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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