Category: English

“Aria, I’m over it.” Leo rolled off the couch, chin tilted defiantly, an arrogant smirk playing on his lips. I froze, my hand instinctively flying to my shirt buttons. “Okay.” “Okay?” “It’s too late now. Taxis are expensive,” I said, reaching for the bag he’d tossed onto the table, pulling out my phone to check the time. “You can leave tomorrow morning.” His beautiful eyes fixed on me, saying nothing. “If you can’t wake up,” I added, my voice incredibly soft, “tomorrow afternoon works too.” He reached out, grabbing my outstretched hand. His six-foot-plus frame suddenly loomed, an overwhelming presence. “You’re something else, Aria,” he whispered close to my ear. The next morning, squeezed onto a packed subway during rush hour, my SnapChat groups exploded with messages. The reason? A famous actress had been caught on camera late at night, spending time in a wealthy heir’s apartment. I work in entertainment media, and this concrete proof was absolutely explosive. Blake Davis, from the Davis family, worth hundreds of millions. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth. “Maybe she’ll actually marry him,” a colleague grumbled to me. “No, she won’t,” I replied curtly. “How do you know?” Because I’m Blake Davis’s wife. Or, to be precise, his ex-wife. It took everything I had to marry Blake. The subway pulled into the station, and I squeezed out like a sardine, accidentally dropping my earbuds. I turned back to see them on the ground, stepped on a few times. Before I could even pick them up, the train doors closed. Rushing to clock in, I sped to the office, barely catching an elevator. But then it beeped loudly, overloaded, and under everyone’s watchful eyes, I had to step out, defeated. Ah… my perfect attendance bonus… With a sigh of resignation, I waited for the next elevator. Pulling out my phone, I saw a text from Leo from fifteen minutes ago. He’d ordered breakfast delivery to my office and told me to remember to answer the rider’s call. I swiped up and saw a missed call from an unknown number five minutes ago. Must be the delivery rider. I’d missed the call. I called back, but it was immediately hung up. After a moment, a text came through: “In a meeting. Hold on.” A meeting? I texted back: “Delivery rider? Just leave it at the front desk, thanks.” I turned to walk towards the front desk when my phone rang. I answered, speaking quickly, “Hi, I’m at the company entrance. You can just bring it over.” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a calm, unbothered voice. “Rider?” Blake Davis. My feet froze. The last time we’d spoken felt like a lifetime ago. Six months, to be exact. “Is there something you need?” I asked. “Come back to the family estate tonight,” he said. Divorcing him was my idea. He, however, thought I was throwing a tantrum. “Is that all you’ve got?” His eyes held an impatient sneer. “Short on cash again?” He’d found a convenient reason for my actions. Meeting my serious gaze, his brow furrowed. “Is this supposed to be amusing?” He leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes. I handed him the divorce papers. He stared into my eyes, like a dangerous predator, and I felt his anger slowly radiating from him. Provoking him, it seemed, had become my source of perverse pleasure in our dysfunctional marriage. But now, it all felt so utterly meaningless. “Stop the drama, just sign,” I said, my voice flat, lightly tossing the agreement onto the table. He watched my actions, then actually chuckled, as if he’d seen right through me. His tone was full of mockery: “Sign? Why wouldn’t I sign?” He seemed convinced I was just trying to manipulate him into staying. I watched as his pen quickly scrawled across the agreement. Once he was done, I reached for it, but he grabbed my wrist, pulling me hard into his embrace, a sensation both strange and unsettlingly familiar. “Leave with nothing but the clothes on your back,” he whispered in my ear. “Let’s see how long you last without me.” “Aria, coming over tonight?” I received Leo’s text just before leaving work. I didn’t reply, putting my phone away and heading to a ride-share with two large bags of groceries. In the car, I thought about it, then picked up my phone to text back. “Busy.” The car pulled up to the outer perimeter of the upscale gated community. The security guard at the gate wouldn’t let us in. I rolled down the window and greeted the guard. He immediately broke into a smile. “Mrs. Davis, it’s been a long time!” As soon as I stepped inside the front door, I caught the rich aroma of pork rib and lotus root soup. Mrs. Davis, the housekeeper, carried the groceries into the kitchen. Then Mrs. Davis, Blake’s mom, quickly untied her apron and rushed into the living room. “Aria, you’re back?” “Mom,” I said, changing into slippers as I walked over. “Smells like pork ribs. So good.” “Yes, it is! I specially simmered it for you this afternoon.” Mrs. Davis was meticulously well-preserved, her skin smooth and glowing, making her look no older than her early thirties. “Oh, Aria, why are your dark circles so heavy? Is work very tiring?” “It’s fine,” I said, sitting on the sofa. “Just used to staying up late.” “Well, that won’t do,” Mrs. Davis said, sitting beside me, her expression serious. “Your health is the most important thing. I always tell Blake to stop making you work so hard, but he always says I’m being meddlesome. Oh, I’ve watched you grow up since you were little, you’re dearer to me than a daughter. It’s just Blake’s personality isn’t good, he doesn’t know how to care for people.” Mrs. Davis held my hand, talking softly and incessantly. “Mom.” Blake’s voice came from behind us. “You’re back?” Mrs. Davis turned. “Oh, why are you two still arriving separately?” “I came from the office,” Blake said, turning to go upstairs. Six months had passed. His voice felt almost like a stranger’s to me. My phone vibrated. It was Leo. “Can’t sleep without you, Aria.” I turned off my phone screen. Mrs. Davis turned back to me. “Are you two staying at the family estate tonight?” “Depends on him,” I said. Mrs. Davis nodded, then remembered something and got up to go to the kitchen. I opened my phone and replied to Leo. “Then don’t sleep.” Blake handed me a bowl of lotus root soup. When my fingertips brushed his, there was a strange, uncomfortable sensation. His gaze flickered to my face for an instant, then away. “Stay at home tonight,” Mr. Davis, Blake’s grandfather, said. “I have something tomorrow,” Blake said, “so no.” Mr. Davis put his bowl down with a thud, which prompted a few coughs. The air suddenly thickened. Blake continued eating as if nothing happened. “Her company is on the north side of the city. Commuting from the family estate would take two hours.” The atmosphere eased slightly. Mr. Davis turned to me. “Still doing that job, dear? “Are you adapting well?” Mr. Davis asked with concern. “If it’s too much, just let Blake lighten your load.” “It’s fine, Grandpa. I’m very used to it.” Blake drove me home. “You’re driving yourself?” I asked from the passenger seat, awkwardly breaking the silence. He said nothing. Always like this. My words, he’d selectively answer. I ran my fingers along the right car window frame. It had been too long since I’d ridden in such a nice car. The feel was so smooth. He turned his head to glance at me, just a fleeting look. Like a royal decree. We drove through the city night, the car silent. Suddenly, a phone rang. Blake answered it. The car was too quiet, so I, sitting in the passenger seat, heard the woman’s voice on the other end crystal clear. She was whining, begging for company. His beautiful eyes flickered to me, an imperceptible glance. Not from guilt, just a test. “I’ll be there tonight,” he said, his tone neither warm nor cold. The woman on the other end was clearly overjoyed, rattling on endlessly. “Don’t call while driving,” I said, my voice low, but it instantly silenced the woman. Blake, however, chuckled. He said a few more words, then hung up. “Deliberate?” He couldn’t help but ask, turning the steering wheel. Heaven’s honest truth, I was only thinking of my own life. “When we were married, I never cared about you seeing other women,” I raised my eyebrows. “We’re divorced now, what business is it of mine?” His car was as cold as he was. I reached out to turn on the heating, but he slapped my hand away. “Outside air circulation,” he said, pressing a button, glancing at me. “Your perfume is suffocating.” “I’m not wearing perfume,” I retorted. Red light. He reached to touch my head. I instinctively flinched back. His hand paused, then he sneered coldly, quickly pulling it away. “Your hair.” I touched my hair, brought it to my nose, and sniffed. Ah, I understood. It was the smell of shampoo from Leo’s apartment. A men’s fragrance. I lowered the strand of hair I’d picked up and looked at Blake. He was waiting for my explanation. I turned my head to the window. “We’re divorced.” Things I didn’t care about before, there was even less reason to care about now. He remained silent. The car was terrifyingly quiet. “Subway station, get out,” he said. I opened my phone to check the time. “The subway’s not running now.” Twelve thirteen AM. “Can you call a taxi?” He pulled the car over to the side of the road, his voice laced with annoyance. “Get out.” He saw I hadn’t moved. “What? Can’t you understand me?” His tone was harsh, like a prelude to an explosion of anger. I met his dangerously intense gaze. He was waiting for me to back down. But I only wanted to challenge his limits even more. I smiled, my fingers lightly tapping on the comfortable window frame. “You get out,” I said. “What?” He didn’t react, turning to look at me, still with that impatient expression. “What? You don’t understand me?” I smiled back at him. He finally understood, his eyebrows furrowing. “What’s wrong with you—” He didn’t finish his sentence, putting on a look of not wanting to argue. “Stop messing around, get out. “I’ll reimburse you for the taxi,” he sighed faintly. I laughed. “You get out, I’ll reimburse *you* for the taxi.” That really pissed him off. “What are you doing?!” “Oh, you don’t know how to call a taxi yourself?” My voice was gentle. “Then I’ll call Mr. Chen to come pick you up, okay?” I made to call, but his large hand covered my phone. “What do you mean?” His breath brushed my ear. I leaned back slightly, pulling away from him. “We’re already divorced. If you want to wait for the right moment to tell your family, I can help you play along. “But that doesn’t mean I have to put up with your terrible temper anymore.” I shook my phone at him. “How many years have you used this trick of telling me to get out of the car?” He tried to snatch my phone, but I held it tightly. He stared deeply at me, as if recalling something, his grip leaving a red mark on my wrist. He snatched my phone, brushing past my ear, and slammed it against the car window. “Keep messing around if you dare.” Then he turned and got out of the car. I picked up my phone, moved into the driver’s seat, and drove off without looking back. I drove the car to Leo’s apartment’s underground garage. I turned to him. “What happened to your forehead?” He rubbed his forehead. “Nothing, just bumped it.” Ouch, his face is so handsome, it’d be a shame to scuff it. “Worried about me?” He leaned in closer. Seeing I didn’t speak, he asked again, “Where did you get the car?” I turned off the engine and handed him the car keys. “It’s yours.” He raised an eyebrow. “Got guts now? Where’d you steal it from?” I pressed the car keys into his hand, ready to get out. My wrist was suddenly grabbed. But he didn’t dare use force, afraid of hurting me. “What do you want?” I asked him. “Don’t you want to try?” “Try what?” “What do you think?” He smiled broadly, rubbing my wrist. The next morning, I was woken by my phone ringing. Muffled under the covers, I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to go to work, didn’t want to get up. Leo got up, took the phone, and handed it to me. Then he pulled me into his arms, his warmth enveloping me. “Hello, who is this…” My voice was muffled from under the blankets. “Do you know there’s surveillance in my car?” That woke me up. I tried to push Leo away and get up, but his big arms and legs bundled me in, holding me down. I coughed abruptly, glancing at the caller ID. Blake Davis. Ugh. “I didn’t,” I cleared my throat. “Now you do,” the voice on the other end said. What kind of person is that? Installing surveillance in his own car. “Aria, can I drive you to work?” Leo drowsily leaned against the bathroom door frame, following me like a puppy. “You have morning classes,” I said, washing my face. “Hurry up and go to school.” Leo walked behind me, unable to open his eyes, just resting his head on my shoulder. “No, you’re heavy,” I nudged his head away. His hair was fluffy, truly like a dog’s. “Beep, beep, beep,” he murmured, his voice slightly deeper in the morning. “What are you doing?” I splashed warm water on his face. He rubbed against my neck. “Hold on, I need to recharge.” I pushed him away, exasperated. I grabbed my bag, ready to brave the subway. “Oh, right,” I said before leaving. “You can drive that car whenever you want, but there’s a camera inside. Find it and take it out.” “Camera?” He leaned against the door, seeing me off. “Aria, you really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve.” **Part Two** At eight PM, Julian returned to the country. S11 Club. Just before clocking out, I received a SnapChat from Blake. Read, then deleted. “Can’t find it.” Leo called me when I had just gotten back to my own apartment. “Can’t find what?” I asked, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder as I changed shoes. “The camera,” Leo said, his voice laced with amusement. “Alright, Aria, are you messing with me?” I paused. “You really can’t find it?” “I’ve searched everywhere,” he said. Music was loud on his end, like someone was calling him. “Are you coming to see me tonight?” he asked. “No.” I hung up. My phone showed exactly eight PM. Time for my online class. I opened my TOEFL notes and began speaking English to my kind foreign teacher on the computer. “Why not?” Blake’s voice held no discernible emotion. “There’s no camera in your car,” I said, taking a sip of water, changing the subject. “Were you testing me?” “Why are you so guilty?” he asked me. “What do you care?” I countered. “I care?” His emotions finally showed some fluctuation. “You *want* me to care?” He’d stated a question as a declarative sentence. It was his usual blind self-confidence. The foreign teacher on the computer called my name, pointing to his watch, signaling that the break was over. “Are you seeing foreigners now?” Blake sneered. “Is this all you have left? “It won’t work,” he said. “When did you start English classes?” He looked displeased, the car stopped at a red light. Outside, the city night was cold under a fine, misty rain. “Six months ago,” I said, looking out the window. Blake’s profile was reflected in the glass. Half an hour ago, he’d appeared at my apartment door, wearing the same expression. Only angrier. “Why are you learning English?” he asked me. “Why are you at my apartment?” I asked him. He turned to look at me, his eyes carrying the unique mist of a cold night. The mist would spread, clinging to my skin in the confined space of the car. “Why do you think?” he said, his tone mocking. Green light, the car moved. His expression cleared, returning to his usual calm and restraint. Julian was still as youthful as ever. “Let’s wish CEO Sterling a happy thirty-third birthday!” As soon as I entered the private room, I heard people shouting inside. Julian looked over the crowd and saw me, and then he saw Blake standing behind me. “Well, CEO Sterling’s sister is here,” someone called out. I was pushed forward, facing him directly. He was wearing a cream-colored cashmere sweater. He raised his hand as if to place it on my head, his eyes briefly sweeping over Blake, then settling on my shoulder.

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I was the human shield, personally chosen by *him*, the unhinged prince of the underworld, to protect his precious childhood sweetheart. Five years into our marriage, I was captured for the nineteenth time by one of his former business associates. Caleb Thorne led his men to rescue me. He’d barely been negotiating with the associate for two minutes when his childhood sweetheart, Seraphina Hayes, called. “Caleb, my friends and I made a bet. I’ll give my first kiss to the first man who comes for me. I hope that man is you.” “Are you coming or not?” The moment Caleb rushed off, a pair of iron fists smashed my ribs. An immense wave of pain swallowed me whole. Just like the previous eighteen times, his men took over the associate’s demands, then sent me to the hospital. In the car, I heard them complaining, wondering when I’d stop upsetting Seraphina. Saving me every time was such a hassle, they said. I didn’t even have the strength to cry. The mission to save the ruthless crime lord failed. The system was about to forcibly erase my memories. Caleb Thorne, I won’t bother you ever again.

The doctor’s warning was grim. “Ms. Vance, your last shattered rib fracture was already life-threatening. Now, your rib cage has been crushed again.” “If you don’t rest properly, even the slightest mistake could lead to a massive hemorrhage. You could bleed out and die instantly!” I listened, then spoke with extreme calm. “Understood.” The doctor shook his head and left. The system’s voice chimed in. “Mission failed. All memories, including yours, will be forcibly erased.” “Or do you want to try again, take on a different identity to save him?” I refused. “Erase them.” “Erasure protocol initiating. Everyone’s memories of you will be retained for a final 48 hours.” In my previous life, I was in a vegetative state until I died of old age. After transmigrating, I cherished my family, friends, and lover even more, becoming the irreplaceable good daughter, best friend, and wife in their hearts. And I loved Caleb Thorne without reservation. But all those beautiful memories were about to vanish, all because the mission failed. On a whim, I opened Seraphina Hayes’ social media account and found a video she’d uploaded. The house in the video was the one Caleb bought for our wedding. On screen, Seraphina was making a special lunch in her custom-made, exquisite kitchen. Her pale neck bore several soft pink adhesive bandages, and a sparkling diamond ring on her finger flashed frequently on camera. She patiently and meticulously explained the cooking steps, her voice so gentle it seemed to embrace everything. “My boyfriend proposed last night! This diamond ring is from him, and the bandages are to cover…” “He’s very possessive, and pretty intense in… *that* department.” Seraphina flashed a blissful smile. “I didn’t realize he’d waited for me for so long.” A tall, imposing silhouette of a man appeared in the video. He ripped off the bandages from Seraphina’s neck, revealing the intimate marks beneath for all to see. “I want everyone to know you’re mine.” The video abruptly cut off. The comment section exploded with screams: [This official announcement video is too explicit!] [Our goddess has been chasing this mysterious guy for ages, so glad they’re finally together today! Goddess, update more about mysterious bro in the future.] Seraphina picked out comments mentioning Caleb Thorne to reply: “My fiancé’s job is special, so he can’t show his face. Knowing he loves me is enough.” A moment later, Seraphina uploaded another video. In it, Seraphina got splashed with oil while cooking. The man leaned his arrogant head down and sucked her wound. “I can’t stand to see you hurt. From now on, let the maids do all this.” “Okay, I’ll do whatever you say.” The camera didn’t show either of their faces, but the gasps and heavy breathing still gave away their actions. [These two are just too sweet!] But then someone questioned: [How come that voice sounds like Caleb Thorne, the underworld prince from that infamous Dark Web list a while ago?] That comment only appeared for a second before it was forcibly deleted. My head spun, and before I could think much, I fell into a deep sleep. In my dream, I remembered finding a pile of used pink adhesive bandages in the study. I thought they were trash, so I threw them into the bin. But Caleb Thorne was furious, ordering me to pick up all 99 bandages from the trash, not missing a single one. I only found 96, so he confined me for three days. I developed claustrophobia after being held captive by his associate. In the dark room, I pounded on the walls relentlessly, only to hear his gentle voice on the phone. “Seraphina, don’t be angry. I’ll have all 100 soon. As for Elara Vance, I’ll teach her a good lesson.” Caleb’s chillingly cold voice startled me awake. I opened my eyes, blinded by the reflection of a diamond ring. I turned to see Seraphina Hayes, dressed in a pristine white dress, chugging down a bowl of nourishing broth. The maid stammered, “Ms. Vance, Ms. Hayes said she’s been feeling a bit weak lately and needed some blood nourishment, so she took the broth.” “Oh, I’m so sorry, big sister. I’ve been using up too much energy in bed lately, so I accidentally finished it all.” Though Seraphina’s words were apologetic, her face was clearly smug. “You won’t blame me, will you, big sister?” Seraphina deliberately scraped her ring hard against my skin. I cried out in pain and slapped her hand away. Caleb Thorne walked in just as Seraphina stumbled to the floor, meekly apologizing to me. “Elara Vance, you’re lying in bed and still can’t keep the peace? Seraphina went out of her way to visit you!” The maid started to say something, but Seraphina was quicker, collapsing into Caleb’s arms. “Caleb, it’s all my fault. I felt dizzy walking into the room and saw the nourishing broth, so I drank a bit too much. I didn’t mean to finish it… big sister just got a little upset with me, don’t be angry…” Her eyes reddened with remorse, and Caleb’s heart ached. “How many good things has Seraphina given you? It’s just a bowl of broth, why are you being so petty?” Good things? Caleb meant the dirty, ruined hand-me-downs Seraphina had tossed aside for me? Caleb turned and instructed the maid: “Seraphina’s been feeling weak lately, always saying she has no energy. Since your broth suits her taste, you’ll come to the villa specifically to make broth for Seraphina from now on. As for Elara…” “She needs to watch what she eats!”

The maid obediently left. Caleb looked at Seraphina, his cold demeanor from earlier completely gone as he pulled her into his embrace. “Last night you kept complaining about your back hurting, but today you’re apologizing to someone and it’s suddenly fine?” Seraphina blushed and playfully punched Caleb’s chest. “How can that be the same? Last night was… in bed.” They treated me like air, flirting shamelessly as if I weren’t even there. I thought I’d feel sadness or anger, but now, everything had turned to numbness. Perhaps it was the system’s forced memory erasure taking effect, but I couldn’t even recall what it felt like for Caleb to love me. Soon after, the doctor came to examine me. Caleb’s men kept rushing him. “It’s just a broken rib, right? How serious can it be? I don’t want to be stuck here babysitting you all day.” So, after receiving the doctor’s assurance that I was “barely fit for discharge,” they drove me back to my residence and dumped me there. Scenes like this played out countless times every day. Caleb’s men only saw me as a tool, a human shield for Seraphina. I took my own medicine back at the villa. My stomach ached dully with hunger, but the villa was empty. Even the maid who was supposed to cook for me was gone. Caleb called, his voice cold as he announced: “That maid you picked out for yourself was attentive, but she didn’t do a thing for Seraphina. You’re forbidden from having a maid for three months. That’ll teach you a lesson!” “Seraphina hasn’t been feeling well lately, so I called your family doctor over to her place. It’s just a minor injury for you, I’m sure you’ll recover with some rest.” He didn’t leave anyone to take care of me. Did he expect a freshly discharged patient to fend for herself? I gave a bitter laugh. “Okay.” “After this week, I’ll send the doctor back.” “Okay.” The voice on the other end paused, sounding deeply annoyed. “Are you done yet? How long are you going to keep making a fuss over a bowl of nourishing broth?” “You promised before we got married that you’d be Seraphina’s human shield willingly. You’ve been ‘Mrs. Thorne’ for a few years now, but you really think you’re my wife? Stop dreaming. Seraphina is my true princess.” I nodded blankly. “Okay, I know.” He seemed surprised for a moment, then sounded satisfied. “That’s more like it. If you need anything, just tell the butler.” A woman’s voice quickly drowned out his brief gentleness. “Caleb, I’ve been waiting for you for ages.” Caleb hung up without hesitation. The countdown now showed 24 hours remaining. I found some food the maid had left in the fridge. For some reason, the electricity and water were cut off. The food was clearly on the verge of spoiling, and I couldn’t heat anything, but I was so hungry my stomach hurt. I wolfed it down. Seraphina Hayes’ latest video popped up automatically on my phone. I meant to swipe it away but accidentally tapped on it. The video’s background seemed to be a high-end restaurant. This time, Seraphina had not only several adhesive bandages on her neck but also on her arms and waist. Seraphina closed her eyes, making a wish in front of a cake. Suddenly, violin music began to play. The camera panned to the side, revealing huge bouquets of roses. Nestled within the roses was luxurious, high-end jewelry. Seraphina cried tears of joy, happily throwing herself into Caleb Thorne’s arms. Caleb gently smiled, wiping away her tears, and personally placed the necklace around her neck. The comments brimmed with envy: [Mysterious bro is so handsome! Goddess and him, forever together!] Seraphina replied in the comments: “My fiancé is the most handsome man in the world. He wants to give me nothing but the best.” “He waited for me for a long time, and last week, I finally decided to marry him.” “We’re holding our wedding ceremony next month, and we’ll be live-streaming it for everyone.” The screen’s light shone on my face. As I ate, my stomach twisted in excruciating pain. I suddenly caught sight of Seraphina’s message at the bottom of the bowl. [Elara Vance, I deliberately had the maid cut off your water and electricity, and left spoiled food in the fridge. You didn’t eat it, did you?] My stomach had been messed up from being starved for days during my captivity by Caleb’s associate, making me unable to eat anything unclean. My stomach instantly churned, and I threw up. Just then, Caleb Thorne called. I opened my mouth to ask for help, but was met with a furious torrent of scolding. “Elara Vance, for a bowl of nourishing broth and a few maids, you actually posted Seraphina’s info on the dark web’s infamous list!” “If Seraphina loses even a single strand of hair, I swear I’ll make your life a living hell!” I clutched my lower abdomen, shaking my head. “It wasn’t me, Caleb. My stomach hurts, can you come—” “It’s not you *again*? Besides you, who else has that travel photo of Seraphina? It was a photo of you and Seraphina together, and you cunningly cropped yourself out, leaving only her!” “And you’ve been to the restaurant Seraphina and I ate at today. Who else would expose her location?” “I even saw you following Seraphina’s social media account.” Caleb’s voice dripped with blatant disgust. I even suspected that if I appeared before him, he’d force me to kneel and kowtow to Seraphina. Just last month, Seraphina said she was scared of thunder and wanted me to stay with her. The moment I approached her bed, she deliberately kicked me off. That day, I was made to humiliate myself until my lips were split and bleeding before Seraphina finally, softly, said it was ‘okay’. Today, Caleb once again pinned the blame on me without a second thought. My forehead was sweating with pain, but I desperately tried to explain, “I really didn’t…” On the other end of the phone, Seraphina shrieked in terror, “Caleb, I’m so scared, is someone coming to kill me?” The call disconnected. My face pale, I dialed 911. The next moment, Caleb’s men kicked open the door. But they weren’t there to save me. Instead, they dragged me up. “It’s your turn again today to take the fall for Seraphina.” An ambulance siren wailed outside. I struggled desperately. “I don’t feel well, I need to go to the hospital.” The men exchanged glances and burst into laughter. “This Elara Vance really is just as Seraphina said—she’s faking it.”

Caleb’s men forcibly seated me on the restaurant’s top-floor open-air terrace, making me eat alone. “Didn’t you say you were hungry? Seraphina specially ordered all of this for you.” Caleb said coldly, then went into the safe room with Seraphina, his voice full of doting affection. “Don’t be scared, no one can hurt you.” Caleb held her in his arms, gently comforting her. Seraphina seemed as fragile as a baby bird. “Caleb, will big sister Elara blame me if she finds out I’m using her as a human shield?” “She wouldn’t dare. You even personally ordered her meal. You haven’t done anything wrong to her.” Seraphina’s voice grew even softer. “But won’t you think I’m too selfish? I’m afraid you’ll dislike me…” “Never. You’re the kindest woman I’ve ever met. I’ll love you forever, and be with you my entire life.” Through the constant gnawing pain in my stomach, I heard their intertwined gasps and heavy breathing. I couldn’t ignore it, even if I tried. Looking at the exquisite meal in front of me, I didn’t dare touch my fork. From time to time, Seraphina’s sweet laughter drifted to my ears. “Caleb, don’t do that. Big sister is still outside, and she is your wife, in name at least.” Caleb’s voice was dismissive as he pulled off Seraphina’s clothes. “This was always a fake marriage, meant to protect you. She’s ungrateful enough to try and harm you. What she’s getting now is a bargain!” I couldn’t tell if it was from stomach pain or heartbreak, but tears dripped onto the back of my hand. I just felt pathetic and ridiculous. Time passed, minute by agonizing minute. I endured it, half-conscious, half-delirious, until the sounds from the safe room finally ceased. I asked in a hoarse whisper, “It’s past midnight. Can you take me to the hospital?” One of the men looked uncomfortable, hesitating for a moment, about to agree. Caleb suddenly kicked open the safe room door and grabbed my hair. “Who told you to leave your seat? Are you in cahoots with someone, deliberately trying to harm Seraphina!” Half an hour ago, Seraphina had inexplicably disappeared. I shook my head blankly. “I’ve been right here the whole time. I didn’t leave. Your men can vouch for me…” But his men said, “She went to the restroom halfway through.” I sharply lifted my head, unable to understand why he was lying. Caleb’s eyes flashed with cold malice, asking almost savagely, “Who did you send a message to?” “I didn’t. It wasn’t me.” He kicked my lower abdomen. A fierce wave of pain made me curl up on the ground. “Still faking it? Seraphina just went to the restroom too. If you don’t tell the truth, don’t blame me for getting rough!” Just then, his phone rang. After answering, Caleb strode out. “Found Seraphina. Bring Elara Vance.” Caleb thought the driver was too slow, so he took the wheel himself, speeding like a madman, yelling Seraphina’s name. My hands and feet were bound. I was tossed around, repeatedly hitting the floor of the car, crying out in pain, but he didn’t even glance at me. When we arrived at the abandoned factory, Seraphina was tied to a pillar, trembling with fear. “Caleb, I’m so scared! Save me!” Caleb’s expression instantly changed, turning to his former associate with furious eyes. “Anyone you want me to deal with, I’ll agree. I can even hand over my wife to you as a hostage.” The associate smiled, satisfied. “No problem.” As I was shoved towards the associate, Caleb held Seraphina, his face beaming with the joy of finding something lost and precious. The associate immediately slapped me. My head snapped to the side, and all I saw was Caleb walking away with Seraphina. It was like this again. He didn’t look back, not even once. The associate savored the expression on my face, then walked over and brutally ground his leather shoe onto my hand. He then ordered his men to mercilessly break both my legs. I screamed in agonizing pain. “Just kill me!” But the associate just laughed. “You’re a hostage. If you die, what will I use to control Caleb Thorne?” “Caleb Thorne even handed his wife over to me. It seems he’s not without weaknesses.” I quickly said, “You’re wrong. He doesn’t care if I live or die.” But the associate showed me a contract Caleb Thorne had signed. “Stop acting. He agreed to my cooperation for you. With you in my hands, he’ll have to listen.” The associate held me captive, ensuring I wouldn’t die, yet constantly making me scream in agony. Eventually, I was numb, my throat hoarse. He then plunged a dagger through my shoulder blade, recording the scene and sending it to Caleb Thorne. A day and a night later, Caleb finally sent a voice message. “Don’t hurt my wife. I’ll do anything.” But in the background, I heard Seraphina Hayes’ sweet laughter. A chill instantly permeated my heart. If he truly cared about me, why didn’t he come to save me? The associate, having received a reply, became even more excited, carving countless cuts into my body to threaten Caleb Thorne. “If you don’t come now, your wife will bleed to death.” My body was slowly losing strength, but I smiled. I looked at the countdown, which showed three hours remaining. Caleb Thorne, I’ll soon forget you completely. But then, an alarm blared at the associate’s villa. Caleb Thorne’s men flooded in, apprehending the associate and handing him over to the police. “Where’s Elara Vance? Where is she?” Was Caleb Thorne here to save me? Before I could even feel happy, I heard them discussing: “Caleb Thorne truly went berserk for his beloved. He wasn’t even going to bother, but when he heard the associate touched Seraphina’s face, he set up the whole scheme to kill everyone, just to get revenge for her.”

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My intention in marrying Julian Thorne wasn’t pure. Yes, I liked him, but more importantly, he was the world’s leading cardiothoracic surgeon. So, I used every trick in the book to lure him, to make him forget Seraphina, the woman who truly held his heart, and willingly marry me. After we got married, he was like a devout believer. He held my hand and promised to personally perform my heart transplant surgery, to give me a second chance at life. Just when I thought he had fallen in love with me, Seraphina got into a car accident. He rushed off to operate on her, completely forgetting that today was the day he was supposed to perform my heart transplant. I was already prepped, sedated, and had been lying on the operating table, waiting for him for what felt like forever. The waiting room light outside the operating theater went out. I lay on the cold gurney, feeling the warmth of life draining from my fingertips, little by little. The familiar, agonizing pain in my chest intensified, each breath feeling like glass shards scraping my windpipe. The head nurse walked over, her face etched with professional pity. “Mrs. Thorne, Dr. Thorne had a more urgent emergency surgery come up. Your procedure will have to be postponed.” I nodded, unable to utter a single word. The heart meant for me, chilling in its preservation box, had only a few hours of viability left. And my life? Only a few hours remained, too. My phone vibrated. It was my brother, Liam. He immediately roared into the phone, “Chloe! Where is that bastard, Julian Thorne? I just got word, the donor family has signed, and the heart is on its way!” I opened my mouth, but the sound that came out was hoarse and dry. “Liam, he… he went to save someone.” A deathly silence hung on the line, then an even louder roar. “Save someone? Who is he saving? That woman, Seraphina Dubois?! Does he have any idea how much money our family spent, how many connections we pulled to find that perfect match for this heart?! This is your life!” Liam’s voice trembled with fury. I knew every word he said was true. To keep me alive, our family had poured almost everything we had into this. Julian Thorne had said that with a perfectly matched heart, he was ninety-nine percent sure he could save me. I once thought he was the light in my life. Now, I knew he was also the devil who personally pushed me into the abyss. “Mrs. Thorne, do you need a sedative?” The head nurse looked at me with concern. I shook my head, my vision starting to dim. The door to the operating room, usually a symbol of hope, now seemed like the entrance to hell—cold and despairing. On the TV at the end of the hallway, an urgent news bulletin flashed. “Renowned pianist Miss Seraphina Dubois was involved in a serious car accident this afternoon. Her condition is critical, and she has been rushed to Metropolitan Hospital for emergency surgery. The lead surgeon is none other than her fiancé, the internationally acclaimed cardiothoracic specialist, Dr. Julian Thorne…” Fiancé? The ink on my marriage certificate hadn’t even dried. It turned out that in his heart, I didn’t even deserve the title of his wife. A bitter, metallic taste filled my throat, and I violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the pristine white sheet. Liam burst into the room to this exact scene. His eyes were bloodshot, like a furious lion. “Where is Julian Thorne?” I weakly pointed to the television. Liam slammed his fist into the wall, plaster flaking down. He stared at me, asking each word deliberately, “What did he say to you before he left?” I recalled Julian’s departure. He’d received a call, his face instantly changed, and he’d grabbed his jacket, bolting out the door without even a backward glance. Only a chilling sentence hung in the air from the doorway. “Wait for me to come back.”

I didn’t wait for Julian Thorne to return. Instead, his mother, my mother-in-law, arrived. She wore an expensive designer suit and a massive diamond ring the size of a pigeon’s egg. Her face was etched with undisguised contempt. “Chloe Maxwell, where’s my son?” She stood imperiously beside my bed, as if scrutinizing a soiled object. “He… he’s in surgery.” “Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness.” She sneered. “Seraphina is a million times more important than you are. It’s only right that Julian went to save her. Someone like you, on the verge of death, shouldn’t drag him down.” The pain in my chest was nothing compared to the agony her words inflicted. I looked at this elegant, imposing woman and suddenly felt ridiculous. It was she who had approached my family, claiming to admire me, hoping I would marry Julian. She’d said she would cherish me like her own daughter. All that warmth, all that affection, had been a lie. “Today was the day of my heart transplant surgery,” I stated calmly, simply stating a fact. “So what?” Eleanor Thorne rolled her eyes, her tone incredibly sharp. “It’s just a heart. If it’s gone, find another. Seraphina is an internationally renowned pianist! If her hands were crippled, that would be a loss to the entire world!” She paused, her gaze turning even more malicious. “Ultimately, you’re just bad luck. If it weren’t for you, Julian would have married Seraphina ages ago. You should just die now and stop occupying the Mrs. Thorne position, you’re an eyesore.” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at her ugly face any longer. Liam pushed the door open, entering just as she finished speaking. His body radiated a terrifying aura of rage as he slowly advanced toward Eleanor. “Say that again.” Eleanor flinched back, startled by his intensity, but quickly straightened her posture. “Did I say something wrong? This sickly girl is clearly not good enough for my son! If you know what’s good for you, sign the divorce papers now and stop delaying my son and Seraphina’s perfect future!” “Smack!” A crisp slap echoed through the hospital room. Liam had put all his strength into it; Eleanor’s face instantly swelled, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She clutched her cheek, screaming in disbelief, “You dared to hit me! You uncultured brute!” “I’m hitting you, you disrespectful hag!” Liam was furious. “Is my sister’s life worth nothing in your eyes?! Your family didn’t contribute a single penny for that heart, and now you speak so lightly of it!” “You… you’re talking nonsense! What money?!” “That heart cost the Maxwell family thirty million dollars! We bought it from an overseas channel to give my sister a chance to live!” Liam’s voice was filled with a mix of tears and fury. “Now, that chance has been personally destroyed by your son!” Eleanor’s face instantly turned ashen.

Julian Thorne returned late that night. He took off his blood-stained surgical scrubs, his face showing a hint of fatigue, but a triumphant joy was unmistakable in his eyes. “Seraphina’s surgery was a success.” He walked to my bedside, his tone flat, as if merely discussing an insignificant matter. He noticed my pale face and the dried pool of blood on the bedside table. His brow furrowed slightly. “What happened?” “Julian Thorne, let’s get a divorce.” I used every ounce of my strength to utter those words. He froze, seemingly taken aback by my bluntness. “Chloe, don’t be ridiculous.” He reached out to touch my forehead, but I turned my head, avoiding his touch. “I’m not being ridiculous.” I looked at him, my eyes icy cold. “That heart is no longer viable. I don’t have much time left. I don’t want to be Mrs. Thorne when I die.” His face finally darkened. “Just because I didn’t operate on you?” He looked directly at me, his gaze tinged with scrutiny and impatience. “Seraphina’s condition was more urgent than yours. I’m a doctor; I had to make the optimal choice.” “Optimal choice?” I laughed, tears streaming down my face. “So, my life isn’t a life, is that it?” “Chloe, can’t you be more rational?” He raised his voice. “A heart can be found again. If anything happened to Seraphina’s hands, her entire career would be ruined.” He was the epitome of male arrogance, always so full of himself. Liam walked in from outside, a file in his hand. He threw it directly into Julian’s face. “Julian Thorne, this is the heart’s purchase contract and transfer records. Thirty million, not a penny less. Either you pay up, or we’ll see you in court.” Julian looked at the contract, his pupils contracting sharply. He turned to me, his eyes filled with shock and inquiry. “You bought it?” I didn’t answer him. Yes, he had always assumed this heart was a free resource, obtained through his connections and reputation. He reveled in the glory of being a savior, never realizing the immense sacrifice my family had made behind the scenes. “The money, I’ll pay.” Julian’s voice turned cold. “But the divorce, I won’t agree to it.” He looked at me, his gaze deepening. “Chloe, you are my wife. That will never change.” He turned and left, his back resolute. But in his eyes, I caught a fleeting glimpse not of love, but of calculation. My heart sank completely. He didn’t want a divorce because he loved me; he wanted it because I was still useful to him. But what use could I possibly be? I was a woman on the verge of death. The next day, a nurse secretly slipped me a note. On it, only one line was written: Seraphina’s car accident was fake.

My world completely crumbled at that moment. Fake? The accident that cost me my chance at life, the one he rushed to so selflessly, was fake? I clutched the note, my knuckles white from the force. The agonizing chest pain returned, more violent than ever before. I felt like a fish thrown onto shore, gasping for air, but only inhaling despair. Liam rushed in. Seeing my state, he immediately pressed the emergency call button. Doctors and nurses swarmed into the room, connecting various instruments to me. Through my blurry vision, I saw Liam’s bloodshot eyes. “Chloe, hang in there! Your brother’s here!” I grabbed his hand, using my last ounce of strength to press the note into his palm. “Investigate…” One word, and all my energy was gone. I drifted into unconsciousness. When I woke up again, I was in the ICU. Julian Thorne was sitting by my bedside, holding my hand. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked utterly exhausted. Seeing me awake, a flicker of joy crossed his face. “Chloe, you’re awake.” His voice was hoarse, tinged with a hint of lingering fear. If he wasn’t acting, I almost would have believed he genuinely cared. I pulled my hand away, looking at him coldly. “Julian Thorne, you sicken me.” His body stiffened, the expression on his face frozen. “Chloe, I know you’re still angry.” He took a deep breath, attempting to explain. “This time was my fault. I promise, I’ll find you a new heart source as quickly as possible. I will save you.” I looked at him and suddenly laughed. “You save me? How will you save me? By fabricating another lie, by making me wait in vain again?” His face turned grim. “Chloe, what on earth are you talking about?” “Seraphina’s car accident was fake,” I stated, each word clear and deliberate. His pupils abruptly constricted, a flicker of panic in his eyes, quickly masked. “Who told you that? Don’t listen to their nonsense.” “Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know perfectly well.” I stared into his eyes, not missing any subtle change in his expression. “Julian Thorne, what exactly are you after?” He fell silent. After a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and dangerous. “Chloe, some things, you don’t need to know.” He stood up, looking down at me, his gaze as cold as a surgical scalpel. “You just need to remember, you are my wife. Without my permission, you can’t go anywhere, and you certainly cannot die.” He leaned closer, whispering in my ear. His tone wasn’t a lover’s murmur; it was a demon’s pronouncement. A chill ran through me. I finally understood. He wasn’t trying to save me; he was trying to imprison me. This man was a madman.

Liam arrived. He brought the answers I craved. “Seraphina never had a car accident. That day, she just fainted from low blood sugar. The reason Julian rushed over so desperately was because a senior elder in Seraphina’s family had a sudden heart attack and specifically requested him to perform the surgery.” Liam’s voice was filled with anger and disdain. “That elder is the head of the Dubois family, and also the target Julian has been trying to curry favor with.” So, for his career, for currying favor with the powerful, he had unhesitatingly sacrificed me. How ridiculous. I once thought that marrying a doctor would bring me closer to health. But I never imagined that he would be the one to personally push me toward death. “Chloe, let’s go.” Liam’s eyes were filled with an unbearable heartache. “We’ll go abroad. Your brother has already arranged for the best medical team. We won’t beg him anymore!” I nodded, tears silently tracing paths down my face. But we had underestimated Julian Thorne’s shamelessness. As we prepared to leave, he appeared with a group of bodyguards, blocking the hospital room door. “Julian Thorne, what is the meaning of this?” Liam shielded me behind him, glaring at Julian. Julian didn’t look at Liam; his gaze fell directly on me. “Chloe, I told you, without my permission, you’re not going anywhere.” His voice was calm, but the obsession and madness in his eyes were chilling. “Julian Thorne, this is unlawful imprisonment!” Liam trembled with rage. “I am her husband. I have the right to decide her treatment plan.” Julian’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Mr. Maxwell, if you continue to obstruct me, I won’t hesitate to have security escort you out.” The bodyguards behind him took a collective step forward, their presence intimidating. I pulled back the impulsive Liam, looking at Julian, and asked, word by word, “What exactly do you want?” He slowly walked toward me, raising his hand, his cold fingertips brushing my cheek. “I don’t want anything.” His voice was eerily gentle. “I just want you to live, well, and by my side.” I looked into his bottomless eyes, and a terrifying thought surged through my mind. He didn’t want me to live. He wanted me to be unable to live, and unable to die. “You’re insane!” I pushed him away with all my might. But he used my momentum, grabbing my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like my bones would shatter. “Chloe, don’t force my hand.” His voice turned chilling. “I have many ways to make you compliant. You wouldn’t want to find out.” Liam could no longer hold back and threw a punch. The room instantly erupted into chaos. Bodyguards and Liam’s people started to brawl. Julian clutched me tightly, dragging me into his embrace. I struggled desperately, but it was no use. In despair, I saw Liam get hit from behind, collapsing slowly. “Liam!” I let out a piercing shriek, and my vision went black. I lost consciousness again. I was taken back to our matrimonial home by Julian Thorne. Here, it wasn’t so much a home as a luxurious cage, built with money and power.

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My mom kept hounding me to get married. With no other choice, I put on a meek and docile facade. I never expected that a remote blind date would get me noticed by a refined-looking, mixed-race guy studying abroad. He’d been living overseas for years and rarely came home. “I’ll give you a six hundred sixty thousand dollar bride price. No dowry needed. The condition is, you take care of my daughter back home.” He looked composed, yet he spoke so casually about having an illegitimate daughter. I feigned composure, but inside, my heart soared. Rich, a house, and instant motherhood with none of the pain. The marriage was settled immediately. From then on, I was back to my favorite games – Call of Duty, Apex Legends – and racing, with my little shadow in tow, living my best life. Until one day, my expat husband called, asking what talent our daughter could perform at her preschool parent-teacher conference. I looked at the keyboard in front of me: “Maybe… play the… keyboard?” He laughed heartily on the other end, then sent me a media video— A neon race car sped across the finish line. I opened the door, pulled off my helmet, tossed my hair, and flashed a wild grin. “Wife, are you a gentle, docile painter, or a rebellious, flamboyant race car driver?”

I froze first. Then I cleared my throat and said in a saccharine-sweet voice, “All I know is I’m your good wife!” I tried to laugh it off, brushing him away. As I spoke, my eyes darted around: the luxurious decor of the mansion, the top-of-the-line computer setup, and the cabinets full of snacks within reach. This life was pure bliss. I remembered ‘docile’ was one of Jax’s conditions for marriage. My head instantly throbbed. I quickly added, “Honey, you have no idea how scared I get when I drive. I just need your warm chest to comfort me.” “Instead of saying that, why don’t you just come home sooner and be with me?” I whined playfully, my throat constricting from the effort, and immediately hung up. I shook my head, trying to stay calm. This race was just a regional competition. How did Jax get news of it? Unless… I secretly glanced at my four-year-old daughter, who was playing house in a pile of toys. Then, I immediately dismissed the thought. That little girl listened to me more than anyone. If that was the case, how on earth did Jax find out?

A year ago. My mom was relentlessly pressuring me to marry, even going as far as showing up at my racing club, interrupting my regular training. With no other choice, I dyed my hair black, straightened it, put on a dress, and started going on blind dates. In the remote video call, Jax wore gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined and easy to handle. And from the pictures he’d sent, he was one of those guys who looked slim in clothes but muscular when stripped down. He was supposedly an American expat, making extra money working freelance on foreign film sets. His biggest quirk? He had an illegitimate daughter. She was notoriously quiet and had already scared off several nannies. But I was an expert at charming people, and lying didn’t make me bat an eye. I could be a perfect hostess and an amazing cook, not to mention great with kids. Jax was very satisfied with me. He immediately flew back to the States overnight to officially tie the knot. As for my mom, she’d already been blinded by the sheer amount of money. The first day I moved into the mansion, I was mentally prepared. I was afraid that the rumored little terror would jump out from somewhere and attack me. But before I could even knock, a soft, tiny little one walked out from inside.

The little girl’s hair was loose, and her innocent doe eyes stared straight at me. She was wearing loose, pink pajamas. It felt like she was… a little neglected. I frowned. “Chloe, Auntie will make you something delicious, okay?” With that very first sentence, I had the little girl hooked. Jax said she had a strange temper, but all I saw was this tiny pink bundle devouring her food, looking utterly adorable. I fed her meal after meal every day, completely winning her over. However, there was one exception. My thoughts spun back. Chloe had abandoned her toys at some point and stood in front of me, pouting innocently. I smiled, reaching out to pinch her cheek. How could Chloe be the one who leaked it? Jax must have found out from somewhere else. Looks like I need to pay attention to security cameras next time. “Sweetie, are you fussy about bedtime again? Auntie will tuck you in!” It was like a switch had been flipped. The child scurried around the house like a little mouse. She ran and yelled, “Oh no, the witch is coming!” I fought to keep my lips from twitching— “Chloe, why aren’t you being good!” After hearing me, she dug out the toy AK I’d bought her from the toy pile: “Look, a gun!” The little rascal must have loaded a fake bullet without me noticing. “Oof—” It stung when it hit me. I rubbed my forehead, speechless, looking at the way she held the gun. Isn’t this exactly how my Call of Duty trainees hold theirs? Great. If Jax found out I wasn’t just racing, but also teaching his daughter how to “fight” at home… Would he divorce me and demand the bride price back?!

I knelt in front of the little one. “Chloe, you can’t point a gun at your teammates. From today on, the gun is confiscated!” I rarely called her by her full name, and my usual smiling face was gone. The little girl froze, her innocent gaze filled with a mix of curiosity and confusion. I took the gun, but then cut her a small piece of cake. “Sweetie, you need to sleep! You’re still growing.” I patiently wiped the cream from her lips. This child had only one flaw: she hated sleeping. In the first few days I was at Jax’s house, she’d sway from exhaustion but refuse to get into bed. The discomfort of being sleepy made her wail. So, when Jax said the previous nannies couldn’t stand her crying, it wasn’t entirely Chloe’s fault. Because of this, I had to pull out all the stops to coax her to sleep. I read her fairy tales, and she’d say, “Why did the Little Mermaid have to die for the prince? Was he really that handsome?” I put on sleep-inducing cartoons, and she’d say, “Are they mute? Why aren’t they talking?” It wasn’t until I put on a classic old movie that she started to snore before she could even complain. This little one was… interesting. But even classic old movies eventually end, and Chloe wasn’t easy to fool, so I put on a long-running historical drama for her. She slept, alright, but then I started binge-watching shows all night. Everything from historical epics and family sagas to modern romances and thrillers. It was normal for me to love watching them, but as for Chloe— “I’m looking for my dad!” Jax? My expat husband, living it up overseas, how could he appear in a TV show? I pulled Chloe into my arms: “Sweetie, if you miss Daddy, we can FaceTime him.” The child shook her head. “Daddy has to go to heaven and earth, he doesn’t have time to answer the phone.” I raised an eyebrow, my lips twitching. Jax really could say anything, couldn’t he? He should be more realistic when coaxing a child. If he could go to heaven and earth, I’d be the Queen of the World. After that conversation, my gaze softened towards Chloe even more. Her mother was nowhere to be found, and her dad was full of empty promises. As her stepmom, I had to give it my all. My attention to Chloe became almost 24/7. But kids have their secrets too. “Why are you fiddling with your watch and hiding from me?” I teased Chloe, who was crouched in the corner. Her face was full of surprise, one hand covering her smartwatch, the other covering her mouth. She shook her head frantically. Thankfully, I wasn’t interested in uncovering a child’s secrets. It just made me feel even more anxious whenever Chloe left my sight.

My internal clock hadn’t adjusted yet, and by midday, my eyelids were already drooping. “Auntie, why don’t you go sleep?” I waved my hand. “No way. This mansion is too big to leave a kid alone.” “But Daddy said you’d become the biggest danger in the house if you kept getting so little sleep.” I rolled my eyes. “He’s got a sharp tongue, doesn’t he?” “Wait…” Chloe and I stared at each other, her eyes wide. She was clearly flustered. She avoided my gaze. “Daddy calls me sometimes.” “Good for him. He has a great daughter back home, he should call often.” I didn’t think much of it, my drowsiness at its peak. “Sweetie, time for a nap.” The two of us, one big, one small, squeezed onto the pink bed. I quickly drifted off to dreamland. So, I was completely unaware of the rustling sounds coming from the living room outside. Chloe, sleeping beside me, immediately opened her eyes and sat up. Her face was filled with wariness. Two years ago, she was still in a country full of foreigners. Her dad left early and came back late every day for filming. She lived in a big house with her nanny, Amy. One night, she was woken by sounds outside. Peeking through the door crack, she saw Amy and a tall man engaging in highly inappropriate behavior on the dining table. Just then, the front door opened. It was her exhausted father, home at last. Even if her dad could go to heaven and earth, in his fatigued state, he was quickly subdued by the man, who was much taller than him, and the large Amy. In the deep gloom of the night, Chloe, through the door crack, met her struggling father’s gaze. Her dad suddenly stopped resisting. Tears welled in his eyes, and his lips moved, soundlessly mouthing, “Don’t speak.” The two bad people dragged her dad into the garden outside. After a choked scream, hurried footsteps grew closer and closer. Chloe, terrified, scrambled back into bed. In the darkness, Amy and the burly man walked in. Chloe tightly shut her eyes. Only when the footsteps completely faded did Chloe dare to peek out. That night left Chloe with a nightmare, a deep imprint. From then on, she couldn’t sleep, or if she did, she couldn’t sleep deeply. The terror buried deep within her never truly faded. Chloe glanced at me, biting her lip. She tiptoed to the door and immediately locked it. During this time, Chloe’s feelings for me had grown increasingly complex. Her mother had died in childbirth, and the care I gave her was something she had never experienced since birth. My affection came with guidance and education. This time, she didn’t want to be a coward anymore. “Chloe.” A deep male voice sounded from outside the door. Chloe’s face lit up with surprise. She opened the door and threw herself into the man’s arms: “Daddy Jax!” Jax glanced into the room at the sleeping woman. He picked up Chloe and then carefully closed the door. They sat cross-legged on the sunny balcony. Jax carefully examined the little person in front of him. “You’ve put on a little weight, and your hair is tied up properly now!” Jax smiled fondly, feeding a peeled orange segment to Chloe. Chloe smiled sweetly: “Are you really planning on coming back to the States?” “I’m thinking about it.” Jax nodded with a smile. He was currently preparing for Director Alpha’s new film. As the only Asian face in it, and a mysterious character whose identity hadn’t been revealed yet. There was constant speculation about him. If he was lucky, this movie would be his breakthrough work to establish himself in Hollywood. But now… Jax’s gaze shifted to the nearby bedroom door. During these past days, Chloe had been sending him many pictures and videos of his new wife through her smartwatch. Chloe, usually quiet and highly cautious, had, through their daily interactions, been influenced by his new wife and gradually opened up. Compared to her initial dotting wife persona, her dashing and bold appearance on the race track made Jax even more curious. He had worked hard on foreign film sets for years, meeting countless people, but only his new wife’s vibrant energy completely captivated him. As for acting, Jax still had some confidence. “Auntie is very good.” Chloe wrinkled her nose at the sour orange but obediently swallowed it because Auntie said it was rude to waste food. Jax curved his lips into a smile. He nodded. “Yes, she truly is good.” A wave of emotion swelled in his chest. He pulled Chloe into his arms. “Chloe, did you think about the past again?” “Mm…” The little girl’s voice trembled slightly. Jax gently patted her back. “It’s safe at home. For the next week, I’ll be here, and Auntie will be with you too.” While Cassidy napped, Jax went back to the master bedroom to change out of his windbreaker jacket. The hot shower washed away the fatigue of a ten-hour flight and jet lag. As he stepped out of the bathroom, I happened to wake up and walk into the kitchen— “Sweetie, Mom will make you some afternoon snacks, okay?” Chloe, perhaps intentionally, smiled and said yes, without mentioning Jax at all.

After my nap, I felt completely refreshed. I was humming a tune, holding a rolling pin. Suddenly, a man’s low chuckle echoed in my ears. “CLANG—” All my expressions froze on my face. I looked upstairs, bewildered. I squinted, holding the rolling pin, and started walking upstairs. Chloe grabbed my hand. My nerves tightened as I turned to her. “Be a good girl, sweetie. Auntie’s just going to handle something. Don’t be scared!” The sound came from inside the master bedroom. I took a deep breath, gathered my courage, and pushed open the door. The next second, what I saw— Dark skin, broad shoulders, a narrow waist. His massive pecs rose and fell with each breath, and below them, a sculpted eight-pack made my heart pound. I subconsciously swallowed hard. My hand holding the rolling pin went limp. All I wanted to do was yank off that short white towel around his waist. My gaze moved up— “Hon… honey?” Instantly, I felt myself flush crimson from head to toe. After two dry laughs, I turned to leave, but his large hand wrapped around me, pulling me into the bedroom. He held me from behind, his strong body enveloping me. I could clearly feel his heart thumping against my chest. For a moment, it felt like our hearts were beating in sync. “Let go first! Jax, why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” I was a little annoyed at being tricked. But he held me tighter, burying his head in my neck, his warm breath fanning against my collarbone. I couldn’t help but shrink my neck, but then I heard his soft chuckle. “Jax!” I snapped, trying to break free, but he held me in a vice-like grip. Without thinking, I lowered my head and bit Jax’s arm hard. Even his arm was pure muscle; it hurt my teeth. Jax laughed, his voice full of indulgence: “Alright, stop messing around! I just wanted to surprise you.” “Then where’s the gift?” The words popped out before I could stop myself, and I instantly regretted doing something so out of character. Jax smiled and nodded— “Of course, my dear Mrs. Cassidy.” His voice deepened, and he lowered his head, kissing my neck. I couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp. The temperature in the room instantly shot up. Jax exhaled raggedly, as if desperately suppressing something, and finally let go of me completely. His exposed skin was flushed crimson.

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The Prince of the Eagle Clan and the Prince of the Merfolk have come of age. As human princesses, my sister and I are to be married off to form alliances. My sister Willow chose the handsome and gentle Merfolk prince. I married the fierce-looking Eagle prince. A year later, I returned to my homeland triumphantly riding on Hawk’s back. Willow, however, looked pale and frightened as she glanced at Finn. When Willow and I were alone, I saw the wounds on her body. Just as I was about to help her seek revenge, Willow suddenly plunged a dagger into my body. When I opened my eyes again, Willow and I had returned to the day we were choosing our husbands. Before Willow could speak, Hawk eagerly said he wanted to marry her. Willow looked surprised and delighted, hastily agreeing. I raised an eyebrow and smiled. It seems we’ve both returned. Me? I’m an expert at taming beasts! “Aria, Willow, the two princes have arrived. Mind your manners!” a familiar voice called out. I was momentarily confused, then looked towards the cold expression of our father on his throne. In an instant, I understood – I had been reborn! My sister Willow was sitting beside me, muttering to herself. “We’re back! We’re really back! It wasn’t a lie after all!” I calmly picked up the teacup in front of me and took a small sip. How interesting. It seems I have this ungrateful sister to thank for this second chance at life. Willow leaned in close to whisper to me. “Sister, this time I will win Hawk’s love and enjoy all the glory. While you? You’ll be stuck living among stinking fish!” In my past life, Willow had tearfully shown me her injuries, claiming Finn was cruel and violent. She said she was covered in wounds and feared for her life. After all, she was my sister. Out of kindness, I had offered to help “tame” Finn for her. But as I turned away, Willow stabbed me in the back. I looked at her in shock as she pulled out the knife, her face twisted with hatred. She stabbed me again and again, finally slashing across my eyes. I let out an agonized scream. Willow just laughed, grabbing my chin and sneering: “Aria, why should you always be on top? Why should your life be better than mine? Even in death, I want you to suffer horribly.” The feeling of my eyeballs rupturing still lingered. I blinked and looked at Willow. Willow was grinning triumphantly, about to speak again when Hawk and Finn entered together, just like in my past life. Our father then gave his opening speech: “Princes, Aria and Willow are my most exceptional daughters. I will not arrange their marriages for them. Young people should decide such matters for themselves!” As soon as Father finished speaking, Willow eagerly stood up. But before she could say anything, Hawk spoke up, very different from his cold demeanor in my past life: “Princess Willow is beautiful and virtuous. I, Hawk, humbly request Princess Willow’s hand in marriage from Your Majesty!” Willow froze for a moment, then couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. Seeing Father look her way, Willow quickly curtsied. “Father, I also favor the Eagle Prince and am willing to marry him! Besides, my sister is delicate and frail. The Eagle Clan rules the skies and requires great strength. I fear my sister may not be able to handle such a demanding life!” Willow spoke excitedly, not noticing Hawk’s twitching lips as she called me weak and frail. Father nodded approvingly, agreeing with Willow. “Such grace and consideration! Truly befitting a princess!” You senile old fool, isn’t that basically insulting Finn by implying he’s weak? However, Finn still stood there smiling gently as always, though his teeth seemed to gleam a bit brighter. I had to admit, the Merfolk were renowned for their beauty. Finn’s face was truly captivating. When he smiled warmly, it was as if he could steal your soul away. No wonder Willow had fallen for him at first sight in my past life, eagerly choosing Finn before either prince could speak. On the way back to my chambers, Willow caught up to me. “Sister, the Merfolk Prince is so incredibly handsome. You’re so lucky! Though I wonder how long your frail body will last in his bed?” The malice in Willow’s eyes was almost palpable. She seemed eager to see me suffer a miserable fate. I replied with feigned confusion: “Sister, the Merfolk Prince seems very gentle. It’s the Eagle Prince who looks fierce. You should take care to protect yourself!” I truly hoped my sister would protect herself well. It would be a shame if she didn’t survive long enough for me to get my revenge! In my past life, I had married Hawk. He took me to the eagle’s nest high in the mountains. Before I could recover from the dizzying flight, I was overwhelmed by altitude sickness. I was violently ill, my head spinning. To make matters worse, the eagles relieved themselves right off the edge of the cliff. I nearly tumbled off to my death. At first, I couldn’t adapt to the eagle clan’s ways at all. But beast-men aren’t known for being gentle or considerate. The eagles were volatile and quick to anger, especially Hawk as their leader. I suffered greatly in those early days. It took half a year before I grew accustomed to the physical effects of living at such high altitudes. Only then could I begin the process of taming Hawk bit by bit. Long before I knew I would marry into a beast clan, I had begun studying their habits and weaknesses. Whether eagle or merfolk, I needed to know my enemy to survive comfortably. If Willow thought Hawk had a good temperament just because she saw me riding on his back when I returned home, she was in for quite a surprise. Her days would certainly be… eventful. Ever since the great war a thousand years ago, the royal families ruling the sea, land and sky were required to intermarry every hundred years. Though the eagle and merfolk clans were powerful, they had very small populations and struggled to reproduce. Humans may be physically weaker, but we are extremely fertile. The beast clans coveted this trait, which is why they demanded marriages with the human royal family. But since humans have much shorter lifespans than the beast clans, they always wait for the beast princes to come of age before arranging the marriages. This generation, it was Willow’s and my turn. In my past life, I had managed to tame Hawk. This time… well, aren’t merfolk beasts too? Taming beasts is my specialty!

Willow gave me a meaningful look before walking away. Soon, the day arrived for Willow and I to be married. Though we called it a wedding, it really just involved us walking out of the palace gates in red bridal gowns. The rest of the journey would be handled by our respective husbands-to-be. In my past life, as soon as we exited the gates, Hawk had grabbed me and taken flight. By the time we reached the eagle’s nest, I felt like my soul had been scattered to the winds. Then came the suffocating altitude sickness! Now, Willow and I walked along the palace pathway with our future husbands at our sides. Willow suddenly turned to Finn and said sweetly: “Brother-in-law, you must take good ‘care’ of my sister!” Finn blinked at her words, then replied gently: “Of course!” Willow beamed with satisfaction. Well, I couldn’t let that pass unremarked. I looked at Hawk and said: “Brother-in-law, I’ll be very upset if my sister isn’t… happy!” Willow was still smiling smugly, completely missing how Hawk’s body instinctively trembled when I addressed him. “Don’t worry, Princess. I will take good care of the Second Princess,” Hawk replied. Hearing this, Willow looked even more pleased as she strode ahead of me towards the palace gates. By the time I reached the outer gates, Willow and Hawk had already disappeared. I hope my sister’s beautiful black hair has a safe journey! Finn and I took a carriage towards the nearest coastline. Inside the carriage, Finn gazed at me tenderly. Predators are driven by hunger and lust. I was feeling a bit… restless. I shifted closer to Finn, taking his hand in mine. “Husband, you must behave yourself from now on!” If he misbehaves, I might get even more excited. Finn’s usually smiling eyes widened in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected me to act this way. Then his smile broadened, revealing sharp fangs. “My lady, I’m thirsty. You know merfolk can’t be away from water for long!” As he spoke, Finn’s handsome face drew closer to my neck, burying his head there as if in an intimate embrace. I wrapped my arms around Finn. “Thirsty? Let me help you with that!” When I felt a slight pain on my neck, Finn’s body suddenly trembled. He jerked his head up, glaring at me furiously. I raised my hand to his lips, letting drops of blue liquid fall. “Drink up. Your own venom shouldn’t kill you, right?” Finn yanked out the dagger hidden behind his back and tossed it aside. Scales appeared around his ears as his teeth grew even sharper. He was transforming in his anger! Finn’s slender hand suddenly gripped my throat tightly. A wicked smirk played across his lips. “My lady, perhaps I should find out if your blood tastes sweeter?” I managed a strained smile and rasped out: “Go ahead!” There was a sudden squelching sound of a blade piercing flesh. Finn clutched his partially transformed tail in agony. A dagger was firmly embedded in it. I rubbed my sore neck. “My apologies. I prefer blades and always carry a few on me!” Finn held his wounded tail, his fake smile completely gone. The merfolk’s weakness lies in their tails, especially when on land. A wounded tail saps much of their strength. The scales on a merfolk’s tail are extremely tough. Ordinary human weapons can’t easily penetrate them. But everyone has their vulnerable spots! If my aim had been off by even an inch, I might have lost any chance at future “happiness”. “Finn, you won’t dare kill me outright. And if you try to torture me, well, remember I am your mate now.” I glanced meaningfully at his injured lower half. “It would be quite unfortunate if I were to… slip up one day!” Finn stared at me expressionlessly, then resumed his gentle demeanor. The carriage moved swiftly. Soon Finn and I arrived at the coast. After swallowing a water-breathing pearl, I unhesitatingly jumped into the sea with Finn. Perhaps due to the blood from Finn’s wound, we didn’t encounter a single fish on the way to the merfolk palace. The beast clans were incredibly efficient. As soon as Finn and I reached the merfolk palace, the bonding ceremony began. A new water-breathing pearl was hung around my neck. With that, the ceremony concluded. Three days after the bonding, I was to return home and present this new pearl to my father.

But I never expected Willow to return as well, riding on Hawk’s back. Willow clung to Hawk’s arm. Though her face was somewhat pale, she still lifted her chin haughtily when she saw me, deliberately showing off some faint marks on her neck. “Sister, Hawk truly cherishes me so much. We’re blissfully happy now. I think I’ll soon be carrying the next little prince or princess of the Eagle Clan!” Then Willow made a show of looking behind me. “Oh my! Sister, did you come back alone? Where is your husband? Didn’t he accompany you?” Of course, your brother-in-law is recuperating from his injuries! “Sister, you and your husband seem so close. I’m truly, deeply envious!” Willow took my words as genuine jealousy. She turned to Hawk and cooed: “Darling, I’ll give you a child very soon!” Beast-men place great importance on offspring. Hearing Willow say this, Hawk’s gaze towards her grew even warmer. I was rather curious how Willow planned to lay an egg! In my past life, Hawk couldn’t even look at me without his legs going weak, let alone consummate our marriage. I’d never witnessed the egg-laying process. How intriguing! “Sister, when the little eagle prince or princess is ready to hatch, be sure to invite me to watch. I’m so curious how humans lay eggs!” Willow glared at me angrily. “Aria, I swear I’ll have a better life than you this time!” I handed the water-breathing pearl to Father, intending to leave immediately. But thinking of Willow left me feeling unsettled. So I changed course and went to find Hawk instead. When Hawk saw me, he instinctively took half a step back. I mentally rolled my eyes. Just because I plucked all his feathers once, was that any reason to be so afraid of me? “It’s been a while, brother-in-law!” Hawk steadied himself, seemingly remembering this wasn’t his past life. He put on an intimidating front. “Princess Aria, we just saw each other today!” I sat down in a chair, popping a grape into my mouth. “Hawk, the grapes you picked from South Mountain were much sweeter.” Hawk’s expression changed drastically. His pupils dilated as he stared at me. “You… you…” When I returned to the Merfolk, Finn’s wound had almost completely healed. What disappointing news. Fortunately, within three days I received some good news. Willow had fallen from the eagle’s nest. Though Hawk managed to save her in time, she still broke her leg! Trading all his feathers for one of her legs seemed like a fair exchange! I was in a good mood and decided to seek out my absent merfolk husband. I called for a servant girl. “Where is His Highness?” Without even looking up, the girl replied curtly, “Don’t know!” Her tone was full of impatience. How delightful! That evening, as I was enjoying some fish soup, Finn stormed in angrily. He knocked the bowl out of my hands. “Aria, you truly have a heart of venom! Using my clan’s servant girl to make soup – are human princesses really so delicate that my merfolk can’t afford to keep you?” I ladled myself another bowl of soup. “What are you talking about, Your Highness? How could I possibly cook a merfolk servant? This is just ordinary fish. See for yourself!” Finn’s anger subsided slightly as he frowned. “Where is Snow Grace? Why haven’t I seen her?” Ah, so that servant was called Snow Grace. I pointed to a bloodied, lifeless body in the corner. “Snow Grace is right there! You misunderstood me, Your Highness. I don’t eat fish that have gained sentience. It’s unsanitary!” Finn stared at me in disbelief. He suddenly stood up, then immediately collapsed to the ground. I set down my soup and walked over to Finn, clearly seeing the fear growing in his eyes. “I hadn’t planned to kill that servant girl. But she called me a lowly human and spat at me. It would have been remiss not to kill her.” Ever since my mother died, I knew that only by being strong could one avoid being manipulated. Only by inspiring fear could one gain respect. This palace was filled with an incense of my own making. The antidote was hidden in the fish soup. “Your Highness, I’ve heard that every member of the Merfolk has a heart scale. They’re incredibly precious. Is it true that possessing a merfolk’s heart scale allows one to control them?”

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**Chapter One** “Breathing so heavily, aren’t we? How many dicks have you taken?” Julian Vance gripped Elara Thorne’s chin, his body pressing into her, a cruel force. His eyes were dark, simmering with fury. Just a curtain separated us. Outside, the college reunion buzzed with laughter and teasing. “Classic Julian, playing it rough! This girl sounds hot, mind if a few of us have a turn later?” Others chimed in, egging him on. Julian’s voice was lazy, dripping with mockery as he stared at me. “No way. I’m not done with her yet.” “Unless, of course, I get bored.” I bit my lower lip, a scorching wave of hatred washing over me. Julian’s fiancée, Anya Petrova, had drowned herself. He’d sworn I was the one who drove her to it. After that, he’d forced me to marry him, demanding I replace the wife I’d supposedly taken from him. Years into our marriage, Julian had never once acknowledged our relationship publicly. But the ways he found to torment me? They changed all the time. He’d humiliate me without a thought for my well-being, all to avenge his dead saint, Anya. I’d resisted sleeping with him once, and he locked me away for seven days and seven nights. I’d angered his trophy girl, and he’d turned around and leaked my private videos to the media. I refused to break, longing for home every single day, until news came that my parents had been run over and killed by a speeding sports car. Then, to make matters worse, a fire burned my house to the ground, leaving me homeless. To him, I was nothing more than a cheap plaything. The more I suffered, the happier he seemed. Julian watched my humiliated expression, then grabbed my wrist, his eyes sparkling with malice. “Impatient, are we? Just get on your knees and say you love me, and I’ll take back everything I just said.” I stared into his eyes, refusing to utter a single word. Kneel and say I loved the man who’d brought me so much bloody misery? I’d die before I ever did that. Julian just smirked, already used to my guarded demeanor. “Such a tough nut to crack,” he murmured, his fingertip tracing the tear-mole near my eye. “All these years, you’ve never once given in to me. Not even when your parents died did you shed a tear in front of me. You’re truly ruthless.” My eyes were already cold and numb. I endured the humiliation by his side to drag the entire Vance Group down with him, to bury it alongside my parents. But he was always so careful. It took me five agonizing years to find even a faint clue. Just three more days. In three days, I would have all the evidence of his crimes, enough to send him straight to hell. Julian, however, remained completely oblivious. He chuckled. “Your first love is out there, do you want him to see you moaning for me?” He was a madman… My nails dug deep into my palms. Sensing my trembling, Julian’s interest only grew. “Remember how you’d rather die than marry me? You ran out into the pouring rain to beg him, but he was too afraid of the Vance family’s power, so he shut the door in your face.” A playful glint flickered in his eyes, but his voice deepened. “What exactly did you see in him?” Seeing I wouldn’t answer, he leaned in, whispering into my ear. “No answer? Then how about I start a live stream for him? Let him get a good look at his ex-girlfriend enjoying herself under me.” With that, Julian raised his phone. My mind buzzed, then exploded. The accumulated shame and fury finally erupted. My nails raked wildly across his body, desperate to tear him apart. His shirt was loose and open, his exquisite collarbone marred by my messy claw marks, little beads of blood surfacing, a truly shocking sight. Julian’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of irritation darkening his brow. “You’re already married to me, and you still dare to think of him?” Ignoring my struggles, he pinned me beneath him, his actions growing more reckless, his voice a cold, low command. “Scream. Let him hear it loud and clear.” The brutal retaliation rained down on me. My muffled whimpers slowly transformed into uncontrollable moans of arousal, tears streaming down my face from the pain, yet he wouldn’t stop. A mix of shame and rage, I wildly slapped him across the face, my voice trembling, tearful. “Julian Vance, you animal!” He looked at my reaction, utterly satisfied, a cruel smile playing on his lips. Outside, the others finally sensed something was wrong. “Blake, doesn’t that voice sound like your ex-girlfriend, Elara?” **Chapter Two** The mention of Blake Carrington made me reel. Back in high school, local delinquents with dyed hair had whistled and leered at me. They were influential troublemakers in the area. Before, one female student had been assaulted, and the school, wanting to avoid trouble, expelled her. She later jumped to her death. I was terrified. A few of the punks dragged me into an alley, pinning my hands and feet, tearing at my underwear. Passersby ignored my desperate pleas. When I heard the sound of a zipper, I almost despaired. It was Blake Carrington, wearing his blue and white school uniform, who rushed in. He fought them off, almost breaking his arm. That day, he was covered in blood, his chin weakly resting on my shoulder. The proud young man, backlit by the sun, asked me with eyes full of tenderness and sincerity: “My 99th confession, Elara… will you be my girlfriend?” “Blake, you’re such an idiot.” I cried as I said yes, believing I’d found salvation. Our seventeen-year-old secret was him secretly writing “I love you” a thousand times on the flyleaf of my book, it was his profile from under the cherry blossom tree, my gaze lingering a thousand times. After Anya Petrova’s death, Blake was the only one who came to comfort me. He even gave me a fruit wine, disguised as a proposal. I thought I’d found love, a beautiful ending from campus to wedding gown. Who knew Blake had drugged my drink and sold my first time to Julian Vance? That night was the beginning of my nightmare. Later, I learned that he’d pursued me only to make Anya jealous, and the thugs were hired by him, part of a setup. As for the thousand “I love you’s” on the flyleaf of that book? They were love letters written to Anya… After Anya’s death, Blake hated me to his core. So, he feigned a proposal, when in reality, it was all to ruin my innocence. From start to finish, I was just a joke. “Why bring her up? She’s as flat as a board, and stiff as a plank in bed. Boring.” Blake Carrington swirled his wine glass, his lean fingers tapping restlessly. Hearing my name, he clearly looked annoyed. Someone chuckled, “Back then, she was so poor she only ate bread and drank tap water, so she was just underdeveloped. You can’t tell me, Blake, you never felt anything for that seductive face of hers?” “Blake doesn’t lack women, but plenty of brothers have had their eye on her for years, wishing they could get her in bed…” Those words seemed to stir Blake’s memories. He’d seen too many women. My figure held no appeal for him, but my face was undeniably alluring. One glance and his stomach would burn. He frowned, then started walking towards the curtain. The curtain was suddenly yanked open. I instinctively trembled and squeezed my eyes shut. If Julian Vance was a nightmare, Blake Carrington was a wolf in human skin, pretending to be kind but always scheming and exploiting. I’d die before I ever saw him again. The next second, a black suit jacket was draped over me, hiding the numerous hickeys covering my body. Julian pressed me into his arms, his voice mocking. “Well, well, Blake. In a hurry, aren’t we?” Blake’s gaze swept over the messy scene, his face darkening. “You and Anya were best friends. You drove her to her death, and you still have the nerve to do this with her fiancé…” His tone was cold and thin, a flicker of unconcealed disgust in his eyes. “Do you have any conscience left?” I closed my eyes slightly. “I told you, I didn’t force her…” That year, Anya had jumped into the sea. Before she died, she pointed at me, accusing me of stealing Julian Vance, then jumped to her despairing death right in front of me. But I never even liked Julian Vance. Why would I force Anya to die? Blake scoffed. “After her death, you grandly married into the Vance family. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be? And you still have the nerve to show your face at this reunion… Elara, don’t you disgust yourself?” Disgusting. The word was like a knife, plunging deep into my chest, causing a dull ache. After Julian took my first time, Blake had comforted me, full of feigned sympathy. Later, he indulged his appetite, whispering countless intimate words to me in hotel beds. Now, he called me disgusting. Perhaps Julian noticed the fleeting hurt in my eyes. His brow raised in amusement. “She’s my wife. Is it for an outsider like you to decide if she’s disgusting or not?” “You…” Blake’s face turned ashen, and he spun around and left. Julian, however, seemed to be in a good mood. He carefully covered me up, then personally carried me back to his latest Rolls-Royce. In the car, Julian’s fingers grazed my lips, then pressed down hard. “Your first love didn’t save you. Disappointed?” I closed my eyes, expressionless, unwilling to respond. Julian wasn’t satisfied. He bit my earlobe, his voice low. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll do it right here in the car. It’ll be a nice show for all the passersby.” People were coming and going all around us. I snapped my eyes open. “You’re insane!” **Chapter Three** Perhaps my tone was too agitated. Julian’s lips curved slightly, playing with my hair. “Just kidding, why so tense?” His voice was unusually gentle. He ran his fingers through my hair. “I’m not happy with your behavior today. I have some company matters to deal with, so go home, be a good girl, get cleaned up, and wait for me. I’ll be back later to keep you company.” Every time he wanted to punish me, he’d use every means to make me submit. Recalling those details, a wave of nausea washed over me. My gaze was cold as I said, “I’m not feeling well.” Julian’s expression subtly tightened. He brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. “I have tens of thousands of your private videos.” My face paled, my nails digging deep into my palms. Back then, Julian, to retaliate against me and ensure I couldn’t escape the Vance family, had recorded tens of thousands of intimate videos during countless nights—thousands of gigabytes, all stored on his computer. “Don’t look at me like that,” Julian loosened his tie. His black suit made his legs look exceptionally straight and long, and his eyes held a playful, unreadable smile. “Otherwise, I’ll think you’re inviting me right now.” His tone was incredibly suggestive. I bit down, straightened my messy collar, then got out of the car and hailed a taxi. Soon. My nails dug deeper into my palms. Soon, I would have collected all the evidence, sent Julian Vance to prison, and started a new life somewhere else. I opened my phone and suddenly saw an anonymous post. [Documenting the 99th humiliation plan: Making the heartthrob publicly humiliate his best friend at a party, embarrassing her in front of her ex-boyfriend!] The poster claimed she had a crush on a guy in high school, but he fell for her best friend. In a fit of rage, she found a corpse and faked her own suicide by jumping into the sea. Afterward, the heartthrob was filled with regret and married the best friend, tormenting her for five agonizing years. Just as the heartthrob grew disheartened, the poster went to the hospital, got plastic surgery to become her own double, and made the heartthrob avenge his “dead” self, orchestrating a “hundred humiliations plan.” As soon as he completed a hundred plans, she would accept his proposal. The contents of these plans were practically dog training, including but not limited to locking her best friend with chains for seven days and seven nights, recording thousands of gigabytes of private videos, and so on. Even more absurdly, the heartthrob actually carried out each one. The more I read, the tighter my brows furrowed. My heart pounded as I scrolled to the top and saw the latest post, uploaded five minutes ago. It included a picture of a girl in a white dress, smiling sweetly at the screen. That face was nine-tenths identical to the deceased Anya Petrova! And the content of the latest post was: [Documenting the 100th humiliation plan: Getting the heartthrob to abandon his wife to celebrate my birthday. Another day of being a little princess~] A sudden chill swept over me, my mind in turmoil, but I instinctively denied my suspicions. No way. It must be another one of Julian’s sick jokes. When Anya died, I had seen her body with my own eyes, bloated from the water. The birthmark on her shoulder couldn’t have been wrong. I stared intently at the address on the post, then told the driver in a low voice, “To the Imperial Luxury Hotel.” The car sped towards the opulent hotel. The lobby was grand and magnificent, illuminated like daytime by dazzling crystal chandeliers, filled with wealthy and renowned figures. I stared at the scene before me, stunned. The two men who had seemed at odds at the party—Julian Vance, CEO of Vance Group, and Blake Carrington, a powerful socialite—now stood beside a woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Anya Petrova. Under the soft lighting, the noble and unruly Julian Vance inclined his head slightly, personally placing a silver tiara on Anya’s head. Beside him, Blake Carrington knelt on one knee, gently placing crystal shoes worth hundreds of millions on her feet. It was exactly like a scene from a romantic drama. Julian handed her an exquisite crystal bottle, his usually stern eyes softening a few degrees. “For you. Happy birthday.” Anya gasped. “This is the aurora sample I mentioned offhand last time, Julian. How did you get it?” Julian chuckled softly. “Knew you liked it. Saw it at an auction and just picked it up.” Only I knew he was lying. Such a rare, priceless item could only be found in the deepest parts of the polar regions, a place even professional exploration teams dared not venture. That day, Julian had traveled to the Arctic alone, nearly losing his life. When he was rushed to the ICU upon his return, he was still clutching that crystal bottle tightly. Looking at that aurora crystal bottle, my heart twisted inch by agonizing inch. Julian, such an arrogant and cold man, would only ever risk his life for one woman. “Thank you, Julian.” Anya deliberately rubbed against Julian’s neck, deliberately exposing a white molar-shaped birthmark on her shoulder. The expression, the tone, and the shape of that birthmark—they were identical! The ironclad evidence became the last straw that broke the camel’s back. I could barely stand. I stumbled forward, gathering every ounce of strength to walk over to Anya Petrova. Julian finally noticed me, his gaze unperturbed, showing no awkwardness at being caught. I opened my mouth, my voice trembling as I asked, “Who is she?” He raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his face. “What answer do you want to hear?” “Julian Vance, is she…” My eyes reddened. I took a deep breath, then choked out the question, “Is she Anya Petrova?” Julian seemed genuinely surprised. No matter how much humiliation I suffered in the past, I never shed a single tear. Not even when my parents died did I bat an eye. But now, my entire body was trembling. Seeing my red eyes, he raised an eyebrow. “No.” “She’s not Anya,” Blake Carrington subtly stepped in front of Anya, his brow furrowed. “Elara, have you forgotten? Anya was killed by you long ago.” I had seen with my own eyes Anya “die” in front of me. Back then, Anya and I were the best of friends. After she drowned, I carried a crushing guilt for five years. Every night I closed my eyes, I’d dream of Anya’s desperate, helpless gaze. But now, the face from my memories merged with the face of the woman before me. Anya’s red lips curved slightly, and she smiled sweetly. “Hi, I’m Anya, Anya as in ‘Anya rising’ if you know what I mean, big sister.” **Chapter Four** Anya Petrova, Anya. Just an elaborate fake death scheme. I suddenly felt like a complete joke. My best friend, my husband, my ex-boyfriend—all of them had conspired together to weave this massive web of revenge, tormenting me until I was a walking corpse, wishing for death.

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When I got my second chance at life, the first thing I did was scatter my husband’s ashes. In my last life, he faked his death, leaving his ‘orphan’—his younger brother’s son—in my care. He told me to treat his family, a supposedly widowed sister-in-law and her nephew, well. I worried my daughter, Lily, wasn’t sharp enough to make her own way, and I thought maybe the nephew could look out for her if she couldn’t find a partner. So, I agreed to his dying wish. For Kyle, I gave up the secure job I’d worked hard and paid so much to get, and I emptied out our family savings to help Kyle and his wife settle in the city. Years passed. They rose through the ranks to become high-ranking officials. I took Lily, hoping they’d give her a stable job. But Dean, my supposedly dead husband, appeared at their office. He ordered Kyle to kick my daughter to the ground. “I thought you’d changed,” he sneered. “That you weren’t the desperate village woman who clung to me for a chance to move to the city anymore. But no, you’re still the same, trying to scheme for that worthless dead weight!” He instantly had us thrown out. To keep up his good name, he even forced Lily into a remote, abusive marriage as a second wife to Old Man Riley, deep in the mountains. I was so enraged, my old illness flared up, and I collapsed and died right there on the street. When I opened my eyes again, I was back—the day Dean faked his death.

“Oh, Dean, what are Lily and I going to do without you?” I dragged Lily, and we scattered all the ashes into the river. I turned to see Melody, teeth clenched, panting with barely controlled fury. She’d been waiting at the hospital for ages, expecting me to take the ashes to a proper burial site. She never thought I’d just come straight to the river, not even letting her see Dean one last time. “Big Brother Dean died because of you! How could you just throw his ashes into the river like that?!” Those were her *ex-husband’s* ashes! Melody had dug them up just to trick me, wanting me to re-bury them. But I’d just tossed them away, and she was livid. Still, she managed to rein in her anger and dragged out her son, Kyle. “Big Brother Dean always said you were such a good wife, but you’d do something like this, throwing his ashes away? How can I possibly trust you with my child?!” Dean hadn’t been able to entrust Kyle to me, so she had to step up herself. She pulled out a will from her pocket and tried to shove it into my hand. I immediately slapped it away. “I can’t read. And Dean never mentioned having any kids while he was alive. Don’t try to play your dirty tricks on me.” I turned to leave, but Melody panicked. She lunged, grabbing a fistful of my hair. “I’m Big Brother Dean’s sister-in-law! And Kyle is the only male heir to the family name! How dare you refuse to care for him? Get out of Big Brother Dean’s house, now!” “Who are you telling to get out? Say that again, I dare you!” Without another word, I rolled up my sleeves, ready to settle all the scores from my past life. But Leo, the man who’d brought Melody to find me, stepped in front of me. “No one jokes about a dead man, Jade,” he said. “Melody really is Dean’s distant sister-in-law. Everyone at the hospital and the factory knows it. Dean didn’t tell you because he didn’t want you to be burdened.” Leo had saved my life once. In my last life, I listened to his every suggestion, raising Kyle by hand until he was an adult. But I never knew he and Dean had been deceiving me for twenty-eight years! “Distant sister-in-law or not, I’m not raising anyone!” I yelled. “I’m a widow just trying to keep my daughter fed, waiting for a job assignment from the county. I don’t have time to babysit some dead man’s dead weight!” Melody’s face went scarlet. “Who are you calling dead weight? I’m a city girl from a sophisticated background! How dare you call me dead weight?!” Just as we were about to start fighting again, Leo pointed a finger at me, scolding, “Jade! You and Dean were married! No matter how tough things are, you can’t let his sister-in-law suffer!” He dragged me to the river, making me look at the ashes I’d just scattered. “Factory Manager Dean always cherished you above all else,” he said, his voice softening. “He’d worked so hard to get those special holiday dessert tickets, but he didn’t keep a single one for himself, making sure you and Lily had all the treats. And every month, he handed over every penny of his hundred-dollar salary the moment he got it. Now that Dean is gone, it’s only right that you look after his sister-in-law.” Leo gently patted my shoulder, speaking earnestly. “I know you adore Lily, but no matter how well you treat her, she’s still a girl. She’ll marry into another family one day. Melody has brought a boy, a son, into your life. If you take good care of him, you’ll honor Dean’s memory and ensure you have someone to rely on in your old age.” Suddenly, a dull thud came from behind me. I spun around to see Kyle squeezing Lily’s throat, his hands wrapped tightly around her neck. “You worthless dead weight! You money pit!” “While you and your mom were hauling sewage on a barge, my mommy, daddy, and I were eating mooncakes on a pleasure cruise! Do you even know what a mooncake is, you pathetic bumpkin who’s never even seen a movie!” I’d worked on boats for years, always slow to hear news from the county. If Leo hadn’t let it slip, I would have spent my whole life never knowing the truth. Dean had told me the factory was struggling, but for years, he’d actually been the factory manager, earning ten of the largest bills every single month. Ten of the largest bills. That money could have kept Lily from going to bed hungry. It could have saved me from wearing rags on the boat, freezing to death in the damp wind. All these years, through two lifetimes, he never told me the truth. Thinking of those days of meticulously budgeting every five dollars, I delivered a stinging slap across Melody’s face.

“Kyle is your and my husband’s bastard, isn’t he?! You shameless homewrecker, you stole my husband’s money and then you have the nerve to ask me to raise your child?! You’ve got some nerve!” I swore I would rip their smug faces apart, but Leo stopped me again. “Jade, Jade, calm down.” I wouldn’t listen. “Give me back my money! That’s my money, and my daughter’s money!” “Dean ate my food, drank my water. I even had to borrow money to buy him underwear fabric! How dare he give all his money to Melody?!” “When my daughter was burning with fever and turned stupid because I couldn’t afford her medicine, that vixen was probably cozying up in the same bed with Dean, you heartless monster! Why didn’t you just die with him?!” The grievances of two lifetimes finally erupted in that single scream. I couldn’t help but sob, expecting Leo to help me get my revenge. Instead, he raised his hand and slapped me twice. “Try cursing Melody again, I dare you!” he spat. “To say such filthy things over a bit of money—how could Factory Manager Dean have married such a selfish lunatic like you?!” Leo’s disgusted tone shocked me. He and I had worked on boats together. Since I was fifteen, he had been my most respected mentor. What was Melody to him? How dare Leo, like Dean, treat me this way for some stranger?! Leo’s face showed no hint of remorse. He turned, picked up Kyle, and placed him in the three-wheeled cart. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law. Dean was my good brother. If this ungrateful wretch Jade won’t help, I’ll look after you for Factory Manager Dean!” Melody smiled and thanked him. Leo helped her into the cart. Before leaving, he tossed a bundle of miscellaneous vouchers and ration coupons down the embankment. “If you won’t even help a dead man, don’t ever call me master again! I don’t have a cold-blooded apprentice like you!” He had thrown away the money and vouchers I’d given him to help me find a job. The official job placement letter he’d secured for me was tucked into Melody’s pocket. He looked at her with doting eyes. “This is the best factory in our county. Dean and I used to work there. If you need anything, everyone will be happy to help.” His words struck me. I suddenly realized that everyone knew. The doctors at the health clinic, the workers at Dean’s old factory—they all knew. They knew Dean was cheating, they knew his death was suspicious, yet they turned a blind eye. Not one of them told me the truth. And here I was, foolishly crying over his death, willing to sell my own blood, just to protect his belongings. Kyle, whom I had raised by hand in my previous life, sat in the cart, laughing hysterically, clutching his stomach as he watched Lily chase after the scattering vouchers, stumbling down the hillside. Melody’s face beamed with triumph. “Trash is trash, no matter how hard they try to climb. You and your daughter, you’ll always be beneath us.” I picked up stones and hurled them at the three-wheeled cart, screaming, “Dean’s crappy factory won’t last! Your worthless son will never amount to anything!” “Melody, just you wait! You and those two monsters from the family—none of you will have a good ending!” “One day, I’ll make you beg me, on your knees, to pick up every single one of those vouchers you threw away today!” I cried, hugging Lily tightly, watching yet another one of my closest friends abandon me. My heart was ripped to shreds. Lily wiped the fresh scrapes on her knees and carefully handed me each retrieved voucher. “I’m here, Mama. Don’t be scared. I’ll never leave you.” Her bright eyes reflected all my cowardice. I held my daughter close, vowing that this would be my last hysterical cry before I succeeded.

After sending Lily to the county boarding school, I brought out all of Dean’s clothes, pants, and the mahogany furniture he’d custom-made. “Half-new, plus a sturdy vintage bicycle! Come take a look!” People were drawn in, but before they could ask too many questions, Leo shouted at them. As the new factory manager, he was trying to make a show of support for Melody, inviting everyone to the most expensive restaurant in the county. “What are you doing here? These are Dean’s things! How dare you drag them out into the street to sell?!” Leo frowned, rummaging through my makeshift stall. He stopped cold when he saw a Hero fountain pen. “You’re selling this pen? Don’t you remember it was a gift Dean gave you on his first day assigned to the countryside?” I stared at the crowd pressing around my stall. For some reason, the bum at the back of the line looked suspiciously like Dean, who was supposedly dead. Was he following Melody to the factory, even in his fake death, just to protect her from potential trouble? I scoffed internally. What a devoted husband. “To put food on the table, I even sent Lily away. What’s so precious about a dead man’s belongings that I can’t sell them?” Many county leaders were nearby. If I blurted out that Dean was having an affair with Melody, she could easily accuse me of slander. I had more important things to do. Lying about selling my daughter would also make them less likely to target Lily. “Dean just died, and you’re already rushing to sell your daughter and his things? Even a brothel madam wouldn’t be as heartless as you!” The bum at the back of the line scoffed, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, making everyone around him start to murmur. “Who acts like this as a wife? Factory Manager Dean just died, and she’s already rushing to divide the property. Does she think she won’t live to see tomorrow?” “The new factory manager said she’s just jealous of her husband and his sister-in-law, that’s why she’s doing this to be spiteful. Such a rotten heart, no wonder she could only give birth to a worthless dead weight.” Leo cleared his throat, waiting for the crowd to quiet down. “You can sell them, but you have to give half the money to Melody.” “She came all the way from the city. Dean is gone, so she’s rightfully entitled to half of the things in his house.” “Exactly,” the bum at the back of the line said. “Anyway, you can’t have any more children, so why don’t you just give all the money to Melody? Let her raise her son properly. Maybe he can even become a top scholar for the family name.” I sneered, picking up a teapot and smashing it on the ground. The crowd gasped. I then picked up the fountain pen and threw that down too. “Don’t you all think I’m disloyal for selling my dead husband’s belongings? Fine then! I’ll just smash it all and burn it for Dean, so he’ll remember how good I was to him down there!” The boisterous crowd instantly fell silent. Melody, having enjoyed the show, came out smiling to smooth things over. “Sister-in-law still hasn’t gotten her job assigned, and Big Brother Dean is gone. She finally had a daughter, but even Lily has been sent away.” “She’s tormented herself into looking like an eighty-year-old just to put food on the table. How could I possibly ask her for money?” She placed her almost-empty jar of vanishing cream in my hand, her fair, soft fingers pulling out a brand new, crisp hundred-dollar bill. “I’m sorry, sister-in-law, I don’t have anything smaller.” “Please, help me clean the pen and figure out how much change you owe me.” I heard the bum behind me let out a mocking chuckle. Without a word, I handed her the pen and the bill. Melody, not getting the reaction she wanted, looked disappointed and walked away with Leo. The bum, who had been dogging their every step earlier, stayed behind. He picked up the suit jacket with red embroidery and examined it closely. “You recognized me, didn’t you? How did you know I wasn’t dead?” He pulled down his scarf and, without waiting for my answer, continued, “While the things haven’t been sold yet, take Melody and Kyle home and treat them well. When I’m done with my business and come back, I might even be magnanimous enough to pay you a nanny fee.” “But if you keep being this stingy, haggling over every penny, then your husband will truly be dead. No matter what happens to you and Lily, I won’t come back to look at either of you again!” I snatched a needle from my sewing kit on the table and jabbed it into his palm. Grabbing his arm, I burst out laughing. “You’d better be dead, Dean! Otherwise, I’ll make Melody pay back every single cent of the money you gave her for five years!”

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My brother Michael was in a terrible car accident on his way to meet me for drinks. His body was never found. When my wife Sophia heard the news, she slapped me hard across the face. Gripping my neck, she screamed in anguish, “I married you, but you still couldn’t leave him alone! Why? Why couldn’t it have been you who died instead!” Years later, I was working late one night when a serial killer started stalking me. As I held my breath, desperately trying not to be discovered, Sophia’s sudden phone call shattered the silence. She immediately launched into a tirade: “It’s so late, why aren’t you home yet? Are you dead somewhere? Or are you planning to get someone else killed?” I had no chance to respond before the killer’s knife plunged into my body. Later, I was dismembered, my bones dissolved in acid and scattered across the wilderness. When Sophia was called in to examine the remains, she didn’t even recognize me. It wasn’t until Michael returned with his new girlfriend, eight years his junior, that Sophia finally realized those scattered remains were mine. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. But it was all too late. 0

Sophia, a forensic pathologist, was urgently called back to the police station late one night. “Sophia, this murder case is extremely brutal,” said the gruff man speaking. I recognized him as Chief Zhang from the police department. “The victim was killed and their remains scattered across the city. We’ve only found partial remains so far. We need you to try to identify the victim from the bones.” Sophia nodded solemnly and opened the body bag. As soon as it was unzipped, a strong smell of decay filled the examination room. Inside were fragments of human bones. My bones. Seeing this, Chief Zhang frowned and cursed, “That bastard! Not only did he kill him, he dissolved the flesh too!” He clenched his jaw, clearly struggling to contain his anger. Sophia calmly nodded and began sorting through the bag. She didn’t recognize me. I suppose I can’t blame her – I was barely more than a pile of bones at that point. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how she would react if she knew those were my bones. Would she cry? Or laugh? Probably the latter. After all, she hated me to my very core. All because of my dead brother Michael, who had once been the love of her life. Chief Zhang patted her shoulder. “I’ll leave you to it then, Sophia.” Soon, my bones were laid out on the examination table. Looking at my shattered remains, Sophia’s eyes reddened. “This bastard! Not only are the bones in pieces, even the flesh was dissolved!” After three years, this was the first time she had shed tears over me. As time passed, a skeletal framework gradually took shape. Chief Zhang pushed his glasses up his nose and said gravely, “I’m over 50 years old, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a cruel method of murder.” Sophia placed the final bone, her voice filled with righteous anger: “Indeed! This method is absolutely vicious! We must bring the killer to justice and give the victim justice!” As she spoke, she unconsciously clenched her fists. Sophia took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing: “Not only that, I’ve discovered something else.” “The victim’s flesh was dissolved while they were still alive, until they lost consciousness. Only then did the killer slowly dismember the bones.” “Based on the wear on the bones, I can determine that…the victim was still alive when the killer began dismembering them.” “I’ve also estimated the bone age – the victim was likely around 28 years old.” “Most of the victim’s bones are here now, only the left hand is still missing.” Chief Zhang inhaled sharply. Despite his years of experience, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “That fucking animal! I’ll skin him alive when we catch him!” Then he noticed something about the skull. There was a small indentation. It was an old injury I had sustained years ago. He made a small sound of surprise. “Sophia, doesn’t this skull look familiar? Like Jack’s?” To my surprise, Sophia scoffed at his words. “Ha, if only it really was him. That would be great.” Chief Zhang pressed his lips together, seemingly at a loss for words. Sophia continued her tirade: “That beast deserves to die for killing his own brother!” Hearing those words, my heart felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of knives. Even the acid that had dissolved my flesh couldn’t compare to a fraction of this pain. I had hoped that, given our years of marriage, she might speak a little more kindly of me. But no. Instead, she wished for my death every single day. “Sophia, you were married after all…” Chief Zhang started to speak, trying to defend me. Sophia’s eyes widened as she shouted angrily: “Married? What good is being married?” “If he hadn’t insisted on going drinking with his brother, how could Michael have died in that car accident?” “If it weren’t for him, how could our happy family have lost someone!” 0

Seeing Sophia so adamant, Chief Zhang didn’t argue further. I knew Michael’s death had always been Sophia’s deepest wound. Because Michael had been the love of her life. Michael knew he didn’t love her, so he rejected her advances. That’s how I got the chance to pursue her. But after Michael died, everything changed. Sophia cursed me as a murderer, the one who killed Michael. She demanded I give my life in exchange for his! She slapped me over and over, until my mouth was bleeding and teeth were falling out, but it still wasn’t enough to satisfy her rage. “Tell me! Why wasn’t it you who died instead of Michael?!” Sophia gripped my throat tightly, like a vicious monster. “You won’t speak? If you don’t, I’ll kill you myself!” Yes, I wondered the same thing. Why was it Michael who died, and not me? If it had been me, I wouldn’t have had to endure all this suffering! Chief Zhang sighed heavily. “Sophia, don’t be like this. Michael is gone, Jack needs to stay safe and well.” Sophia clenched her fists, saying coldly, “If he were gone too, that would be justice served!” Chief Zhang shook his head and turned to leave. The woman I once loved more than anything now wished for my death. To say it didn’t hurt would be a lie. Just then, Sophia’s assistant walked in. He was holding a scrap of paper, stained with blood and mud. On it, barely legible, were the words: “Peach Blossom Gardens Purchase Contract” So I had been clutching that contract tightly when I died. I remembered – it was for the house I had bought to please her. A 3000 square foot beachfront condo. $300,000 down payment, $8000 monthly mortgage payments for 30 years. I had used up all my savings, just to see her smile. But she had only nodded and said dismissively, “This is what you owe me!” Sophia merely glanced at it and said flatly, “Mm, put it in an evidence bag.” Didn’t she recognize that Peach Blossom Gardens was the home I had bought for her? When we first got married, I was broke. Sophia’s biggest dream was to live in a beachfront home of our own. So I worked day and night at the company, putting in overtime, all to make her dream come true. “Thank you, honey. We’ll have our own home someday!” she would say tenderly whenever I worked late. But after Michael died, everything changed. The woman who once loved me became the one who hated me most. I watched helplessly as that contract was sealed away in an evidence bag, my heart aching. Oh Sophia, you missed your best chance to recognize me. After finishing up in the lab, she leaned back in her chair to rest. She frowned as she checked her phone, finding no messages from me. It irritated her. After all, before this, I would send her dozens of caring messages every day. Even though her only response was usually a curt “Mm.” She gripped her phone, scrolling up through our chat history. Finally stopping at my last desperate plea for help. “Sophia, save me!” Sophia’s face twisted in disgust as she spat on the ground. “Jack is such a liar! First he gets his brother killed, and now he dares to send this kind of message to trick me!” She scowled as she blocked and deleted my contact. But Sophia, don’t you know that once you delete me, you can never add me back? 0

A commotion outside caught everyone’s attention. “I need to file a report! I need to file a report!” Hearing the voice, Sophia got up and went out. I looked closer – it was my coworker Emily! Pretty and kind-hearted, always helpful to everyone. She looked very distraught, hands on her hips as she caught her breath. “What’s going on?” Chief Zhang handed her a glass of water. “Officer, my coworker Jack has gone missing!” Emily exclaimed. “He’s usually at the office by 6 AM, but today he wasn’t there even at 10. He’s not answering calls or messages either!” “He’s such a diligent worker, he would never skip work without a reason. Something must have happened!” She rambled on anxiously. Seeing how worried she was made my nose tingle with emotion. She was the first person to be so concerned about my disappearance. Thank you, Emily. To my surprise, Sophia became enraged hearing Emily’s words. “Who are you to Jack? How do you know him so well?!” Emily was taken aback. “Jack is just my coworker…” Sophia glared at her, breathing heavily as she shouted, “Coworker? More like his mistress, I bet!” “Whether he shows up to work or not is none of your business! He’s MY husband, what right do you have to interfere?” Emily’s face turned red from the verbal assault. “You…you’ve misunderstood!” Sophia waved her hand dismissively, telling Emily to leave. “Let me tell you, Jack isn’t missing. He’s just hiding to upset me. If you file another false report, I won’t be so nice!” Emily was forced out. As the door closed, I saw her eyes glistening with tears. I wanted to run after her, but there seemed to be an invisible wall in front of me. I tried to follow, but was bounced back. I tried again, only to be repelled once more. Emily wasn’t my mistress at all – she was the kindest, most considerate girl in the office! She would bring me stomach medicine when I had digestive issues. She would teach me unreservedly when I got stuck on a project. To me, she would always be that warmhearted girl! I followed Sophia as she hailed a cab after work. The destination was a cemetery on the outskirts of town. Sophia was holding a large bouquet of chrysanthemums. “Michael, I’ve come to see you,” she said to a gravestone. It was Michael’s cenotaph. After Michael’s fatal accident years ago, his body was never found. Sophia had broken down, gathering scraps of his clothing from the scene and insisting on burying them in the cemetery. From that day on, my good days were over. Every month on this day, Sophia would drag me here to repent. “Now, go repent to Michael!” she would command coldly. If I showed the slightest reluctance, she would take her scalpel and cut a gash in my arm. So I had to wear long sleeves year-round to hide the scars. I remember one time, there was a fierce windstorm. As bad luck would have it, my stomach condition flared up too. Sharp pains stabbed through my abdomen as large beads of cold sweat formed on my forehead. But she was relentless, still forcing me to the cemetery. The rain had washed debris and thorny branches down the hillside. Seeing the state of things, I hesitated. “Sophia, can I not kneel today?” I asked timidly, fighting through the pain. Sophia angrily knocked the umbrella from my hand, yelling: “This is nothing! You want to run away already? Don’t forget, you owe Michael your life, you murderer!” I stood there helplessly, letting the heavy raindrops pelt my face. “Sophia, I’m not feeling well today…just this once, please?” I begged, dropping to my knees. 0

But she just silently took out a scalpel from her bag. “Do you think you have any right to negotiate? Don’t make me get nasty.” Before I could react, she kicked the back of my knees hard. “Thud!” I collapsed to the ground. Instantly, rocks and thorns dug into my knees. It was an excruciating, searing pain. My stomach churned violently, the agony almost unbearable. I tried to slowly stand up, fighting through the pain. Sophia coldly pressed the scalpel against the crook of my arm. “You know the consequences of trying to bargain, don’t you?” An icy chill ran deep into my bones. Without blinking, Sophia slashed my arm over and over. New wounds overlapped old scars, a horrifying sight. Gritting her teeth, she drove the scalpel deep into my flesh. “Click…click…” I could even feel the blade scraping against bone. “Ahh!” I bit down hard, trying to stifle my cries. One cut. Two cuts. Carving into living flesh and bone – it was nothing short of torture. Finally, I passed out in the cemetery. But Sophia just left. She didn’t look back. Blood loss and hypothermia caused me to go into shock on the ground. As I lost consciousness, all I saw was her retreating back. And her cold warning: “Since you want to play dead for sympathy, just stay here then! Better if you actually die!” Resolute and merciless. It reminded me of when we first got together. Sophia had been gentle and sweet, often cuddling up to me. Back then, I thought I must be the luckiest man in the world. But I was wrong. The woman I had cherished now wanted me dead! I wanted her love too. I wanted the sweet, normal marriage other couples had. But I didn’t deserve it. I was just the sinner who got his brother killed. I would never deserve love in this lifetime. Just when I thought I was going to die, the old cemetery caretaker found me. Seeing my condition, his eyes filled with sympathy. “Oh dear, what happened to you, young man?” “Does it hurt?” At the hospital, he grasped my hand. “Son, should I call the police for you?” I shook my head. “Thank you for your kindness, sir. But this is my own sin to bear.” In the end, I dragged my battered body out of the hospital. Because I knew I still had to work overtime, still had to buy Sophia her dream beachfront home. As soon as I walked in the door at home, Sophia kicked me hard. Blood rushed to her head as she waved a phone in my face. “You bastard, are you trying to humiliate me?!” She clenched her jaw, looking ready to eat me alive. “Now you’ve even gone to the police? I’m telling you, it’s useless no matter how many reports you file. Everyone at the station is on my side.” “As long as I don’t kill you myself, no one can touch me!” Another kick landed, making me feel like my internal organs had been scrambled. I curled up on the floor, unable to move. Sophia, I don’t want to humiliate you. I just want you to love me… One kick wasn’t enough to satisfy her rage. So she started aiming for my head instead. “You killed Michael, and now you’re trying to ruin me too?” “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” That’s how the dent in my skull was formed. Even as she kicked me until my head was cracked and bleeding, I never blamed her one bit. Sometimes I would even fantasize that once she got her anger out, things would get better. But I died. I died the day I signed that home purchase contract. The happy little family that was supposed to be ours would never exist now. “Mom, Dad, today is the anniversary of your passing.” Hearing Sophia’s voice snapped me back to the present. She had already walked around to the other side of the cemetery, standing before two gravestones. Only then did I remember – today was also my parents’ death anniversary. She laid down the paper money and chrysanthemums. “A few years ago, Jack killed Michael – his own brother!” “He’s a monster! He destroyed our whole family!” She clenched her fists, face contorted with anger. But now I’m dead too. Shouldn’t that count as a life for a life? “Long time no see, sister-in-law.” Michael’s familiar voice came from behind. Sophia turned around in disbelief. “Is that…is that really you, Michael?” Michael nodded. Next to him stood a young woman with a delicate face. The paper money scattered from Sophia’s hands as she stepped forward, wanting to confirm it was really him. “It really is Michael! You’re back!” Michael uncomfortably took a step back. “Yes, I’m back.” “I came to pay respects to Mom and Dad on their death anniversary.” By now Sophia had lost all composure, moving to embrace him. Large tears rolled down her face as she broke down sobbing. “You’re back…I thought you were dead…oh god…” The young woman finally stepped forward to intervene. “It’s been a while, sister-in-law! I’m Michael’s wife, Rose.” Hearing this, Sophia froze in place. “You’re…Michael’s wife?” She couldn’t understand why Michael had returned with a wife. The atmosphere instantly became tense. Michael finally sensed the awkwardness and changed the subject: “Where’s Jack? Why isn’t he here for Mom and Dad’s death anniversary?” 04 At the mention of me, Sophia’s expression changed back to one of utter disgust. “Him? Who knows where he’s off fooling around now!” Michael nodded, not asking any further. But I’m not off fooling around – I’m right here beside you! Sophia shifted the topic back to Michael. “But weren’t you in a car accident years ago?” Michael sheepishly scratched his head. “That was actually just a ruse for me to disappear.” “Back then, I owed money to some loan sharks and was being hunted down by enemies. I had no choice but to fake my death.” Hearing this, I felt my blood run cold. A sense of helpless anguish welled up in my chest. All those years of kneeling and repenting in the dirt. The searing pain of the scalpel cutting to the bone. The endless self-loathing and guilt. All of it had been for nothing. A cruel joke. Sophia was stunned. Perhaps she was realizing she had wronged me all this time? But it was far too late now. I was already dead! In an instant, her demeanor changed to one of warmth and care. “I’m just glad you’re back safe. It’s wonderful to have the family reunited.” This gentle, caring side of her was something I hadn’t experienced in years. Michael nodded. Suddenly, as if remembering something, Sophia grabbed Michael’s hand excitedly. “You must be missing home-cooked food after being gone so long. Let me make you both a welcome home dinner!” “Sounds great!” Home-cooked food? I had long forgotten what home tasted like. The three of them returned home together. Not one of them remembered my existence. It was as if I had never existed at all. Soon the table was laden with dishes. It was all seafood. All Michael’s favorite foods. Sophia had remembered his tastes perfectly. But she had forgotten that I was deathly allergic to seafood. Three place settings were laid out. “Hey, where’s Jack? Why isn’t he back yet?” Michael asked her. Only then did Sophia finally remember me. She took out her phone, intending to call me. But she had long since deleted all my contact information. “Michael, why don’t you try calling? I just got a new phone and haven’t saved his number yet.” Michael’s expression was hesitant, but he complied. He called several times, but there was no answer. “That’s strange…” Michael frowned. Rose suddenly spoke up: “You don’t think something might have happened to your brother, do you?” Hearing this, Sophia exploded like an angry shrew: “That kind of man? It’s normal for him to disappear for days at a time!” That kind of man? What kind of man am I? The kind who worked tirelessly to support our family? Or the kind who silently endured her abuse? Now that Michael was safely back, she still refused to let me go! Looking at this woman before me, I felt like I no longer knew her at all. Michael’s brows furrowed as he suddenly demanded: “Are you saying Jack has been missing for 3-4 days already?!” Sophia was startled by his outburst. “Y-yes…what’s wrong?” Michael glared at her fiercely before grabbing his keys and rushing out the door. But his retreating figure looked panicked. A few hours later, Michael returned empty-handed. In just those few hours, he seemed to have aged years. “Jack…Jack is missing!” “How can that be?!” Rose jumped up from the couch. She steadied Michael, saying seriously: “We need to file a police report! We have to find Jack!” But Sophia just got up to pour Michael a glass of water. “Oh, it’s fine!” “Jack hates coming home. He’s either at the office or probably at that Emily girl’s place.” She spoke of Emily with utter contempt. Michael and Rose insisted on calling the police, leaving Sophia ignored on the sidelines. Only then did I realize that blood ties run deeper than romantic love. “Jack is just playing games. Why waste police resources?” Sophia said awkwardly. Even though Michael had returned safe and sound, Sophia still hated me. I didn’t understand why anymore. Was it just habit? Or had she never truly loved me at all? Just as Michael was hanging up from calling the police, Sophia’s phone rang. “Ms. Liang, we’ve found the victim’s left hand.” “The hand hasn’t fully decomposed yet. We’ve been able to mostly confirm the victim’s identity based on the remains…” It was her young assistant calling. Sophia absently fiddled with her hand as she replied, “Mm, go on.” “Ms. Liang, you should prepare yourself.” The call was on speakerphone, so Michael and Rose looked over. Sophia also seemed to sense the gravity of the situation. She raised her head, her expression somber. “It’s alright, just tell me.” 0

The person on the other end gathered their courage. “The victim’s true identity…is your husband, Jack.” In an instant, Sophia looked like she had been struck by lightning. “Wait…how is that possible?” Michael collapsed to his knees, covering his face as he broke down: “Jack…is dead?” Sophia, as if refusing to believe it, continued questioning. “How can that be? Are you joking? How could it possibly be Jack?” The voice on the phone sighed. “There’s no mistake.” “He had May 10th tattooed on his left hand. Everyone knows that’s your birthday.” Hearing this, the phone slipped from Sophia’s hand and clattered to the floor. That tattoo – I had gotten it on her 24th birthday. It covered my entire hand, quite eye-catching. Sophia had been teased about it plenty of times. “I don’t believe it! Couldn’t this be some kind of mistake?” She still refused to accept it. But what good would disbelief do now? I was already dead! The person on the phone quietly offered condolences before hurriedly hanging up. Sophia suddenly stood up, intending to rush out. She had barely taken a few steps before stumbling and falling. “How could it be Jack? There must be some mistake!” She muttered to herself. Soon, they all arrived at the police station. And there were my remains, laid out on the examination table. My entire body had been reduced to bleached bones, with only the left hand retaining some flesh. The faded tattoo was barely discernible. Michael collapsed by the table, wailing: “This…this really is Jack!” I watched as Sophia shook her head in disbelief, stumbling backwards. “No…this can’t be!”

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On my eighteenth birthday, a young girl showed up at our door. She tearfully recounted to my brothers how our adoptive mother had switched her with me at the hospital when we were born. She claimed *she* was the Sterling family’s true heiress. I’d intended to step aside graciously, but my obsessive brothers locked me up instead. “You’re not going anywhere without our say-so. You’ll die within these walls before you ever escape us!” A sudden, fierce fire erupted. I couldn’t escape in time and was burned alive. When I opened my eyes again, I was back—one week before the ‘true heiress’ appeared. This time, Chloe still stormed into Sterling Manor, interrupting the birthday song my four brothers were singing. “I’m your real sister!” Huge, glistening tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. “My adoptive mother deliberately swapped me with her biological daughter at the hospital, just so her daughter could live a life of luxury. If a routine medical check-up hadn’t flagged a discrepancy in blood types, forcing me to finally confess, I would’ve been kept in the dark my entire life.” She sobbed, a pitiful sight, recounting years of neglect and hardship with her adoptive family—starved and freezing. She exposed her slender arms, covered in red, swollen bruises, complaining that her adoptive father would beat her with a belt whenever he drank too much. My brothers remained silent, their gazes fixed on Julian, waiting for him to speak. “First, a DNA test. We’ll discuss everything else after that.” The Sterling empire was vast, and Julian, the eldest, had transformed Sterling Corp into the undisputed titan of the entire Metropolis City in just a few short years. He was, naturally, a ruthless, decisive leader. Mr. Henderson, the butler, nodded, preparing to escort Chloe away. There was no emotional reunion, no warm embrace, just a stunned silence from Chloe. Then, she suddenly pointed at me. “Don’t be fooled, brothers! This woman definitely wants to team up with her biological mother, empty the Sterling accounts, and vanish!” Julian raised an eyebrow, turning to look at me, his voice soft and low. “Blair, your brothers can give you as much money as you want. But if you two really were swapped, do you want to leave, Blair?” He had asked me the same question in my previous life. Back then, I was perhaps blinded by the word ‘freedom’. I hastily agreed that if Chloe was the true heiress, I would leave the Sterling family and make way for her. My ‘generosity’ successfully enraged my brothers. They locked me away. “You’re not going anywhere without our say-so. You’ll die within these walls before you ever escape us!” The confinement room was pitch black, not a single sliver of light. No one was allowed near me except them, and no one was permitted to speak to me. On the day the fire broke out, I cried and screamed for help inside that room. I screamed until my throat was raw and bleeding, clawed at the door until my fingernails ripped off, but no one heard me, and no one saved me. The flames devoured me completely. I really did die in the Sterling house, consumed by the cruel shackles of their twisted affection. Snapping out of my memories, my eyes welled with tears, my face a mask of grievance. “Julian, do you remember the dream I had a week ago? I can’t believe what happened in it is actually coming true. Even though I can’t bear to leave you all, I’ll follow whatever you decide. If you want to send me away…” I broke down, unable to finish the sentence. They remembered that day from a week ago, and my brothers’ expressions softened. They promised me, “Blair, no matter what the results are, your brothers will never send you away.” I nodded, satisfied, wiping away my tears. This time, I would meticulously execute the plan I hadn’t had a chance to start in my previous life.

I was reborn one week before Chloe showed up at Sterling Manor. That morning, I clutched at Julian like a scared little bird, sobbing into his embrace. “I had a terrible nightmare. Someone said I wasn’t your sister, and they wanted to kick me out of the Sterling house. Waaah… I don’t want that! I love my brothers more than anything, I want to be with you forever!” Julian stroked my hair, comforting me, while my other brothers stood behind him, smiling with satisfaction. I knew they reveled in my complete, unquestioning dependence. The kind of helpless dependence they craved. This time, when Chloe again accused me of trying to run away, I subtly brought up that morning’s ‘dream,’ playing the part of the long-suffering, obedient sister to perfection. It worked. I successfully avoided being imprisoned. Sebastian, my second brother, was a doctor, reportedly the youngest Chief Physician Metropolis General Hospital had ever seen. He pulled some strings, and the DNA test results were ready in less than a day. The next evening, he brought Chloe into Sterling Villa and instructed Mr. Henderson, the butler. “From now on, the Second Miss will live here with us. Please prepare her room.” The test results were obvious. Sebastian was busy. He left instructions for Mr. Henderson to take good care of her and returned to the hospital. With my brothers gone, Chloe dropped her innocent facade. She approached me, her face alight with triumph. She whispered a threat, “Blair Sterling, there’s only room for one young lady in this house. Soon, I’ll make sure you’re out.” Mr. Henderson showed her several rooms, all spacious and well-lit. Chloe picked and chose, clearly dissatisfied. “What, are you serious? Am I a charity case? Who wants to live in these cramped, corner rooms?” She pointed to the room in the very middle of the third floor. “That one. That’s mine.” Mr. Henderson looked troubled. “But… that’s Miss Blair’s room…” “It’s alright, Mr. Henderson,” I said, nodding at him. “If she likes it, let her have it. As long as my brothers are here, anywhere feels like home.” Nothing was a secret in this house. I knew this scene would reach my brothers’ ears very quickly, so of course, I had to play the part of the long-suffering, obedient sister to perfection. Besides, that room… it was perfect for my plans. While I was packing my belongings, Chloe came by to assert her dominance again. “Take all your stuff. I don’t want to move in and find the place still full of your trash. Oh, and you don’t even need to unpack. You’ll be packing your bags and disappearing for good soon enough anyway.” I put down the clothes in my hand, sighing softly. She really knew how to get under my skin. I grabbed her wrist, pushing up her sleeve. Chloe cried out in pain, tears streaming down her face, unable to wrench her hand free from my grip. “Does that hurt? What does it feel like to be hit with an iron pipe?” Her face was filled with terror. “How… how do you know?” Chloe used to be a delinquent, smoking, drinking, fighting—she did it all. The day after I was reborn, I rescued Stella, our class monitor, from an alley near school where Chloe was bullying her. The injuries on Chloe’s arm weren’t from her drunken adoptive father at all. They were from the iron pipe I’d picked up and used on her. “You’re the one who was wearing a mask and sticking your nose where it didn’t belong?” I didn’t answer, my finger tracing over her wound. “You know what? My brothers hate liars the most. If they found out…” I smiled faintly. “You’d be in a lot of trouble, wouldn’t you?”

To celebrate Chloe’s return to the Sterling family, the kitchen prepared an exquisite French meal. Despite Sebastian’s request for me to teach her dining etiquette before dinner, she still picked up the main course knife and fork when eating the appetizer. The utensils scraped loudly against the plate, producing a jarring, unpleasant sound. Sebastian frowned, pausing his own movements. He valued etiquette above all else; elegance was his motto. When I was little, I was too weak to hold my utensils steady and occasionally dropped them. He would make me stand in the corner for an hour, holding my knife and fork above my head, no matter how much I cried or begged. Chloe sensed the shift in atmosphere and cautiously put down the utensils, her eyes welling up. “I’m sorry. Life was so hard in that other house. I’ve never eaten such good, refined food before. And Blair taught me too fast; I couldn’t keep up. It’s my fault for being so slow…” My own movements faltered. I quickly apologized. “It’s my mistake. I should have been more patient and thorough in teaching Chloe. I accept my punishment.” I voluntarily stood up and moved to the corner of the dining room, raising my hands above my head, ready for my punishment. I had expected Chloe to be reprimanded too, but to my surprise, Sebastian said, “Considering this is your first offense, I’ll forgive you this time. But it must not happen again.” He picked up his knife and fork again, demonstrating the correct dining etiquette to Chloe, inviting her to learn from him. I lowered my gaze, watching the scene unfold. It made sense; their long-lost sister, found after eighteen years, deserved some leniency for the hardships she’d endured. But it was the first time I realized that a first offense could actually be forgiven. During dinner, Chloe couldn’t help but glance at me several times out of the corner of her eye, eating even more carefully. I knew she couldn’t understand. Everyone called me the Sterling brothers’ favorite, their treasured little sister, admired by countless people. But in reality, I was nothing more than a human puppet they held in their hands, playing with me as they pleased. After dinner, Julian instructed Mr. Henderson, “Starting tomorrow, Chloe’s entire curriculum will follow Blair’s schedule.” Chloe nodded eagerly, sweetly thanking Julian. She had no idea the crisis that awaited her. She was simply thrilled to be treated as my equal, receiving the same elite education. The next morning, Chloe was pulled from bed by a maid before five AM to join me for English morning reading. At six o’clock, during morning exercises, the yoga instructor was forcing her into deep stretches, her screams echoing through the hall the entire time. After breakfast, she endured three consecutive academic classes plus a calligraphy lesson, constantly nodding off and slumping in her seat. There was no nap time at noon; she had to study piano, chess, design, and various other skills. The afternoon consisted of two hours of intense physical training, followed immediately by etiquette lessons. At dinner, I saw her about to beg Julian for mercy, but she swallowed her words under his cold glare. After two more academic classes in the evening, plus time to complete homework, it was already past midnight before she could finally go to bed. When classes finally ended, I heard Chloe mutter a curse under her breath, grumbling, “Turns out being a rich girl isn’t so great after all.” I didn’t know what other rich girls were like. But my past eighteen years had been spent almost exactly like this every day, with never more than five hours of sleep. Every time my brothers randomly checked my homework, it was a nightmare. I could never meet their expectations; endless punishments always awaited me. My brothers always said these high standards were for my own good, to make me an even better person. Whether I became ‘better’ or not, I didn’t know. After all, this was just the person *they* wanted me to be.

Sunday afternoon, I was practicing flower arrangement in the garden. A middle-aged couple poked their heads tentatively out from the villa entrance. Their eyes lit up when they saw me. “Blair! Blair! Daddy and Mommy are here to take you home!” I coldly replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t know you.” Chloe heard the commotion and walked out of the living room, sneering, “People shouldn’t forget their roots, you know. No matter what, you shouldn’t abandon your own parents!” She opened the door, letting my former adoptive parents in. Julian and Ryder happened to come downstairs at that moment. Ryder, my youngest brother, ran the family’s underground dealings and always had a short temper. He glared at the couple. “I haven’t even come to settle scores with you about the swap, and you dare show up on our doorstep?” Brenda, my adoptive mother, quickly started wailing dramatically. “It’s a misunderstanding! We’re victims too! The nurse must have swapped the babies by mistake. We absolutely didn’t do it on purpose!” She looked at me and continued, “Blair is our biological daughter. Since Chloe has returned to the Sterlings, we want to take Blair home.” There was no genuine emotion, no maternal love in her eyes—only a calculating scheme hidden deep within. I wondered how many benefits Chloe had promised her to make her bold enough to come to the Sterling house and demand me. If I could see through such a flimsy trick, how could Julian, a seasoned old fox in the business world, not? He once again tossed the question to me. “Blair, I respect your choice. Do you want to go with them?”

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The day I was released from prison, my guys took me to a bar for a welcome back party. But the table next to us was playing a game, and suddenly they wanted me to foot the entire bill for the bar. I politely declined. The guy actually kicked my chair out from under me, grabbed me by the collar, and started screaming. “I’m *the* man, Valentina’s husband! The King of the Emerald City’s underworld! Asking you to pay is doing you a favor, so try saying no again, I dare you!” It wasn’t just me; even my guys behind me were stunned. “Boss, you covered for her for three years. How could she dare to get a new husband outside?” “Has she forgotten what you’re capable of?” … The joy of my release instantly faded. I lowered my head and texted Valentina to demand an explanation. Seeing this, the man flew into a rage, snatched my phone, and tossed it straight into an ice bucket. “Thinking of calling the cops? I’m telling you, the whole Emerald City is my territory. No one can save you!” A nameless rage flared in my chest. I slammed my fist on the table. Behind me, over a dozen of my guys sprang up, rushing forward to form a protective circle around me. “Let go of Jaxson if you don’t wanna die!” The man, instead of getting angry, scoffed and mimicked my gesture, slapping his own table. The bar’s chaotic music suddenly cut out, and the dazzling lights went dark. In the sudden silence, half the people in the venue quickly converged on us. “Ever since our boss, Victor, married Valentina, we haven’t had a troublemaker like this in Emerald City for three years.” “Daring to cause trouble in our man Victor’s place? Today, we’ll show you what real power looks like!” My guys, who had voluntarily stuck by me through three years in prison, stared in disbelief. “Our boss, Jaxson, went to jail for that woman, Valentina, for three years. What the hell happened in those three years?” It wasn’t just them; my mind was reeling too. Three years ago, Valentina hit someone with her car. She was just pregnant then, and she cried and begged me to take the fall for her, promising to look after the crew and raise our child. I didn’t hesitate for a second. But now, everything happening before my eyes made me seriously doubt the past. I slightly lowered my head. Victor thought I was scared and reached out to pat my shoulder. Using the moment he extended his arm, I slammed a beer bottle on the table, shattering it. In a flash, before he could even react, I twisted his arm and body, pressing the sharp, broken edge of the bottle directly against his vulnerable throat. “You say Valentina is your wife. What does that mean?” Victor, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, was scared stiff. His whole body trembled uncontrollably. “What else could it mean? We were in love, I married her, so of course she’s my wife.” When he spoke of Valentina, Victor seemed to regain his confidence. “I’m warning you, don’t touch me. Everyone in Emerald City knows Valentina is crazy in love with me! For my birthday, she booked giant billboards all over the city for three days and three nights to declare her love, and she bought me a downtown high-rise as a wedding anniversary gift! If you dare touch me, my wife won’t let you off the hook!” My scalp tingled with disbelief. I turned my head, signaling my guys to check things out. Taking advantage of my distraction, Victor shoved me hard. The crowd that had been standing behind him instantly swarmed me! I was on my own turf and completely unprepared. I took several hard punches to the chest, almost throwing up blood. Seeing me humiliated, my guys roared and plunged into the brawl. I kicked away the guy pinning me down and, my first priority, stopped my crew. “Don’t fight! You just got out; I can’t have you going back in for me.” Then I jumped onto a table, crossed the chaotic crowd in a few quick steps, and grabbed Victor, who was trying to hide. “Listen up, clearly! My name is Jaxson, and I’m legally married to Valentina!” Victor, seized by me, was flustered at first, then burst out laughing. “I knew it! Who in Emerald City would dare to touch me? Turns out it’s just a lunatic!” Cheers erupted in agreement with his words. “Valentina is madly in love with our man Victor. She sends him luxury cars and mansions every other week. Who are you, some random outsider, to even utter our Sister Valentina’s name?” “Our man Victor and Sister Valentina are a model couple. Who the hell are you, showing up with a few low-level thugs to cause trouble, do you really think we’re scared of you?!” I gritted my teeth, my whole body trembling. I never dreamed that the woman I gave up everything to protect would become a model couple with someone else! My guys around me were fuming, gritting their teeth just like me. “Boss, it’s been three whole years! We can’t just let them get away with this!” “You abandoned everything for that woman at the peak of your power. We have to make her pay for her betrayal!” I took a deep breath, steadying myself. I couldn’t just listen to one side of the story. Valentina depended on me so much back then. Could she really have changed so drastically in just three years? No, I had to get to the bottom of this! My phone was ruined by the water. I rattled off my number and told one of my guys to dial. Hearing the digits I spoke, Victor’s face changed. “You actually got my wife’s private number?!” I reluctantly pressed my lips together. “I told you, I’m Valentina’s husband, legally.” As soon as the words left my mouth, the crowd around Victor surged toward me! “Plenty of white-collar types have coveted our Sister Valentina over the years, but no one has ever dared to challenge our man Victor like you did! Today, we’ll show you what real trouble looks like!” They rushed at me ferociously. I took down a few in quick succession, but then countless more swarmed me. I was outnumbered, and I took some cheap shots, my face stinging from several hard hits, blood trickling from my lip. My guys, seeing this, couldn’t hold back any longer. They grabbed chairs and lunged into the fray, turning the bar into a chaotic mess. These guys were my top enforcers back in the day, skilled fighters, but even a tiger is no match for a pack of wolves. For every one of them that went down, three more stepped up. Before long, everyone was exhausted, protecting me in the center, backs to each other. “Boss, what the hell is going on? Valentina clearly had a lavish wedding ceremony with you back then. When did you two get divorced? How come none of us, your closest guys, knew?!” My teeth felt like they were about to shatter. “Don’t even get me started! I didn’t even know, damn it! Stop fighting for now, preserve your strength, and run!” Knowing we couldn’t win, it was no shame in retreating to regroup. My guys protected me, fighting and withdrawing. Victor watched me fleeing in disarray and burst into laughter. “The woman I, a tiger, protect wouldn’t look twice at a stray dog like you! Chase them!” I’d been in prison for three years, but I still remembered the bar’s underground passage. I took a shortcut to the parking garage, thinking I could shake them off, but somehow, they came down from somewhere and were even faster than me! The front exit of the underground garage was completely blocked, and Victor’s men had locked down the back entrance. A group of them, armed with baseball bats and machetes, swaggered closer, faces full of smug satisfaction. My palms were sweating buckets. I, Jaxson, started from nothing at fifteen, and by twenty, I was the boss of the Emerald City’s underground. I can’t believe that after three years away, I’d come out of prison today only to go down in a gutter! My guys, seeing there was no way out, stood defiantly in front of me. “Boss, we’ll get you out of here, but once you’re out, you have to get a clear explanation from Valentina. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to us, your brothers, for the three years we spent in prison with you!” With that, they roared, ready to fight to the death. At the crucial moment, I pulled them back. “Don’t panic, there are cops!” I never thought in my life I’d be calling on the police for backup. My guys looked a bit lost. “Are you sure about this, Jaxson? We just got out…” I sighed helplessly, but no matter what, better to bend than break, right? A smart man knows when to adapt. I jogged closer, seeing two traffic cops who were slacking off in the bar’s underground garage, supposedly doing a DUI check. I casually offered them a cigarette, plastering on a slightly ingratiating smile. “Officers, my friends and I were having a party, and they not only told me to pay the entire bill but also started hitting me and my friends. Now they’ve surrounded the bar and won’t let us leave. What do you think about this, sirs…?” The two cops lit their cigarettes off my lighter, giving me a smirk that didn’t reach their eyes. “You mean, they hit you?” I nodded repeatedly. To my surprise, the next second, those two cops flicked their cigarettes, sending the lit ends directly onto my shirt, then stomped them out with a kick. “He’s Sister Valentina’s husband, hitting you is doing you a favor!” “Our man Victor told you to pay the bill for the whole bar, that’s your blessing. You didn’t do it and tried to run, so you deserve to be hit!” My heart lurched. It seemed everything they said earlier was true. Valentina really had betrayed me after I went to prison. Otherwise, why would even these traffic cops show Victor such deference?! Victor and his crew had seen me talking to the cops and deliberately held back, only approaching gleefully when they saw the officers twisting the truth. “If our man Victor hadn’t been making good karma for our pregnant Sister Valentina, do you think you’d even be standing here today?” “Our Sister Valentina is due any day now. It’s her first child, precious beyond measure. Victor swore before Buddha he wouldn’t take any lives to pray for the baby’s blessings. You remember this: it’s Victor and Sister Valentina’s son who saved your pathetic life!” “First child?!” I was astonished. I grabbed Victor, who was standing in front of me. “Are you saying Valentina got rid of my baby?!” Victor went ballistic. He swung a punch at my temple. “Are you really crazy or just playing dumb? Who the hell are you, spewing such disgusting lies about my Valentina?!” My last hope shattered. Three years, all for nothing, a complete joke. My mind was spiraling. I threw caution to the wind and lunged at Victor, fighting him with everything I had, every punch connecting, making him howl in pain. Both sides of the guys were terrified and rushed to pull us apart. “Boss, we just got out, don’t send yourself back inside for that awful woman!” My hand movements suddenly paused. The traffic cops seized the opportunity, pulled tactical flashlights from their car, and shone them directly into my eyes. I was blinded instantly, everything went stark white. They quickly pulled the swollen Victor away. Then, taking advantage of my blindness, they swarmed me, punching and kicking. I gritted my teeth, covering my eyes, while frantically swinging my other arm to ward them off. But Victor, having lost all face, was now completely insane. When I finally blinked my eyes open, I saw him lunging at me with a wicked-looking blade! For a split second, someone screamed, someone cheered. My guys bravely threw themselves forward, trying to shield me. My mind went blank, but then I seemed to hear Valentina’s voice. “What are you doing here?!” The blade, with its blood groove, stopped mere inches from my eyes. Victor turned back in surprise, the fury on his face instantly vanishing, replaced by a wide smile. “Valentina, why are you out here? You should be resting!” “This stray dog dared to badmouth you right in front of me. I was just about to teach him a lesson, planning to cut out his tongue!” I ignored the hands trying to help me up, my gaze fixed on Valentina’s rounded belly. “Valentina, care to explain?” Victor kicked me hard in the face. “Still daring to question my wife? You really have a death wish!” A huge black boot print marred my face. My guys, seeing this, glared furiously at Valentina. “Sister-in-law, our boss Jaxson spent three years in prison for you! He had so many chances to get out early, but to atone for you and the child, he served the full three years! Now that you’re doing well, you just let others humiliate him like this?!” “Don’t you have any conscience, woman?! Even if there’s no love left, don’t you have any gratitude? Did our boss Jaxson waste the prime of his youth for you for nothing?!” I stared fixedly at Valentina, my nails digging into my palms until they bled, but I didn’t even notice. Yet, Valentina lowered her eyes, looked at me, and actually let out a disdainful laugh. Yes, she laughed, as if she had seen something utterly ridiculous. “Jaxson? There’s only one ‘Boss’ in Emerald City now, and that’s Victor.” “Jaxson, you don’t need to hold it over me, bringing up how you went to jail for me. You were enjoying your ‘break’ inside all those years, leaving me to struggle to keep things afloat out here. Victor was there for me through my toughest days.” “If you want money as compensation, just say so. There’s no need to cause trouble on Victor’s turf. So childish!” A suffocating pressure built in my chest, making it hard to breathe. “Valentina…” Before I could finish, the smile vanished from Valentina’s face, replaced by a look of malice. “I’m not finished yet, you don’t get to interrupt!” “I can give you what I owe, but you touched my man, so you’re leaving an arm behind today as an apology to Victor!” Immediately, someone with a knife approached me. I looked at Valentina’s resolute expression, my heart aching to the extreme. “Are you trying to make an example of me, just like I used to do for you, to boost your new man’s reputation?”

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