Category: English

Two years into our marriage, my wife said I was a bad influence and had me locked up in a “Discipline Center.” During the year I was tortured, she spent every day by her old flame’s side. When I got out, my heart was dead. I asked for a divorce. Just like she wanted, I set her free. But what she didn’t know was that her precious old flame was only after her money. Without me, she’d be nothing. 1. I spent a whole year in that Discipline Center. The day I was released, I was in the laundry room, bleeding, still working, when one of the guards brought me the “good news.” A guard bellowed my name from behind. I immediately dropped, covered my head, and shouted, “Number 33, here!” By the time the guard dragged me by the collar to his office, I was shaking uncontrollably. The second he let go, I hit the floor and started doing push-ups. The guard yanked me up. “Stop that. You’re getting out.” Tears burst from my eyes. I bowed low, thanking him over and over. Before I left, the guard told me, his voice heavy, “We offered to let you out early if an extra six million was paid.” “But your wife refused. She even transferred another five million to us, telling us to intensify your ‘training.’ Don’t blame us…” His words hung in the air as I was changing. My hand froze mid-button. But I didn’t dare hesitate. Hesitation meant severe punishment. Every form of punishment in that place made me feel like I was staring death in the face. When I got out, Chloe wasn’t there. The housekeeper told me Chloe had arranged a welcome-home dinner. I called Chloe. Her familiar, impatient voice crackled through the phone. “The usual spot. Hurry up.” Then, a man’s voice, one I knew all too well – Liam, Chloe’s old flame. “So, the wimp is out. We’ll have to make him drink a few extra tonight.” Chloe hung up before I could even say “okay.” Her usual bossy attitude plunged my heart into a frozen silence. After all this time, a year in that hellhole, and Liam was still the one by her side. I wasn’t surprised. Liam’s place in Chloe’s heart was untouchable. Ever since Liam divorced and came back three years ago, all he had to do was crook his finger, and Chloe would drop everything and run to him. Liam was built, always whispering in Chloe’s ear how a strong gust of wind could blow my scrawny self away. That’s where “wimp” came from. Chloe, instead of stopping him, would chime in, “He really does. He doesn’t make me feel protected at all.” In the car, the butler kindly handed me a cup of warm water. It was an old habit of mine; I liked to drink tea, warm, year-round. I took two sips. My nose stung, and my eyes welled up. A cup of warm water might not seem like much, but I hadn’t had a single sip of warm water for an entire year in that Center. Through all four seasons there, they not only rationed our water but only gave us ice-cold water. When I first got there, I asked a guard for some warm water. They threw me into a damp, cold isolation cell for two whole days and nights. We had daily labor quotas. In the dead of winter, we had to wash the guards’ clothes. Every single stain had to be scrubbed out, or you’d get a beating in solitary. My hands became raw and infected countless times, but no one treated them. In the Discipline Center, you weren’t allowed medical attention unless you were on your last breath. When I was first beaten so badly my whole body was a mess of open wounds, I lay on the floor, in so much pain I was paralyzed, begging the guard to call a doctor. He just sneered, kicked me a couple of times, and asked, “Do you think you deserve it?” Dignity was a luxury there. No matter how much the guards cursed at you, you had to take it. We were treated like livestock, no days off, all year round. Every day, from 6:30 AM to 11:00 PM, we worked. The guards graded us daily. If you got a ‘D,’ there was no dinner that night. You’d also be taken to the punishment room. Minor offenses meant whipping or caning; major ones meant electric shocks or other brutal forms of discipline. What went on in the Discipline Center was the complete opposite of what they advertised. Watching the steam rise from the cup, my eyes reddened again, an involuntary reaction. I remembered the smell of my own burnt flesh after they’d used the electric prods on me. A few times, I’d questioned the guards’ “professionalism” when my day’s work was rated ‘D’. Without a word, they’d drag me to the punishment room. High-voltage current shot through my body, my brain instantly shutting down, leaving me in a puddle of my own waste. But the acrid smell of burnt skin filled my nostrils. The guard, eyes bloodshot, would grab my chin and hiss, “Next time, will you dare?” By then, my body would be numb, unable to force a single word past my lips. But to them, that just meant I was a born troublemaker. They’d strap me to the chair again, replaying the whole ordeal. They wouldn’t stop until I passed out. The guards’ vicious words echoed in my mind, making me shudder violently. The butler, startled, asked, “Sir, am I driving too fast?” I shook my head. “No, it was my fault.” I had to force myself to sit upright, away from the seatback, because my back was covered in wounds. 2. Every time the car braked, my back would inevitably touch the seat, even if just a little. Soon, large beads of sweat were forming on my forehead. The butler kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, eventually apologizing again. “Sir, has my driving gotten worse?” he asked, his face etched with worry. I had to straighten my spine again, forcing a smile. “It’s not you.” He’d been with me for years; he knew my habits. I used to always recline the seat, half-lying down. My back was a mess of new and old injuries, barely a patch of undamaged skin. The lashing I’d received a few days ago had already started to fester. When I left the Discipline Center, the guards confiscated all my light-colored clothes. After picking through everything, they only gave me this black shirt. I knew black would hide all the marks on my body. As long as I was out, they figured, it was no longer their problem. The thought made me tremble uncontrollably. “We punish you to make you learn your lesson.” “From now on, your wife’s word is law.” I clutched the hem of my shirt, trying to calm myself. “Punishment is to make you remember. You are not to argue when your wife gives an order.” The image of guards whipping me with leather straps dipped in chili water flashed in my mind. Every night in the Discipline Center, screams echoed through the halls. Whipping was the most common punishment. Each time, I’d bite my lip until I tasted blood to keep from crying out. If you made a sound, the guards would double the punishment. One round of whipping could take half your life; I really didn’t want to go through it again. After being punished, you had to crouch in a corner, enduring the full-body pain, and “reflect.” You couldn’t leave until a guard gave you permission. If a guard thought your wounds needed disinfecting, they’d toss you a plastic bag. Inside were basic disinfectant supplies. You’d have to squat in a dark, damp basement, gritting your teeth, tears streaming down your face, and tend to your wounds yourself. 3. The nightmarish memories came to an abrupt halt when the butler announced, “We’re here.” “The usual spot” was a restaurant Chloe had invested in for Liam. After Liam’s divorce, Chloe, feeling sorry for him, bought the restaurant outright and gave it to him as a birthday present. As I approached Private Room 999, the door was slightly ajar. Laughter spilled out even before I opened it. Chloe was leaning on Liam’s shoulder, smiling, acting cute. Her face was flushed. It struck me then: they were the ones who looked like a couple. Liam caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye. He squeezed Chloe’s cheek. “Haven’t seen him in a year. Miss him?” Chloe buried her head in Liam’s arm. “Don’t you know if I miss him or not?” With that, I pushed the door open and chose a seat furthest from Chloe. “Long time no see,” I said quietly. When Chloe looked at me, she couldn’t hide the disgust in her expression. “We spent so much money sending you to learn some manners,” she said, her face full of displeasure, her disdainful gaze undisguised. “I don’t see any improvement at all.” “You look like a mess. Couldn’t you at least wash your face and tidy up before coming in?” I lowered my head, wiped my cheek, and mumbled, “My apologies. I wasn’t thinking.” As soon as I said it, both Liam and Chloe stared at me, their eyes wide, looking me up and down. It made my skin crawl. “What is it?” I asked, confused. Chloe whispered in Liam’s ear, “See? The money wasn’t a complete waste. Look at his attitude now, it’s a night and day difference.” Before the Discipline Center, I used to argue with Chloe frequently because of Liam. Chloe always said I had a bad temper, that I wouldn’t yield an inch. Liam looked at me with a smirk. “Of course, it had to have an effect. Can’t let all that money go to waste.” I thought about last New Year’s, six months ago. The guards said they could bend the rules, give us a chance to contact our families. If our families were willing to pay two million, they’d release us early, against the contract. I immediately called Chloe. But all I heard on the other end was Chloe’s panting. And Liam saying, “Chloe, you’re so tight…” Before I could finish speaking, she hung up. I lost my only chance to contact the outside world. Seeing me eating by myself, not saying a word. I don’t know if Liam wanted to test my “re-education,” but he leaned back in his chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and cupped Chloe’s face, kissing her deeply. When I showed no reaction, Liam did it again. My gaze dropped to the strawberry juice in front of me. I’ve been allergic to strawberries my whole life. When I was a kid, I accidentally ate two strawberries, and my heart stopped. I was rushed to the hospital and nearly died. Chloe and I had been married for so long. She remembered all of Liam’s preferences, but not mine. Faced with a normal meal after so long, I just ate, ignoring the scene across the table. Chloe gradually grew angrier. “Alex Sterling,” she snapped, “haven’t you ever had a full meal in your life? Look at yourself, you’re disgusting.” I didn’t care about her ridicule. I kept eating. The day Chloe had me dragged to the Discipline Center, my heart had already shattered into a million pieces. Now, I just wanted to live. 5. After I’d eaten my fill, I headed straight for the butler’s car. Surprisingly, Chloe walked over to my car, motioning for me to wait. She pulled a document out of her bag and handed it to me. “Liam wants to partner with you on that land parcel in the West End. Sign the contract.” During the year I was gone, Chloe made all the company decisions. But now that I was back, her word didn’t carry as much weight. Seeing I hadn’t taken the contract, Chloe glared at me. “Hurry up.” Her eyes were a warning: if I didn’t listen to her, she’d send me back to the Discipline Center. But she didn’t know that while I was in the restroom at the restaurant, I’d called my friend, Leo Maxwell. He’s a top lawyer in the country. I remember before we graduated college, he joked, “If you ever get divorced, call me. I’ll give you half price.” At the time, I told him firmly, “That day will never come.” I never thought it would come true. I refused Chloe and told the butler to drive off, leaving her standing there. The next morning, Chloe came home looking exhausted. The moment she walked in, she yelled, “Alex! Come change my shoes.” Chloe was a clean freak. Every time she came home, she had to change from head to toe. And when she was in a bad mood, she liked to order me around. Before, I was afraid of upsetting her, so I did whatever she wanted. But now, I wasn’t willing anymore. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and slowly walked downstairs. Seeing how slow I was, Chloe got so angry she threw her bag at my face. “Alex, are you doing this on purpose? Can’t you hear me when I talk to you?” “You just got back and you’re already this useless. It’s disgusting to look at you.” I stared at the pink mark on Chloe’s neck, lost in thought. Chloe quickly adjusted her collar. “It’s a mosquito bite.” “You know I have sensitive skin; this happens all the time.” Thinking back, over the past three years, these kinds of marks had appeared on Chloe’s neck or chest quite a few times. I’d asked her about them several times, and her answer was always mosquito bites. Twice, it was in the dead of winter. I racked my brain but couldn’t figure out what kind of mosquito it could be. I slowly sat down and pulled out the divorce papers from under the coffee table. Leo was fast. He’d contacted me in the middle of the night to say the divorce agreement was ready. Chloe’s face was a mask of shock. “What is the meaning of this?” “I just asked you to give Liam a little piece of the pie, and this is how you react?” Then, furious, she ripped the divorce papers to shreds. I looked at her, my face cold. “Divorcing you is something I’ve thought long and hard about.” Chloe laughed. “Long and hard? Have you lost your mind?” “You know what you promised me!” When I proposed to Chloe, I did promise her that it would be just the two of us, for life, and that I would love her forever. But loving her forever didn’t mean I could accept her cheating. She crossed her arms, calm and composed, as if she was certain I wouldn’t really divorce her. Just then, the doorbell rang. Liam appeared at my door, with a neck half-covered in hickeys.

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I had a miscarriage after a car accident. The woman who hit me was Liam Blackwood’s personal assistant. I wanted to call the police, but for the first time ever, Liam used his influence to suppress the incident. No one would take my report. “She’s just a novice driver, it wasn’t intentional. Don’t be so cruel!” He frowned, his gaze sweeping over my lower body with a look of disgust. “You’re not even wearing a pad? That’s disgusting! Get home now, don’t embarrass me!” The next day, Liam walked in with his pregnant assistant, Sienna. He sneered when he saw my packed bags. “Running away again? Who are you trying to impress? Don’t come crawling back like a lapdog in a few days, like before!” He kicked my luggage out the door, then carried Sienna inside. The bed creaked loudly. I didn’t argue or fuss. I just packed my remaining things calmly and signed the divorce papers. He didn’t know this time, it was for real. My brother would be here to pick me up in three days. Moans from the next bedroom echoed through the house for most of the night. As if I didn’t hear them, I meticulously folded my clothes one by one into my suitcase. The next moment, my bedroom door was kicked open. Liam’s face was grim. He slapped me across the face, then dragged me into the master bedroom. “Chloe Peterson, I wondered why you were so well-behaved today, no arguing, no fuss. Turns out you were waiting for me here, you venomous snake!” My wrist was twisted into an unnatural angle, and I heard a sickening pop from my shoulder. He’d dislocated my arm. I gasped, my face instantly turning pale, cold sweat beading on my forehead. Liam watched my pathetic state, his expression unchanged, a cold disdain in his eyes. “Stop faking it. It’s really sickening.” Sienna stumbled dramatically into his arms, revealing her bare back. There was a tiny red speck there, smaller than a mosquito bite. “It’s okay, Mr. Blackwood, I’m sure she didn’t mean to leave a needle on the bed…” Liam’s voice turned cold as he questioned me. “Didn’t I tell you not to touch her?” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. How could I dare touch Sienna? The last time I went to Liam’s office to bring him lunch, Sienna spilled the soup on herself. When Liam returned, he insisted I had deliberately splashed it on her. The result was humiliating: I had to kneel before Sienna in front of everyone in the office and slap myself to apologize to her. I took a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil in my heart. “I didn’t know you were bringing her back today. Why would I put a needle on the bed beforehand?” Liam released me with a disgusted shove, like throwing away trash, sending me sprawling to the marble floor. My knees hit the hard surface, bruising and swelling instantly. Liam’s expression remained unchanged, his brow furrowed in annoyance. “You’re still defiant, even facing death. I told Sienna to text you this afternoon that we’d be back tonight, for you to prepare dinner.” At his words, I raised my eyes to Sienna. My chat history with Sienna contained nothing but her provocations. My phone was filled with selfies she’d sent of her and Liam in bed: in his office, on my very own bed, even in Liam’s prized sports car. Once, I’d sat in the passenger seat of his sports car without his permission. He’d been so furious, claiming I’d “dirtied” his car, that he’d thrown me out on the highway, making me walk over twenty miles barefoot back home. Yet, Sienna’s bodily fluids and torn lingerie on that same passenger seat didn’t seem to bother him at all. Sienna seemed startled by my emotionless gaze, shrinking into Liam’s arms, trembling. “Mr. Blackwood, I shouldn’t have come here to bother you two…” Liam scoffed, pulling her tighter. “You make a mistake, you face the consequences, Chloe Peterson. I’ve spoiled you for too long.” Liam had someone bring a box of safety pins. He painstakingly stuck them upright into the mattress. “You’ll sleep here tonight.” “Get some rope. Tie her up.” The bodyguards tied me up, binding me tightly to the bed. The sharp pins poked into my flesh from behind, like invisible beasts gnawing at me. The pain made my limbs spasm. Liam gave me a fleeting glance, dismissing it as dramatics. He turned, gently kissing the small wound on Sienna’s back. “Does it hurt?” He picked Sienna up tenderly, carrying her out. Before leaving, he gave the bodyguard a warning look. “If you go soft and untie her, you’ll be the one lying there tomorrow.” I closed my eyes, a tear escaping. Fine. Two more days, and I’d be gone from this place. When I woke up, the doctor had already treated the wounds on my back. Liam sat on the chair by the bed, a rare hint of gentleness in his expression. “Awake?” I turned my head away, unwilling to engage with him. Soon, I sensed something was wrong. I struggled to sit up, reaching a hand to my head. Liam pressed down on my IV arm. “Don’t move.” “I shaved all your hair off.” My voice trembled. “What did you say?” My phone screen, acting as a mirror, showed my reflection: my head was completely bald, not a single strand left. Liam pressed his lips together, a rare note of guilt in his voice. “Sienna has been losing a lot of hair since she got pregnant. It’s been very severe.” “She wanted a hair transplant, but she didn’t like the low-quality hair. She just wanted a little bit of yours. It’ll grow back.” I yanked out the IV needle. Blood streamed down my hand, staining the pillow. I threw it fiercely at him. “How dare you do that to me?!” Sienna walked in through the doorway, grinning, swinging a shiny lock of black hair in her hand. “Ms. Peterson, your hair is really well-maintained. I love it.” Liam quickly went to her, embracing her. “As long as you like it.” He gave me a wary look, as if afraid I’d go crazy and hurt Sienna. “Alright, stop acting like you’re dying. Sienna is pregnant; what’s wrong with you being considerate of her?” “I need to take her for a few more check-ups. Go home and make some chicken soup and bring it over.” The doctor, who had just come to check on me, overheard him and chimed in. “Mr. Blackwood, her wounds on her back haven’t scabbed over, and she lost a lot of blood last night. She needs rest…” But Liam seemed not to hear, or perhaps, didn’t care. He continued to instruct me coldly, “What are you waiting for? Go home and cook. Sienna doesn’t like greasy food, so don’t make the soup too oily.” Seeing me quietly leave without a fuss, a subtle wave of displeasure crossed Liam’s mind. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask why I wasn’t making a scene this time, but then remembered that this was exactly what he wanted, and closed his mouth again. On the way home, halfway there. “Bang!” A truck collided head-on with my car. The next second, I felt my insides shift, and then I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I was tied up in a dilapidated warehouse. A kidnapper, with a sinister face, was calling Liam for a ransom. Liam’s disgusted voice came from the other end of the line. “Ransom? Tell her to go to hell.” “Chloe Peterson, all I asked was for you to go home and cook. And you orchestrated this charade with someone? You’re really calculating every angle. If that’s the case, you might as well die out there!” The kidnapper tutted, then hung up. “Looks like Sienna was right. You really do have a cheap life; you got hit by a car like that and still didn’t die.” “Your husband is completely wrapped around her finger. You’re pathetic.” He finished, then let out a lewd laugh, his eyes raking over my body before lunging at me. Thankfully, at the last second, I managed to loosen my ropes and kick him hard in the groin. He grabbed me, slapping me across the face repeatedly. “You little bitch! Still trying to run?! Your husband doesn’t even want you, and I’m offering you a consolation, yet you’re ungrateful!” Blood splattered from my mouth, but he still wouldn’t stop. After slapping me for what felt like the hundredth time, the kidnapper seemed satisfied and started to unbuckle his pants. I clenched my fists, then, with all my might, I slammed my phone into his head and bolted out. When I returned to the Blackwood mansion, my shoes were gone, my feet were covered in blood, and my clothes were torn. I knocked on the door for ten minutes, but no one answered. It was late autumn, and the night temperature was dropping sharply. I couldn’t stand the cold, and my legs began to tremble. Finally, I couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground. When a person is weak, their hearing becomes strangely acute. Through the door, Liam’s cold voice drifted out. “Doesn’t she love to put on a show? Let her act as much as she wants! No one opens the door for her today!” Sienna giggled, telling him to stop. Liam’s voice suddenly softened. “Which one do you want to eat? I’ll feed you.” I was left outside the door all night. Frost climbed onto my eyelashes, and my exposed hands and feet turned blue and purple with cold. The next morning, when the housekeeper opened the door, my consciousness was already fading. My sleeves were stained with dried blood, and my wounds were festering. Liam glanced at me indifferently, then instructed the housekeeper to drag me inside. “Sienna can’t stand the smell of blood. Take her to the bathroom and hose her down.” The housekeeper, always watching Liam’s mood, showed no mercy. She roughly dragged me, threw me directly into the bathroom, tore off my clothes, and doused me with cold water. I bit my lower lip until it bled, enduring the pain, not uttering a sound. After being cleaned up, Liam waited in the living room. Seeing my bloodless face, Liam’s expression softened slightly. He had someone help me to the dining table. Sienna pouted, a little displeased, complaining that her baby wanted durian. Liam spoke softly, coaxing her, a gentle curve unconsciously forming on his lips. “No, the doctor said you need to control your sugar intake. Be good, listen to me.” He spared a moment to glance at me, head bowed, eating quietly, and picked up a chopstick full of shrimp and egg omelet for my bowl. I nudged my bowl away, not accepting it. The shrimp and egg omelet fell onto the table. Liam slammed his chopsticks down, his face livid. “How long are you going to keep this up?!” I quietly drank the hot porridge in my hand, my voice calm. “I’m allergic to shrimp. Don’t you remember?” Liam’s face visibly darkened. He raised his hand and swept my bowl and chopsticks off the table. The glass bowl and chopsticks shattered on the floor, and a shard cut my cheek. An ugly gash marred my face, but I merely wiped away the flowing blood indifferently and stood to leave. Liam frowned, not understanding why I wasn’t trying to charm him. When I used to love him, I was most concerned with my appearance and most afraid of pain. Every time I was hurt, I would flirt and fuss for ages just to get a glance from him. Displeasure flickered in his eyes. He deliberately lifted Sienna’s chin and kissed her in front of me. My phone suddenly rang. I answered. The voice on the other end was cool, yet revealed a hint of urgency. “Your ticket for tomorrow is booked. If he won’t agree to the divorce, leave everything to me. Don’t be afraid.” Liam saw the unconscious smile that appeared on my face when I answered the call, and he froze, a pang of jealousy crossing his heart. He pushed Sienna away, testing me, “Who was that?” I ended the call, feeling annoyed, and turned to walk away. He grabbed my wrist, this time with more anger. “I asked you, which man?!” I shook off his hand and stepped back. “My brother.” He visibly sighed in relief but still seemed dissatisfied. “He’s just an adoptive brother, after all. Keep your distance from him in the future.” Keep my distance? But from now on, we’ll be closer than ever. I didn’t want to argue with him, so I gave a perfunctory grunt and returned to my room. On my last day, Liam woke me up early. He said he wanted to see the horse ranch I owned. Upon arriving at the ranch, Sienna’s eyes flashed with jealousy and resentment. She gracefully linked her arm through Liam’s, leaning in close, but speaking loud enough for me to hear. “I hear riding a horse is very exciting, Mr. Blackwood. It’s been over three months now, so it’s safe~ Let’s have some fun~” Liam’s chest rose and fell sharply, his breathing becoming ragged. His gaze on Sienna grew heated. He coughed twice, then waved me away dismissively, saying I was an eyesore. He wanted me to leave, yet for some reason, he felt a flicker of discomfort, subtly observing my reaction. I left with an expressionless face. Liam clutched his chest, suddenly feeling a dull ache. I went to see the manager and settled some matters. I had already transferred ownership of the ranch last month. Coming here today was just to reassure the staff who had followed me. After this, I wouldn’t see them again. My flight was in three hours, and the car sent to pick me up was already outside. My steps were light, and I walked out with a smile. As I neared the entrance, two figures suddenly darted out. I was forcibly dragged back inside. In the ranch’s private room, Liam walked up to me, his face dark, and kicked me hard in the chest. He didn’t hold back. The kick was so painful I couldn’t even speak. Liam’s sharp, cold eyes pierced me like knives, as if he wanted to carve a piece of flesh from my body. “Chloe Peterson, I really underestimated you. You’d even resort to such tactics? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?” “Sienna has a baby in her belly, and you actually ordered that damn horse to throw her off!” Sienna leaned on the sofa, clutching her stomach and crying out in pain. Liam’s eyes were red, and he kissed her hair. “Just hold on, the doctor will be here soon.” When Liam turned to look at me, Sienna provocatively stuck out her tongue. I coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, losing even the desire to explain. I asked indifferently, “So, what do you want to do?” Liam’s lips curled into a cold sneer. Seeing the murderous intent in his eyes, a cold sweat broke out on my back. My feet felt icy, and a sudden, ominous premonition washed over me. “What did you do to Midnight?!” Midnight was a Quarter Horse, gentle by nature, and I’d raised her since she was a foal. She always obeyed me and had never hurt anyone. It was precisely because of her gentle nature that I had instructed my staff to lead her out for Liam and Sienna to use. Liam’s expression grew even colder, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. “You’ll see, won’t you?” His men tied me up and took me to the riding arena. Seeing Midnight lying in a pool of blood, twitching uncontrollably, my mind felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer. I couldn’t hear anything else. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, and I lost all reason. “Are you insane?! Liam Blackwood! You know Midnight’s temperament! You’ve ridden her so many times! How could she intentionally throw someone off?!” Liam froze, his expression wavering slightly. The next second, Sienna’s moans came from the doorway. “Mr. Blackwood… it hurts so much… our baby!” Liam gritted his teeth, glared at me fiercely, and then rushed inside without hesitation. “But that horse listens to you most. If it was your command, would it not obey?” “Tie her to the wildest horse and drag her for ten laps!” The wild horse was brought out. The bodyguards threw me to the ground, tying the other end of the rope to the horse. A bodyguard took out an iron needle and forcefully jabbed it into the horse’s flank. “I’m sorry, Madam, Mr. Blackwood ordered this.” The wild horse bolted like crazy, crashing around the arena. My entire body was dragged along the ground, my knees, scalp, and wrists scraping open, leaving winding rivers of blood that painted a gruesome picture on the arena floor. As the pain reached a certain point, I became numb. The whole world spun before my eyes, and every part of my body felt like it was being torn apart by knives. Before I lost consciousness, I saw Liam carefully carrying Sienna into an ambulance. When I woke up, it was deep into the night, and I had already missed my flight. I lay in the lounge and dialed an overseas number. “Ethan, I’m sorry, I missed it…” The man didn’t blame me. He arranged a private jet for me. Liam called me, but I didn’t answer. Immediately after, I received over a dozen warning texts from him.

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I was a sailor. After returning from the sea, I wanted to surprise my wife, but before I could deliver it, she gave me a shock that shook me to my core… … When I opened the door to my house and saw those two strangers writhing on our master bedroom bed, I felt my blood run cold. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Once I snapped back to reality, I hurled the bouquet of flowers I was holding right at the man’s head, then followed up with a barrage of punches. Caught red-handed and stark naked, he didn’t dare fight back. He clutched at his privates, trying to slip away from my grasp while I was distracted. But with my temper, there was no way I was letting him leave unscathed. The more he looked guilty, the angrier I became. My rage intensified, and I hit him even harder, wanting to beat the life out of that pathetic jerk right then and there. My wife, Sarah, seeing that I might actually kill him, threw caution to the wind, ignoring her own state of undress, and forcibly pulled me away. “Liam, that’s enough! Whatever your problem is, take it out on me! Don’t you dare hit him again!” “If you keep hitting him, I swear I’ll fight you! Besides, if this gets out, you’re the one who’ll be humiliated.” Sarah’s shamelessness was astounding. With just a few flimsy words, she reignited the blazing inferno within me. Watching me teeter on the edge of explosion, she remained utterly fearless, continuing to rant. “What are you doing? You’re never home! Am I not allowed to find a little enjoyment for myself?” “Liam, don’t look at me like that. Don’t think I don’t know what kind of trash you sailors are, always drifting out at sea. You’re all the same.” “Even though I haven’t caught you fooling around with other women, I’ve heard plenty. You people usually pick up women wherever your ship docks. You’re not clean yourself, so why bother trying to lecture me?” Sarah showed no trace of shame at being caught in the act. Instead, she stood there with her arms crossed, brazenly yelling at me. Truly, a person without shame is invincible. Her nonsensical rant struck me dumb. After a long moment, I managed to grit out a few words: “I want a divorce!” I’d only caught her once, and Sarah acted completely unconcerned. God only knew how many men she’d been with while I was away. My head was spinning with the thought of being made a fool of – this was more than I could ever stomach! And her twisted logic was something else. I didn’t know where she’d heard those things, but in a world this diverse, maybe there were people like she described. But not me, absolutely not. I swore I’d never done anything to betray her. We clearly weren’t on the same page. If she couldn’t understand my profession, then I’d set her free. Let her live the life she wanted. After all, marriage is meant for happiness, and so is divorce. After successfully getting the divorce papers, I suddenly felt a profound sadness, filled with a deep sense of loss. I had only wanted to surprise my wife, to celebrate our wedding anniversary properly. But the surprise turned into a nightmare. Not only did my wife run off with another man, but my home was also invaded. From that day on, among all the illuminated windows, not a single light shone for me. I fell into a long period of despair because of it. I even considered that maybe it was my unique profession that made Sarah feel lonely and empty, pushing her into another man’s arms. Perhaps if I’d changed to a job closer to home, the outcome would have been entirely different. The more I thought, the heavier my heart grew. After my vacation ended and I returned to work, I was still half-dead, a mere shadow of myself, unable to muster any energy. My colleague, Mark, saw me like this and frowned. “Hey, Liam, what’s up with you?” “There are so many women in the world. You’re not going to fall apart just because of Sarah, are you? Just wait. When this ship docks, I’ll take you out for some fun.” I was so consumed by my own grief that I barely heard him. I just nodded numbly after he finished speaking. What I didn’t expect was that Mark’s idea of “fun” was taking me to a karaoke bar with “special services.” 2 From the outside, this karaoke bar looked no different from any other. But Mark told me that without an insider to guide you, you couldn’t even request the “services” you wanted here. I clicked my tongue in disbelief. I’d certainly seen it all now. I walked through the place like a wide-eyed tourist, every corner seeming new and strange. Beyond anything else, the neon lights and lively atmosphere alone were enough to make my heart race and release a rush of dopamine. Seeing how effortlessly Mark navigated the place, I finally understood why Sarah had said those things. Perhaps she thought I had already become like Mark, a regular patron of these kinds of places. It was like a huge accusation had been slapped squarely on my back, pinning me down. “Uh, Mark, maybe I should just head back. You guys have fun, you have fun.” My heart couldn’t quite handle it, so I waved at Mark and started to head for the exit. “Dude, what’s gotten into you? I brought you out because I heard you were divorced. Don’t tell me you’re going to be a buzzkill!” “Heh heh, don’t be in such a hurry to leave. You’ll see why in a minute.” Mark grinned at me mischievously while clinking glasses with his friends. It was then I noticed that Mark seemed different from how he usually was. At work, Mark was always serious and cool-headed. He was in his early thirties and still hadn’t married or had children. The managers at work often tried to set him up with dates or arrange blind dates, but he always politely declined. Now, it seemed he wasn’t avoiding women; he was simply too close to them. His heart was too wild to settle down with just one person. I shook my head, thinking our values were too different. It was best to respectfully keep our distance in the future. “Liam, they’re here, they’re here! You’re the boss tonight, you get to choose first.” Just then, Mark’s words snapped me back to reality. I looked up to see a line of hot women in short, revealing dresses, displaying their long, slender legs. I froze. I turned to Mark, and just as I was about to formulate a polite refusal, he wasted no time in pushing the woman he deemed to have the best presence in the room right into my arms. A unique, intoxicating scent wafted over me, making my old face flush. This woman felt completely different from Sarah. Even though Sarah had betrayed me, she usually presented herself as a respectable, virtuous wife, and dressed very modestly. If I hadn’t caught her in her scandalous act with my own eyes, I would have never believed she would betray me. But this woman now… her clothes were so skimpy I could directly see her ample cleavage, which immediately made my imagination run wild. She had so little fabric on to begin with, and now she was squirming restlessly as if she had ants in her pants, making her sensitive areas even more tantalizingly visible. I tried not to look, but I couldn’t help it, and my heart began to pound wildly. Feeling my nose betray me, a rush of warmth quickly gushed out. I clamped my hand over my nose and pushed the woman away, heading straight for the restroom. After a while, having composed myself, I slowly emerged from the restroom. Fortunately, Mark and the others hadn’t shifted their attention to me. He had his arm around a girl, singing love songs and having the time of his life. Seeing this, I quickly retreated to a corner, thinking this place really wasn’t for me. Next time Mark invited me, I’d definitely refuse. Meanwhile, the beautiful woman Mark had pushed into my arms earlier, seeing me sitting a mile away from her, unceremoniously scooted herself right over to me. “Oh, handsome, don’t be so shy.” “Look, everyone else here is singing and dancing with someone. If you sit so far away, my boss might see it, and I’ll be in big trouble.” The beauty whined softly, subtly complaining to me, and kept grumbling that if I didn’t cooperate, her boss would dock her pay. Hearing that, I didn’t know what excuse to use to refuse her again, so I just bit the bullet and let her sit beside me. Watching Mark and his invited friends having such a wild, carefree time, I felt incredibly out of place, my limbs stiff and unsure how to move. That entire night felt like an excruciating eternity. And the beauty seemed to sense my discomfort, so she started an on-and-off conversation with me. 3 She said her name was Chloe, she was 22, and she had just started in the industry a short while ago. When she learned where I was from, she exclaimed excitedly, saying we were from the same hometown. To prove it, she even started chatting with me in our local dialect. In this foreign city, her familiar accent made me feel genuinely close to her, and we quickly became comfortable with each other. I asked her why she was here, subtly hinting that this kind of work didn’t seem very suitable for a young woman. She pursed her lips and honestly replied that most girls who do this kind of work are desperate. No one wants to demean themselves, but you have to survive. They didn’t have the luxury of spending their days eating, drinking, and having fun like others. Being at the bottom of the ladder, survival was their top priority. They came from rural areas, with no skills or education, so they could only choose this path, relying on their youth to make a living. “A lot of girls from my village do this. I’ve seen some of them save enough money, go back home, find a decent guy to marry, and live pretty well.” “Anyway, I’m still so young right now; I don’t need to think about things so far into the future.” Chloe smiled, her eyes looking hollow as she spoke. She was truly beautiful, yet utterly devoid of soul. In that moment, I suddenly understood that beauty without wisdom was a disaster, often leading to a similar fate: most would end up as someone else’s “plaything.” Seeing that I had stopped talking, Chloe finally realized the communication barrier between us and fell silent as well. And just like that, our conversation died, leaving us looking awkwardly at each other. After a long silence, Chloe, worried someone outside might be watching and see her not working actively, thus docking her pay, quickly livened things up again. She filled both her glass and mine with alcohol, then said with bold confidence, “Brother, I’ll drink this first; you do as you please!” I looked at her, then at the full glass of liquor, my face showing hesitation. I wasn’t much of a drinker and wanted to refuse, but then I thought, if a girl like her dares to drink so openly, me being so wishy-washy seemed a bit unmanly, not at all grand. So, I followed suit and drained the glass in one gulp. Speaking of which, I had seriously underestimated the women who worked in these places. They were so used to drinking, it was like water to them—glass after glass, without even a blink. As for me, I couldn’t hold my liquor. Soon, I was dizzy, my head spinning. The next time I woke up, I found myself in a hotel, lying beside me was Chloe, the beauty I’d only met once.

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From my neighbor’s balcony, I watched as a burly guy, probably in his early thirties, jogged on his treadmill. His wife had run off with some rich old man six months ago. Since then, he seemed to hold a grudge against every woman he met. His eyes were always narrowed, his jaw clenched, as if he wanted to devour us whole. Every attractive woman in our apartment complex was scared of him. But not me. I’m a freshman dance student, fresh out of high school. I’m light on my feet, flexible, and naturally graceful. And I’ve been a head-turner my whole life. From elementary school to middle school, I was always the most popular girl, the “it” girl. Now in college, I’m seen as this unattainable goddess. But what no one knows is that my “unattainable” image is just a facade. Outside of school, privately, I have a side that no one could ever guess. My neighbor, Dave, stands over six feet tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with a healthy, tanned complexion. Every morning, he’s out on his balcony, working out on his treadmill. He only ever wears a pair of short athletic shorts. And almost every morning, I’m out on my balcony too, ostensibly practicing my dance moves. But really, it’s just an excuse to showcase my eighteen-year-old freshman self – my youth, my sensuality, my supple grace – for him. I wonder if he knew my parents had gone away on vacation, leaving me home alone. Because today, he was up much earlier than usual. The first thing he did, as always, was hit the treadmill on his balcony. Maybe it was because he didn’t see me right away, but he started making intentional noises, even faking a few coughs. Clearly, he was trying to get my attention, to let me know he was exercising and that I should join him on the balcony for my “practice.” I chuckled to myself, finding it amusing. Then, I flipped out of bed, eager to head out to the balcony. With my parents away, I felt even bolder. I chose something particularly daring and form-fitting. My tall, slender figure was accentuated, curves in all the right places. My long neck, my delicate arms, and a pair of legs as smooth as ivory were all on full display. Once on the balcony, I played coy. Even though I was doing this all for him, I deliberately turned my back. Yet, from the corner of my eye, I snuck glances at him. I was both surprised and thrilled to see that today, he too had become unexpectedly bolder. He wasn’t wearing his usual shorts. He was wearing nothing but a pair of extremely tight, elastic boxer briefs! 2 A thrill shot through me. Continuing my routine, I kept an eye on him from the corner of my vision, while subtly twisting my nimble, graceful body. With my back still to him, I performed a pole dance routine that was even more sensual and provocative than usual. My peripheral vision caught his eyes, wide and fixed on my swaying back, especially my full, curving hips. He stared with a ferocity that seemed to want to devour me whole, more intensely than ever before. He was already so tall, powerfully built, with a healthy, dark tan. Now, with that wild glint in his eyes, I couldn’t help but think of the overwhelmingly potent figures I’d seen in adult movies. I felt like I’d struck gold. I also recalled a rumor I’d once heard: his wife had left him for that rich old man because she couldn’t stand his endless, nightly torment. I truly couldn’t understand why she would feel that was torment. Wasn’t that what every woman secretly craved? If only I were his woman, how wonderful that would be! As this thought raced through my mind, I pictured myself forcefully pinned beneath him, a thrilling, heart-pounding image. I couldn’t help but launch into another pole dance. My movements were even more fluid, more alluring. His eyes widened further, that predatory glint, the desire to consume me, burning even hotter. Yet, I felt it wasn’t enough. As long as he could still control himself, I wouldn’t be satisfied. I needed to completely ignite the fire in his heart and body. I wanted him to burn with me, intensely and without restraint, until he couldn’t hold back anymore. By now, after two pole dance routines, I was slightly breathless, my body glistening with a light sheen of sweat. I seized the opportunity to make an even bolder move. It was the first time I had ever done something so daring in front of him on the balcony. Right there, under his ravenous gaze that promised to devour me, I began to change my clothes. Of course, because it was the first time, I still didn’t dare turn fully towards him. I kept my back to him, only letting him see my fair, supple skin. Though I hadn’t actually been with a man yet, my extensive experience with adult films had taught me more about men than most women my age. I knew that to truly entice a man, you couldn’t reveal everything at once. Nor could you let him have everything immediately. The more he only saw my alluring back, the more he would long to see my front. And the more I deliberately withheld it, the more he would crave, fantasize, and lose control, finally doing the wild thing I’d been longing for. I deliberately unfastened my top’s back clasp slowly, piece by piece, then slowly slipped off my shirt. Next, I bent over, slowly peeling off my ultra-short skirt… 3 Instead of quickly putting on the clean clothes I’d prepared, I picked up my towel and slowly, deliberately, began to wipe the beads of sweat from my body. From front to back… then from top to bottom… Throughout this entire process, I remained with my back to him. The whole thing lasted at least ten minutes before I had slowly and completely wiped myself dry. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his gaze behind me. It wasn’t just burning with a devouring intensity greater than ever before; it was truly ablaze with fire. I knew I had completely ignited the flame in his body and heart. But at that moment, I allowed myself a knowing smile. Then, I quickly dressed. After that, with a graceful turn, I left the balcony, entered the living room, and vanished from his sight, leaving him with nothing. My goal was to light that raging fire within him, but not be responsible for putting it out. I wanted him to suffer even more, to be tortured by desire. Then, at just the right moment, I would give him an opening. Only then, after being suppressed for so long, would he explode with uncontrolled urgency, like a rampaging beast. And only then could I truly become the leading lady of my own adult movie, experiencing the primal impact I craved. For the rest of the day, I secretly watched his movements. He spent the entire day restless and agitated, constantly pacing to his balcony and peering towards ours. From his craving eyes, I knew how desperately he wished I would appear on the balcony again. But I simply hid in my apartment, secretly amused. The more he acted this way, the more I wanted to tease him, leaving him wanting, but unsatisfied. As dusk approached, he took a phone call on his balcony. It sounded like a few buddies were inviting him out for dinner and drinks. Unable to decline their insistent invitations, he agreed. After hanging up, he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stared at our balcony a few more times, lingering with an air of strong reluctance and regret, before finally turning and going back into his room. A little while later, I heard him leave his apartment, his footsteps heading towards the elevator, then descending. He and his friends had a long dinner. By the time I heard him return, several hours had passed. I was watching an adult movie, waiting for him. As I listened to him open and close his apartment door, I glanced at my phone. It was nearly midnight. The first thing he did upon returning was rush out onto his balcony and peer towards ours again. In the dim night light, I saw the fierce flame burning even brighter in his eyes. A gust of night wind carried the strong scent of alcohol. Clearly, he’d had quite a bit to drink tonight. A secret delight fluttered in my heart. He was already tall, powerful, built like a primal force. Now, having drunk so much, wouldn’t he be even more uncontrollable, more overwhelmingly potent? But he didn’t see me. I was hiding in the shadows. He had no idea of my secret glee. He stayed on the balcony, looking around for a while, and when he didn’t see me, he turned away, disappointed and deflated, and went back into his room. I waited a little longer, estimating the time was right. Then, I grabbed my pink bath towel, dressed in something even sexier than what I’d worn during the day, and left my apartment. I walked to his door and rang his doorbell. The doorbell chimed for a while before I heard his heavy footsteps. When he reached the door, he only glanced through the peephole, and the next second, he urgently flung the door open. Just like that morning on the treadmill, he was completely bare-chested, wearing nothing but those extremely tight, elastic boxer briefs. His eyes held surprise, inquiry, and a burning, consuming fire. “You, do you need something?” His throat bobbed, his voice trembling. “Were you about to sleep? Did I disturb you?” I gave him a alluring smile. “No, no disturbance. It’s still early for sleep, I have trouble sleeping and usually stay up late on my phone. I was just about to take a shower, that’s why I’m dressed like this.” “Oh, good. I was also about to shower, but my water heater suddenly stopped working. I was wondering if I could borrow your bathroom? Would you mind?” “Mind? Of course not! Please, come in!” I smiled even more seductively, swaying my hips with a sensual, graceful movement, and stepped inside… 4 I deliberately brushed past him. His tall, powerfully built frame, over six feet, was like a tower. I’m only five feet five, so you can imagine how small I felt next to him, how stiflingly immense his presence was. But I liked that oppressive feeling. Even more, I loved the strong scent of alcohol and the palpable wave of male hormones radiating from him. As I brushed past, I intentionally pressed my soft, yielding body against his large, animalistic physique. In that instant, I felt the searing heat of his tanned skin. I was certain he felt the smooth, delicate texture of my skin, like snow. I distinctly felt his powerful body tremble uncontrollably. My own heart abruptly began to pound faster. But it was only a few fleeting seconds before I was past him, heading towards the bathroom. He stood there stunned for several seconds before snapping back to reality. Then, with a resounding thud, he quickly and securely closed the living room door, locking it. From the corner of my eye, I saw him staring at my graceful, sensual form as I headed towards the bathroom. His gaze was even more intensely predatory than in the daytime, promising to devour me. A hint of triumph and cunning, like a predator eyeing its prey, flickered in his burning eyes. But I wasn’t scared in the slightest. Instead, I gave a knowing smile with my back to him. The true hunters often appear as prey. Soon, we’d see who was truly whose prey! His apartment layout was identical to mine. But his decor was different. Especially his bathroom door – it was made of frosted glass, allowing vague shadows to be seen through it. This suited my plans perfectly. I entered the bathroom, closed the door, but not only did I not lock it, I deliberately left a tiny crack open. It was a clear invitation, implying he could push the door open and enter whenever he was bold enough. Next, I slowly undressed, admiring my perfect figure in the mirror for a while. Only then did I turn on the shower and step under the curtain of water. As I washed, I deliberately hummed a suggestive, teasing tune. Since I entered the bathroom, I hadn’t heard him move. I was sure he was standing not far from the bathroom door, looking in my direction. I was also certain that my entire showering process, and the faint, tall, shapely shadow of my perfect figure, were all being watched by him, his eyes wide, his desire to consume me even more intense. Too bad he hadn’t turned on the lights. The outer room was only lit by the dim light filtering in from outside the window. The bathroom light, however, was much brighter. This allowed him to stand in the relative darkness outside, brazenly peeking at my shadow projected onto the bathroom door, while I, from inside, couldn’t see him at all. But not seeing him didn’t matter. I could imagine. I couldn’t help but picture his naked body, save for those shorts, out there becoming even more monstrous, more primal than any beast. I smugly anticipated that if things continued this way, it wouldn’t be long before the fire inside him would rage even hotter, and he would lose all control, pushing open the bathroom door and rushing in… 5 I’d seen countless adult films. Many of them featured scenes in bathrooms. I’d always longed for a bathroom encounter. We could shower together. I could scrub his entire body, and he could scrub mine. And of course, when the internal fire burned beyond control, we could burn together like kindling, consumed by the flames. However, to my surprise, after almost half an hour, what I had confidently expected still hadn’t happened. Not only did he not push open the bathroom door and rush in, he didn’t even say a single provocative word to me from outside. It was as if he wasn’t even in the room outside, as if he had left like a perfect gentleman. But I clearly hadn’t heard him leave. Puzzled, I turned off the shower and listened intently. I heard heavy, ragged breathing coming from the room outside. So, he hadn’t left after all. He must have been breathing heavily because my shadow on the bathroom door was teasing him. It seemed that despite his tall, powerful build, like a beast, he only had the desire of a beast, but none of its courage. He only dared to hide in the dark outside, peeking at my shadow on the bathroom door and fantasizing, but lacked the courage to rush in. How disappointing! After his wife ran off, he’d apparently become so hostile towards women that every woman in the complex was terrified of him. Especially me – he’d always eyed me as if he wanted to devour me whole. But when I actually gave him the chance, he didn’t even have the guts to burst into the bathroom! It seemed my teasing wasn’t enough. He’d even had so much to drink tonight. If I couldn’t provoke him into rushing into the bathroom even when he was drunk, I was truly a failure! But I wasn’t disheartened. In fact, I firmly believed that if I kept trying, tonight, I, the true hunter appearing as prey, would definitely turn him into my real prey. So, I didn’t rush to open the door and leave. Instead, I wiped the misty mirror, then admired my perfect, ivory-skinned body, still glistening with water droplets, in the reflection. And I did this while leaning over the sink, admiring myself in the mirror. I was sure the shadow of me on the bathroom door would show my waist perfectly arched, my full hips perfectly tilted high. I hummed a song, not the teasing tune from before, but a luridly suggestive song that had been popular on social media recently, one that described body parts in a lewd and provocative way. I simply refused to believe that in this moment, in this setting, he could resist the temptation of such a song sung by a fresh, tender eighteen-year-old college girl. 6 Yet, I still didn’t get him to rush into the bathroom. I only heard his ragged breathing outside growing faster and heavier. I suspected he was uncontrollably doing what I’d seen many times in adult movies, focused on my shadow on the bathroom door. It seemed I had overestimated him after all. He might be tall and powerfully built, with the physique of those primal figures from adult movies, but he lacked their animalistic ferocity and daring! He only dared to satisfy himself by staring at my shadow on the bathroom door, not by actually rushing into the bathroom to do the crime I’d secretly craved. It was clear I needed to resort to more extreme measures. So, I stopped admiring myself in the mirror and stopped humming the suggestive song. I didn’t even bother drying my hair or body. Still soaking wet, I wrapped myself in my towel and pushed open the bathroom door, stepping out. His increasingly rapid and heavy breathing suddenly ceased. So, he really was doing that to my shadow on the bathroom door. He must have been startled by my sudden appearance and quickly stopped, right? I couldn’t help but smile, amused and alluring, as I looked his way. In the dim light, I saw him, indeed, lying on the sofa, unmoving. His large hands were placed in a very particular position, quite suggestive, sparking all sorts of impure thoughts. I was even more certain now that my earlier suspicions were correct. He had indeed been doing what I’d guessed, fixated on my shadow on the bathroom door. And he had indeed been startled by my sudden emergence, freezing in place. His face was somewhat flushed. Was it from guilt, from shame and embarrassment? I never would have thought that a man who instilled fear in all the women in the complex, a man who constantly watched me with murderous intent, wanting to devour me whole, could ever feel guilty, or blush from shame and embarrassment. But his flush lasted only a few seconds. His eyes, wide and fixed on me, once again blazed with that familiar devouring intensity he usually held when he watched me. His throat still bobbed. I heard a loud gulp as he swallowed. In that moment, he was a starved wolf, and I, a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Compared to his over six-foot, powerfully built frame, I, a five-foot-five freshman girl, was so delicate. I was only wrapped in a towel, which was so short it barely covered anything. And the parts that were exposed, glistening in the dim light, seemed even more luminous, like pure snow. Especially the shimmering water droplets rolling down my neck, tracing paths along the expanse of my pale chest, slipping into the valley between my breasts, and disappearing beneath the towel. In this moment, this scene, how could he, a man radiating strong alcohol and primal hormonal scents, like a beast of pure masculine power, possibly resist? How could he not look at me with even more ravenous eyes, salivating and gulping? “Thank you, I’m done. You can go wash up now. Goodnight…” I said, choosing this very moment to play my game of enticing yet retreating. With that, I turned and headed towards the living room door. But after only a few steps, I deliberately “slipped,” tumbling to the floor. My towel instantly slid off my naked body. I lay on the floor, head and waist buried low, but my full hips were perfectly angled towards him on the sofa, arched high.

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Five years together, and my CEO girlfriend, Sarah, was “away on business” again for our anniversary. Then I saw it on her childhood best friend Leo’s social media feed: Sarah, in a wedding dress, getting engaged to him, her assistant. The caption read: “The parents adore their new daughter-in-law. Acceptance gift of eleven thousand.” A cold laugh escaped me. I coolly liked it and commented, “Congrats on the happy union!” Sarah called, frantic, immediately launching into accusations: “What’s the meaning of that comment? The whole company’s seen it! How is Leo supposed to face anyone now!” “Leo’s parents are old; they just wanted a ceremony. You, with no parents, how could you understand!” “Delete the comment, quick. I’ll deal with you when I’m less busy.” Hearing her dismissive, cold words, I scoffed, “No need.” This relationship was already rotten. I should have left long ago. The moment Sarah hung up, Leo specifically @mentioned me in the work group chat. A string of mocking emojis accompanied a completely insincere voice message apology: “Alex, my bad, man. Just a joke, don’t take it to heart!” He even added a laugh-cry emoji at the end. How could Sarah not see through such blatant sarcasm and provocation? She was just taking his side, obviously. “Why apologize? Mr. Leo and Ms. CEO’s bond is beyond us mere mortals.” “Grow up, man. Such a big deal over nothing, and you call yourself a man.” “Alex, be the bigger person. Why make a mountain out of a molehill?” The group chat flooded with jeers. Colleagues who used to be friendly with me had all turned into suck-ups, ever since Leo, the CEO’s childhood pal, parachuted in. He’d been with the company for half a year, and Sarah had already handed him all the key projects. The core team I’d personally mentored was pushed out. Sarah chimed in coldly in the group: “So petty, jumping to conclusions. Ridiculous.” That fanned the flames, and everyone piled on with veiled insults. I had no interest in watching. I drove home and pulled out the property settlement agreement I’d already signed. I remembered last month— When she signed the papers before her trip with Leo, I still had a sliver of hope she’d realize the truth and ask me to stay. But she just flipped to the last page, signed it, and casually said, “What could be so important? Just another sales contract.” We built the company from scratch. Once it was on its feet, she sidelined me. When I questioned her, all I got was: “It’s for your own good. Isn’t it nice to have less to do?” With a deep sigh, I started packing. The door burst open. Sarah stood there, her face grim. “Why didn’t you delete the comment? Do you know how embarrassing it was for Leo? Apologize now, or don’t expect me to forgive you!” I looked at her calmly. “What did I do wrong?” She glanced at my luggage and sneered, “Playing the ‘running away from home’ card? Quite the tough guy. If you walk out that door today, don’t ever come back.” “The engagement? Off. Indefinitely.” She always knew how much I wanted to get married and used it to make me back down. In our past arguments, it was always my fault. Six months ago, I found Leo in my pajamas, on my bed. After the ensuing fight, she gave me the silent treatment. When I had a perforated ulcer during a meeting, she coldly threatened, “Apologize, then I’ll call an ambulance.” Remembering this, I managed a tearful, bitter smile. “Fine, I’ll go.” Her voice was icy. “Really? You’d rather spite Leo and take it this far?” “It’s not about spite.” Before I could finish, Leo’s smooth voice drifted in. “Alex, bro, where are you off to so late? We’re family, why get so worked up?” Family? How could this twisted triangle be called a family? Sarah crossed her arms, looking down her nose at me. “If you leave today, you forfeit this month’s salary, and don’t even think about getting a dime of allowance!” I clenched my fists. Ever since the company got on track, she’d told finance they didn’t need to pay me a salary. But the money coming into the company never landed in my hands either. Every month, she only gave me a basic thousand bucks. And I had to practically beg for that every time. She’d say, “Men turn bad with money.” Yet, she could buy Leo a luxury car and book out all the city’s drones for his birthday celebration. While I was away on business, Sarah flaunted her relationship with Leo, with poolside PDA and intimate photoshoots. When I got back, she even turned it around on me, complaining I wasn’t capable enough at work and that no one was there to take care of her while I was gone for so many days. I grabbed my suitcase, ready to leave. Sarah frowned. “Do you even realize you’re wrong?” “Yeah, I was wrong. Dead wrong.” Wrong about who I trusted, wrong to spend five years groveling for love, only to end up scarred before finally letting go. Hearing me say that, a smile spread across Sarah’s face. “Good that you know. Tomorrow, Leo and I are visiting his hometown. Make sure you handle his projects.” I smiled. “Got it.” For the past six months, I’d cleaned up countless messes Leo made. He was supposedly a top graduate from a prestigious overseas university. Truth was, he hadn’t gotten into college here, so he went abroad to get a gilded resume. His family wasn’t well-off; most of the money for his overseas studies was borrowed. This time, I wasn’t going to do such meaningless, thankless work anymore. I walked out of the apartment complex. In one more week, she and I would be completely done. The next morning, I went to the company to hand in my resignation. HR glanced at me and said flatly, “You never even signed an employment contract with the company. What resignation are you talking about?” It hit me then. Right. How ironically laughable. I never signed an employment contract. I nodded. “Understood.” Back at my desk, I started packing my things. Beside my computer was a photo of Sarah looking up at me. It was from our early startup days, the day we made our relationship official. She looked at me with such love and joy, telling me about her four-year crush that had finally blossomed. The early days of the company were tough, but our relationship grew stronger, incredibly sweet. This photo was my most cherished, and Sarah’s favorite too. We had two copies printed, framed them, and each kept one on our desk. Whenever we were tired, a glance at it would give us strength. But now, while my photo was still there, Sarah’s desk already featured a picture of her and Leo. I tossed the photo into the trash. After packing up, I was ready to leave. HR saw me moving quickly and said with a smirk, “Mr. Alex, if you walk out that door, it won’t be so easy to come back.” “Yeah, I don’t plan on coming back.” Colleagues gathered around, seeing me prepare to leave, and started talking loudly. “Alex, isn’t this ‘playing hard to get’ charade a bit much?” “You know the CEO is with Leo visiting his hometown today. You just want her to drop everything and come running after you, don’t you?” “So pathetic. As a man, you should be more magnanimous.” I’d never bothered with their comments before, always pretending not to hear them. But today, I said mockingly, “Oh really? Well, I hope you all find a girlfriend like Sarah, complete with a devoted childhood friend.” One colleague couldn’t take it anymore and picked up a water cup to throw at my face. Thankfully, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. I dodged it and, grabbing a nearby cup, splashed him right back in the face. The water was a bit hot. I heard pig-like squeals and curses behind me, but I ignored them all. These people disrespected me because they were watching Sarah’s cues. I used to put up with it. Not anymore. The next morning, I received an email from a company in the next city over: I’d passed the first interview. Three months ago, I’d already prepared to resign and started sending out resumes. This company was the one I’d dreamed of joining when I was younger. Thinking back to when we started our business, funds were tight. It was my loans and round-the-clock work that stabilized the company. But it was all just to pave the way for someone else. Sarah even bought Leo a house this year. When I found out, she just said, “Renting is definitely not comfortable, and his parents are old. What’s wrong with me helping him out?” I really couldn’t understand it. We had a huge fight, but it ended without any resolution. On the third day, I flew to the next city for the interview. It went very smoothly. I was set to start in a week, with a salary of $120,000 a year. The company had independent dorms, and after a year, I could apply for housing assistance. I didn’t rush back. I spent two days familiarizing myself with the city before heading home. During this time, Sarah hadn’t sent me a single message. Leo’s social media, however, was updated frequently. They took wedding photos in his hometown. Sarah, usually so proud, was even kneeling on a dirty floor, shyly calling out, “Mom, Dad.” To prop Leo up and teach a lesson to the neighbors who looked down on them, she’d generously thrown a three-day feast for the whole village. After landing, I remembered I still had some things at that apartment. Since I’d decided to leave, I needed to clear everything out. I thought Sarah wouldn’t be home, but just as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard her cheerful laughter. “Mom, Dad, have some tea. I had a friend bring this back specially.” Sarah’s parents had passed away long ago. The “Mom and Dad” she was referring to were Leo’s parents. An old woman’s voice chimed in, “Oh, such a wonderful daughter-in-law, you can’t find one like her even if you search high and low! Leo is so lucky.” “Yes, if we could hold a grandchild before we close our eyes, that would be just perfect.” So, these old folks had no idea their son was the homewrecker. They also didn’t know that Sarah actually had me, her boyfriend. Or maybe they did know and were just playing dumb. A chill went down my spine. It turned out I was the one who couldn’t be seen in public. Leo’s mom’s voice came again, “When are you two planning to get married? When are you having kids?” Sarah said shyly, “We’re not in a hurry yet, let’s wait a bit.” The woman I could never warm up to is now ready to have kids with another man. Hilarious. Back then, I put in the money and effort, even gave Sarah the whole company, elevating her to her current position. I never would have imagined this outcome. I didn’t linger. I pushed the door open. The three people sitting on the sofa all turned their gazes to me. A flicker of guilt crossed Sarah’s face, then she feigned composure. “It’s working hours. What are you doing home instead of at the company? And why is there still no news on the project I assigned you?” I said mockingly, “I’m not an employee of the company anymore. I’ve already left.” She’d been busy with her engagement, hardly having time to think about me. If she’d paid even a little attention, how could she not know my situation? If Leo so much as sneezed, she’d notice immediately. I’d been gone for five days, and she was completely unaware. Leo’s mom asked in surprise, “Who’s this?” Sarah hesitated, then said, “An employee from our company, currently having a bit of a tantrum with me.” Leo’s dad stubbed out his cigarette, looking at me disdainfully. “Daughter-in-law, you’re a CEO, for crying out loud. How can you let an employee push you around like this? Just kick this type of person out.” I ignored them and looked at Sarah. Just as she was about to speak, Leo walked out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel. “Alex, bro, why’d you suddenly quit?” Seeing him half-naked, so at ease in the apartment, I didn’t even feel angry anymore. The outcome was already obvious. Sarah said guiltily, “Leo’s old place was rather small, and his parents are elderly; they should live somewhere more comfortable.” Leo shot me a provocative look. “Yeah, we’re all family now.” “Oh, by the way, before my parents came, they packed some local specialties. Take some home and try them.” I looked at the bag of what were clearly leftovers and actually laughed out of anger. “What, your leftovers for me?” Sarah immediately yelled at me, “What nonsense are you talking about? Auntie Shi made this food specially! Don’t you have any respect for elders at all?” “This is Leo’s kind gesture.” Leo lowered his head, looking aggrieved. “Sarah, it’s okay. We’re just country folk. It’s normal for Alex to look down on us.” Leo’s mom shrieked curses at me, “You’re just an employee! What right do you have to talk to my son like that? Leo is your boss’s future husband!” Leo’s dad stared at me fiercely, his face cold. “You barge in here like this and try to bully our family? I’m calling the police right now!” I’d never met people who could turn things upside down, twist black into white, and still say it with such confidence. I walked into the bedroom, grabbed my remaining things, and prepared to leave. Leo’s mom blocked my way, looking like a shrew. “What did you take from the room? Don’t you have any manners?” “Sarah, aren’t you going to do something about him?” She walked up to me, took a deep breath. “Alex, apologize to Leo first. Then, find somewhere else to stay for a bit. I’ll talk to you about these things later.” I frowned, cutting her off before she could continue. “Sarah, in what capacity are you speaking to me?”

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Beneath the nightclub’s domed ceiling, my heavily pregnant sister was dragged forcibly to the center of the stage. Down below, men, veins bulging on their foreheads, argued fiercely over the paternity of her unborn child. “It’s gotta be mine! I was giving it my all that night!” “Bullshit! I was with her more often, so my chances are naturally higher!” My sister, her face ashen, tearfully questioned the man beside her, “Leo Carter, you’re my fiancé. How could you humiliate me like this?” Leo, an arm around the delicate woman in his embrace, sneered, “The brat in your belly is of questionable origin, and you have the gall to question me?” That woman covered her lips, feigning shyness, but her eyes brimmed with arrogance. I hid in the shadows, a chilling glint in my narrowed eyes. I’d been away for years, and someone dared to bully my family, the Zhangs, to this extent! … My assistant bowed. “Should I summon the nightclub manager, Ethan Lee, to apologize?” I scoffed. “What good would that do? Tell everyone to be on standby!” “Yes, ma’am.” The assistant quietly withdrew. Dare to harm my own sister? Tonight, you will all pay in blood! My sister’s voice trembled. “That night, it was clearly only you! How could I be pregnant with another man’s child?” Scarlett Hayes, the woman in Leo’s arms, chuckled mockingly. “Anna, dear, after you got drunk, you kept shouting ‘one isn’t enough’ and dragged several men into the room. Have you forgotten all about it?” My sister’s body shook violently. “Absolutely not! Only Leo was in the room…” Before she could finish, she froze, staring dagger-eyes at Leo. “It was you… that glass of red wine… you drugged me?” Leo avoided her gaze, pulling out a stack of photos from his pocket and scattering them across the stage. “Place your bets, gentlemen! The winner gets a bonus: explicit footage from that night!” The crowd below erupted. “So graphic! Not a stitch of clothing! Enough to get your blood pumping!” “Hotter than a porn poster! Just a glance makes you sweat!” Scarlett picked up a photo, glanced at it with disgust, and casually tossed it aside. The photo fluttered to my feet. I bent down and picked it up, rage instantly consuming me. Such monstrous behavior! Later, I’ll make every one of you wish you were dead! The men lunged for the photos like starving tigers, the sound of cash slapping on betting tables a constant rhythm, their bloodshot eyes like those at a livestock auction. I caressed my crystal glass, sitting silently in the shadows, coldly observing this grotesque gamble. My assistant hadn’t returned yet; I still needed to endure… “No more bets!” The dealer’s sharp voice cut through the uproar. “Bring in the medics to verify!” Several burly men in white coats rushed onto the stage, gripping my sister’s delicate wrists like iron clamps, the cold tip of a needle aimed straight at her skin. “Insolent!” My sister, usually gentle, suddenly erupted. She struggled free, her nails scratching bloody marks on an assailant’s cheek. “Where is Ethan Lee? If you harm a hair on my head tonight, tomorrow you’ll all be ruined!” My sister shrieked, but the hall was filled with roaring laughter. Scarlett laughed so hard she swayed. “Miss Zhang is still dreaming, isn’t she?” She suddenly grabbed my sister’s hair, whispering in her ear, “Did you know Ethan Lee is my brother? The Zhang family was ruined by him long ago. What makes you think you can still throw your weight around?” I, who had crept to the side of the stage, felt a jolt. Ethan Lee’s sister? The Zhang family fallen? How could I not know? Leo pulled Scarlett back into his embrace. “Why waste your breath on her?” He turned and urged the medics, “Get on with it!” The moment the needle pierced her skin, the dealer suddenly screamed, “Stop!” 2 The entire room was stunned. I, too, momentarily sheathed my killing intent. The dealer, trembling, pulled a jade seal from my sister’s waist, his back soaked in cold sweat. “The… The Cloud-Water Seal?!” In his panic, he pressed the emergency call button. “Mr. Lee, the Cloud-Water Seal has appeared! Please come and verify its authenticity immediately!” Leo’s face turned grim; Scarlett was also silent as a cicada in winter. Ethan Lee was merely my father’s adopted son; by seniority, he should call me ‘elder sister.’ Knowing this was familiar territory, I relaxed slightly, awaiting reinforcements. Soon, Ethan Lee’s confidante, Vivian Cross, arrived gracefully. “Mr. Lee will be here shortly. Allow me to examine the seal first.” Just as her jade-like fingers were about to touch the seal, Scarlett suddenly giggled. “What a coincidence, this worthless stone, I have one too!” The moment the brocade box sprang open, the room was in an uproar. Two Cloud-Water Seals, identical. “Hers has a crack!” Scarlett’s red lips curled. “A fake.” My sister hastily argued, “This was given to me by my own sister! How could it be fake?” “I am Seraphina Zhang’s biological sister!” Before she finished, Scarlett scoffed. “I’ve lived with the Zhangs for ten years and never heard of you having an older sister. You’re full of lies, daring to falsely claim kinship!” Vivian Cross, after examining the seals, respectfully returned Scarlett’s. Then, picking up on my sister’s words, she said, “Seraphina Zhang?” A dismissive look crossed Vivian’s face, as if she’d heard a joke. “I’ve never heard of such a person.” “Since the real Cloud-Water Seal is in Miss Hayes’s possession, we can’t interfere in this Miss Zhang’s affairs. You may continue.” With that, Vivian Cross stepped aside, adopting an air of indifference. The men instantly exploded: “Verify it already! I bet a hundred grand she’s carrying my kid!” “After the test, we’ll all take a turn!” The men buzzed like flies to blood, some even starting to unbuckle their belts: “I’m raising my bet! We’ll get started right after the verification!” The thugs in white coats once again pinned my sister to the prize table. The syringe glinted coldly, aimed straight at her pale skin. My assistant hadn’t returned yet, but I couldn’t wait any longer. “Stop!” I leaped onto the platform, kicking over the metal tray of instruments with a crash. Vivian Cross’s pupils contracted. “Where did this crazy woman come from, daring to wreck Mr. Lee’s place?!” I gave a cold smile. “Zhang family. Seraphina Zhang.” 3 The entire venue fell into dead silence. But the silence lasted only a second. “Hahaha—” The entire hall erupted in deafening laughter; some even laughed until tears streamed down their faces. “Seraphina Zhang? You?” “That’s the legendary figure who could shake the Capital to its core! Haven’t heard anything about her for years, how could she possibly show up here?” Scarlett clutched her stomach, shaking with laughter. “Anna, which acting troupe did you hire this one from? She plays the part quite convincingly!” Leo frowned, his gaze filled with disgust. “Anna, get this imposter out of here. Aren’t you embarrassed enough?” My sister clung to me tightly, her eyes filled with disbelieving excitement. Veins throbbed at my temples as I struggled to suppress my towering rage. “When Ethan Lee arrives, the truth will be clear!” I pulled my sister behind me, my gaze as sharp as a knife. “Until then, whoever dares to touch a hair on her head, I’ll chop off their hand!” Scarlett covered her mouth with a mocking smile. “Oh, she’s quite the actress. If it were really Seraphina Zhang, she’d be surrounded by an entourage. How could it be just you?” My eyes flickered to my team of bodyguards, squeezed into a corner. A cold smirk touched my lips. “Tell Ethan Lee to come out! I want to ask him if he still has any respect for me, his elder sister!” Vivian Cross narrowed her eyes, looking me up and down, a derisive curl on her red lips. “Who do you think you are? Daring to speak Mr. Lee’s name so casually? You really don’t know your place!” She slowly twirled the jade bracelet on her wrist, her voice suddenly dropping. “Men, seize her!” “I want to weigh you myself and see just how much you’re worth!” Hearing this, several burly men grinned lecherously, their voices dripping with malicious glee. “Yes, Miss Cross! I’ll make sure to strip her bare and weigh every inch of her for you, inside and out!” With that, several hands reached for us sisters. I slapped one of the approaching men across the face. “Insolent! Are you looking to die?! Do you know the consequences of touching me?” The man’s head snapped to the side from the force of my slap. His eyes suddenly turned vicious, and he lunged, grabbing my throat. “You bitch, you think you’re something special, huh?” “Today, in front of everyone, I’m gonna teach you some manners!” A wave of jeering laughter erupted around us. Several men, their intentions clear, closed in, some even pulling out their phones to record. My sister cried out, trying to rush over, but Scarlett grabbed her hair and shoved her brutally to the ground. “Anna, where did you find this lunatic? Is she out of her mind, daring to cause trouble here?” “You play the innocent rich girl so well, but who knows whose bastard you’re carrying!” Saying this, Scarlett slapped my sister hard across the face, drawing blood from the corner of her mouth. I kicked out violently at the man beside me, trying to save her, but several strong arms seized me, holding me fast. My bodyguards were blocked by the chaotic crowd, unable to move an inch. “Tsk tsk, the imposter is really getting into her role, isn’t she?” Scarlett, in her high heels, pressed the toe of her shoe against my sister’s chin. “Kneel and kowtow three times, and maybe I’ll convince Vivian to let your fake sister go.” My sister looked at Leo, tears in her eyes, her voice trembling. “Leo, she really is my sister. If you hurt her, you’ll all regret it…” Leo Carter coolly adjusted his cuffs, his eyes looking at her as if she were a pile of trash. “If it weren’t for you, none of this trouble would have happened. Apologize to Scarlett. Now.” “Kowtow! If she doesn’t kowtow now, we’ll strip her clothes off!” Several men sneered, reaching for my collar. “I’ll kowtow!” My sister’s knees slammed heavily onto the marble floor. Her forehead pressed against the cold marble. “Please, I beg you, don’t touch my sister…” I watched her bang her forehead against the ground, again and again. With every kowtow, it felt like a piece of my heart was being gouged out by a sharp knife. My assistant was still not back. The bodyguards at the door were strangely inactive. Something was clearly wrong. Vivian Cross looked at my refined, beautiful face, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes. She had, at some point, produced a scalpel. The blade pressed against my cheek. “Such a pretty face. I wonder if Mr. Lee will still recognize you if it’s scarred?” “Don’t touch my sister!” my sister suddenly struggled. “Ethan Lee will make you wish you were never born!” “Still think you’re the high and mighty Miss Zhang? Too bad the Zhang family doesn’t go by Zhang anymore.” Vivian mocked my sister while pressing the blade deeper into my face. Warm blood trickled down my neck. Just as she was about to slash again. The main doors burst open with a thunderous crash. Ethan Lee entered, followed by a team of his men. His eyes swept over my sister’s bloodied forehead and the wound on my face. The atmosphere around him instantly dropped to freezing point. 4 “Ethan!” My sister’s eyes lit up. “Quick, make them release my sister!” Ethan Lee’s grim gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Vivian Cross. “What’s going on?” Vivian immediately put on an aggrieved expression. “Brother Ethan, look at this woman! She’s using a fake seal to impersonate your sister.” Only then did Ethan Lee look at my sister, his eyes filled with disgust. “Anna, how long are you going to keep this up? Scarlett has been patient with you at every turn, yet you push your luck?” “Patient?” My sister trembled with anger. “They humiliated me in public, said my sister’s seal was a fake, and you say I’m pushing my luck?” “You promised my sister you would take care of me! And now you’re helping an outsider bully me?” “Outsider?” Scarlett smugly linked her arm with Ethan Lee’s. “I’m his real sister! Who do you think you are?” My face was covered in blood as I stared coldly at Ethan Lee. He, however, was only focused on comforting Scarlett. My sister, her face urgent, pointed at me and said, “My sister has returned. How will you answer to her now?” Ethan Lee finally looked at me. The moment he saw my face clearly, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but it quickly returned to cold indifference. “Anna, your sister died a long time ago. Hiring an imposter to act this out is very boring.” I couldn’t help but sneer. So, the dog my family raised had learned to bite its master when they weren’t looking. “Ethan Lee, you’ve certainly become quite the big shot!” Hearing the familiar voice, Ethan Lee’s pupils dilated violently, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He lifted my chin with a trembling hand, studying my face intently for a long time, his eyes filled with an indecipherable, intense emotion. After a long moment, he gently touched the wound on my face and sighed deeply. “This face… it’s so alike. A pity. If it weren’t for this wound, I might have let you stay by my side.” “But now, you’re useless.” His face held a sorrowful expression, as if through me, he was remembering someone he loved but could not have. “Even if you look so much like her, what’s the use? She’s gone…” After speaking, he closed his eyes. “Vivian, you handle this.” A mocking smile appeared on Vivian Cross’s face, as if she found me a joke. She snapped her fingers, and several burly men immediately ripped open my collar. My sister was roughly pushed onto the poker table, chips scattering everywhere with a clatter. Just then, the grand, gilded doors of the hall crashed inwards with a tremendous bang. My assistant stood silhouetted against the light, a dark tide of men flooding in behind him. His face was bruised. He said apologetically, “My apologies, Miss. There was a… slight delay on the way.”

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It was the third year since I broke up with Ryan, and I returned to the States brimming with a fierce determination for revenge. But to my surprise, Ryan had completely vanished from the city of Fairview. I thought I would never see him again, until, while visiting my uncle at the mental health hospital, I heard a nurse call out: “Ryan Shaw, come take your medicine.” My steps faltered. As if drawn by an invisible thread, I turned back and saw Ryan sitting on a hospital bed, his face stretched into a goofy, childlike smile. I felt as if I’d been struck by lightning. I never thought I would reunite with him in a place like this. 1 For the three years I was exiled, I dared not slack off or stop for a single moment—all to return with enough power to crush the Shaws and send Ryan to hell. When I finally returned to Fairview, Ryan had vanished like smoke. I scoured every alley, every shadow, but the city swallowed him whole. Just as despair clawed at me, a nurse’s voice pierced through the sterile hospital air — “Ryan Shaw.” My steps halted. “Ryan Shaw, come take your medicine.” My heartstrings tightened. I instinctively turned, stepping back a few paces, and there he was: sitting on a hospital bed, my ex, Ryan, the man I wished I could slice into a thousand pieces! He was smiling foolishly, innocently. “…” In that moment, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. Before I could even react, I saw Ryan pull a ring from his pocket and place it in front of the nurse, his face beaming with pride. “It’s for Riley.” I recognized that ring. Years ago, Ryan, the heir apparent to the Shaw family, fell in love with a humble, ordinary girl. His mother spoke to the girl, telling her to be sensible and leave her son. The girl, her pride as high as the sky, began to waver. Ryan suddenly arrived, took her hand, and declared firmly, “I won’t leave Riley.” Ryan tossed his wallet and phone onto the table, his stance clear. “I’m willing to give up my inheritance of the Shaw family. Please, Mother, don’t make things difficult for the one I love.” Later. The Shaw family’s golden boy gave up everything for love, moving with the girl into a damp, dark fifteen-square-meter basement apartment. It was perpetually damp and dim, but those were the happiest times for the girl. She tried to grow like a wild weed, even in such adversity, hoping to build a good life with the man she loved. Even if it wasn’t lavish, at least they would escape that perpetually sunless basement. And Ryan. He showed no trace of the spoiled arrogance of a rich young master. For the one he loved, even when facing setbacks at work, he was willing to carry bricks at construction sites, to wash dishes in restaurants. He worked twelve hours a day, saving his first bit of money. With it, he bought this ring. He held the ring, his eyes reddening, like a puppy waiting to be taken home by its owner, and asked the girl: “Riley, will you be with me, a man with no special talents, but willing to work hard?” The girl stood by the bed in the basement, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes red-rimmed, she nodded frantically, “Yes, I will.” She told Ryan with all her might, “Yes, I will. Yes, I will!” That day was the happiest day in her bleak life, and the most complete day she had ever felt as an orphan. She gave her all, completely merging with the man she loved. She finally felt whole. She woke up in the arms of the man she loved, and just looking at that ring made her feel so happy. But happiness was too short. Now. Three years later. Reunited. Everything had changed. I stood outside the hospital room, watching Ryan lovingly cradle the ring as if it were a precious treasure. Under the nurse’s coaxing, he earnestly asked her, ” If I take these pills… will Riley come back to me?” His voice trembled, fragile as the hope he clung to. But I wouldn’t fall for it again. Watching Ryan’s extraordinary acting, it was hard not to believe he was setting another trap for me. I smiled and walked into the hospital room, raising my hand to take the ring from Ryan’s grasp, sliding it onto my ring finger, and raising an eyebrow at him. “Ryan, what are you playing at?” 2 Three years ago. Ryan personally forced me to leave the country, looking down at me with an arrogant demeanor, uttering the words: “Skylar Olsen, playing seriously with me? You’re not worthy.” He smiled cruelly. “Someone like you, from the slums, only wants to use my status to cross social classes.” He sneered. “Now, I’m tired of playing. You don’t need to be in the country, bothering my eyes.” Back then. I simply couldn’t believe that was Ryan. I cried, begging him not to drive me away. I even shamelessly pressed him, “Is someone forcing you?” I thought of the Shaw family and, with red eyes, demanded, “Is it your mother? Is she forcing you to say these things?” I frantically grabbed Ryan’s hand, placing it on my lower abdomen, crying as I told him, “Ryan, we’re having a baby. We’re having a baby, Ryan.” I thought Ryan would love that child. That’s why his expression softened, why his eyes involuntarily grew tender, why his body stiffened as he instinctively looked at my still-flat belly. But the next second, my dream completely shattered. Ryan, utterly disregarding our past affection, spoke in a cold, indifferent voice from above my head. It was he who said: “Bearing a Shaw child? You’re not worthy.” Ryan violently shoved me away. I fell to the ground, staring at him in disbelief, as he ordered the bodyguards beside him, “Don’t let her leave with the child. It will become a liability.” I cried out Ryan’s name, desperately crawling towards him. But he didn’t look back, letting the bodyguards drag me to the hospital. Despite my fierce struggles, I was no match for the burly guards, who pinned me to the hospital bed and administered anesthesia. Before losing consciousness completely, I thought I saw Ryan glance at me in a panic. But I wouldn’t believe it again. Liar. As my eyes closed, I thought, Ryan, we are over. When we meet again, it will be either your death or mine. So, I looked at the perfectly fitting ring on my ring finger, then back at Ryan on the hospital bed. “You heard I was back in the country, so you hid in a mental hospital?” I raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Mr. Shaw, you really are—” I eyed him from head to toe. “—flexible, aren’t you?” I scoffed. “What a shame.” My gaze hardened. “Even if you hide here,” I pressed my fingers into Ryan’s neck, “what you owe me, you still have to pay.” Ryan’s bewildered eyes were filled with my domineering reflection. I saw my own reflection, and the next second, as Ryan’s eyes narrowed slightly, it fragmented into confusion. My hand was suddenly seized by Ryan. He gripped my wrist tightly, then called my name in a soft voice. “Riley.” His voice was gentle, no different from the boy who had lived in the basement and swore to love me forever. “Are you here to take me home?” Ryan smiled, his eyes crinkling. “I’ve waited for you for so long. Have you finally come to take me?” I looked at Ryan, so innocent and bewildered, and my impulse to strangle him sharply diminished. I instinctively took a step back. I saw the nurse step in front of him, treating me like a dangerous beast. “Miss, Mr. Shaw is currently not of sound mind. Please do not take advantage of his condition.” The moment the nurse finished speaking. Ryan peeked his head out from behind her. “Riley, she’s Riley.” Ryan seemed very happy. He pushed the nurse aside and explained for me, “She’s the best Riley in the whole world.” 3 I was startled by Ryan’s sudden change in behavior, still unwilling to believe that the Shaw family’s young master, who had once manipulated me so easily, had become like this. I suddenly felt an urge to flee. I didn’t want to stay here for a second longer. I pushed Ryan away with force. Seeing his face twisted in hurt, I pulled the ring from my finger and threw it at his face. “You’re not worthy!” Each word was enunciated clearly. “To receive my true heart! You’re not worthy!” I watched Ryan, like a wounded puppy, looking at me with pitiful eyes. I turned and walked away without a second glance. Before I reached the door, Ryan caught up to me. He grabbed my wrist, looking bewildered and wronged. “Riley, don’t be upset. It’s my fault.” His deliberately softened posture created an illusion of time warping, the young man before me overlapping with the boy from years ago. I remembered the first time I discovered Ryan working at a construction site, moving bricks. He had been maliciously targeted, fell from the second floor, and cut his head, but he tried to hide it from me, saying he accidentally bumped it. When I found out, I was furious. He also pulled at me, looking wronged, and said, “Riley, don’t be angry. I was wrong, it’s my fault.” Back then, I looked at Ryan and felt a pain in my heart so intense I could barely breathe. Ryan was the golden boy, born with a silver spoon. He could have lived a life of luxury, yet I, living in the mud, had dragged him down from the clouds. I cried uncontrollably, not just out of heartache, but a heavy sense of guilt. I cried and asked Ryan if I should let him go, let him return to his original life path. I cried, saying I had dragged him down, but even if I had dragged him down, I still loved him so much. I still couldn’t let him go. I cried hysterically in Ryan’s arms. In the end, it was Ryan who consoled me, saying, “Wherever Riley is, that’s my home.” He gently kissed away my tears, his eyes filled with deep affection. “Wherever Riley is, I’ll be there. So, stop talking nonsense. Don’t make me a wanderer. Only with you can Ryan truly be Ryan.” Such a good Ryan, such a heartbreaking Ryan, such a beloved Ryan – it was all a lie. How much of this Ryan was real? I pushed Ryan away with force, stepping back a few paces, warning him, “Don’t come near me!” I kept my voice flat, suppressing the tumultuous emotions in my heart. “Ryan, I don’t care if you’re faking mental illness or playing dumb. It won’t work on me.” My gaze turned cold, just as cruel as he had been to me three years ago. “I’m telling you, I came back for only one purpose: to make your Shaw family pay for my unborn child!” I turned to leave. I bumped into Ryan’s mother, Eleanor Shaw, who had just arrived at the hospital to visit him. Enemies meeting, eyes blazing with hatred. I simply looked at the elegant, aristocratic woman, the hatred I had hidden for three years now etched on my face. However. Eleanor didn’t have her usual haughty demeanor towards me. Instead, she clutched at me as if I were a lifeline. “Skylar Olsen! You’ve finally returned!” She pleaded, “Please, save Ryan!”

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1 The heiress to a tech mogul’s vast fortune in New York had pursued me for five years, but I’d never given her the time of day. I was just one of the ‘groom lottery’ contestants she’d curated for her eccentric, highly publicized selection process. Whoever was drawn on the eve of the wedding would become the mogul’s daughter’s husband. And I knew, with chilling certainty, I’d be the one chosen. After all, I’d died once before. In my past life, she had chosen me, and I’d become the groom, the focus of everyone’s envious gaze. On our wedding day, she’d drunk too much, missed a call from her adopted brother, Ethan, and he’d died of a heart attack. The morning after, in the stark chill of the morgue, she’d pinned me down, gripped my hair, and forced me to kneel, my forehead hitting the cold tile a thousand times before him. “Why did you tamper with the drawing?” she’d shrieked, her voice raw. “You knew my heart belonged to Ethan! If I’d drawn the empty slip, I could have married him! He touched your suit, crying, just before he died. He was the one I was meant to marry!” “You were just a pawn, a flimsy excuse to make Ethan jealous,” she’d snarled, spitting out the words. “Did you truly believe you belonged in our lives?” Trapped in that sterile, chilling room, I was forced to endure her feverish declarations of twisted affection for her adopted brother. She had them crush my fingers, simply because I’d worn the wedding ring she’d intended for him. She had me stripped bare and thrown into the river, just for wearing a suit that had belonged to him. And finally, she had me nailed into a coffin, suffocating me alive. When I next opened my eyes, my body was whole, yes, but the raw, phantom agony of those memories had clung to me, relentless, for five harrowing years. This time, I would rewrite the ending. I’d swapped the order of the slips, ensuring she’d draw the empty one. From that moment on, their twisted drama would have nothing to do with me. “Ms. Sterling’s chosen slip reveals… an empty draw!” The ninety-nine men gathered understood: Sophia drawing an empty slip meant they’d all lost their chance to become the tech heiress’s husband. “What the hell is this?!” someone roared, tearing their slip to shreds. “It’s rigged! This whole lottery is a sham!” Another started to yell, but a hand clamped over his mouth. “You got a death wish? We all knew we were just here to fill seats. Haven’t you seen the way Sophia looks at Ethan? It’s sickening. If she didn’t draw the empty slip, and one of us got picked? We’d be screwed!” The man spat, “But Ethan’s her brother…” “So what if he’s her brother?” the other hissed back. “No blood relation means they can legally marry. We’re just window dressing. If you ask me, the only one who could get picked and still walk away clean is Liam Foster, Number One.” I calmly tore up the slip marked ‘Number One’ in my hand, a physiological tremor running through my muscles, as if the pain from before still clung to me. Sophia’s pupils contracted to pinpricks, a surge of raw excitement electrifying her. She shot to her feet, abandoning all pretense, and launched herself into Ethan’s arms. “Ethan, this time I chose you. You’re not getting away from me.” Ethan’s face flushed. He tried to push her away, but she held him tighter. “But I only see you as a sister, Sophia.” “It’s fine. You’ll get used to it,” she purred, tracing his cheek. “This is destiny.” Sophia cupped his face, her eyes sweeping over me with an icy glare. A jolt of unease shot through me, raising the hairs on my neck. I instinctively straightened my back. Could Sophia have also been reborn? Even if she had, I owed her nothing. This time, I’d given her what she wanted. Finally, I was free! From the head table, Eleanor Sterling cleared her throat, a flicker of panic in her eyes. “Sophia, I never imagined out of ninety-nine slips you’d draw an empty one. It seems you and Ethan truly are meant to be.” She paused, her voice a little strained. “But this is… unexpected. I need to inform your father.” Sophia’s lips curved into an irrepressible smirk. “Fine.” She shot me a triumphant glance. “As for the rest of these men, they’re welcome to stay at the Sterling estate until after Ethan and I are married. Consider it compensation.” Sophia expected me to look dejected, to shed tears. But I didn’t. I simply smiled and applauded, just like everyone else. In my previous life, I had wept with joy when chosen, only to see Sophia’s face, paler than a corpse. Her gaze had been fixed solely on Ethan, not a single glance spared for me. Reborn, I wouldn’t make the same pathetic mistake of clinging to her. On the stage, an inexplicable surge of anger twisted her features. She grabbed Ethan by the hand, declared, “Time for a date!” and stormed off. With the main characters gone, the other ninety-eight men quickly dispersed, like a flock of startled birds. I was just about to head back and pack my bags when Eleanor Sterling pulled me aside into a secluded corner. Before I could even react, a stinging slap landed across my face. “You damn brat! I arranged for Sophia to pick you! How in God’s name did it turn into an empty slip?!” 2 The words barely left her lips before another vicious slap followed. “You’re just as thankless and ungrateful as your deadbeat father! I’m your mother, not some stranger off the street! I told you to listen to me, and you just let it go in one ear and out the other, didn’t you?!” My cheeks burned, but my heart ached far more. “The day you brought Ethan, your love child from that affair, into this family and married Mr. Sterling, that was the day you ceased to be my mother.” Eleanor’s eyes flickered, then hardened into a cruel, unyielding gaze. “If Ethan gets hurt because of your decision, you’ll pay with your life.” Only when I was nailed into that coffin in my past life did I learn the lottery results had always been fixed. Eleanor had always wanted Ethan to marry into the Sterling family, but she had a secret about him she needed to keep hidden. And I, Liam Foster, was meant to be the sacrifice for that secret. Now, all I wanted was to watch them destroy each other. Their secrets meant nothing to me. I rubbed my stinging cheek, my gaze a chilling void. “I’m going to marry someone else. Serena Thorne. Consider it repayment for all the money you’ve spent keeping my father on life support all these years.” Eleanor’s eyes narrowed slightly. Serena Thorne, a name whispered with a mix of awe and fear in the city’s elite circles. Rumor had it she was infertile, notoriously eccentric, and played the field with a ruthless charm, leaving a trail of broken hearts and ruined lives in her wake. She was reportedly looking for a husband recently, to finally ‘settle down’ and embrace domesticity. If I didn’t choose someone, Eleanor would surely force me to marry some old hag. Naming Serena Thorne beforehand was a strategic move. Because I already knew, Serena Thorne was anything but simple. A predatory smile touched Eleanor’s lips. “Alright, obedient boy. Then just relax and wait for your wedding.” Eleanor swayed off, her hips swiveling. I sighed. My room was in the westernmost wing of the Sterling mansion, and I had to pass through the garden to get there. The garden was a chaotic scene now. Ethan sneezed, muffled, into his hand. “Sophia, who planted this lavender? Don’t they know I’m allergic?” Sophia tenderly pressed her own handkerchief to his nose. Then, she turned to the gardener, her voice sharp. “Get rid of this lavender patch. Use the shredder! And this swing set, all those messy bird nests? Clear them out!” That lavender patch was from seeds my father had collected when he was lucid, found by the roadside. He’d said that even after he was gone, the flowers would remain. My eyes widened as I watched the gardener raise his shovel. “Wait!” Everyone froze, stealing glances at Sophia for her reaction. She watched me, her expression unreadable. “Do you think this is your house, where you can plant whatever you want? Or are you just trying to make Ethan sick?” When I was five, my father was gravely ill. I snuck into the Sterling estate, desperate for Eleanor to save him. She had wanted to send me away, but Mr. Sterling found out. He’d said it was fine to take in a few children like me, a gesture of charity. And so, I’d lived here for twenty years. Sophia, who used to play with me and the staff, had once said the Sterling estate would always be my home. There was a small wooden sign by that patch, hand-written by a young Sophia: “Liam and Sophia’s Secret Spot. Forever Home.” I lowered my gaze, ignoring the decaying wooden sign, and bowed deeply. “Ms. Sterling, Young Master Ethan, I apologize. I was out of line. But please, don’t destroy my flowers. I’ll clean them up…” My bow seemed to throw Sophia off guard. Ethan suddenly began to tremble. “Sophia, I’m so dizzy.” His shaking voice snapped Sophia back to reality. She waved her hand. “What are you waiting for? Get to work!” The lush lavender was swallowed by the shredder, turning into a gruesome purple pulp. “No!” I threw myself forward, a desperate, reckless leap, grasping at whatever I could. Sophia shrieked, letting go of Ethan, who stumbled back and hit a tree trunk. “Are you out of your mind?!” she cried, her eyes blazing as she pulled me back. Then she saw the single lavender blossom and the decaying wooden sign clutched in my palm. “You…” Tears streamed down my face. “You said you couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d plant the lavender Dad gave me to help you rest.” The wooden sign crumbled to dust in my hands. “Sophia, I have no home anymore.” Sophia froze, reaching out as if to pull me into her arms. But then, Ethan screamed. From the birdhouse I’d built myself, high in the tree, clumps of caterpillars rained down onto Ethan. 3 Sophia’s eyes narrowed. She quickly stepped forward, pulling Ethan away. The caterpillars had a mild toxin, but Sophia, without hesitation, used her bare hands to pick them off his clothes. Then she turned, her face contorted with disgust, and looked at me. “I almost fell for your act.” “You like throwing bugs, do you? Fine. You all! Pick up those bugs and stuff them into his clothes!” A few maids, eager to please, began gathering the crawling insects. The gardener held me in a viselike grip. “I didn’t! How could it be me?!” Sophia scoffed, saying nothing. Of course. She hadn’t trusted me in years. Otherwise, in my past life, she wouldn’t have condemned me without question, convinced I’d rigged the lottery. I’d almost let the lingering kindness of her family accepting me sway me into warning her about Ethan’s secret. But now, I regretted it. I wanted to see her descend into madness when she discovered the truth. I simply gave up, letting the caterpillars swarm over me. Where they touched, my skin swelled, itching unbearably. Ethan, having composed himself, tugged on Sophia’s sleeve. “Sophia, isn’t this too much? I’m fine now.” “Ethan, you’re just too soft, that’s why people take advantage of you. Come on, I’ll take you to the doctor.” She led Ethan away, passing me without a glance. Freed from the gardener’s grasp, I collapsed to the ground. My fingers, curled tightly in suppressed agony, dug deep into the mud, staining them black with dirt and blood. Because of Sophia, no one would dare help me. So I had to endure the revulsion and pain, picking off the insects myself, before shakily making my way to the family doctor. As I entered, I saw Sophia applying ointment to Ethan behind a privacy curtain. It was just an ointment application, yet I heard Sophia’s soft gasps from behind the curtain. When she finally drew it back, Ethan was breathless behind her, and her face was flushed. Her fingers were still coated with the ointment. Sophia’s gaze swept over my raw, swollen neck. She tossed the bottle of ointment at me. I was a step too slow, and the glass vial shattered on the floor, the liquid spilling everywhere. “Don’t you dare go to the doctor. You only deserve to use filth.” In the Sterling household, in all of New York, she was queen. If she said I couldn’t see a doctor, no doctor would even look at me. I knelt on the ground, using my mud-stained hands to scoop up the spilled ointment and smear it on myself. I looked up to see Sophia gently sanitizing Ethan’s hands. “Sophia, I’m leaving the Sterling estate.” Nine-year-old Sophia had promised me a home, but now that home was gone. It was time to say goodbye. Sophia finished cleaning Ethan’s hands, then lightly kissed his fingertips. Her expression barely changed. “Say that again.” I took a deep breath. “I said, you and Young Master Ethan are getting married. And I’m nothing more than an outsider. I should leave, just like the ninety-eight other candidates.” My voice hardened. “Sophia, this isn’t a request. It’s a notification.” “Notification?!” Sophia’s voice rose, a tone she didn’t seem to notice. “Liam Foster, is your comatose father ready to give up on treatment?” She spoke to me in a near-threat. My body stiffened, trembling with memories from my past life. She had once embraced me, then with an icy hand, pushed me into a coffin. Too bad Sophia, for all her arrogance, couldn’t imagine I was about to be married. In the past, whenever Sophia and I argued, I would always threaten to leave the Sterling estate to make her relent. But now, I didn’t need her to back down. I really was leaving. When I remained silent, Sophia scoffed. “If you’re scared, then just stay here. Ethan needs a personal valet. Especially on our wedding night, you can be here to serve our needs.” Ethan’s face flushed. He hugged Sophia tightly. “Sophia, is that really appropriate?” His hand was caught by Sophia, who then stood up. “Why are you blushing? Come on, let’s go have some fun.” Ethan’s dress shoe kicked me as he passed, sending me sprawling into the glass shards. Using medical tweezers, I carefully picked the fragments from my leg, then haphazardly applied some ointment. I returned to the room I’d lived in for twenty years. I tried to pack my belongings, like the protagonists in novels I’d read. But then I realized there was nothing that truly belonged to me. Sophia used to take photos with me all the time. But at some point, the people in those pictures had stopped aging, stuck ten years in the past. Ethan had been abroad for ten years, and she had yearned for him that entire decade. The hidden room in her wedding suite was plastered wall-to-wall with photos of Ethan, secretly taken by private investigators. I stuffed my identification into my pocket, then sat bewildered on the edge of the bed. My phone vibrated. A message from the hospital attendant. “Mr. Foster, your father just regained a bit of consciousness! He’s calling your name!” 4 I limped to the hospital. As I approached, I heard my father, lying in his hospital bed, softly calling my name. This had never happened in my previous life. In that timeline, at this very moment, the power had gone out in the hospital, and my father had died within a minute without his ventilator. For someone in a vegetative state, any change like this was a miracle. Maybe, just maybe, I’d live to see my father open his eyes. The attendant, sensing the moment, discreetly slipped out. I sat by the bed, holding my father’s hand. “I’m leaving the Sterling estate. From now on, those people mean nothing to me.” I choked up. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t save the lavender you gave me.” My voice broke. “Dad, please, can you wake up and tell me where you found those seeds?” I lowered my head, letting the tears stream freely. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I looked all over for you. Turns out you were here, mourning.” Ethan strolled in, arms crossed, a smirk twisting his lips as he eyed me. I wiped my tears. “What do you want?” Ethan lifted his foot and casually kicked the hospital bed. The monitors, a tangle of wires, began to shriek, their frantic beeps echoing the chaos. He tilted his chin up arrogantly. “Mommy told me you’re going to marry that freak?” I said nothing, watching him warily. “Normally, who you marry, even if it’s a beggar, wouldn’t concern me. But I hear you know my secret?” “I won’t say anything.” Ethan laughed, a harsh, dismissive sound. “How can I be sure you won’t? If you tell, Sophia will abandon me instantly!” His eyes reddened. “You have to die for me to feel safe!” With a flick of his wrist, a blade slid from his sleeve, aimed straight for me. I instinctively recoiled, falling backward onto my father’s still form. Ethan was anything but delicate. His fingers, surprisingly strong, gripped the blade, poised to slit my throat. Suddenly, a dry, pale hand clamped onto Ethan’s wrist. I heard the monitor next to my ear scream, a deafening shriek. The doctors had said the prelude to a patient waking was a sudden surge in the machine’s sounds. I whirled around. “Dad?” My father’s eyes remained closed, but his hand had instinctively stopped Ethan from harming me. “Don’t… you… touch… my… son.” The click of high heels echoed, growing closer. In a flash, Ethan cut his own fingertip with the blade and shoved it into my father’s hand. Tears poured down his face. “Don’t kill me—” The next moment, he was in Sophia’s arms, clinging to her like a lifeline. “Sophia, Liam’s dad is trying to kill me… I only came to see him because I heard he might wake up. Did I do something wrong?” Ethan’s eyes were misty, a single drop of blood on his finger igniting Sophia’s fury. She gripped my wrist, her single hand threatening to crush my jaw. “Are you trying to kill Ethan again?!” “I’ve paid for your father’s treatment for years! Is this how you repay me?!” I shook my head violently. “I didn’t! It wasn’t me…” Sophia laughed, a sound like a banshee in hell. “Yes, this time it wasn’t you. It was your father.” A cold dread settled deep in my gut. I immediately dropped to my knees, my head hitting the floor in frantic pleas. “It wasn’t my dad! He’s in a coma, he doesn’t know anything!” “Ethan tried to kill me! It was him!” Ethan immediately retorted, “I didn’t! Sophia, you know I faint at the sight of blood.” He promptly clutched his forehead. Sophia, seeing this, believed him even more. Her eyes fell on the blade in my father’s hand. She gritted her teeth and nodded. “Good. Very good…” With that, she ripped out my father’s ventilator plug. The flatline beep, a piercing shriek in my ears, tore through the silence. I scrambled up, trying to plug the device back in, but she kicked me to the ground. “No! Sophia, please, I’m begging you! My dad will die in a minute without that ventilator!” “Hit me, kill me! I beg you, just don’t hurt my father!” Sophia looked down at me, a cold disdain in her eyes. “Dying is the easy way out. Don’t think I don’t know. Someone in a coma won’t die in just ten minutes without a ventilator. This is just a punishment for you.” With that, she calmly contacted the hospital to have the power to the room cut for ten minutes. Sophia, arm in arm with Ethan, looked back at me. “Tomorrow, on my wedding night, you’ll be here to serve our needs.” Her lips curved in a cruel smile. “If you’re not, just wait and see.” I crawled to my father’s bedside, tears streaming down my face, desperately trying to breathe life back into him. But it was useless. Ten minutes later, the power was restored. The moment I reconnected the ventilator, I saw the flat line on the heart monitor. My father was dead. My father, whom I’d lived like a dog for, dependent on their charity, was dead. I sat numbly by the hospital bed, when I suddenly heard footsteps again. My eyes were red from crying. I looked up. “Can you do me a favor?” As if to prove a point, Sophia’s wedding was even more lavish than the one in my previous life. Even Ethan’s tie clip, on his custom-tailored suit, was worth millions, glittering under the chandeliers. As they made their grand entrance, Sophia instinctively scanned the room, not finding me in the pre-assigned seat. Not until the vows were exchanged and the ninety-eight ‘lottery’ men began toasting the happy couple did she finally ask, “Where’s Liam?” Man of number twenty-five thought for a moment. “You mean the number one guy? Haven’t seen him.” But Sophia frowned, correcting him. “He has a name. He’s not ‘number one’.” Twenty-five nodded blankly, watching Sophia walk away. She suddenly remembered that Eleanor Sterling was, after all, my stepmother. So, she circled the room, finally finding Eleanor, who was laughing, holding her phone, talking to Mr. Sterling. “Eleanor, I haven’t seen Liam today.” At my name, Eleanor and Richard exchanged an odd, knowing glance. For some reason, Sophia’s heart sank. The next moment, she saw Eleanor raise her phone. On the brightly lit screen, Sophia saw something that would haunt her forever.

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I was home for the holidays, driving my American-made SUV to a blind date. My date, Isabelle Jones, and her best friend, Sophia, were already there when I pulled up to the restaurant. They were draped in designer labels, dressed to the nines. Seeing my simple clothes, Sophia immediately curled her lip in disdain. “Izzy, your date looks like he just walked off a construction site.” “Look at his cheap suit, probably doesn’t have two nickels to rub together.” Izzy, far from stopping her friend, just sneered. “Tell me about it. In this day and age, who drives an American car? It’s embarrassing.” I didn’t react, just offered a slight smile. My voice was even. “Ladies, ever heard of ‘The Sentinel’?” 1 Had they not been so rude, I wouldn’t have bothered with them. I’d just come home for a rare visit, and my mom, Mrs. Albright, insisted I go on this blind date. She’d said the girl came from a good family and was beautiful. I sized up the woman across from me. Beautiful, yes. But clearly, she wasn’t impressed with me. “It’s just a domestic car; why give it some fancy name? Trying to sound cultured?” Sophia scoffed. “Look at you, so broke you probably can’t even afford this meal. I don’t know why your mom even let you come to a blind date.” “Just get out of my sight. I’m not interested.” I almost thought I misheard her. I’d just sat down, and she was already telling me to leave? They were making a fool of me! I’d driven all this way, hadn’t even had a sip of water, and was already being insulted repeatedly. My patience evaporated. “You must be Isabelle Jones, the blind date Mrs. Albright set me up with, right?” “I haven’t even introduced myself, and you’re already writing me off, telling me to leave.” “Are you two, by any chance, running a scam?” The moment I spoke, Izzy’s face darkened. Her expression strongly suggested I’d hit a nerve. Her eyes darted around, her words stumbling. “A… a scam? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Blind dates are a mutual agreement. It’s perfectly normal for me not to be interested when you’re so poor.” “Did you think just because you came to meet me, I’m obligated to be with you? Take a good look in the mirror, buddy.” The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, almost spitting on me. I couldn’t believe this was the “sweet-natured and gentle” woman my mom had described. “Alright, alright, I’m a pauper, and you’re a princess. Happy now?” “Then could the princess please return the envelope my mother gave you?” “My mom specifically told me before I left that if the date didn’t work out, I had to get the money back.” Truth be told, my mom hadn’t said any such thing. I just couldn’t stand them. As soon as I finished, Sophia immediately stepped forward. “Ethan Stone, right? I’ve seen your profile. You’ve been out of town since high school, and there’s no record of what you actually do.” “We’ve been sitting here waiting for you all this time, why wouldn’t we keep this fee?” “You’ve seen us, you’ve had your drink. Now you want the money back? You’re dreaming.” Hearing Sophia, I was stunned. Was this some kind of model friend? So openly demanding money. Were they here to make a quick buck, or for a blind date? My mom had painstakingly saved up fifteen hundred dollars, and after just meeting them, without even having a proper conversation, it was gone? “So, by your logic, you two are making a lot more than most working girls.” The words were barely out of my mouth before Izzy and Sophia exploded in rage. “Ethan Stone! What is that supposed to mean? Are you calling us prostitutes?!” I just curved my lips into a slight smile. My silence said everything. Seeing me not speak for a long moment, Izzy and Sophia grew desperate. “Ethan Stone! I’m telling you, if you don’t apologize to us right now, I guarantee you won’t be walking out that door!” “Exactly! A poor bumpkin like you, trying to hit above your weight class? Take a look at yourself!” “The money is rightfully ours! We’re not giving it back. If you know what’s good for you, get lost.” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at their words. “You keep calling me a pauper, but why don’t you hand over the money then?” “I should take back what I said earlier. Given your behavior, you two are probably worse than even those who hustle for a living.” “At least they put in the effort. You two, on the other hand, are just outright robbing people, aren’t you?!” Then, I casually ticked off my fingers. One blind date, and you pocketed fifteen hundred bucks just for showing up. For those naive enough, you might even get a free meal. This was quite the business. Quicker than hitting a jackpot. Izzy and Sophia were rendered speechless, frozen in place. As the old saying goes, it takes a scoundrel to handle scoundrels. And today, I’d be that scoundrel. 2 “You can’t out-argue me, and you don’t dare lay a hand on me. I suggest you just return the money.” “Two young ladies, why not do something worthwhile instead of trying to scam people? Are you doing your parents proud?” “I have things to do. Hand over the money now, or I’ll call the police.” At the mention of the police, Izzy and Sophia instantly panicked. “No, please, don’t call the police! Your money isn’t with us.” “What?!” “Then where is my money?” I remembered clearly watching my mom hand the envelope to them. “The money… it went up the chain.” Izzy was visibly intimidated by my presence, meek and subservient. Just as I’d suspected, my mom had indeed been swindled. What kind of blind date required a fifteen-hundred-dollar introductory fee? It was clearly a setup to fleece people. Yet, my mom, bless her heart, had actually believed them. “Who did you give the money to?” I narrowed my eyes, my voice devoid of emotion. “To Rex.” Rex? Who the hell was that? But from the name, it sounded like some kind of gangster. “Is this ‘Rex’ you speak of your boss?” Izzy nodded, her eyes filled with reverence. “Yes, Rex is Detroit’s top organized crime boss. We’re just peripheral members, trying to make a living under him.” I almost choked on my water hearing Izzy. “In this day and age, someone still dares to call himself a mob boss? Is he out of his mind?” My comment seemed to push Izzy’s buttons. “Don’t you dare insult Rex! He’s my idol!” Huh? I thought my ears were failing me again. Were young people’s values really this twisted now? Taking a gang leader as an idol. Probably watched too many mob flicks as kids. “Alright, since my money is with this ‘Rex,’ I’ll let you two off for now.” Izzy and Sophia were about to slip away when I abruptly changed my tone, adding, “Call your boss. Tell him to bring my money over here.” “That’s my mom’s hard-earned money. I’m getting it back today.” The moment my words registered, they both froze in shock. “Are you out of your mind?!” Izzy stared at me, wide-eyed. “You want to demand money from Rex? You’re trying to get yourself killed!” “He’s a big shot with connections that run deeper than anyone. He could crush you with a single finger.” I stretched, a slow, deliberate movement. “Who Rex is, has nothing to do with me.” “Right now, I just want my mom’s money back. Understand?” Sophia also stepped forward. “Ethan Stone, I advise you to drop this. If you cross Rex, not even the police can save you.” “In all of Detroit, I’ve never seen anyone get money back from Rex.” I waved my hand dismissively, pulling out my encrypted satellite phone and handing it to them. “Stop dragging your feet. Call him now.” 3 Izzy and Sophia exchanged glances, then tremblingly took the phone. “You’re making us call him. If anything happens to you later, it’s not our fault.” I nodded. Izzy cautiously dialed the number. The moment the call connected, I snatched the phone. “Hello, you must be Rex.” “I hear your people took fifteen hundred dollars from me.” “You have twenty minutes to get to this restaurant. One second late, and you’ll regret it.” Without waiting for a reply, I hung up. My actions left Izzy’s mouth agape. “You… you actually dared to speak to Rex like that? You’re practically asking to die!” “If Rex really shows up, you won’t even have time to regret it.” I casually settled onto the sofa, peeling an orange as if nothing were happening. “Good, I was afraid he wouldn’t show up.” I’d been stationed with my unit for years, rarely coming home. If I hadn’t earned a Silver Star in the All-Forces Combat Trials, my General wouldn’t have personally granted me leave to visit family. I’d probably still be in training right now. “Ethan Stone, when Rex gets here, don’t you dare tell him we called him.” “Rex has a short fuse. If you upset him, all three of us are screwed.” Just the mention of Rex made Izzy’s attitude do a complete 180. It reminded me of when I first met her. It seemed people really shouldn’t be too low-key. Being low-key just made you an easy target. If they hadn’t run into me today, who knew how many more people would have fallen victim to their scam? The thought fueled my sense of justice. When I left the unit, the General had repeatedly warned me not to get into conflicts with civilians. But I believed that a true soldier steps in when they see injustice. I was sure my superiors would understand. Time ticked by. With less than fifteen seconds left on the clock, Rex finally arrived. A dozen brand-new Rolls-Royce Ghosts pulled up, parking perfectly in front of the restaurant. A bald, middle-aged man led the way inside, followed by a throng of black-suited bodyguards. From a distance, it was quite intimidating. Before I could speak, Izzy and Sophia rushed forward. “Rex, this is the guy who called you just now!” “He even said he’d trash your restaurant if you didn’t show up!” “Sophia and I are just girls, we couldn’t stop him, so we had no choice but to call you for help!” It truly took a wicked woman to spin a tale like that. Izzy’s skill at embellishment was truly masterful. But it didn’t matter. Even if she talked until her throat was raw, I was getting that money back today. Rex glanced at me from the corner of his eye, then swaggered over. “You’re Ethan Stone?” I didn’t even raise my head, just gave a slight nod. “That’s right, that’s me.” “I hear my people said you threatened to trash my place?” I looked at my blind date, who was now preening behind Rex, and my lips curled up unconsciously. “While those words weren’t mine, I can tell you… that’s precisely what I had in mind.” “You’ve got a lot of nerve!” The moment I finished, the line of black-suited bodyguards behind Rex instantly surrounded me. I quickly calculated: I could probably take them all out in three minutes. Unfortunately, due to my special status, I couldn’t directly engage. Rex, thinking I was intimidated, looked at me with an arrogant smirk. “What? You were so brave on the phone, weren’t you?” “Now you’re too scared to even utter a word?” 4 I poured myself a cup of tea, took a sip, and cleared my throat. “You’re Rex, right? Your people took fifteen hundred dollars from me. When do you plan on returning it?” As I spoke, the men behind Rex burst into raucous laughter. “Kid, you must have a death wish, trying to shake down our Boss Rex!” “You haven’t done your homework, have you? In all of Detroit, who dares to talk to Rex like that?” “I suggest you get down on your knees and apologize to Rex, unless you want to get roughed up.” I raised an eyebrow slightly. “Oh? What if I insist on having that money back?” Even Rex probably hadn’t expected me to challenge him so openly in front of so many people. His face slowly twisted into a sneer. “Alright! I like people who are stubborn like you.” “You want your money? Fine, you can have it.” “But whether you live to collect it, that’s up to you.” With that, he waved his hand, and his men surged towards me. But they threw a dozen punches, yet couldn’t even graze my clothes. I moved effortlessly among them, occasionally offering a mocking comment. Rex stood on the sidelines, his face livid with rage. “What good are you people?! You can’t even lay a hand on one guy?! Get him! Finish him!” But no matter how he shouted, his subordinates couldn’t touch me. Just then, Izzy, thinking herself clever, stepped forward. She pointed at the Sentinel parked outside, a malicious smirk on her face. “Rex, did you see that domestic car at the entrance? That’s what Ethan Stone drove.” “He likes to dodge, doesn’t he? Why don’t we just smash his car instead?” Rex’s eyes immediately lit up. “Everyone, stop trying to grab him! Follow me! We’re smashing his car!” At his command, everyone rushed towards the parking lot. Each man grabbed a crowbar, and they began to savagely assault my SUV. They smashed it for a good fifteen minutes, but it only suffered minor paint damage; the body itself was perfectly fine. “Damn it! Fine, I can’t catch the guy, but why is smashing a car so damn difficult?!” “Boss, this car is too tough! We’ve been hitting it forever, and it’s not reacting!” I stood with my hands in my pockets, shouting at them. “Hey, are you guys even trying? You’ve been at it for ages, and it’s still not broken!” My taunt instantly ignited Rex’s fury. He snatched a crowbar from one of his men and swung it fiercely a few times. There was a loud clang, and the crowbar flew ten feet away. Rex clutched his hands, his face contorted in pain. “Goddammit! How is this car so tough?!” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Rex, my car isn’t just tough. It’s also bulletproof.” With that, I pulled out my military-grade satellite phone and dialed a secure number. “General, your car just got trashed.” “What did you say?!” A roar erupted from the other end of the line. I briefly explained the situation, the chain of events. Even through the phone, I could feel the General’s fury. “Specialist Stone, report your position immediately!” He barked the order directly into the phone. I hung up and leisurely walked over to Rex, patting his shoulder lightly. “Rex, I think it’s necessary to inform you. That car you just smashed, its name is ‘The Sentinel’.” But to my surprise, Rex didn’t back down; he became even more arrogant. “I don’t give a damn what it’s called! I’m going to smash it to pieces today!” Just then, Izzy screamed. “Look!” Everyone turned their heads. A dozen military Hummers, bearing distinctive red markings, were steadily approaching.

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1 My younger sister, blessed with a naturally prolific constitution, severed all ties with our family to marry her DINK hybrid husband. A year later, I was invited to a hybrid auction, only to find my sister on the stage, being put up for bid. My sister, heavily pregnant, sobbed as she clutched Rhys Thorne’s pant leg. “Husband, I haven’t betrayed you. This really is our child.” Rhys, arm wrapped around a delicate woman, sneered, kicking her down. “How the hell could I, a sterile hybrid, get you pregnant? Being poor is bad enough, but don’t you dare try to make me a cuckold!” My sister knelt on the stage, her body trembling uncontrollably. I sat in the VIP box, idly turning the freshly acquired glowing pearl in my hand, and instructed my butler. “The young madam has had enough playtime outside. It’s time to bring her home.” No one who dared to trifle with the Lockwood family would escape. The butler was about to turn and retrieve my sister when I narrowed my eyes, raising a hand to stop him. “Let’s wait a moment. The young madam needs to see that scumbag for who he truly is.” Mr. Davies, the auction house president, sitting nearby, overheard my conversation with the butler and his eyes widened in shock. I sighed. “Mr. Davies, your invitation to this hybrid auction has certainly opened my eyes.” Mr. Davies immediately stood, wiping sweat from his brow, not daring to meet my gaze. “Madam Lockwood, it’s my failure. To think the young madam…” I impatiently clicked my tongue. The next second, Mr. Davies was escorted away. I looked out at the crowd in the hall. Many of the men stared at my sister with a leering, possessive gaze. “Tsk, tsk, a pregnant woman truly has a certain allure.” “Wonder how many months along she is? The feel must be incredibly soft and supple.” Filthy whispers filled the air, making my sister’s knuckles turn white. Rhys, arm around Amy Vance, laughed from below the stage. “Auction’s open! Once you buy her, she’s yours to do with as you please.” Laughter erupted from the crowd. “Alright! I can’t wait.” My sister looked at Rhys in disbelief, her lips pale. “You’re going to auction me? I’m leaving!” Rhys brandished a document. “Open your eyes and look. This is a bondage contract. Your ownership now belongs to me. I can dispose of you however I wish.” My sister picked up the agreement, her eyes growing wider with horror as she read. “You said these were all promises of your love for me? Why is this a bondage contract?” Rhys shrugged, putting on an innocent expression. “You were too busy having fun in bed to even read the words. I told you to sign, and you signed.” My sister collapsed onto the ground, a picture of utter hopelessness. My heart clenched, and I traced the patterns on the glowing pearl in my hand. Hybrid bondage contracts held legal weight; there was no way to dissolve them except by mutual agreement. Rhys continued, “This is what happens when you dare to accuse Amy. But don’t worry, my hybrid brothers are far more… robust than I am.” My sister suddenly looked at Amy Vance. “I didn’t accuse her! She’s the one colluding with outsiders to steal our company!” Amy leaned against Rhys’s shoulder, a provocative smile gracing her lips as she looked at my sister. “Oh, dear, little sister, how could you cheat on Rhys? He’s been so good to you, and yet you secretly got pregnant. How shameless. It’s a good thing his company grew so large without a woman like you meddling. Otherwise, what if you’d stabbed him in the back again?” I rested my chin on my hand, my eyes churning with dark thoughts. If it weren’t for wanting my sister’s life with Rhys to be better, why would I have secretly invested in his company? And my sister, dressed in plain, threadbare clothes, was so gaunt. She barely looked like a Lockwood heiress. Clearly, Rhys hadn’t spent a dime on her. “Butler, contact the company I invested in over there. Withdraw all funds immediately. I want Rhys Thorne to be penniless and buried under a mountain of debt.” It seemed my sister’s past year had been truly terrible. My sister clutched the hem of her worn shirt, stubbornly explaining, “I didn’t cheat! This is Rhys’s and my child!” She softened her voice, turning back to Rhys. “I told you I have a highly fertile constitution. You never said anything against it back then.” Rhys raised the wine glass in his hand and smashed it towards my sister. “You’re fertile, so why did you come to me? Didn’t you know I’m DINK? You’re disgusting!” Rhys’s eyes suddenly darted, and he burst out laughing. “A highly fertile constitution! I’m raising the starting bid!” 2 The laughter of the men around her felt like ropes tightening, threatening to choke my sister. The spotlight shone on her, leaving her nowhere to hide. “That figure, whoa, quite appealing.” “Want to get pregnant? I can help with that.” “I can too. I’m a snake hybrid; I’ll definitely satisfy you.” My sister’s face flashed from white to red, utterly lost for a retort. Faced with the surging emotions of the crowd, she instinctively stepped back. Her foot slipped, and she fell off the stage. I immediately rose, my heart pounding, watching her. Thankfully, she quickly stood up, stumbling back to the corner of the stage. This prevented the surrounding men from taking advantage. Amy Vance stretched her lips into a smirk. “Little sister, you truly are shameless. Even pregnant, you’re so eager to throw yourself into other men’s arms?” Rhys’s mocking expression froze, his eyes fixed on my sister on stage. My sister, frantic, screamed back, “I am not your sister, you worthless hag! My real sister is a thousand times better than you!” I was touched. Seeing my sister like this reminded me of her when we were children. Whenever anyone spoke ill of me, she would retort like that, always putting me first. But ever since that smooth-talking Rhys had fooled my innocent sister, our arguments grew more frequent. In the end, she even severed ties with my family, the Lockwoods, for that man. Rhys laughed. “Oh, you have a sister? She’s probably just as loose as you are. Why didn’t you ever mention her?” My sister’s chest heaved rapidly. “You impotent fool, shut up! Don’t you dare speak about my sister like that!” Rhys roared, enraged. “Start the auction now! I’d like to see whose bed you’ll die in!” The moment my sister’s shirt was ripped open, revealing her swollen, pregnant belly, the atmosphere in the hall reached a fever pitch. Men’s greedy gazes clung to her, drooling with desire. The host’s booming voice cut through the noisy hall. “Starting bid: two million dollars!” “Ha! Fifty thousand, and a fertile woman makes it four times that!” “I’ll bid! All I need is a woman to bear me pups!” “Four million!” “I’ll offer five million!” “I’ll offer seven million!” As the bids climbed higher and higher, the joy on Rhys’s face became impossible to suppress. “I never thought this woman would be worth so much money.” “Seven million, going once! Any more?” The host’s voice sounded like a sentence of endless torment for my sister. I was about to signal the butler to bid when my sister spoke. “I offer fifty million to buy myself back.” The entire hall fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted in deafening laughter. “Fifty million? This woman must be crazy. How could a destitute woman get fifty million?” “Rhys, you didn’t give her money, did you?” “Looks like she hooked up with another man who gave her money, isn’t he the father of that child?” “Rhys, you didn’t get ripped off. After all, no matter whose money she used, you’re still making a profit off her.” The mocking laughter of Rhys’s cronies left him humiliated. His gaze turned sinister. “Where did you get so much money?” Amy Vance also sat up straight, covering her mouth. “Fifty million. If you can’t come up with it, you’re going to jail.” My sister bit her lip, then removed a pair of earrings from her ears. She carefully placed them before the host. “These earrings should be enough.” It was then I realized these were the earrings I had given my sister as a gift. These earrings were worth far more than fifty million. But my sister only knew they were priceless, not their exact value, which is why she offered them as a fifty-million-dollar bid. The people in the hall looked disdainful. “These things are worth fifty million?” However, after the staff verified them, everyone was stunned. “The auction bid is valid.” Rhys was even more shocked. “How do you have something so valuable?” Amy Vance’s face also turned ashen. “Did you steal this from me?” I pursed my lips, looking at Amy Vance’s face with disgust. Steal? She spoke with such self-righteousness. My sister stood on the stage, lightly sweeping her gaze over them both below. “Fifty million. Does anyone want to raise the bid?” Instantly, no one dared to make another move. Fifty million was no small sum for them. I sat back down, leaning against the sofa in the VIP box, filled with admiration for my sister’s sudden courage. This was the aura my sister, a Lockwood heiress, should possess. “Fifty million, going once. Fifty million, going twice.” Just as the host called out the third time, a man suddenly raised his paddle and stood up. “Seventy million. This woman, she’s mine.” 3 The people in the auction hall gasped, a collective sharp intake of breath. “Who is that? So arrogant!” “Hiss, that looks like the young master of the Sterling family.” “The Sterling family! The Sterlings who practically control Newport City?” Jaxon Sterling leaned back on the couch in his private box, one leg crossed over the other, casually chewing gum. My sister’s face instantly drained of color. Those around who didn’t know Jaxon Sterling’s background, seeing his arrogance, scoffed. “Who’s this brat, so desperate for this woman? I bet he’s got a low sperm count, hahahahaha.” Some of the hybrids around them laughed along, while those in the know quietly retreated, fearing they might be implicated. Jaxon Sterling’s expression remained unchanged, his smile deepening. The next second, the hybrid who had scoffed was struck by a tranquilizer dart and fell straight to the ground. He was immediately dragged out by a group of large, burly men, and a moment later, agonizing screams echoed from outside. Everyone present was terrified. Jaxon Sterling stood up, casually spitting out his gum. “This is human territory. You animals should kneel and let me butcher you.” I rubbed my fingers together, immediately instructing the butler to investigate this Jaxon Sterling. Soon, the butler handed me a file. Jaxon Sterling, young master of the Sterling family. And this Sterling family had grown powerful through the charity of the Lockwood family. A few years ago, this Jaxon Sterling was convicted of abusing hybrids and sentenced to prison, only to be bailed out a few days later and sent abroad. He had only been brought back by the Sterling family after the scandal had died down. Jaxon Sterling, having been abroad, likely didn’t know my sister’s true identity. “Looks like he’s still a brutal one.” If my sister fell into his hands, she certainly wouldn’t live past tomorrow. The butler saw where my gaze was directed and immediately understood my thoughts. He bowed and said, “Madam, I will deal with him immediately.” I was furious, but I managed to suppress my anger, my voice cold. “Wait. I want these few thrown into the Hybrid Arena for auction together.” As I was thinking, I suddenly saw Jaxon Sterling had already descended from his box and stepped onto the stage. “Tsk, tsk, a belly this big… if you gently slice it open with a small knife, it would be incredibly satisfying.” “The embryo inside should be mature by now.” Jaxon Sterling’s finger lightly brushed my sister’s belly. My sister recoiled in terror. “No! I don’t want it!” Jaxon Sterling smiled cruelly. “You’re mine now. What don’t you want? Hmm?” Just as he was about to make a move, I signaled the management to announce a mid-auction break. Jaxon Sterling, satisfied, roughly pulled my sister and tried to leave, but was stopped by the staff. Jaxon Sterling was impatient. “You want to stop me?” The staff bowed deeply. “We certainly don’t want to stop you, sir. It’s just that this young lady isn’t yours yet. You can’t take her.” Jaxon Sterling frowned. “I bid seventy million. Is someone else raising the bid? Then I’ll follow.” The staff quickly waved their hands. “No one has raised the bid, sir. It’s simply a mid-auction break. Your bid hasn’t been finalized yet, and the auction hasn’t concluded.” Jaxon Sterling flung my sister aside, then grabbed the manager’s collar, about to curse him, but stopped. He didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed. “Fine. I’ll wait. Let’s see who dares to raise the bid.” He turned to my sister. “My seventy million. You’d better wait obediently.” I tightly clutched my phone, dialing a number. “If you don’t want your youngest son anymore, I can help you take care of him.”

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