For the sake of Adrian’s business empire, I played his perfect wife for five years. Then he locked me in the basement for his new lover. I used a micro transmitter to erase all records of our son. But at his celebration banquet, he saw the child he had ordered “burned to ashes”, a perfect copy of himself. Adrian broke. Clutching a charred child’s backpack, eyes wild, he roared, “Find my wife and son! Now!” Later, I graduated, my new husband beside me. A thousand miles away in a garage, oil stained fingers traced a child’s smiling face on a phone screen. Aria’s POV Adrian locked me up for five days. The first thing he did upon returning was to deny my request for a divorce. He reached out to touch my face. “I locked you up to protect you.” An hour before he locked me away, I had seen him at the hospital with my own eyes, supporting Rosalie through her prenatal appointment. The usually icy Mr. Hale was attentively holding a pink handbag for her. In that moment, I finally understood how utterly convincing his “performance” could be. “You followed me?” Adrian narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerous. “Adrian, let’s get divorced.” Adrian kicked the door with his foot and locked it with his other hand. He strode over in a few steps and gripped my wrist tightly. I didn’t struggle. “Adrian, have you lost your mind?” Adrian’s sinister face pressed down close, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Divorce? Impossible. Unless I’m dead.” “Rosalie Sterling is a representative sent by the Commerce Association. If I want to swallow up the South District land, she’s a key piece.” “If I don’t play along with her, how can I get the shares she’s holding?” He irritably unbuttoned his cuffs, speaking with dissatisfaction. “I work so hard out there, and you still make trouble for me at home?” I smiled bitterly. “Hard enough to go to obstetrics?” “That was for show!” Adrian impatiently cut me off. “Once I secure the South District land, Rosalie will be useless. Then you can do whatever you want with her. Isn’t that enough?” He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and switched to a gentler tone. “Aria, you’re the lady of the Hale family. No one can replace your position, as long as you don’t make a scene.” He pinned me against the wall, his eyes filled with twisted possessiveness. “Don’t let me hear the word ‘divorce’ again. You’re mine for life.” To compensate me, Adrian brought me to the family banquet. In the banquet hall’s lounge, Rosalie clutched her stomach and collapsed on the sofa, her face pale. “Mr. Hale, I fell on my own. It has nothing to do with Aria pushing me. But this child…” All around us were the Hale family’s branch members and business partners, and everyone’s eyes fell on me. The Commerce Association representative behind Rosalie was even more sarcastic. “Mr. Hale, is this the Hale family’s attitude? How can we feel confident entrusting our project to you?” I stood there. No one listened to my explanation. I hadn’t even touched the hem of her dress. Adrian never looked at me once throughout the entire ordeal. He strode to the sofa, pulled Rosalie into his arms, comforted her in a low voice, then turned to look at me coldly. “Someone.” Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward. “Take Mrs. Hale to the dungeon to sober up.” Adrian said indifferently. “When she realizes her mistake, she can come out.” The iron door of the dungeon was pulled open, and a damp, cold air mixed with mold and rust hit my face. I was roughly shoved inside, stumbling and falling onto the slippery floor. Complete silence surrounded me. I leaned against the wall and sat down, pulling out a micro-communicator from my clothing. This was my backup device. Adrian didn’t know it existed. The screen lit up with a faint blue glow. I entered a string of code to contact an overseas dark web organization. “Destroy all birth and medical records for Wesley.” “Initiate evacuation protocol.” Message sent. Watching the “Executed” notification flash on screen, I finally exhaled. Adrian never knew that I never cared about being Mrs. Hale. All I cared about was the child I had hidden in the shadows. With Wesley’s traces erased, I had no more weaknesses. I don’t know how long passed before the iron door opened again. The light made me squint. Adrian walked in against the light, holding a coat. The hostility on his face had dissipated. “Aria, you’ve suffered.” He came over and gently draped the coat over me, as if he wasn’t the one who’d imprisoned me. “In that kind of situation just now, if I didn’t do that, I couldn’t explain to the board.” He picked me up, his tone full of helplessness. “You have to understand my difficulties.” “Rosalie’s side is making a big fuss. The forces behind her won’t let go.” As Adrian walked out, he whispered in my ear, “To completely stabilize them, I have to make a commitment.” “What commitment?” I asked. “Let her carry the Hale family’s child.” Adrian said it as if it were perfectly justified. “After the child is born, we’ll keep the child and get rid of the mother, or handle it however we want. Don’t worry, the position of Mrs. Hale will always be yours.” Lying in his arms, I just felt sick. For profit, he could let his mistress bear a child. To appease me, he promised to keep only the child and discard the mother. I closed my eyes, hiding the mockery in them. “Alright, I understand your difficulties.” Adrian’s steps faltered, as if he hadn’t expected me to be so compliant. Then his arms tightened, and he kissed my forehead. “I knew it. You’re the most understanding one.”
Aria’s POV Back at the villa, Adrian went to his study to handle business. I sat at the vanity in the bedroom, looking at myself in the mirror. Three years ago, when Adrian had just taken power, his enemies retaliated viciously. His most trusted subordinate’s entire family was brutally murdered. That night, he came back covered in blood, gripping my hand tightly, his eyes vicious. “Aria, remember this. We absolutely cannot have weaknesses. I’ll never have children in this lifetime.” I believed him. Until later, I saw him at a family gathering, staring at someone else’s child in a daze. That longing and loneliness couldn’t be faked. So I took the risk and secretly gave birth to Wesley. To protect Wesley, I sent the child overseas right after birth. My child was born in secrecy, couldn’t even call out “Dad.” And Adrian, to consolidate his position, actually wanted to have a child with that woman who schemed against me. If that’s the case, then you’ll never know about Wesley’s existence. An encrypted window notification popped up on my phone screen. “New identity ID generated. Exit channel will open in 7 days.” Seven days. The anticipation of impending freedom surged through me. The door was pushed open, and Adrian walked in. Behind him, two assistants carried large and small packages. “These are all this season’s haute couture, and a few jewelry sets. I thought they’d suit you.” The assistants piled everything on the sofa and quickly retreated. Adrian walked over, crouched beside my chair, and held my hand. “Aria, I’m sorry for the trouble these past few days.” He pulled out a document from his pocket and placed it in my hand. “This is the transfer agreement for those two shops in the Wesleyt district.” Those were two prime commercial properties with substantial rent income. “Thank you, honey.” I accepted the document and casually picked up the crocodile leather bag to examine it. “Nice color.” Adrian visibly relaxed. In his view, women just needed a little coaxing. Before, when I wouldn’t accept his gifts, it was either because he didn’t give enough or I was too pretentious. Now that I accepted, it meant I’d come to my senses, that he still had complete control. “Glad you like it.” Adrian stood up, glanced at his watch, his expression shifting slightly. “I have to go over there tonight. Rosalie just got out of the hospital. I need to put on a show.” Even his excuse for spending the night elsewhere sounded so proper. I laughed to myself. “Go ahead, don’t keep her waiting.” I toyed with the ring in my hand, not even looking up. Adrian seemed to sense something off about my compliance, but he was too confident to care. “Get some rest early.” He perfunctorily brushed his lips against my cheek, then turned and strode away. The sound of the engine starting came from downstairs. I walked to the window and watched the taillights disappear into the night. The transfer agreement worth millions in my hand was casually tossed into my suitcase.
Aria’s POV To appease those shareholders, Adrian insisted on bringing me to the charity gala. He picked up the priceless diamond necklace and fastened it around my neck. The cold diamonds pressed against my skin, and his tone was even colder. “Tonight, just smile. Talk less. If Mr. Warner asks about Rosalie, just say you’re not feeling well and specifically asked her to help share the burden.” I pulled at the corner of my mouth. “Don’t worry, I know.” I entered the venue on Adrian’s arm. Rosalie was already standing in the inner circle, acting like the true lady of the house, deflecting drinks for Adrian. “Mr. Hale, your wife doesn’t look well. Let me accompany Mr. Warner for this drink instead.” Rosalie naturally inserted herself between us, glancing at me provocatively. Adrian showed no displeasure. Instead, he released my hand and smoothly put his arm around Rosalie’s waist. I was pushed to the periphery. Watching them toast and chat, I could only laugh. Suddenly, a loud crash came from the entrance of the banquet hall. “Heartless capitalist! Give us back our blood money!” A group of rioters broke through security, wielding clubs and charging straight toward the core area. The scene instantly descended into chaos. The crowd shoved and screamed. Someone bumped into a massive decorative column, and the crystal chandelier overhead made a teeth-grinding cracking sound. “Watch out!” The chandelier was falling directly toward Adrian and Rosalie. In that second, the world seemed to freeze. I was only half a step away from Adrian. But I saw him, without any hesitation, turn around and grab my shoulder. Not to protect me. He was using me for leverage. He viciously yanked me backward, using that momentum to push Rosalie in his arms toward safety. Crash. The chandelier fell. Shards flew everywhere. His violent pull sent me crashing heavily onto the glass-covered floor. Sharp glass shards pierced my palms and knees, blood instantly gushing out. And the man who should have protected his wife was desperately shielding another woman, not even looking back. In fact, because of the chaos just now, his leather shoe heavily stepped on my bleeding hand. I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain but bit back any sound. Only after security controlled the situation did Adrian seem to finally remember something. He comforted the frightened Rosalie, then turned to see me covered in blood, his brow furrowing deeply. “Why are you so clueless?” He strode over, his tone containing no concern, only reproach. “Rosalie is carrying the Hale family’s bargaining chip. If that fall had harmed the fetus, ten of you couldn’t compensate for it.” I sat slumped on the ground, looking at the bruise on my hand from where he’d stepped on it, and at the blood mixed with glass shards. So in his eyes, I was just a meat shield for blocking disasters. “Fine, you’re right.” I looked up at him and smiled. “Mr. Hale did the right thing.” Adrian irritably took off his coat and threw it over my head, covering my face. “Don’t look at me with those sarcastic eyes. Have the driver take you to the hospital.”
Aria’s POV Late at night in the study, Adrian was in a remote meeting. I lay on the bed in the guest room when the communicator suddenly vibrated wildly. A highest-level alert came through. The safe house had been exposed, and unknown individuals were breaking down the door! My heart stopped. That was Wesley’s hiding place! Before I could respond, Rosalie’s saccharine voice drifted through the slightly open door from outside. “Mr. Hale, we found it. Those old fogies trying to bring you down have hidden core secrets in a villa in the Wesleytern suburbs. Oh, and apparently there’s a child hidden inside too.” My entire body went cold. That wasn’t some core secret. That was my son! “A child?” Adrian’s voice instantly turned ice-cold. “I hate it most when people do things behind my back.” I suddenly remembered two years ago when he’d thrown a mistress who tried to use her illegitimate child to climb the ranks into the ocean, right in front of me. Those were his exact drunken words. “Aria, remember this. Anyone who dares to have a bastard behind my back, I’ll strangle that spawn with my own hands.” Now, that spawn was Wesley. “Blake.” Adrian gave the order over the phone. “Take people there. Even if you have to burn the house down, clean it out. Adults, children-leave no one alive.” My hands started trembling violently. He was going to kill his own son. Once Blake broke in, Wesley would certainly die. I couldn’t plead for him. Pleading would expose everything, and Wesley would die even more horribly. I had to create an accident. I rushed into the kitchen and filled a bowl with scalding soup. No time to find a tray-I just grabbed the bowl and charged toward the study. The moment I pushed the door open, I heard Adrian urging, “Hurry up!” I stumbled, and along with the bowl of boiling soup, I threw myself straight at Adrian. “Ah!” The scalding soup spilled all over his keyboard and right hand, splashing across my chest too. The searing pain of the burn hit me, but I couldn’t care about that. “How can you be so careless?” Adrian hissed in pain and shot to his feet. “I’m sorry… I didn’t hold it steady…” I frantically lunged at the desk, pretending to grab tissues to wipe for him, but deliberately knocked over the water glass on the table. Water instantly seeped into the keyboard. The computer screen flickered several times, then went black. “Get away! How can there be such a stupid woman!” Adrian flew into a rage, grabbed my throat and flung me aside. I crashed into the bookshelf, my back screaming in pain. Taking advantage of the moment he turned to check his injuries, I locked my eyes on the backup tablet beside him. Only these few seconds. Ignoring the burning pain across my chest, my fingers flew across the tablet. I unlocked and hacked into the security system, located the Wesleytern suburbs villa. Then clicked the button triggering the district-wide fire alarm. The entire process took less than three seconds. The next second, piercing alarm sounds rang through the Wesleytern suburbs villa district’s monitoring terminal. Adrian turned back, just in time to see the red light flashing on the tablet. “What’s going on?” He frowned and picked up the tablet. “Why is the fire alarm going off now?” Once the fire alarm sounded, fire trucks and police would immediately seal off the scene. Blake and his crew, carrying weapons, definitely wouldn’t dare make a move at that time. “Damn it!” Adrian slammed his fist on the desk and roared into his earpiece. “Blake, pull back! There’s a fire there. The police will arrive any minute!” I collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily. The skin on my chest burned painfully, but I wanted to laugh. I’d won the gamble. Adrian never suspected I’d tampered with anything. In his eyes, how could I possibly know hacking techniques? “What are you still doing on the floor? Get out!” Adrian looked at me with disgust. I lowered my head and retreated from the room in disarray. Back in the bathroom, I immediately messaged the nanny: Take Wesley and evacuate during the chaos. Now! Five minutes later, the nanny replied that they were in the car and had safely evacuated. Looking at the screen, I slid down onto the cold tile floor. Wesley was safe. But this emergency transfer had exhausted all my hidden funds. That was my life-saving money, scraped together penny by penny over the years. I had no money now. Not even enough for plane tickets to escape with Wesley. Five more days. I had to sell myself for a good price before Adrian could kill my son.
Aria’s POV I told Adrian I was going to the beauty salon for skincare. Adrian didn’t even look up. He just said “come back early” and continued reading documents. I left with my handbag. Inside were all the gifts Adrian had given me over the years. The car circled half the city before finally stopping in an alley in the old district. Outside an antique shop. On the surface it repaired watches and sold antiques, but actually it was an entrance to the underground black market, specializing in acquiring all kinds of illicit valuables. I pushed the door open. A wind chime rang crisply. The owner had only one eye. He scanned the items I’d dumped on the table with a magnifying glass and curled his lip. “Quality’s not bad, but these designer goods all have serial numbers. Difficult to move. Thirty percent discount.” “Twenty percent.” I opened my mouth. “These are clean goods. No record.” “Mrs. Hale, you jest. Hale family goods-who dares say they’re clean?” The owner looked at me with a half-smile. My heart jumped. He’d recognized me. Just as I was about to speak, the curtain to the back room was suddenly pulled aside. A man walked out. He wore a dark gray shirt with rolled-up sleeves, revealing a stretch of smoothly lined forearm. It was the kind of lethal aura that came only from years of licking blood from blade edges, meticulously concealed beneath a polished veneer. “Adrian’s things-you dare sell it?” The man walked to the counter and picked up the most valuable pink diamond. It was Adrian’s fifth anniversary gift to me. Slender fingers held the stone up to the light, his mouth curving into an arc of cold amusement. “Mr. Blackwood.” The shop owner bowed immediately, his respect palpable. Damon Blackwood. In this city, not many dared call Adrian by his first name. Damon was one of them. Rumor had it he was the real controller behind this underground network, with methods even more ruthless than Adrian’s. I hadn’t expected to run into him here. “Stole them.” I met his gaze and lied. “He’s keeping a woman on the side. I need to leave myself an escape route.” Damon raised an eyebrow. He seemed very interested in this reason. Or rather, he seemed very interested in this matter concerning Adrian. “Interesting.” Damon put down the diamond, his fingers lightly tapping the counter twice. “I’ll take it all. Market price.” The owner froze. “Mr. Blackwood, this…” “Write a receipt.” Damon wasted no time. He withdrew a checkbook, wrote a figure, tore off the check, and handed it to me. It was twice what I had asked for. A bearer check. Cash on demand. Untraceable. “Thank you.” I took it, turned, and walked away. “Wait.” Damon called after me. He held a black business card between two fingers and extended it toward me. The card had only a number on it, not even a name. “If you need to sell more troublesome things, or encounter any other trouble…” He looked at me meaningfully, his voice low. “Contact me directly.” I took the card, didn’t even look at it, just stuffed it in my bag and disappeared into the rain. Through the glass window, I could feel Damon’s gaze stuck to my back. When I returned to the Hale residence, Adrian was actually home. He sat on the sofa, noticed my bare neck, and casually asked, “Where’s that pink diamond I gave you last time? Why aren’t you wearing it?” My movements as I changed shoes didn’t stop, but my heartbeat skipped a beat. “Sent it for maintenance. The setting was a bit loose. I was afraid of losing it.” Adrian nodded, completely unconcerned. He pulled a velvet box from his pocket and casually tossed it to me. “Just passed a mall earlier and picked up something random. Here, play with it.” I caught the box and opened it. A crystal brooch. Crude workmanship, cheap rhinestones, not even a brand name. Probably a freebie from the counter when he bought jewelry for Rosalie, or something he’d grabbed on impulse to meet a purchase minimum. I looked at that cheap brooch and smiled. “Thank you, I love it.” Adrian looked at my compliant appearance and smiled with satisfaction. “Glad you like it. There’s a social event in a couple days. Wear it there.” He thought I was so easy to fool. One piece of candy and I’d wag my tail and beg. He didn’t know that this obedient canary was sharpening her teeth, preparing to bite through the final chain. At the auction cocktail party, the lights were dizzying. Rosalie, holding champagne and wearing sky-high heels, walked up to me, her voice loud enough for the entire venue to hear. “Oh my, that brooch you’re wearing today is really… unique.” She bent down, exaggeratedly staring at the few-dollar crystal brooch on my chest as if she’d discovered a new world. “This material doesn’t look like diamonds or crystal, but more like… glass? Adrian really is something, letting you wear this kind of thing out. Isn’t he afraid of embarrassing the Hale family?” The surrounding society ladies immediately gathered around, whispering. The triumph in Rosalie’s eyes was about to overflow. She did it on purpose, wanting to embarrass me in this social arena, to confirm the rumors that I’d fallen out of favor. I didn’t defend myself. I just instinctively covered my chest and glanced at Adrian in the distance. “This is… a gift from Adrian.” My voice was soft, with a trace of trembling.
Aria’s POV Adrian was being surrounded by a group of people when he heard the commotion and strode over. He glanced at Rosalie, then at the cheap goods on my chest, his brow slightly raised. Rosalie immediately stirred the pot. “Mr. Hale, look at her. How can she wear cheap stuff to this kind of event…” “Shut up.” Adrian coldly cut her off. He walked to my side, put his arm around my shoulder, his gaze sweeping the entire venue, his tone supremely arrogant. “This is last year’s one-of-a-kind piece from an independent European designer. In this circle, taste matters more than price. Some things aren’t fashionable just because you’re covered in logos.” The tide turned. The society ladies who’d been covering their mouths and laughing moments ago immediately changed their tune. “I knew it! That cut is obviously extraordinary, so clear and transparent.” “Mr. Hale’s taste is truly impeccable. The design is so strong.” Rosalie’s face turned red. The hand holding her wine glass froze in mid-air, so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Adrian glanced at her coldly. “Aren’t you going to apologize?” Rosalie bit her lip, her eyes reddening, reluctantly lowering her head to me. “I’m sorry. My mistake.” My fingers gently stroked that crude fake crystal, suppressing the urge to laugh. “It’s fine.” Adrian was satisfied with my magnanimity, even more satisfied with the face he’d just gained from that protective display. He didn’t know that his arrogance was the best medicine. He’d personally stamped that fake with his approval. From now on, no one would ever suspect I’d sold the real diamond. In the stretch limousine on the way back. Adrian was in a good mood, unusually holding my hand. “You performed well tonight.” He probably thought that recently I hadn’t made a fuss, had obediently put away the multi-million dollar pink diamond, wore cheap junk without complaint, and even helped him save face in front of outsiders. This was the result of domestication he wanted. The car stopped at the villa entrance. Adrian instructed the head bodyguard. “Lower tomorrow’s security level. Mrs. Hale is going to the private hospital for a checkup. No need to follow into the examination room, just wait downstairs.” The head bodyguard nodded. “Yes, sir.” I sat in the shadows, my heart racing wildly, yet I still nodded. “Thank you, honey.” He’d personally unlocked the cage door. At home, Adrian went to the office for a meeting. Only a few cleaning servants remained in the house. I opened the deepest hidden compartment of the safe and took out a divorce agreement. I’d signed it three months ago. I placed it on the bedside table, under the velvet box containing the fake crystal brooch. Anyone lifting the box would find it. Next, I took out my phone. I deleted every cloud backup and wiped all message histories with the nanny. Finally, from the inner pocket of my wallet, I drew out a single photograph. A blurred silhouette, taken in secret on the day Wesley was born. I kept the photo close to my body. I looked around the room I’d lived in for five years. No trace of Aria remained. The wardrobe was filled with haute couture that belonged to Mrs. Hale. The vanity was crowded with luxury skincare that belonged to Mrs. Hale. None of this had anything to do with me anymore. Because I was leaving.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “351489”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #惊悚Thriller #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance
Leave a Reply