“Ms. Dawson, this is for the simulated death service you booked with us. The specified date of death is half a month from now, at your wedding. The method of death is suicide by drowning, and the person faking their death is you. Please confirm and sign here.” Evelyn nodded, signing her name at the bottom of the document without hesitation. On a bustling street, Evelyn walked home alone. She looked up and saw the giant advertising screen on a nearby building, looping the video of Liam Sterling proposing to her. In the video, he was on one knee, his usually steady hand trembling slightly as he held the ring. The moment she said “yes,” the tears he’d held back in his eyes finally fell. The beautiful scene made two girls beside Evelyn hug each other, gushing with envy. “Oh my god! Liam Sterling truly loves Evelyn Dawson!” “Right? Mr. Sterling is the ultimate romantic. I heard they were childhood sweethearts. He was so eager, he confessed his feelings to her at seventeen. At twenty, he had a crown made for her with the world’s most expensive pink diamonds, telling her she’d always be his princess. When Ms. Dawson got into a car accident at twenty-three, and the blood bank was critically low for her rare blood type, Mr. Sterling donated blood against all advice, almost draining himself to save her. Then at twenty-six, he proposed on a global live stream, and finally managed to marry the girl he loved most. How can there be a man in the world who dotes on his wife like that?” … Evelyn didn’t listen further, lowering her gaze to hide the self-mockery in her eyes. Everyone envied her and Liam’s love story. Everyone said Liam Sterling was utterly crazy about her. So no one would ever imagine that this very man had been secretly keeping a mistress stashed away for three whole years. Discovering that on countless nights he’d claimed to be busy with work, he was actually intimately entwined with a little influencer, her heart felt as if it had been pierced by a sharp blade, bleeding, raw, and mangled. As she scrolled through those obscene photos, she vaguely remembered that at fifteen, when her parents divorced and fought tooth and nail over who wouldn’t have her, it was Liam Sterling who burst through the door, took her hand, and said, word for word, “If you don’t want her, I do!” From that day on, Liam Sterling gave his entire heart to her alone. He’d broken three ribs fighting for her. He remembered every single one of her periods. His Ins feed was filled with only her. All his friends said he was completely love-struck when it came to Evelyn Dawson… When he slipped the wedding ring onto her finger, he kissed her through his tears, his voice filled with pleas. He begged her to love him forever, to never leave him, swearing he’d lose his mind if she did. He was the one who first said he couldn’t live without her. Yet, he was the first to betray her. In that case, she would fake her death and escape, change her name, and vanish completely from his world, so he could never find her again. Evelyn reached up to wipe away the faint dampness from her eyes. Just as she was about to leave, a Maybach suddenly braked in front of her. A tall figure opened the rear door and rushed towards her. “Evie, didn’t you say you’d wait for me at home? I told you I’d pick you up for your wedding dress fitting once I finished work. Why are you out here alone?” Liam said, taking her hand. When he felt her fingertips were icy cold, he quickly took off his jacket and draped it over her. “Your hands are freezing, and you’re not even wearing a jacket. Do you want to make me worry myself sick?” Evelyn didn’t speak, just looked up at him silently. The concern in his eyes didn’t seem fake, but that only made it harder for her to understand how someone could genuinely love two people at the same time. Liam tightened the jacket around her. As he was about to lead her to the car, the two girls opposite them heard the commotion and instinctively turned to look. Seeing who it was, their eyes immediately lit up. They excitedly walked closer, their faces flushed, their words stammering. “H-hello, are you Evelyn Dawson and Liam Sterling? W-we’re your fan club, can we take a picture with you?” Evelyn didn’t want to disappoint them. After a moment of thought, she nodded. Given permission, the two girls surrounded them, looking at the camera. Liam didn’t particularly like taking photos, but he dutifully put an arm around Evelyn and looked at the camera with her. After the photo, the two girls, still blushing, kept thanking them, their words filled with hopes that they would grow old together and have a happy marriage. Grow old together? Evelyn looked up at Liam beside her. As their eyes met, he offered a doting, tender smile, full of affection. He seemed to be agreeing with the girls’ wishes. Only she knew that they would never make it to old age. Outside the bridal boutique, the moment Evelyn stepped out of the car, the store assistant, who had been waiting at the entrance, rushed forward, her voice tinged with envy. “Ms. Dawson, all thousand custom-made wedding gowns Mr. Sterling ordered for you are ready. You can try them on anytime and see which one you like.” She didn’t speak, just looked silently at Liam behind her. He was looking at something on his phone, his eyes filled with an undeniable longing – that same look she’d only seen in his bed photos with the little influencer. Noticing her gaze, he quickly put away his phone and walked over, a hint of apology on his face. “Evie, I’m sorry, something urgent came up at the office that I need to handle. I’ve asked the driver to wait for you here. He’ll take you home after you’ve finished trying on the dresses.” With that, he kissed her forehead and hurriedly got into another car, leaving her alone. The assistant quickly approached, tentatively asking, “Ms. Dawson, would you like to try on wedding dresses now?” Evelyn withdrew her gaze and shook her head. “No, I won’t. I don’t want any of these.” After all, at their wedding, there would only be a “dead” bride. Evelyn got into the car heading home. The moment she opened her phone, a SnapChat message from Seraphina popped up. It was a chat screenshot. In the picture, Seraphina wore a black lace bunny outfit, sprawled delicately on the floor, her eyes hazy as she looked at the camera. 【If Master can make it here in twenty minutes, your little bunny is all yours to devour.】 Below, Liam’s black profile picture sent a brief two-word reply: 【Wait for me.】 Evelyn turned off the screen, closed her eyes, and tried to suppress the sharp, dense pain in her heart. She thought that after seeing so many photos, her heart would grow accustomed, would become numb. But an uncontrollable wave of agony swept through her body, invading her very bones. Finally, she forced her eyes shut and turned off her phone. Deep in the night, Evelyn curled up by the bed, her eyes red, and fell into a deep sleep. But the phone beside her pillow vibrated every hour, right up until the next morning. When she woke up and checked it, she found that from last night to this morning, Seraphina had sent her a picture every hour – each one showing used condoms. 【He took me all night last night, trying every position on me. I can barely get out of bed. Has he ever been like that with you?】 Evelyn didn’t move, yet she turned over and over, staring at those pictures and that message dozens of times. When Liam returned, he found Evelyn lying in bed, her eyes red-rimmed, her knuckles white as she clutched her phone. His heart gave a sudden lurch. He quickly walked over, pulled her into his arms, his voice tight with alarm. “Evie, why are you crying?” Was she crying? Evelyn finally came back to herself and looked at him, belatedly touching her face. Only then did she realize that, unknowingly, tears were streaming down her face. After a long moment, she let out a soft laugh, though the sadness in her eyes remained unconcealed. “It’s nothing, just saw some very touching pictures.” Liam gently stroked her face, dotingly saying, “What pictures made you cry like this, babe? You’re going to break your husband’s heart.” Evelyn was about to speak when Alfred, the butler, knocked respectfully on the open bedroom door. “Sir, the car is ready.” Liam hummed in acknowledgment, then turned and kissed the woman in his arms. “Evie, I was wrong yesterday, leaving you alone at the bridal boutique. As an apology, I’ll take you to the auction. Anything you want, I’ll buy for you, okay?” Evelyn didn’t answer, but he took it as consent, sweeping her into his arms and out of the room. He personally helped her pick out an outfit, jewelry, and shoes. At the auction. To cheer Evelyn up, Liam spared no expense in the first half, buying up all the precious items, even though she wasn’t particularly interested in them. During the intermission, several men, Liam’s buddies, walked over. “I wondered who was so generous, buying everything in the first half. Turns out it’s Liam!” “I was planning to buy a gift for my grandma’s birthday, but nope, nothing left.” “Truly, his reputation as a wife-pampering maniac is well-deserved. Liam, give me a chance in the second half, let me buy at least one thing!” The men joked with Liam. He just gave them a glance, then turned his attention back to peeling an orange for Evelyn. “You won’t have a chance in the second half either. All the items today belong to my Evie.” The men groaned dramatically, clutching their chests in mock pain, but had to concede defeat. Liam’s lips curved upward slightly, ignoring them as he dotingly finished peeling the orange and offered it temptingly to Evelyn. Evelyn shook her head, her expression distant. “I don’t have an appetite. You eat it.” Soon, the second half of the auction began. Just then, the main doors suddenly opened. A server respectfully ushered in a woman in a short red dress. The next second, Evelyn felt Liam’s body stiffen beside her. She looked up and saw Seraphina’s striking face appear right before her eyes! Seraphina pulled some red bills from her bag and tucked them into the server’s chest, then flashed a captivating smile. Before the server could react, she walked straight over and sat down next to Liam. Everyone in the room gasped, trying to guess Seraphina’s identity. “How audacious is this little influencer, daring to sit next to Mr. Sterling?” “Doesn’t she fear Mr. Sterling will blacklist her in a fit of rage?” “Shhh, keep it down, you don’t know anything! I heard she has a powerful backer. Didn’t you see all the designer jewelry and bags in her apartment during her live streams?” … Evelyn was about to look away when she saw Seraphina brazenly take Liam’s hand and place it under her skirt. Liam’s hand instantly froze. He instinctively tried to pull it back, but Seraphina smiled and pressed it down, then shifted slightly. Finally, Liam stopped resisting. His hand remained. Evelyn sharply turned her head, desperately clenching her trembling hands. Throughout the second half of the auction, Evelyn was distracted until the grand finale item was presented, and gasps of awe from the crowd pulled her from her pain. Evelyn looked up, seeing a dazzling necklace resting quietly on velvet. The auctioneer passionately introduced its history, claiming it was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite necklace, symbolizing unwavering love. Perhaps sensing Evelyn’s interest, Liam unhesitatingly raised his paddle. “Ten million!” Then a female voice beside him chimed in. “Thirty million!” He turned his head and saw Seraphina had also raised her paddle. Noticing his displeased look, she gave a seductive smile, her eyes full of allure. “Oops, sorry, Mr. Sterling. My boyfriend loves me very much too, so he also wants to give me this necklace!” Liam’s face darkened. “Fifty million!” “One hundred million!” “One hundred fifty million!” … Finally, Liam made a decisive gesture. The auctioneer upfront excitedly tapped his gavel. “He sealed the deal with a ‘lights-out’ bid! Mr. Sterling made the ultimate bid!” “Congratulations to Mr. Sterling for acquiring the Heart of True Love!” As applause erupted, Liam subtly withdrew his hand and kissed Evelyn beside him. “Stay here, sweetie. I’ll go get your necklace for you.” Evelyn watched him get up and leave. Then, Seraphina opposite her also stood, giving her a meaningful look.
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