Author: Momo Chan

The Blood Moon descended, and the world transformed. My friend and I became extremely rare pure blooded human survivors. After being captured by the vampires, I was chosen by Queen Inferna and became her closest blood slave. As her territory expanded, Queen Inferna dominated the region, and I became the most protected human in this apocalyptic world. Meanwhile, my friend Julian followed Queen Aquila, who controlled the power of tides. Soon after, her territory was conquered and absorbed by other vampire princes. He became a prisoner again, passed between multiple vampire clans and tortured endlessly, until I finally rescued him. But instead of being grateful, he went mad with jealousy and pushed me off a high-rise building. I dragged him down with me as we fell to our deaths, only to be reborn on the day the vampires divided their spoils of war. Julian rushed toward that tall queen with flame insignias carved into her face. Seeing that familiar malice in his eyes, I smiled. Finally, I could leave that cage. And there’s actually an idiot fighting to jump right in!

The low growl of a vampire servant rang in my ears. I jolted awake and realized I’d been reborn, back to the day we were captured by the vampires. At this moment, Julian was running right past me, heading straight for that towering female prince covered in burning flame totems. “Choose me, Queen Inferna! I’m willing to become your companion!” I could barely believe my ears—he actually dared to say that out loud! The height difference between them was so obvious. In my previous life, he trembled with fear when he saw this queen who was nearly twice his height. When Queen Inferna’s gaze swept over, he didn’t hesitate to push me forward. Now he’s not afraid of dying in her bedchamber? He actually dares to offer himself! Meeting that undisguised malice in his eyes, I instantly understood—he’d been reborn too. In the past, shortly after Julian followed Queen Aquila, her clan was absorbed by other princes. He was passed around between several vampire groups, treated as a plaything and blood source, suffering endless humiliation before I finally rescued him. I never expected that his heart had already been consumed by jealousy. He took advantage of my carelessness and pushed me off a building. Reborn, he wanted to seize the advantage. He thought that by securing Queen Inferna’s favor first, he could become the most respected human in the apocalypse. I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Did he really think the position of “Father of the Blood Heirs” was so easy to endure? Queen Inferna seemed quite interested in his initiative. She lifted him with one hand and placed him on her broad shoulder. “Then I’ll take you.” Julian used to study dance. His frame was slender and his appearance was indeed outstanding. I just didn’t know if that build could withstand the queen’s domineering infernal flames and harsh demands. Delight flashed in his eyes, and he looked at me with triumph. His lips moved silently, forming words: “This should have been mine all along. Now it’s back where it belongs.” Setting aside where his confidence came from, I had no intention of competing with him. He only saw my later life—the surface glory, the protection I received—but he had no idea what I paid for it. I smiled at him slightly. Since he was so desperate to jump into the fire pit, I’d let him have this “honor.” We used to be best friends. After the apocalypse hit, he had limited combat ability and largely relied on my protection to survive until now. I never called him out on it, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know about his little schemes. Secretly cutting my food rations, always making me take the front line when we were attacked, claiming “you learned combat, you can protect yourself better.” In this world where I’d lost all my family, he was my only connection to the past. That’s why I tolerated him again and again. Under my protection, he enjoyed the benefits while secretly scheming with jealousy. Now he wanted to steal my chance of survival and make me step into the hell he already knew. He even eagerly gestured to Queen Aquila. “Your Majesty, that person over there is my good friend, Mason! He’s physically strong, absolutely suitable to provide blood for you!” His eyes were full of impatience, desperate for me to experience all the suffering he’d endured.

From the moment he pushed me off that building, whatever friendship we had was completely destroyed. I rolled my eyes. Before Queen Aquila could speak, I quickly pointed at her second-in-command. “Can I choose to follow this vice-commander?” Queen Aquila was straightforward, with limbs as thick as rocks. Her appearance was honestly not pleasant to look at. But she valued loyalty and rules within her clan above all. She wouldn’t steal a “contractor” that her subordinates had already claimed. She just asked in a rough, curious voice, “Oh? Why choose her instead of me?” I put on a fearful expression and answered in a low voice, “Because… the vice-commander’s build is… closer to mine.” At these words, Queen Aquila burst into loud laughter. “Hahaha! You’re afraid my size is too big for you to handle? Fine, then you can go with Shadow!” Queen Aquila’s vice-commander “Shadow” was a wandering powerhouse recently recruited. She’d made great contributions clearing out enemy clans. Her build hadn’t swelled excessively like some vampires. She was just taller than average women, around six-foot-three. Her appearance was closer to human too, except for those mysterious purple-gold patterns on her face. Not too frightening. After vampire transformation, the more human-like the appearance, the more rationality and wisdom retained, and usually the stronger they were. I’d researched these elite clan members in my previous life. Her power was no less than any prince. If she hadn’t been ambushed and injured before, hunted by other clans, she would definitely have had the chance to dominate a territory in the future. I was done living like a rat, at others’ mercy. Depending on others was unreliable, whether they were human or monster. This time, I would carve out my own path of survival. Those vampires who retained some rationality understood and let out low chuckles. Vice-Commander Shadow’s expression clearly darkened. After all, being evaluated for “size compatibility” to your face probably wasn’t a pleasant experience. She was quite rough with me, throwing me over her shoulder like a sack. Her sharp nails scratched through the skin on my thigh. Smelling the blood, she actually lowered her head and licked away the oozing drops. The touch was ice-cold. I forced down my disgust and made myself stay calm. I’d experienced worse. This was nothing. Julian looked at me with contempt and mockery, as if looking at a dead man. In his eyes, the vice-commander I chose was even worse than the Queen Aquila he’d originally chosen. Either way, I couldn’t escape becoming a plaything again, passed between vampires, ending up as miserable as his previous life. Too bad I wasn’t as stupid as him. In his limited brain, besides clinging to others, what brilliant ideas could he come up with? This city originally had four vampire princes. After today’s battle, only three remained. The territories were redistributed. The remaining survivors were also divided into three groups. Males became “blood bags” or food, while human females became playthings and breeding tools. Vice-Commander Shadow was clearly very dissatisfied with me for that remark about her “size.” I didn’t know how she would “deal with” me. Their base was in a luxury hotel in the original city center. I was thrown onto a soft bed. That woman—no, female vampire—with dark purple patterns on her face pressed down on me viciously. “Compatible?” Her voice carried icy mockery. “Then let’s test it properly and see if we’re really compatible.”

Sure, she was compatible—just slightly shorter than those two queens. She had every muscle line she needed, and at nearly six-foot-three, she had overwhelming presence for someone just over five-foot-seven like me. I really don’t get it. Already turned into a vampire, and still so sensitive about pride. I was rolling my eyes internally, but I could only try to please her verbally. After all, avoiding immediate trouble was the first rule of survival. “No, that’s not what I meant! I just… I’m afraid of pain, really no other meaning!” Hearing this again, she almost ground her teeth to dust, looking like she wanted to tear me apart. And she really did bite down on my neck and shoulder. That moment I almost suffocated. Because I knew the process of being marked as a blood slave for the first time was extremely painful. I hadn’t expected her to be so casual about it. Just when I thought I was about to become a mindless lower-class blood servant, she suddenly released her bite. There were only shallow teeth marks on my shoulder, no broken skin. She almost growled my name through clenched teeth. “Mason, even in the apocalypse, your mouth is still so infuriating!” Huh? I’d never told her my name. Even though I used to be a human survivor squad leader, I shouldn’t be famous enough for all vampires to know me. Meeting those cold eyes with a familiar feeling, a face that was both austere and refined gradually overlapped with the vice-commander before me… Wait… I jolted up and practically threw my arms around her, my voice carrying exaggerated emotion. “Luna? Is that you? I never thought I’d meet you here! This is great—you’ll protect me, right?” I heard her mocking snort by my ear. “Mason, that’s not what you said before.” Ugh… yeah, that was a bit fake. Before her transformation, she was a senior in the Finance department named Luna. She was also the city’s freestyle fighting champion. Back then, I bragged to people that someone like Luna—that skinny type—I could knock her down with one punch. I mocked her, saying she looked weak, that I wouldn’t want her even if she threw herself at me. It was just sour grapes—because I’d confessed to her once and got rejected cleanly and decisively. That scene was humiliating. Right now, I wanted to find a hole to crawl into. I thought I’d calculated everything, but I ended up choosing my nemesis. We were already at odds when we were human. Now that she’d become a vampire and I’d fallen into her hands, could I expect anything good? But… I never had the chance before. Now “sleeping with her” wouldn’t be a loss, right? That’s what I was secretly thinking. But in reality, she clearly hated me. She looked at my “ready to die” expression with mockery, then unceremoniously pulled me off the bed and tossed me onto the carpet. “I need someone to handle chores. Hope you know your place, or you can go be a public blood—” “—bag instead. Trust me, you don’t want that.” She looked down at me coldly, arms crossed. I quickly got up and knelt, trying to salvage the situation. “No, no! I’ll behave! Luna—uh, Commander Shadow, I was young and stupid back then. Please forgive me!” “You’re still young and stupid now.” She walked to the window, gazing at the blood-red sky. “But you’re right about one thing. Compared to those queens, I’m your best bet for survival.” Her tone softened slightly. Maybe the old Luna was still in there somewhere. “In three days, the clans will hold a gathering. Queen Aquila wants to show off her new territory. You’ll serve drinks.” She glanced back at me. “Try not to embarrass me.” “I won’t! I promise!” She waved dismissively. “There’s a servant’s room next door. Get out.” As I scrambled to leave, her voice stopped me. “Mason.” “Yes?” “That friend of yours, Julian.” Her eyes glinted with something unreadable. “He won’t last a month with Queen Inferna. She goes through companions like tissues.” A chill ran down my spine, but not from fear—from satisfaction. “That’s his choice,” I said quietly. Luna’s lips curved into the faintest smile. “Smart answer. Now get out.”

The next three days passed in a blur of menial tasks. I cleaned, organized supplies, and learned the hierarchy of Queen Aquila’s clan. Luna—Shadow, as everyone called her here—was respected but also feared. She’d killed the previous vice-commander in single combat to earn her position. The other blood servants whispered that she was “different.” More controlled. More dangerous. I kept my head down and worked. But I also watched. Learned. On the third evening, Luna summoned me to help her prepare for the gathering. “You’ll stay close to me tonight,” she said, adjusting an elaborate dark coat. “Other clans will be there. Some will try to test boundaries.” “Test boundaries how?” She gave me a sharp look. “By seeing if they can steal or harm another clan’s humans. It’s a power play.” My stomach dropped. “And if they succeed?” “Then the human’s master looks weak.” She stepped closer, and I smelled something like smoke and frost. “I don’t look weak, Mason. Understand?” I nodded quickly. “Good.” She handed me a server’s uniform—surprisingly well-fitted. “Stay within arm’s reach at all times. Don’t speak unless spoken to. And if anyone but me or Queen Aquila tries to touch you…” “Run?” “Scream.” Her smile was cold. “I’ll handle the rest.” The gathering was held in what used to be the city’s grand opera house. Now it was a monument to vampire excess—dripping with salvaged luxury and the scent of blood. Queen Aquila sat on a raised platform, looking pleased with herself. Queen Inferna occupied the opposite side, her flames casting dancing shadows. And there, standing behind Inferna, was Julian. He looked… terrible. Pale beyond natural, with dark circles under his eyes. His dancer’s grace was gone, replaced by a trembling rigidity. When our eyes met, the hatred in his gaze was volcanic. I kept my expression neutral and followed Luna through the crowd. “So this is your new pet, Shadow?” A male vampire with silver markings sneered. “Looks fragile.” “Looks are deceiving,” Luna replied smoothly, not breaking stride. I poured drinks, served blood-soaked delicacies, and tried not to think about what they were made of. Then Julian appeared beside me when Luna was momentarily distracted. “Enjoying yourself?” he hissed. “You think you’re so clever, picking her?” “I think I’m alive,” I whispered back. “How’s Queen Inferna treating you?” His face twisted. “Better than you’ll ever have it. Just wait. Soon—” “Julian.” Queen Inferna’s voice boomed across the hall. “Come here.” He flinched but obeyed, and I watched him stumble toward her. Luna reappeared at my side. “What did he say?” “Nothing important. Just jealous ranting.” She studied me for a moment. “You’re different from before. Calmer.” “Dying and coming back changes a person.” Her eyes widened slightly—understanding flickering there. “You too?” she breathed. I nodded minutely. “Then you know,” she continued quietly, “that this gathering is where—” A scream cut through the room. Julian had collapsed. Queen Inferna stood over him, looking annoyed. “Weak,” she pronounced. “I’ll need a replacement soon.” Her burning gaze swept the room and landed on me. “Shadow,” Queen Inferna called out. “Lend me your human. I want to see if he’s truly as strong as Julian claimed.” The room went silent. Luna’s hand moved to my shoulder—protective or possessive, I couldn’t tell. “With respect, Queen Inferna,” Luna said carefully, “he’s mine. And I don’t lend my possessions.” The temperature rose. Flames licked at Inferna’s frame. “Are you refusing me, vice-commander?” This was it. The test Luna warned me about. Queen Aquila watched with interest but didn’t intervene. This was about clan dynamics, not her. Luna’s grip on my shoulder tightened. “I’m stating a boundary, Your Majesty. Just as you would if I asked to borrow Julian.” The standoff stretched. Every vampire in the room held their breath. Then Queen Inferna laughed—a sound like crackling fire. “You’ve got spine, Shadow. I respect that.” She turned away dismissively. “Keep your human. He wouldn’t last anyway if he’s friends with this disappointment.” She kicked Julian, who whimpered. Relief flooded through me, but I kept still. As the gathering continued, Luna leaned down and whispered, “We need to talk. Privately. About what we both know.” I nodded. Because if she was also reborn, everything changed. This wasn’t just about survival anymore. This was about revenge. About rewriting fate. And maybe—just maybe—about settling that old rejection in a very different way. “—bag instead. Trust me, you don’t want that.” Not much harm done, but extremely insulting. Fortunately, my self-esteem had been worn down by the apocalypse long ago. If I had to be a servant, so be it. However, before the end of the world, there were rumors at school that she seemed to have a soft spot for Julian. Later, after Queen Aquila died and her clan was absorbed, I heard that this vice-commander had the ability to escape alone, but got seriously injured trying to save Julian, and eventually fell. I didn’t understand before, but now that I knew this vice-commander was Luna, everything seemed to make sense. Previously Julian followed Queen Aquila—she had no chance. Now Julian followed Queen Inferna—she had even less chance. I thought her taste was really questionable, actually falling for a schemer like Julian. However, this might give me a reason to convince her to work together. But Luna was extremely harsh with me now, her disgust evident as she treated me like a complete servant. I didn’t dare get too friendly yet. 4 After Julian and I were chosen, there was one more male survivor left. Queen Aquila traded other spoils to get him. His name was Derek, and like me, he’d learned combat. We were roommates in college. Without him in the survivor group, I probably would’ve been killed by that burden Julian long ago. Actually, I had a selfish reason for choosing Vice-Commander Shadow. Given Queen Aquila’s current strength over the other prince, if I followed the vice-commander, Queen Aquila would definitely want another human male. That way Derek and I could both stay in this clan and look out for each other. In my previous life, he was assigned to the third faction and tortured to death within days, even becoming food after death. Whether for cooperation or old friendship, I wanted to save him once. As for Julian, let him enjoy himself for now. Once he got to Queen Inferna’s territory, he’d have a hard time. That queen was half a head taller than Queen Aquila, all powerful muscle. Sure, she looked strong, but that massive size difference could kill him. Certain experiences would probably be more painful than so-called “childbirth.” And Queen Inferna retained very little humanity, with a brutal personality. How well could she treat him? I didn’t choose the third prince because that was “Venomfang,” who absorbed Queen Aquila’s forces in my previous life. He awakened the ability to release paralyzing toxins, specialized in ambushes, sinister and ruthless. His strength wasn’t actually top-tier, and he was later absorbed by other clans too. Beyond this city, surrounding forces were deeply entrenched. Well, mainly that guy’s appearance was truly unbearable—a body of ominous dark green, like moving toxic moss, triangular head, small eyes, more beast than rational being. In my previous life, Derek didn’t last more than a few days under him, and Julian also suffered terribly when he fell into his hands later. When we left, Prince Venomfang didn’t say much, just swept his cold gaze over us with a sinister smile at the corner of his mouth. He had no objections to the distribution of the few human males because he’d already planned to absorb other forces and take all the spoils for himself. In my previous life, he succeeded, ambushing Queen Aquila’s territory while Queen Inferna was out expanding. But this time, with me here, his plan would probably fail. Though Queen Aquila was rough, she wasn’t extremely evil, and her mind was relatively simple. She desired to breed powerful offspring and needed quality blood sources, but in my previous life, her blood extraction from Julian was relatively controlled, not to the point of endangering his life. So as long as Derek didn’t resist violently or anger her, he should be safe for now. In this year-plus of apocalypse, we’d long abandoned meaningless dignity. Survival was what mattered most. On Derek’s side, he seemed to have lucked out and escaped disaster because of his poor condition. After transformation, Queen Aquila actually retained a trace of bizarre “gentlemanly” behavior. I quietly told Derek that Vice-Commander Shadow was Luna. His expression immediately became quite spectacular. He knew about the old grudge between Luna and me—I’d cursed her plenty in the dorm back then. We used to be senior and junior, but now it was the apocalypse. Even blood brothers might turn on each other, let alone mere acquaintances. In the end times, humanity had grown thin. Then, in a speculative tone, I revealed that Prince Venomfang would likely ambush soon. When that happened, we might find a chance to escape. Derek worried we couldn’t get away and hoped I could find a way to communicate with Luna. So that night, I crept to Luna’s bedside. Before I could speak, she pinned me to the bed like picking up a chicken. After transforming into a vampire, she seemed to have become an agility-type warrior, moving fast as a ghost. I had no power to resist before her. “What?” Her cold breath brushed my ear, playful. “Want to verify if we’re ‘compatible’?”

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In a Miami yacht marina, Alex appeared before me. “Olivia!” He pushed through the crowd, rushing towards me. “I finally found you.” I took off my sunglasses, eyeing the tanned man for a good two seconds. “Do we know each other?” He offered an apologetic smile. “Come on, stop pouting. My journey’s over, and I’m back to make you my wife.” Only then did I recognize him—my ex-fiancé. The man who’d abandoned me at our wedding two years ago to travel the world with his adopted sister. “Alex,” I said, smiling, as I traced the wedding band on my ring finger. “Didn’t anyone tell you? I’m already married… to your uncle.” Miami, South Beach Yacht Club. I had just finished my speech for the Ocean Conservation Foundation’s auction and was walking along the pier towards my waiting car. “Olivia!” A figure quickly approached from the side, blocking my path. The man wore a wrinkled linen shirt, his skin deeply tanned. Beside him, Luna, equally sun-kissed, stood watching. “Two years,” Alex’s voice was a little hoarse, his eyes strikingly bright. “You haven’t changed a bit.” I studied the dark-skinned man for two seconds, then politely stepped back half a pace. “Alex? My apologies, you’ve changed quite a bit.” Luna immediately scoffed, crossing her arms. “Don’t pretend! Everyone in Miami knows you’re here today. Didn’t you just find out Alex’s boat was docking and ‘happened’ to show up?” She eyed my custom white suit up and down. “Still so arrogant. What else do you have besides that pretty face and the Rockefeller name?” Alex lightly touched her arm. “Luna.” His tone was one of helpless indulgence. He turned to me, his gaze softening. “Don’t mind her. She’s been through a lot on the sea these past two years, and it’s made her a bit rough around the edges.” “You know, her father died saving my life years ago, and on his deathbed, he entrusted her to my care. She said she wanted to fulfill her father’s dying wish—to sail around the world. I couldn’t refuse.” He extended a hand, as if to touch my face. “Now I’m back. It’s time to make good on our engagement.” I subtly tilted my head, avoiding his hand. Then I raised my left hand, letting the afternoon sun pierce through the ring on my finger—a perfectly cut ten-carat pear-shaped diamond, refracting a cold gleam in the daylight. “Mr. Winston, I think you’re mistaken. I’m here today for a charity auction. I knew nothing of your itinerary. And our engagement was voided two years ago. I’m already married.” Alex’s expression froze for a moment. Then, he burst out laughing, shaking his head as if he’d heard a childish joke. “Olivia, stop messing around.” “The union between the Winstons and Rockefellers was front-page news two years ago. You were left at the altar, everyone saw it.” He took a step closer, lowering his voice, laced with pity. “I know it was a huge blow for you, but no respectable family would take you in after that, not unless it was me.” He actually thought I was just waiting for his charity. No wonder he dared to abandon me for two years. His arrogance was truly laughable.

Back then, Alex was very resistant to our arranged marriage for business, but after meeting me, he pursued me fiercely for six months. I only agreed to the union because I found his looks and character acceptable. But I never expected him to have Luna, his adopted sister, whom he adored beyond measure. On our wedding day, everyone in New York’s high society was there. Just as we were about to exchange vows, Alex received a call from Luna. “Take me on a round-the-world trip! I’m waiting for you at the airport, and if you don’t come, I’ll jump!” He spared me only a fleeting, apologetic glance, then let go of my hand and walked out on everyone. I received two texts, then couldn’t reach him again. 【Her father saved my life. I can’t let anything happen to her.】 【When I get back, we’ll go to Tahiti for our honeymoon. I love you.】 Grandpa Winston was absolutely livid. He promised me, “Olivia, the Winston family has wronged you. Name your compensation, anything you want.” I set down my untouched champagne, my gaze falling on the man silently seated in the corner— Sebastian Winston, Alex’s uncle, the actual controller of the Winston Group. “If I must be compensated,” I heard my calm voice say, “then give him to me.” “The wedding is already set, the guests are still here. Just a change of groom.” The Miami sun hurt my eyes, Alex’s tall figure blocking my path. “Olivia?” His voice pulled me back to reality. “Grandpa’s hosting a dinner at the estate tonight, a welcome home for Luna and me,” he said. “You should come. We need to talk properly.” Luna added, her tone dripping with condescension. “Even though you behaved disgracefully before, Alex is giving you a chance. Don’t be ungrateful.” I almost laughed out loud. My phone vibrated then, a message from my husband. 【Auction go well? Just finished my meeting, heading to the airport now. Should be home before dinner. Miss you.】 It included a picture of the sky outside his car window. I replied: 【Very well. Had a small unexpected interruption, I’ll tell you tonight. Waiting for you to come home.】 I added a kissing emoji. I looked up. Alex was staring at my phone screen, a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. “Still playing games? Olivia, when did you learn such childish tricks?” He pointed at my neck. “If you really married someone else, why are you still wearing the ‘Heart of the Ocean,’ the necklace Grandpa passed down to the Winston matriarch?” That antique blue diamond necklace was indeed given to me by Grandpa himself at my wedding to Sebastian. “This necklace—” “It’s the ‘Heart of the Ocean’!” Luna gasped, her eyes fixed on the diamond, swirling with jealousy and desire. “Alex, you said, Grandpa said that necklace was meant for the future lady of the Winston house!” She grabbed Alex’s arm, her voice turning tearful. “I’ve loved it since I was fifteen! But Grandpa never let me touch it! And now he’s given it to her because she’s a Rockefeller, and I’m just the housekeeper’s daughter, right?” Alex’s expression immediately softened, and he put his arm around her shoulder. “Luna, don’t say that.” He looked at me, his tone becoming difficult. “Olivia, you know Luna has insecurities. This necklace has special meaning to her. Could you please take it off for now? I promise to get you something even more expensive later.” I watched their touching display of ‘brotherly’ affection, my patience finally running thin. “First, Luna Miller, you’re twenty-five, six months older than me. Stop acting like a naive little girl.” “Secondly, this necklace is now the property of Mrs. Sebastian Winston. It has nothing to do with either of you.” “Finally—” I pressed my car key fob, and an Aston Martin Valkyrie flashed its lights in the distance. “I’ll be at the dinner, as a member of the Winston family.” I walked towards the sports car, hearing Luna raise her voice behind me. “She’s driving an Aston Martin Valkyrie! One of only 150 worldwide! Alex, she must have rented it just to spite you!” Alex’s sigh drifted on the breeze. “She’s just trying to get my attention this way. Forget it, we’ll talk tonight.” I slid into the driver’s seat, the engine giving a low growl. In the rearview mirror, I saw them standing there. Alex was looking down, gently comforting a sobbing Luna, his movements tender and practiced. How truly touching. Too bad tonight’s “family dinner” wouldn’t exactly follow their script.

That evening, at the Winston Estate. I deliberately arrived half an hour late. At the entrance to the estate, Alex and Luna were kneeling on the steps. Howard, the old butler, quietly told me: “Grandpa was furious when he heard his second grandson, Alex, brought Luna back, and he ordered them not to enter the house.” Grandpa Winston, the patriarch of the family, held absolute authority within the Winston clan. Alex saw me step out of the sports car and immediately stood up. “Olivia! You’re here to plead with Grandpa for me, aren’t you?” He grabbed my wrist. “I know you’re still mad, but just help me out this once. You’re the only one Grandpa listens to.” I pulled my hand back. “Alex, please show some self-respect.” Luna, still kneeling on the ground, looked up, her eyes red and swollen. “Olivia! Did you say something to Grandpa? Alex is his favorite grandson! You must have stirred things up!” She suddenly lunged at me, trying to grab me. I stepped aside. She stumbled a few steps, deliberately falling to the ground, scraping her knee slightly, and immediately burst into tears. Alex instantly knelt, carefully examining her injury, pulling her into his arms and softly comforting her. “Does it hurt? Don’t be scared, it’s okay.” That scene, how similar it was to our wedding two years ago. After consoling Luna, he turned to me, his face showing disappointment. “Olivia, you’ve changed. Luna was just scared, why can’t you be a little more understanding with her?” “If you marry me, you have to accept her as part of our family.” Luna nestled into his arms, saying timidly, “Alex, I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much.” “I’ll take you to the hospital.” “No need.” Luna looked at me, a flicker of cunning in her eyes. “If Olivia is truly sorry and willing to give me that sports car, I’ll forgive her.” The Aston Martin Valkyrie, worth three million dollars. Alex nodded, stating to me as if it were obvious. “Since you caused her injury, just give her the car as compensation. I’ll take you to buy a new one tomorrow.” I quietly watched them for a few seconds. Then I smiled. “Alex,” I said, enunciating each word. “You disgust me.” “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to decide for me?” “Tell me to give you my sports car? Not a chance.” I turned, heading directly for the estate gates. “Stop right there!” Alex roared from behind me. “Olivia! If you don’t apologize to Luna today, don’t expect me to marry you!” The instant his words fell— “Bang!” The heavy oak doors of the estate burst open from within. A dark blur flew out, striking Alex precisely on the back of his head. Grandpa’s powerful roar echoed from inside the doors, reverberating through the entire front courtyard: “Idiot! Who are you going to marry? That’s your aunt!”

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My only daughter trashed my office, all for some gold-digging opportunist. I refused to make him Vice President of the company, and she absolutely lost it. “Mom,” she wailed, tears streaming down her face, “you can’t just hog the company forever! You’re getting old. Isn’t this supposed to be Liam’s to manage eventually?” Furious, I immediately fired Liam Miller. I laid out all the evidence showing he was completely untrustworthy, not someone she could ever build a future with. I thought she’d come to her senses, but instead, she slammed a formal declaration disowning me onto my desk. “You’ve been single for twenty years, Mom. All you see is money. Do you even know what love is? I’m marrying Liam, no matter what. If you don’t approve, then fine, go spend the rest of your life alone with your precious company.” Watching her storm out and slam the door, I picked up my phone and called my nephew. “Ryan,” I said, my voice steady, “come home. It’s time to take over the company. Your cousin doesn’t want it anymore.”

After hanging up, I immediately instructed HR to draft his appointment notice. At the same time, I contacted a friend, set up an irrevocable trust for my assets, and cut off all of Scarlett’s credit cards and financial support. I’ve been in the business world for twenty years, Eleanor Vance. I’ve navigated the choppiest waters; nothing fazes me. Liam wouldn’t seriously think he could control me just by using my daughter, would he? Whispers spread through the company. No one understood why I was bringing in a fresh-faced kid to be the new CEO. But I knew exactly what I was doing. It was about pushing him into a corner. Otherwise, my daughter would fall into a true abyss, drained dry, bone and blood, by a leech like Liam. Sure enough, Liam got the message. He arranged to meet me in a private lounge at a high-end club. When I arrived, Liam was already seated, impeccably dressed in a suit, a fancy gift box on the table in front of him. I had to admit, Liam had good looks, alright. With those charming, almost too-sincere eyes that could make any girl swoon, he was a real heartbreaker. He saw me, politely stood up, poured me tea, and pulled out my chair. “Ms. Vance, I think you might have misunderstood me,” he began, his smile perfectly composed, his manner respectful. “I’d like to speak with you as a respectful junior.” “The Sterling Group reported me for demanding exorbitant kickbacks,” he explained, holding my gaze. “That’s only because I’m strict about quality. I found a box of slightly damaged goods, and they tried to pass it off. I refused.” He pulled out a quality inspection report and placed it in front of me. “And about me taking an intern to a hotel room? She had too much to drink at a client dinner that night. I had no choice but to take her to a hotel.” He then showed me their SnapChat messages from the next day. It was just the intern thanking him, no hint of anything inappropriate. He sighed, looking at me with feigned helplessness. “Ms. Vance, I know I come from a humble background, and I might not be good enough for Scarlett. But Scarlett and I are genuinely in love. She cried all night yesterday, and it broke my heart.” He stood up, bowed deeply, his face radiating an air of righteous sincerity. “Ms. Vance, you came from humble beginnings too, didn’t you? Just give me a chance, and I promise I won’t let you down.” I stared coldly at Liam, cutting straight to the chase. “Liam, what if I don’t give you that chance?” His expression faltered for a second, then a wider, almost cruel smile flashed across his face. “Ms. Vance, why make things so drastic? If you support me, I’ll treat you like my own mother. Wouldn’t that be better than those arrogant trust-fund kids?” “Eleanor,” he continued, leaning forward, “Scarlett and I have already been intimate. With a little more effort, I’m sure we’ll have a grandchild for you very soon. Do you really want Scarlett to be shamed and ridiculed by high society, a woman without proper standing?” My heart clenched painfully. Scarlett had grown up in a mansion, her bedroom carpeted in wool, drinking imported milk. She attended the top international private schools, surrounded by children of the wealthy elite. My little princess, whom I had nurtured so carefully, I truly didn’t want to see her dragged into the mud. But Liam was wrong. I didn’t get to where I am today by letting personal feelings cloud my judgment. I slowly pulled out the trust agreement and slid it across the table. The moment his eyes landed on the ‘beneficiary’ clause, his face drained of all color. He snatched the document, his expression contorted with rage. “Why?! Ryan Vance is an outsider, a distant relative! Is he closer to you than I am, your daughter’s partner?” I just gave him a cold, small smile. “Liam, your grand ambitions have come to nothing.” Liam slowly released the document, a chilling, cruel smile spreading across his face. “Eleanor, since you clearly don’t care about Scarlett, then I guess I have no choice. I’ll just have to drag her down to the bottom with me.”

The moment I stepped out of the club, my daughter’s call came through. “Mom, Liam has already humbled himself, practically begged you and explained everything! Do you really have to tear us apart?” “I don’t care what tricks you’re pulling, I’m marrying him, and that’s final!” Her sharp accusations and furious shouts rang in my ear. All about how good Liam was to her – he’d stayed up all night comforting her through her period cramps, he’d wake up at 6:30 AM to make her favorite seafood stew, making her feel the warmth of a true home. While I, the “robot,” only offered cold, hard cash. Finally, she pleaded with me to just let her have her true love. Hearing her tearful accusations, my heart ached with a sharp, wrenching pain. My whole body trembled. For a man, she’d forgotten every parent-teacher conference I’d attended despite my packed schedule, forgotten how I’d abandoned lucrative deals just to be with her on her eighteenth birthday trip. The privileged life I’d worked so hard to give her, in her eyes, had become a cold, sterile cage. But she hadn’t seen the greed in Liam’s eyes the first time he entered our home, staring at the antique artwork. The expensive liquor cabinet wasn’t something he admired; it sparked pure jealousy and resentment. And that snide remark he’d blurted out, “Eleanor, maybe a woman like you shouldn’t drink so much.” It sounded like concern, but his tone dripped with unspoken disapproval, as if I were squandering his money. I knew I was wrong. I’d raised her in a bubble, leaving her utterly clueless about the depravity of human nature. I’d fostered a naive, innocent, and spoiled personality. That’s why a few cheap compliments and a pitiful ‘woe-is-me’ act about his unrecognized talents were all it took to completely win her over. By then, my mind was made up. I simply spoke calmly, “Scarlett, I’ve already informed your cousin to come back and take over the company. If you break up with Liam now, you’ll still be the heir. But if you persist in this folly, I will formally hand the company over to him.” “My business, which I built from the ground up over twenty years, isn’t a charity project, and I’m certainly not going to hand it over to an ungrateful parasite.” My daughter was furious. “Mom, let’s be real. You just look down on Liam because he’s not rich. You’re a snob, and you just want to use me for some arranged marriage to boost your business and make even more money!” “Liam said those videos were all staged by you, hired people to set him up! How could you be so evil?!” “Don’t worry,” she continued, her voice trembling with anger, “I’ll make sure you see that Liam can succeed even without you. You’ll realize how despicable you are for trying to destroy true love!” Then she slammed the phone down. My heart seized, and I almost couldn’t catch my breath. Once I recovered, I started calling a few old friends, moving ahead with my original plan. Liam was smarter than I’d given him credit for; he understood the importance of leverage. He sold Scarlett’s Cartier bracelet, her ruby necklace, and some designer bags. He cleared his payday loans, cashed out a couple hundred thousand dollars, and then decisively rented a small office building and registered his own company. I heard the grand opening was quite a spectacle. He held a grand bouquet of a thousand roses, knelt before Scarlett for the cameras and social media influencers, and proposed. “Scarlett, you are the most understanding woman I’ve ever known, the woman willing to build an empire with me from nothing. I, Liam, swear that from this day forward, you are my life. I will live every day for you.” Supposedly, Scarlett was so moved she burst into tears, clinging to him and sobbing, vowing never to leave his side. I stood calmly by the wide floor-to-ceiling windows on the twenty-fourth floor, listening to my secretary report on Liam’s latest moves.

With money in hand, he rented a lavish penthouse apartment and even moved his mother and younger brother from his old town, claiming they were there to ‘help’ Scarlett with the house. Yeah, right. He then started parading Scarlett around to visit family friends and business acquaintances, hoping she’d bat her eyelashes and beg for contracts. My old friend, Mr. Sterling, even sent me a video. “Mr. Sterling, you’ve known me my whole life, you have to help us this time! Liam and I aren’t asking for much, just a third of the contracts you usually give my mother’s company.” “Mr. Sterling, honestly, my mom’s just been single for too long. She can’t stand to see me happy, and she’s intentionally trying to sabotage Liam. Trust me, if you partner with us, Liam will cut you a much better deal than she ever would.” Beside her, Liam, in his slick gold-rimmed glasses, sat there, looking utterly confident, like he’d already won. “Mr. Sterling,” he chimed in, “we’re all smart people here. You give me a leg up now, and when I become the CEO of Vance Corp, you’ll be my most valued client.” Mr. Sterling just smiled, saying he’d “consider it,” then had his secretary escort the persistent Scarlett out. But Scarlett clung to the door frame, still pleading with Mr. Sterling, promising that once they weathered this storm, she’d give him five percent of Vance Corp in company shares. Watching the video, seeing her red-rimmed eyes stubbornly offering Mr. Sterling ten percent of the company, my heart burned with fury, but I felt no pity. I had already spoken to Mr. Sterling, along with all my other trusted clients. No one would be doing business with that opportunist. He truly thought he could use my name to make a fortune? Dream on. Besides, Vance Corp was already entirely in the trust, and Ryan Vance was the designated beneficiary. My secretary continued to track their situation, and I listened silently to her report. A month passed with no contracts, and the harsh realities of life quickly caught up to them. Rent and utilities were due, and the two employees they’d hired needed to be paid. Liam’s mother, believing her son had become a big-shot CEO, went on a spending spree. She bought five gold bangles, rings for all ten fingers, and a mountain of “health” and beauty products. All told, it was easily over forty thousand dollars. You might ask where she got so much money. Well, Liam, eager to show off, had linked his PayPal to his mother’s, telling her to buy whatever she liked. He had no idea his penny-pinching mother, who used to haggle over pennies, would suddenly be dropping tens of thousands without batting an eye. When Liam and Scarlett went to the supermarket to buy groceries, the card was declined – insufficient funds. A frantic call revealed they were overdrawn by six thousand dollars. When Scarlett and Liam rushed home, they found Caleb, Liam’s younger brother, with his bleached blonde hair and lazy grin, glued to his phone, racking up charges on a game. Scarlett lunged forward, snatching the phone and smashing it on the floor. “Do you have any idea that’s our startup money, yours and Liam’s?! Who gave you permission to blow it on games?!” Seeing his broken phone, Caleb shoved Scarlett hard in the chest. “You bitch, it’s my brother’s money! What’s it to you?! Who the hell do you think you are?!” He raised his hand and slapped Scarlett across the face. Mrs. Miller quickly pulled back her youngest son, who was about to strike again, and then said in a mocking tone, “Well, well, I guess you just can’t marry a rich girl! No respect for elders, just smashing things before you’re even officially family. Do I, your future mother-in-law, even exist to you?” Scarlett, I was told, froze on the spot, clutching her stinging face. Growing up, no one had ever laid a hand on her, especially not a man. Scarlett was about to explode, but Liam grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, and dragged her into their room. From behind them, Mrs. Miller’s voice dripped with disdain. “Liam, you need to teach her a lesson today, or she’ll walk all over us! A woman with no manners like that, how can she be worthy of you?” For the first time, the couple had a screaming match about money inside their room. Liam ranted about the hardships his mother and brother faced, subtly blaming Scarlett for embarrassing them in public. Scarlett, however, was dumbfounded, staring at the man she had so wholeheartedly trusted. She’d been hit, and he hadn’t defended her. Instead, he was accusing her of only caring about money, telling her to prioritize family above all else. A few hundred thousand dollars used to be mere pocket money to Scarlett. Now, that money wasn’t just cash; it was the foundation proving she wasn’t wrong, the starting point of her ‘true love.’ But Liam kept going on and on about his mother and brother’s struggles. In that moment, something inside Scarlett began to crumble. Finally, Liam went to boil an egg for her swelling face, then softened his tone and coaxed her. “Scarlett, you’re from a noble family, you know? My mom and brother, they feel inferior. They’re afraid you look down on them.” “You smashed Caleb’s phone today. How can they possibly stay here now without losing face? If word gets back home, they’ll say I married a shrew!” “From now on, take out your anger on me. Hit me, yell at me, whatever you want, but you have to give them some respect.” He even raised his hand and lightly slapped his own face, starting to play the victim. “It’s all my fault for being useless, for not making more money and putting my wife in such a tough spot.” “I swear, from now on, all my money goes to you, my dear. You’ll be in charge of everything.” Eventually, under Liam’s sweet talk, Scarlett’s anger subsided. The next day, she, the new “head of the household,” actually sold the diamond necklace I’d flown to the US to bid on for her eighteenth birthday, just to fund Liam’s business. Liam perked up, sensing an opportunity. I knew it was time to bait the hook and reel him in.

At my signal, Mr. Sterling deliberately introduced Liam to a company. It was an old, established company, quite prominent in the city. But only I knew that an ethics committee had already begun investigating their criminal activities. They were set to implode within three months, tops. The company was desperate for cash and was actively seeking clients at inflated prices. After Mr. Sterling’s introduction, both sides immediately clicked. Liam wanted to use this opportunity to make his first big fortune. The other company wanted to take the money and run. With the promise of huge profits and the company’s long-standing reputation, Liam immediately transferred the eight hundred thousand dollars from the necklace sale into their account as a supply fund. He signed a long-term cooperation agreement. He had no idea this was his greed digging his own path to hell. Liam started frequenting fancy hotels, inviting former classmates and colleagues to lavish dinners, urging them to join his new company, already strutting around like a successful entrepreneur. Liam’s mother even called back home, boasting about how amazing her son was, signing multi-million dollar contracts with nearly a million in profit. Liam’s uncle immediately arrived with his son and daughter. His second aunt arrived with her daughter and son-in-law. Mrs. Miller instantly declared Liam’s uncle’s son the Vice President, and his second aunt’s daughter the Assistant Manager. The second aunt was furious. “Why is my daughter only assistant manager?! Liam and I are true siblings! How can outsiders interfere in our family company?” Her brother, Uncle Ben, slammed his hand on the table, bringing up past favors. In their heated argument, both families started throwing punches. Mrs. Miller couldn’t break them up and had to call Liam. When Liam rushed home, he found utter chaos. The TV was smashed on the floor, cups and vases shattered everywhere, and the marble coffee table lay broken in two. Even worse, his second aunt’s son-in-law had a bleeding head wound, and his uncle’s son couldn’t move due to a back injury. Liam looked at the crying, wailing mess of people and had no choice but to call an ambulance first. Scarlett, meanwhile, was wide-eyed, staring at the older relatives still shouting obscenities, until she heard Mrs. Miller declare that everyone would take turns being Vice President for six months. Only then did the two groups quiet down. The second aunt immediately demanded an annual salary of fifty thousand dollars, stating that no money should go to “outsiders.” Liam actually agreed without hesitation. In that moment, a sudden wave of dread washed over Scarlett. At the hospital, when the doctor asked for the admission fee, Uncle Frank and Aunt Carol immediately turned their eyes to Liam. Seeing this, Mrs. Miller quickly stepped forward. “Liam, your sister and brother are technically employees of your company now, right? So you should cover their medical bills.” Scarlett finally couldn’t hold back. “Carol, the company has a proper hiring process! They have no education, no experience! How can they be senior executives?” “And as for the medical bills, we can’t pay them. They got into a private brawl themselves! What does that have to do with Liam and me?” Mrs. Miller immediately lunged, slapping Scarlett across the face. “What gives you, a woman, the right to speak on men’s affairs?! My son’s money goes to whoever he wants! It’s not for some abandoned girl kicked out of her own home to decide!” Liam, too, roughly grabbed Scarlett, his tone harsh. “Scarlett, those are my family! How dare you speak to them like that?!” “It’s just a little medical fee! Once the shipment arrives, we’ll have millions in profit! Don’t be like your mother, caring only about money and having no warmth!” He glanced at the simple jade bangle on Scarlett’s wrist and said impatiently, “Scarlett, I’ve been entertaining a lot of clients lately, and I’m a bit tight on cash. Sell that bangle to cover the medical bills, and when I make money, I’ll buy you an even more expensive one.” Scarlett looked at Liam’s entitled expression, and for the first time, her eyes turned cold. “Liam, this bangle was my grandmother’s. I will not sell it to support a bunch of leeches.” Liam’s family instantly erupted, showering Scarlett with insults. “You little whore! Who are you calling a leech?! You shameless runaway, back in the day, they’d drown you for less!” They grabbed Scarlett’s clothes, pushing and shoving her. “If it weren’t for your mother owning a company, my family wouldn’t even want a shameless tramp like you! Now Liam’s a big boss, how can a stupid girl like you be worthy of him?!” Scarlett’s face was scratched, her hair ripped, and Mrs. Miller even slapped her several times. “My son even looking at you is your good fortune! And you dare to look down on our family?!” Scarlett cried out, calling for Liam. He just stood there coldly, watching. After a long moment, he finally walked forward, grabbed her arm, and tried to pry off the bangle. “Scarlett, it’s just a cheap bangle. Why make such a scene? You brought this on yourself!” Scarlett struggled desperately, then SMACK! Liam’s palm landed squarely on her face. Scarlett froze, tears streaming down her face like a broken dam. In that moment, her world collapsed into ruins. She wasn’t crying over the slap itself, but over her shattered faith in love and her trampled dignity. Liam didn’t coddle her with tenderness as he usually would. Instead, his face was cold as he forcefully ripped off the bangle. I stepped out from around the corner, my gaze chillingly sharp. “Liam, put the bangle down. I’ve already called the police.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “336913”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #擦边Steamy

I was born with a cognitive disability. The day my sister Audrey came to pick me up from school, a man dragged her into an alley. She was assaulted, and killed. I was the only witness. My parents seized my shoulders, their faces twisted with fury and grief. “Tell us! You saw his face. Speak!” I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. They threw me out that night. Unable to care for myself, I became a ghost on the streets. I begged. I scavenged. I slept under bridges. Until the day a man in a black suit found me. He said he was Audrey’s fiancé. He knelt, met my hollow eyes, and spoke gently. “I know a place where we can make you see that day again. But it will cost you your life.” My grimy hands fisted in my stained shirt. I nodded, hard. “I’ll go.” What did I have to fear from death? All I feared was forgetting the killer’s face. Under the stark glare of the live broadcast lights, I stood before the Memory Tribunal. The audience sat watching, the cameras like dark, hollow eyes. They said this trial would be streamed to the world. Julian, who called himself Audrey’s fiancé, stood at my side, his expression unreadable. “You can still walk away.” I shook my head. At that moment, a wave of commotion broke through the entrance. I looked up and saw my parents rushing in. The moment Mom saw me, tears streamed down her face, yet her words cut sharp. “You heartless monster. Audrey was so good to you. She bought you candy, picked you up from school. She died horribly. You saw the killer. Why did you stay silent?” My father stood furious, his voice ragged. “We raised you, even with your condition, and never resented you. Is this how you repay your Audrey?” A murmur rose from the audience. The cameras turned toward them. Mom sobbed, barely able to stand. “You were always jealous of Audrey. Jealous she was smart and beautiful, that everyone loved her. But she never looked down on you, her disabled sister. She did not even have to pick you up that day. She pitied you. She was afraid you would be bullied.” Mom’s voice grew shrill. “She died because of you! Don’t you understand?!” I stared blankly at their hysterical faces, my eyes burning. So they really did hate me that much. So, in everyone’s eyes, I was the one who killed Audrey. Julian’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, his voice low. “Audrey would never blame you.” turned to him, my own voice barely a whisper. “If I go through the Memory Tribunal, the person who hurt Audrey will be caught, right?” Julian was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. It’s a global broadcast. The whole world will see what happened that day.” “Then let’s begin.” Julian looked at me. “But it will be painful.” He pointed to the center of the stand, where a long silver needle stood upright. “That needle will pierce the crown of your head, enter your cerebral cortex, and read your memories.” “The deeper the memory, the deeper it will go.” I paused for two seconds. My gaze drifted to my parents, still weeping and cursing in the audience. Then I offered a faint smile. “I’m not afraid of pain.” Julian’s brows furrowed. “As long as Audrey’s killer is caught,” I said softly, “as long as my parents can forgive me… any pain is worth it.” Julian was silent for a long while. Finally, he glanced at the doctor in the white coat nearby and gave a single nod. “Begin.” The doctor stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over me, then turning to Julian. “Once the Memory Tribunal begins, it cannot be stopped. The neural extraction is irreversible. When the procedure ends, the patient will be brain-dead. The damage is too severe” He paused. “Should we inform the family of these risks before we proceed” I spoke immediately. “No!” My voice was quiet, but steady. Absolute. Everyone looked at me. I met Julian’s gaze, my eyes resolute. “Please don’t tell them yet… okay?” In the audience, my mother was still crying. My father glared at the stage, his face grim. Julian’s throat moved as he swallowed. “Alright.” Then two nurses walked over, helping me lie down on the cold metal table. My body was secured with restraints-my wrists, ankles, waist… Finally, a metal ring clamped onto my forehead. A nurse approached with a syringe and injected a cold liquid into my vein. The world began to blur. Above my head, the long silver needle descended slowly, its tip aligned with the precise center of my forehead. Then, my mother’s horrified cry cut through the room. “Stop, stop it!”

My eyes snapped open. A thin, desperate hope flickered in my chest. Was Mom…finally worried about me? But then, Mom’s cold voice came again. “Doctor, please make sure we see what happened that day. Her body doesn’t matter.” Dad chimed in from beside her. “Money is no object. Charge us whatever it takes. Just make sure we catch the monster who killed Audrey!” My heart tightened, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. After hearing their words, Julian’s gaze darkened, a trace of unbearable sorrow flashing in his eyes. The Memory Tribunal continued. The silver needle pierced my forehead, entering my skull. The excruciating pain made my entire body tremble, and I bit down hard on my teeth. I could feel warm blood oozing out, flowing into my ears, soaking my hair. Then the first memory appeared on the large screen. The screen was intensely shaky, like a vision seen through tears. A hazy sky, Audrey’s funeral portrait placed in the center of the wake. I knelt on the ground, the wake filled with people, everyone dressed in black. Mom collapsed onto Audrey’s coffin, sobbing uncontrollably. Dad stood beside her, his eyes red and swollen, his whole body trembling. Suddenly, Mom turned and threw herself in front of me, clutching my shoulders tightly. “Skylar, tell me, what happened that day? You saw it, didn’t you? Who killed Audrey?” Her nails dug deep into my skin, her voice a high, sharp blade. “Speak! Say it!” I looked up, tears streaming unbroken. “I’m sorry, I really can’t remember.” Mom’s voice suddenly rose. “How can you not remember?! Audrey died right in front of you!” She suddenly grabbed my hair, forcing my head down to the ground. Thud. My forehead hit the tile floor hard. “Kneel for Audrey! Beg for her forgiveness!” Another slam. “After all we’ve done for you, how could you do this to Audrey?!” Thud. A vivid red bloodstain was left on the tile. “How could you forget? How could you!” The me on the screen, my forehead a bloody mess, my eyes wide open, pupils reflecting Audrey’s funeral portrait. Blood flowed down from my temple, mixing with tears, dripping onto the ground. I didn’t struggle, I just let Mom press my head, hitting it against the ground again and again. Everyone in the wake watched; no one stepped forward to stop her. I knelt at Audrey’s wake for a day and a night. After Audrey was buried, Mom threw a large bundle at my feet. “Skylar,” she pointed to the door, “Get out!” “Don’t come back until you remember what happened that day. If you can’t remember, never come home again.” I froze, staring blankly at the bundle on the ground, then looked up at Mom. “Mom.” “Don’t call me Mom!” she shrieked. “I don’t have a daughter like you!” Dad walked over, silently grabbed my arm, and dragged me out. I panicked. I burst into tears and clung to Mom’s leg. “Mom, I’m sorry… I’ll remember… Please don’t make me leave… Mom, I’m scared.” Dad pried my fingers away, one by one. His grip was iron. My bones ached. The door swung open. I was shoved outside. The bundle landed at my feet. The heavy door slammed shut in front of me. I knelt on the ground, pounding hard on the door. “Mom… Dad…” “I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…” There was no response from inside. After a very long time, I cried myself out, then picked up the bundle from the ground. Dragging my still-bleeding forehead, I walked down the stairs, step by step. As I exited the building, I looked back at the fourth-floor window. The curtains were drawn tight. The screen dimmed. The entire hall fell silent. Suddenly, Dad’s enraged voice boomed. “What is this?! This isn’t what we want to see!!” Mom also shrieked. “We want to know the truth about Audrey’s death!! What happened in that alley that day?!” “Keep going! Keep watching!” A murmur of whispers rose from the audience. Julian looked at the screen, then at me on the stand, pale and blood-stained, his lips moving. The doctor sighed, his voice amplified by the microphone, echoing through the room. “First-layer memory extraction complete. As the memories deepen, the patient’s pain will continuously increase. The nervous system, under extreme suffering, may cause extraction to be interrupted or…” His words were cut short by Dad. “Continue. Whatever the cost, as long as the killer is caught.” Mom covered her face, crying. “We just want to know the truth!”

The doctor looked to Julian. Julian stayed silent, his knuckles white. “…Proceed.” The doctor’s hands moved over the console. The silver needle drove deeper. I screamed. It felt like a red-hot iron rod was churning inside my brain. My whole body began to convulse violently. Sweat instantly drenched my thin clothes, veins bulging on my forehead. The screen lit up again. This time, the screen showed me cornered by a group of boys. “Look, it’s Skylar, the idiot!” “Still playing in the dirt, dummy?” They picked up pebbles and trash and started throwing them at me. I looked up, staring blankly at them. “Look at her, she doesn’t even cry. Total moron.” “Should we bury her in the sandbox?” “Yeah!” Amid their taunts and laughter, a dirty hand shot out, grabbed my arm, and yanked me hard. I lost my balance and tumbled into the sandbox. “Bury her!” “Yeah! Bury the idiot!” Amid the excited shouts, several hands pushed me down and held me there. Heavy sand began to fall on my head and body, handful by handful. It was so heavy, pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. The sand covered my waist, then piled up to my chest. I was going to be buried. I couldn’t move, couldn’t cry out. Just as the sand reached my shoulders, a sharp, clear voice cut through the air. “What are you doing?! Let her go!” It was Audrey! She stood at the edge of the sandpit, her high ponytail bright under the sun, hands on her hips. She seemed to glow. “You’re bullying Skylar?” Her voice was pure fire. “Leave her alone, or I’m calling the police!” The boys froze, then released their grip on me. “Audrey, she is just an idiot.” “What did you say?” Audrey took a step forward, eyes wide and blazing. “Skylar is not an idiot! She just… thinks a little slower.” “She’s kinder than all of you!” Cowed by her fierceness, the boys mumbled and scattered. Audrey ran over, dug away the sand, and pulled me out. Her eyes were full of worry. “Skylar, are you okay? Are you hurt?” I shook my head, but tears fell anyway. “Don’t cry.” Audrey hugged me close, gently patting my back. “Don’t be scared, Skylar,I’m here.” “If anyone bullies you again, just tell me.” “I’ll protect you, okay?” The me on the screen buried my head in Audrey’s embrace, sobbing softly. Audrey smelled of sweet-scented soap. Her hands were so warm. In the audience, Mom had collapsed onto her chair, sobbing. “Audrey… my Audrey was so kind since she was little…” “She was good to everyone… especially to this poor, disabled sister…” Dad’s eyes were also red, his voice choked. “Audrey was always so sensible, always knew how to take care of her sister…” Julian watched the screen in silence, his eyes fixed, filled with a deep longing for his beloved. The next second, Mom suddenly turned, glaring at me on the stage, her voice hoarse. “Skylar! Look! Look how good your sister was to you!” “How could you… how could you forget how she died?!” Dad also pointed at me, heartbroken. “Skylar, what happened that day? Your sister was so good to you, why won’t you just say it?!” “Did you really see something… but chose not to tell us?” I lay on the tribunal stand, listening to their accusations. Tears streamed down my temples. I wanted to tell them too. Mom and Dad. I really wanted to know what happened that day. I also wanted to know who killed Audrey. But I… really couldn’t remember. Deep inside my brain, a sharp, piercing pain suddenly erupted. The silver needle suddenly began emitting an electric current. I arched my back violently, and a mouthful of blood spewed from my throat.

“Blood pressure plummeting! Neural shock too severe!” The doctor’s startled cry was drowned out by my parents’ even shriller screams. “Forget all that! The scene! We need to see the alley scene! Continue! Keep going!” Julian lunged forward, slamming his fist onto the edge of the control panel. “I want the truth too, but can’t you see she’s dying?!” “I don’t care!” Mom cried. “This is what she owes Audrey! This is the only reason she’s still breathing!” A crimson haze swam before my eyes, yet through the agony, my hearing grew unnaturally sharp. Inside my skull, the silver needle churned violently once more. A fresh wave of pain tore through me. The screen flickered violently, then shone with blinding white light. This time, the scene showed me after my parents had kicked me out. I was cornered by a few thuggish youths in a dilapidated construction site. There were broken bricks on the ground, and the air was thick with dust. “Hey dummy, heard your folks don’t want you back?” The leader, a bleach-blond guy, took a drag of his cigarette and jabbed my shoulder with a stick. “So, if we mess with you, ain’t nobody gonna care, right?” I pressed myself into the damp wall, trembling, my fingers curled tight around a sharp shard of broken stone. “a real stare on you, huh?” Another guy stepped in and slapped me across the face. The stinging pain was intense. But clearer than the pain were my parents’ whispers, echoing repeatedly in my ears- “She needs to suffer a bit, then she’ll be scared, then she’ll try harder to remember…” “Audrey can’t die in vain… This is to force her…” Those fragments flashed back constantly. Mom’s back, secretly slipping money to the hoodlums in the alley; Dad, whispering into the phone, “Scare her good, make her suffer a bit.” So all those people who’d been stealing my food, beating me down, even trying to strip my clothes off… they were all arranged by Mom and Dad. My heart shattered into a million pieces at that moment. I suddenly let out a scream, clutching the broken stone, and threw myself at them, heedless of the consequences. They seemed surprised by my resistance, quickly pinned me to the ground, grabbed stones, and started smashing them against my head. The screen shook violently, mixed with crude curses and the sound of blows. It wasn’t until I was covered in blood, lying motionless on the ground, that the thugs cursed and walked away. My vision slowly blurred. A pair of leather shoes stopped in my line of sight. It was Julian. He looked at me, his expression complex and unreadable. “Skylar, do you want revenge for your sister?” I opened my mouth, and bloody foam welled up. “I know a way to get the memory from your brain… what you saw that day.” He paused. “But the process is very painful. And, you…” Julian hadn’t finished speaking when the screen abruptly changed. Finally, it was the scene from that alley. I was carrying my schoolbag, and Audrey stood across the street, waving at me with a smile. She was wearing a new dress today; she looked beautiful. My eyes lit up, and I wanted to run over. Just as I stepped onto the sidewalk and was about to reach Audrey’s side- A tall figure, ghost-like, wearing a black mask and a baseball cap, shot out from the side alley. He clamped a hand over Audrey’s mouth and dragged her, violently, into the shadows of the nearby alley. Audrey’s scream was smothered. Her eyes stretched wide with terror, legs kicking wildly. I froze, horrified. Then I lunged forward on instinct, reaching for Audrey’s hand. Without even looking back, the attacker swung his leg and kicked me hard in the stomach. Thud. I was thrown backward, my head cracking against the pavement. A wave of searing pain and dizziness swallowed me whole. Warm liquid began to spread from the back of my skull. My vision swayed, blurred. No sound rose from my throat. But I forced my eyes wide, straining to see into the alley’s shadows. In the gloom, Audrey was pinned hard to the ground. She thrashed wildly, her hands clawing at empty air. Enraged by her struggle, the attacker raised his arm. In that split second, Audrey snatched upward. The black mask tore away in her grasp. The faint light from the alley’s mouth fell directly onto the face now laid bare.

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I married Jacob Thorne, a man who recoiled from human touch. For three years, he never once touched me. Then I saw him in a live stream, holding Celeste Monroe, the acclaimed pianist who was his first love. He was stroking her hair. So it was not an illness. He was simply allergic to me. When the earthquake hit, he shielded Celeste and rushed for the door, leaving me behind. My right hand was fractured. He said coldly, “Her hands are for playing piano. Yours? Just tie it to a piece of wood.” I wiped my tears and pulled out the art box I hadn’t opened in years. This time, I was done with him. Later, I, a left handed artist, took the art world by storm. A loving new partner stood by my side. And the man who once said my touch made him sick knelt in the rainy night, covered in blood, trembling as he asked, “Anya, now am I worthy of touching you?” Anya POV Jacob and I had been married for three years, but I’d never once touched him. Everyone in New York knew of Jacob’s condition: a severe psychological aversion to touch. The slightest physical contact could send him into a state of violent revulsion. For three years, we slept in separate rooms, ate at separate tables, and even passed documents through a cloth. At two in the morning, I stared at the replay on my phone, a cold dread settling in my bones. There, on screen, was my husband, Jacob, holding a woman in a white gown in a tight embrace. She was weeping, her face buried against him, while his hand moved in slow, gentle circles over her back, stroking her long hair. That woman was Celeste. Jacob’s childhood sweetheart. The pianist who had just claimed an international prize. Jacob’s grandma Emma had chosen me as his wife, simply because at a Thorne family banquet, I was the only woman he had stared at for more than five seconds. The Thorne family had covered all expenses for my seriously ill mother until her passing. On our wedding day, Emma had held my hand, tears in her eyes. “Anya, I know what I’m asking of you is difficult. Jacob’s condition…no doctor has been able to reach him. As his wife, you must have patience. Stay with him, and I believe he can heal.” I believed her. Because I, too, had fallen for Jacob the moment I saw him. I accepted the marriage. And in my quiet hope to “cure” him, I put away every sharp, artistic part of myself. Before marriage, I was a well-known painter. But Jacob couldn’t stand the smell of paint, I sealed away my brushes. I studied psychological counseling, learned non-contact companionship, but Jacob remained as distant as ever for three years. Yet now, in the video, Jacob looked completely at ease in that embrace, his eyes even filled with deep affection. So, there was no condition. No psychological aversion. He just didn’t want to touch me. My fingers shook as I scrolled to the comments. “Oh my god, isn’t Mr. Thorne unable to touch people?” “That’s Celeste. His first love. She’s always been the exception!” “This is the famous ‘I’m allergic to the whole world, except you’!” I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, tears streaming down my face. My three years of careful devotion had been a complete and utter joke. Two hours ago, I’d asked him when he’d be home, and he’d only replied with a cold “overtime.” His “overtime” was spent accompanying Celeste to her award ceremony. Since he wasn’t sick, and since his white moonlight was back, it was my turn to exit the stage. I wiped my tears and pulled out the art box I hadn’t touched in three years from under the bed. I was going to get a divorce. The next afternoon, I went to the downtown art center to pick up a stored painting. “Mr. Thorne, this is the exhibition hall reserved for you.” The curator’s eager voice reached me. I turned, holding the canvas, and saw Jacob and Celeste walking in. Celeste intimately linked arms with Jacob. Our eyes met. Jacob’s gentle expression instantly froze, and he instinctively pulled his arm away, looking at me. “What are you doing here?” Celeste seemed to just notice me, covering her mouth in feigned surprise. Then she flashed an innocent smile and re-linked arms with Jacob. “Jacob, this must be your wife, right? What a coincidence.” She glanced at the painting in my hands. “This painting… did your wife paint it? It looks pretty mediocre, actually.” Jacob didn’t even look at the painting, only stared coldly at me. “This isn’t where you belong.” I took a deep breath, just about to speak- Boom! The floor violently shook! “Earthquake! Run!” The exhibition hall instantly descended into chaos. The art center’s glass dome and heavy chandeliers swayed precariously in the tremor. I was jostled by the crowd, the sharp edge of the painting frame in my arms slammed hard against my ribs. “Jacob!” Celeste shrieked. I looked up to see Jacob sweep Celeste into his arms without a moment’s hesitation, shielding her with his body as he bolted for the emergency exit. Above me, the great crystal chandelier began its deadly plunge. “Jacob.” I instinctively called out. Jacob’s stride hitched for less than a second. Then he tightened his hold on Celeste and vanished through the exit, never looking back. Crash. The massive impact and flying glass shards instantly engulfed me. Excruciating pain shot through me as I fell into a pool of blood, my right wrist pinned beneath a heavy piece of metal. The scene was pure chaos. Not far away, Celeste lay on a stretcher, with only slightly disheveled hair. “Ambulance! Treat Celeste first!” Jacob blocked the paramedics rushing towards me. “Celeste’s hands are for playing the piano; there can’t be any mistakes with them!” A nurse, unable to bear it, pointed at me and said, “Sir, that lady is bleeding a lot, and her right hand might be broken…” “Treat Celeste first!” Jacob pushed the nurse away, glancing at me in the corner. “As for her hand…” “Just splint it with a piece of wood. It can wait until she gets to the hospital.” The crash of the chandelier didn’t hurt half as much as his words did. So, in Jacob’s world, Celeste’s hands were priceless. And mine were disposable. The piercing pain made me extremely clear-headed. With my left hand, I pulled out my phone and slowly typed a line. “Jacob, let’s get a divorce.” I hit sent.

Anya POV The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was sharp and cold. I struggled to open my eyes, only to find my right hand useless. My entire right arm was encased in a thick cast. “Awake?” Jacob closed the document he was reading and stood up, walking closer. “The doctor said your right hand has a comminuted fracture and torn tendons.” His tone was as calm as if he were discussing the weather. “The surgery was successful, but you… probably won’t be able to hold a paintbrush steadily again.” My heart gave a violent lurch. Jacob took an exquisite rectangular brocade box from the table behind him and casually placed it on my bedside table. “Open it and see.” I didn’t move, just watched him silently. Jacob seemed a little impatient, so he reached out and opened the box himself. Inside was a scroll, which, when unrolled, revealed an oil painting. “This is an authentic work by that deceased master you’ve always admired.” “This painting is for you, as compensation for this accident.” I stared at the priceless painting, unable to speak. “Don’t you like it?” Jacob’s tone deepened. “Anya, don’t be too greedy. We treated Celeste first because she has a crucial competition in Vienna next week. She’s a pianist. Her hands absolutely cannot be compromised. As for you…” “You just paint at home for leisure; it doesn’t affect your life. The Thorne family has more than enough to support you. You should know what’s more important.” What’s more important. I closed my eyes. “Jacob,” “Did you see my message?” “Don’t ever mention divorce again.” He frowned. “Celeste was startled and is emotionally unstable, so I’ll be very busy these next few days. Just focus on recovering quietly; the nurse will take care of you.” “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” I stared intently at him. “I’m serious. I’ve had enough of this life. I’m not being Mrs. Thorne anymore; we’re gettin’-” A frantic knock interrupted me. Liam Davies, his assistant, rushed in, looking flustered. “Mr. Thorne! Miss Monroe is causing a scene in her room! She says her hand is numb and she can’t play the piano, she’s throwing things and won’t let the doctors near her… She’ll only see you!” Jacob’s expression changed instantly, and he turned to leave. “Jacob!” He paused, but didn’t turn back. “Celeste is in critical condition; try to be reasonable!” His figure disappeared through the door. The hospital room was dead silent. After a long while, a nurse pushed a cart in, giving me a sympathetic glance, and whispered to her colleague. “Some people just have it so easy compared to others.” “What happened?” “Just to appease Miss Monroe, Mr. Thorne just covered all the expenses for her next thirty global tours! We’re talking hundreds of millions!” “Oh my god, he spoils her that much?” “He sure does. Just a minor scratch, a few tears, and she walked away with hundreds of millions.” Their voices faded as the cart moved away. I turned my head and looked at the brocade box. That oil painting was worth about two million. Two million, compared to hundreds of millions. That was my worth in Jacob’s heart. That was his “compensation.” For Celeste, it was a priceless treasure, worth a fortune. For me, just a casual dismissal. I painstakingly lifted my left hand, grabbed the brocade box, and flicked my wrist. With a muffled thud, the painting was thrown heavily into the trash can in the corner. This time, I truly wanted nothing. Neither the painting, nor the man.

Anya POV I contacted a lawyer, leaned against the headboard, and laboriously signed the documents with my left hand. Mr. Jenkins, the lawyer, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. “Are you certain you wish to proceed with the divorce? You do not wish to discuss the prenuptial settlement with Mr. Thorne first?” “No, I don’t.” I put down the pen. “I just want to divorce Jacob, as soon as possible.” “Understood.” Mr. Jenkins collected the documents. “Since you’re waiving asset division, as long as Mr. Thorne doesn’t object, the process will be very quick. An electronic summons will soon be sent to Mr. Thorne’s phone. If he doesn’t respond within the specified time, the court will consider him absent, and we will proceed directly to litigation.” I took a deep breath and nodded. A week later, I insisted on being discharged. I took a taxi back to the villa where I had lived for three years. I was only back to retrieve my IDs and the few personal belongings my mother had left me. However, the villa entrance was a mess. Renovation trucks were parked haphazardly in front, and the drilling noise was deafening. I rushed into the living room. Dust flew everywhere; the minimalist decor was utterly unrecognizable, having been torn apart. In the center of the living room, my things were piled into a small mountain. Limited-edition decor shattered, art books torn and covered in footprints, privately collected oil paintings slashed through the canvas, piled like trash. “Who’s this?” Celeste’s voice drifted down from the second floor. She was wearing a silk robe, holding a glass of red wine, looking down from above. I looked at her. “Who gave you permission to touch my things!” Celeste slowly walked down the stairs, nudging a slashed oil painting with her toe. “Jacob said this decor was too depressing, and I don’t like it. Besides-” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “He said all your things reeked of cheapness and paint. That he’s been wanting to clear them out forever. I just got back to the country and had nowhere to stay, so he told me to come take out the trash.” “Clear out trash?” I stared at my mother’s painting, Autumn Day, trampled on the floor, and felt something inside me begin to fracture. “That’s right.” Celeste chuckled. “These paintings are just an eyesore. Jacob said since your hand is ruined, they’re pointless now anyway. Better to make room for my piano. After all-” “-a crippled hand is just a decoration.” I couldn’t take it anymore. “Celeste, you make me sick!” I raised my left hand and slapped her with all my might! The sharp sound of the slap echoed. Celeste stumbled backward, red wine spilling all over her, leaving a vivid red handprint on her face. “You dare hit me?” “If you like picking up other people’s trash, then I’ll grant your wish!” “Anya Reed! What are you doing!” Jacob’s furious shout came from the doorway. He roughly pushed me aside, shielding the trembling Celeste behind him. I stumbled backward, my back slamming hard against the corner of a cluttered table. Sharp pain shot through my lower back, and my fractured right arm throbbed agonizingly, making my face go stark white. Jacob didn’t even glance at me. “Jacob… I’m so scared…” Celeste cried, her face drenched in tears. “I just wanted to help her tidy her things, I didn’t expect her to suddenly… Maybe she’s upset because of her hand injury, I don’t blame her…” “Anya, Celeste was trying to be kind, and you actually laid hands on her?” Jacob glared at me. “Where are your manners?” I steadied myself against the table, pointing at the mess on the floor. “Kindness? She destroyed all my paintings, and you call that kindness?!” “Changing the villa’s decor was my idea.” Jacob interrupted me. “That’s no excuse for hitting someone. Apologize!” “Or what?” I looked up at him. “I won’t apologize,” I said, enunciating each word. “Jacob, since you haven’t checked your phone, I’ll tell you face-to-face.” I pulled out a copy of the divorce papers from my bag and flung them hard at his face. The papers scattered between him and Celeste. “You can have the house. I don’t care for it.”

Anya POV Jacob didn’t even stoop. He simply raised his foot and stepped on the divorce papers. “Anya. So you’ve learned to hit people. And you’ve also learned to play the victim.” He scoffed. I opened my mouth to speak when the housekeeper emerged from a corner of the wreckage, holding a dark red wooden box-my mother’s last belongings. “Open it,” Jacob said, his tone utterly flat. “And throw everything inside away.” “No!” I tried to rush over, but he grabbed my right hand and roughly shoved me back. The intense pain in my right arm made my vision blur. Jacob pointed to ten moving boxes that had just been unloaded outside the door. “Since you have the energy to hit people and refuse to apologize, you have the energy to work. Go move all of Celeste’s luggage to the master bedroom on the second floor. If you miss one box, I’ll burn one of your mother’s manuscripts.” I looked up at him in disbelief. “Don’t you know my hand is broken… How do you expect me to move them?” “Can’t your left hand still slap people?” Jacob said coldly. “Use your left hand to move them.” I looked at my mother’s belongings and finally nodded. “Fine. I’ll move them.” From the first floor to the second, twenty-four steps. I dragged the first heavy box with my left hand, bracing it with my body, stumbling upward step by step. With each step, a searing pain shot through my right arm. Sweat drenched my back, dripping onto the marble floor. Five feet away on the sofa, Jacob and Celeste sat comfortably. A tea table held red tea and pastries. “Jacob…” Celeste frowned, glancing at the stairs. “Maybe let it go? She is injured, after all. It wouldn’t look good for the Thorne family. Just let the workers move them.” Jacob didn’t move. “Since she won’t apologize, she can move the luggage as atonement. Don’t mind her.” “But that box contains my couture gowns and crystal heels,” Celeste said, raising her voice sweetly, clearly for me to hear. “Be extra careful, okay? Those shoes were specially ordered by Jacob from Italy. I’d be very upset if they got damaged.” My footsteps faltered. I, too, once had a pair of crystal heels Jacob had given me-he’d casually thrown them at me on our wedding day, telling me to “just make do.” Turns out they were just Celeste’s unwanted defective items. Fourth box, fifth box… My left hand became numb, my legs felt like lead. Until the bandage was soiled and stained with blood. By the eighth box, I was exhausted, and the box slammed heavily against the edge of a step. “Oh!” Celeste shrieked dramatically from downstairs. “My piano scores! Were you doing that on purpose?” Jacob’s face darkened, and his teacup clattered heavily on the table. “Anya! Do you still want your mother’s manuscripts or not?” I frantically clutched the box. “I didn’t… It wasn’t on purpose…” Finally, all ten boxes were moved into the master bedroom. I collapsed, utterly exhausted, in the second-floor hallway, gasping for breath. I propped myself against the wall and slowly moved downstairs, stopping in front of Jacob. “They’re all moved,” I said, extending my trembling left hand. “Give me the manuscripts.” Jacob pointed upstairs. “They’re in your bedroom. Get some rest. And don’t ever cross Celeste again.” I didn’t speak. Didn’t even look at him again. Silently turned and went upstairs.

Anya POV The next morning, I woke up to excruciating pain. My right arm was violently grabbed, and I was roughly pulled up. My vision blurred from the pain, and then I was shoved hard against the headboard. “Anya, you truly never cease to amaze me.” Jacob’s face was grim, and behind him stood Celeste, eyes red-rimmed and looking utterly wronged. “What’s with this tantrum so early in the morning…” I didn’t understand. “Hand over the item.” “What item?” “Don’t play dumb!” Jacob suddenly raised his voice. “Celeste’s blue diamond necklace, did you take it?” I found it absurd. “When have I ever taken her things?” “Jacob…” Celeste tugged at his sleeve, her voice tearful. “Maybe she just borrowed it to wear for a couple of days… It was grandma’s keepsake for me. As long as she returns it, I won’t pursue the matter…” Her words confirmed my “guilt” of stealing out of jealousy. “I didn’t steal it! I don’t care for her things!” “Yesterday during the move, you were the only one who touched that box!” Jacob’s eyes were sharp. Turns out that black jewelry box I’d personally carried was a setup. “The box was sealed; I didn’t even open it! You can check the surveillance cameras!” “The surveillance system was down yesterday due to a power outage during renovations.” Jacob looked at me coldly. “Did you plan this all along?” “I didn’t take it.” I closed my eyes. “Believe it or not.” “Fine.” Jacob forced a laugh, clapping his hands. Two bodyguards immediately entered. “Since you won’t hand it over, I’ll find it myself.” Jacob ordered. “Search. Turn the place upside down until you find it.” “Jacob! How dare you! This is my privacy!” “Because I’m your husband, and because you’re a suspect.” He waved his hand coldly. “Go.” One bodyguard pinned me to the bed. I struggled desperately but was easily restrained. “Let go of me! Jacob, you bastard!” The other bodyguard searched through everything. My purse was emptied, my phone, wallet, even personal hygiene items scattered across the floor. Next, the bodyguard picked up the red wooden box from the bedside. “Don’t touch that!” I shrieked hysterically. “That’s from my mom! There’s only paintings inside! Jacob, I beg you!” A flicker of hesitation crossed Jacob’s eyes, but Celeste’s sobbing interrupted him. “Jacob… that was grandma’s memento for me…” “Open it.” With a “click,” the wooden box was pried open by force. The bodyguard turned the box upside down, violently emptying its contents onto the floor. Clatter. A few old paintbrushes, yellowed manuscript notebooks, fragments of unfinished paintings tumbled out. Several fragile thin papers shattered the moment they hit the floor. I stopped struggling. I stared blankly as my mother’s last traces in this world were being trampled and searched through. “Mr. Thorne, nothing,” the bodyguard reported. The room was dead silent. “Anya, where did you hide it?” His expression was grim. I didn’t answer. I slowly crawled off the bed, knelt on the floor, and began picking up the shattered manuscripts, piece by piece.

Anya POV I knelt on the floor. “Jacob, if you’re calling me a thief, let the police decide. That necklace is worth a fortune. If I stole it, that’s years in prison. But if I didn’t…” I looked at the shredded manuscripts scattered around me. “Then I’m want justice.” “Hello, 911? I’d like to report a break-in. A violent search. Destruction of property. And…a false accusation.” Half an hour later, the police arrived. Jacob stood by the window, his face ashen, while Celeste hid behind him, looking flustered. “Did you call this in?” The older officer looked at the mess on the floor, his brows tightly knit. I knelt on the ground, pointing at the two of them. “They falsely accused me of stealing a necklace worth millions, forcibly searched my belongings, destroyed my mother’s relics.” “Millions?” The officer’s expression turned serious. “Has the necklace been found?” “No.” “I request a search of the accuser, Celeste’s, personal belongings as well. After all, she’s not exactly a stranger to deception.” “What nonsense are you talking about!” Celeste clutched Jacob’s arm tightly. “Jacob, look at her.” The female officer, in a no-nonsense manner, held out her hand. “Miss Monroe, please cooperate.” Jacob frowned, stepping in front. “Celeste is the victim, and she’s a renowned pianist; she couldn’t possibly do something like this.” “Everyone is equal before the law. If you don’t cooperate, we have the right to take you to the station for questioning.” Jacob paused, then stepped aside, quietly reassuring Celeste. “It’s fine, just let them take a look.” Celeste’s face went pale, and she reluctantly handed over her purse. The female officer, wearing gloves, took out the contents one by one. Makeup, perfume, wallet… Finally, her finger explored a hidden zippered compartment at the bottom of the bag. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on her hand. The next second, the female officer pulled her hand out. That dazzling deep blue glow was strikingly bright under the fluorescent lights. It was the missing blue diamond necklace. Celeste’s face instantly drained of all color, and tears gushed from her eyes. “How could it be here? I clearly remember putting it in the box!” She frantically grabbed Jacob’s arm, her face streaming with tears. “Jacob, I honestly don’t know… Did I just put it in there too hastily yesterday and forget? I’ve been disoriented since the earthquake; I often can’t remember things… I truly didn’t mean to, I thought it was stolen…” “It’s okay, it’s good that it’s found.” He pulled Celeste into his arms, gently patting her back. “Don’t cry, no one blames you.” No one blames her? I sat amidst the chaos, listening to his forgiveness, feeling as if my blood had frozen in my veins. The police officer watched the scene with a speechless expression. “Since it was a misunderstanding, and the necklace has been found, then the matter of property damage…” “We’ll settle out of court,” Jacob immediately interrupted, handing over his business card. “I’m Jacob from Thorne Enterprises; we’ll handle this internally.” The police looked at me. “Ma’am, what’s your opinion?” I hadn’t even spoken yet when Jacob’s warning and intimidating gaze swept over me. What could I, in my current state, do to fight Thorne Enterprises? “Settle out of court.” I squeezed out those two words through gritted teeth. After the police left, the hospital room door closed again. Celeste was still sobbing her apologies. “I’m sorry, I really forgot… I made you suffer, I didn’t mean to…” “Get out.” I said, looking down. “What did you say?” Jacob frowned. “I said, get out!” I suddenly looked up, grabbing a pillow and flinging it hard. “Take your dirty things and get out! Now! Immediately!” He opened his mouth. “Anya, Celeste didn’t mean to…” “Just calm down. I’ll compensate you for the damaged items at full value.” With that, he escorted Celeste and strode out. That evening, I sat alone in the emptied room, piecing my mother’s manuscripts back together, fragment by careful fragment. My phone buzzed. A bank transfer notification. Your account has been credited: $5,000,000.00 USD. Memo: Restoration fee. Jacob’s text followed seconds later. “Compensation. Five million should cover the best restorers. Celeste was just frightened. She didn’t mean to set you up. Let it go. Don’t make this bigger than it is.” Five million. So that was the price. For my mother’s life’s work, my dignity, and whatever was left of my innocence. And this wasn’t even an apology. It was a transaction. A payment to cover Celeste’s lie. A fee for my silence. A laugh tore out of me. Hot, heavy tears hit the phone screen. Jacob. I don’t love you anymore.

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I have a sex addiction. Every night, I hear my cousin Lily and her boyfriend Marcus having sex. It’s making my addiction worse. Gradually, I started fantasizing about Marcus touching me. Until one time when I went back to Lily’s hometown with her, the train was shaking violently. Marcus accidentally ended up on top of me. …… On New Year’s Eve, Lily invited me to go back to her hometown with her. When we got to the station, I found out her boyfriend was coming along too to meet her parents. My mouth fell open slightly. Her boyfriend was six foot three, and his muscular physique was hard to miss. When he saw me, he looked me up and down too. The gray shorts he wore showed an obvious change in certain areas. He greeted me, but his eyes were glued to my cleavage. I’ve always developed early, and today I was wearing a V-neck shirt. The line on my chest was like a bottomless valley. I was also wearing a short skirt. One slight bend and you could see everything underneath. He stood behind me, and I could feel his burning gaze. It hit me later—with his height, he probably saw everything. I instinctively tugged at my shirt and skirt, my face burning red. He casually looked away and offered to go buy some snacks for the trip. Watching him walk away. I couldn’t help teasing Lily. “I heard personal trainers are amazing in bed. Is that true?” Lily smiled mysteriously, her face flushed. “Of course it’s true. Every time he leaves me with sore legs and an aching back. He’s as thick as my arm down there…” I gasped. Oh my God! That must feel incredible, right? If I could experience it just once… I couldn’t help looking in her boyfriend’s direction. When he walked, you could see it swinging in his pants. They say a guy’s thing can expand three times its size. I secretly measured it with my hand and instantly felt weak in the knees. That big… What would it feel like if it went inside? Lily had told me before that her boyfriend had a huge appetite—at least six or seven times a day. No wonder Lily always looked so glowing whenever I saw her. She was clearly being well taken care of. While I was lost in thought, Lily leaned over and winked at me. “You’re still a virgin, right? Want to try it?” My breathing quickened. I bit my lip, feeling guilty. “Lily! Stop teasing me!” When I looked up, I caught Marcus’s eyes flashing with interest when he heard Lily say I was a virgin. Finally, we got on the train. Lily had bought tickets for a sleeper car. There were only the three of us in this compartment, with a curtain at the entrance for privacy. She and Marcus were lying on the bunk across from me. Lily was on her phone, leaning against him while his hands roamed freely over her chest. Watching made my face flush and my heart race. I could only awkwardly scroll through my phone. But my eyes kept drifting back to them. Lily was wearing a tight purple dress today that showed off her perfect figure. Ten minutes passed, and I’d already seen Marcus slip his hand between Lily’s legs several times. When his fingers came out, they were wet and sticky. Lily’s face was flushed as she whispered coyly, “Claire’s still here~” It was evening now, and most people on the train were asleep. The conductor had dimmed the lights to their lowest setting, and Lily actually straddled Marcus’s waist and started making out with him. I licked my lips, my imagination running wild. Before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep.

I don’t know how long I slept before Lily’s voice woke me. I opened my eyes. For some reason, the lights in the car were back on. Lily winked at me playfully. “Claire, are you hungry? Could you go to the dining car and get three meals for us?” Seeing the tent pitched high between his legs, I understood why. I quickly answered, “Sure.” The moment I left the compartment, I heard Lily’s moans from behind me. To give them privacy, I deliberately stayed in the dining car to finish eating before heading back. But when I pulled back the curtain, I saw Lily still riding on top of Marcus. They were too absorbed to notice me outside the compartment. I quietly stepped back, but I couldn’t help peeking from outside the car. Watching that shameful scene, my mouth fell open. They could even do it in that position… I felt my body go weak as I leaned against the wall, rubbing my thighs together to their rhythm. After about fifteen minutes, I heard the sounds inside finally stop. The moment I walked in, my foot slipped and all the meal boxes in my hands spilled onto my bunk. A strong, powerful arm caught me. I looked up and saw his sausage and meatballs swinging right in front of my face. My face turned bright red. Lily rushed over to comfort me. “It’s okay, you can sleep with us. We’re almost there anyway.” “What?” My heart jumped, but thinking of that huge sausage, I felt oddly excited. Lily leaned close to me. Her body smelled faintly of sex. “Marcus and I have a double bunk. It’s big enough for three people.” Looking at my bunk covered in greasy food, I bit my lip. “Okay then.” I originally wanted to sleep on the outside next to Lily, but she said she and Marcus both got hot easily and wanted me to sleep in the middle. I had no choice but to agree. Marcus was tall with well-developed muscles. After the three of us lay down, I realized how cramped the middle position was. I was lying with my back to Marcus. His chest muscles kept rubbing against my back as the train swayed. This contact made my inexperienced body gradually heat up. I’d been so busy with work these years. I’d never had a boyfriend. This was my first time being this close to a guy. Lily must have been tired from earlier, because she fell asleep shortly after lying down. Marcus was still on his phone though. I’d hoped to chat with Lily. Now I was just stuck in the middle, unable to move. My body started heating up for some reason. My face was burning red. The train suddenly lurched, forcing me to roll over and face Marcus. But he was so tall that my head only reached his massive chest. The next second, something hard and burning pressed against my lower abdomen. Could this be…

I couldn’t help swallowing, suppressing my excitement as I tried to shift positions. But then I heard a deep groan from above me. That sound full of masculine hormones made my ears turn bright red instantly. “Sorry…” I coughed softly and glanced back at Lily. She was sound asleep. When I looked up, Marcus’s face was flushed. He shook his head. “It’s fine. The train’s just shaking too much. I’ll move further in.” He shifted his body, his rod intentionally or unintentionally rubbing against my inner thigh. My mouth went dry as I rolled over. I felt heat flowing beneath me. That size—I didn’t even dare imagine it. I couldn’t help squeezing my thighs together. It felt slightly better. Just as I’d put some distance between myself and Marcus, the train entered a tunnel and shook violently. I was rocking back and forth, my body sliding uncontrollably toward him. Before long, I felt my entire butt land in his lap. I instinctively twisted my hips. Oh my God! I was wearing a short skirt, and now it had ridden up almost to my waist. His hand was somehow on my waist, his breathing heavy, like he was holding something back. Another jolt, and I couldn’t control myself as I bounced against him, letting out a suggestive moan. Luckily the train whistle blew right then, or else… My face red, I instinctively looked back at Marcus. He was licking his lips, his eyes dark with desire. My voice was awkward. “This train sure shakes a lot…” I nervously scooted toward Lily, pretending not to notice that Marcus’s big friend was now pressed against my lower back. My whole body was soaked through. A faint smell of sweat filled my nostrils, adding to the tension. I bit my lip. To ease the awkwardness, I could only pretend to close my eyes and sleep. Even though my eyes were closed, my insides were burning with heat. I couldn’t stop my mind from replaying those shameful images. What Lily said was actually true. Marcus really was as thick as an arm down there. The train stopped at several more stations. The adjacent cars had emptied out. Only the three of us were left. Lily got up for a drink of water, then fell back asleep. I was just wondering if I should go sleep in the next car when the train started moving again. With all the swaying, I couldn’t get up from the bunk. I had no choice but to press my lips together and keep lying between them. Now Marcus and I were facing each other. In the dim light, I could clearly see the flush on his face. He was absorbed in his phone. I glanced casually at the window reflection and saw that he was watching that kind of content on his phone! I instantly felt ashamed and embarrassed. I quickly rolled over to look away. But my body was inexplicably burning up. To avoid awkwardness, I just pretended to sleep. But soon the train started shaking again. I gripped the handrail above my head tightly, but my heart was pounding faster and faster. Just then, a violent jolt threw my entire body on top of Marcus. He let out a deep groan, his voice hoarse. My chest was pressed tightly against his. In my panic, my hand grabbed onto a certain area. To avoid the awkwardness of opening my eyes, I just kept them closed and pretended to be asleep. Behind me, Lily’s breathing was steady. She didn’t seem disturbed. I stayed in that position, pressed against Marcus. But what I didn’t expect was that his hand suddenly moved toward my chest.

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My fiancée was a respected doctor. Right before our wedding, she suddenly claimed a critically ill patient needed her urgent care, forcing us to postpone. I readily agreed, fully supportive of her demanding career. But then, I caught her and that “patient” having an affair on a remote island. Turns out, her “patient” was her ex-boyfriend, who was also my older half-brother, Leo. And her “treatment method”? Comforting him with her own body. She even had a tattoo of Leo’s tooth mark on her inner thigh. So, on what was supposed to be our wedding day, I found a new bride. Selena was having a wedding on the private island I’d bought for her. If a friend hadn’t called me, I’d still be thinking Selena was abroad, dealing with a medical emergency. “Selena isn’t like that. Please stop spreading rumors.” I hung up after saying that. But even as the words left my mouth, a strange panic seized my heart. I scrolled through my chat history with Selena. Her last reply to me was three days ago. That inexplicable unease made me book a flight to the island that very night. When I arrived, the entire island was blanketed in pink flowers. I followed a winding path to the island’s center, where I’d built Selena an estate. She’d told me how much she loved feeling free and connected to nature there. The wedding was already underway. No guests, just a minister officiating. Selena wore a pink wedding dress. Leo was in a blue suit. They stood before the minister, exchanging vows. My heart shattered completely. Selena had told me countless times that she *hated* pink. I remembered one time I’d bought her a limited-edition doll. She’d ripped it apart right in front of me, then angrily tossed it to the ground. “But you always loved collecting dolls, didn’t you?” I’d asked, incredulous. She’d looked at me with disgust. “You said you’ve loved me for ten years, Alex. How could you not know I hate pink?” I’d caught my breath. Yet, her treasured metal box was filled with pink items. How could she possibly hate pink? After the vows, Selena and Leo sat on the estate’s swing. Their conversation chilled me to the bone. “Does he know we’re secretly getting married?” Leo asked, pulling her close. “Who cares if he knows?” Selena retorted, her voice dripping with self-assurance. “He’s such a complete romantic fool. Even if I got pregnant with your baby, he’d still marry me.” “Oh really? Then how about we make a baby?” With that, Leo lifted Selena’s wedding dress and reached inside. Selena willingly wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply, repeatedly. The swing beneath them swayed violently. Selena’s moans filled the entire estate. I’d never known the always reserved and elegant Selena could be so utterly wild. When they finished, Leo gripped Selena’s thigh. “I can’t believe you actually tattooed my tooth mark on your inner thigh!” he chuckled, his tone light and mocking. Selena blushed, burying her face in his embrace. “You bit me when you were sick back then. I just took it as proof of your love.” I forced down my disgust, recording their passionate video. And suppressing the urge to beat them both senseless, I left the island. A plan began to form in my mind.

Leo was my older half-brother. When Leo was three, my father discovered he wasn’t his biological son. Devastated, he almost took his own life. It was only the intervention of numerous relatives that kept that toxic marriage together. To make amends, my mother quickly had another child with my father, hoping to heal their marriage. That child was me. She thought this would make my father forgive her, but she didn’t realize a man’s pride cannot be trampled on. The day I was born, my father forced my mother to sign divorce papers. The video footage on my phone replayed endlessly in my mind. Why was it Leo *again*?! The pressure nearly suffocated me. I forced a bitter laugh, then took a shaky breath. “Dad, what should I do?” My father looked at me, his eyes full of pain. “Luna’s been waiting for you here for a long time, Alex. You need to look forward.” At the mention of Luna, my heart softened involuntarily. She was my father’s adopted daughter. Ever since he knew she liked me, he’d been subtly trying to set us up. But for so many years, I just couldn’t let go of Selena. Because our first meeting had been so deeply etched into my memory. When I was being bullied at school, Selena had bravely stood by me. “But Selena, that year…” I began, my voice laced with pain. “You can’t confuse love with gratitude. Is what you feel for Selena truly love, or just gratitude?” my father interrupted. After hanging up, I fell silent. When I got home, I felt oddly calm. I looked at the wedding dress hanging in the dressing room and couldn’t help but feel ridiculous. I had designed that dress specifically for her, even cutting and sewing it myself. She had been so surprised when she found out, trembling with excitement as she hugged me. I tore the wedding dress to shreds. Suddenly, I felt incredibly light.

The next day, Selena also returned. “I heard you’ve been with Leo these past few days. Is that right?” I demanded, my voice sharp. She didn’t even bother to hide it, stating defiantly, “Yes, he hasn’t been well lately, so I’ve been with him. Alex, he’s a patient now, and he’s your brother!” I looked at her, a cold laugh escaping my lips. “So, I should share my wife with my brother?” She raised her hand, ready to slap me again, but her 4-inch heels made her stumble and fall. The tattoo of a tooth mark on her inner thigh was exposed. Selena had once told me it was a birthmark. I grabbed her leg. “I’ve never asked you, but how is it that your ‘birthmark’ just happens to be shaped like a tooth?” Selena glared at me, spitting, “Are you crazy, Alex?! We’re getting married soon. Why are you doubting me?” I leaned closer, pressing on. “What perfume are you wearing today? Why does it smell like that musky, earthy scent again?” Selena immediately tensed. She stood up, stammering, “I’m tired. I’m going to shower first.” I smiled. Even now, she wouldn’t confess. Fine, let her not confess. It would make the wedding day reveal even better. I looked at the circled date on the calendar, finding it painfully ironic. While she showered, I called Luna. “Luna, my wedding is missing a bride. Would you like to be her?” Luna seemed shocked by my words. She didn’t reply for a long moment. Five minutes passed before she cautiously asked, “Really?” I smiled into the phone. “Yes, it’s real.” Selena came out just as I ended the call with Luna. “Who were you just talking to?” Selena asked, toweling her hair dry. “Luna.” She frowned, looking at me. “Didn’t I tell you before to stop seeing Luna?” I lied to her. “I just told her to come over, so she can finally get over me.” Selena’s expression noticeably brightened after hearing that. She tried to come closer, to be intimate, but I subtly pulled away. “I’m tired today.” I looked at her, weary. Not physically tired, but emotionally exhausted.

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My husband cheated on me and was kicking me out. Heartbroken, I was ready to jump. As I climbed onto the railing, the baby in my belly suddenly spoke: 【Mom! Don’t do it!】 【We’ve already died once! Both you and I have been reborn. In our past life, Dad kicked us out for his mistress, and then he won eighty million dollars from a lottery ticket!】 My heart shattered further. Just as I was about to let go, the voice spoke again: 【I know those lottery numbers! We can buy that ticket first. So please, Mom, don’t die! That jerk’s secret money is hidden in the bedroom ceiling. Let’s get the money, then you can divorce him!】 Hearing my unborn child’s words, my sadness evaporated. The first thing I did when I got home was borrow a ladder and start prying open the ceiling panels. I’d run home crying, so Maria, our nanny, didn’t dare stop me. I locked the bedroom door. I set up the ladder, took off my shoes, and glanced at my slightly bulging belly. “Son, are you sure about the spot? Your dad will be back soon. If I mess this up, we won’t get another chance.” A tender yet firm voice resonated from within me: 【Mom, trust me! In the last life, he always hid his money, converted into gold bars, right here!】 【The third panel from the left, push hard!】 I took a deep breath and climbed the ladder. My hands were trembling. Not from fear, but from excitement. Derek, to force me into a divorce, had frozen all my credit cards. He called it “giving me space to cool off,” but it was really just cutting off my funds, cornering me. And he wanted me to walk away with nothing? Dream on! I pushed hard against the patterned ceiling panel. A cloud of dust fell, stinging my eyes. But I couldn’t bother to rub them. Because my hand had found a heavy, black cloth bag. Wow, it was heavy! I struggled to pull the bag out, nearly losing my grip and tumbling off the ladder. 【Careful, Mom! If you fall, we’ll both be gone, mother and child!】 “Ptooey, ptooey, don’t say such things.” My hands shaking, I opened the bag. The gleaming gold almost blinded me. It was all gold bars! I’d never seen so much physical gold in my life. I rummaged through it, and underneath, there was a stack of US dollars. “How much money is this?” 【Roughly five million dollars. My Piece of garbage dad secretly siphoned off company assets behind his partners’ backs to get this. He intended to use it as startup capital to live lavishly abroad with that woman.】 【In the last life, you foolishly jumped into the river, and those two dogs got away with everything!】 【They used this money to “rebrand” themselves abroad, came back as famous entrepreneurs, and completely forgot about you!】 Hearing that, a furious fire blazed in my chest. Derek Thorne, you absolute Asshole. I started from nothing with you, built everything from the ground up, enduring years of hardship. And now that you’re rich, not only do you find a mistress, but you stash away secret money and want me dead? I pulled out the gold bars one by one and packed them into the suitcase I’d already prepared. “What if Derek comes back and finds the money gone?” I stared at the dark, gaping hole, worried. If he found this, forget divorce; I might not make it out of this house alive today.

【Mom, are you kidding?】 【Just stuff a few old books from the nearby shelf in there to make it look like something was still there, then put the panel back!】 【He never checks that panel anyway. By the time he finds out, we’ll be long gone!】 It dawned on me. I quickly grabbed a few of Derek’s obscure reference books from the top of the bookshelf, shoved them haphazardly into the black cloth bag, and put it back in the ceiling. Carefully, I clipped the panel back into place. I even meticulously wiped away the fingerprints from the edges. Finished, I sat on the floor, my heart pounding like a drum. Even contemplating jumping hadn’t been this intense. Just then, the sound of the front door opening echoed from downstairs. Followed by Derek’s impatient voice: “Has that crazy woman come back yet?” My blood ran cold. 【Mom! Don’t chicken out!】 【You’re the victim now. You need to look desperate, make him think you’ve given up fighting!】 I kicked the suitcase with the gold bars to the deepest part under the bed. Then I deliberately messed up my hair and sat on the bed, preparing my emotions. Tears came easily. When Derek pushed the door open, he was met with my utterly heartbroken demeanor. A flicker of disgust crossed his face. “Still alive? I thought you had more backbone than that.” He tugged at his tie, his face full of impatience: “Since you’re not dead, just sign the papers.” A divorce agreement was flung onto my face. “As long as you’re willing to walk away with nothing, I can pay for you to get rid of the baby. After all, with a useless burden, you’d struggle to find another husband.” Get rid of the baby? He could just abandon his own flesh and blood. How could he say such a thing? My hatred bloomed like a noxious weed. But I knew this wasn’t the time to lash out. I slowly raised my head, my eyes hollow. Just as my son had instructed, I had to put on a show of despair. “Derek, seven years of marriage, are you really going to be this cruel?” My voice was hoarse, trembling slightly. Derek scoffed, lighting a cigarette without a thought for my pregnancy. “Evelyn Reed, we’re adults. Don’t make this uglier than it has to be.” “Candace is pregnant, it’s a boy, and I need to give them proper recognition.” “We don’t even know if yours is a boy or a girl. What if it’s a daughter? I’d be at a disadvantage.” 【Ugh! I’m your father!】 The little tyrant in my belly was fuming. 【Mom, ignore him. That idiot has no idea his mistress isn’t even carrying his child!】 【It’s the fitness trainer’s!】 I nearly burst out laughing. I quickly lowered my head, covering my face with my hands, my shoulders shaking. To Derek, I was sobbing inconsolably. “Fine… I’ll sign.” I lifted my head, my face streaked with tears, my eyes resolute. “But I have one condition.” Derek frowned, watching me warily: “You want money? I’m telling you, the company’s broke right now, I’m drowning in debt…” “I don’t want money.” I cut him off, my voice mournful: “I just want to take my clothes and some personal items.” “I don’t want anything else in this house.” “I want to cut all ties with you, cleanly.” Derek seemed stunned, clearly not expecting me to be so agreeable. A flicker of triumph crossed his eyes, quickly masked. “Fine, you’re smart enough to know your place.” “Pack up quickly and get out tonight. We’re going to the courthouse first thing in the morning.” With that, he turned and left, as if another glance at me would bring him bad luck. The moment the door closed, my tears stopped instantly. I dragged the suitcase out from under the bed. I covered the gold bars with a pile of old clothes and stuffed in a few cheap toiletries. Then I pushed the suitcase, ready to make a quick exit. Derek was sitting on the living room sofa, on a SnapChat call with Candace. His gentle tone was something I hadn’t heard in ages. Seeing me emerge, he stood up and walked over. “Wait, open it up. Don’t take anything you shouldn’t.”

My heart leaped into my throat. I was already wondering if I should just knock him out and make a break for it. But when Derek saw my clothes, he merely curled his lip in disdain. “Just taking this garbage? Don’t you want to double-check? Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance later.” I managed a bitter smile: “No need. Everything in this house feels tainted.” Derek’s face darkened. “Get out!” Pushing the heavy suitcase, I walked out of the door I once thought was my forever home. As soon as I was out of the community, I hailed a cab and headed straight for a five-star hotel downtown. 【Mom, that was brilliant!】 【That idiot’s probably still dreaming of all his money. His face when he finds the ceiling empty will be priceless.】 【But Mom, we need to hurry.】 【After we finalize the divorce tomorrow, we need to immediately buy that lottery ticket!】 【Eighty million dollars, and we can’t miss the deadline!】 I sat in the back seat, watching the scenery rush by outside the window. The suffocating anger I’d held in for so long finally eased a little. Derek, you think you just got rid of a disposable wife. Little do you know, you just sent away the wealthiest woman you’ll ever meet. That night, in my suite, I ordered a lavish seafood feast, the kind I’d always craved but never splurged on. Devouring king crab legs, I listened as my son recounted the events of our past life. Apparently, after I’d jumped into the river in the previous life, Derek hadn’t shed a single tear. Instead, he put out press releases claiming I had a mental illness. He played the role of the grieving, devoted husband, which boosted his company’s stock. That mistress, Candace Miller, used *my* compensation money to buy designer bags. Even my ashes, they scattered them in some forgotten, desolate spot. Hearing this, I crushed the crab leg in my hand. “Son, I swear, I will get revenge for you.” 【Absolutely! Mom, tomorrow morning, there’s still a big scene we need to play out.】 【Candace will definitely show up to gloat.】 【You have to hold back; whatever you do, don’t hit her.】 【Because… her cheap knock-off clothes will probably fall apart if you touch them, and then she’ll try to extort us.】 I burst out laughing. This little guy’s got a sharper tongue than I do. The next morning, by the courthouse entrance. Derek, looking utterly smug, his hair slicked back and gleaming, was practically radiating happiness. Arm in arm with him was Candace Miller. Her belly was prominently displayed in a tight dress, as if she wanted everyone to know she was pregnant. Seeing me standing there alone, Candace covered her mouth, giggling: “Oh, Evelyn, why do you look so terrible? Did you have nowhere to sleep last night? Maybe under a bridge?” Derek patted her butt, pretending to be concerned: “Less talk, or Evelyn might get upset again and try to jump off a bridge.” Then he turned to me, a condescending smirk on his face: “Do you have all your papers? Let’s get this done. I have company business to attend to.”

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Mom and I moved into my stepfather Sylus’s mansion. Sylus is gentle, handsome, and powerful. He spoils me like I’m his own daughter. I don’t want to be just his daughter, I want all his love and possession. That night, when I secretly watched him and Mom tangled together in the hot tub, my teenage desire was fully ignited—— Hidden in the shadows, my hand slipped beneath my soaked shorts…… I slipped out through the front door and crept around the side of the house. My mom was in the bedroom with Sylus tonight. I could see them through the window—his hands gently tracing her breast, their lips locked in a deep, hungry kiss. “God…” Mom whispered, her voice trembling as his mouth trailed lower, down her body, until he reached her core. “Shh, baby. Don’t wake Emma,” Sylus murmured, his voice low and teasing, before his lips closed over her. The way he touched her… slow, deliberate, worshipful. His tongue moved in soft, rhythmic strokes, drawing quiet gasps from her. Mom’s legs shook. Her head fell back, back arching, offering herself completely to him. He lifted one of her legs, holding it high, opening her to him even more. She gripped his shoulders, breathless, lost in the heat building inside her. I stood there in the shadows, my fingers circling slowly between my thighs, heat pulsing through me as I watched. My heart raced. I couldn’t look away. “Sylus… please…” Mom begged softly, her voice breaking. But he didn’t stop. He only went deeper, tasting her, teasing her, driving her higher. “Yes—oh God, yes—I’m coming…” she gasped, her body tensing, fingers tangling in his hair as the wave finally crashed over her. She came hard, trembling, a soft cry escaping her lips as pleasure flooded her. He held her through it, gentle but firm, drinking her in until she went limp in his arms, breathless and glowing. I bit my lip to stay quiet, my own body throbbing from the orgasms I’d just chased watching them. My legs felt weak. I crept back to my room, heart pounding, skin still burning. This had become my secret routine—spying, listening, touching myself while they lost themselves in each other. I wasn’t used to living in a house this big. Or living with a man at all. It had always just been me and Mom. No dad, no guy around—ever. Just us. Mom dated plenty, but she never brought anyone home. Then suddenly, there was Sylus. Handsome, fit, older, charming. He made her laugh. Made her happy in ways I’d never seen. When they started dating, I liked him. He was kind to me, funny. Sometimes I wondered what it’d feel like to have a dad like him. But at our old apartment, the walls were thin. I’d hear them at night—moans, whispers, the rhythm of their bodies. At first I ignored it. Then I didn’t want to. I’d lie in bed, hand slipping under the covers, chasing my own heat while imagining what they were doing. More than once, I came harder than they did. Then Mom told me Sylus proposed. That we’d move into his big house. Become a family. It happened so fast. I didn’t know how to feel. But I saw how happy she was. How much she loved him. And part of me… wanted that too. A real family. Someone who felt like a dad. Sylus was great. Warm. Strong. Easy to be around. I didn’t love him yet—but I wanted to. Now we’re here. I have my own huge room, my own bathroom. There’s a pool, a hot tub, woods all around. Privacy. But the house is too quiet. I can’t hear them like I used to. It made me feel… distant. Alone. So I started sneaking closer. Listening at doors. Peeking through windows. I tell myself I’m just curious. That I don’t want to mess anything up. Mom’s happier than ever. I won’t ruin that. But every time I watch them—watch him touch her like she’s everything—I feel that ache deep inside. I want to be close to them. I want to feel wanted too. I just don’t know how to say it.

I slipped out of the house barefoot, wearing just my loose drawstring shorts. No panties, and a cropped tee with no bra. The night air kissed my skin. I felt daring, alive. My body’s petite, curves tight and neat, but I always wish my tits were bigger. Still, my legs are killer, leading up to a round little ass that turns heads. I padded toward the bushes at the back corner. Before I even saw them, I heard their voices, low and intimate. Then the hot tub came into view. Dim lights glowed over the water. Mom and Sylus sat naked on the bench, skin glistening, steam curling around them. God, Mom looked incredible. Tall, curvier than me, but we could almost pass for sisters. No wonder Sylus couldn’t keep his hands off her. I felt a rush of pride…and a sting of envy. I wanted tits like hers. I was shocked to see she was completely smooth down there, just like me. Sylus’s hand rested high on her thigh, inches from her core, thumb brushing lazy circles. Mom’s fingers were wrapped around his cock. That thick, heavy, impossibly big cock. My breath caught. I’d seen a few boys, watched some porn, but nothing like this. He was huge. A hot shiver ran through me. “Daddy’s got a huge cock,” I whispered to myself, barely audible. The word Daddy sent sparks straight between my legs. I’d never called him that out loud. But now I wanted to. Badly. Mom stroked him slowly, confidently, like she owned every inch. I wished I could touch like that. Touch him like that. Then Sylus slid his hand right over her pussy, fingers parting her gently. Mom’s head fell back, a soft moan escaping as she rocked into his touch. He smiled, tender and hungry, circling her clit with slow, perfect pressure. I wanted to be her right then. Wanted those strong fingers on me, in me. My pussy throbbed, already soaked. I bit my lip hard and slipped my hand into my shorts, fingers gliding over my slick heat. I imagined it was him—his thicker, longer fingers teasing me open. They eased off after a while, reaching for their wine glasses, catching their breath. But Mom kept her hand on his cock, stroking lazily. “Something on your mind, baby?” she asked softly. Sylus glanced down at her hand on him. “Maybe not the best time.” “Tell me. Always.” “It’s Emma,” he said. My heart slammed against my ribs. Mom’s face softened, but her hand never stopped moving. “What about her?” “I’m worried she’s not happy here. Not sure she even likes me. But I want her to. She’s my daughter now. And she’s amazing… just like you.” Hearing him say that while Mom touched him, it was wrong and perfect and twisted me up inside. My finger pushed deeper, circling faster. “She just needs time,” Mom said, still stroking him. “Spend more one-on-one time with her. Build something just between you two. She needs a dad, and you’re the best man for it. Take her shopping. Dinner. Movies.” “Good idea,” he said, voice warm. “I really want her happy. I already love her so much.” My nipples tightened painfully. Heat flooded my chest. Mom smiled. “She’ll get there. She’ll love you as much as I do.” Sylus grinned, nodding toward her hand. “That much?” Mom laughed, swatting him playfully. “You’re awful.” “I hope we all get along,” she added softly. “Me too,” he murmured, his fingers drifting back between her thighs, stroking her clit slow and sweet. My pulse went wild. My pussy burned. Was he just saying what Mom wanted to hear? Or did he mean it? But those words—I already love her—echoed in my head, making my whole body ache. I really wanted him to mean it.

Mom giggled, but her voice turned serious. Her hand never stopped stroking his hard length. “I hope we can always be honest,” she said softly. “About everything.” Sylus pulled her into a deep, hungry kiss. His hand slid between her thighs again, fingers gliding over her slick heat. “I think you need a daddy tonight,” he growled low. “Mmm, I do,” Mom purred. She slipped lower in the water, bending over the edge, arching her back, offering herself to him. “Fuck me, Daddy,” she whispered over her shoulder. “Take your girl hard.” My breath hitched. Sylus grinned, dark and possessive. He moved behind her, hands gripping her hips. Slowly, so slowly, he eased inside her, thick, deep, claiming. I watched him fill her, watched her body welcome him. My heart slammed against my ribs. “Yes, Daddy… just like that,” Mom moaned, voice breaking with every slow thrust. Hearing her call him Daddy while he moved inside her—it lit me up like fire. Electricity raced over my skin. I pressed my thighs together, fighting to stay quiet. My fingers flew over my clit, frantic under my shorts. I couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to. Me and Mom looked so much alike. Same curves, same skin. With her calling him Daddy like that… it felt like I was watching him take me. I imagined it was my body he held. My pussy stretching around him. My moans echoing in the night. God, I was soaked. Burning. He moved with power and grace, driving into her deeper, stronger. Each thrust pulled a soft cry from Mom’s lips. I wanted to feel that. Needed to. My free hand shoved under my cropped tee. I pinched my nipples hard, twisting, chasing the ache. I wished I was closer. Close enough to see how she took all of him. How her body opened for that beautiful, massive cock. “Daddy… you’re gonna make me come,” Mom gasped, voice trembling. “Come with me, Daddy,” she begged. “Fill me up.” Then Sylus shocked me—he brought his hand down in a sharp, possessive smack across her ass. The sound cracked through the night. Mom cried out, half surprise, half pure pleasure. “Yes, Daddy—yes!” That pushed me over. My pussy clenched hard around my fingers. Waves crashed through me, silent and fierce. I came with them, biting my lip raw to keep from moaning out loud. Sylus growled, buried deep, and gave her everything. I watched him shudder, watched her melt into him. When it was over, he sank back into the water. Mom curled against his side, glowing. “I hope we didn’t wake Emma,” he said, voice casual but eyes lifting toward my bedroom window. For a second, I swore he looked… disappointed. Like he wanted me to be there. Watching. My hand was drenched. My thighs slick. My shorts ruined. I slipped back inside, heart still racing. In my room, I went straight to the window. Hoped he’d look up again. See me this time. But he was kissing Mom now, hand drifting over her breasts in the water. I sighed. Crawled into bed. My hands found their way back between my legs. Under my shirt. Again. I couldn’t stop seeing it—his thick cock sliding into her from behind. The way he owned her body. I wanted those hands on me. That cock inside me. I touched myself hard, desperate, riding image after image until I came three more times. Only then did I finally drift off, body spent, mind full of him. Daddy.

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I’d spent my entire life living in the shadow of my “it girl” sister, Ava Hayes. Everyone saw me as the odd one out—the black sheep of the wealthy Hayes family. On my eighteenth birthday, one of Ava’s admirers locked me in a walk-in freezer. Only Brandon Blackwood was willing to save me. I thought I’d finally found the love of my life—the kind Mom always talked about. Three years later, at a party thrown by my tormentors, I overheard Brandon say: “Ava said her sister Skylar’s ugly and bitter, but I never expected her to be so desperate in bed. Total trash.” “She doesn’t know that it’s been Julian Thorne sleeping with her all these years, does she?” Brandon’s friend, Leo, asked. “That idiot will never find out. In seven days, once the bet’s up, I’m shipping her off to a cruise ship auction. You guys can have her. Starting bid: one dollar.” “Skylar Hayes has been your girlfriend for three years, Brandon. Can you really be so cruel to her?” “Feeling sorry for her? How about I give her to you then?” Brandon’s voice drifted from the private room—deep, casual, and dripping with that familiar disdain. It was like a rusty blade finally cutting through three years of denial, leaving my chest throbbing with a dull, hollow ache. “Nah, pass. Skylar’s way uglier than any girl I’ve ever dated.” My fists clenched tight. In three years, Brandon had only slept with me three times. Always in the same hotel suite. Always with the lights off. I’d convinced myself he just wasn’t ready to see me fully. Even with his coldness, I’d still begged for his attention. Turns out, his silence wasn’t about me—it was because the guy in bed with me was never him. I thought about last night and nearly gagged. Just then, my sister, Ava Hayes, appeared behind me. “Long time no see, Skylar.” “Enjoying my fiancé while I was studying abroad these past three years?” Ava shoved me into the private room. I stumbled and hit the floor hard. The chatter in the banquet hall died instantly. My thick glasses flew off, revealing my face—bangs matted with sweat, makeup smudged. “I thought this was Ava’s welcome party. Who’s the mess?” Brandon sat at the head of the table, his face twisted in disgust. He had no idea I’d been listening—or what I’d heard. But when he saw Ava behind me, his cold stare melted. Real love can’t be faked. Brandon lost his cool for the first time in front of me. He rushed past me to get to Ava. He brushed a nonexistent raindrop from her cheek. “You’re always so fragile. Why come back in this storm without letting me pick you up? You’ll get sick again.” Ava coughed softly, then pouted at Brandon. She kicked my fallen bag aside like it was trash. Brandon finally noticed me again—but he didn’t see my soaked clothes or my hand, burned red from spilled soup. All he saw was the condom under Ava’s shoe. “Skylar, we just saw each other yesterday. Are you that desperate? You know today’s Ava’s homecoming. Trying to ruin her first night back at the Hayes mansion?” Brandon’s voice turned icy as he glowered down at me. His accusation sent a chill through me—my stomach twisted into knots. The Hayes family had cut off my allowance months ago, diverting every cent to Ava’s account. I worked three part-time jobs just to get by, skipping meals to save money. When Brandon texted asking to meet, I ran through the rain across town just to see him. But he’d forgotten our anniversary again. “Brandon, don’t be harsh. I left for treatment overseas. What happened at the birthday party was an accident—I never blamed her.” Ava was Brandon’s peacemaker. Her words instantly defused his anger. Last month, I collapsed from exhaustion at work and ended up in the ER. Brandon yelled at me for missing his gala. He said we should sleep separately—made me camp on the couch for a month. But the truth? As soon as I was admitted, he booked a flight to Paris to see Ava that same night. “I thought you’d never speak to me again. I’m so glad she could make it. Let’s toast to her return!” Ava’s eyes glinted as she held out a shot glass of vodka. I stared at her face—so like her mother’s, cold and cruel. Before I could grab the glass to smash it, Ava let go. The shards sliced my palm open, blood pooling around my fingers. Ava gasped, clutching Brandon like she’d just seen a ghost. Brandon’s eyes darted to her hand—concern etched on his face as he opened his mouth to yell. “Skylar, three years and you’re still this cruel? Ava’s trying to be nice, and you hurt her? Do you even see her as family?” Family? I laughed bitterly. Ava was the illegitimate child he’d always hated. Brandon looked like he’d rather take the cut himself. He called for a doctor—for Ava. Once, he’d panic if I so much as burned my finger cooking. He’d bandage it with such care, like it was a precious wound. Now, he didn’t even glance at the blood dripping from my hand. “Skylar, chug this bottle and we’ll call it even.” It was Cole—one of Brandon’s lackeys, trying to impress him. Brandon knew I was deathly allergic to alcohol. My mom’s face flashed in my mind—her body lying in a pool of liquor, eyes wide open. A memory I’d never escape. I looked to Brandon for help, but he just held Ava closer, avoiding my gaze. “Skylar, finish it, and I’ll let you off the hook for hurting Ava.”

My palm throbbed, but I couldn’t feel it. I could barely hold the bottle steady. The doctor arrived minutes later, rushing Brandon and Ava to the ER. Brandon gave me a strange look—like he was surprised I hadn’t fought back. Someone pulled out a phone to record the scene. “The Hayes’ ugly duckling is just like her mom—a drunk.” Only Brandon knew about my mom’s forced alcoholism. That night, he held me and said he understood. Then he smashed every bottle in his bar, swearing he’d never touch alcohol again. The liquor burned my throat like acid—three years of poison finally taking its toll. It felt like Brandon was being ripped from my chest, piece by piece. “Enough!” Brandon snatched the bottle from my hand and slammed the phone to the ground. “Skylar, how long are you going to keep pulling this self-destructive crap?” My stomach twisted. My vision blurred. I could barely stand. His blazer fell over me—warm, familiar. He wrapped it around my shoulders. “Skylar, go home. We’ll talk when I get back.” He started to say more, but Ava coughed from the stretcher. Brandon’s face paled. He jumped into the ambulance without a second glance. He stepped right over the ring I’d saved a year to buy—our anniversary ring. My legs gave out. I hit the floor hard. It was just like my eighteenth birthday—me on the ground, frozen, helpless, picking up my mom’s torn photo from the freezer. I’d planned to tell Brandon everything today. I don’t know how long I was out. My phone lit up in the middle of the night. A Snap from Brandon. The photo showed two hands intertwined, with an open condom packet beside them. [Thanks for keeping Brandon warm for three years. I’m back now.] [We’re getting engaged in seven days.] The conversation from the private room flooded back. The bet: the loser had to date me and make me fall in love with him. Brandon lost that bet on my eighteenth birthday. They all praised him for staying “faithful”—for saving himself for Ava. But as soon as she was back, he couldn’t wait to break that promise. Ava had used Brandon’s phone to lure me to the party. I should have been furious, but that bottle of liquor had burned away every last bit of my love. “Mr. Sterling, I told Grandpa I’d come back after the competition ends in seven days.” I slid into the Bentley parked at the end of the alley. I grabbed a hair clip to pin back my bangs, then wiped my face clean with a makeup remover wipe. The car window reflected a face I barely recognized—sharp, beautiful, and dangerous. “Skylar, you look just like your mother now.” Mr. Sterling stared at me, stunned. After a moment, he tossed my wet clothes into the trash. “It can’t have been easy, living with the Hayes all these years.”

I didn’t go home to wait for Brandon. I went back to my apartment. That night, I came down with a fever. Someone had left medicine for me. It helped bring my fever down. As soon as I could stand, I buried myself in my competition project. I didn’t even blink when I saw the news—Brandon had rented out an entire mall for Ava. Three days later, I went back to school. Ava was sitting in my seat. She was curled up next to Brandon, laughing like she owned the place. I looked away, ignoring the dull ache in my chest. I handed Brandon his dry-cleaned suit. But he snapped. His fingers dug into my wrist, keeping me from leaving. “Skylar, what’s your problem now? I took care of the guy who made you drink. Where’ve you been? Who’ve you been with?” He was the one who made me drink. Now he was taking credit for fixing it. I frowned, confused. His grip was cutting off my circulation. Gasps filled the room. “Is that Skylar? The one who gets picked up by old men in fancy cars?” “She’s not even that hot. What’s she got on him?” “She’s been MIA for three days. When she got out of the car, she could barely walk—and she was wearing a different dress.” The classroom screen lit up with photos: me being forced to drink, my uncle helping me into the car… And finally, a photo of me in a hotel bed—naked, blurred, but recognizable. “Like mother, like daughter. Skylar drinks and sleeps around just like her mom.” Room 1206 was Brandon’s suite. Those photos couldn’t have been taken without his permission. Had he been watching me this whole time? Taking photos while I slept? Brandon looked just as shocked. He yelled for someone to turn off the screen. But it was too late. The photos were already all over the school’s social media. My ears rang. I remembered my dad slamming fake nude photos of my mom into her face. “Skylar, stop!” Brandon slapped me. The force turned my head to the side. Blood trickled from my lip—I’d bitten it raw during the panic. Brandon stared at my cheek. He tried to touch it, but pulled back. His voice was rough. “Skylar, who was that man? Tell me, and I’ll forget about you disappearing.” My chest ached—not for him, but for the girl I used to be. With Brandon, I’d never had even a shred of trust. “Brandon, that was my uncle. He came to tell me Grandpa is dying. He wants me to come home for the funeral.” “Happy now?” I held up the only photo Grandpa had ever given me, staring Brandon down. It was a family photo—my uncle, Grandpa, and Mom. Brandon froze. His fingers trembled as he held the photo. Ava looped her arm through his, her voice sweet and innocent. “Skylar’s always been with the Hayes. Where would she get an uncle or grandpa? I’ve never seen them.” “This photo’s fake. The faces are all blurry.” Brandon’s phone buzzed. His assistant’s message erased any doubt. Grandpa’s family had hidden our relationship to protect me. “Skylar, you’re still lying? Using a fake photo to trick me?” His words were cold, sharp. He met my eyes—and tore the photo in half. The pieces fluttered to the floor. I dropped to my knees to pick them up, scraping my skin raw. “Skylar, you’re such a liar. I should’ve left you in that freezer.” But he didn’t know the truth. When I was twelve, I saved a boy from drowning. He’d been pushed into the lake by Brandon’s half-brother.

Brandon walked over the photo, his shoe pressing down on my hand. He wanted me to beg. Like I always did. He threw the bracelet I’d made him into the trash. But he didn’t move out of our apartment. And he never mentioned the engagement. I was in a taxi on my way to the competition. I didn’t have time to care about Brandon—and I didn’t want to. Their engagement was all over the news. The photos showed Brandon and Ava looking perfect together. Brandon once said he’d marry into the Hayes family for business. He kept his promise. Just not with me. I traced the taped photo, smiling sadly. After today, it would all be over. I’d go back to A City and never see Brandon again. The taxi hit a patch of ice. The driver slammed on the brakes. I hit the seat hard. Then everything went black. When I woke up, the world was spinning. I felt sick to my stomach. A hand grabbed my hair, yanking my head back. “This is the one? She’s not even worth the trouble. Is this really Skylar Hayes?” “Brandon said to scare her—not actually sell her. Just teach her a lesson.” When they threw me onto the deck, I realized where I was—a cruise ship. A party boat for rich kids to drink and hook up. I bit my lip until it bleed, forcing myself to stay awake. People were being paraded onto the stage, auctioned off like prizes. “Is that Brandon? He’s engaged to Ava today. Who’s this girl?” The guard stared at his phone, frowning. To them, the Hayes family only had one daughter. At the engagement party, Ava wore a white gown. She looked like a princess. Brandon stood beside her in a silver suit. He looked older, colder. They kissed as the crowd cheered.

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