. Forgetting everything else, I stared at him, my eyes pleading. “Brother… save me…” In my original world, I was an orphan, my body ravaged by illness. I had never known the warmth of family. On my deathbed, the System found me and offered me a new life, transmigrated into this body from birth. It gave me four targets: a brother connected by blood, a childhood love, a passionate suitor, and a student I would raise myself. If I could win the absolute favor of just one, I would be granted health and a true life. I had been bedridden for so long; I cherished this chance, and I cherished these new bonds. But every single one of them had fallen for the lies of this world’s protagonist, my stepsister, Vivia. They all believed I was a venomous witch. My brother had cast me out. My betrothed had broken our engagement. My lover had severed all ties. My student had thrown me into the abyss. All my missions failed. Even the System took pity on me, using its own accumulated points to change my final task. Just give birth to this child, and you can live. Now, to save my child, to save myself, I had to gamble on the last vestiges of Theron’s love for me. But he only stared coldly at my struggles, ignoring my desperate plea. He turned to Kaelen. “Your Highness, there is no time. Vivia is fading. We don’t need to drag her back. We’ll do it here.” I stared in disbelief. He was my first target. But my longing for a family was so deep, I never saw him as just a mission. I nurtured our sibling bond with all my heart, giving him everything, even risking my own life for him time and again. When Theron studied the forbidden arts of healing, I used my System points to gift him knowledge from my modern world: Caesarean sections, cranial surgery, things this world considered blasphemy. No one believed in his abilities. So I became his test subject, his guinea pig, helping him build a reputation as the realm’s peerless Master Healer. Once, he miscalculated a dosage, and I suffered a violent allergic reaction. Terrified, he knelt in the family chapel for days, praying, swearing he would renounce his arts if it would grant my safety. He wanted to be a healer, yes, but he swore his sister was the most important thing to him. I used my own points to save myself and salvage his reputation. I had thought I finally had a home, a brother. But that seemingly unbreakable bond crumbled under Vivia’s relentless machinations. She staged her own abduction, crying that I was the one who had orchestrated it. Theron, holding the feigning Vivia, called me a viper and cast me, still a young girl, out of our home. Now, watching him expertly brew the potion and sterilize his blades, a chilling despair washed over me. “Brother, Vivia being abducted and losing her purity had nothing to do with me! She isn’t sick! Please, let me go! Let my child live! He is your nephew!” Theron’s hand paused. His gaze was devoid of any emotion. “Empty words. Do you think I would believe you? Vivia is good and kind. Would she sacrifice her own virtue and health just to frame her sister? The assault left her with a deep-seated malady, one that can only be cured by the heart’s blood of an infant born from a close blood relative. It’s the life of a worthless bastard. This is a debt you owe her!” He forced the entire potion down my throat. A searing pain ripped through my abdomen. The child inside me kicked violently. Kaelen held my limbs fast. I could only writhe, trying to knock Theron’s sterilized instruments into the dirt on the floor with my head. Theron slapped me across the face, hard. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. “What do you think you’re doing?” I knew he was a meticulous healer; his tools had to be perfectly sterile. But I was out of options. If they cut the baby out, I was dead. I had to delay, to buy even a second more of life for me and my child. Seeing my resistance, Theron had Kaelen hold me down while he prepared a new set of instruments. “No!” I screamed, my voice raw with desperation. “I’ll die without my child!” This time, Theron didn’t hesitate. He let out a cold laugh. “Are you questioning the skill of the realm’s Master Healer? Relax. I’m just taking the child and stitching you back up. My hand is swift. A scourge like you won’t die so easily.” Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. The youngest Lord Marshal in the kingdom’s history, Rhys, burst in, covered in dust from the road, his sword in hand. “Am I too late?” My despairing heart flickered with a new flame of hope. Rhys was my second target. We grew up together, inseparable, our bond deeper than any other. His family was a fallen line of knights, and Rhys himself had no talent for the blade. My heart ached for him, so I used my points to unleash his dormant martial potential. I trained with him for years, sparring with sword and staff. I encouraged him when he wanted to give up, and I watched over him silently from horseback when he tasted his first victories. He would lean against my back, watching the moon. “Sera, you’re so good to me. When I return a Lord Marshal, you will be my lady. Imagine how grand that will be!” “Sera, where do you want to live? We could go to the northern plains, or the western frontier. I’ll let the sun darken your skin, so no one else will try to steal you from me.” I had believed, truly believed, that when he returned from war, I would be his wife. But when he returned, perched on his warhorse was not me, but my stepsister Vivia, covered in blood. Rhys had grabbed me by the throat, his voice a furious whisper. “Why? Why would you harm Vivia? She’s not like you; she’s a delicate flower! How could someone so wicked ever be my wife? Seraphina, our engagement is void!” Cast out by my brother, then rejected by my fiancé, I became the capital’s greatest joke. Years had passed. The boyish charm was gone, replaced by the chilling aura of a seasoned killer. Theron waved a hand. “You’re not too late. She dirtied my blade. We haven’t started.” Rhys’s handsome brows furrowed. “What are you waiting for? Vivia can’t hold on much longer. Do you want her to die?” Before I could react, Rhys raised his sword—the very blade I had commissioned for him from a master smith—and sliced through my clothes. Then, with a single, brutal stroke, he cut open my belly. A geyser of blood erupted. A raw, guttural cry tore from my throat as tears streamed down my face. “No!” Theron quickly extracted the baby. I saw him—a full-term boy, small and wrinkled, but alive. He let out a wail, a powerful testament to his vibrant life. Forgetting the searing pain as Theron began to stitch my wound, I tried to snatch my child back. “Don’t hurt my baby! Do you even know who his father is? He would never allow this!” A soft chuckle came from the doorway. The Lord Chancellor, Alistair, stepped inside. “Still so cunning, Lady Seraphina. What new tale are you spinning to deceive us? It doesn’t matter who the father is. Having a mother like you is his greatest sin.” Alistair was my third target.

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In the fifth year of my overseas venture, I made a last-minute decision to fly home. The plane had barely touched down when a friend dragged me to a high-end auction, before I even had the chance to call my family. In the center of the glittering hall, a massive screen was playing a short video of my younger sister on a loop. Her fiancé, Leo Vance, had his arm wrapped around a simpering woman, his gaze dripping with condescension as he looked down at my sister. His voice was a blade of mockery. “Jasmine just broke a little hairpin of yours, and you have the audacity to demand a king’s ransom for it?” “Since you’re so ‘rich’,” he sneered, “why don’t you make a scorched earth bid on all thirty-six of these videos… unless you want them to go viral.” My sister Chloe’s face was ashen. Her hands were clenched so tight her knuckles were white, but she stubbornly kept her lips sealed. I sat in the VIP suite, my face a mask of stone, saying nothing. Hah. I’ve been gone for five years, and someone already has the nerve to target a member of the Smith family? … My assistant didn’t dare breathe. “I’ll get the owner of the auction house in here right now. He’ll apologize to you personally.” “No need,” I said, my expression unchanging. “Let them play their little game for a while longer.” To challenge me on my own turf? The auction house, along with every single person who participated tonight—none of them would be getting away clean. Outside the suite, a pack of men were pointing and snickering at the screen. “I always thought the Shen family’s daughter was such an innocent little thing. Who knew she was such a freak in bed? Just look at that expression… even the thumbnail is getting me going.” “Leo, you lucky bastard. You’ve had your way with that incredible body.” Chloe’s whole body trembled as she stared at Leo, her face deathly pale. Leo arched a brow. “Whoever wins the bid gets a free set of high-res photos.” “That’s our Leo! Always generous!” A cheer went up from the crowd, the men’s eyes burning with a feral heat. Tears streamed down Chloe’s face. “Leo, how could you do this to me?” “Oh? Is this too much for you?” he taunted. “Aren’t you loaded? Demanding two million for a hairpin? You must have more money than you know what to do with.” He gestured to the screen. “Look, thirty-six of them. You can bid to your heart’s content.” The woman beside him, Jasmine, giggled behind her hand. “Oh dear. A scorched earth bid costs ten million dollars, you know. Sister, I hear you’ve been picking through leftovers in the cafeteria. Do you have that kind of money?” She leaned into him. “And don’t even think about using Dad’s money. He only spends it on me. There’s nothing left for you or that bitch of a mother of yours.” “I wonder if my dear sister has any hidden savings to make a bid?” My brow furrowed. Since when did my sister, Chloe Shen, have to resort to eating scraps? I looked closer. The custom-designed gown I’d gifted Chloe was now on Jasmine’s body. Even her jewelry adorned Jasmine’s head. Meanwhile, my sister was wearing a pair of washed-out jeans, the cuffs frayed, clearly a cheap piece of fast fashion. She was gripping the hem of her shirt so tightly her nails were digging into her palms, her pale face etched with humiliation. Clearly, the woman’s words were true. What in the world had happened? Forget the fact that the Shen family had its own wealth; my maternal grandfather was the head of the Smith family, a name that commanded respect throughout the capital. How could Chloe have fallen so low? I motioned to my assistant, who immediately left to investigate. For the past five years, I had poured everything into my business, with little contact back home. I’d get calls from Mom and Chloe now and then, but over the last six months, they had become less and less frequent. Recently, they had stopped altogether. Worried, I had flown back unannounced. Tears finally broke free, and Chloe confronted Leo, her voice choked with anguish. “Why? I’m your fiancée! These moments… they were private, between lovers. How could you put them up for auction?” Leo didn’t even look at her. He picked up the microphone. “Bid or don’t. Stop wasting my time with your whining.” “If you’re not going to bid, then get out. My friends here are getting impatient.” Chloe looked around the room. Every person here was a multi-millionaire. How could she possibly compete with them in her current state? Her face was a canvas of despair. The sheer weight of the shame made her lower her head, desperate to flee, but a group of men blocked her path. “Well, well. You’re already putting yourself on the market, but you still know how to blush?” “Don’t go, Miss Shen. If Leo won’t bid for you, I will. Just one night with me, and I’ll buy one for you.” “Shut up!” Leo barked, silencing them. Then, he turned to Chloe, his voice casual. “If you get on your knees and apologize to Jasmine right now, I might consider taking one of the videos down.” “You…” Chloe was so furious she couldn’t speak. “My, look at the expression on her face. She doesn’t seem very willing, does she?” Jasmine purred, pressing herself against Leo. “Clearly, she thinks one man… isn’t enough for her.” Leo’s face turned to iron. Chloe bit her lip so hard I thought it would bleed. Under the weight of a hundred mocking stares, she slowly returned to her seat. “Fine,” she said, her voice trembling but unnervingly clear. “I’ll bid.” Leo stared at my sister’s ramrod-straight back, a flicker of surprise on his face. I was a little surprised, too. In the suite, I was flipping through the information my assistant had just sent over. It was true. Chloe was penniless, working eight part-time jobs just to survive. Looking at her, thin as a wraith, I had no idea how she planned to compete. On the grand screen, a high-definition video of my sister played. It showed her from every angle, cutting away at the most intimate moments, leaving every man in the room hot and bothered. “The first set,” the auctioneer announced, his eyes sweeping the room. “Starting bid, five hundred thousand.” A murmur went through the crowd. “Leo, you’re too good to us! Afraid we couldn’t afford it?” “So cheap? I’ll take ten.” The auctioneer raised a hand to quiet the room. “As this is the first set, it comes with a special audio commentary.” With that, a synthesized, sultry version of Chloe’s own voice filled the hall, narrating the actions in the video, describing her feelings, punctuated by moans of manufactured pleasure that weren’t in the original footage. “Incredible! Only a high-society girl could sound so refined even when she’s begging for it!” “That sound alone is enough to get me hard!” “One million!” … The room erupted. Bids flew back and forth. Chloe shot to her feet, her eyes blazing red as she glared at Leo. But he remained as still as a statue, the cold smirk on his lips a stark contrast to the frenzied hall. Yet the moment Jasmine moved closer, he was a different person, his touch gentle as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Five million!” “Seven million!” “Scorched earth!” Chloe’s trembling voice cut through the noise. Everyone turned to stare at her. “Sister, a scorched earth bid is fifty million. Do you have the money? Have you been verified?” Jasmine’s light, airy question prompted the auction house staff to approach Chloe. “Miss, we have no record of you being financially verified. If you cannot cover your bid, you will be forcibly removed and will face legal consequences.” My heart tightened. I was about to intervene. But Chloe reached up, removed a locket from her neck, and placed it on the staff member’s tray. “Use this for verification.” Jasmine scoffed. “A cheap trinket from a street stall, and you want to use it to cover a fifty-million-dollar bid? You’re going to make me die of laughter!” But before she could finish, the verification result came back. “Congratulations, Miss Shen. Your scorched earth bid is successful!” “What? That piece of junk is worth fifty million?!” Jasmine shrieked. Even Leo, who had been lounging lazily, sat bolt upright. I understood instantly. That locket was a Smith family heirloom. My sister and I each had one. They were worth over a hundred million. She wouldn’t have brought it out unless she had no other choice. And now, a locket worth a fortune had only been valued at fifty million… I shot a cold glance at the auction house owner, who was standing before me, bowing respectfully and wiping sweat from his forehead. The auction continued outside, the atmosphere even more feverish than before. “She actually did it.” “What a shame. I wonder if the next ones have audio commentary. I love the sound of her voice.” As if on cue, the narration for the second video began to play, full of feigned emotion. “Set number two! Starting bid, still five hundred thousand!” The room exploded again. “Yes! If every set comes with that soundtrack, I’ll buy them all. Listen to them every night before I sleep.” “You’d be going at it seven times a night! Hahaha!” One shameless man reached out to touch Chloe’s face. “Come on, make a sound for me right now, and I’ll bid on one for you. We can watch it together tonight, just the two of us. I promise I’ll satisfy you in ways you’ve never dreamed of.” “Shameless!” Chloe slapped his hand away. Enraged, the man moved to shove her, but Leo stopped him. “Don’t cause trouble here. This is Smith territory, are you trying to get yourself killed? Once you’re outside, you can do whatever you want.” “Hmph! Acting all pure. Just another whore for sale. Twenty million!” “Thirty million!” “Thirty-three million!” The color drained from my sister’s face. Her eyes, usually so full of laughter, were now pools of despair. But she gritted her teeth and cried out, “Scorched… earth!” The auctioneer looked troubled. “Miss Shen, the collateral you provided was only valued at fifty million. If you wish to make another scorched earth bid, you will need to be re-verified.” Chloe looked lost. She turned to Leo. He was her fiancé, yet he was letting her most private moments be exposed to the world. But Leo just smirked, his face a mask of contempt. “Don’t look at me. I’m not getting involved. Do as you please.” The last glimmer of hope died in Chloe’s eyes. She lowered her head, and a sob escaped her lips. Just then, Jasmine spoke up. “Sister is crying. I suppose I’ll make the bid for her this time.” “After all, she is my father’s daughter. Even if she won’t acknowledge me as her sister, I can’t be as heartless as she is!” I frowned. Since when did my father have another daughter? My assistant leaned in. “Mr. Shen brought her home two years ago, a student from a poor family, supposedly as a companion for Miss Chloe. Six months ago, Mr. Shen held a banquet and announced that Jasmine was his biological daughter, lost at birth.” I almost laughed. Good for you, Edward Shen. Getting up to these tricks at your age. You must have a death wish. But first, I had to get my sister out of this mess. Leo’s eyes on Jasmine were full of admiration, a complete reversal of the cold indifference he’d shown Chloe. “You’re pathetic!” Chloe shot back. “What do you think you are? The master of the house throws you a few scraps, and you start thinking you’re a lady?” “Chloe Shen!” Leo’s voice was ice. “Shut your mouth! I’ve been too lenient with you! Apologize to Jasmine now!” Chloe threw him a look as cold as frost and turned to the auctioneer. “I’ll be verified!” She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a small, folded charm, placing it on the tray. Jasmine shot it a disdainful look and blocked the staff member with her foot. She pinched the yellowed paper between two elegant fingers as if it were something filthy and tossed it aside. “Hah. Some piece of trash you picked out of a dumpster, and you want to use it for verification?” The paper fluttered to the ground. She nonchalantly ground it under her leather high heel. “No, please!” Chloe cried out, throwing herself forward and grabbing the hem of Jasmine’s dress. “That’s… that’s the last thing I have…” Jasmine looked down at her, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “Oh? Is that so? Then this will be a good lesson for you. This is what happens when you cross me.” She gracefully lifted her foot, ready to stomp down. “Stop!” A manager rushed over, blocking Jasmine’s foot before it could land. “Collateral placed on the tray cannot be damaged before verification. Otherwise, you will be ejected from the premises and held liable for compensation!” “It’s just a piece of paper. I can afford to pay for it!” The manager was experienced. He deftly snatched the charm from the floor and placed it back on the tray. “Miss, please follow the rules.” Leo patted Jasmine’s arm to soothe her, and she reluctantly backed down. Before the crowd’s laughter had died down, the auctioneer’s voice rang out. “Verification successful!” “Congratulations, Miss Shen. Your scorched earth bid is successful!” The room was in an uproar. “It’s just a piece of paper, how could it pass verification?” “What is this, a game? Someone from the auction house better explain this!” The manager strode onto the stage. An image of the charm appeared on the big screen. “After authentication, this charm was personally scribed and blessed by the Abbott of the secluded monastery of St. Giles. It is priceless. Conservatively, its value is estimated at eighty million.” “As per auction house rules, this item can cover the cost of one scorched earth bid!” He was right. That charm… I had personally journeyed to that monastery when Chloe was eight and burning with a fever, praying at every step, to acquire it for her. Seeing this, my knuckles turned white around my teacup. Leo Vance, you’ve gone too far. “Don’t be angry, Jasmine. Watch me put her back in her place,” one of Leo’s cronies said, trying to comfort the fuming Jasmine. “Yeah, Jasmine, that was only the second set. There are thirty-four more. Let’s see what else she can pull out!” “Hey, little beauty, got any more money? Or are you going to have to strip to raise the funds?” The gazes of the crowd fell on Chloe, heavy and tangible. Some shook their heads in pity, others hid smirks behind their hands. “A desperate struggle.” “The next one is mine!” Chloe’s face was as white as paper. She truly had nothing left. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally lowered her proud head. “Leo… please, stop the auction…” Her voice was a whisper, lost in the roar of the crowd, but Leo heard it. He looked up at her, a flicker of emotion on his face. Jasmine saw it and immediately pouted. “Sister, you’re so good at playing the victim!” “Weren’t you just working eight jobs a day? Eating leftovers?” “And yet, you’ve already spent over a hundred million. No wonder you wanted two million from me for a simple hairpin!” The trace of pity on Leo’s face vanished. He shot Chloe a disgusted look and went back to watching the show as if he’d heard nothing. Seeing his complete indifference, Chloe finally broke. Unable to bear the jeers any longer, she turned and fled. I gave a single look, and my assistant followed her out. Just when everyone thought she was gone for good, Chloe returned. Leo’s friends, not satisfied, shouted at her. “You have money? What are you doing back here?” “If you’re broke, get out! We played along for Leo’s sake, but now you’re just shameless, refusing to leave!” Even the auctioneer frowned. “Security! Clear the floor!” This time, Chloe slapped a black card onto the tray. “Verify this. I’m buying out all the remaining videos.” The entire hall went into a frenzy. Jasmine shrieked, “Are you insane? You could sell yourself and you wouldn’t be worth that much!” The auctioneer’s voice was cold. “Miss Shen, you must be certain this card is valid. Otherwise, you know the rules of this auction house. Not only will you be liable for financial damages, you could also face criminal charges.” “I’m aware. Please proceed.” All eyes were glued to the screen. Even Leo, previously so nonchalant, now had a grave expression on his face. The card was swiped. A collective gasp swept through the hall. “That’s… impossible!” Leo shot to his feet, his knuckles white. The entire venue felt as if it had been struck by lightning. “What the hell!”

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The night I first told Doreen I loved her, she wept uncontrollably. She said she had seen the future, and she wanted to make a pact with me. When I asked her why, she only said, “I can’t remember the details, only that my future self is filled with a terrible, soul-crushing regret. Noah, promise me. No matter what happens, you’ll give me three chances. Please.” Deeply in love, of course, I agreed without a second thought. But in the years that followed, as she and her male assistant became inseparable, joined at the hip, she seemed to forget all about it. Only now do I understand why she made me promise. Because the moment my pen touched the divorce papers, I heard a familiar voice. It was the voice of the nineteen-year-old Doreen. She was crying. “Noah, you promised me, didn’t you? You promised you would give me three chances.” 1 “Mr. Bond, a man as magnanimous as you will surely step aside and let Doreen and me be happy together, won’t you?” The message on my phone was from Finn, Doreen’s assistant. Below the text was a gallery of photos and videos. A passionate embrace under the Eiffel Tower. Whispering sweet nothings before the masterworks of the Louvre. And then, them, completely naked on the white sands of the Maldives. There were even photos of them in the throes of passion against a floor-to-ceiling window, the city lights a glittering backdrop to their betrayal. It was only then that I truly understood. The Doreen I knew was gone. We had met when we had nothing. For the sake of her acting career, I worked from dawn till dusk, pouring every cent I earned into her auditions, into networking for her, into her dream. For seven years, I was so exhausted I’d fall asleep on the subway home. I drank so much at business dinners that I ended up with a bleeding ulcer. All of it to build a company from scratch, to build a foundation for her. And Doreen had finally made it. She was a superstar, adored by millions. But all the things we had once dreamed of doing together, she chose to do with her little assistant instead. I didn’t hesitate any longer. I drew up the divorce papers. Just as my pen was about to sign my name, a voice, sudden and ethereal, whispered in my ear. “Noah, don’t. You promised me three chances, didn’t you?” The familiar sound struck me like a bolt of lightning. I trembled, turning my head. There she was—the nineteen-year-old Doreen, standing before me, her form translucent, ethereal. She was wearing the simple three-hundred-dollar dress I’d bought for her with money from a part-time job I’d squeezed in between my other work. In that dress, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I stared at the ghost of the girl I fell in love with, and a slow, bitter smile spread across my face. “Alright. Three chances it is.” Just then, my phone rang again. “Noah Bond! I’ve told you a thousand times, stop bullying Finn! He’s just my assistant, and he’s exhausted from traveling the world with me!” The voice on the other end was the current, twenty-seven-year-old Doreen. I put her on speaker, and her angry words filled the room. “If you cause any more trouble, that trip to the beach I promised you is off!” I glanced at the nineteen-year-old Doreen beside me. A gentle smile touched my lips, which only made her spectral face contort with anger. “How can she talk to you like that! How dare she!” The younger her was shaking with rage. The older her was cold as ice. “Feeling bold, are we, Noah? You have a woman with you now? Get yourself to the Aether Tower in the next thirty minutes, or else…” The nineteen-year-old Doreen abruptly hung up the phone for her. I just said, my voice soft, “That’s the first chance, Doreen.” I wasn’t sure if I was saying it to her, or to myself. It took me forty minutes to get to the Aether Tower. The traffic around the skyscraper, the monument to her success, was gridlocked. When I finally reached her penthouse office and pushed open the door, her voice snapped at me instantly. “Noah, I warned you. Be here in thirty minutes. And now…” “Yes.” I cut her off, my voice flat, and casually sat down on the sofa. Her assistant, Finn, was also in the office. His head was bowed, his eyes were red, and he was clutching his left wrist. My indifferent attitude seemed to provoke Doreen further. She slammed her hand on the desk. “Noah, what is this attitude? Are you still refusing to admit you were wrong?” Before I could speak, Finn did. “It’s okay, Doreen. It was just a watch. It’s not Noah’s fault.” His words only made her angrier. She suppressed her fury, turning to him with a gentle, soothing voice. “What do you mean it’s not his fault? He’s so petty he’d steal the birthday present I gave you. Don’t worry, I won’t take his side.” She whipped her head back to me, her tone turning sharp as a razor. “Noah, I’m giving you one last chance. Give the watch back to Finn.” This had happened countless times. Finn would frame me, and no matter how I explained, it was useless. The Doreen who had once trusted me unconditionally now only suspected me unconditionally. I was done arguing. I stood up, unclasped the worn watch from my wrist, and tossed it lightly at Finn’s feet. The act made both Doreens—the past and the present—speak at once. The nineteen-year-old cried, “Noah, I’m begging you, please… don’t do this.” But the twenty-seven-year-old’s eyes were bloodshot, her rage finally boiling over. “Noah! Have I been too good to you?!” 2 The watch lying at her feet was the only one I owned. She had given it to me after she landed her first real role. It was just a supporting part, but we had been ecstatic for weeks. After filming wrapped, she used her meager salary to buy me that two-thousand-dollar watch. I never wore another one after that day. I still remember how she placed it in my hand, her own hand trembling, her eyes red with what felt like guilt for not being able to give me more. “Noah,” she had whispered, “this is all I have right now. When I make it big, I swear I’ll buy you the one you’ve always wanted.” And she did buy that watch eventually. She just didn’t give it to me. She gave it to Finn. I turned to leave, too tired for this. “You—!” the older Doreen sputtered, speechless with rage. Finn, however, was quick to console her. “Doreen, calm down. Maybe the birthday present you gave me was really important to Noah. If that’s the case, then it was my fault. It’s only natural he’d send someone to take it back. Don’t blame him. I’ll be fine.” His voice dropped. “Besides, no one’s ever celebrated my birthday with me before. Just having you there was enough. The gift doesn’t matter.” His words calmed Doreen’s ragged breathing. She managed to give me a slightly less hostile look. “Noah, give Finn back his watch. I’ll buy you a better one later.” “No, thank you. The one on the floor, and any you might buy in the future… I don’t want them.” With those cold words, I strode out of the office. But the nineteen-year-old Doreen rushed up and clung to my arm. “Noah, Noah, don’t… can we get the watch back? Please? I gave that to you.” Her eyes were red, but her tone was hesitant, as if she were afraid of making me angry. I looked at her fresh, beautiful face, and my heart softened. “Alright. But this is the second chance. Are you sure you want to use it?” She nodded without a moment’s hesitation. I gently stroked her hair and turned back from the elevator. I pushed the office door open again, only to find a scene that made the nineteen-year-old Doreen’s spirit rage. Finn had Doreen in his arms, whispering intimately in her ear. They sprang apart the moment I entered. “Noah, when did you become so rude? Don’t you know to knock before entering someone’s office?” I shot her a cool glance and walked straight toward them, bending down to retrieve the watch. But Finn subtly stepped on the watchband, pinning it to the floor. I had no choice but to stand up again. Finn looked at me, his eyes downcast. “Noah, I was just comforting Doreen because she was so upset. Please don’t be angry.” Seeing Finn play the victim again, the older Doreen couldn’t hold back. “Noah, look at yourself. What have you become? Finn is so understanding, yet you torment him again and again. Apologize to him.” I ignored her, my eyes locked on Finn, my own anger barely contained. “Could you please move?” He pretended not to hear. “Noah, I really didn’t mean anything by it.” Doreen grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at her. “Apologize to Finn.” I looked at her furious face, then turned my head slightly to look at the ghost beside me. She was frozen, silent tears streaming down her face. My heart ached for her. The anger inside me dissipated. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. 3 “Oh, Noah, you don’t have to do that, really.” Finn took a cautious step back, but I saw the flicker of a triumphant smile on his lips. I ignored whatever else Doreen was saying, bent down, picked up the battered watch, and left the office. On the way out of the Aether Tower, the nineteen-year-old Doreen was sobbing, apologizing to me over and over. I stroked her head. “It’s okay, Doreen. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I looked at her lovely face and asked gently, “Do you know what tomorrow is?” She looked at me blankly, then glanced at the date on the car’s display. A blush crept up her cheeks, and her expression turned to one of excitement. “It’s the day you’re going to propose to me.” Yes. Six years ago, on our first anniversary, I had made her a promise. Whether we were rich or poor, on Valentine’s Day six years from then, I would propose to her on the beach. “That’s my girl. So, will you come with me tomorrow?” My voice was gentle. Her nineteen-year-old eyes were filled with stars as she looked at me. Then, as if she’d made a momentous decision, she told me a secret. “Noah, do you know why I know about the future?” “The night you told me you loved me, I made a wish on a shooting star. I wished to see our future. But I wasn’t allowed to remember it… until midnight tomorrow. Then, I’ll remember everything I saw.” A single tear rolled down her spectral cheek. “So tomorrow night… she will regret it.” But none of us could have predicted how it would play out. The twenty-seven-year-old Doreen did appear on the beach. She just wasn’t there for our date. “Noah, you’ve been spying on me? You followed me all the way here? Fine. You’re really something else!” The beach where I had planned to propose was now covered in roses, with elaborate fireworks set up behind them. And in the center of it all stood the twenty-seven-year-old Doreen, her hand still firmly clasped in Finn’s, even as she looked at me. “The three chances are used up, Doreen,” I murmured. Beside me, the nineteen-year-old Doreen grabbed my arm, her voice desperate. “Noah, Noah, don’t. Maybe she prepared this for you. Let’s just go see, please?” Her voice was almost a beg. But the older Doreen’s voice was like ice. “Noah, get over here!” I gave my ghostly companion a gentle look, then walked toward them. “Noah! What more do you want?” Doreen snapped the moment I was close. “You stole Finn’s watch, and I let it go. Now I’m trying to make it up to him with a fireworks display, and you want to ruin this too?” I shrugged. “Not at all. I’m here to enjoy the fireworks. If you don’t mind, I’ll just take a seat.” My casual demeanor seemed to stun her into silence. I paid her no more mind, taking the sobbing nineteen-year-old Doreen by the hand and leading her to a spot on the sand. I tried to comfort her, but her tears wouldn’t stop. Seeing that I wasn’t going to cause a scene, the older Doreen relaxed. She and Finn began to openly embrace, whispering and laughing together, completely ignoring me. I felt nothing. I just held the nineteen-year-old Doreen’s cold, small hand. As the hours passed and night deepened, just as Valentine’s Day was about to end, the fireworks shot into the sky. Beneath the explosions of light and color, I took the ring I had prepared from my pocket. I knelt on one knee before the nineteen-year-old Doreen and said softly, “Doreen, will you marry me?” She covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. “You… you still want to marry me?” “Of course. I will always love the you that is here right now.” I looked into her eyes, sincere and devoted. The starlight in them was the love of my life. After a long moment, she nodded emphatically and held out her left hand. “Noah, I do. I do.” I smiled, my heart full, and gently took her hand. But just as I was about to slip the ring onto her finger, the clock struck midnight. The nineteen-year-old Doreen dissolved into motes of starlight, vanishing completely before my eyes. The tears I had been holding back finally fell. “Goodbye, my love.” At that moment, a man’s voice, sharp and unwelcome, spoke from behind me. “Doreen, look at him. Poor Noah looks so pathetic, all alone. Who is he even proposing to? I guess I’m the lucky one, having you by my side.” I turned. At some point, Finn had led Doreen to stand behind me. From an angle she couldn’t see, his face was a mask of pure mockery. But Doreen… Doreen was weeping, her face awash with tears.

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The day of my wedding to Julian Astor, his adopted sister decided to throw herself from a rooftop. For her, Julian left me standing at the altar in my wedding dress, fleeing without a second thought. Facing a hall full of mocking eyes, I made a public proposal. “Whoever walks up this aisle and marries me today, I will be your wife!” Three years later, Julian returned to the Astor estate with his precious adopted sister in tow. I was lounging on a leather sofa, sipping bird’s nest soup and watching a TV drama. Julian’s eyes locked onto my swollen belly, and he gritted his teeth. “Whose bastard are you carrying?” I took another delicate sip of my soup and smiled sweetly. “The baby in my belly is an Astor, of course.” … Julian stormed over, his face a mask of fury, and yanked me from the sofa. “You bitch! I left with Iris on our wedding day. I haven’t been back in three years. How could you possibly be carrying my child?” I found it amusing. I never said it was his. He wasn’t the only man in the Astor family. “Of course, the child in my belly isn’t yours,” I said coolly. “You’re not worthy of being my child’s father.” Iris’s face was a picture of shock. “Eliza, even though Julian left you at the altar, he let you keep the title of Mrs. Astor. He let you enjoy the wealth and luxury of this family. How could you be so shameless as to get pregnant with a bastard?” My gaze flickered to her. “Iris, you’re the adopted daughter of the Astor family, yet you openly seduce your own brother. When it comes to shamelessness, who could possibly compete with you two?” Iris immediately turned to Julian, her voice thick with hurt. “Julian, for the past three years, we’ve been so careful, our relationship so pure. But she… she’s already carrying a bastard. She’s cheated on you.” The word “cheated” sent Julian into a rage. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. “You bitch! You get pregnant with some bastard and dare to throw dirt on me and Iris? Get out of this house!” Pain exploded in my cheek, my head ringing from the blow. Three years ago, when Julian ran off with Iris, leaving me to be ridiculed at my own wedding, I made a desperate choice. In a fit of anger, I offered myself to any man who would marry me on the spot. It was Julian’s uncle, Vincent Astor, who walked up that aisle. In this city, Vincent was known as the “Ice King,” a man feared and respected by all. Since marrying him, everyone I met treated me with fawning respect. After I became pregnant, Vincent doted on me, treating me as if I were made of glass. He wouldn’t let a single hair on my head be harmed. For Julian to dare to lay a hand on me today… if Vincent found out, there would be blood. To prevent a family tragedy, and as a prayer for my unborn child, I said coldly, “If you two get out right now, I’ll pretend this never happened.” But they were having none of it. Iris grabbed a fistful of my hair. “Julian, she’s just bluffing! She wants to kick us out so she can use that bastard in her belly to take over the Astor fortune.” Julian snarled, “You bitch, so that was your plan. I won’t let you succeed.” I twisted free from Iris’s grip, my face hard. “The day you two ran away, Grandfather Astor removed you from the family registry. The Astor fortune has nothing to do with you anymore.” Iris laughed. “That was just something the old man said in a fit of anger. Julian is the only grandson. He would never truly disown him.” Julian looked smug. “Grandfather has always said that everything the Astors own will be mine.” I cradled my belly, my voice like steel. “Not anymore. The child in my belly is also an Astor heir.” I thought I had made myself clear enough. But Julian only glared at me with renewed fury. “You bitch, so you really are trying to pass off a bastard as an Astor heir. I’m going to teach you a lesson today!” He slapped me again, harder this time. I clutched my stomach as I fell to the floor. Seeing the feral look on their faces, a wave of fear washed over me. I was terrified they would hurt my baby. “The child isn’t a bastard,” I cried out. “He’s…” Before I could finish, Julian knelt down, scooped up the spilled bird’s nest soup, and shoved it, along with the shattered porcelain shards, into my mouth. “For three years, Iris and I have been roughing it, while you’ve been living in luxury, cheating and swindling this family with that bastard in your belly!” “Today, I’m going to let you have your fill!” I choked, unable to speak. The sharp fragments cut my mouth, and blood filled my throat. I tried to push him away, but Iris’s stiletto heel ground into the back of my hand. The pain was excruciating, but I couldn’t even scream. After forcing all the soup into my mouth, Julian spat on me, then stood up, dusting off his hands. Iris moved her sharp-heeled shoe until it hovered over my swollen abdomen. Panic seized me. I grabbed her ankle with both hands, desperate to stop her from pressing down. Vincent was sterile. This child was a miracle, the result of three years of seeing specialists all over the world. A mocking smile played on Iris’s lips. “Eliza, you look like a bitch protecting her pup right now. It’s pathetic.” Julian frowned at my belly. “If word gets out that I was cheated on, how can I ever show my face in this city again? Iris, crush the bastard in her womb!” I shook my head wildly, spitting out a mouthful of soup and blood. “The baby… the baby is… Vincent’s…” I gasped. Julian froze, then burst into manic laughter. “Eliza, you don’t even bother to craft a good lie! Everyone in this city knows my uncle has no interest in women. He’s sterile.” “Right now, I am the only one who can continue the Astor line. Why else do you think my grandfather was in such a hurry for me to marry you and produce an heir?” Iris chimed in, “Julian is the sole heir. Grandfather even cut off his cards to force him to come back and take over the family business.” “You pathetic bitch,” she sneered. “Caught in your lie, and you dare to try and pin this on his uncle?” Julian and Iris had been gone for three years without a single call home. Grandfather Astor was truly disappointed in him and had cut him off, intending to sever all ties. But seeing how irrational they were now, I knew better than to argue. “I’m not lying,” I pleaded again. “The baby is really Vincent’s. If you don’t believe me, I can call him and you can ask him yourself.” I reached for my phone on the table, one hand still protecting my belly. If I could just contact Vincent, he would come for me. He would save us. But as soon as my fingers touched the phone, Julian snatched it and smashed it on the floor. The screen shattered. My heart sank. He grabbed my chin. “My uncle is a volatile man. He’s the Ice King everyone in this city fears. If he finds out I can’t even handle a small matter like my own wife cheating on me, he’ll think I’m useless. He won’t give me the company.” “Is that why you wanted to call him, Eliza?” I shook my head frantically. “No, I’m carrying…” Before I could finish, Iris’s heel pressed down hard on my stomach. “Julian, why are you wasting your breath on this slut? Let’s just get rid of the bastard and go to Grandfather for our reward.” A violent pain ripped through my abdomen. I could feel the baby thrashing inside me, a desperate, frantic movement. A terror I had never known flooded me. “Please,” I begged them, “let my baby go…” Iris pulled out her phone and pointed it at me. “Get on your knees and bark like a dog. Say you’re a filthy slut, and I’ll spare your bastard.” For my child, I cast aside all pride. I crawled to my knees. “Woof, woof,” I whimpered, my voice trembling. “I’m a filthy slut.” Iris leaned down, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Eliza, when I knelt before you and begged you not to marry Julian, did you ever imagine this day would come?” Back then, Iris had come to me, telling me she and Julian were in love, begging me to call off the wedding. The marriage between the Astor and Shen families was a union decided by our parents, a web of business alliances. If I had broken the engagement, the blame and the fallout would have been on my family. I had refused. I never thought she would hold that grudge until today. I had no energy to rehash the past. “Please,” I begged, “call an ambulance.” Julian kicked me hard in the back. “You really are a bitch, Eliza! You’d do anything for that bastard!” I fell forward, my belly slamming against the hard floor. A fire spread across my abdomen. “You said… you said you’d spare my child…” Iris’s tone was dismissive. “I said I would spare your child. Julian didn’t say anything.” “You bitch, you used a bastard to impersonate me and swindle the Astor family. You think I’d let you get away with it? Not a chance!” Julian kicked me again, this time directly in the stomach. A sharp cramp seized me, and a gush of red blood flowed from between my legs. I felt the frantic movements in my womb slow, then stop. Despair washed over me. I looked at them, my eyes filled with a searing hatred. “Julian Astor, Iris Thorne, you will regret this!” Iris stood beside him, her gaze venomous. “Julian, this bitch still hasn’t learned her lesson. It seems she needs more convincing.” Julian sneered. “Let’s see who makes who regret what. Iris, get a rope.” Iris immediately understood. She found a rope in the living room and walked towards me. I scrambled backward, dragging my bleeding body across the floor. “What are you doing?” I cried, my eyes wide with terror. Their excited faces were my only answer. They tied my hands and feet together, then dragged me out of the house, leaving a long, bloody smear on the floor. They pulled me to the edge of the swimming pool. Julian kicked me in, and with my limbs bound, I sank helplessly to the bottom. The water filled my nose and mouth. The agony of suffocation washed over me. Just as I thought I was about to die, Julian pulled on the rope, yanking me from the water. “Eliza, have you learned your lesson? Will you dare to cheat on me again?” I gasped for air, a new wave of pain seizing my abdomen. I had taken prenatal classes with Vincent. I knew what this was. I was going into premature labor. Even though I knew the chances of my baby surviving were slim, I couldn’t give up. “I was wrong,” I pleaded. “I’ll never do it again. Please, spare me and my child. I’m in labor, please, call an ambulance…” Julian spat at me. “You bitch, still thinking about that bastard. I see you have no remorse at all!” “There is no way I’m letting that bastard leave this house alive today!” He raised his foot to kick me back into the pool. I closed my eyes in despair, bracing for the water, for the end.

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To cure the “false heir’s” depression, my fiancée, Wendy Reed, who had sworn she would marry no one but me, secretly went and got a marriage license with him. In turn, I agreed to the arranged marriage my family had prepared, wedding the high-society heiress Riva Thorne, who had been secretly in love with me for years. For seven years of marriage, she loved me to the bone, her touch a constant presence every night, clinging to me as if she had a desperate case of skin hunger. I thought I had finally found happiness. Until one night, after we’d made love, I overheard her talking to her best friend. “Jules is a global superstar now. When are you dumping Jack?” “It doesn’t matter. Being with someone I don’t love is the same no matter who it is. Besides, I have to keep an eye on Jack, make sure he doesn’t mess with the happiness Jules has worked so hard for.” I opened her laptop in her study. In a hidden folder were over a hundred thousand photos of Jules Carter, and a hundred unsent love letters. No matter how lost I had been, it was time to wake up. I ordered a life-sized mannequin and planned a fire. From this day forward, through heaven and hell, our paths would never cross again. 1 After successfully ordering the necessary props online, I shut down the screen. In just three more days, according to my plan, I would vanish from Riva’s world forever. I turned, and my eyes met hers, sparkling with a smile. She had aired out the scent of her perfume outside, waiting until her own body was warm before daring to wrap her arms around me from behind. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” The familiar warmth of her body, the embrace that had always been my greatest source of security, now sent a bitter ache through my heart. We had been married for seven years, and she loved me to the bone. Everyone in the elite circles knew that Riva Thorne, the great heiress, was utterly devoted to her husband. She told me it was love at first sight when we were children, that she had carried a torch for me for fourteen years. At our wedding, she had sworn her vows with tears in her eyes, saying that marrying me was like a dream come true. She knew my past. She used her family’s power to make life hell for the childhood sweetheart who had abandoned me, sabotaging Jules’s career to avenge me, claiming she hated anyone who had ever wronged me. Her performance was flawless. So flawless that even I, an award-winning actor, couldn’t see the cracks. A bitter memory surfaced. In the throes of passion, she always liked to call me “Jules.” Jules, Jules, Jules. I, like a fool, thought she was calling for me, Jack. Now I knew. From the very beginning, she had been calling for him. I lowered my head, secretly wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. She didn’t notice, continuing on her own. “Your… brother, won that big award. There’s an industry party tomorrow, but you should just stay home with me. I’m afraid seeing him will upset you.” I silently counted in my head. This was at least the hundredth time she had used an excuse like this to keep me from a social event. I used to think it was just her possessiveness, and I indulged her, even choosing to step back from my career at its peak. Now I knew the truth. It was all to clear the way for Jules. “I have a meeting with Director Lee tomorrow. He wants me to be the lead in his next film. I can’t miss it.” “It’s fine, we won’t go. I’ll smooth it over for you. Even if my husband never works another day in his life, I can support you.” But I had no desire for fame or fortune. I had once told her that starring in one of Director Lee’s films, earning the role on my own merit, was my lifelong dream. At the time, she had sworn she would support me in making that dream a reality. She hadn’t forgotten. It was just that Jules wanted the role, too. So my dream had to become his stepping stone. Seeing my prolonged silence, she coaxed, “Jack, darling, let’s not be difficult, alright? We can go to parties anytime. Isn’t the time we have together more precious?” “The day after tomorrow is our seven-year anniversary. I promise I’ll give you a surprise you’ll never forget, okay?” I forced a smile. “Of course. And I’ll have a great gift for you, too.” The seven-year itch, Riva. We’re not going to make it. From now on, you’ll be on your own. Just you. My gift to you… is letting you go. 2 In the middle of the night, after Riva had fallen asleep in my arms, I couldn’t stop myself from getting up and going to the study. Her own words, the photos, the love letters on her computer—it was enough to shatter any hope I had left. But our seven years together weren’t a lie. We had so many sweet memories. I couldn’t let it go. I walked to the small safe by her desk. It was like Pandora’s box, mysterious and dangerous. I had asked her a few times, during our moments of intimacy in this very room, what she kept inside that was so precious. But she would always change the subject, never telling me the combination, only challenging me to guess. I had tried my birthday, her birthday, our wedding anniversary—all wrong. Now, with a trembling hand, I typed in Jules’s birthday. For the first time, I prayed I was wrong. The safe clicked open. My heart plummeted. Inside lay a pair of matching rings. Engraved on the inner band were the initials S.T. & J.C. Riva Thorne & Jules Carter. The style was old, but the rings were pristine, clearly cherished and meticulously cared for by their owner. All the strength drained from my body. A sharp, gouging pain tore through my heart. No matter how foolish I had been, the reality was now unavoidable. Riva had never, not for a single moment, loved me. The next day, for the first time, I defied Riva’s wishes and decided to go to the party. Her expression darkened, but she didn’t try to stop me. She only insisted, “You can go, but my Jack is so handsome, you have to stay by my side. If that brother of yours tries to bully you, I can protect you right away.” She acted like a loyal puppy guarding its master. But I knew she was just afraid I would leave her sight and steal Jules’s thunder. I had no intention of doing so. I was about to fake my own death. I just wanted one last chance to see the directors and writers who had helped me in my career. When we arrived, all eyes were on me and Jules. “The lead in Director Lee’s next film has to be Jack Vance. He’s got Riva Thorne backing him, and everyone knows he’s a phenomenal actor.” Hearing this, Jules stormed over to the group. “What makes you so sure? That role is mine!” The crowd scoffed. “You still have less experience than Jack. Don’t get ahead of yourself.” “Yeah, so what if he’s married to Wendy Reed? We’re talking about the Thorne family here. It’s obvious who’s getting the resources.” “Right? You won one little award. A little humility would do you good.” Jules was practically hopping with rage. “You people! Just you wait, I’ll make you eat your words!” He shot me a venomous look. “Some people can enjoy their moment for now. We’ll see who’s humiliated later! Hmph!” He then shoved me, hard. I stumbled, my knee cracking against the corner of a table. The pain brought tears to my eyes. But Riva, who had promised to protect me, acted as if she had seen nothing, letting his actions slide. I lowered my gaze, trying to ignore the bitter sting in my heart. Suddenly, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed. It was time to announce the film’s true leading man. “Let’s give a big congratulations to Jules Carter!” “And a special thank you to the billion-dollar-box-office screenwriter, ‘Sylvie,’ for her support! She has generously waived her fee for this script and even invested three hundred million dollars, all to ensure that Jules could star in her new film. Because he is her one and only leading man, her muse!” Jules took the stage, grabbed the microphone, and looked down on the crowd, his voice dripping with scorn. “Jack Vance. After all these years, you still can’t win against me.” “Loser!” Jules stood in the spotlight, the center of everyone’s universe, shining and triumphant. I looked at Riva beside me. She was holding my hand, but her eyes were filled with unadulterated joy for him. My own eyes darkened. I laughed bitterly to myself. Yesterday, in her study, I had accidentally seen the manuscript by ‘Sylvie.’ The title page read: “To my one and only leading man, Jules.” Sylvie… was Riva. It was the love she could never speak aloud. Even though I had expected it, seeing it play out before my eyes still sent a dull, throbbing ache through my chest. Director Lee walked over to me, his voice a low comfort. “Don’t worry about it, kid. There will always be a place for you in my films.” I shook my head with a sad smile. “Thank you for your kindness, Director. But I’m afraid… there won’t be another chance.” 3 Riva, feigning ignorance, snuggled into my arms. “I’ll fund a few movies for you to play around with, how does that sound?” “I have a surprise for you tonight on the waterfront. Having my love is more important than any leading role.” I stretched my lips into a smile. Words that once sounded like honey now tasted like cloying, expired sugar. But to avoid suspicion, I forced myself to swallow them. “Okay.” After expressing my gratitude to Director Lee and the other industry veterans, I made to leave early. She dismissed the driver, planning to take me for a drive herself. But the second before she started the car, a message lit up her phone. I glanced over. I recognized the number. It was Jules. Her expression changed instantly. She looked at me, hesitant. “Jack, something urgent came up at the office. Would you mind going to the waterfront by yourself?” I froze for a second, then smiled. “It’s fine. You go take care of business.” She pressed a quick kiss to my lips and hurried back towards the banquet hall. I started the car, but not in the direction of the waterfront. I drove back to our villa. The rest of my time would be spent preparing for tomorrow. I gathered all the memories of my time with Riva. The digital ones, including the backups in the cloud, I permanently deleted. The physical ones, I prepared to burn. Suddenly, an anonymous text popped up on my phone. The first thing I saw was a photo of a drunk Riva, sleeping beside Jules. 【She has a sensitive stomach, but she still drank herself sick to protect me. You’re not mad at me, are you, brother?】 【The truth is, even though she publicly opposes me and steals my resources for you, she secretly compensates me a hundred times over. Do you know why?】 【Did you know Riva has been my little follower since we were kids? She’s always loved me. Marrying you was just to keep you in check!】 【You didn’t really think someone would just love you for no reason, did you?】 【She says every night, she has to imagine it’s me to even go through with it. She even said you’re just second-hand goods she didn’t want, that you didn’t even save your first time for her. Disgusting!】 The messages came in a relentless flood. My heart remained a placid lake. I just worked faster, packing my things. After moving the mannequin into the bedroom and ensuring it would burn completely, I doused the house in gasoline. I forwarded all of Jules’s texts to the most notorious paparazzi team in the entertainment industry, then snapped my SIM card in half and tossed it into the bushes. I pressed the ignition button and walked away, towards the distant horizon. The path ahead was dark, but that was fine. I knew I would eventually walk into the dawn. On the other side of town, Riva was completely oblivious. She looked down at Jules, her tone tinged with an unconscious reprimand. “What are you doing here? Tomorrow is my anniversary with Jack. This will make him suspicious.” Jules’s eyes reddened. “Are you blaming me?” Riva panicked. “No, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry, Jules.” He crossed his arms and let out a small huff, a grudging acceptance. A call from her head housekeeper came in. Riva frowned and silenced it. After this happened a dozen more times, she finally realized something was wrong. “What is it?” “Ma’am, it’s terrible! Sir… he… he set the house on fire and killed himself!” “We tried to fight the fire, but… there was nothing we could do.”

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The day of my wedding, my sister decided to fly home. Just like that. And just like that, my parents, my brother, and my fiancé all abandoned me—left me standing alone in my wedding dress—to go pick her up from the airport. While my sister, Luna, posted a beaming group photo to her Instagram story, bragging about how loved she was, my frantic calls went straight to voicemail, each one a silent scream into the void. The only person who answered was Caleb, my fiancé. He had one thing to say before hanging up: “Stop making a scene. We can always have another wedding.” They turned me into a clown at my own long-awaited ceremony, a spectacle of pity and ridicule for every guest to whisper about. I handled everything that followed with a calm I didn’t know I possessed. Then, I went home, opened my journal, and wrote down a new number: 99. It was the ninety-ninth time they had broken my heart. It would also be the last time I ever asked for their love. I’d already filled out my application for the research program abroad and packed my bags. They thought I’d finally learned to be quiet and obedient. They had no idea I was just getting ready to leave. … The door to my room was thrown open without a knock. My brother, Leo, strode in. He saw me staring blankly at my journal and let out a scoff. “Aren’t you a little old for that? Still writing in a diary like a schoolgirl?” Normally, I would’ve shot back a sarcastic reply. This time, I didn’t even look up. My silence seemed to irritate him. Leo ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then snatched the journal from my desk. He glanced at the open page. All it said was a single number: 99. The tally of their disappointments over the years. He couldn’t make sense of it. Frowning, he tossed the journal onto the floor. “Forget this nonsense. Luna’s craving your garlic butter shrimp scampi. Get downstairs and make it for her.” He added, “Consider it your apology for that snide little comment you left on her post today.” “Okay,” I said, my voice flat. I rose from my chair and headed for the door. Leo was clearly taken aback by my lack of protest. In the past, whenever they’d demanded I cook for Luna, I’d always put up a fight, crying as if I’d suffered the world’s greatest injustice. Why was I so quiet now? “What’s with you, Stella? Did you have a personality transplant? Or are you planning to put something in the food?” He eyed me suspiciously, trying to read the devious plot he imagined was brewing behind my eyes. His gaze fell to my slightly reddened, puffy eyelids. For a moment, he actually shut his mouth. After a long pause, he tried again, his voice softer. “Look, Luna’s been abroad for a whole year. It’s the first time she’s been back. We were just excited to see her. You should try to understand.” “It was just a wedding,” he added, as if that explained everything. “We can always throw another one for you later, can’t we?” I said nothing, pulling the shrimp from the refrigerator and beginning to rinse them under the cold tap. Just a wedding. Yes, of course. In their world, nothing could ever be more important than welcoming Luna home. Not even the wedding I had dreamed of for so long. The gown, a gorgeous couture piece, was one I’d saved for months to rent. The venue, the flowers, the music—I had spent over half a year meticulously planning every single detail with the wedding coordinator. They had seen it all. They’d watched my excitement build, day by day. And in the end, the people closest to me, my own family, were the ones who made me a laughingstock. The bride whose family was a no-show. The bride whose groom never appeared. While Luna was flaunting her airport welcome wagon on social media, I was facing a room full of mocking stares and pitying glances, cleaning up the mess of my shattered dream all by myself. Even the hotel staff, seeing my pale, tear-streaked face, had told me to go home and rest, their eyes full of sympathy. But the first thing my family did when they got home was to order me into the kitchen. A bitter, humorless smile touched my lips. I’d been planning to turn down my mentor’s offer for the prestigious research program abroad. With my parents getting older, Leo busy with his career, and my own wedding, it had seemed like the right thing to do. Now, I knew leaving was the only right decision. It was a shame the application took time to process. I still had two more weeks to endure. I pushed past Leo. “Excuse me. You’re in my way.” My coldness was like a punch landing on a pillow. He looked helpless. Just as he was about to say something else, the little princess in the living room called out to him. “Leo! I can’t get this chestnut open!” Instantly, his focus shifted. “Don’t even try, Luna! You’ll hurt your hands,” he called back, rushing to her side. “You’re going to be a concert pianist! Let me do it for you!” The buzzing fly had finally left the kitchen. I glanced down at my own hands. The fingers, once slender, were now red and swollen from an allergic reaction to the shellfish I was handling. After placing the platter of shrimp on the dining table, I took in the scene in the living room. The atmosphere was disgustingly cheerful. My father, a man perpetually “too busy” with his business, was now sitting attentively, listening to his youngest daughter’s tales of her adventures abroad. My mother held Luna in a tight embrace, her eyes filled with concern, cooing about how much weight she’d lost, how hard it must have been for her all alone out there. And Leo sat beside them, diligently peeling chestnuts for his darling sister. I stood there, a silent observer of this picture-perfect family moment. The dining room and the living room felt like two separate worlds, a stark line drawn between them. One thrummed with warmth and laughter; the other was steeped in cold, lonely silence. “Stella, why are you just hiding over there?” Luna’s voice, sickly sweet and laced with faux innocence, cut through the air. The three of them finally turned their attention to me. My father’s brow furrowed instinctively. “Who are you trying to scare with that long face? Get over here!” My mother’s face hardened with impatience. “This whole wedding fiasco is your own fault for picking a bad date. It has nothing to do with Luna.” Then, the ultimatum. “If you dare hold a grudge against your sister, don’t you ever call me ‘Mom’ again!” Luna pouted, leaning into Mom’s shoulder. “Oh, Mommy, don’t say that. You’ll make Stella sad.” But as she spoke, a gleam of triumph in her eyes betrayed her. I knew she was far from innocent. I had texted her the wedding date a full week in advance. She’d seen the message. She’d even replied, promising me a “surprise.” And what a surprise it was. This was her favorite game, a little drama she’d been directing since we were children: forcing our family to choose. I was never the one they chose. Not my parents. Not my brother. And now, not even the man who was supposed to spend the rest of his life with me. I should have been devastated. But maybe I was just numb. Hearing their words now, I felt nothing but a quiet emptiness. “I’m not angry.” The three words hung in the air. Every one of them stared at me, shocked. Not angry? How could that be possible? I watched their expressions, a deep, cutting irony settling in my chest. See? They knew what they did was wrong. They knew it was hurtful. Yet they did it anyway, and then had the audacity to blame me for my own pain. My sudden calm was more unsettling to them than any of my past hysterics. After a moment of tense silence, my father spoke. “Good. As long as you’re not angry. We’re family. Don’t be so petty.” “Yes, I know.” I nodded obediently. Seeing that I genuinely didn’t seem to be holding it against them, they visibly relaxed and drew Luna towards the dinner table. Besides the shrimp I’d made, the table was laden with a feast of seafood prepared by our housekeeper—all of Luna’s favorites. “You’re too thin, sweetie. You need to eat up,” Mom and Dad fussed, their chopsticks relentlessly piling food onto Luna’s plate until it was a small mountain. She just smiled, basking in the attention, and continued to boast about her studies abroad. She claimed she’d already secured a spot in a prestigious orchestra and would be performing soon. Mom, Dad, and Leo hung on her every word, showering her with praise. I just quietly ate my rice. My silence must have finally pricked at my mother’s conscience. She seemed to remember the grievance I’d suffered. A single shrimp was dropped into my bowl. I looked up. Her expression was awkward, forced. “There, eat. Don’t always think we favor Luna. See? I saved one for you.” I stared at the shrimp for a long moment, then set down my bowl. “No, thank you. I’m full.” Her face fell, a flash of anger in her eyes. “What is wrong with you, child?” Before she could continue her scolding, Luna, sitting beside her, suddenly clutched her throat, her face paling. “Mom… I… I can’t breathe!” In an instant, my parents and Leo were swarming around her. They saw the red welts breaking out on her skin and panic set in. “It’s an allergic reaction! How could this happen?” My mother’s frantic gaze swept the room and landed on me. The next second, a sharp crack echoed through the room as her hand connected with my cheek. The force sent me stumbling, and I fell to the floor, my head ringing. “Stella, what did you put in the food? Don’t you remember what your sister is allergic to?” Leo stared down at me, his face a mask of disgust. “I knew you were too quiet. You were plotting to hurt Luna all along! How could I have a sister as venomous as you?” “Enough! Stop yelling! Let’s get Luna to the hospital, now!” my father roared. Only then did my mother and brother tear their hateful glares away from me. The family rushed out, leaving me alone on the cold floor, one hand pressed to my throbbing, swollen cheek. I didn’t do it. The words were stuck in my throat. I wanted to scream them. But this scene had played out too many times before. I knew, with absolute certainty, that even if I said it, they wouldn’t believe me. So be it. The housekeeper, hearing the commotion, hurried in and tried to help me up. She gasped when she saw my hands. “Miss Stella, your hands! They’re so swollen!” “I’m fine,” I said, shrugging off her kindness. I pushed myself to my feet and walked back upstairs to my room. As I picked up the journal from the floor, a flood of memories washed over me. When I was eight, our family didn’t have much money. All five of us were crammed into a tiny, rundown house. My parents worked tirelessly, and with three kids to look after, they were stretched to their breaking point. They decided to send one of us to live with our grandparents in the country. Leo was about to start high school, a crucial time. Luna was too young and frail; they couldn’t bear to part with her. I didn’t want to see my parents so worried, so I raised my hand. I volunteered. Before I left, my mother stroked my hair and called me her most sensible, understanding child. What no one told me was that the price of being “sensible” was eight years of exile. For eight years, I only saw my parents, my brother, and my sister at Christmas. Year after year, I watched them in photographs, their clothes growing finer, their smiles wider. I knew our family’s fortune had changed. I waited and waited for them to bring me home. I waited until I went from a little girl to a teenager, until my beloved grandparents had both passed away. Only then did the car finally come for me. The tiny, shabby house of my memory was gone, replaced by a three-story villa. The room they gave me was on the first floor, tucked away in the darkest corner. It had none of the books and gaming consoles that filled Leo’s room, nor any of the whimsical, fairy-tale decorations in Luna’s. It was a perfect reflection of my place in this family: an afterthought, easily ignored. I packed the few belongings I had into my suitcase. The leave of absence I’d arranged with my mentor for the wedding was no longer needed. I was about to call him to say I’d be back in the lab tomorrow when my phone rang. It was Caleb. My fiancé. I assumed he was calling to discuss the wedding fallout. I was wrong. The moment I answered, he unleashed a torrent of accusations. “Stella, what did you do to Luna? Why is she in the hospital?” The man I knew as calm and collected had now lost his composure twice in one day. The first time was when he heard Luna was coming home. The second was now. And the most bitter irony of all was that he was supposed to be my fiancé.

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My husband’s true love was getting married. To make her regret her choice, he abandoned our entire Holy Order—and me—and ventured into the mortal wilds to hunt abominations. I burned nine hundred and ninety-nine whispering runes, begging for a word, but received no reply. In the hundredth year, I stopped trying. I lay upon my enchanted frost-crystal bed, content to receive the life-sustaining elixirs sent by the Archon himself. Then, suddenly, he returned. Staring at my swollen belly, he seethed, his words laced with venom. “I have been gone a century, and we have not once met. Whose bastard do you carry?” I remained unbothered. “You may have no appreciation for your own consort, but others have a keener eye for treasure.” 1 Kaelen ripped me from the frost-crystal bed, his eyes burning with murderous rage. “You faithless whore! I am gone for a mere century, and not only do you shame me by swelling with another’s child, but you dare to be defiant about it!” he roared. “Tell me! Who is the wretch you lay with?” His movements were brutal. With a sweep of his arm, he sent a row of crystal vials crashing to the floor, their contents spilling in a glittering, useless mess. The Order’s Elder, my husband’s own mentor, rushed in at the sound. He paled when he saw the crackling arcane energy gathering in Kaelen’s hands. “Kaelen, you must not harm the Lady-Regent! She carries—” “What Lady-Regent?” Kaelen cut him off with a snarl. “She is not worthy of the title!” His grip on my wrist was agonizing. I wrenched myself free, fury finally bubbling to the surface. “If I am not worthy, are you? Kaelen, for one hundred years, what did you leave me besides a crumbling Order and not a single word of guidance?” “By the very laws you wrote into our Codex, a consort whose partner is missing for five years may be considered widowed. By that law, you and I have long been finished!” Kaelen’s face flushed a deep, mottled red with rage. He refused to hear another word, dragging me violently from the Grand Master’s spire. “So you’ve found a way to justify your treachery! I will let the entire Order see the corruption that rots in your very bones!” I was still weak from an old wound, and the pregnancy had left me even more drained. I was no match for Kaelen’s raw power. The Elder, Valerius, broke out in a cold sweat, grabbing Kaelen’s arm without a thought for his own safety. “My boy, listen to me, I beg you! Release the Lady-Regent, she is…” His plea only fueled Kaelen’s fury. He spun around and struck me across the face. The slap, empowered by his magic, sent a ringing through my ears, but it couldn’t drown out his furious accusations. “Elder Valerius has always been a man of impeccable judgment! What dark spell have you woven to cloud his mind so? You are a sorceress of the vilest sort, and I will purge you from this sacred place today!” Valerius froze, swallowing the words of protest. He knew that any further pleading would only provoke Kaelen to more extreme violence. If this child were lost, it would be a disaster not just for Kaelen, but for the entire Order—a truth he could not yet speak aloud. I was hauled like an animal to the Hall of Penance, a place thronged with acolytes, where a woman with the grace of a celestial being was already waiting. It was Elara, Kaelen’s chosen protégé. A hundred years ago, when Kaelen left to hunt demons, Elara had announced she was entering a deep meditative seclusion. Now it was clear: her seclusion was a lie. They had gone to the mortal realm to live as husband and wife. Seeing my protruding belly, a cruel smile played on her lips. “I thought I would need to work a little harder upon my return. I never imagined you, old woman, would be so wanton as to bring about your own destruction.” Before I could respond, Kaelen shoved me before the assembled disciples. His voice, amplified with magic, boomed across the nine spires of our citadel. “Seraphina, you have committed a sin of monstrous proportions. In recognition of your three years of service managing this Order, I will spare your life. If you willingly step down and pledge your undying loyalty to Elara, I will grant you a place within these walls.” He paused, a cold smirk on his face, the edge of his blade glinting menacingly. “But if you refuse… I will cleanse this house of your filth myself!” His self-righteous words were laughable. When he left, he had held my hand, his voice thick with false emotion, promising to find the tears of a Southern ocean siren to cure the poison that afflicted me. It was only for that promise that I agreed to abandon my own magical pursuits and take on the burden of running the Order for him. Now, the poison had seeped deep into my very essence, but the siren’s tears he spoke of never materialized. No wonder… No wonder he hadn’t killed me outright in the spire. He needed a grand, public excuse to install his lover in my place. Whispers erupted among the acolytes. “I knew it. The Grand Master has been gone a century. How could his consort be with child?” “I saw Elder Valerius tending to her so carefully… I thought there must be some other explanation.” “So, she was unfaithful…” “Silence!” Elder Valerius roared, stepping forward to shield me. He turned his piercing gaze on Elara, whose face was a mask of innocence. His words were heavy with meaning. “I know full well who the father of Seraphina’s child is!” Kaelen’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Elder! I have been gone a century! How could a child of mine possibly appear now?” But Valerius was resolute. “His lineage is true and just. You will not question it further!” Elara, sensing the tide turning, clutched Kaelen’s sleeve, her voice a pathetic whimper. “Master, the Elder has always loved you most. How could he possibly condone Seraphina’s adultery? She must have ensnared him with dark magic! Look, his own aura is clouded… I fear…” Kaelen’s eyes hardened. He drew his sword with a sharp rasp. “Seraphina, you dare to consort with demons and heretics! You court death!” I felt no fear. I asked him one question. “Others may not know why the Elder’s aura is disturbed, Kaelen, but are you truly going to feign ignorance?” 2 As Grand Master, Kaelen had vanished for a hundred years without a trace. No one knew if he was alive or dead. Elder Valerius, who had raised Kaelen as his own at the behest of his dying father, was sick with worry. How could he not be? Kaelen knew he was at fault. As he was about to speak, Elara shoved me violently towards the great incense brazier at the front of the hall. “You venomous witch! Not only do you cheat, but you dare to slander the Master!” A sharp pain exploded at the back of my head. The world tilted, a wave of nausea washing over me as the brazier’s sharp corner broke my skin. Blood, hot and sticky, matted my hair. I stumbled and fell to the ground, a sudden, sharp cramp seizing my abdomen. Elder Valerius’s face went white. “Summon the Master Healer! Now!” The nearby acolytes hesitated, their eyes darting to Kaelen. The Elder’s voice cracked like a whip. “What is this? Does an old man’s command mean nothing now?” Elara sneered. “The Master Healer is a figure of great importance. Why would he attend to a common slut?” Kaelen’s voice was a low growl. “Someone attend to the Elder. See that he is not further bewitched by this demonic influence.” At his command, a high-ranking disciple cast a binding spell, trapping Valerius where he stood. The Elder stared in disbelief. “This is insubordination! Treason!” He struggled against the magical bonds, and the disciple, with a slight frown, cast a second spell—a lightning rune. A bolt of raw power struck Valerius, and he cried out in agony before collapsing, silenced. Kaelen watched, unmoved. “Kaelen, have you gone mad?!” I bit my tongue, forcing myself to find clarity through the pain. “Release us, if you value your life! This child… this child is not one you can afford to harm!” He ignored me, summoning a powerful artifact. With a flick of his wrist, a sound like tearing silk filled the air, and an immense weight crashed down upon my shoulders, forcing me to my knees. The impact on the stone steps sent a jarring pain through my bones, as if they were shattering. Kaelen’s voice rang out. “As Grand Master, I have always been just! Our Order has been disgraced by this harlot, and she will be dealt with according to our laws.” “Seraphina, do not say I did not give you a chance. If you will not rid yourself of that bastard spawn, then I will purify my own house myself.” My knees screamed in protest, but I crawled forward, terror seizing me. “What are you going to do?” Kaelen tilted his head, lightning crackling in his hand. “I will use the sacred Skyfire to burn the filth from your soul. For breaking your vows, for carrying a bastard, for weaving dark spells to bewitch the pure of heart—today, before all, you will receive forty-nine bolts of Skyfire as a lesson to all who would follow your path!” My breath caught in my throat. I looked up at the sky, where dark clouds were already gathering. Skyfire was the judgment of the heavens, a power that had reduced countless mortals and monsters to ash. My own magic had been nullified, my body weak. A single bolt would be a death sentence for me, let alone my child. Amid the rising cheers of the crowd, Kaelen began the incantation. A bolt of pure energy tore through the sky. I could only curl around my belly, shut my eyes, and brace for the end. But the pain never came. I looked up. A Shadowguard stood before me, his body smoking from the impact of the Skyfire he had taken in my stead. He swallowed a mouthful of blood and spoke, his voice steady. “Grand Master, the Lady-Regent’s station is now one of great importance. She is beyond your authority to harm. I urge you to cease.” It was the first time anyone had dared to so openly defy Kaelen. He narrowed his eyes, his power sweeping over the guard. “And who are you? You have some skill, but you are not of my Order. Our internal affairs are no concern of yours.” The Shadowguard was undaunted. “The truth of this matter cannot be revealed publicly. If the Grand Master wishes to know, perhaps we could speak in private—” Kaelen laughed, a short, ugly sound. His sword flashed out, striking at the guard. “I will see for myself what manner of man dares to so brazenly covet what is mine!” The Shadowguard, already weakened from blocking the Skyfire, was no match. The blade struck true, shattering his life force. He collapsed, dead before he hit the ground. A gasp rippled through the younger acolytes. Warm blood splattered across my pale face. Elder Valerius had been taken away. My own power was a stagnant pool. I was truly alone, with no one left to protect me. Kaelen stood a few paces away, his face a mask of pure killing intent. “Seraphina, and here I thought you had allied yourself with some great power. You betrayed me for a guard who must hide in the shadows?” At this point, I had nothing left to lose. “This child… he is… he is the—” Before I could finish, another roar echoed from the heavens. The second bolt of Skyfire shattered the feeble shield I had managed to conjure, striking my belly with its full, devastating force. 3 I convulsed, curling into a tight ball, the pain so absolute it stole my voice. It felt as if my womb was being torn open. Blood flowed freely, staining the pristine white marble beneath me. My hand, trembling, reached out and clutched the hem of Kaelen’s robe, leaving a streak of blood. “Please,” I begged, my voice a ragged whisper. “A healer… the child…” All my pride was gone. I just wanted someone to save my baby. Amid the overwhelming agony, I felt a terrible stillness inside me. I could have sworn I’d felt him kick just this morning. Kaelen’s foot came down, crushing my hand without a hint of mercy. “It is far too late for begging.” Elara stood beside him, her gaze dripping with contempt. “Master, even in this state, she still tries to protect her bastard. She must have truly fallen for her lover.” Kaelen’s eyes went cold. “A treacherous harlot like you… drowning would be too kind. Today, I will make an example of you and purge this Order of its sickness.” Two disciples seized me, hauling me to my feet. They wrapped heavy iron chains around my body, cinching them tight over my still-bleeding womb. “No… Kaelen, what are you doing? Let me go!” I screamed. “If you touch my child today, you will face a fate so dire you will regret this moment for all eternity!” No one listened. I was bound brutally to a great stone pillar and hoisted a hundred feet into the air. “Kaelen, let me go!” My voice was shrill with terror. Hearing the fear in my voice, a smile finally touched his lips. “When you were so bold as to take a lover within these sacred walls, did you not once imagine the shame of this day?” The enchanted iron chains tightened, activating the protective magic woven into my undergarments—the Vestments of Woven Light. Seeing it shimmer, Elara’s eyes flashed with jealousy. “Master, this witch has shamed you so profoundly, yet she still has the audacity to wear the Order’s most sacred treasure!” At her words, Kaelen sneered. With a mere thought, the Vestments vanished. I felt a sudden coldness, and a moment later, heard the gasps and lewd laughter from the crowd below. I realized with dawning horror that I was naked. I tried to cover myself, but my limbs were bound fast. “Kaelen, for what you have done today, you will surely live to regret it!” The sound of mocking laughter echoed from all sides. Kaelen took Elara’s hand, and together they ascended the steps of the hall to sit upon the throne of judgment. His voice was imperious. “There is no one in this world who can make me feel regret!” “Let the punishment begin!” At his command, a wind rose from nowhere. Thirty-six Gales of Atonement, each crackling with lightning, swirled towards me. I hung naked and exposed, the winds tearing strips of flesh from my body. One gale, then two… The crowd roared its approval. Some began to throw stones. I screamed, but my cries were lost in the storm. My flesh was flayed away, my blood painting the ten thousand marble tiles of the hall a gruesome crimson. Beneath the chains, the pain in my belly had turned to a numb ache. I felt something shift inside me, something giving way. “No, Kaelen, please, stop…” I shrieked, tears and blood streaming down my face. Kaelen watched, deaf to my pleas, a cold smile on his face as the torture continued for two full hours. By now, every last member of the Order had gathered to watch the spectacle. When the gales finally subsided, I was a raw, bloody mess, not a single patch of skin untouched. Only the faintest breath proved I was still alive. “The child…” Kaelen rose, surveying my wretched state from his high throne, a look of satisfaction on his face. “This, Seraphina, is the price of betraying me.” He leaned forward. “As for that bastard… beg me. If you beg me nicely, I might just let it live.” Hearing this, I threw away my last shred of dignity and began to plead, my voice raw. “Please, Kaelen! I will be your slave for the rest of my life, just please, spare my child! I’ll do anything you ask!” With a flick of his wrist, he used his magic to lift me, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Then confess. Confess before the entire Order. Tell them exactly what sins you have committed.” I looked down at the faces of the disciples who had once called me Lady-Regent with respect, and I began to speak, my voice a hollow murmur. “I am a harlot… I should not have taken a lover… I have brought shame upon this Order… I am a sinner…” Hearing my confession, Kaelen finally seemed satisfied. He laughed, a triumphant, ugly sound. “Since you have seen the error of your ways, I will grant you your life.” His smile turned cruel. “But this unholy spawn cannot be allowed to exist. I will send it to be reunited with its father!” He drew his sword, the sharp tip aimed at my swollen abdomen, where the fate of my child was already sealed. I raised a hand, a futile, final gesture to protect him, my eyes filled with utter despair. A flash of cold steel, a searing pain deep within me. And at that exact moment, a wave of power so immense it could level mountains crashed down upon the hall.

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The day I planned to propose, my girlfriend stood before our entire company and announced her wedding date—to someone else. I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. I just went to find her, needing an explanation. But I overheard her talking to a friend instead. “Aren’t you afraid doing this will piss off Liam?” “I have no choice. Ethan’s family despises him. If I don’t marry him, they’ll force him to marry some fool. Besides,” she added confidently, “Liam loves me too much. He’d never leave me.” Later, my family arranged a more suitable match for me. As fate would have it, my wedding day was the same as hers. As a bride, she was riddled with anxiety, a terrible premonition hanging over her. She told her bridesmaids to keep a close watch, to make sure I didn’t show up and cause a scene. That’s when one of her bridesmaids said awkwardly, “You didn’t know? Liam’s getting married today, too.” 1 “Mom, I’ll agree to the arranged marriage.” The teacup in my mother’s hand trembled. She looked at me, her face a mask of shock. “Are you absolutely sure, sweetheart?” Her concern was palpable. Just last night, a video of my girlfriend, Ava, accepting another man’s proposal had gone viral. Everyone knew the prestigious Croft family was celebrating an engagement, but the groom wasn’t me, the man she’d been with for eight years. Seeing my silence, my mother’s voice grew urgent. “Liam, marriage is a monumental decision. Please, don’t do this out of spite.” I swallowed the bitterness lodged in my throat and shook my head. “Mom, I’ve just… seen things clearly. You didn’t immediately reject the Croft family’s offer because you believe their daughter is a better match for me than Ava. I trust your judgment.” My mother let out a deep sigh. “The eldest Croft daughter is indeed an exceptional young woman. I’ve heard she’s as kind as she is beautiful, grounded and intelligent. But perhaps you should meet her first, before making a final decision?” “No. You can handle the arrangements. I’m fine with whatever you decide.” After settling things, I had a meal at home before returning to the small apartment I’d bought for myself. I never expected to find Ava there. Hearing the door open, she casually ended her phone call. “You’re back later than usual. A rough day at work?” I slipped off my shoes. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “I was just passing by on my way back from a work dinner and thought I’d pop in to see you,” Ava said, her voice as soft and sweet as ever. She moved to embrace me, just like she always did. But as she drew near, I caught the scent of a familiar men’s cologne. It was the one Ethan always wore, his signature scent. A wall of resistance shot up inside me. I subtly sidestepped her embrace, but a wave of sour disappointment washed over me. “You’ve seen me. You can go now.” Ava’s outstretched arms froze in mid-air. A small smile touched her lips. “Oh, Liam, don’t be like this. Weren’t you just complaining a few days ago that I don’t spend enough time with you? I cleared my entire evening just for you.” Yesterday, I was supposed to propose to her. I’d even called her that morning, reminding her to leave work early for our dinner reservation. I waited at the restaurant from daylight until dusk. She never showed. She never even called. Just as the restaurant was closing and I was about to go find her, I received a video from an unknown number. It was Ethan, proposing to Ava in front of their entire office. In the video, their colleagues were cheering, ecstatic. I couldn’t believe it. I rushed to her company, needing to hear her explain it herself. That’s when I overheard the conversation with her best friend. That’s when I realized that in this game of love, I had been made a complete and utter fool. Remembering her words from last night felt like a knife twisting in my heart, the pain suffocating. I looked up at the woman before me, her features so gentle, and my vision blurred with tears. A crushing weight settled on my chest, making it hard to breathe. Seeing my tears, a flicker of panic crossed Ava’s face. She fumbled to wipe them away. “Liam, what’s wrong? Did someone hurt you?” 2 Growing up, Ava was the neighborhood tomboy—mischievous, rebellious, but with a fierce sense of justice. She couldn’t stand to see anyone bullied. I was the opposite: quiet, introverted, never quite fitting in with the other kids. They found me boring and always left me out. Whenever that happened, Ava would plant her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out in indignation, and march right up to them. “Fine, don’t play with him! Who needs you anyway?” Then she’d turn to me, clap me on the shoulder, and grin. “Don’t worry. From now on, I’ve got your back. If they mess with you again, you tell me, and I’ll sort them out!” From that day on, she was my shadow, a little sunbeam warming my lonely world. When we got to college, I finally confessed my feelings for her, and we fell together as naturally as breathing. Our relationship made her even gentler with me. We shared everything. During our happiest moments, she would talk about the future. “You’d better give me the most spectacular proposal, Liam,” she’d tease. “Otherwise, I’m not marrying you.” I never forgot those words. Then, we both joined the student government, and Ethan burst into our lives. He and Ava were in the same major, sharing a world of technical jargon I couldn’t penetrate. At first, she would patiently translate their academic discussions for me. But soon, her patience wore thin. “If you don’t get it, look it up online,” she’d snap. “Or just don’t listen. It’s not your major, it’s useless for you to know.” She and Ethan became inseparable, talking from morning till night, in person and online. For me, she had only a few perfunctory words. Friends warned me to pay attention, to be wary of their connection. I brushed it off. I believed in privacy, even in a relationship. I trusted that she wouldn’t fall for someone else. Reality slapped me hard across the face. That night, Ava didn’t leave. She said she was worried about me. I looked at her for a long time before finally saying, “Do whatever you want.” I went to my room and, just as she was about to follow, I clicked the lock shut. She stood outside the door, her expression complex. After a moment, she said, “Liam, I’ll be right out here. Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’ll be waiting.” I ignored her. A hot tear fell onto the back of my cold hand, the sensation searing. Ava, I’m done loving you. I woke the next morning with a dull ache in my temples. As I left my room, I saw Ava hastily putting on her coat. “Liam, something urgent came up, I have to go. I’ll text you the restaurant address tonight, we’ll have dinner together.” She was gone before I could even reply, a blur disappearing before my eyes. I pursed my lips and glanced at the sofa where she’d slept. In her haste, she’d left her phone behind. I picked it up, intending to get it to her later. Just then, a notification lit up the screen. Ava never used a passcode. The message was from someone named “Monkey.” It was a photo of Ethan, looking disheveled but smiling gently at the camera from a hospital emergency room. The caption read: “Don’t rush. Drive safe. I’ll wait for you right here.” 3 Now I understood why she’d been in such a hurry. A bitter laugh escaped me. I arranged for a local courier to deliver her phone to her office, then headed to my own job. I’d started at my family’s company right after graduation. My father, wanting to test my mettle, had me start from the bottom. Through my own efforts, I’d since become a department manager. As soon as I arrived, my assistant handed me a project proposal. “Mr. Hayes, this needs your attention. All the groundwork is done, it just needs your signature.” I took it and saw it was a collaboration with Ava’s family company, Hayes Industries. I had no memory of it. “Has my father approved this?” “No,” my assistant replied, momentarily flustered. “You said before that unless it was a major partnership, Hayes Industries should always be our first choice.” I remembered then. I had said that. I’d thought our families would be one, so it didn’t matter who profited more. Besides, it’s not easy for a woman to run a corporation. As her boyfriend, I felt it was my duty to support her. “Let this one go,” I said. “But from now on, prioritize what’s best for our company. We go with the most advantageous partner.” After a long day of work, I decided to check out a new Chinese restaurant that had just opened. When I got there, it was packed. Just as I was about to leave, I heard a familiar voice. “Mr. Hayes, you’re here for dinner too?” I turned to see Ethan and Ava sitting at a table, smiling. When Ava saw me, her expression froze for a second before she quickly recovered. “I was just about to call you to join us! I can’t believe you’re already here. Come, sit with us.” She waved over a waiter for another set of cutlery. I hadn’t eaten much for lunch and was starving. So I stayed. “Mr. Hayes,” Ethan said, “I remember you like spicy food. Let’s order a few more dishes for you.” I glanced at the table. Everything was mild. Both Ava and I loved spicy food. She used to say that a dish without chili had no soul, that eating it was like a death sentence. Now, faced with a table of bland food, she didn’t bat an eye. She shot Ethan a playful glare. “I think you’re the one who wants it. Don’t you remember what the doctor said today? You can only have mild food for now.” Ethan just smiled sheepishly. “I’m paying tonight, I just wanted to cater to our guest. But, I’ll listen to my little boss. Whatever you say, goes.” Ava laughed, a mix of amusement and exasperation. “What ‘little boss’? That sounds terrible, don’t call me that again!” Her words were a reprimand, but her tone was fond. Watching them, the heart that had been shattered into a million pieces felt nothing at all. A moment later, Ava’s phone rang. “You two go ahead and eat. I have to take this.” As she walked away, the smile on Ethan’s face faded, replaced by a provocative stare directed at me. “You know, Liam, I’m actually impressed. You know Ava and I are getting married, yet you still cling to her. You’ve got some nerve.” Catching the disdain in his voice, I looked up. “Is stealing someone else’s girlfriend something to be proud of? Something worth showing off in public?” “You—” Before he could finish, thick smoke began billowing from the restaurant’s kitchen. Someone screamed, “Fire!” The bustling restaurant descended into chaos. Everyone scrambled to escape. I stood up, ready to leave, when a figure slammed into me. Before I could regain my balance, I heard a familiar, panicked voice. “Ethan, let’s go! It’s a fire!” Ava didn’t stop. She grabbed Ethan’s hand and pulled him out of the building. Once outside, staring at the smoke pouring from the restaurant, her heart pounded with the thrill of survival. She threw her arms around him. “Thank God… thank God we’re okay…” Then, she seemed to remember something. She spun around and saw me, standing a short distance away, watching them with cold eyes. Her voice caught. “Liam, I… I was just so scared. I didn’t mean to not call for you…” “I know,” I cut her off, my voice frigid. In that moment, as she pulled him away, I knew with absolute clarity: the girl who once promised to protect me forever was gone. Seeing I wasn’t angry, she visibly relaxed and offered to drive me home. “No, thanks. Ethan looks pretty shaken up. You should probably take him home first.” 4 In the days that followed, I didn’t contact Ava. I was busy preparing for my own wedding. I received a message from the jeweler and used my lunch break to pick up the custom-made wedding rings. They were originally meant for Ava, for a proposal that would never happen. As fate would have it, just as I stepped into the store, Ethan walked in right behind me. He saw the small, elegant box in my hand and looked at the designer with an air of arrogance. “I want to see the ring he’s holding.” “I’m sorry, sir. This was a custom design for Mr. Hayes. It belongs to him.” Ethan scoffed. “A custom ring? Acting like you’re about to get married…” His voice trailed off as a dark realization seemed to dawn on him. “You’re planning to crash my wedding with this, aren’t you?” Seeing the madness in his eyes, I couldn’t be bothered to engage. “If you’re sick, get help. Don’t come here and act insane.” I turned to leave with the box. Suddenly, he lunged. Before I could react, he ripped the box open, threw the rings on the floor, and began stomping on them with his heel. That wasn’t enough. He rushed to the counter, grabbed a small mallet, and started smashing them with all his might. “Liam, you will not ruin my wedding! I’ll destroy your rings, and then we’ll see how you plan to crash anything!” “Ethan, are you crazy?”

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