For seven years, **Alistair Vance** still called out his **Sera’s** name when he was drunk, even to me. “Sera, please, don’t leave me.” I’d softly agree, then take out his hearing aid. And whisper **Liam’s** name to him. He always believed I was so madly in love with him that I’d willingly play the substitute. Until **Liam**, who was supposed to have died seven years ago, suddenly returned. Seeing the divorce papers I handed him, **Alistair’s** eyes blazed. “You never loved me?” “Of course not.” “Don’t you have anything to say to me?!” I smiled gently. “Thanks for the five million. Otherwise, I still wouldn’t have found him.” 1 The day news of **Seraphina Hayes’s** divorce spread back home. I was with **Alistair Vance** at the hospital for his follow-up. His permanently damaged hearing was beyond recovery, and his legs still couldn’t walk. But hearing that the culprit behind it all was back in the country. A flicker of joy still crossed his usually indifferent eyes. That evening, he got drunk. His eyes hazy, he held my hand and whispered, “Sera, now that you’re back, don’t ever leave me again.” I obediently said, “Okay, I won’t leave you.” But he looked at me again, his expression slowly fading. “You’re not Sera.” My movements stilled. **Alistair** grabbed the small blanket draped over his wheelchair and flung it at my face. “Just because you have a face like Sera’s, you think you can *be* her?” “You don’t deserve her, **Audrey**.” “If there’s nothing else, get out.” His tone was calm, unhurried, as always. The blanket didn’t hit hard, but it felt like a slap across my face. A wave of intense humiliation washed over me, pulling me back years. I was eighteen, the night before my art school auditions. It was **Seraphina Hayes**, **Alistair’s** white moonlight, who tore up all my paintings. She took a small silver hammer, studded with jewels, and systematically broke my fingers, one by one. Even after they healed, my hands would tremble uncontrollably the moment I picked up a paintbrush. I could never paint again. **Alistair** found me, acting as **Seraphina’s** protector. He pushed a check across the table. “If it’s not enough, name your price.” I gripped my trembling hands, biting back the urge to scream at him. “What’s the use of your money? My dreams, my future, she destroyed them all!” Then, **Alistair**, sitting across from me, smiled. He looked at me with an expression of gentle contempt. “Just take it. Aren’t your ‘dreams’ just a way for people like you to earn a little more cash?” Back then, he was aloof and aristocratic, just twenty-three, already the youngest head of the Vance family. He looked down on me, completely. Neither we, nor anyone else in the Vance family, would have guessed then— **Alistair** and I would marry two years later. 2 On my twentieth birthday. It was also **Liam Carter’s** fourth year as a police officer. He fell into the open sea while rescuing our citizens kidnapped by pirates. The country searched that sea for a month afterward, but he was never found. They all said **Liam** was dead. I was in a daze for two months, on the verge of a breakdown. But then, in the corner of a blurry photo on a hidden overseas website, I saw his figure. The image quality was terrible. But **Liam** and I had known each other for over ten years, and I had a gut feeling—that was him. Still, finding him based on that photo was like searching for a needle in a haystack. I needed a lot of money. That’s when it happened. **Seraphina Hayes** abandoned **Alistair**, who was injured because of her, and went abroad to get married. And **Alistair**, once healed, found me. … **Seraphina Hayes** returned seven nights later, late at night. **Alistair** had specially sent people to wait at the airport for a whole day to pick her up. Compared to her triumphant departure, **Seraphina** looked considerably more haggard. She wore a simple white dress, her expression stubborn. “Alistair, you still remember me.” Her gaze shifted to me in the corner, and she suddenly froze. A moment later, she shrieked, almost losing control. “Audrey Stone, you poor, cheap knockoff, what are you doing here?” I silently watched her. **Alistair** calmly stated, “She is my wife now.” **Seraphina** looked incredulous, her eyes red as she demanded, “What do you mean by this?” “You said you’d wait for me forever, and now? You can like *this* kind of person?” She stood stubbornly, tears streaming down her face. That face, which was seventy percent similar to mine, held a fragile beauty. **Alistair** turned his head and ordered me, “Push me over there.” The wheelchair was pushed in front of **Seraphina**. **Alistair** took her hand, sighing softly. “Sera, you were gone so long. I missed you too.” “She’s just a cheap stand-in, don’t mind her.” “Oh, so she’s just a stand-in.” She picked up the steaming cup of water from the table and threw it straight at my face. “Now that I’m back, can I be annoyed by this knockoff face?” **Alistair** didn’t spare me a glance, just looked at her with indulgent understanding. “Of course, you can.” The liquid streamed down my neck, soaking my clothes, leaving a burning sensation on my skin. I was in so much pain I could barely stand. Tears welled up instantly. “Why are you crying? Playing pitiful again, are we?” **Seraphina** looked at me with disgust. “It’s sickening.” **Alistair** finally spared me a glance. He looked at my scalded red face, frowning slightly. And calmly said, “**Audrey Stone**, get out.” 3 The next morning, I received five hundred thousand dollars in my account from **Alistair**. No memo, no explanation. But I knew perfectly well. It was his compensation to me for **Seraphina’s** actions. I was no longer as naive and stubborn as I had been at eighteen, fantasizing about getting justice. I accepted it calmly, even sending him a text saying thank you. After my injuries healed, **Alistair** looked at my face and suddenly smiled. “**Audrey**, I thought you’d always be so proud.” I meekly lowered my gaze. “Mr. Vance, people always change.” There was a gala tonight. **Alistair** had specially prepared it for **Seraphina**. After she went abroad and married, the Hayes family’s influence back home had waned. **Alistair** was using his connections to pave the way for **Seraphina**. During the dinner, **Seraphina’s** old rival, **Mason Reid**, suddenly stood up with a drink in hand. “Seraphina Hayes, weren’t you supposed to be a princess for some royal family overseas?” “How did you end up sneaking back like a stray dog, looking so pathetic?” **Seraphina’s** face instantly turned pale. **Mason** had someone bring a bottle of high-proof liquor and pushed it in front of her. “I know what Mr. Vance’s purpose is for this party tonight.” “Alright, Seraphina. You drink this whole bottle, and all our past grudges are settled.” “If you want to establish yourself here in the future, maybe I can even help you out.” **Seraphina’s** eyes reddened. She looked at **Alistair**, tears trembling on her lashes. “This is hard liquor, I’ll die if I drink it all.” “Alistair, didn’t you say you’d always protect me?” **Alistair** reassuringly squeezed her hand and looked at **Mason**. “Sera used to be stubborn and she probably offended you, so it’s normal that you want to get even.” “How about this drink, someone else can drink it as an apology.” He paused, then looked at me. “**Audrey**.” “Go drink it, then apologize to Mr. Reid.” **Mason** leaned back in his chair, one hand on the backrest, looking amused. “If your wife agrees, I have no problem with it.” The wounds on my face hadn’t fully healed yet. The doctor had specifically told me not to drink. I froze in my chair, pinching my slightly trembling wrist, silently meeting **Alistair’s** gaze. He calmly said, “I’ll have my assistant transfer you a million after this.” The atmosphere was still for a moment. I stood up, picked up the bottle, and tilted my head back, chugging it down. The intense burning sensation from the strong alcohol spread from my throat all the way to my chest. The potent fumes surged up, climbing my windpipe, making my eyes stream with tears. **Mason’s** buddies applauded and cheered. “What a drinker! What a woman!” “Mr. Vance’s wife is so fond of money, what, was she poor in her last life?” Their tone was full of mockery. After I finished, I put down the bottle and bowed deeply to **Mason**. “Mr. Reid, I apologize for any past offenses. Please forgive me.” **Mason** toyed with his glass and smiled. “A million dollars, Mr. Vance certainly has deep pockets.” “Alright, Seraphina. Our grudges are settled.” 4 The restroom outside the banquet hall was dimly lit, permeated with a faint, sweet scent. I clung to the toilet, throwing up until my vision blurred. My stomach and throat were numb with pain, so much so that when I saw streaks of fresh blood in the vomit, I realized— It seemed I was quite seriously hurt. I forced my aching body to call 91
It wasn’t until I was hooked up to an IV drip that I received a call from **Alistair**. “Where are you? Did you get lost throwing up, or are you throwing a tantrum?” His tone carried an implicit note of displeasure. I paused. “At the hospital, on an IV.” He chuckled. “Spending all these years with me has made you quite delicate, hasn’t it?” I didn’t say anything, just looked up at the flickering fluorescent light above me. Perhaps the light was too harsh, stinging my eyes, filling them with tears. “I’ll have my driver pick you up from the hospital later. No one else takes care of me as thoroughly as you do.” With that, **Alistair** hung up. He had injured his legs and ears saving **Seraphina** back then. **Seraphina** abandoned him and went abroad, and I married into the Vance family in her place. Because **Alistair** was paralyzed, we didn’t even have a marital life. I, his wife in name only, was nothing more than his personal caregiver. When I got home late that night, **Seraphina** was already asleep. **Alistair** was waiting for me in his study. He’d had some wine, looking at me hazily. “The money has been transferred to your card.” “Okay.” “Audrey, don’t blame me. Sera has never suffered any grievances since she was a child. She’s not like you.” I sniffled and softly said, “I understand.” “Mr. Vance, I’d like to go abroad next month to see an art exhibition, if I may?” **Alistair** smiled. “Of course, you can.” “Audrey, see? Your so-called dreams are only worth this much money, aren’t they?” I said yes. Perhaps due to the alcohol, he leaned back in his wheelchair, eyelids heavy with drowsiness. Looking at that face, which was maybe thirty percent similar to the one in my memory. I reached out, took off his hearing aid, and spoke in a hoarse voice. “Liam.” Just that one name, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. “It’s been seven years. Please, let me find you next month, okay?” 5 Perhaps because I was going to look for him. That night, I dreamed of **Liam** again. We grew up in the same orphanage. He was always brave and had a strong sense of justice. Later, he became a SWAT officer. I wanted to study art, to go to art school, and he sent me all his income. “Go to a good art studio, don’t skimp on materials.” He came to visit me at school, ruffled my hair, and slipped me a debit card. “You just pursue your dreams. Leave everything else to me, Audrey.” I wanted to become a famous painter, to make **Liam** proud of me. But all of that was destroyed by **Seraphina Hayes**. The second month after my fingers were broken, **Liam** returned from a mission. He almost lost his mind. The unit’s expert marksman, capable of shooting accurately from thousands of yards away, his bullet never deviating from its trajectory. But he held my hand, trembling uncontrollably. He couldn’t suppress the anger in his voice. “I’ll kill them.” “Don’t say such things, **Liam**.” I rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes wearily. “I’m so tired.” “I need to sleep for a bit.” For that entire month, my injuries healed slowly. **Alistair** kept sending people to torment me mentally. Every day, I woke up repeatedly from pain and nightmares. It wasn’t until I leaned against **Liam**, smelling his familiar scent, that I finally relaxed. The Hayes family’s influence was too great, and they had the Vance family allied with them. They produced a psychiatric diagnosis certificate for **Seraphina**. And paid me a large sum for medical expenses. **Liam** was a man of integrity and honor, risking his life to protect others. But he was helpless against **Seraphina Hayes**. After I recovered, he returned to his unit. Before he left, he held me and promised, “One day, I’ll see **Seraphina Hayes** brought to justice.” “You believe me, Audrey.” Tears streaming down my face, I nodded desperately. I had always believed him. I just… didn’t wait for him. 6 With **Alistair’s** relentless help, **Seraphina Hayes** perfectly integrated back into the social circles within half a month of her return. The night before I was to leave the country, I dropped them off at a business meeting and prepared to head back. “My flight is early tomorrow morning.” I softly told **Alistair**, “Mr. Vance, I’ll head back and rest now.” He nodded, his expression indifferent. **Seraphina**, standing nearby, suddenly spoke up. “Hold it.” She held a glass of red wine, tilting her head slightly as she looked at me. “I heard you’re going abroad to see an art exhibition?” “Your hands are useless, you can’t even hold a paintbrush. **Audrey Stone**, are you still dreaming of being a great artist?” I ignored her and continued towards the door. She directly smashed the wine glass against my back. The wine splashed out, staining the back of my dress. “Did I say you could leave?” **Seraphina** lowered her voice. “Get back here and help me drink tonight.” “Anyway, you common folk, you’re born to serve.” I froze in place, unmoving. **Alistair** sighed softly, speaking to me with a resigned yet indulgent tone. “Listen to Sera, Audrey.” “Otherwise, I’ll have to cancel your flight for tomorrow.” In that moment. I suddenly thought of **Liam** again. Back in the art studio, the first time **Seraphina Hayes** publicly humiliated me. She pinched her nose, standing several feet away, and said loudly, “It stinks.” “How dare people like you stay in the same art studio as us?” That night, I called **Liam**. “Are people born with different statuses, high or low?” He was on his way to a mission then. The car window was open. The wind from the open field whistled through the phone into my ear. **Liam’s** voice was slightly muffled, but it seemed to carry the force of a thunderclap. “Audrey, all humans are born equal.” “No matter where they’re born or raised, for example, right now, the same moon shines on all of us.” 7 Under **Alistair’s** protection, no one dared to mention **Seraphina Hayes’s** messy divorce anymore. Everyone praised her instead. “I hear Ms. Hayes is a renowned painter and artist abroad.” “Her works are priceless, even royal families from various countries compete to buy them.” **Seraphina** was very pleased, her smile elegant. “You all flatter me. I just have a bit of talent for painting.” She was allergic to alcohol, so she couldn’t drink. I had to drink for her. That night, I went to the restroom several times to throw up. My neck broke out in red rashes. When I went back, I happened to hear people quietly discussing. “That woman Seraphina is with, is that Mr. Vance’s wife? She looks so much like her.” “What wife? She’s just a servant. She sold herself to be a stand-in for money, lost all her dignity.” “That knockoff will be kicked out of the family soon, won’t she?” A few people laughed, their eyes full of scorn. My back was soaked with cold sweat. I leaned against the hallway wall, trying to catch my breath. I opened my phone. **Alistair** had transferred another million. “I hung ‘Moonlight Over the Wild’ in the exhibition. Sera is in a bad mood, don’t blame her.” I knew. Recently, she was holding an art exhibition, and someone offered a high price, wanting her to paint another piece exactly like ‘Moonlight Over the Wild.’ But that painting wasn’t by **Seraphina Hayes**. It was a piece I’d painted after that phone call with **Liam**, when I was seventeen, staying up all night. Later, to raise money, I sold it for twenty thousand dollars. After marrying **Alistair**, I found out he was the anonymous buyer. The wind in the wilderness had shape, and the moonlight shone equally on every piece of land. This was something **Seraphina Hayes**, who constantly called people “inferior,” could never paint. 8 The seventh year. I finally found the photographer who took that picture. “Do you know where he is now?” He shook his head. Seeing my disappointment, he hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Actually, I photographed this person again six months ago.” I stiffened abruptly. “But the place where the photo was taken is very dangerous. If I expose it to you, I’ll have to move from here immediately and move across the ocean.” “If you want it, you’ll have to pay a high price.” I was still two million short of the money I needed. After returning home, I found **Alistair**. Before he could say anything, **Seraphina Hayes**, who was beside him, laughed. “How shameless. Do you really think you’re worth that much money?” I ignored her, my gaze fixed on **Alistair**. “Mr. Vance, whatever your terms, just name them.” He met my desperate gaze, a slight愣. But still said, “**Audrey**, Sera isn’t happy lately. I need to console her.” “This matter, she’ll decide.” **Seraphina** looked at me, smiling slowly. “Audrey Stone, aren’t you proud that your talent is higher than mine? Don’t you despise us rich people the most?” “You want money? Fine, then get on your knees and beg me.” The moment I knelt before her. My lips were chapped and bleeding. **Seraphina** suddenly burst into laughter. “You actually believed that? How stupid can you be?” She narrowed her eyes. “Just kidding.” “Back when I broke your hands, your brother went to my uncle just like that, saying he’d bring me to justice—he didn’t know that when he was begging like that, I was sitting right next door, enjoying the show.” “Your brother is just like you, naive and foolish, one of those common folk.” “I heard he died? Well, that’s truly—” She leaned slightly closer, her smile as sweet as a poisonous flower, mesmerizing. “Per-fect.” The taut string in my mind snapped. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was grabbing her hair, slamming her head against the edge of the table. I bit into her shoulder, wanting to tear a piece of flesh off. **Seraphina** had never suffered like this. Tears streamed down her face from the pain. But she was used to living in luxury, utterly no match for my strength. “Audrey Stone, are you insane?!” She struggled desperately to push me away, screaming hysterically, “You rabid dog!” Finally, **Alistair**, sitting in his wheelchair, called for the butler and servants. His face was cold, for the first time dropping his facade of gentle politeness in front of me. “Audrey, you’ve been married into this family for seven years, and you still haven’t learned what decorum means.” “I’ve been too good to you, letting you lose your sense of proportion.” When I was forcibly pulled away by several people, my mouth was full of blood. **Seraphina** was nearly hysterical. She slapped me twice, then ordered the others to drag me into the bathroom. The bathtub was filled with cold water. My face was shoved in. Water flooded my nostrils and eyes, making me tremble and convulse with pain. Just as I was about to suffocate, I was yanked up by my hair. And shoved back down again. In the second before I lost consciousness. I wondered. When **Liam** fell into the open sea. Was it like this too? Was he this desperate too? Did he think of me like this? 9 **Seraphina Hayes’s** attack was too brutal. In the end, I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. I fell seriously ill. As compensation, **Alistair** transferred three million dollars to me. He said, “It’s more than what you asked for, so don’t make a fuss with me anymore, Audrey.” I didn’t bother arguing with him. I transferred the money, wanting to buy that photo. But the money was sent back. The photographer’s account was deactivated. I sat blankly in the hospital. The sunlight poured in like molten gold through the window, illuminating me. But I felt like I couldn’t perceive any warmth at all. I don’t know how much time passed, but then there was a knock on the door. I looked up and saw a serious-looking middle-aged man. On the day I was discharged, he led me into an unassuming, secret small building. “The situation is very dangerous. Don’t look for **Liam** anymore. We can’t even contact him right now.” He said, “Whether he’s alive or dead, we’ll have an answer in at most a month.” I looked at him blankly. “So, he’s not dead?” “He wasn’t before, but now it’s hard to say. His mission is extremely dangerous. He went off-grid a week ago.” Tears streamed down my face. My voice trembling, I asked, “Then why didn’t he let you tell me?” “Liam knew you were married, and that you married… **Alistair Vance**.” “He said it was to avoid disturbing you.” “He wanted you to believe he died seven years ago.” … When I left the small building, darkness had fallen. I looked at the setting sun, feeling as if fate had played a cruel joke on me. When I returned, **Alistair** was waiting in his wheelchair in the villa’s courtyard. Seeing me, he spoke in a low voice, “Where did you go after the hospital, Audrey?” “Are you mad at me?” I looked at his arrogant face, subtly hinting at displeasure. In truth, it bore only a fleeting resemblance to **Liam’s** sharp, battle-hardened face after going through so many life-or-death situations. I just… I just missed him too much. Even that small resemblance was enough to pull me back from the brink of suffocation. But after today, it seemed everything was meaningless. I walked past him numbly, ignoring him. But my wrist was grabbed. “If it’s about Sera, I admit, I did favor her a bit.” His tone was deliberately softened. As if he’d made a huge concession for me. “As compensation, I’ll have my assistant transfer another sum of money to you.” “Don’t make a scene anymore.” I didn’t speak, just stared into the distance, at the setting sun during twilight. It was swallowed by the distant mountains, little by little. The moment night fell, I spoke quietly. “Alistair, let’s get a divorce.” 10 He frowned, warning me, “These years, I’ve really spoiled you, made you forget your place.” “Who else would give someone in your position this much money if you leave me?” I covered my face and laughed. “What use is money to me?” “Useless? Did you forget how you knelt and begged me before?” I ignored him, simply placing the drafted divorce papers on his desk. And moved out of the Vance mansion. Days passed. A month later, I received an invitation from the orphanage where I grew up. To attend their charity fundraiser. These days, **Alistair** initially thought I was just sulking, not wanting me to push my luck. Later, he seemed to realize I was serious. And started lowering himself to coax me. “Don’t make a fuss with me, Audrey.” “Come back, and I’ll have Sera personally apologize to you.” I never replied. On the day of the fundraiser. I walked onto the stage and immediately spotted **Alistair** in the audience. He was staring intently at me. The host asked me, “I hear Ms. Stone grew up in this orphanage and has made multiple donations since.” “Yes, I want the children who come after to have a better life.” This was something **Liam** had been doing ever since he graduated. He was gone, so it fell to me. “As far as I know, Ms. Stone had a brother who grew up with her here, working a very commendable profession, named **Liam Carter**?” Hearing **Liam’s** name, I suddenly froze. My gaze swept across the room, then settled on a dim corner of the hall. The heart in my chest suddenly began to pound wildly. It took a long time to find my voice. “…Not my brother.” “He’s not my brother.” “Liam is six years older than me, but I never called him brother, because I love him.” Below the stage, **Alistair**, sitting in his wheelchair, his face abruptly turned ashen. The most fervent, unmasked affection of my life had always been reserved for **Liam** alone. The host was stunned. “But… Ms. Stone seems to be connected to Mr. Vance, who is also here tonight—” “It was just a transaction. **Alistair** and I are already divorced.” I said, “Thank you, Mr. Vance, for the compensation all these years, which gave me ample funds to search for **Liam**.” “Whether he’s alive or dead, I had to find him.” “He will always be a hero in my heart.” As I said these words, I didn’t look at **Alistair**, whose eyes were red. I just stared intently at that dim corner. Watching that familiar figure step out of the shadows. Into the light. Walking step by step toward me. He was so much thinner, his cheeks slightly sunken, and exposed skin was covered in scars. But those cold, sharp eyes were fixed on me, bright as stars, softening in an instant. “Now, you’ve found me.”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297218”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantasy
Leave a Reply