Category: English

Three years into my relationship with Rhys Davenport, the Crown Prince of the East Coast Elite, we were finally supposed to get engaged. But at the engagement party, he was nowhere to be found, leaving me to face the humiliating crowd alone. His friends offered dry platitudes about the endurance required of an elite wife. They were mistaken. I took every penny Rhys had given me over those years and vanished completely from the City. The truth is, I knew the end of my story with him the moment it began. I was worrying about my next meal when I happened to overhear a girl sweetly clinging to his arm. “Big Bro, our student council president has a huge crush on Sutton. Go sweep Sutton off her feet so I have a chance with him!” Rhys just smirked. “If you insist, then I suppose I must obey.” Between the two of us, there was never a single shred of genuine emotion, not from the start. 1 The starting time on the invitation had come and gone an hour ago, but Rhys still hadn’t shown. Catching the pitying, slightly mocking stares of the guests, I sighed, a gesture of mild regret, and slowly began to unclip the expensive high-jewelry necklace from my throat. His friend, Grant, was leaning against the doorway, his voice thick with its usual condescension. “Sutton, what’s the rush? Rhys got held up. You want to be a Davenport woman, you need a little more patience than this.” I ignored him, turning to the mirror to unhurriedly take off my diamond earrings. Another girl scooted closer, feigning concern. “Sutton, don’t be sad. Rhys wouldn’t do this on purpose. He’s probably just held up by something more important.” She bit down hard on those two words, her pretty face momentarily twisting with the emphasis. Watching her in the mirror, I suddenly smiled. “Sad?” I repeated the word, placing the earrings gently on the velvet tray where they made a faint, delicate clink. “Why would I be sad?” The dressing room fell silent for a moment. I turned around, my gaze calmly sweeping over each of them. “I wasn’t waiting this hour because I expected him to show up.” Grant frowned, demanding to know what I was trying to do. I stood up and began to pull down the invisible side zipper of the couture gown. “I’m changing clothes. Can’t you tell?” My tone was as casual as commenting on the weather. “Sutton! Don’t push your luck!” Someone nearby started loudly talking. “Rhys has spoiled you rotten! Are you seriously trying to use a runaway-bride stunt to blackmail him? You walk out that door today, and tomorrow you’ll be nothing!” The zipper reached its end, and the expensive fabric slid to the floor, revealing the simple white T-shirt and jeans I’d already put on underneath. I bent down into the silk heap and retrieved the old canvas backpack—a bag that looked utterly out of place in this gilded room—and slung it over my shoulder. Then, I looked at everyone in the room and answered their question very seriously: “I was never ‘anything’ to begin with.” “So, I’m not afraid to lose anything now.” Without another word, I didn’t wait to see the mixture of surprise and offense on their faces. I walked straight to the side exit. Rhys was the ultimate prince of this elite circle, the undisputed leader of these high-society kids. They had always looked down on me because my family was utterly insignificant compared to theirs. They couldn’t understand why Rhys was with me, and they always spoke to me with a barbed edge. Even on the verge of becoming his wife, their tone remained one of barely concealed derision. Rhys was the one who fled the engagement, yet they were all ready to dump the entire disaster on my head. I should have argued with them, let out three years of pent-up bitterness. But I didn’t have the time. My flight out of the country was booked for today. I wasn’t surprised at all by Rhys’s non-appearance. A week ago, the high-jewelry set he’d ordered for me had just been delivered. I was about to call him when I heard his sister, Cassidy, screaming hysterically in his study. “You’re really going to marry that low-class bitch, Sutton! You only got with her to help me hook up with Dean, didn’t you? You didn’t actually fall for her, did you?!” Rhys’s indifferent voice floated back, airy and dismissive: “How could I? I could never like someone so boring. Relax. I’m just setting the stage for you, little sister.” Cassidy’s mood changed instantly. She sounded delighted. “Are you going to dump her at the engagement party, Bro? I knew a charity case like her could never fool you.” A single wall separated us, but I could picture Rhys’s familiar, playful smile as he consoled his pouting sister. What a picture of sibling devotion. If the “charity case” being discussed—the one who was about to be publicly dumped at her own engagement party—hadn’t been me, maybe I would have admired the scene. 2 It was no secret that Rhys spoiled Cassidy. Early in our relationship, when he wanted to introduce me to his friends, he had a special evening gown made for me. It was a beautiful pale blue, and I loved it. When I stepped out of the fitting room, Rhys’s eyes lit up. “Sutton, blue looks incredible on you.” The spoiled young man, who usually had a three-minute attention span, spent the entire afternoon with me, helping me pick out accessories and waiting while I got my hair and makeup done. That evening, I was still nervous. The hand clutching his sleeve betrayed my anxiety. Rhys chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. Everyone’s friendly.” The atmosphere was good. His close friends and the girls from their circle were gathered, playing cards. They greeted us warmly. “Hey, Rhys! Hello, Little Lady!” Rhys arranged for a few of the girls to play poker with me, while he was pulled away by his brothers to play pool next door. No sooner had he left than Cassidy walked in. She looked me up and down, her expression clearly mocking and malicious. “Ugh, isn’t that the dress I asked the maid to throw out? You picked it up and wore it. You certainly know how to choose cast-offs.” I didn’t even get a chance to explain before Cassidy waved a hand to cut me off. “Ah, whatever. It’s too big on me anyway. Consider it recycling.” Hearing the commotion, Rhys quickly came out of the next room to intervene. “What are you bothering your sister-in-law for? You don’t even own a blue dress.” Seeing Rhys, Cassidy became instantly saccharine. “Oh, but I like it, Big Bro! I don’t care, you have to buy me ten of them!” Rhys laughed, indulging her. “Alright, alright, you always get your way.” Cassidy mumbled happily and settled into the seat next to him, contentedly enjoying the cake Rhys handed her. Everyone’s expression in the room became awkward. The girls who had been acting like my best friends minutes ago suddenly found the floor endlessly fascinating, completely isolating me. It was obvious to everyone that Cassidy was intentionally trying to humiliate me. Rhys saw it too, but he did nothing to help. Only after Cassidy left to go play with her friends did Rhys lean in to quietly apologize. “Cassidy’s got a weak constitution, she can’t get upset, so we always give in to her. I’m sorry I put you through that, babe.” From then on, Rhys kept Cassidy and me mostly separated. I knew why. But I didn’t care. Because every time I was slighted, the compensation—a random piece of jewelry or a gift—was worth a luxury condo. So, what was a little humiliation? A person can’t choose pride over money. 3 Because everyone knew Cassidy and I were at odds, they never thought I’d last long with Rhys. I never managed to fit into their circle, and when Rhys realized it, he didn’t say anything publicly, but he quietly funneled even more money into my accounts. That’s why our engagement surprised everyone. A week before the party, Cassidy insisted on throwing a bachelor/bachelorette bash. She chose an ultra-exclusive members’ club and invited the most notorious party girls in their circle—all stunning, flirty, and eager. I remained unfazed. Rhys, however, frowned and muttered in a voice only I could hear: “What is my sister playing at? If you don’t like this, we can make a brief appearance and leave.” He put an arm around my shoulder, guiding me toward the lounge, but Cassidy cut him off. “Sutton, you haven’t been to one of our parties in ages. I get why you’re uncomfortable.” She was dressed provocatively, handing a glass of champagne to both Rhys and me. “You know, in our world, this kind of socializing is normal. It’s a little different from a strictly transactional relationship.” I laughed softly, took the glass, and took a sip. I smoothed the fabric of my dress, my voice utterly calm as I spoke to the siblings. “It’s fine. Have fun, but don’t stay out too late. Cassidy, take good care of your brother for me.” Rhys looked momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting that reaction. Cassidy, missing her brother’s pause, smiled triumphantly and hooked her arm through his. “See, Bro? Your fiancée gave you permission. What are you waiting for? Come on in!” “Some of the girls who used to have a massive crush on you are here. Last chance to be a bachelor!” My heart no longer reacted to Cassidy’s juvenile provocations. I simply gave Rhys a serene wave. To my surprise, he grabbed my arm, his expression darkening. “Sutton, what is this? Are you trying to push me toward other women?” Push you to other women? You were never mine to begin with. Amused, I looked up at him. “Well, if I asked you not to go, would you stay?” The lighting in the room was dim and suggestive, the music deafening. I watched Rhys quietly. Before he could answer, Cassidy’s voice rose, a little panicked. “Big Bro! You promised me!” Rhys instantly snapped out of his daze. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he reluctantly let go of my arm. “Sutton, wait for me to come back.” He didn’t finish the sentence before Cassidy forcefully dragged him into the room. The last few words were swallowed by the bass, as if they were never spoken. The moment Rhys entered, the women swarmed him—some pouring drinks, others leaning in to whisper, practically plastered to his side. Rhys looked distracted, his eyes constantly flicking toward the doorway, as if waiting for something. I stood in the hallway, took one last look through the crack in the door, and turned away. I didn’t look back. He’d never know how much I hoped he would fall apart that night. The more reckless he was, the more justifiable my departure would be. Rhys didn’t fall apart. He came home around 3 a.m., smelling of smoke and liquor. I was still awake, organizing paperwork for my upcoming study abroad program in the study. He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. His warm breath, mixed with the scent of alcohol, tickled my ear. “Why are you still up? Waiting for me?” Perhaps it was the alcohol, but his voice was a little husky, laced with amusement. I didn’t turn around, continuing my work. “Yes. Did you have fun?” “It was fine. The noise gave me a headache.” He nuzzled my neck, his tone seeking praise. “I kept checking my phone. You didn’t send me a single text.” I honestly didn’t have the energy to placate him, but he was unusually clingy when drunk. He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Are you jealous? I swear, I didn’t touch any of those girls. Didn’t even take their numbers.” I met his gaze for a long moment, sighed, and resignedly helped him into bed. 4 I first truly met Rhys next to a dumpster in the alley behind an off-campus bar. I was arguing with the bar owner, who was trying to stiff me on my wages. The air reeked of stale beer and trash. “You agreed to eighty an hour. I worked five hours. That’s four hundred dollars.” I tried to keep my voice steady, but my hand was shaking, and not just from the cold. The owner, cigarette dangling from his lip, squinted at me. “That imported glass you broke? That was two hundred. The other two hundred is a lesson fee. The real world isn’t a university, got it?” I was about to argue when a lazy, drawling voice cut in. “Oh? What kind of glass costs two hundred? Let me see.” Rhys appeared, leaning against the streetlight at the alley’s mouth. The light framed his perfect profile and tall, imposing figure. Two equally expensively dressed, amused-looking men stood behind him. The owner froze. He clearly recognized Rhys’s bespoke suit and his entourage, and his bravado deflated. “Mr. Davenport? What are you doing in a place like this? It’s just this little worker, she doesn’t understand…” “Cut the crap.” Rhys walked past the owner without a glance, coming straight up to me. He took off his cashmere overcoat and, without a word, draped it over my stained, worn jacket. The coat smelled clean, of expensive soap and subtle warmth, immediately blocking out the stench of the alley. He turned back to the owner, his tone quiet but carrying undeniable pressure. “The money.” The man, who minutes ago was a bully, immediately fumbled for his wallet. Rhys took the crumpled bills, didn’t look at them, and shoved them into my hand. Then he told the owner, “The cost of the glass. You can collect it from the front desk at Davenport Industries tomorrow.” The owner was nodding and bowing, barely daring to breathe. “Let’s go.” Rhys casually placed his hand on my shoulder, guiding me out. His friends whistled softly and walked ahead. Clutching the crumpled four hundred dollars and the coat still warm from his body, my heart, already hardened by the constant struggle of my life, accelerated uncontrollably in the frigid night air. He drove an expensive sports car, its interior so clean it looked untouched. He told me to get in, offering to take me back to campus. The heat was on high in the car. It was so quiet I could hear my own breathing. I sat with my head down, staring at the creased four hundred dollars. “That kind of place isn’t for you.” He spoke, his voice deep and pleasant in the confined space. “I need the money.” It was the simple truth. I was desperately poor. He glanced at me, said nothing. A moment later, while waiting at a red light, he asked abruptly. “What’s your major?” “Finance.” “Coincidence. My company is looking for interns. The hourly wage is much higher than what you were making, and it’s safe.” His tone was casual, as if discussing the weather. “Start tomorrow?” I knew this was sudden, that something was wrong. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Combined with the conversation I’d accidentally overheard between him and Cassidy days earlier, the answer was obvious. This was a calculated meeting, the opening move in a hunt designed to pave the way for his sister. Every rational part of me screamed to walk away. But I turned my head, looking at his long fingers gripping the steering wheel, the surprisingly low-key but incredibly expensive watch on his wrist, and his handsome, almost aggressively perfect profile. He could effortlessly solve the problems I agonized over. He could offer a wage I couldn’t refuse. He could pull me out of that chaotic, disgusting alley. With him, I wouldn’t have to worry about my next meal or next semester’s tuition. The car stopped on a quiet street near campus. He didn’t rush me out, just rolled down the window, letting the night air rush in. “Why did you help me?” I heard myself ask, my voice dry. He smiled, his finger tapping lightly on the steering wheel. The streetlights played across his eyes, flickering. “I find you… interesting.” He paused, then added,

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To save my husband, Ethan Vance, from a fatal fall while he was working on a high-voltage line, I disregarded my own safety and acted as his human cushion. He walked away with a few scratches. I shattered my right arm and suffered severe internal bleeding. Later, pressured by the town’s gossip about how he owed me his life, he reluctantly married me. But Ethan never loved me. One night, in a drunken stupor, I heard his true feelings. “If I had known I’d be shackled to Clara for the rest of my life, I would have been better off dying in that fall!” I felt like I had been plunged into an ice bath. It turned out that for all those years, Ethan never got over his first love, Sarah. He even told our children stories about their “epic romance” behind my back. Even my own kids grew up believing I had trapped their father with a debt of gratitude, ruining his chance at true happiness. They dumped me in a desolate nursing home where I died alone, consumed by depression. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to the day Ethan climbed that utility pole. This time, I didn’t catch him. Instead, I stood far, far away. In this life, I’ll let him get exactly what he wished for. 1 “Ethan, be careful up there! Double-check your safety gear!” “Yeah, that pole is over thirty feet high. Falling isn’t an option.” “Take your time, don’t rush it!” Ethan was fully geared up, safety belt around his waist, climbing spikes on his boots, slowly ascending the wooden pole. I was jolted awake by the shouting around me. It felt like the fog in my brain suddenly cleared. Villagers surrounded the scene. Without realizing it, I had walked to the base of the utility pole, staring up at Ethan who was already halfway up. My palms were sweating. Seeing this incredibly familiar scene and hearing the familiar warnings… It hit me. I had been reborn! I was back forty years in the past, to the very day I sacrificed my body to be Ethan’s cushion! In my previous life, when Ethan suddenly fell, I didn’t hesitate to break his fall with my own body. With me as his cushion, Ethan only suffered minor scrapes. I suffered internal bleeding and a comminuted fracture of my right arm. It was only because I was rushed to the hospital that I survived. Because of this life-saving act, a huge stir was created in our small town. The neighbors knew Ethan and I grew up together. We were childhood sweethearts, seemingly a match made in heaven. Everyone gossiped, joking that saving a life should be repaid with marriage. Under the pressure of public opinion, Ethan felt forced to marry me. It wasn’t until after the wedding that I learned he didn’t love me at all. On our wedding day, he hid in the power plant office and called Sarah on the landline, crying his heart out. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I can’t marry you in this life. If there is a next life, I will never let you down again.” After marriage, I buried this secret deep in my heart, telling no one. Although I knew he was forced to marry me, I firmly believed that love could grow over time. I didn’t believe that decades of living together wouldn’t melt his heart. For forty years, I took care of every aspect of Ethan’s life. To let him work without worry, I took on all the household burdens, big and small. But it wasn’t until that drunken confession that I woke up from my dream. You can’t warm a stone. He had told our children countless times about his tragic romance with Sarah, never mentioning my sacrifices. This led the children to resent me for using gratitude to trap him, ruining his lifelong love with Sarah. Thinking back, it was absurd and pathetic. My thoughts were interrupted by a shout. “Hey, look! Why is Ethan climbing down?” Chapter 2 Just then, Ethan, who should have been climbing higher, suddenly turned back. In a few moments, he climbed down the pole. Seeing me standing below, he frowned slightly, giving me a look of disgust, and subconsciously distanced himself from me. “Foreman, this gear is old. The strap was about to snap. Good thing I noticed it in time!” Before I could think, the crowd erupted in noise. Ethan pulled the safety rope with both hands, and it snapped. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, clearly shaken. “Good thing I found out early, or I really would have fallen!” As he spoke, he glanced at me with a hint of sarcasm. “And then someone would have gotten a bargain!” My heart skipped a beat. I knew exactly who “someone” was. The irony was suffocating. In my last life, I nearly died saving him. In Ethan’s eyes, that was me “getting a bargain.” It seemed I wasn’t the only one who was reborn. I sneered. “Then you better pray nothing else goes wrong!” I turned to leave, wanting to get away from this toxic place. But Ethan called out, ordering me to stay. Clearly, my retort had startled him. He stared at me with an ugly expression. “Clara, where are you going? We’re not done here. Stand under the pole. In case something goes wrong, you can catch me.” I whipped around, staring at Ethan’s self-righteous face, and let out a cold laugh. Having lived with him for forty years, I knew exactly how his mind worked. In our past life, after the accident, Ethan developed a fear of heights. He quickly transferred to a desk job at the power plant and never touched line work again. Now, he was afraid of another accident. If he fell again, having me there meant having a meat cushion to save him! “With so many people here, what are you afraid of?” “If something happens, plenty of men can help. Or are you expecting a petite girl like me to carry you?” The crowd laughed, urging him to hurry up and restore the power. “Ethan, we’re watching! You’ll be fine. Fix the line, everyone’s waiting to get back to work!” Ethan’s face turned a nasty shade of green. In our forty years together, I had never refused a single request of his. Now, the first time he opened his mouth after rebirth, I mocked him publicly. As a respected electrician in town, Ethan had never been ridiculed like this. He frowned, glaring at me through gritted teeth. “Fine, Clara. If you leave now, don’t ever expect me to give you the time of day again.” I pretended not to hear him and walked away without looking back. He probably couldn’t imagine that right now, I wanted nothing more than to be as far away from him as possible. Seeing me disappear into the crowd, Ethan could only rage impotently. Under the pressure of the crowd, he had to carefully climb the pole again. After leaving, I rushed straight to the town post office. In my previous life, I had successfully passed the college entrance exam. But because I saved Ethan, I was in a coma for seven days and spent weeks in the hospital. By the time I remembered the admission, I rushed to the post office only to be told I had missed the deadline. It was treated as me forfeiting my spot. And the spot had already been filled by someone else. It couldn’t be reversed. I ended up as a temporary worker at the power plant, constantly mocked by Ethan. Meanwhile, Sarah returned from college, quickly gained a foothold in the plant, and was inseparable from Ethan. I knew many people secretly pitied them as a golden couple ruined by a useless weed like me. I argued, I fought, but in the end, Ethan told me with contempt: “If it weren’t for my connections, do you think you could even be a temp here?” “You think you can compare to Sarah? You’re not worthy.” From that day on, I knew Ethan never let go of Sarah. No matter how much I poured my heart out for him. This time, I will fulfill his wish for a lifelong romance with her. Let him have exactly what he wants! Chapter 3 I went to the counter and gave my name to pick up the admission letter. The postmaster praised me enthusiastically. “You’re the only college student from our town this time! You really did us proud!” He practically escorted me out on a pedestal. I was confused. In my previous life, wasn’t Sarah also a college student? How come I was the only one? But I didn’t dwell on it. When I got home and told my parents the good news, my dad was so excited he lit incense for the ancestors. My mom immediately prepared a feast and invited the neighbors in our alley to celebrate. Ethan’s house was in the same alley, less than twenty yards away. When he came back, still in his work clothes, he had a large gash on his hand, dripping blood. My mom saw it and made me go get some styptic herbs and a towel. I really didn’t want to go. But I couldn’t resist my mom’s stern look. She was a doctor and ran a small clinic. She treated all the neighbors’ minor ailments. Reluctantly, I crushed some herbs in a mortar and applied them to Ethan’s hand, wrapping it with the towel. Ethan looked at me with a complicated expression. “I heard you got into college. You got the admission letter?” I didn’t speak, just nodded. But Ethan’s eyes seemed to show a flash of panic and unease. I thought he might have found a conscience and realized my worth, but he immediately raised his voice. “You can’t go! Clara, I order you to give up this opportunity.” I stared at Ethan like he was an idiot for a long time. He must still think we were living in the past life, where I obeyed him for forty years. I looked at him with sarcasm, a cold smile on my lips. “Why can’t I go? I worked hard to get in, why should I give it up?” “Because Sarah has been waiting for this chance for a long time! As long as you give it up, the school will do a supplementary admission, and I can push Sarah into your spot!” In that instant, I froze, trembling with rage. Once again, Ethan’s words cut me to the bone. No wonder I was the only one admitted, yet in my past life, Sarah was the one who returned with a degree. It was him. In my past life, he caused me to lose my chance at college. And I foolishly thought it was an accident, devoting my life to taking care of him. All the emotions I had buried erupted. I was so stupid. I should have realized it sooner. In my past life, with a salary of sixty dollars a month, he brought home less than half. It wasn’t enough to live on. To lighten his burden, I worked as a temp. Only then did I learn that most of Ethan’s money was being sent away. Now it seems most of it was sent to Sarah, who was in college. My voice squeezed through my gritted teeth. “Ethan, in our last life you made me miss college. This time you want me to give it up again? Keep dreaming! I won’t give this chance to anyone!” He glared at me, threateningly. “I am ordering you, not discussing with you. Clara, if you listen, I don’t mind marrying you again in this life.” “But if you insist on fighting me, don’t blame me for disregarding our past marital bond!” I bit the inside of my cheek until it bled. The metallic taste filled my mouth. Forty years of affection meant nothing to him. In his eyes, there was only Sarah! “Don’t worry. In this life, even if I never marry, I won’t marry you!” With that, I turned and walked away. Behind me, Ethan kicked a chair in rage. “Fine! Clara, if you have the guts, don’t ever come crawling back to me!” I returned home with red eyes. My mom immediately knew I had fought with Ethan. “Clara, don’t cry. Did you fight with Ethan? Listen to mom, if you want to marry him, you have to tolerate his temper.” “No. I will never marry Ethan in this life. Once I go to college, there will be plenty of men better than him!” In my past life, I was trapped by Ethan until death. In this life, I won’t make the same mistake.

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I was born with Epidermolysis Bullosa, my skin as fragile as a butterfly’s wings. After my family went bankrupt, I asked my billionaire husband for a loan. Lucas Sterling took me to a tattoo parlor, raising an eyebrow at me. “One million dollars for one tattoo. How much do you want to borrow?” I knew this was his revenge, that I shouldn’t touch his canary. But I nodded anyway. The first succubus tattoo landed on my private parts; I bit my tongue until it bled. The second tattoo, the word “Harder” on my lower back, bled profusely. By the time ten tattoos were done, a systemic infection blurred my consciousness. Lucas casually threw a few bills at me. Ten million Vietnamese Dong, less than five hundred US dollars. But this time, I didn’t cry or make a scene. I picked up the money and smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr. Sterling. This is enough.” Enough to buy a decent urn for myself. 1 Bending down to pick up the last bill, Lucas’s leather shoe stepped on my hand. “What did you call me?” He reached out and pinched my cheek. “You usually love calling me Hubby. Why the change?” Blood seeped from my skin more and more, stinging like needles. I lowered my eyes, bowing my head to him for the first time. “Lucas Sterling, give me the divorce papers. I’ll sign.” In the past, if I shed a single tear, his heart would ache for a long time. But there was no longer any pity in Lucas’s eyes. A faint smile curled his lips. “Want a divorce? I spent so much effort nursing you back to health, why would I let another man benefit?” He ordered unquestionably, “From now on, give the master bedroom to Sarah. She’s weak and afraid of the cold.” I didn’t resist anymore and nodded. Walking out of the tattoo parlor, my thin body trembled with pain. I counted the money in my hand. He gave a hundred extra. Just as I was about to go back in to return it to Lucas. I heard the excited voice of the tattoo parlor owner. “Mr. Sterling, a total of ten million people watched the live stream just now!” The string in my brain suddenly snapped. The shame of having my private parts seen by others almost crushed me. Every word on my skin pierced my body with a hundred times the pain. Because I was born with Butterfly Disease, a slight touch could cause my skin to crack and bleed endlessly. It was Lucas who knelt at the door of a famous doctor for three days and three nights, begging for an ancestral prescription. At his most vigorous age, he suppressed his desire and didn’t touch me for eight years. Until my condition was under control, we exchanged our first times in bed. Lucas held me in his arms and swore, “I will protect you with my life in this lifetime.” But later he met Sarah Miller, a college athlete, while playing ball. She was young, loved to smile, and full of vitality. A person from a different world than me. Lucas said to her in bed again and again, “Sarah, I wish I could give you my life.” Now hearing the tattoo parlor owner’s words, Lucas seemed to think of something. He narrowed his eyes, “Did you capture her face just now?” “As per your instructions, Mrs. Sterling’s face was blurred the whole time.” I hurriedly opened my phone. It turned out the words tattooed on me were voted by netizens in the live stream one by one. “Sewer,” “Must-Eat in NY,” “Master Please Fxxk”… Filthy words covered my whole body. Screenshots of the live stream were going viral online. Now, all of New York was guessing who this faceless female streamer was. Lucas’s shoulders relaxed, his voice indifferent. “If Nina Gu were a bit more obedient, I wouldn’t have treated her like this.” “Sarah should calm down after seeing the screenshots and talk to me.” The cold wind outside was biting, but it couldn’t compare to the chill in my heart. Just because I didn’t allow my husband’s initials to appear on another woman. A few days ago, I arranged for bodyguards to forcibly remove the tattoo on his mistress Sarah’s chest. However, Lucas retaliated against me tenfold. Covering the filthy words on my neck with my coat. I left the tattoo parlor as if escaping hell. My husband of ten years probably knew better than anyone. Tattoos were the limit of my body; I couldn’t bear the pain of removing them. And these disgusting words would become the shame of my life. Instead of returning to the Sterling mansion, I asked the taxi driver to turn around. After my family went bankrupt, my mother moved from a villa to a slum. A single room less than 50 square feet, New Yorkers call it a coffin home. Getting out of the car. I saw an ambulance parked by the road. Two paramedics rushed over carrying a stretcher. The person on the stretcher was covered tightly from head to toe by a white cloth. Unease rose in my heart. With trembling hands, I dialed my mother’s number. The next second, the exclusive ringtone I recorded for her came from under that white cloth. 2 Ignoring the obstruction of others, I lunged forward and lifted the white cloth. The middle-aged woman’s eyes bulged, as if she had seen something extremely terrifying at the last moment. I shook my head desperately, tears flowing non-stop. “My mother has always been healthy, how could this happen!” The paramedic glanced at me, “Your mother drank Paraquat to commit suicide.” No, impossible. Mom loved me as her life, I didn’t believe she would leave me easily! I opened the chat app on her phone. A stranger’s account had sent her a live stream link. I knelt heavily on the ground, pain and hatred surging in my chest, tears uncontrollable. It was me, I killed my own mother! In the memo were the last few words she left for me. “Nina, don’t stay with someone who doesn’t love you for my sake.” “My butterfly baby, leave New York, pursue your freedom.” Kneeling beside my mother’s body, I cried like a child. Growing up, my skin often bled because of my illness. Even oozing yellow pus. Classmates looked at me with contempt, as if I were some disgusting monster. Only Mom would hold me and tell me again and again. “You are different from others, you are Mom’s butterfly baby.” “If you don’t want to go to school, Mom will be your teacher.” But I refused to bow to fate and insisted on continuing my studies. In junior high, Lucas, who had just transferred, became my deskmate. It was he who fought off those who bullied me time and again. Even if it meant a detour, he insisted on escorting me to school every day. Looking at him then, my eyes were full of light. It turned out that besides Mom, there was a second person willing to protect me. After graduating from college, I secretly invested the money Mom saved for me into Lucas’s startup. This time, I won the bet with fate. On the day the company went public, Lucas put the key to a luxury car worth millions in my hand. Countless reporters swarmed in, pointing microphones at him. “Mr. Sterling, why are you willing to buy such an expensive car for your girlfriend?” In front of the camera, he was elegant in a suit, smiling gently. “She was the one sitting on the back of my electric scooter, accompanying me through the startup. At that time, I swore that one day, I would make her the woman in the back seat of a Rolls-Royce.” “From now on, you should call her ‘Mrs. Sterling’.” After speaking, he took out a ring, knelt on one knee, and proposed to me. Lucas interpreted the saying “A worthy wife supports my lofty ambitions, I repay her with ten thousand taels of gold” with actions. At that time, everyone said we were a textbook wealthy romance in New York. I stayed in the morgue all afternoon. Until the staff’s words pulled me out of my memories. “Mrs. Sterling, this card payment failed again.” The one I just handed over was the last card on me. The man who once bought me luxury cars and mansions now froze all my bank cards to vent anger for his little lover. I suppressed the bitterness in my heart. Took out all the cash and begged the staff bitterly. “I only have this much on hand, can you arrange my mother’s cremation first? I will definitely make up the fee.” But the staff shook his head at me. “This isn’t even enough for the deposit.” He looked at me with a hint of sarcasm, “Just bow your head and soften your attitude to Mr. Sterling, what is this money to him?” I closed my eyes and took off the gold bracelet on my wrist. “It’s worth at least $15,000. Please, make an exception.” He took it greedily and bit it lightly. But soon, he slammed the bracelet heavily on the table. “Calling you Mrs. Sterling is giving you face, how dare you give me this fake!” 3 The bracelet Lucas bought me with his first month’s salary was bent by me at this moment. Tears couldn’t stop flowing down. Drops of tears fell on the gold-plated iron bracelet. The thin layer of gold leaf seemed to mock my ten years of love. It turned out his sincerity was worthless from the beginning to the end. Picking up the bracelet, I used the remaining money to take a taxi back to the Sterling villa. At the door of the master bedroom. My husband’s lazy voice came from inside. “Every time I do it with her, I don’t enjoy it. If I use a little force on her, the bed gets covered in blood.” “You are still better, I can pose you however I want.” I clenched my fists tight and pounded on the door heavily. “Lucas Sterling! You murderer, you killed my mom!” The man’s voice carried a slight pant. “Nina Gu, I won’t advance money for your family’s company. Don’t use this kind of thing to sell misery.” My face was full of tears, crying uncontrollably. “I never lied to you, but what about you?” “Even the gold bracelet you gave me was fake. What between us is real?!” Lucas hesitated for a few seconds, speaking with doubt. “Nina Gu, what are you talking about…” Inside the door. Came the sound of clothes friction when getting up. But it was interrupted by the woman’s kissing sound. “Lucas, do it for another half hour, I haven’t had enough yet.” “Mm, whatever you say.” No matter how I pounded on the door or cursed next, it didn’t affect their mood. My anger seemed to become their aphrodisiac. The movements inside became more intense, and the screams higher. Tears couldn’t help falling one by one. Curling up on the ground, I murmured my husband’s name. Lucas… Can you return the him who loved me before to me? Don’t know how long passed, the door finally opened. I saw two wet handprints on the wedding photo at the head of the bed. One left and one right, landing on the smiling faces of me and Lucas. I instantly understood what pose they just used. Lucas saw the tears bursting from the corner of my eyes, an unknown emotion crossing his eyes. He reached out, wanting to support my teetering body. But Sarah suddenly pulled his hand over. Placed it on her lower abdomen. “Lucas, you are too capable. My belly is full of your stuff.” “I’m only 22, I can get pregnant soon. Unlike Sister Nina who can’t even have a child, what kind of woman is she then?” After speaking, Sarah looked at my belly with contempt. I couldn’t accept everything I saw. Trembling, I said, “You clearly had a vasectomy…” Lucas glanced at me from the corner of his eye, indifferent but enough to pierce my heart. “Nina Gu, I had a reversal surgery. Now that my business is big, I need a child to inherit the billion-dollar fortune.” My heart, riddled with holes, was pierced again. If not for the initial capital I provided, where would his big business come from? Our first child was lost because my body wasn’t suitable for pregnancy. It was Lucas who knelt and bowed before the Buddha statue, swearing never to want children. It was also he who sought a protective talisman for me, praying for my safety in this life.

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Sleepless, I scrolled through my phone and stumbled upon a chilling post: URGENT BULLETIN: Lock-Picking Killer Operating in City. Targeting Solo Women. Latest Incident: Oasis Court, Building 3, Unit 701. Victim Killed at 11:00 PM. My stomach dropped like an anchor. Oasis Court, Building 3, Unit 701. That was my apartment. I scrolled down. Attached was a simulated crime scene diagram. The layout, the furniture, even the arrangement of objects on the dining table—it was an exact replica of my living room. And the post’s timestamp? It was dated for tomorrow. A cold dread spread through my chest. What was this? A murder prediction, sent from the future? Then. Click. A distinct, unmistakable turning of the tumbler, coming from the front door. A beat later, the door creaked open. Someone was actually coming in. 1 My blood turned to ice. I slammed the phone screen dark, plunging the bedroom into complete blackness. I’d gotten ready for bed early and had already turned off the living room light, lying in bed to scroll. Now, the darkness was my only shield. Heavy footsteps padded across the hardwood floor in the living room—slow, cautious. Whoever it was seemed to be taking a careful inventory of the apartment. I remembered the bedroom door was still slightly ajar. If they reached the doorway, they’d spot me instantly. But I couldn’t risk standing up. The house was too quiet. Any sudden movement, any sound, would betray my location. I fought a fierce internal battle. Swallowing hard, I decided to disappear. I executed the move at the most agonizing pace, sliding out of the covers. Hand first, then my legs. I rolled onto the floor and then, inch by agonizing inch, slid myself under the bed. Once I was flat on my back on the floor, I peered through the narrow gap between the bed frame and the rug. A tall silhouette moved from the sofa, pausing briefly to check it, then slowly drifted toward the dining table. The table sat diagonally across from my bedroom door. They only needed to turn around to see the open door. The figure stopped right by the table. I frowned in confusion. Then I remembered. Ten minutes ago, I had poured myself a glass of hot water and left it there. The water was still scalding. A touch of the glass would immediately tell them the apartment wasn’t empty. Sure enough, after a moment’s pause, the figure’s gaze snapped toward the bedroom doorway. My heart hammered against my ribs. As the footsteps resumed, slow but purposeful, coming straight toward me, each step landed directly on my frayed nerves. The post was right. The killer found me. He’s actually going to do it. I wanted to bolt, but the bedroom offered no escape. I wanted to scream, but my throat was a vise. I watched, helpless, as a pair of shoes stopped right at the foot of the bed, the toes pointing directly at my face. Then, a face, twisted in a sneer, locked onto my terror-stricken eyes. A large hand, encased in a rubber glove, shot out like a steel claw, grabbing a handful of my hair and dragging me out from beneath the bed. I thrashed and yelled, fighting until my lungs burned. Then, the cold edge of a blade sliced across my neck. Blood erupted. My phone slipped from my sweat-slicked hand and hit the floor, the screen cracking and lighting up. The time: 11:00. Excruciating pain overwhelmed my consciousness. 2 When I opened my eyes again, I was lying spread-eagle on my bedroom floor, my pajamas soaked in cold sweat. My phone was by the pillow, its screen glowing. The time read: 10:45 PM. Was I… reborn? I had returned to the fifteen minutes before my death. A phantom ache still throbbed in my neck, a brutal reminder that the horror I’d just experienced wasn’t a nightmare. My hands shaking, I grabbed the phone and frantically searched the web for that prophetic news post. Soon, the chilling headline materialized: URGENT BULLETIN: Lock-Picking Killer Operating in City. Targeting Solo Women. Latest Incident: Oasis Court, Building 3, Unit 701. Victim Killed at 11:00 PM. My heart felt ready to burst through my chest. It had been real. I had already died once at the hands of this killer. The time stamp on my phone just before the end—it matched the post exactly. I was slated to be murdered at 11:00 PM. I glanced at the current time. It was just past 10:46 PM. I had fourteen minutes to cheat my gruesome fate. I focused on the key phrase in the post: Targeting Solo Women. I remembered the men’s athletic shoes I’d accidentally ordered online last week and hadn’t gotten around to returning. I scrambled out of bed, raced to the entryway closet, and snatched them. I deliberately pulled the laces undone and scuffed the heels to make them look worn. Then, I carefully opened the front door, placed the shoes casually on the doormat, pointing inward. A subtle signal that a man also lived here. I quickly shut the door, lifted the handle to engage the multi-point lock, and threw the heavy-duty deadbolt. Since I lived alone, I’d splurged on the most secure lock I could find. The locksmith had guaranteed me: “With this deadbolt engaged, even a professional could spend half a day on it, and any attempt at a forced entry would make enough noise to alert the whole precinct. You’ll have more than enough time to call 911.” For extra measure, I shoved the heavy dining table against the door. Even if he breached the lock, the barricade would buy me a few precious seconds. Next, I remembered I had Frank, one of the security guards at Oasis Court, on my contacts list. I quickly messaged him, asking if he could check the camera feed for my building, looking for any unfamiliar faces. Frank was a kind, helpful man. Without asking questions, he promised he’d keep an eye on the surveillance and text me immediately if he saw anything. I thanked him, then retreated to my bedroom closet, pulled the door shut, and held my breath. The minutes bled away, stretching into an agonizing eternity, until the clock finally hit 11:00 PM. I listened, muscles tensed, for any sound at the front door. But 11:00 came and went in silence. No key turning, no scraping, no door being pushed open. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Frank. He’d sent me a message and an attached screen recording of the surveillance video. “Kiddo, I checked the feeds. No strangers entering your building. Rest easy!” I clicked the video, scrubbing through it. The entire wall of monitors showed the main gates, the building lobby, the underground garage, and even the camera pointed at my seventh-floor hallway. I watched the time stamp on the video pass 11:00 PM. Not a single person walked past my unit. My tightly wound nerves finally began to relax. Did I actually stop him? Did I just dodge it? Just as I prepared to exit the closet, a thought struck me. If the killer didn’t come, would the prophetic post change? I opened my phone and pulled up the thread. It was still there. But the title had shifted: URGENT BULLETIN: Lock-Picking Killer Operating in City. Targeting Solo Women. Latest Incident: Oasis Court, Building 3, Unit 701. Victim Killed at 11:05 PM. 11:05? The impact was physical, a ringing in my ears. My phone’s clock ruthlessly ticked over from 11:04 to 11:05. And then I heard it—the heavy, rhythmic footsteps outside the closet door. They crossed the living room and paused in the bedroom. How? How did he get in? The security camera didn’t catch him, and I’d put up both a distraction and a barricade! Reality offered no time for contemplation. The tall shadow loomed, and through the closet door slats, I saw his face approaching, wreathed in that same sinister smile. Without hesitation, he wrenched the door open. I screamed, dragged out like a sacrificial lamb. His knife flashed, scoring my neck again. In the grip of absolute terror, my voice was a broken, tear-choked whisper. “W-why… why me? How did you get in…?” No answer. The agony of dying swept over me. With an unfinished, furious question hanging in the air, I closed my eyes.

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The gossip columnists know the score. Grayson Ashford would sooner crash on a bottle service girl’s futon than touch his own wife. Me. Sloane Reed. The only thing keeping the tabloids in business is the countdown to the day Mrs. Ashford finally stops being the city’s highest-paid virgin. Gray was ruthless when the cameras flashed. His eyes, cold and direct, drilled into mine. “Go have your own fun,” he’d said, his hands tucked casually in his trouser pockets. “If you can’t stand it, the door swings both ways.” He turned and strolled away. That night, when his latest conquest—a socialite-turned-wannabe-model—hit the front page, I didn’t cry. Instead, I called my contact at The Gazette and scheduled a headline. Then, I shredded my lace slip, tangled the Italian-thread sheets, and took a grainy, first-person-view shot of myself in the aftermath. The ultimate setup. I sent it to Gray anonymously. Text: Hey, man. Your wife smells incredible. Let me know when the papers are signed. 1 Watching the headline I bought shoot straight to number one, I smiled, satisfied, and prepared for sleep. Less than an hour later, the heavy, urgent sound of Gray’s footsteps echoed through the penthouse. “Sloane Reed! Is this how you retaliate? Who the hell was he!” A stack of photos hit my face. One was my staged, ambiguous bedroom shot. The other, the real kicker, was a smaller photo: Gray pressing Piper against a window, mid-passion. It was the headline I had arranged: ASHFORDS STRIKE NEW DEAL: OPEN MARRIAGE, NO INTERFERENCE. I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling the silk robe tighter around me. “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” I looked him straight in the eye. “You could have picked anyone. But you didn’t. You crossed a line when you decided to humiliate me with my father’s bastard daughter!” Gray’s sharp breath hitched, but he didn’t address the Piper of it all. His jaw tightened. “Who. Was. He?” “You don’t need to know. That’s what makes it fair.” There was a time I would have hired a private investigator to dig up every piece of information on his latest mistress. I was young then, naive, with a heart that couldn’t stand a speck of dust. But I learned quickly. Every time I thought I had a rival, he had already moved on to the next. I stopped asking. Gray let out a sudden, chilling laugh. “You have some nerve, I’ll give you that.” His eyes, black and savage, landed on a faint bruise at my collarbone—a fading mark from my imaginary lover. A flicker of something crossed his face. He pinned me to the mattress. I struggled, screamed. A sharp object—a slim pocket knife—plunged into my skin just above the bone. I gasped as the warmth of blood bloomed over the mark, erasing the bruise. He erased it. “You’re insane! Let go of me!” Gray’s eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his forehead throbbing. “First and last time,” he hissed. “I’ll kill the post. You will get back to normal before I completely lose it.” His version of normal: his conquests were front-page news, and I remained outwardly unbothered. They sent me used contraception and soiled clothes, and I would graciously accept the packages. He stared down at me, his gaze cold and desolate, until my tears were streaming down my face. He finally released me and moved to the dresser drawer for the first-aid kit. I shoved his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” Gray stood up, his face hardening into an expression of cold contempt. “You played this entire theatrical game just to provoke me. Why the sudden innocence act?” He gestured to my bleeding arm, accidentally nicked by the knife. The silk sheet absorbed the fresh stain. I was slick with sweat from the shock. My arm bled, but my heart felt like it had ruptured a thousand times over. His eyes were unblinking, devoid of feeling. “My mother was right. Women who claw their way up from the gutter always resort to trashy tricks just to get attention,” he sneered. “Why bother staging this play? If you have the guts, really file for divorce! Your sister is ten thousand times better than you!” He stormed out. Moments later, a divorce agreement with his signature flashed across my phone screen. The property settlement was skewed 70-30 in my favor. He was so certain I would never leave that he made it easy for me to stay. But I signed it. Then I picked up my phone, dialed a number, and confirmed my exit strategy. You think this man isn’t real, Gray? Watch me. The second I ended the call, the tears I had been hoarding finally fell.

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At his birthday party, Asher Vance suggested playing a game of “Blind Man’s Bluff.” He deliberately mistook his childhood sweetheart for me and held her in a passionate kiss for three whole minutes. The crowd started teasing: “Asher, your girl is jealous. You better go comfort her.” Asher said dismissively: “It’s just a game. If we took this seriously, we would have broken up dozens of times by now.” He didn’t know that this time, I really took it seriously. On my way home alone, Hayden sent me nine shirtless photos of his abs. I swiped through them one by one, dialed his number, and summoned the courage to ask: “My boyfriend doesn’t have abs. Can I borrow yours to touch?” Chapter 1 The private karaoke room went dead silent when Asher Vance pulled Jenny into his arms and kissed her. Everyone’s eyes darted towards me, gauging my reaction. I was stunned. Asher was my boyfriend of three years. Tonight was his birthday, and we were celebrating with a bunch of friends in a private room at a trendy bar downtown. When the party was in full swing, he suggested playing “Blind Man’s Bluff.” Asher’s best friend started riling him up: “Asher, you and Chloe have been together for three years, you guys must have incredible telepathy. How about you find her while blindfolded and give her a French kiss?” Honestly, I was hesitant. I didn’t want to play this kind of game in front of so many people. But Asher was super into it, acting all confident: “Bring it on, who’s scared? I could recognize Chloe with my eyes closed.” The friends, always up for some drama, immediately got a blindfold from a waiter and handed it to Asher. After the game started, Asher passed right by me. He paused for a moment but didn’t recognize me. He walked a couple of steps further and pulled his childhood friend, Jenny, into his arms. Everyone wanted to tell him he was kissing the wrong person, but he was kissing her so passionately. Seeing my lack of reaction, everyone shut their mouths and said nothing more. The kiss lasted for three whole minutes. Jenny broke free from Asher’s arms, gasping for air. Asher took off the blindfold, looked at the person in front of him, and a look of shock flashed across his eyes. “Jenny, why is it you?” “It’s me.” Jenny looked at me aggressively: “I thought your feelings were deeper, turns out you guys aren’t that close.” Everyone started teasing: “Asher Vance, sister-in-law is angry, you better go comfort her.” Asher looked me up and down and said indifferently: “It’s just a game, if we took this seriously, we would have broken up dozens of times already.” After saying that, he walked over to me and explained: “I didn’t mean to recognize the wrong person, blame it on the fact that you and Jenny wore the same perfume today.” Chapter 2 I actually didn’t wear perfume today. But the perfume Jenny wore tonight was indeed the one I usually wear. But that’s not an excuse. I’m 5’6″, Jenny is 5’2″, a difference of 4 inches. If you can’t tell the difference when kissing, your brain must be fried. Plus, I accidentally saw the chat history between Asher and Jenny last night. Jenny bet him: [Asher Vance, do you dare to kiss me in front of Chloe tomorrow?] Asher: [Why wouldn’t I dare? I plan to play Blind Man’s Bluff tomorrow, and then I’ll kiss you in front of her, she won’t dare to get angry.] Jenny: [Sounds exciting, then I’ll wear the same perfume as her tomorrow, okay?] Asher: [Okay. But, if I do this, is there a reward?] Jenny: [If you dare to kiss me in front of her, I’ll give you my virginity, do you dare to take it?] Asher: [If you dare to give it, I dare to take it.] Jenny: [Aren’t you afraid she’ll break up with you?] Asher: [Don’t worry, I’m her first love, she’s well-behaved and traditional, she won’t marry anyone but me in this life.] [Besides, you aren’t afraid of your boyfriend getting jealous, what am I afraid of?] Jenny: [You’re so bad, but I like it! I’ll be watching your performance tomorrow.] Jenny and Asher were childhood sweethearts, they had seen each other running around in diapers. So, their chats were very explicit. Their daily interactions also lacked boundaries. Jenny would proactively tell Asher her measurements, what size bra she wore. She even half-jokingly said to Asher: “Asher Vance, can you give me a set of lingerie for my birthday? I’m sure it’ll be exciting to wear it to tease my boyfriend.” Before, whenever I got jealous, Asher would come and coax me: “Jenny is just a tomboy, I don’t treat her like a woman, don’t be petty with her.” Asher was very handsome, the campus heartthrob at our university. He was very considerate to me, a rich second-generation kid driving a sports car, sticking to me every day to run errands for me. Under his aggressive pursuit, I agreed to date him. After we started dating, I found out he had a childhood friend with no boundaries. If I had known earlier, no matter how handsome he was, I wouldn’t have considered him. Now, he kissed the tomboy he talked about. Asher’s explanation made me uncomfortable, I picked up my bag and said: “I don’t feel well, I’m leaving first.” Seeing this, friends reminded Asher: “Asher, that joke you just made was too much, sister-in-law definitely can’t accept it, go chase her.” Asher sat on the sofa without moving, he glanced at me and said coldly: “Chloe, today is my birthday, are you sure you want to embarrass me?” Chapter 3 “You embarrassed me first.” I dropped a sentence and left the private room without looking back. Behind me, Asher kicked over the trash can by his feet. Jenny approached with a wine glass and said heartlessly: “Asher, why are you angry on such a happy day? I’ll drink with you.” Asher downed the wine in one gulp, then sent me a message: “Come back, I’ll clear your shopping cart for you, okay?” Asher had never lacked money, and he was always generous. Before, whenever we quarreled, he would buy buy buy until I calmed down. He thought this time, he could coax me with the same old tricks. But this time, I was serious. I could barely accept him verbal flirting with Jenny. But a three-minute kiss, I couldn’t forgive no matter what. I coldly refused: “No.” Asher frowned and lost patience: “Chloe, I said it was just a game, there’s a limit to throwing a tantrum.” My chest felt tight and uncomfortable, I didn’t want to reply to him anymore. I called a cab by the roadside, and my phone popped up countless messages. Opening it, it turned out to be nine shirtless photos from Hayden. Hayden is my neighbor-brother. Three years ago, my family moved to the villa next to his. We both raised cats, mine is named Mochi, his is named Dumpling. Mochi and Dumpling often visited each other’s houses. We added each other on WeChat because of this, to make it easier to find the cats. In the photo, Hayden lifted his shirt, taking a mirror selfie in the gym. His abs were distinct blocks, and the veins on his V-line could even be seen spreading downwards… I opened the nine shirtless photos and looked at them one by one carefully. I sighed inwardly, Hayden’s abs were really well-trained. If only Asher had half his self-discipline. I wouldn’t haven’t even touched a man’s abs until now. Just as I wanted to reply to him, he sent a message first: [Sorry, sent wrong.] Chapter 4 What, it was sent wrong? Sent wrong is sent wrong, but why send nine in a row? Nine in a row is fine, but why did it take two minutes before he realized he couldn’t withdraw them and realized he sent them wrong? Scheming man. I edited a message to reply: [Did you intend to send it to your girlfriend?] Hayden: [Chloe, don’t you know if I have a girlfriend?] Me: [Who knows if you’re secretly dating?] Hayden: [Not dating.] Me: [Oh oh.] Hayden is three years older than me. According to my observations of him. He goes to work at the Hayden Group from Monday to Friday, and goes home to feed the cat after work. He stays at home every weekend. If he really had a girlfriend, he wouldn’t stay at home every day and not go out. The car arrived, I got in, and told the driver the destination. In the car, Hayden continued to message me: [Went to celebrate your boyfriend’s birthday? Are you staying home tonight?] Me: [Yeah, staying home, what’s up?] Hayden: [I bought some new cat canned food, bring Mochi over to play later?] Me: [Too late, another day.] Hayden: [Your Mochi loves sleeping on my abs recently.] He also attached a photo of Mochi sleeping on his abs. Mochi really takes after its owner. It’s much more promising than me. I haven’t even touched abs, and it’s already sleeping on a man’s abs. Hayden is a cold and domineering CEO in the eyes of outsiders, but in my eyes, he is a caring neighbor-brother. Actually, Hayden is my ideal type, he’s handsomer than Asher and has a better body. But alas, before I met him, I already had a boyfriend. Bewitched by the shirtless photos, I suddenly wanted to go play at Hayden’s house a bit. I edited a message and sent it over: [Hayden, my boyfriend doesn’t have abs, can I borrow your abs to touch?] There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, followed by a series of messages. [Chloe, what do you take me for?] [Only my future girlfriend can touch my abs.] [You already have a boyfriend, don’t eat from the bowl and look at the pot.] [My family upbringing is strict, I can’t be someone else’s mistress.] I was wrong. I repent. I shouldn’t have lusted after his abs. But isn’t he a little bit at fault too? He knew I had a boyfriend, yet he sent shirtless photos to seduce me. My willpower wasn’t good to begin with. I frankly admitted my mistake: [Forget it, forget it, there are plenty of such photos online, who wants yours?] After replying to this message, I exited the chat page. Went to a certain red software to search for shirtless photos. Looked around, none were as good as Hayden’s. When I exited the social software and returned to the chat page. I saw Hayden sent me several messages: [Don’t search online, okay?] [I’ll let you touch them, okay?] [What time will you get home?] [I’m waiting for you at the door, you can touch however you want!]

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When Caleb brought me breakfast, he discovered a man hiding in my apartment. He was shocked. Then, he was furious. He pointed a shaking finger at Hayes’s nose and shouted, “You shameless homewrecker!” Hayes looked at him with utter disdain. “Kid, I knew her before you were even born.” Caleb looked even more horrified. He turned to me. “Wait… so, am I the side piece?” Hayes smirked. “No. You’re number four. Get in line.” 1 I woke up to see Hayes standing by my bed, wearing nothing but grey sweatpants and my floral apron. I thought I was still dreaming. Until he reached out, touched my forehead, and asked in that cold, crisp voice of his: “Still hungover?” I jolted awake like I’d been electrocuted. “Why are you in my house?” “I made oatmeal…” We spoke at the same time, then fell silent at the same time. Thankfully, a knock at the door broke the suffocating awkwardness. “I’ll get it.” I grabbed a trench coat, threw it over my silk nightgown, and fled the bedroom. The person at the door was Caleb, a junior colleague from work. I was surprised. Caleb’s face was glowing with youthful energy. He was holding a bag of warm comfort food. “Morning, Nora! I brought coffee and those bagels you like from the corner deli.” But his smile vanished the second he looked past me and saw Hayes. Hayes, being the psychopath he is, had taken off the hoodie he was wearing under the apron. Now, the floral fabric barely covered his broad, muscular chest. The apron cinched at his waist, emphasizing his V-taper. Below that, grey sweatpants. It was a look that screamed “we just had sex.” Shocked and angry, Caleb covered my eyes with his hand and yelled at Hayes. “Who are you?” “Don’t you know Nora has a boyfriend?” “What is this behavior? Put some clothes on!” The more he spoke, the angrier he got. But his voice was trembling. It went from rage to grievance, and finally, to choking back tears. I tried to explain. “Caleb, it’s not what it looks like.” Nobody was listening to me. Caleb was pointing at Hayes, cursing him out. calling him a “shameless homewrecker.” Hayes didn’t say a word. He glanced at the bagels in Caleb’s hand, then calmly grabbed my wrist and sat me down at the dining table. “The oatmeal cooled down. Eat.” Caleb stormed over, snatched the bowl of oatmeal away, and laid out the bagels he brought. That was when Hayes finally looked annoyed. Caleb pointed at the door. “I’ll take care of Nora. You—whoever you are—get the hell out.” He was acting like the man of the house. Hayes just let out a cold laugh. “I knew her before you were even born.” I tried to de-escalate. “Caleb, he and I… we aren’t in a relationship like that.” But Caleb, immersed in his own heartbreak, had his own logic. He looked at Hayes. Then at me. Then back at Hayes. “So… am I the side piece?” “No,” I said quickly. Hayes threw gasoline on the fire. “You’re the side piece’s understudy. Number four.” The apartment was chaos. Caleb looked at me, his expression shattering. He looked like a kicked puppy. I glared at Hayes. “Since when is he number four?” I tried to remember last night. I remembered getting drunk, calling Hayes, and him telling me to stay put. Before that… Caleb had confessed his feelings to me. But I vividly remembered rejecting him. I asked Hayes, “What exactly happened last night?” While Caleb was zoning out in shock, Hayes swept all the bagels into the trash can. Then he answered casually: “After you passed out, this kid texted you a confession. I thought he seemed sincere, so I accepted on your behalf.” Hayes cleaned the table as he spoke. Then he looked up at me, a bitter smile on his lips. “Since you already have a side piece, I figured one more wouldn’t hurt. I’m not the jealous type.” I rolled my eyes. “Generous of you.” Caleb seemed to reboot. His righteous indignation was gone. He looked at Hayes, his voice small. “If I’m number four… does that make you the boyfriend?” That question hit a nerve. Hayes paused for two seconds. “No,” he said darkly. “I’m the mistress.” 2 I fell silent. Technically, Hayes and I were in a shady, secret arrangement. But hearing it said out loud in front of an outsider made me want to crawl under the floorboards. Thankfully, Caleb was too traumatized to ask follow-up questions. He left shortly after. Hayes scooped a fresh bowl of oatmeal and slammed it in front of me. Seeing me stare at the door, he sneered. “Miss him?” “Want me to run down the hall and get him back for you?” The acid in his tone could burn through steel. He was mocking me, but mostly, he was hurting himself. As I ate quietly, Hayes finally snapped. He tore off the mask of indifference. “That kid really likes you. Why haven’t you mentioned him?” “He calls you ‘Nora’ so casually. Did you know him in college?” “How much younger is he? You’re into interns now?” I didn’t respond. Hayes looked like he was about to lose his mind. He pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down. Silence. Then: “You think I’m too old?” “I’m five years older than you… that’s not exactly geriatric, Nora.” “But I guess fresh meat is appealing.” I rubbed my temples. “Can you stop making a scene?” Hayes opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. “Brother, please.” I said it out of habit. It meant nothing. But Hayes stood up so fast his chair screeched across the floor. He stared at me, eyes dark. “You haven’t called me ‘Brother’ in years. Why now?” ” trying to break up with me?” Terrified that I might say yes, Hayes grabbed his clothes and fled the apartment before I could explain. I stared at the closed door. I thought about what he told Caleb: I knew her before you were born. It was true. Caleb is two years younger than me. The year he was born was the year my mother married Hayes’s father. I was two. Hayes was seven. Hayes hated my mother. At his seventh birthday party, he swore he’d kick us both out of the Sterling estate. My mother would smile and say, “He’s just a child, I don’t mind.” In private, she ground her teeth so hard I thought they’d crack. She was desperate to have a son to replace Hayes as the heir. I did whatever my mother told me. She told me to suck up to Hayes, so I did. Even when he bullied me, even when he pranked me, I chased him around calling him “Big Brother.” It didn’t work. The year he hated me most, he locked me in the basement while our parents were away. Two days. No food. I almost died. Mr. Sterling couldn’t ignore it anymore. He forced Hayes to apologize and demanded he treat me like a biological sister. What did Hayes say back then? He said: “I would rather die than like her.” But years later… The man who begged me. The man who willingly became my dirty little secret just to stay near me. It was him. 3 The next day at work, Caleb cornered me in the breakroom. He’s the CEO’s son. We went to the same university. Now that he’s graduated, his dad put him under my wing. I tried to explain the previous morning. “You know I was drunk. That wasn’t me accepting your confession on WeChat.” Caleb nodded. “I know.” I sighed, relieved. I thought the drama was over. Then he said: “But we can just go with it.” He looked deadly serious. “Nora, I’ve thought about it.” “If I can be with you, I don’t mind being number four.” “You’re amazing. It’s normal for guys to chase you.” “I don’t care about the other guys. I believe if I work hard, I’ll get promoted to boyfriend eventually.” “I haven’t met the others, but the guy at your apartment… he seemed old.” “You’re young, beautiful. Can an old man like that keep up with you?” “Why don’t you dump him and let me be the mistress?” Caleb scratched his head. “Being the ‘mistress’ sounds cooler than being ‘number four’.” Just then, the breakroom door swung open. Hayes walked in, face like a thundercloud. “Who are you calling an old man?” Hayes’s company had a contract with ours. He was here for a meeting with the CEO. He just happened to walk in on Caleb badmouthing him. “Did you forget who got you into that college prep school, kid?” “If it weren’t for my recommendation letter, you wouldn’t even be qualified to be number four.” Usually, Hayes wouldn’t stoop to arguing with a fresh grad. But the word “old” was his trigger word this week. “Biting the hand that feeds you. Is that how your daddy taught you business?” Caleb didn’t flinch. He looked Hayes dead in the eye and scoffed. Knowing Hayes was just a “side piece” gave Caleb confidence. “We’re competitors now.” “I’m just marketing my advantages to Nora.” “I wasn’t wrong,” Caleb looked Hayes up and down. “You are older than me.” “Who is the boyfriend and who is the side piece… that’s Nora’s decision.” “If she prefers youth and dumps you for me, that’s just natural selection, isn’t it?” Every “old” was a dagger in Hayes’s heart. He laughed, a cold, sharp sound. He pulled out his phone and dialed the CEO’s office. Minutes later, Caleb was summoned by his father. As he left, Caleb gritted his teeth and whispered, “Old fossil. Plays dirty.” Hayes closed his eyes. When he opened them, he looked calmer. “It’s Dad’s birthday. Are you going back to the estate?” I nodded. “I have to.” My mother had called three times to remind me. “Okay. I’ll wait for you downstairs.” The elevator ride down was silent. Hayes was regretting everything. Accepting Caleb’s confession on my phone had been a strategic error. He did it because my actual boyfriend—the love of my life—was returning to the country this week. Hayes knew he couldn’t compete with Dr. Ethan Cole. So, he tried to throw a wrench in the gears by adding Caleb to the mix. He figured Caleb was a harmless distraction. He thought, I can’t beat Ethan, but I can definitely beat this college kid. Now, he realized he’d just played himself. He didn’t hurt Ethan. He just annoyed himself to death. Hayes sat in the car, unlit cigarette in his mouth. He needed the nicotine, but he wouldn’t light it. I was getting in the car. And I hate the smell of smoke.

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The Elite Scion of the city’s most powerful family and I had signed our marriage certificate in the morning. By the afternoon, he was bringing me back to sign the divorce papers. I stood frozen, gripping the red and green folders—marriage and divorce—while his friends’ cruel laughter echoed around me. “Ryder King, you actually married and divorced the heiress just because Willow Lane asked you to?” “Haha, look at the big sister’s face! She’s pale. Is she going to cry?” Ryder, however, slipped his arm around Willow, the girl he’d been raised with, and spoke in a gentle, almost caressing tone: “We have both certificates now. Will you finally smile for me?” Willow let out a soft gasp of laughter, and a rare smile blossomed on her delicate, cool face. I tried to storm forward and demand an explanation, but my three older brothers held me back, their grips like steel manacles. Asher, the CEO and my oldest brother, frowned down at me: “Willow only smiles when Ryder teases her. Just show some restraint, Sierra.” Jax, the Movie Star and my second brother, actually shoved me back, making me stumble onto the pavement: “She’s had a tragic life. You have everything, you don’t lack a single man.” Owen, the Biology Professor and my third brother, his face grim: “Ryder should have married her years ago. Stop trying to come between them.” They physically forced me into the back seat of the car, forbidding me from interfering with the happiness of the woman they considered their Golden Girl. The system, which had been silent for an eternity, finally pinged in my mind: [Host, detection complete! The Capture Mission is a success! Return to the real world immediately?] I sat in the back, staring out the window with a look of feigned melancholy, and nearly burst out laughing. The tragic play I’d been acting for this mission was over. Their tangled web of love and resentment? I was done with it forever. 1 [Detection complete: Capture Value with the Mills brothers and Male Lead has reached 95%! Marriage to Male Lead Ryder King complete! Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission!] [Upon the physical death of the Host body, you will return to the real world and receive the one-hundred-million-dollar reward! Your bone cancer will be cured!] I swallowed the ecstatic scream that built in my chest. Finally. I was going home. Asher and Owen stayed behind with Willow. Jax was tasked with driving me back to the family estate. I glanced over at Jax. He’d had a thunderous expression since we got in the car, clearly resentful of the assignment. It wasn’t until Willow texted him that a slight, unwilling smile finally touched his lips. Catching my eye, he immediately turned off his phone, scowling: “What? Still clinging to hope? Still thinking about going back to ruin things for Ryder and Willow?” “Willow is young, and she’s suffered so much. Why can’t you just let her have this?” I dug my nails into my palms and managed a self-deprecating smile. I was actually a year younger than Willow. Perhaps seeing my expression, Jax sighed suddenly: “Apologize to Willow for all of this, and don’t be so dramatic.” He reached out a hand, intending to pat my head, but I subtly pulled away. “Why do I have to apologize? What exactly did I do wrong?” His hand froze, and he snapped back, impatient: “Sierra Mills! Don’t be so ungrateful!” I closed my eyes. Even though it was for a mission, I’d developed some genuine affection for them over the years. There were times when their coldness had truly wounded me. But now, it was all over. “After Willow’s competition is finished, you’ll come with us and apologize to her.” I didn’t reply, focusing instead on confirming something with the system internally: [As soon as this body dies, I can leave, right?] [Affirmative.] I slowly exhaled and observed my surroundings through the window. Certain that I wouldn’t harm any innocent bystanders, I flicked the door lock and abruptly yanked the car door open. Jax, who had been rambling on, screamed: “Sierra, what are you doing!” I ignored him, throwing myself out without hesitation. The frigid wind tore across my face, and a massive sense of freefall overwhelmed me. I clenched my eyes shut, completely unafraid. But the next second, a strong arm clamped brutally around my waist. I was shielded in someone’s embrace as we tumbled violently toward the roadside scrub. As the world spun, I heard a muffled grunt. We rolled a few times, a desperate, clumsy mess, and finally stopped. The person holding me was bleeding profusely, scratched up by the branches, but I was completely untouched. I looked up, meeting Jax’s horrified face, and spoke calmly: “Let go.” Jax stared at my indifferent expression and roared: “All I did was criticize you a little! You jump out of a moving car over something so small? We’ve spoiled you rotten!” “Is this another one of your stunts for attention? Cut the manipulation!” I tuned out his ranting and peeled his hands off me. Standing up, I looked around and spotted a black SUV speeding toward us. “I’ll hit it myself. Remember to pay for the damages to the car.” I tossed the words over my shoulder and lunged into the path of the oncoming vehicle. “Sierra!” Jax shrieked in utter despair, scrambling to his feet, but it was too late. I was full of hope, anticipating death. Even though I’d eventually die in the real world, too, I didn’t want to spend another second in this one. The screech of tires was deafening. The black SUV managed to slam to a halt just inches away. I staggered back a few steps and fell right into Jax’s arms as he dove toward me. “You’re insane! Sierra Mills, are you actually insane?” His eyes were bloodshot. His fingers frantically traced my face, my shoulders: “Did you hit anything? Are you hurt? Tell me!” Disappointed that I hadn’t died, I lowered my gaze. I saw the pooling blood soaking Jax’s pants. His injury was clearly severe, still dripping blood onto the asphalt. If this had happened before, I would have been sobbing uncontrollably, wishing I could take his place. Now, I merely looked away with indifference. “What? I need your permission even to die?” 2 Jax froze, looking utterly incredulous. I scoffed, walked around him, and approached the driver of the black SUV, who was still muttering angrily: “I’ll transfer the compensation money to you later.” Jax stood rigid, his fists clenched, the corners of his eyes turning red. I was surprised, then realized: “Oh, I meant I’ll use my own money, not the family’s…” “Sierra!” He cut me off, unable to contain his frustration. But then, I saw a flicker of genuine hurt—even whininess—in his expression. “You are the only daughter of the Mills family! Even if I gave you the entire family fortune, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second!” I found this ridiculous. I looked him dead in the eye: “Is that so?” His body jolted, as if the reality of his own words had just struck him. The nominal “Mills family daughter” right now was Willow Lane. And I, the true Mills heiress, was nothing more than a disgraced, delusional attention seeker! I laughed, a harsh, unrestrained sound, even as tears unexpectedly spilled down my cheeks. I used to be inseparable from Jax; he’d even take me to movie sets. But now, he would only look at me with a cold face and order me to always yield to Willow Lane. Jax dragged me back into the car, his head bowed. “When Willow gets her Physics Prize, we’ll announce that you’re the true Mills heiress… “Everything before was just a misunderstanding…” I couldn’t be bothered to respond, turning my face toward the window. The scenery rushed by, a fleeting blur. Before I crossed over, I was an orphan. A routine check-up had revealed bone cancer. I had been lying in the hospital, blacking out from the agonizing pain. When I woke up, the system had sent me into this world, into the body of a six-year-old child. A voice had spoken in my mind: [Achieve an 80% Capture Value with the Mills brothers and Male Lead Ryder King, and marry Ryder King, to receive the one-hundred-million-dollar reward and return to the real world.] After that, there was a burst of static, and I thought the entire thing might have been a hallucination. Still, a chance at a healthy body and a second life wasn’t bad. The car drove steadily. Jax was still gripping my wrist fiercely. His fingertip gently stroked the back of my hand—the way he used to soothe me when I couldn’t sleep. As an orphan, I had desperately craved this favoritism. I’d even considered abandoning the mission and staying. But once Willow, the orphan I brought home, appeared, all that gentleness became her exclusive property. I went from pouting and sulking to desperate hysterics. The only reply I ever received was: “Stop being so dramatic. Look at how pathetic you are.” The car stopped at the Mills estate gate. I snatched my hand away from Jax and got out. Jax called after me, disbelieving: “Sierra, I’m hurt. It was for you…” I interrupted him, my expression blank: “If you’re hurt, go see a doctor. What good does telling me do?” I pushed open the front door. The first thing I saw was Willow, seated on the sofa, the center of everyone’s doting attention. Asher’s face was stern. He gave Ryder a hard punch on the shoulder: “Willow hasn’t been able to eat or sleep properly for three days because of you! How could you be so careless with her?” Willow quickly tried to intervene: “Asher, Owen, I’m really fine. It was all a misunderstanding. It’s all sorted out now.” I stood in the doorway, admiring their sibling devotion. [Host, dopamine levels are dropping…] The system’s inorganic voice sounded unusually subdued: [So, Host, are you feeling very sad right now?] 3 The system’s question nearly broke me. I hastily wiped the dampness from the corner of my eye. Jax walked up beside me. Before he could speak, Willow cried out and rushed toward him: “Jax, why are you so badly hurt? You…” Her sentence was cut short by my hand slapping across her face. Willow clutched her red, swollen cheek, staring at me in disbelief. Almost instantly, a powerful, open-handed blow sent me sprawling onto the floor. Asher pointed at me, his face alight with fury: “Sierra Mills! We have truly spoiled you beyond measure! Apologize to Willow!” I scrambled up from the floor, spitting out a thin trail of blood: “Apologize? What did I do wrong? I’ve become a discarded second-hand wife, and I’m not allowed to hit the homewrecker?” Asher grew even angrier, his voice spiking: “What nonsense are you spewing? Willow and Ryder were always meant to be together! You were the one who forced your way in!” “How can I have a sister as shameless as you?!” I laughed out loud: “Shameless? Ryder King was my fiancé! And now I’m the one who forced my way in!” Ryder stared at me, his voice glacial: “Our engagement was called off ages ago! The King family would never want a woman with your reputation!” Owen grabbed me and hauled me up off the ground: “Sierra Mills! Apologize!” I said nothing, my eyes scanning the faces of the men before me. Asher’s gaze was cold, Owen’s filled with disgust, and Ryder looked like he wished I would just drop dead. Jax frowned, his lips moving, but he ultimately remained silent. It was exactly like a year ago, when Willow, frequently seen with Jax, was mistaken for a stalker fan by the media. Unable to bear it, Jax revealed on social media that Willow was the Mills family daughter. And I, the true heiress, was forced to take the fall and shoulder all the online abuse for Willow. “You have bodyguards wherever you go. Willow is all alone!” I had been shocked, resistant, and had cried and screamed. The way they looked at me then was exactly how they looked at me now. All I felt was an overwhelming fatigue. I didn’t even have the energy to argue anymore. I yanked my arm out of Owen’s grasp, walked into the living room, and picked up a fruit knife from a nearby table. Jax, horrified, tried to rush over, but Willow clung to his arm: “Sierra, what are you doing?!” I looked at Willow, a wide, distorted smile stretching across my face: “I’m apologizing!” I didn’t look at Asher, Owen, or Ryder, who were all standing as if preparing for battle. I raised the knife and decisively plunged it into my chest. A chorus of screams erupted. I laughed, and I cried: “I’m paying her back with my life. Is that enough?” “Are you satisfied now?” Warm, viscous blood surged out. The dizziness from blood loss made me sway. Through my blurring vision, and amidst a chaotic roar of voices, I saw pure terror on the men’s faces. Jax threw himself at me, clutching my body, and screamed like a maniac: “Call an ambulance!” I woke up to the heavy, sterile scent of disinfectant. The blinding white room made me slightly giddy. Had I succeeded? Had I returned? I turned my head and met Asher’s bloodshot eyes. Annoyed, I closed my eyes. Asher’s hoarse voice sounded shrill and irritating for the first time: “Sierra Mills! Who taught you to try and kill yourself just for attention!” I felt even more irritated. Something hard was digging into the back of my head. I reached up and pulled it free: a small, slightly worn Silver Saint’s Medallion. I remembered it instantly. When I was twelve, I had a high fever for a week, and the hospital issued three critical condition warnings. Owen had climbed a thousand steps, kneeling for every one, to retrieve this exact medallion for me. Later, when Willow was injured, Owen gave it to her. Now, it was back in my hands. I only found it bothersome. I lifted my hand and tossed it away. Owen had just walked into the hospital room. He watched, stunned, as the medallion clattered onto the floor. He looked up, glaring at my face: “Sierra Mills, you just threw away that medallion?” 4 I frowned, my voice flat: “It’s a dirty object. What, am I not allowed to get rid of something I don’t want?” Owen’s chest heaved violently. His eyes were filled with rage and a strange, sharp pain. He abruptly lifted his foot and stamped down on the medallion, grinding it under his heel, before sneering in mockery: “Sierra Mills, you truly are spoiled and heartless! You’re an ungrateful viper!” “No wonder Ryder chose Willow over you. You…” “Owen!” Asher cut him off, his tone heavy. Owen’s eyes were red. He stared intensely at me, searching for any hint of sadness or regret on my face. But all he found was my face, calm as still water. Owen shook with rage, a low, guttural growl escaping his throat: “Sierra Mills! That medallion belongs to Ryder. It was only loaned to you! Who are you to throw it away!” A strange calm settled over me. I replied simply: “I’ll pay him back.” My placidity enraged Owen completely. He pointed at me and yelled: “Stop pretending! If that’s your attitude, then go get a new medallion right now! One thousand steps—if you miss even one, it doesn’t count!” Asher tried to object, but Owen silenced him with a look. Clearly, Asher also saw this as a perfect opportunity to force me into line. My knife wound wasn’t life-threatening; they were certain this was just another performance for attention. When I arrived at the mountain temple outside the city, it suddenly began to rain. The thousand stone steps were slick with rain and freezing cold. I knelt directly onto them. My wound soaked in the rainwater, and a bone-deep, excruciating pain spread through my body. But I felt nothing, telling myself over and over: This is the last time. This is me paying Owen back. I don’t know how long I knelt, but I finally received the new medallion. I was soaked to the bone, my head swimming and burning with fever. I pushed open the Mills front door and walked directly into a bustling celebration. Willow was the center of attention, holding a Physics Prize trophy, her face radiant. My entrance instantly shattered the warm atmosphere. Asher was the first to frown and scold me: “Sierra Mills! Look at the state of you! You look nothing like a Mills heiress!” Everyone’s eyes darted toward me—some with disdain, others with impatience. Not one person showed concern. I ignored them, walked straight to Willow, and placed the medallion in her hand. Willow flinched back, feigning modesty, though a flash of triumph crossed her eyes: “Sister Sierra, please don’t do this. I don’t blame you…” I couldn’t stand her manipulative act. I turned to leave. I heard the angry voices of Asher and Owen behind me. I pretended not to hear a thing and walked straight into my room, locking the door behind me. I pulled out the razor blade I had prepared in my drawer and slashed my wrist without hesitation. The moment the blood gushed out, I felt a lightness I hadn’t felt before. Jax’s voice was outside the door, knocking: “Sierra, open up. I need to talk to you.” I was fading, too weak even to speak. Owen’s impatient voice followed: “Ignore her! She’s just throwing another tantrum for sympathy. We’ve enabled her for too long!” Jax finally gave up. I heard their footsteps retreating. I finally closed my eyes, content, and my soul lifted lightly from my body. Just as my spirit hovered in the air, the door was violently kicked open. Asher stormed in, his face livid, followed by Jax and Owen. “Sierra Mills, you’re not going to…” His voice died instantly. The crimson scene on the floor filled the room.

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I had been chewed out by my boss today and worked late, dragging my exhausted body back to the home I shared with Dr. Julian Thorne. As soon as I opened the door, Julian, sitting upright at his desk, said without changing his expression, “Change your slippers, take a shower.” I took a deep breath. Having just been criticized by my boss, maybe the anger went to my head, or maybe I just snapped. Tears of grievance fell. Instead of changing my slippers, I carelessly threw my bag and lay directly on the sofa. “Julian, let’s break up.” Julian didn’t even look up, ignoring my words directly. “Looks like the sofa cover needs to be thrown away tomorrow, and the floor needs to be mopped.” I gritted my teeth and repeated clearly, word by word, “Julian, let’s, break, up!” This was the sixth time I had brought up breaking up in half a year. I admit I like Julian and can’t bear to leave him, but I really can’t stand it anymore. Not just because he has mysophobia, but because he has mysophobia towards me too. In the year we’ve been together, holding hands can be counted on one hand—only once. Kissing, hugging, all the things couples should do, we’ve never done. Just because Julian is a person who loves cleanliness so much that he washes his hands three times after shaking hands with a friend. What’s even more hateful is that in the two months we lived together, we slept in separate rooms. I couldn’t enter his room. The first thing I had to do when I got home was change my slippers and take a shower. Even going to the toilet required cleaning it seriously with toilet bowl cleaner first, and doing the same operation afterwards. Once I got lazy and just flushed with water. As a result, Julian replaced the toilet the next day. A miserable life, a miserable me! I knew clearly that Julian didn’t love me. I wasn’t the special one, and I couldn’t be the special one in the future. Chapter 1 Julian finally looked up at me, his captivating eyes glancing at me slightly. I couldn’t see the emotion in his eyes clearly, only feeling they were exceptionally calm. He said, “Thought it through?” My heart suddenly clenched. The last time we broke up, Julian asked the same thing. At that time, I eventually softened spinelessly. How could liking someone be so easily let go? But this time, I didn’t intend to compromise. If he didn’t love me! Why did he accept my confession in the first place? If he didn’t want to touch a finger of mine, why did he agree to live with me? I didn’t want to live days like this for another second. Being with Julian, I lived in fear like a stranger for a year. I also wanted to do nothing when I got home, lie on the sofa and scroll through my phone, instead of changing slippers, showering, and constantly worrying about dirtying his territory. I wiped away my tears and sat up. “Thought it through.” “I’ll pack my luggage and move out later.” Julian frowned, giving me a deep look, but ultimately didn’t ask me to stay. “Okay, do you want me to call a car for you?” I clutched my chest, took a deep breath, and muttered to myself, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, don’t argue with an idiot…” I got up and went back to my room to pack my luggage angrily, looking like I was running away from home. But when I got to the door, the more I thought about it, the more unwilling I felt. Why should I be so uncomfortable, while Julian could remain unmoved? No, I had to make him uncomfortable too. I couldn’t bear this pain alone. So I dropped my luggage and walked aggressively towards Julian at the desk. Julian rarely showed a trace of confusion. “Chloe Vance, what do you want to do?” But why would I explain? I just forced myself on him, grabbing Julian’s collar and kissing him. Then I bit his lip in revenge. Not only that, I reached out and touched his chest all over. Before Julian had a chance to react, I ran away dragging my luggage. Behind me came Julian’s roar, “Chloe Vance! Are you crazy!” That was my first kiss with him, and also the last. News of my breakup with Julian spread quickly. After moving out of his apartment, I met with the manager who tried to poach me to their company last time. It was a state-owned enterprise, but they had always cooperated with foreign companies. After discussing the salary and benefits, I bought a plane ticket without hesitation and flew out of this city that broke my heart. Just a week into the new company, I won the opportunity to go abroad for training and further studies based on my previous excellent performance. I admit I wanted to escape. I didn’t want to see Julian again because I was afraid I would soften again. Sitting on the plane flying abroad, looking at the countable and not intimate photos with Julian in my phone album, tears fell again. Then I reached out and deleted them all. Julian, I will make you regret not cherishing me properly! Crying and crying, I was afraid of ruining my expensive makeup, so I picked up my portable mirror and wiped my tears… After half a year of further studies, I returned to the new company and worked hard for the boss. Gradually… I missed Julian less. Perhaps this is the power of time. I made a cup of coffee boredly. Footsteps sounded behind me. I didn’t look back, but the man behind me called my name, “Chloe Vance, still working overtime?” I turned to look at the person who came. It was our department’s new colleague, Ryan Moore. He was also very hardworking. Compared to me back then, he was even more so. When he first arrived, I teased him, “Are you also heartbroken?” At that time, he answered me, “Yes.” Probably out of mutual pity, we quickly became familiar. Sometimes we traveled together on business, closer than best buddies. I took a sip of coffee. “Isn’t it obvious?” Ryan laughed. “Be careful you don’t go bald.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Nothing good comes out of a dog’s mouth.” Ryan said again after a while, “There’s a party tomorrow night. Do me a favor?” I said directly, “No.” Ding ding, Venmo notification: Ryan Moore transferred you $5000. I accepted it happily, then looked up at him. “I take back what I just said. Say it, what favor? As long as I can do it, I’ll go through fire and water to get it done for you.” Ryan had a sly expression. “Pretend to be my girlfriend.” I said shamelessly, “Add another thousand.” Ryan twitched the corner of his mouth. “Pleasure doing business.” The next night, I wore a hot, waist-cinching red dress and followed Ryan into the party venue. Although my figure wasn’t particularly great, it was considered above average, and my face wasn’t bad. Ryan would definitely look good. Ryan greeted his friends enthusiastically and then introduced me to them. Adhering to professional ethics, I held Ryan’s arm, looking intimate. When the crowd dispersed a bit, my peripheral vision paused, and my smile froze on my face. Not for anything else, but because I saw an incredibly familiar figure, a figure I had escaped for two years but hadn’t forgotten. My gaze followed that man step by step as he walked over. Julian Thorne. The person I would recognize even if he turned to ashes. Seeing Julian arrive, Ryan immediately perked up. “Dr. Thorne, you’re finally here. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” “This is my girlfriend, Chloe Vance.” Chapter 2 I forced an awkward smile. Julian’s gaze remained on me, and then I heard his deep voice, “Chloe, Vance? Your girlfriend?” As soon as these words came out, I suddenly felt the air turn cold. Must be an illusion. I swallowed. Chloe Vance! What are you afraid of? You’ve already broken up, you have nothing to do with each other! After some mental comfort, I adjusted my state, raised a smile, and extended my hand. “Hello, Dr. Thorne.” Julian held his wine glass and didn’t extend his hand for a long time. I knew he definitely wouldn’t. This person with severe mysophobia, who washes his hands three times after shaking hands with friends, how could he shake hands with me, especially his detestable ex-girlfriend. I still remember, after I forced myself on him, Julian looked shocked. His neat white shirt was messed up by me, and there were beads of blood on his lips from my bite. Like an abstinent male god being ravaged. Thinking about it, I felt a little excited inside? Seeing Julian staring at me without extending his hand, Ryan tried to pull my hand back to alleviate the awkwardness. But the next second, Julian reached out and shook my hand. “Hello, Chloe Vance.” I almost thought Julian was going to say, long time no see, my detestable ex-girlfriend. What shocked me even more was that Julian actually shook my hand! Could it be that after two years, this man has reformed? I gave a suspicious smirk, then quickly withdrew my hand and linked arms with Ryan again. Ryan laughed heartily. “I didn’t expect the always germaphobic Dr. Thorne to be willing to initiate a handshake. Haven’t seen you for a year, you’ve changed a lot, at least acting like a normal person…” Seeming to realize his words were a bit inappropriate, Ryan quickly said apologetically, “No no no, I didn’t mean that hahaha.” Julian didn’t mind, didn’t even look at him, but glanced at me and said, “It’s fine, what you said is indeed correct.” Me: “Hehe, hehe.” Why don’t I believe it at all. Julian turned and left after chatting for a bit. My heart itched. When no one was around, I pulled Ryan to whisper, “How do you know this Dr. Thorne? I haven’t heard you mention him as a friend before?” Ryan said, “Ah, a year ago I had a car accident near his place and went into the emergency room. At that time he despised me because my wounds had motor oil, my clothes were full of sand, and my sweat stank. I tell you, I fainted but could be woken up by his anger.” “Later I found out he was a severe germaphobe and thought it was quite interesting. It took a lot of effort to win him over as a friend.” I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. I asked again, “Then why did he come all the way to your party today? Isn’t he very busy?” Ryan looked at me with burning eyes. “How do you know he’s very busy?” I was speechless for a moment, then twisted my tongue. “Aren’t doctors all like that? Maybe there’s an emergency patient anytime.” Speaking of this, I recalled my sad history. Since I confessed to Julian and got together with him, Julian had been busy every day. So busy that I might not even say a few words to him a day. Most of the time I was curled up on the sofa watching TV by myself. Boyfriend in name only. Yet, I bravely stayed with Julian for a year. I admired myself too. Ryan seemed to stop doubting and said, “True. But recently, he came here on a business trip. Heard it’s for a transfer. The provincial hospital invited him several times, but I guess Julian probably won’t come here to develop.” I was startled. Transfer? Come here to develop? Isn’t this killing me? Back then I tried so hard to escape the sad place where he was. Now Julian has a chance to come here to develop? But since he refused several times, it’s probably unlikely. Thinking of this, my heart went back into my stomach. Ryan leaned in mysteriously. “What? You fancy him?” I rolled my eyes at him. “Would you fancy an abnormal person?” Ryan thought about it and felt it made sense. “Sigh, seems like anyone who fancies Julian probably has some cleanliness issues like him.” Me: “?” I felt like I was being scolded. Ryan was called away by other friends to drink and brag, and I wasn’t suitable for that scene. I drank too much wine and wanted to go to the bathroom. But just walking out of the banquet hall, I saw a figure on the railing. Dressed in a suit, but in my eyes, I could see him in a white coat saving lives, doing surgery with those good-looking long hands while despising the patient for being dirty here and there. I suddenly couldn’t hold back a laugh, then lightened my footsteps, planning to slip away. I simply didn’t know how to face Julian. But I only moved two steps before being stopped by a familiar voice, “Chloe Vance, where are you planning to run this time?” Indeed, when it rains, it pours. I took a deep breath, then turned around calmly. “Oh my, isn’t this Dr. Thorne? I don’t seem to know you very well. Where I run to has nothing to do with you, right?” Julian squinted and walked towards me aggressively. I felt the pressure. “Not very well? Can’t I care about my ex-girlfriend?” Care. This word actually came out of Julian’s mouth. I thought he never cared about people. I forced a smile awkwardly. “Dr. Thorne, you seem to have forgotten, we have already broken up.” Julian was tall, fully a head and a half taller than me. Looking straight, my eyes could only see his chest. Seeing his chest, I thought of the forced kiss scene two years ago. Today he was also wearing a suit with a white shirt inside, tied with a neat bow tie, exuding an aura of abstinence. My heart screamed, Chloe Vance! I knew how could you be that kind of abnormal person, you definitely chased Julian because you coveted his beauty. “You are Ryan’s girlfriend?” I was stunned, not expecting Julian to ask such an idiotic question. Didn’t I just introduce us to him? “Yes.” “Break up with him. Not allowed to see him again.” I looked up at him in surprise. Still those captivating eyes, but this time, they were no longer calm, no longer waveless, but had anger, even exuding a liveliness. I got angry. “Are you sick? Go get treated if you are sick.” After saying that, I didn’t intend to entangle with him anymore and turned to leave. But the next second, my wrist was grabbed by Julian. A strong force pulled me into his arms, and Julian’s low voice sounded in my ear, “Chloe Vance, two years no see, you’ve really grown capable.” Then, after finishing, he actually kissed my earlobe voluntarily, then bit it lightly. My brain exploded instantly. Julian must be sick today. Not only did he hug me voluntarily, but he also kissed me. “Julian Thorne! Let go of me. What do you mean? Believe it or not, I’ll sue you for molesting a married woman?” Chapter 3 My forehead throbbed twice, and I coughed, “I told you I have a boyfriend.” Julian suddenly laughed, “Boyfriend? Ryan already confessed everything. Said you scammed him out of six thousand dollars.” Me, “…” At this moment, another familiar voice called me again, “Chloe…” Ryan walked out from inside and closed the door, “You guys know each other, don’t you?” This matter definitely couldn’t be covered up anymore; had to admit it. “Yeah, he is my, um, somewhat abnormal ex-boyfriend.” I originally thought Ryan would gossip about us very much, but he just looked at Julian with some hostility, then said, “He harassed you just now?” I nodded vigorously. Julian squinted his captivating eyes, looking very angry. Ryan pulled me over and said to Julian, “Although I treat you as a friend, Julian, since you didn’t keep Chloe two years ago, why come to harass her now?” Makes a lot of sense. But when I looked up and saw the loss flashing in Julian’s eyes, my heart tightened unconsciously again. Then, Ryan took me away in front of Julian. We didn’t go back to the party but got directly into the car. I was distracted all the way until Ryan called me, and I came back to my senses. “Chloe, do you still like Julian?” Inexplicably, I heard the caution in Ryan’s tone. I paused and didn’t make a sound. I couldn’t answer. The car was very quiet. Finally, I heard Ryan give a bitter laugh and say with forced ease, “I know. By the way, thanks for pretending to be my girlfriend today. In the future, you won’t be able to scam my money. I’ll take you home.” I wasn’t a girl experiencing first love; of course, I knew Ryan’s subtle feelings. So I said, “Sorry.” “No need to trouble you. I’ll take a taxi back myself later.” My tone was polite and distant. Ryan watched me get out of the passenger seat but didn’t stop me. The car stopped in front of me for about a minute and finally drove away. I took a taxi all the way home and sat on the sofa in a daze for a long time. Two years later, I thought I had let go long ago. But the moment I saw Julian, the high wall I worked so hard to build in my heart collapsed without attack. Fragile beyond imagination. The more I thought about it, the sadder I got. Finally, turning grief into appetite, I tearfully ordered barbecue and fried chicken. I only drank alcohol at the banquet just now, so of course I was hungry now. As a result, I ate myself into the hospital in the middle of the night. The cause was gastritis. I realized that living alone these two years was really comfortable. I could do nothing when I got home, lie on the sofa and play with my phone, order takeout when hungry, drink soda when thirsty. It affected my stomach more or less. In a daze, I suddenly remembered that during the year I was with Julian, although he demanded perfection in my personal affairs, he would also knock on the door every day to call me up for meals. Meals he cooked personally. It’s just that every time I ate, I would be despised by him. For example: you dropped rice grains; can you use serving chopsticks to pick up food; can you not spill the soup. It seems his mysophobia is always the most vivid thing, vivid enough to make people forget everything else about him. I ended up in the provincial hospital, as luck would have it, and saw Julian’s familiar face again. That was the first time I saw him look panicked. Behind him followed a group of doctors in white coats. Then I was pushed away by him. I became a patient under his care. I endured the severe pain in my stomach and asked, “You’re not a doctor here, why are you taking charge?” Julian said without changing his expression, “Will be in the future.” My heart was dead ashes, and I didn’t speak again. At this time, Julian raised his hand and wiped my mouth with his fingers gloved in medical gloves. I felt something was wrong. Sure enough, Julian raised an eyebrow, “Fried chicken? Or barbecue?” “Shut up.” The nurse beside me comforted me while saying, “Don’t worry. Might need a gastroscopy. Do you want it directly or under general anesthesia? General anesthesia requires a family member’s signature.” I was shocked. I fear nothing in heaven or on earth, but I am most afraid of injections and surgeries. Thinking of seeing others do gastroscopy before, such a thick tube shoved directly down the throat, I was scared to death. “General anesthesia, I want general anesthesia.” The nurse nodded, “Okay, where is your family member?” I suddenly remembered that I am actually an orphan with no parents. When I was a senior in high school, my parents died in a car accident. I finished college relying on that little compensation and scholarships. Where in this world do I have family members? Julian glanced at me, then said to the nurse, “Go get the consent form. I am her family member. I’ll sign.” I gave Julian a weird look, but the severe pain in my abdomen made me unable to speak at all. One shot of anesthetic and I was unconscious. When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed, and a nurse was checking my IV. I swallowed my dry throat and asked, “Nurse sister, where is that Dr. Thorne?” That nurse was the one who gave me the anesthesia. She looked down at me. “Dr. Thorne went back to his hospital. He can only come here for duty in two days.” My eyes were dizzy. “He agreed to transfer?” The nurse held back a laugh and nodded. “Yes, after all, his family is here. Can he not transfer?” I twitched my lips and denied, “I’m not his family.” The nurse looked unbelieving. “Then last night…” Me, “Can you expect an abnormal person to say normal things?” Nurse, “…” Lying in bed waiting for the anesthesia to wear off, I suddenly remembered that I had to work today. I hurriedly turned on my phone and looked at the time displayed on it. 10:30 AM. I lay back dejectedly, unlocked the phone, intending to explain to the manager. But as soon as I opened it, ding ding ding, several messages came. It was the manager’s message box, three messages sent at 9 AM: “Old Liu! When did you get married?” “Hid it deep enough.” “If you’re not feeling well, I’ll give you a week off. Remember to report on time next week, or your bonus will be gone.” Scrolling up further, it clearly recorded that someone took my phone and made dozens of calls in the middle of the night yesterday, the last one connecting for more than two minutes. I could guess with my toes who did it, and could guess what Julian said. In the afternoon, I slipped back home with the medicine prescribed by the hospital, vowing to eat healthy in the future, three meals a day on time. Planned silently in my heart, then immediately broke the rule upon returning home, nestling on the sofa drinking takeout porridge while watching a drama. Scrolled through my phone when bored. In the work group, someone resigned. That person was Ryan. Immediately after, Ryan sent me a message, “I’m leaving, Chloe. Hope you and Dr. Thorne can be happy.”

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In the grand hall of the Riverfront nightclub, my heavily pregnant sister was shoved onto the stage. Below her, men argued red-faced over the child in her belly. “It’s gotta be mine! I put in the most work that night!” “Bullshit! I went the most rounds, my odds are way better!” My sister’s face was pale as a ghost. With tears in her eyes, she questioned the man beside her: “Lucas Thorne, you’re my fiancé. How could you treat me like this?” Lucas, with a delicate girl in his arms, sneered: “You don’t even know whose bastard you’re carrying, and you have the nerve to ask me?” The girl in his arms covered her mouth, giggling shyly, but looked at my sister with triumphant eyes. I sat in the audience, my gaze turning icy. I haven’t been back in a few years, and people already dare to bully my family? … My assistant leaned in and whispered, “Should I get the club owner, Chris Sheng, to give you an explanation?” I scoffed coldly: “What’s the use of calling him? Have everyone on standby!” “Yes, ma’am.” The assistant quickly retreated. Dare to touch my sister? Don’t expect to walk out of here in one piece tonight! Chapter 1 My sister’s voice trembled. “That night, it was only you! How could I be pregnant with someone else’s child?!” The girl in Lucas’s arms, Sue Locke, laughed coquettishly: “Mia, dear, you were drunk and yelling ‘one isn’t enough,’ dragging several men into the room. Don’t you remember?” My sister’s face turned instantly white. “Impossible! Only Lucas was in the room…” Mid-sentence, she stiffened, staring intently at Lucas. “It was you. That glass of red wine… you drugged me?!” Lucas didn’t deny it. He didn’t even look at my sister. He pulled a stack of photos from his pocket and scattered them on the stage. “Come on, place your bets live! Whoever guesses right gets a bonus hot video from that night!” Cheers erupted below the stage. “Damn, that’s intense! Not a stitch of clothing, clear as day!” “Hotter than a porn cover. Just one look and I’m burning up!” Sue also picked one up, glanced at it with disgust, and tossed it aside. A photo drifted down in front of me. I picked it up, and with just one glance, I was seeing red with rage. These people are insane! I’ll let you know soon enough what happens when you dare to touch a Jiang. The men below scrambled for my sister’s photos like hungry wolves, cash slapping onto the tables. Red-eyed, they placed their bets, as if auctioning off livestock. I sat in the shadows, rubbing my wine glass, watching this absurd gamble with cold eyes. My assistant hadn’t returned yet. Just a little longer… “Bets closed!” The dealer’s voice cut through the noise. “Now, please welcome the professionals to reveal the answer to this bet!” Several people in white coats rushed onto the stage with instruments. Without a word, they clamped down on my sister’s arm, a needle glinting coldly as it aimed for her skin. “Get away!” My always-weak sister suddenly turned fierce. She yanked herself free, her nails scratching a bloody streak across the other person’s face. “Where is Chris Sheng? Tell him to get his ass out here! If I lose a single hair tonight, this shitty club of yours will be shut down tomorrow!” My sister screamed herself hoarse, and everyone roared with laughter. Sue covered her mouth, laughing so hard she shook: “Oh my, is our eldest Miss Jiang still dreaming?” She suddenly grabbed my sister’s hair and whispered into her ear: “You forgot, Chris is my biological brother. He bankrupted the Jiang family long ago. Where do you get the nerve to shout here?” Already at the stage, ready to rescue my sister, I was startled. Chris’s sister? The Jiang family bankrupt? How did I not know about this? Lucas pulled Sue into his arms. “Why waste your breath talking to her?” He turned to the white coats and said, “Hurry up, don’t waste time!” Just as the needle tip touched my sister’s skin, the dealer beside them turned pale with fright. He suddenly bellowed: “Stop!” Chapter 2 Everyone was startled, and I also stopped my movements. Trembling, he pulled a green jade seal from my sister’s waist, cold sweat instantly soaking his back: “The… The Cloud-Water Seal?!” In shock, he pressed the highest priority call button in the nightclub. “Mr. Sheng, the Cloud-Water Seal has appeared. Please come and verify its authenticity!” Lucas’s face involuntarily darkened, and even Sue in his arms fell silent. Chris Sheng, the “Mr. Sheng” they spoke of, was just an adopted son of my father. In terms of age, he’d have to call me Big Sister. Knowing this was his territory, my tense nerves relaxed slightly. I waited calmly for my assistant to return. Not long after, Chris’s personal secretary, Bella Miao, arrived. “Mr. Sheng will be here shortly. Let me assess the situation first!” Just as her fingertips touched the seal, Sue in Lucas’s arms suddenly laughed delicately: “What a coincidence. I have one of those piece-of-crap things too!” She pulled a brocade box from her handbag. The moment the box popped open, the whole room was in an uproar. Two identical Cloud-Water Seals. “Hers has a crack!” Sue’s red lips parted slightly. “It’s a fake.” My sister cried out urgently, “My sister gave this to me personally. How could it be fake?” “I am the biological sister of Aria Jiang!” As soon as she finished speaking, Sue laughed. “I’ve lived in the Jiang house for so many years and I’ve never seen you have a sister. You really are a habitual liar, even fabricating that you have a sister!” After examining the seal, Bella respectfully returned Sue’s seal and smoothly picked up on Sue’s words. “Aria Jiang?” A look of disdain appeared on Bella’s face, as if hearing a joke. “I’ve never heard of such a person.” “Since the real Cloud-Water Seal is in Miss Locke’s hands, then it’s not our place to interfere with this Ms. Jiang’s affairs. You guys carry on.” With that, Bella stood aside, acting as if it was none of her business. The men instantly exploded: “Hurry up and test! I bet a hundred grand that she’s carrying my seed!” “After the test, everyone gets a turn for a taste.” The men were instantly like flies to blood. Some even started unbuckling their belts: “I’m upping the ante! After the test, I’m digging straight in!” The white coats pinned my sister down on the stage again. The needle glinted coldly, stabbing straight toward my sister’s pale skin. My assistant hadn’t returned yet, but I couldn’t care about that anymore. “Stop!” I leaped onto the awards stage and kicked over the metal instrument tray. Bella’s pupils shrank sharply: “Where did this crazy woman come from, daring to smash Mr. Sheng’s place?!” I smiled coldly. “Jiang family. Aria Jiang.” Chapter 3 Dead silence filled the venue. But the silence lasted only a second. “Hahaha—” The entire hall erupted in deafening mockery; some even laughed until they cried. “Aria Jiang? You?” “That’s the legendary big shot who could turn Capital City upside down! No news for years, how could she possibly show up here?” Sue covered her belly, laughing so hard she trembled. “Mia, which troupe did you hire this actress from? Her acting is quite something!” Lucas frowned, his gaze full of disgust. “Mia, get this impostor out of here quickly. Aren’t you embarrassed enough?” My sister grabbed me tightly, her eyes full of unbelieving excitement. The veins on my forehead throbbed, and I barely suppressed my raging anger: “When Chris gets here, the truth will naturally be revealed!” I pulled my sister behind me, my eyes sharp as knives. “Before then, whoever dares to touch a hair on her head, I’ll chop off their hand!” Sue covered her mouth and sneered sarcastically: “Oh, the acting is quite convincing. If Aria Jiang really were here, she’d be surrounded by an entourage. How could it just be you alone?” Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the bodyguard team squeezed into the corner, a cold smile curling the corner of my mouth. “Let Chris come out and speak! I want to ask him if he still respects me as his elder sister!” Bella narrowed her eyes, looking me up and down, a sneer curling her red lips: “Who do you think you are? Daring to call Mr. Sheng by his full name? You really don’t know your place!” She slowly turned the jade bracelet on her wrist, her voice suddenly dropping low: “Men, take her down!” “I want to see just how much you really weigh!” Hearing this, several burly men smiled greedily, their voices full of malicious teasing. “Yes! Bella, we’ll ensure she’s stripped clean, weighed inside and out, all clear for you!” Saying this, their hands reached out toward us sisters. I slapped the approaching man on the face. “How dare you! Do you want to die?! Do you know the consequences of touching me?” The man’s head snapped to the side from my slap. His eyes suddenly turned vicious, and he choked me violently. “Stupid bitch, I give you face and you take it for granted, huh?” “Today, in front of everyone, I’m gonna teach you what the rules are!” A roar of laughter erupted around us. Several men surrounded us maliciously; someone even pulled out their phone to record. My sister cried out, trying to rush over, but Sue grabbed her hair and shoved her hard onto the floor. “Mia, where did you find these people? Are they brain-damaged, daring to act wild here?” “You play the innocent rich girl so well, but who knows whose bastard is in that belly!” With that, Sue slapped my sister across the face, drawing blood from the corner of her mouth. I violently kicked away the man beside me, trying to save her, but several thick arms pinned me down tightly. My bodyguards were blocked by the chaotic crowd on the periphery, unable to move a step. “Tsk tsk, the impostor’s addicted to acting?” Sue stepped with her high heels, the tip of her shoe pressing against my sister’s chin. “Kneel down and kowtow three times, and I might ask Bella to let your fake sister go.” My sister looked at Lucas with tears in her eyes, her voice trembling: “Lucas, she really is my biological sister. If you touch her, you’ll all regret it…” Lucas adjusted his cuffs coldly, his eyes looking at them like a pile of garbage: “If it weren’t for you, where would all this trouble come from? Hurry up and apologize to Sue.” “Kowtow! If you don’t kowtow, we’ll strip her naked right now!” The men laughed savagely, reaching for my collar. “I’ll kowtow!” My sister’s knees hit the marble floor heavily. Her forehead pressed against the cold marble. “Please, don’t touch my sister…” I watched as she slammed her forehead against the floor again and again. Every time she kowtowed, it felt like a sharp knife was carving out a piece of my heart. My assistant still hadn’t returned, and the bodyguards at the door were abnormally quiet. This was clearly wrong. Bella looked at my exquisite and beautiful face, a flash of jealousy in her eyes. She had pulled out a scalpel at some point, the blade pressing against my face. “Such a pretty face. I wonder if Mr. Sheng would still recognize it if it were sliced up?” “Don’t touch my sister!” My sister suddenly struggled. “Chris will make your life a living hell!” “You really think you’re still the eldest Miss Jiang. Too bad the Jiang family name doesn’t belong to Jiang anymore.” Mocking my sister, Bella pressed the blade into my face. Warm blood slid down my neck. Just as she was about to slice again. The main doors crashed open, and Chris entered with a team of subordinates. His gaze swept over my sister’s bloodstained forehead and the wound on my face. The atmospheric pressure in the room dropped instantly to freezing point. Chapter 4 “Chris,” my sister’s eyes lit up. “Tell them to let go of Big Sister!” Chris’s gloomy gaze swept across the venue, finally landing on Bella: “What’s going on?” Bella immediately put on an aggrieved expression. “Chris, look, this woman brought a fake seal to impersonate your sister.” Chris then looked at my sister, his eyes full of disgust: “Mia, how long are you going to keep making a scene? Sue has been tolerating you at every turn, but you just keep pushing your luck?” “Tolerating?” My sister trembled with anger. “They humiliated me in public and said Big Sister’s seal was fake, and you say I’m pushing my luck?” “You promised Big Sister you’d take care of me! And now you’re helping an outsider bully me?” “Outsider?” Sue smugly took Chris’s arm. “I’m his biological sister! What are you?” My face covered in blood, I stared coldly at Chris. He was focused only on comforting Sue. My sister looked anxious, pointing at me and saying, “Big Sister has returned. How will you explain this to her now?” Chris finally looked at me. The moment he saw my face clearly, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but he quickly reverted to indifference: “Mia, your sister died a long time ago. Getting a body double to act is boring.” I couldn’t help but sneer. So the dog my family raised actually learned to bite when its master wasn’t looking. “Chris Sheng, you really throw your weight around!” Hearing the familiar voice, Chris’s pupils contracted violently, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He lifted my chin with trembling fingers, examining me closely for a long time. His eyes were filled with thick, unresolvable emotions. For a long while, he gently touched the wound on my face and sighed deeply. “This face is really like her… What a pity. If not for this scar, I could have let you follow me.” “But now, it’s useless.” There was sorrow on his face, as if through me, he was remembering someone he loved but couldn’t have. “No matter how alike you are, what’s the use? She’s gone…” With that, he closed his eyes. “Bella, you handle it.” Bella had a sarcastic smile on her face, as if she saw me as a joke. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Several burly men immediately tore open my collar. My sister was roughly pinned onto a card table, chips scattering on the floor with a clatter. At this moment, the gilded gates of the grand hall crashed down with a loud bang. My assistant stood against the light, a dark mass of people behind him surging in like a tide. He had wounds on his face and said apologetically, “Sorry, Miss Jiang. There was… a delay on the way.”

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