Lily’s desperate cry pierced the air as Ethan pinned her against the wall, his eyes blazing with fury. She struggled futilely against his iron grip, her heart pounding with fear. “Let go of me!” she pleaded, but Ethan only tightened his hold, his handsome face twisted with rage. Suddenly, he flung her aside violently. Lily’s head slammed against the bedside table, pain exploding through her skull. She curled into herself protectively, glaring at Ethan through tear-filled eyes. “Don’t you dare touch me!” Ethan’s lip curled in disgust. “As if you have any right to make demands of me, you worthless woman.” His voice dripped with venom, each word burning like acid. Lily trembled uncontrollably, her entire body rejecting Ethan’s cruel advances. No matter what, she refused to bear his child! “Don’t forget, Lily – your life is in my hands,” Ethan snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I can do whatever I want with you.” A chill ran down Lily’s spine at the murderous look in his eyes. Before she could react, Ethan grabbed her roughly. “You drugged me?!” Lily gasped in disbelief, staring at him in horror. How could he stoop so low? Ethan glanced at her coldly, his dark eyes devoid of emotion. “You bastard!” Lily spat, hatred burning in her eyes. In an instant, Ethan seized her jaw, forcing her to look at him. “Bastard? Who’s the real bastard here – me, or the woman who crippled her own sister?” A wave of anguish washed over Lily. For the sake of his sister’s legs, Ethan was willing to destroy her very life. “Ethan…” Lily whimpered as consciousness began to slip away. Even as darkness closed in, she forced herself to glare at him defiantly. “Is that all you can take?” Ethan sneered. “You weren’t so resistant when you were with Oliver, were you?” His handsome features contorted with disgust. The cruel insult made Lily’s battered body curl in on itself in shame. Just days ago, Ethan – the terrifyingly powerful heir to the Evans family fortune – had imprisoned Lily in this filthy warehouse. He forced her to sleep on the cold hard floor with only a thin blanket, demanding she atone for crippling his beloved sister Sophia. “The more you resist, Lily, the more I’ll break you,” Ethan growled menacingly. His harsh words pierced Lily’s heart. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. He hated her. Hated her to his very core. Hated her enough to want to torture her to death. Because she had betrayed him. Betrayed him in the cruelest way imaginable. Fury overtaking him, Ethan grabbed Lily’s throat. “Do you know what I regret most, Ethan?” she choked out. He glared at her coldly. “I regret…not killing Sophia when I had the chance,” Lily snarled. “I should have crushed more than just her legs.” Ethan recoiled as if struck, releasing Lily in disgust. “You’re not just filthy, Lily – you’re rotten to the core.” Filthy and rotten. Lily laughed bitterly. Ethan had already shattered her completely – why should his cruel words hurt her now? A wave of despair washed over her, nearly suffocating in its intensity. Lily struggled to breathe as Ethan stared at her with revulsion before storming out, leaving her alone in the darkness. She curled up on the thin blanket, icy coldness seeping into her bones. In the distance, Ethan smirked as he heard her agonized sobs. Late that night, Lily jolted awake as she sensed someone approaching. She instinctively tried to pull away, eyes wide with fear. “Ethan, haven’t you done enough?!” The figure looming over her froze. In the darkness, a pair of eyes bore into her intensely. Lily’s blood ran cold as she realized this wasn’t Ethan, but a strange man she’d never seen before. Terror flooded her veins. Lily’s shoulders shook violently as she found herself unable to even cry for help. Who would come to her rescue in this isolated warehouse anyway? “Get your filthy hands off me,” she snarled, jerking away in disgust. Her resistance only seemed to enrage the man further. He tossed aside his belt, eyes gleaming dangerously. “I’m going to teach you a lesson, you little bitch!” he growled. Suddenly, Lily saw Ethan appear in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. His cold eyes swept over the scene with disdain. “How does he compare to Oliver?” Ethan sneered. “Let’s see if he can satisfy your cravings.” Lily stared at him in stunned disbelief, her whole body trembling. She never imagined Ethan could be so cruel as to allow this. He truly wanted to destroy her entire life. “Ethan, do you have no conscience?!” she cried desperately, cornered by the aggressive stranger. “Conscience? Did you have a conscience when you abandoned my family?” he shot back, his piercing gaze cutting her to the core. “Make him stop!” Lily screamed, using the last of her strength. But Ethan’s eyes remained cold and unfeeling. He was really going to stand by and watch as she was violated. Lily laughed bitterly. What could be more devastating than the man she loved most in the world pushing her into the arms of another man to be abused? In a split second decision, she slammed her head against the wall with all her might. Blood splattered as Lily collapsed to the floor, her vacant eyes fixed on Ethan. Though his fists clenched involuntarily, Ethan forced himself to remain impassive. He couldn’t show weakness now, not after her unforgivable betrayal. He approached her prone form, his expression cold. “Playing the martyr now, Lily? You’re filthy to the core – don’t pretend to have any pride left.” Lily was in too much pain to speak, but the explanation stuck in her throat. She loved him – how could she let that incident destroy him? She simply stared at Ethan, deliberately provoking him further. “You hate me so much – why not just kill me? I’m damaged goods now. Oliver is the only man I want!” She hurled insults at herself, satisfied to see the hatred burning in his eyes. The more he despised her, the more vindicated she felt – even as his loathing shattered her heart into pieces. Suddenly, Ethan seized her bloodied chin in an iron grip. His eyes blazed with murderous rage. “Kill you? Death would be too merciful. You don’t deserve to live, Lily, but your death wouldn’t be enough to repay Sophia.” Her life wasn’t even worth Sophia’s legs in his eyes. Lily should be enslaved, forced to serve Sophia for the rest of her miserable existence. Ethan roughly grabbed her frail body, his expression twisted with revulsion. “From today on, you’ll live at the Evans estate and be Sophia’s servant until she forgives you.” Lily was stunned for a moment. Live at the Evans estate? That would be no different than descending into hell. Sophia would torment her relentlessly, and Ethan would use every means to make her suffer. She couldn’t bear it. Tears of blood stained Lily’s cheeks, making her look hauntingly beautiful. “If you force me back there, I’ll kill myself right in front of you.” She tried to wrench free of Ethan’s grasp, preparing to slam her head against the wall once more. But in that instant, Ethan kicked her legs out from under her. Lily crashed to the floor as his foot pressed down on her bloodied forehead. The pain was indescribable. No, “pain” wasn’t nearly a strong enough word. More than anything, she felt despair. Despair at what this man was doing to her. “Want to die?” he sneered, his brow furrowed mockingly. “Who will atone for Sophia’s suffering if you’re gone?” The constant mentions of “Sophia” felt like knives twisting in Lily’s heart. In Ethan’s eyes, his precious Sophia was human while Lily was nothing but a dog to be kicked. How ironic that the man who once cherished her above all else now tortured her for another woman’s sake. Lily’s vision blurred as she stared blankly ahead. Why couldn’t that car accident have killed her instead? Because of that crash, she and Ethan had become mortal enemies overnight!

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They say no one escapes the seven-year itch in marriage, but Aubrey and Julian Davies’ loving days only lasted five. After five years, Julian fell for someone else. To force Aubrey to donate her bone marrow, he even kidnapped her only living family member. When Aubrey arrived, her younger brother, Liam, was already beaten and covered in blood. Guards had him pinned down, roughly forcing bottle after bottle of alcohol down his throat. Julian looked at her, a smirk playing on his lips. “Here are ten bottles of hard liquor. Every minute, I’ll force one down his throat. But I don’t quite remember which one is poisoned.” “Will you watch your brother drink himself to death, or will you sign the bone marrow donation agreement?” Aubrey’s tears streamed down her face as she looked at Liam, covered in blood. “No!” She shrieked at Julian, “He’s my only brother, my only family! How – how could you do this to him?!” Julian calmly swirled the wine in his glass, his gaze empty of any pity. Instead, he simply raised a hand, signaling the guards to pry Liam’s mouth open and continue forcing the liquor down. Julian pointed to the remaining bottles. “One of these is poisoned!” “Care to guess which one?” Aubrey’s heart pounded, threatening to burst from her chest. Julian stood before her, his eyes lowered, radiating a chilling aura. “Aubrey, your blood type matches Serena’s. Donating a bit of bone marrow won’t affect you at all.” Julian gripped her chin, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Or are you thinking Liam won’t feel any pain if he drinks this poison after getting drunk? Is that why you’re so unconcerned?” Aubrey bit her lip so hard the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Her parents were gone; Liam was all she had left. After she got together with Julian, he had spoiled Liam even more than she did. Yet now, for another woman, he was threatening her with her brother’s life. Seeing her hesitation, Julian grew impatient. “Are you truly willing to watch your brother die right in front of you?” Julian’s eyes hardened. He picked up another bottle and handed it to a guard. “Only one left.” “Julian Davies!” Aubrey screamed, utterly heartbroken. “Are you really going to kill my brother for your lover?!” “Her health is important, but what about mine? Do I deserve to die?!” Julian raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips as he wiped a smudge from her cheek. “Of course not. It’s just a bone marrow donation.” “Or are you afraid Serena will take your place? Don’t worry, no one will ever shake your position as Mrs. Davies.” “Serena is very obedient, just like you used to be. She listens to everything I say.” The moment Serena’s name was mentioned, Julian’s eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of someone who had found a perfect acquisition. Aubrey remembered. She was orphaned in middle school. With nowhere else to turn, a twist of fate led her to be taken in by the Davies family. Back then, Julian’s parents were often away on business, and the nannies didn’t care much for him. He was malnourished, scrawny. That’s why Mr. Davies Sr. used to call him a scrawny kid who couldn’t even stand up for himself. Caught in a cycle of extreme verbal abuse and emotional distress, he spiraled into depression. It was Aubrey who quietly stayed by his side, learning to cook to nurse him back to health. She stopped him from attempting suicide, comforting and caring for his emotional well-being. She stayed with him until he became the celebrated CEO of Davies Corporation. Through countless days and nights spent together, a silent affection blossomed between them. At a Davies family gala, someone had called her a charity case trying to marry into wealth, warning the family to be careful not to be seduced by her. The very next day, Julian had systematically crushed that person’s company, issuing a chilling warning to everyone: no one was to speak ill of Aubrey ever again. He had made her feel completely safe and cherished. … They had walked hand-in-hand through life, Julian’s boundless favoritism protecting her from ridicule and disdain. He had given her and Liam a home, a sanctuary. At their wedding, Julian had declared that only she, Aubrey, would ever be Mrs. Davies. He had kept his word, yet his heart now belonged to another woman. Aubrey clutched the lapel of Julian’s jacket until her knuckles turned white. Fighting back tears, she choked out, “Julian, is Serena truly that important to you?” Julian paused for a moment. “Important, yes. I can’t live without her.” “Serena lacks a sense of security. You should give her half of your shares too.” Every word he spoke was like a knife, twisting deeper into Aubrey’s heart. Those shares had been given to her by Mrs. Davies; they were rightfully hers. Why should she give them to Serena? It was her fault, she had let a viper into her home. When she first met Serena, she was a fresh college graduate, struggling to find work. She had pulled some strings, asking Aubrey for help. Thinking she seemed nice enough, Aubrey hired Serena as her personal assistant. She never expected her to be so impulsive and a law unto herself. Serena constantly disrupted her plans and interfered with her schedule. Aubrey had gotten into trouble with Mr. Davies Sr. more times than she could count because of her. When she finally fired Serena, Serena still believed she’d done nothing wrong. She’d claimed Aubrey was just using her position as Mrs. Davies to lord it over people. Serena swore that once she reached Aubrey’s position, she would make sure Aubrey suffered. Aubrey had dismissed them as empty threats, paying them no mind. But she never imagined Serena would turn around and start an affair with Julian. Still, she didn’t take it seriously. Julian had many lovers; they were always just flings. She was wrong. Things slowly spiraled out of control. Serena was different. Julian was completely obsessed with her, madly in love with her. The thought sent a wave of agonizing pain through Aubrey. She struggled to compose herself. “There are so many people who could be a match for her. Why does it have to be me?” Julian replied, “Because I don’t trust anyone else. But you’re absolutely clean, no diseases.” “You’re holding the position of Mrs. Davies. What more could you be unsatisfied with? It’s just bone marrow. Don’t be so petty.” Aubrey froze. He spoke as if this were some grand favor bestowed upon her. Did receiving these things mean she had to give up her life? Her body was already haggard and frail. After undergoing surgery, she might not make it off the table. Seeing her continued refusal, Julian’s patience ran out. He warned, “Aubrey, don’t forget, without me, you and your brother would be beggars.” “Just as I gave you everything, I can take it all away.” Aubrey fell silent, her eyes filled with a soul-crushing agony. Everything she had done was to stand proudly beside Julian. Yet everyone saw her efforts, everyone but Julian, who, deep down, only ever looked down on her. The young man who, full of vigor, declared his love to him in the rain. The Julian who confessed his love under the spotlight and swore to love only her. He was long gone. Aubrey stubbornly lifted her head. “What if I refuse to donate?” Julian frowned in displeasure, sighing softly before prying Liam’s mouth open again. She panicked, quickly saying, “I’ll find someone else for you, absolutely clean and healthy!” “Three…” “Julian, there are other options! It doesn’t have to be me!” “Two… Aubrey, do you really think your brother isn’t as important as your bone marrow?” His voice was bone-chillingly cold, and the indifference in his eyes tore her in two. “Fine, I agree. I’ll give you my bone marrow.” The words tasted bitter in her mouth. “Good girl. That’s my Aubrey.” Julian took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, his arm around her firm and warm. He signaled the guards to release Liam, who crumpled to the ground like a broken rag doll. A cold fear bloomed in Aubrey’s heart. Julian had always seen her as an object. Like a helmsman who could steer her emotions at will. She couldn’t endure this life of sharing one man with countless other women. She had to take Liam and leave. She had to get a divorce.

Aubrey shoved Julian away and rushed to the unconscious Liam. She shrieked at Julian, “Quick! Get him to a hospital!” Julian frowned. Just as he was about to call for someone to take Liam to the hospital, His phone suddenly rang. He looked at the screen—it was Serena. The moment he answered, her weeping voice came through. “Julian, my chest hurts so much! I feel like I can’t hold on!” Julian grew anxious, hearing Serena’s cries. He tried to comfort her. “I’m coming right away. Just wait for me.” Seeing him about to leave, Aubrey grabbed his jacket. “Julian, Julian, please, I’m begging you! Get Liam to the hospital first, he’s dying!” Julian’s brows furrowed deeply. He yanked his jacket free. “Call an ambulance yourself. Serena said her condition worsened.” “I have to go take care of her first!” She tried to argue, but he ignored her. Aubrey placed her last hope on the ambulance. When she finally found her phone, it was shattered, utterly unusable. In the end, it was one of the guards, with a pang of conscience, who called for an ambulance. All the way to the hospital, she kept asking the doctors if Liam would be okay. But they couldn’t make any promises. After Liam was wheeled into the emergency room, Aubrey stood outside, pacing anxiously. Less than half an hour after the doctors went in, they suddenly rushed out, looking utterly frantic. She frowned, stepping forward and gripping a doctor’s wrist tightly. “Where are you going? How is the person inside?” The doctor, frantic, explained, “A patient named Serena has had an emergency. The hospital just called us all over.” “We’ll be back here very soon.” Aubrey held the doctor’s arm even tighter, refusing to let go. “No! If you leave, my brother will have no one to save him!” “So many doctors are going. It won’t matter if one of you stays!” Aubrey cried and knelt, pleading with the doctor to stay, but he was torn. If he didn’t go, he could kiss his career at the hospital goodbye. After a moment of agonizing deliberation, the doctor. Still, he pulled his wrist free from Aubrey’s grasp, guilt etched on his face. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.” With that, he abandoned her and left. She peered into the operating room, seeing Liam lying alone on the hospital bed. His breathing grew shallow. Aubrey gritted her teeth and rushed to another emergency room, where she saw Julian standing outside, his face etched with worry. “Did you call all the doctors away?” Julian looked up. “Serena’s situation is critical.” The operating room was packed with doctors. Aubrey cried out in fury, “You don’t need this many! Just give me a few doctors, please!” Aubrey’s eyes were red-rimmed as she tugged at Julian’s sleeve, begging him. But he was unmoved, rejecting her with a stone-cold expression. “Stop making a scene. If anything happens to Serena, I couldn’t bear it.” “It’ll be quick. Just wait a little longer.” Aubrey snatched her hand away and screamed at him, “Liam is really dying! I’ll kneel for you, okay?!” Finally, she knelt down in front of everyone. Julian’s face instantly changed. He pulled her up. His voice laced with impatience, “I just praised you for being obedient, and now you’re going to upset me again?” Aubrey softened her tone, tears streaming down her face. “Liam really can’t wait.” Julian, with a cold look, cupped her face and began to soothe her. “It was just a few drinks. How could anything happen?” “I didn’t put any poison in that alcohol. I knew you were trying to trick me into coming over with Liam.” “This isn’t the time for jealousy. Be a good girl. Serena’s situation is much more serious than Liam’s.” Aubrey could no longer hide her collapsing emotions. She screamed at Julian, “No! I’m not being jealous!” Julian’s brows furrowed slightly, his expression displeased. “Enough. Stop being so disobedient. Once Serena’s surgery is over, they’ll go to Liam.” Seeing that she couldn’t reason with Julian, she decided to transfer Liam to another hospital. Just as she was about to arrange the transfer, the door to Serena’s operating room suddenly opened. Serena’s face was pale, and her eyes, red-rimmed, looked at Julian with an expression that made her appear utterly pitiful. “Julian, I thought I’d never wake up again.” Julian comforted her with a pained expression, his voice full of tenderness. “It’s okay. I’m here. Nothing bad will happen to you.” Aubrey stood to the side, watching the two of them embrace. She felt like a hysterical madwoman. Julian used to cherish her, treating her like a precious treasure. Knowing she was afraid of pain, he had all the sharp furniture and wall corners in their home rounded. If she ever got a scratch or a bump, he would panic as if the world were about to explode. When she faced difficulties, he was always the first to appear by her side. But then, this relationship started to sour. Looking back, it seemed to be from the moment she stopped obeying his every command. After the doctors emerged from Serena’s operating room, they immediately went to Liam’s. Who knew how much time had passed? The doctor came out and shook his head at Aubrey. “It’s too late. If you had brought him a few minutes earlier, he might have been saved.” “Now, he’s in a vegetative state. As for when he’ll wake up, that’s an unknown.” Aubrey’s legs gave out when she heard the news. He was alive, but what was the difference between this and being dead? She walked to his side, gently stroking his pale face. Just a few minutes. If Julian hadn’t called all the doctors away, her brother would be waking up right now! Aubrey collapsed beside Liam, no longer able to hold back her emotions, and cried out loud. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t fallen in love with Julian, you wouldn’t be like this.” “If I had agreed to give Julian my bone marrow earlier, he wouldn’t have been so cruel to you!” If the old Liam had heard her crying, he would have long since wiped away her tears and sought out whoever had made her cry to settle the score. But now, he lay motionless on the bed. Finally, Aubrey coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the hospital floor.

When she woke again, a doctor stood over her, frowning at her test results. “Your body is very weak. You need to rest properly.” Aubrey smiled faintly. “Doctor, will I die?” “No, but if you keep pushing yourself, you won’t have many days left.” After saying this, the doctor sighed, leaving her with a simple instruction to take care of herself before departing. Ever since Liam became a vegetable, Aubrey had dedicated all her energy to him. One day, the elevator broke, forcing her to climb five flights of stairs. But by the third floor, she was breathless, her chest tight, her legs weak. By the time she reached Liam’s side, she was drenched in sweat. That’s when she realized just how frail her body was. If she went into surgery like this, it would surely be a gamble with her life. She needed to recover properly. After several days of rest and treatment in the hospital, her body finally started to regain some strength. She planned to go home to pick up some things, then rent a room near the hospital so she could better care for Liam. Standing at the door, she overheard words that shattered her heart. “Do you think our baby will be a boy or a girl?” Serena asked, her face full of anticipation. Julian, with a doting expression, replied, “Boy or girl, they’re my child.” A child? A sudden, sharp pain pierced Aubrey’s heart, an unspeakable ache spreading through her entire body. They had been together for five years and never conceived. He and Serena got pregnant in less than half a year? Just then, Serena suddenly began to sob. “Maybe I should just get rid of this baby?” Julian’s grip on Serena’s hand tightened abruptly, his eyes wide with panic. “Why?!” “My body… I can’t carry a baby. Julian, I really want to be a mother, but I…” Julian frowned, his thin lips parting. “It’s okay. I found a bone marrow match for you, and Aubrey has agreed.” Aubrey’s heart clenched in the hallway. The world began to spin. The metallic tang in her throat constantly reminded her that her body was no longer healthy. If she didn’t make it off the operating table this time, what would happen to Liam? What would he do, alone? Aubrey knocked on the door. The two in the living room immediately turned to the entrance. Only then did they realize Aubrey had been listening the whole time. Julian frowned. “What are you doing here?” Aubrey walked over to them. “Can I… can I get my body stronger first… before I donate?” Serena clutched her stomach, tears wetting her sleeves. “But I can’t wait! The doctor said the surgery needs to be done as soon as possible.” “Julian, if Aubrey isn’t willing, then… we won’t have the baby.” Serena said this with a sob in her voice. With just one sentence, she shifted all the blame onto Aubrey. Julian frowned, his voice low and firm, laced with an undeniable command. “You just heard, Serena is pregnant.” “Aubrey, you promised to donate your bone marrow. Or do you want your brother to keep drinking?” Aubrey responded, “It’s not that I won’t donate. It’s just that my body right now…” “Aubrey! You used to agree to everything I said. Why are you constantly refusing me now?!” Julian’s voice was icy, radiating a deep, cold indifference. “Serena and the baby can’t wait.” Aubrey knew she couldn’t escape. So, if that was the case, she would fight for something for herself. “Alright, but I need a sum of money.” Julian was pleased by Aubrey’s sudden obedience, his mood brightening considerably. “I need sixty million.” Julian didn’t bat an eye, nodding. “I’ll have Mr. Sterling transfer it to you.” But Serena, sitting beside him, wasn’t happy. “Why so much money?” “What are you going to do with it?” Aubrey frowned. This mistress, acting like the lady of the house, interrogating her. “It’s just sixty million,” Julian said. Serena pouted. “That sixty million would be so much better for our baby.” Aubrey looked anxiously at Julian. She was terrified he would actually listen to Serena and take the money back. This was the amount she’d calculated for Liam’s future medical expenses. She immediately explained, “No, Liam is in a vegetative state. I need this money.” Julian looked disbelieving. “How is that possible? He just had a few drinks. That wouldn’t put him in a vegetative state, would it?” “I’m really not lying to you.” He let out a cold laugh. “Alright, if you want money in the future, just ask me directly. No need to lie about Liam being in a vegetative state.” “You’re Mrs. Davies. It’s only right that I give you money.” Aubrey opened her mouth, but no words came out. Serena, however, shot Aubrey a venomous look, as if wishing her dead. Just then, she touched her belly, as if an idea had struck her. “Julian, since I’m pregnant now, shouldn’t we find someone to care for me during my pregnancy?” Julian said, “I’ll immediately have someone find a maternity nurse for you.” Serena stopped Julian and looked at Aubrey. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Couldn’t Aubrey just take care of me?” “I only trust family.”

Julian, hearing this, smiled. “That’s a good idea. She’s excellent at taking care of people.” Aubrey’s face drained of color. Her throat felt dry. “Excellent at taking care of people.” Was he talking about how she had acted like a nanny to him throughout their youth? His words made all her sacrifices during her youth feel like a cruel joke. Julian picked up a strand of her hair, twisting it between his fingers. “You’ll agree, won’t you?” Aubrey’s eyes welled up. After they announced their relationship, Julian had never let her do any housework. Now, he was asking her to care for his pregnant mistress. Her mouth opened slightly, but she couldn’t utter a refusal. She could only nod. She couldn’t go against Julian yet. She hadn’t received the divorce papers, and the money hadn’t been transferred to her account. Serena, seeing Aubrey’s humiliated expression, brightened considerably. Just then, Julian’s phone rang. He gave Serena a doting look. “I’ll take this call.” As soon as he stepped out, the pitiful innocence in Serena’s eyes vanished. It was replaced by malice and calculation. “Well, does it hurt to see how much Julian loves me?” Serena looked triumphant, her chin slightly raised, a victor’s pose. “I found out. You were just a beggar picking through trash on the streets. After getting help from the Davies family, you transformed into Mrs. Davies.” “If you can marry Julian, so can I.” Saying this, Serena grabbed Aubrey’s wrist. “I advise you to leave Julian on your own. Otherwise, once I start playing games, you won’t be able to handle it.” Aubrey didn’t take Serena’s threats seriously. She sneered. “Oh really? Then why don’t you just tell him you want him to divorce me?” “Do you know why he loves you so much, yet still hasn’t divorced me?” “Because, to him, you’re nothing but a mistress.” Aubrey’s words hit home, crushing Serena’s pride. “You!” Serena pointed a furious finger at her, barely restraining herself from striking Aubrey. “Don’t get cocky. The position of Mrs. Davies will be mine eventually.” With that, Serena violently shoved the table, spilling a cup of hot water. Then she let out a piercing scream. “Ah!” Julian, hearing Serena’s shriek, burst through the door and saw Serena’s scalded, red hand. He rushed over and pulled her into his arms. “What happened?!” Serena leaned into Julian’s embrace, tears welling in her eyes. She sniffled as she cried. She looked utterly pathetic. “Julian, I don’t know what I said wrong to anger Aubrey.” “She suddenly threw hot water on me.” As she spoke, she clutched her stomach, crying even harder. “Thankfully, I protected my belly. If anything happened to the baby, what would I do?!” Julian’s deep, inky eyes blazed with fury. He let out a sudden roar that made Aubrey flinch. “Aubrey!” “Don’t you know she’s pregnant?! How could you be so vicious?!” It was the first time Aubrey had seen Julian so enraged. She tried to explain, “There are security cameras in the living room. You can check them to see if I did it.” She had been kidnapped once before, and though she was rescued safely, it had left Julian with intense psychological trauma. He’d had cameras installed in every corner of the house. A flicker of panic crossed Serena’s face. She quickly said, “Aubrey, I know you want to say I framed you, but I would never endanger Julian’s baby just to frame you!” Julian held Serena tightly, his heart aching. He looked at her tear-filled eyes and her scalded, red hand. “No need to check. I believe Serena.” “Aubrey, I never thought you could become so malicious.” Aubrey tried to explain again. “I never…” “Aubrey!” His roar was so loud, it made her heart pound. Even Serena flinched at the sound, forgetting to cry. Julian, seeing Serena startled, immediately comforted her. “Don’t be scared. I’m not yelling at you!” Tears spilled from Aubrey’s eyes, uncontrollable. If she had cried before, Julian would have frantically fumbled to comfort her. But now, he was busy soothing another woman. Julian looked up, frowning. “Why are you crying? I guess you don’t understand pain until it happens to you.” He gave a look to the guards, who immediately understood. They grabbed Aubrey’s arms, pulling her towards the basement. Looking at the pitch-black basement, Aubrey immediately struggled. “I’m begging you! I’m scared!” “Don’t do this, Julian Davies! You know I can’t be in confined spaces, you know it!” No matter how much Aubrey pleaded, he ignored her. The basement was just a storage room, not very large. The lights there had broken a long time ago and hadn’t been fixed. Once the door closed, nothing could be seen. In that sealed, narrow space, her fear magnified infinitely. Aubrey couldn’t take it anymore. She hammered on the door, shouting, “Let me out! Please, let me out!” No one paid any attention to her cries for help. Gradually, she felt her breathing grow ragged, and her entire being was consumed by extreme terror. When she finally saw light again, it was three days later. For those three days, she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything. Julian looked at her, covered in dirt, and wrinkled his nose in disgust. Serena, hiding behind him, looked smug. Julian sneered, “If you had just been a good girl and listened, none of this would have happened!” She had no strength left and slowly closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Julian sitting by her bedside. He held a glass of water out to her. “Drink some water.” His voice was incredibly gentle, making her believe the young Julian from years ago had returned. But then she looked up and saw the hickeys on his neck, instantly snapping her back to reality. Julian placed the water glass aside. “Are you worried Serena’s child will steal your inheritance?”

“Once Serena’s surgery is done, we’ll have a child of our own. That way, you’ll feel more secure, won’t you?” Aubrey thought she had misheard him. She looked up at the man she had loved for over a decade. He now seemed utterly foreign to her. She suppressed her nausea and replied, “Understood.” “Then rest well. I’m leaving.” After Julian left, Aubrey rushed to the bathroom and vomited violently into the toilet. A child? If a child were born into this environment, it would be irresponsible of her. She couldn’t continue like this. Aubrey went to Julian’s office door. Julian barely looked up when he saw her. “What do you need?” “This is the contract for an apartment I bought. Liam needs to be hospitalized, so I’ll live near the hospital to take care of him.” Julian took the contract from her hand and read it carefully. When he flipped to the divorce agreement page, Aubrey’s heart tightened. She quickly reached out to cover the content, pointing to the signature line. “Just sign here.” Julian looked up at her, then, without much thought, signed the document. “Take good care of Serena. She’s in a critical period right now.” Aubrey nodded and left the office. Looking at Julian’s signature on the divorce agreement, the reality finally sank in: she was truly divorced from Julian. Next, she would go to the law firm to divide their assets. Mrs. Davies had given her a substantial amount of shares after they married. Once she converted those into cash, it would be enough for her and Liam to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. As she was at home brewing herbal medicine, her phone suddenly rang. It was Julian. The moment she answered, his anxious voice came through. “Where are you right now?” Aubrey frowned. “I’m home.” Julian said, “I’m coming back to pick you up now.” About ten minutes after the call ended, he appeared at her house. Without a word, he pulled her into the car. On the way, Aubrey couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you taking me?” Julian frowned. “Serena fainted. She needs emergency surgery.” Aubrey flinched. Her body wasn’t ready for surgery yet. Her health and weight weren’t up to par. If she donated now, what would happen to her? “Not today. Let me get my strength back…” “Enough!” Julian slammed on the horn, glaring into the rearview mirror. “You just don’t want to donate, so you’re making excuses!” “Don’t you know myelodysplastic syndrome can be fatal? If you don’t donate today, Serena and the baby will be in danger.” Upon arriving at the hospital, Julian pushed her directly to a doctor. “Her bone marrow is a match. Take hers.” “No! You can’t! I’ll die! Doctor, please tell him!” Aubrey looked at the doctor, her face etched with despair. She placed all her hope in him. The doctor frowned. The person before him was skeletal, far from meeting donation standards. He was about to object. Julian’s voice cut in, a warning. “If you don’t want this hospital to go under, then draw her blood!” The doctor’s words were swallowed back down. He could only lead Aubrey into the operating room. Aubrey grabbed Julian’s jacket, crying out, “Julian Davies! What if I really die?!” Her desperate plea made everyone present wince in pain. Julian, however, was unfazed. He gripped her chin. “I’ve looked into it. Bone marrow donation won’t kill you. Stop being dramatic.” “What are you all looking at? Get her in there!” Fearing repercussions, the doctors could only take her arms and pull her towards the operating room. Despite her desperate struggles, she couldn’t resist a single anesthesia injection. The operating lamp switched on, its white glare painfully bright. Then, gradually, she lost consciousness. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Serena clinging to Julian’s waist, her face tear-stained. “Julian, do you know how close I came to never seeing you again?” Julian frantically wiped away her tears, comforting her. “I’m here with you. Don’t be afraid.” In contrast, Aubrey lay unattended. She tried to push herself up to reach the water glass on her bedside table. But her hands were too weak. She couldn’t hold the full glass. The loud crash of the glass hitting the floor seemed to startle Serena, who flinched in Julian’s arms. She cried even louder. Julian let her tears soak his clothes. He looked at Aubrey with an accusing glare. He had severe germaphobia. In the past, if Aubrey accidentally touched his hand with sand, he would wash his hands several times with soap. But now, Serena’s tears were soaking his collar, and he didn’t seem annoyed at all. Julian soothed Serena, then angrily turned to Aubrey.

“What are you whining about? Don’t you know Serena just had surgery and can’t handle being startled?!” Aubrey could only silently endure his accusations. For some reason, her incision was hurting excruciatingly. She was gasping for breath, and she turned to Julian. “Please, call a doctor for me!” Serena, at that moment, said, “Let’s switch rooms. I want a private room.” Julian’s attention was entirely focused on Serena. He’d completely forgotten what Aubrey had said. “Understood! I’ll arrange it right away!” Julian carried Serena away, leaving Aubrey alone in the room. Later, a nurse doing rounds discovered Aubrey had fainted. Acute kidney failure. After the doctors’ efforts, she barely survived. A week later, Serena and Julian reappeared in her hospital room. Looking at Aubrey’s pale face, Serena said, “The doctor told me the technology is mature now. Bone marrow donation has no risks at all.” “Aubrey, even if you want to get Julian’s attention, you don’t need to fake it so badly.” With that, she stepped forward and pinched Aubrey’s face hard, until it turned red. She turned to Julian and said, “See how pale her face is? It’s all makeup.” Aubrey’s body hadn’t fully recovered. Hearing Serena’s words, she coughed fiercely. Julian frowned. “Aubrey, you’re really disappointing me more and more!” “The doctor said you need another surgery. Get ready.” Aubrey looked up, her eyes filled with despair. “What did you say?” “What, you put on such a good act, and now you can’t handle donating a second time?” “Do you know Serena gets a headache if she feels even a slight draft? It’s because you kept delaying the donation, and it left her with lingering issues!” Tears silently streamed down Aubrey’s face. She had barely returned from the brink of death, and now he wanted to push her back in again. “I won’t donate,” Aubrey gritted out. Julian frowned. “What did you say?” Aubrey repeated, “I won’t donate. I’d rather die than sacrifice my life for her.” Julian was about to say something when a nurse suddenly entered. “Aubrey, one dialysis session, and then you’ll recover with medication!” Dialysis? Julian frowned, about to ask what was going on. Serena, beside him, immediately grabbed his arm. “Julian, I suddenly feel so dizzy. Did I not get enough rest?” Julian, hearing Serena hadn’t rested well, quickly supported her, his face filled with concern. “Let’s go rest now.” As for Aubrey, Julian didn’t ask another word. The nurse helped Aubrey out of bed. “Was that your family just now? Why didn’t you ask him to accompany you for dialysis?” Aubrey’s face was numb. “Not family. I can do it alone.” She received treatment at the hospital for half a month. During that time, she had no one to talk to, only watching TV to pass the time. The news lately was all about Julian and Serena. At a new product launch, Serena was dressed elegantly, sitting beside Julian. She greeted everyone like the lady of the Davies household. At a charity gala, reporters asked Julian about their relationship, and he generously admitted they were a couple. He gave Serena all the security she needed, and even the media’s headlines for the three of them were: “The unloved one is the mistress.” Julian’s doting on Serena was known to all: hot air balloon confessions, starting a company for her, gifting her luxury cars and mansions. Seeing these scenes, people couldn’t help but remember that Julian’s pursuit of Aubrey hadn’t been nearly as grand. Everyone was saying Serena was Julian’s true love. Aubrey felt no emotion from seeing these things anymore. All she wanted now was to take what belonged to her and leave with her brother. As far away as possible. When she was well enough to be discharged, her first priority was to find Liam. She hadn’t been around for so long; she wondered how her brother was doing. As she pushed open the door, she saw a group of men in black ransacking the room, throwing things everywhere. They were even trying to rip Liam’s oxygen tube out. Aubrey saw this and rushed forward, using all her strength to push the burly guard to the ground. “What are you doing?! Who told you to touch him?!” Serena, arms crossed, walked out from a short distance away, looking at the unconscious man on the bed. “What’s the point of keeping a living corpse here?” “It’s just a waste of resources!” The term “living corpse” pierced Aubrey’s heart. She broke free from the guard and screamed at Serena, “My brother will wake up! He will!” “He’s not a living corpse!” Serena, seeing her frantic state, raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused. She gestured to the guards. “What are you waiting for? Get him out of here!” With that, the guards moved towards Liam. As their hands were about to touch him, Aubrey lunged forward and bit one of them on the arm, biting so hard she nearly tore off a chunk of flesh. The guard shrieked and recoiled, looking at the crazed Aubrey, daring not to approach. He turned to Serena, embarrassed. “No, she’s too wild! We can’t get near her!” Serena cursed, “You useless fools!” With that, she kicked Liam’s hospital bed. Liam tumbled to the floor with a loud thud. His head hit the ground and began to bleed profusely. Liam was Aubrey’s breaking point. After their parents died, Liam knew she was too proud to beg for food. But dishwashing jobs couldn’t support both of them. In the dead of winter, ten-year-old Liam, who should have been a child pampered in his parents’ arms, instead crouched in the snow, begging. When he returned, his face was chapped and bleeding from the bitter cold, yet he smiled and said they had warmth for the winter. From that day on, she swore she would never let him suffer any harm, but she hadn’t been able to prevent any of it. Aubrey rushed forward, desperate to press down on Liam’s bleeding wound, her eyes blurred with tears. Looking at the motionless Liam, she felt an overwhelming sense of injustice, and her tears flowed uncontrollably.

Serena’s voice rang out, “What are you just standing there for? Get her away from him!” “Throw this useless thing out! Half-dead, wasting money here!” Hearing those words, Aubrey couldn’t take it anymore. She sprang up, rushed to Serena, and slapped her hard across the face. Serena clutched her face, utterly stunned. Then, Aubrey’s next slap landed. “You’re crazy! How dare you hit me!” Serena, holding her face, pointed at Aubrey, seething with rage. “Fine, you just wait!” After Serena left, Aubrey called for a doctor. She breathed a sigh of relief when she learned Liam was okay. Only after he was stable did she return to her apartment. As she opened the door, she heard Julian’s voice from inside. “Grab her.” No sooner had he spoken than a bodyguard emerged from the shadows behind her, grabbing her by the shoulders. He pushed her in front of Julian, while Serena, seeing her, looked utterly heartbroken. She leaned into Julian’s embrace, sniffing as she cried. “Aubrey, I just went to the hospital to give you this gift, hoping we could get along better.” “But you hit me and insulted me. Julian, what did I do wrong?” Serena felt even more wronged, crying louder. Aubrey tried to explain, “That’s not true! She…” *Slap!* Julian’s hand landed cleanly on her face. He didn’t even give her a chance to explain. Julian’s eyes grew cold. “Aubrey, I’ve indulged you in every way, but you cannot touch Serena.” He then looked at Serena. “How do you want to get even?” Serena glanced at Aubrey, then pretended to shrink into Julian’s arms, feigning fear. “I don’t dare say. What if Aubrey holds a grudge?” “Who knows how she’ll torment me later.” “She wouldn’t dare!” “Then… just a few slaps,” Serena said timidly. “Serena, you’re too kind. A few slaps aren’t enough.” Julian raised a hand, gesturing to a bodyguard. “One hundred. Don’t stop until they’re all done.” As soon as he spoke, the bodyguard’s palm slammed across her face. The blow made her ears ring. In an instant, she felt dizzy and disoriented. Before she could recover, the next slap followed. A warm trickle flowed from her nose, blood splattering on the floor. Her vision blurred crimson. Julian stood before her, watching emotionlessly. It wasn’t until Serena grew bored of the spectacle that she whined to Julian, “It’s too bloody, Julian. I think that’s enough.” “No, this is a lesson for her, so she won’t bully you, right?” Serena was touched by Julian’s words. She pressed a kiss to his lips. “Thank you. You’re so good to me.” Julian smiled, wrapping his arm around Serena’s slender waist, and leaned in to kiss her again. As they embraced, Serena shot Aubrey a triumphant glance. She thought this would anger her. But Aubrey had long since given up on Julian. Only after they finished their intimate display did he walk over to her and warn her. “Aubrey, you’re still Mrs. Davies, after all. Don’t do such shameful things again.” Serena, standing nearby, flinched, then looked at Aubrey with utter hostility. *Again*? Did Julian not intend to divorce her? Serena’s eyes darted around, then she looked at Julian. “You go first. I have a few words to say to Aubrey.” Julian didn’t ask any questions, smiling as he agreed. “I’ll wait for you downstairs.” Serena nodded. Once he left, her face instantly changed. She reached out, disdainfully lifting Aubrey’s chin, and frowned. “This is only a few slaps, and you’re already like this? Tsk, tsk, tsk.” “How did you feel when you saw Julian kiss me? If Mrs. Davies doesn’t want to be tortured to death, then give up your position.” Aubrey’s ears were still ringing, and she couldn’t make out what Serena was saying to her. Seeing she still wouldn’t budge, Serena’s face darkened, and she slapped Aubrey again. “Still won’t give in?!” “I’ll just have to see whose mouth is harder, yours or your bones!” She sneered, then looked at the bodyguards. “Hit her hard! If any of you slack off, you’ll regret it!” After the beating, all Aubrey saw was red, and her consciousness slowly blurred. Until she couldn’t bear it anymore and passed out. When she opened her eyes again, Aubrey found herself in an abandoned building. Serena, seeing she was awake, gave her a sinister smile. “You’re awake?” With that, she grabbed Aubrey by the collar and pulled her to a window with no railing. Looking down, it was at least a dozen stories high. She instantly panicked, her voice trembling. “You’re crazy! Why are we suddenly here?” “You’re the one who refused to give up the position of Mrs. Davies! You forced me to do this!” Aubrey was drenched in sweat from fear. “Let me go! I’ll give you the position! It’s just Mrs. Davies, right? I’ll give you whatever you want!” But Serena wasn’t pleased by this. She screamed at Aubrey, “Do you think I’ll believe you? You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to push you out the window!” “I’m going to make you commit a huge mistake, a mistake that Julian won’t be able to forgive.” “That way, he’ll definitely divorce you and be with me.” With that, Serena’s face grew increasingly distorted, terrifying Aubrey. No sooner had she spoken than several cars pulled up below. Julian got out of his car and looked up, seeing Aubrey pushing Serena. He shouted furiously, “Let her go immediately!” Aubrey, hearing this, also began to struggle. “Let go of me!” But Serena held Aubrey’s hands tightly, waiting until Julian reached the staircase. Then she screamed, “Aubrey, I know you’re unhappy seeing me and Julian together!” “But you can’t try to kill me! I’m carrying Julian’s child!” Aubrey tried to pull her hands back, but Serena held them with all her might. Seeing this, Aubrey shouted at Serena, “What are you doing? Hurry up and…” Before she could finish her sentence, Serena pulled Aubrey’s hands and lunged towards the window. The next second, as she hit the ground, she could hear the sound of her bones shattering, a tearing pain consuming her entire body. 8

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“Strip!” The cold, hard voice brooked no refusal, echoing from the dark screen of the video call. Aria Clarke trembled, tears welling in her eyes. Facing the camera, she still did as she was told. “Stop!” As if granted a reprieve, Aria fumbled to flip her phone over, fleeing to the bathroom like her life depended on it. A ragged breath floated from behind her, and her mind went utterly blank. She slid down the shower wall, collapsing into the corner, scrubbing her skin until it was raw and red wherever she had touched herself. Finally, at the chime of her mobile banking app announcing a $100,000 deposit, she curled up, hugging her knees, and sobbed uncontrollably. $100,000. She needed to pay back $200,000 in a month. Aria knew she couldn’t afford it, but she *had* to pay this money back. Suddenly, the living room phone rang. Aria saw the caller ID and tremblingly answered, “Please, just give me a little more time.” A cold, automated female voice replied, “Ms. Clarke, please come to the penthouse of Sterling Tower to discuss the details.” She hurried over, guided by the front desk, and fled towards the elevator. With each floor the elevator ascended, it felt like an invisible chain tightening, relentlessly squeezing her heart. The elevator doors slowly parted, revealing a grand, single-floor office space. In front of the huge, bright floor-to-ceiling windows, a man in a perfectly tailored suit stood with his back to her, gazing out. “Aria Clarke, long time no see.” The man turned. His eyes were dark and stormy, a mocking sneer twisting his lips. Aria felt like she was nailed to the spot, like a wave of ice washing over her, leaving her limbs cold and numb. “Julian Thorne…” Each syllable drained her last bit of strength, and Aria’s head swam. She never imagined that the lover she hadn’t seen in so many years would be the creditor demanding her explicit videos. This reunion felt like a cruel joke that had dragged on for years. Aria took a step back, turned, instinctively wanting to escape. “I never thought Ms. Clarke would have a day when she was short on cash. Didn’t you leave with a rich businessman back then? What? He couldn’t satisfy you?” Aria paused, offering no explanation. “Please, just give me more time. I’ll pay it back as soon as possible.” Her voice was barely a whisper, as pathetic as dirt on the street. A surge of pure fury welled within Julian, his eyes darkening to obsidian. “And what will Ms. Clarke use to pay it back?” Aria’s head snapped up, disbelief etched across her face. “Spend a month with me. Consider it debt repayment.” A wave of humiliation washed over her. Aria’s nails dug into her palms as she took a deep breath, painstakingly walking towards him. She opened her mouth, “Julian Thorne, you know I won’t do that.” After saying this, Aria turned and walked towards the door. A thunderous crash ripped through the silence as the office desk behind her was violently overturned, sending expensive office supplies shattering across the floor. Julian stood amidst the wreckage, his voice chilling. “Ms. Clarke, don’t forget, your delightful video is still in my hands. Do you want me to upload it to a website, or send it to your friends and family?” “You!” Aria trembled with rage, her limbs turning to ice. The Julian who no longer loved her was truly cold-hearted. Her dress was crumpled from where her hands had clenched it, the pain so intense she wanted to double over, her face ghostly pale. But she forced a bitter smile, feigning indifference, and choked out, “Fine.” In front of a downtown villa, Aria stepped out of a taxi in a revealing maid outfit, instantly drawing the heated stares of numerous security guards. The housekeeper leading the way glanced back periodically, looking at Aria with disdain, wishing she could be anywhere but near her. Aria tried desperately to keep her gaze forward, ignoring their stares. She never thought Julian would be so cruel, making her parade around like this. Inside the living room, Julian sat on the central sofa. Seeing her enter, his gaze darkened, and he waved for everyone to leave. The moment Aria stepped in and stopped, the large door behind her quietly closed. “Nice outfit. Looks like that rich old man taught you a lot.” “Who would’ve thought our university’s cool, aloof campus queen would be such a cheap slut in private?” Julian looked at her, rage flaring in his chest. “What, is that how your sugar daddy taught you?” Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched and unclenched, over and over. Aria tightly closed her eyes. When she reopened them, they held a knowing, alluring smile, tinged with forced subservience. On the sofa, Julian’s jaw clenched, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His eyes darkened to a deep obsidian. He reached out, grabbing her wrist, and fiercely pinned her into the sofa’s cushions, watching her bite her lip in pain, stubbornly refusing to make a sound. Her eyes were rimmed red with pain, shimmering with unshed tears, her delicate brows arched, disappearing into her messy hair. She wanted to break free, but felt as helpless as a caged bird. Seizing the fleeting opportunity, Aria tore free, instinctively springing up, ready to run. Julian’s gaze flickered to Aria’s retreating, panicked form, and a cold sneer escaped his lips. “Ms. Clarke, are you trying to welch on your debt?” The courage Aria had just mustered vanished instantly. She needed money, yes, she couldn’t be without money. “Made up your mind?” Julian circled behind her, gripping her hair, his gaze piercing into her flat, emotionless eyes. Those amber eyes, once alight with love and joy for him, were now utterly blank. Julian’s hand suddenly tightened, pulling Aria roughly against his body. “I’ve thought it over. $200,000 a month, that’s a decent sum. If I do well, Mr. Thorne, can you give me more of a bonus?” “Aria, you’re utterly depraved,” he snarled, his large hand clamping down painfully on her wrist. Julian bit out the words through gritted teeth. “I could buy you designer bags and clothes, so why did you leave me for money? Why? Tell me!” In the years since Aria left, Julian had asked himself countless times: what was so difficult about letting go of a vain, materialistic woman? But he just couldn’t let go. He couldn’t accept that three years of their relationship had been worth less than the temptation of money. Nor could he believe that the woman he loved for three years would abandon him for designer clothes and bags. Aria’s face was ghost-white with pain, yet she twisted her lips into an even more alluring, taunting smile, dodging his question. “What, Mr. Thorne, must you ask such a mood-killing question at a time like this?” Her slender, pale fingers continued to trace downwards. Aria drew out her words slowly, “Or perhaps, Mr. Thorne, you’re just not up to it?” Aria’s hand was violently slapped away. A dark shadow flickered in Julian’s bloodshot eyes, and his right hand squeezed her waist with punishing force. Pain! Julian looked at the woman he once doted on to the bone, now transformed into this. His heart swelled with both hatred and fury. But feeling a thin barrier and seeing a few drops of blood on the sofa made Julian stop, frowning. “You…” Aria smiled. “Looks like my period isn’t quite over yet.” “Mr. Thorne, you don’t really think this is my first time, do you? If so, can I get more money?” Julian exploded in rage. After he finished, he calmly straightened his clothes, then casually threw a hundred-dollar bill onto the floor. “Thank you for the tip, Master.” Aria forced her body up, stumbling off the sofa, desperate to pick up the hundred-dollar bill. A pair of expensive, gleaming leather shoes pinned one corner. Julian’s brows furrowed with suppressed anger. “Aria, are you really so cheap, so obsessed with money?” Before, she left him to climb the social ladder with a rich businessman, and now, for a mere hundred dollars, she would kneel naked before him. “Money’s a good thing, who doesn’t like it?” Aria clung to the corner, refusing to let go, tilting her head up like a pet begging for scraps. Julian’s brows darkened to stormy clouds. He violently kicked the sofa, then turned and left. The thud echoed like a kick to her very soul, making her heart spasm violently. Her mask of a smile slowly dissolved into a bitter, hollow one. Aria carefully tucked away the money, then tilted her head back, forcing the tears welling in her eyes back down! Yes, she loved money. No one loved money more than her now, and no one needed it more. Aria rushed to the hospital, burying her face in her hands, sitting outside the ward but afraid to step inside. Her neck and face were covered in bruises and red marks, impossible to conceal. The attending doctor, finished with rounds, glanced at her with blatant contempt, warning, “If you don’t pay the medical fees soon, we will stop treatment for the patient.” Aria had heard this warning more than once in the past few days, but now she didn’t know what to say. Crying, begging, even kneeling—none would earn her the hospital’s sympathy. Aria numbly rose from the floor, peeking through the half-open door. The tears she hadn’t shed through humiliation or pain now burst forth. The doctor behind her was still ranting on and on. “If you can’t pay, just let the old woman go. She’s almost a hundred; she’s lived long enough. The pain of cancer chemotherapy isn’t something just anyone can endure.” “But Grandma is my only family. If she leaves too, I’ll truly be an orphan, utterly alone.” Aria lowered her head, her voice so small that no one but herself could hear it. Julian arranged for Aria to live in his villa, buying her many designer clothes and bags, then using those things to humiliate her repeatedly. But he kept his word, sending her money intermittently. However, for Grandma Rose’s treatment costs, it was merely a drop in the bucket. *Click-click-click.* No sooner had the phone call ended than another pair of high heels clicked sharply on the tiled floor. “Aria, is that really you?” A soft, uncertain voice. The stranger who had suddenly entered covered her cherry-red lips in surprise. “Scarlett Sterling?” Aria tucked away her phone, equally surprised as she turned around. Scarlett had once been her best friend; they were inseparable. Seeing each other again, they both sighed with regret. Aria had been running herself ragged for money, while Scarlett had become her ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend. And now, Aria was his secret mistress. Aria’s embrace stiffened. Scarlett’s eyes brimmed with tears, on the verge of crying. “I’m sorry, Aria, I didn’t mean for this to happen. It’s just that your sudden departure really hurt Julian, which is why he fell in love with me.” Aria no longer cared about the truth; she was the one who had pushed Julian into someone else’s arms. Aria smiled and shook her head, stopping Scarlett’s further explanations. “Aria, do you… really need money?” Scarlett asked. It turned out Scarlett had overheard her phone call. Aria nodded in affirmation. Scarlett hesitated. “Aria, I have a way for you to earn money, but it depends on if you’re willing to do it.” Anything to earn money and save Grandma Rose. What wouldn’t Aria do? On a luxury cruise ship out at sea, Aria worked as a hostess. Among a crowd of the rich and powerful, she smiled charmingly, clinging to her employer’s arm. Aria knew coming to such a place was unsafe, but Scarlett had said she could earn $500,000 by entertaining for a day. The party began. All the women on board gathered in the main hall, dressed in seductive gowns. Some male guests rudely began to harass the hostesses beside them, and the atmosphere grew increasingly chaotic. Aria frowned. Her job didn’t include this kind of thing, and she prepared to leave. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist. Aria turned to see a man in a sharp suit, a revealing beauty in his arms, leering at her. “You’re beautiful, but Mr. Davies has already booked you,” the man and the woman in his arms grew even more brazen. “This isn’t my job.” Aria felt a pang of fear and tried to quickly walk away. “My apologies, Ms. Clarke, but you can’t leave.” A man in a black suit blocked the exit with his body. A thin, small old man slowly approached Aria from behind, reaching out a cold, hard hand that traced from her face downwards. “You’re Aria Clarke? Even more beautiful than in the photo.” Aria felt utterly disgusted wherever the old man’s hand touched. She turned her head, biting back a gasp, enduring the revulsion, while desperately trying to figure out how to escape. “Looks like my little darling is shy,” the old man, however, grew excited by Aria’s pure reaction. “Then let’s go to our room.” Aria was very nervous. She knew the rules here; if you took the money and refused a guest on the ship, whether you could even make it back to shore was a question. Aria pretended to comply, following the old man into the room. After the door was locked, the old man eagerly pushed Aria to the floor, the cold, hard tiles bruising her. Aria couldn’t take it anymore. She forcefully pushed the old man away. “This is disgusting. I said I’m only here to be a hostess, not to do this kind of thing.” The old man’s face darkened. “You dare to be disgusted? So what if you’re a hostess? Hostesses also do this work. Heh heh, Miss Scarlett Sterling was right, you truly are a beauty.” Aria’s eyes widened. Scarlett Sterling? She had been too careless after all. Even the best friendships from the past could never compare to love, money, and status. Aria furiously smashed a vase against the old man’s head and rushed for the door. The moment she opened it, she was met by bodyguards waiting outside. “Grab this slut for me!” The old man clutched his bleeding forehead, pulling Aria’s hair. “You slut, you dare to hit me? I’ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish!” The old man roughly dragged Aria into the bathroom, forcing her head into the bathtub. Aria felt her breathing grow more and more difficult. From desperately struggling at first, her strength gradually faded, her long hair fanning out on the water. She had planned for everything, but Aria never imagined she would die at the hands of someone she thought was a good friend. Aria’s vision began to blur. In her last moments before death, she even thought to herself, self-deprecatingly. If she died, Julian would probably hate her even more, wouldn’t he? *Bang!* The room door was violently kicked open. Aria’s gaze grew even more hollow, all strength leaving her. She was curled up in the bathtub, her nostrils submerged in the water. The surrounding water blocked her breath. Aria had no strength left to struggle, her body sinking to the bottom. In that final moment, Aria even thought that if she were to die right then, it wouldn’t be so bad. Upon entering, Julian saw the old man holding Aria’s head, and a vein throbbed on his forehead. “Get out!” Bodyguards surged in from outside, dragging the old man away. The water in the huge bathtub was calm, without a ripple, yet beneath, the woman showed no sign of struggling. Aria, do you want to die so badly? Julian was consumed by an unnamed fury. He clamped down fiercely on Aria’s shoulders, pulling her from the water and throwing her onto the floor. Aria lay with her eyes closed, her breath faint, too weak to move a finger. Julian pressed down on her chest with all his might. After several compressions, Aria arched her back and coughed, expelling the water from her stomach. She lay on her side for a long time before looking up, a faint, pale smile on her lips. “Thank you.” As she struggled halfway up, Julian reached out and brutally shoved her. Julian’s teeth ground in furious anger. “Aria, you’re truly depraved. Didn’t the money I gave you satisfy you?” The shove sent Aria crashing into the corner of a table. Her vision went black, and it took a long time for her to weakly recover from the dizziness. Bracing her hands on the floor, she looked up, her expression cold, her tone nonchalant and carefree. “Of course. In your eyes, I’m nothing without money, am I? How could that paltry sum you gave me ever satisfy me?” He reached out, his fingers digging into Aria’s jaw, finding her calm, unrepentant expression even more infuriating. So infuriating, he wanted to twist her neck right then and there. “Ah!” A delicate shriek. High heels clicked rapidly as Scarlett sped in, immediately crouching down to hug Aria, subtly separating the two. “Aria, what happened to you? Why are you like this? It’s all my fault.” Scarlett’s expression was concerned, her voice filled with anxious worry. Aria looked at her feigning face and felt only disgust. With a push, Aria stood up on her own. A pained cry escaped Scarlett as she dramatically twisted her ankle, falling to the ground, tears welling in her eyes as she clutched her ankle, looking at Aria with a wronged expression. Like a gust of wind, Julian surged past Aria, helping Scarlett up, and roaring, “Aria, what the hell is wrong with you?!” His voice was so loud that Aria’s right ear, directly facing him, began to ring abnormally. “Yes… I am crazy.” Aria reached up, running her fingers through her soft, long hair, gently combing it. Her voice, however, was tinged with mockery. “Julian Thorne, don’t you want to know who introduced me to this… business?” Julian’s brows furrowed deeply. He remained silent, seemingly waiting for her explanation. “Julian, I’m in pain. Please take me to the hospital quickly.” Scarlett’s delicate, soft hand clung to Julian’s arm, tears glistening in her eyes, looking utterly pitiful. This effectively choked Aria’s remaining words in her throat. Julian bent down, picked Scarlett up in his arms, and hurried away. Scarlett, nestled in Julian’s embrace, poked her head out, facing Aria, and mouthed a silent message. “Naïve. Julian loves me now.” Scarlett buried her face in Julian’s chest, her eyes gleaming with venom and triumph. After all this time, you haven’t improved one bit. Aria, I used to deliberately arrange for you to see Julian kissing me. Now I can make Julian hate and despise you. Aria’s body slumped weakly against the wall, sliding down, tears gushing from her eyes. Only Julian’s name, choked and raw, repeatedly escaped her lips. After returning from the cruise, Aria often felt her stomach churn violently, sending her stumbling to the bathroom where she retched until the world spun. For the first few days, she didn’t pay attention, thinking it was just from choking on water during the cruise that had upset her stomach. It wasn’t until she realized she hadn’t had her period in a long time that panic seized her. She quickly hailed a taxi to the hospital. Three months… Aria held the test results, her steps unsteady, as she walked out of the corridor, leaning against the wall, gasping for air. How could she be pregnant? Julian had always used protection. Was it from that first time? Aria stared at the thin piece of paper. She never imagined she would have a child, *her* child with Julian. This was a dream she hadn’t dared to have in years. Should she tell Julian? He always used protection; he’d probably despise her baby. But she couldn’t bear to abort the child. She was afraid to be alone. She had self-deceptively clung to Grandma Rose’s life with money, thinking that would give her the courage to keep living. But now, with a baby, her stagnant heart came back to life. She thought she should fight for it. After all, Julian had once said he only wanted children she bore. If she told him why she left him back then, he probably wouldn’t hate her anymore, would he? Focused on the pregnancy test, Aria didn’t notice the eyes behind her, blazing with a venomous hatred, like a snake. — Back at the villa, Aria prepared a table full of dishes, waiting for Julian. Hearing a car pull up, Aria rushed to the door, only to see Julian approaching slowly, his arm around Scarlett Sterling’s shoulder. Forcing down the bitterness in her heart, Aria spoke, “Julian, I made dinner!” “Aria, you’re still so domestic! I’m hungry too, and with a baby on the way, I can’t go hungry. I was planning to eat out, but Julian said restaurant food isn’t clean and not good for the baby, so I’ll be trying your cooking more often from now on!” Aria watched Scarlett’s lips move, her mind utterly blank. A baby? Scarlett was pregnant too? Scarlett continued to chat happily at the dinner table, her blissful expression especially jarring. Aria looked at Julian, who was gazing at Scarlett’s stomach with a doting expression. Scarlett was pregnant, so what about *her* baby? “Aria, why aren’t you coming to eat? Julian and I discussed it, the room you’re in has great sunlight, perfect for pregnancy, so I’m going to swap with you.” Aria looked at Scarlett’s triumphant face, feeling an even deeper pang of pain. “Julian, I have something to tell you.” A corner of his suit jacket was gently tugged. Julian looked down to see Aria’s eyes, full of desperate pleading, fixed on him. “Just say what you want to say right here.” Aria lowered her head, gently caressing her still-flat abdomen, and spoke hesitantly. “Julian, I…”

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Winter in Riverdale, 2 AM. In her drowsy state, Aria Summer felt a chill creep in. Just as she was about to pull the blanket tighter, it was suddenly yanked away. The bitter winter wind whipped through the air as strong, slender fingers tore at Aria’s nightgown. Lips reeking of alcohol frantically sucked at every inch of her pale skin. Aria squeezed her eyes shut against the searing pain below. She forced herself to enjoy this almost violent coupling, for it was her only chance to be intimate with Lucas Stark. With a click, the flame of a lighter briefly illuminated the darkness. The sharp scent of menthol cigarettes filled the air. Aria curled up in the corner of the bed, clutching her stomach. Her beautiful face was contorted with pain. “It’s not like this is your first time. Why are you still in so much pain?” Lucas’s voice was cold and indifferent. Aria opened her mouth but couldn’t make a sound through the agony. “I guess rich girls really are delicate,” Lucas sneered. With that parting jab, Lucas strode into the bathroom on his long legs. The sound of falling water droplets stabbed at Aria’s heart. Aria struggled to sit up and fumbled for the medicine box on the nightstand. She dry swallowed a painkiller. There was drinking water in the living room, but she couldn’t make it that far. And she certainly wouldn’t expect Lucas to bring her a glass. A gentle melody began to play, repeating over and over. Aria glanced at the steamy bathroom, then inexplicably answered the phone. A saccharine female voice grated on her ears: “Lucas, my flight time changed to tomorrow afternoon. Make sure you pick me up, okay? I want to see you as soon as I land!” Aria froze. She knew that voice all too well. It was her. She was back… On the other end, the woman kept calling out when she got no response. “Lucas, can you hear me? Hello? Hello?” The bathroom door opened and Lucas emerged wrapped in a towel, just in time to hear the woman’s shouts. He snatched the phone from the dazed Aria and replied softly, “Mm, I got it. I won’t be late.” “She’s back?” Aria’s voice was as cold as ice. Lucas lay down without even looking at her. “The driver will pick you up at 10 AM tomorrow to go to the courthouse and finalize the divorce. You can keep this apartment and this credit card – it’s enough for you and your mother to live comfortably.” Lucas’s deep, magnetic voice carried an air of undeniable authority. A wave of intense pain surged through Aria’s body from her abdomen. She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white. “It’s because she’s back that you want to divorce me? Is that it?” Aria’s pale lips trembled violently as she asked, as if using all her strength. Lucas paused his texting and looked her directly in the eye: “You seem to have forgotten your place, Aria Summer!” Aria’s body shook like a sieve as she collapsed to the floor. Lucas was right. In their five years of marriage, she had forgotten her place. She truly believed that holding that marriage certificate made her Mrs. Stark… But in Lucas’s heart, she was nothing more than a bed warmer. Their marriage was just her using her family’s status to trap him… In Lucas’s eyes, she was just a scheming woman who would do anything to possess him. What right did she have to argue with him? Aria Summer had no leverage! Lucas’s true love was back. It was time for the scheming stand-in to leave. What was there to fuss about? Was she really unwilling to let go of five years of devotion? Or was she just bitter about losing to his true love? “Lucas, divorce is such a big decision. Shouldn’t you at least let me discuss it with my family?” Aria’s voice was as humble as dust. Lucas put down his phone and tightly gripped Aria’s slender neck. Aria immediately struggled to breathe. “Discuss with who? Your frail, helpless mother? Aria, remember this – our marriage was always just a contract. You’ve had me for five years. I’ve given you compensation. Learn to be satisfied, understand?” Lucas released his grip and Aria gasped for air, tears spilling from her eyes along with her broken heart. Another wave of intense pain racked her abdomen. Aria finally collapsed, her entire body violently shaking on the floor. “Don’t be late tomorrow. Bring all the necessary documents.” With that cold instruction, Lucas stepped right over Aria’s prone form. His disgusted look was like he was seeing a stray dog on the street. The sharp smell of disinfectant cleared Aria’s head. She sat up straight, looking directly into the doctor’s eyes, trying to read his expression behind the mask. “Dr. Shaw, what were the biopsy results?” Dr. Shaw adjusted his glasses, hesitating. “I can make my own decisions about my health. Please just tell me – I’m prepared for anything.” Aria’s voice was as cold as if it had been disinfected too. Dr. Shaw sighed and handed Aria the test results. “Stage 2 brain cancer, with metastasis to the intestines. That’s why your stomach has been hurting.” Dr. Shaw looked at the quiet Aria, unable to hold back his regret. Twenty-five was far too young for this. “If I don’t get treatment, how long do I have?” Aria’s gaze was steady, as if discussing someone else’s fate. “You’re still young. The chances of a cure are quite high, especially if we use targeted therapy…” Aria cut him off. “If I don’t get treatment or surgery, how long do I have?” “Three to six months. But if we operate…” A small smile played on Aria’s lips as she slowly stood. “That’s enough. Thank you. Could you please prescribe some extra painkillers for me?” Aria tucked away the test results, bowed in thanks, and left Dr. Shaw’s sympathy behind the closed door. Rushing as fast as she could, Aria was still half an hour late to the courthouse. Lucas’s face was stormy as he waited in the Mercedes. With all the paperwork in order and no disputes over assets, the clerk quickly processed everything and handed over the divorce certificates. Aria carefully placed the divorce certificate on top of her medical report as she prepared to leave. Lucas’s low voice came from behind her. “Where did you run off to? Why didn’t the driver pick you up?” Aria smiled faintly. “Mr. Stark, we’re no longer husband and wife. I don’t need to report my whereabouts to you.” Thanks to Riverdale’s congested traffic, it was already dusk by the time Aria made it home. The gated community was eerily quiet, devoid of any homey warmth. After boiling some water, Aria swallowed a few painkillers and began packing her things. Lucas had left her the villa, but it was far from the city center. With no car, it would be inconvenient. Since she didn’t have long to live anyway, she might as well sell it and leave her mother some money for retirement. As Aria packed, she realized all of Lucas’s belongings had vanished. There wasn’t a single trace of him left in the house, as if their five-year marriage had never existed. It seemed she truly was just a stain on his life that needed to be thoroughly scrubbed away. Aria efficiently packed up her things and called a realtor. She climbed into the moving truck with the movers. “Ma’am, do you want to keep this photo?” Just as the truck was about to leave, Aria’s gaze fell on their wedding portrait. “No, you can dispose of everything inside as you see fit.” Aria clutched the divorce certificate in her purse and waved goodbye as the truck drove off in a cloud of dust. By the time she got settled at her mother’s place, it was the middle of the night. The next day at work, Aria had dark circles under her eyes and looked terribly haggard. Aria’s desk was in a corner, surrounded by stacks of blueprints and books. As a junior draftsman at Stark Architecture, none of her coworkers knew about her relationship with Lucas Stark.

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I sold my house and splurged a staggering nine hundred and ninety thousand credits on card packs in a livestream. The entire internet laughed, waiting for me to lose everything. I just sent one message in the chat: “You promised a hundred-times refund if someone spent a million and didn’t pull the card. Not only did I spend that much, but I just dropped another million. Let’s see how much you’ve got to lose!” In my previous life, my son, Leo, stole my life-saving medical funds for this exact card, leading to my death by illness. That “limited edition card,” however, was just gathering dust in the streamer’s warehouse. Reborn into this life, I swear I’ll make them pay everything! Chad from “Chad’s Box Breaks” and his assistant, Tiffany, were grinning from ear to ear. “Alright, everyone! Huge thanks to our amazing EmpressGale for her support! EmpressGale, you’ve already spent nine hundred and eighty thousand credits opening packs!” Chad picked up a stack of cards for Tiffany to pack. “EmpressGale, you should really stop! Don’t go too crazy! This pure gold, hidden ‘Golden Ox’ card is one of only ten in the world, it’s super rare!” Tiffany giggled, covering her mouth. “Chad, don’t say that! What if EmpressGale is the chosen one? Go for it, sis! Tiffany’s rooting for you! Maybe it’ll be in the next pack!” The chat was spammed with messages. “OMG, is this rich lady actually loaded or just insane? Nine hundred and eighty thousand already!” “I did the math. The streamer has opened 9,800 packs, at 100 credits each. That’s really 980,000 credits! All for one card?” “Someone’s definitely stealing from their company, right?” On my screen, I maintained a blank expression and bought another 100 packs. “Order placed successfully!” A collective gasp erupted in the livestream chat. Chad roared with laughter. “Incredible! Absolutely incredible! EmpressGale, to thank you for your support, I’ll personally unbox every single one of these for you, even if I have to stream until dawn!” Tiffany chimed in. “EmpressGale is so generous! Drop some lucky vibes in the chat, everyone, and cheer on EmpressGale!” I stared coldly at the two on my screen. In my previous life, these two used the same deceptive tactics to trick my son, Leo. Leo stole my five hundred thousand credits, meant for my heart bypass surgery, and blew it all in this livestream. By the time I found out, it was too late. Overwhelmed with rage, I collapsed. Eventually, I drowned in a cold, unforgiving hospital toilet. After my death, I watched as Leo was called a jinx by our relatives, who pointed fingers and shamed him. And after Chad and Tiffany ended their stream, they pulled out that Golden Ox card from their warehouse, calling their boss to boast. “Mr. Hayes’s plan is brilliant! A ‘million and no card, a hundred-times refund’ gimmick—who’d actually spend a million on paper cards? We can release this card whenever we want!” When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn. This time, I sold my only house, gathering three million credits. You thought no one would spend a million on unboxing? I’m not just going to spend it, I’m going to spend enough to make sure you lose everything!

“Seraphina! Are you insane! You actually sold the house?!” On the other end of the phone, my sister Maya’s voice was sharp with panic. “That was the only thing you and your husband had left! What about Leo? Where will you live?!” I listened calmly to my sister’s incomprehensible shouts. Watching Chad on the screen, mechanically unboxing cards like a numb robot, I couldn’t help but smile. “Seraphina, don’t smile like that, it’s creepy! Have you been scammed? I’m calling the police right now!” Maya’s voice was tearful. “Maya, don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.” “You know what you’re doing? By selling your house?!” I hung up the phone. I knew she meant well. In my previous life, after my death, she tried to get justice for me, but Chad’s company slandered her, accusing her of extortion. She eventually succumbed to depression. This time, I wouldn’t let anyone I care about get hurt. Soon, another 100 packs were unboxed by Chad. Still no Golden Ox. Seeing that I hadn’t placed another order, the chat rhythm shifted. “Where’d she go? Why isn’t the rich lady talking? Out of money?” “LOL, 990,000 down the drain. She’s probably getting ready to jump off a bridge now.” Tiffany feigned concern. “EmpressGale, are you still there? Don’t scare us. Card unboxing is just for fun, please don’t do anything drastic.” Chad sighed dramatically. “Sigh, I told everyone to spend rationally. This lady just wouldn’t listen. Tiffany, maybe we should call the police? If something serious happens, we can’t take responsibility.” They instantly distanced themselves. The livestream chat erupted with praises for their “conscience.” I topped up another million credits and placed another order. “Chad… EmpressGale just ordered another ten thousand one hundred packs of ‘Baby Bull Collector’s Edition’!” Tiffany’s voice, next to him, was trembling slightly. The screen immediately filled with question marks and “OMG!” messages. Chad’s smile froze. He never imagined someone would actually drop another million just for a card. Chad’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He gulped down a large drink of water to steady himself. “Cough, cough… EmpressGale, what are you doing? You must be joking, right? I suggest you don’t pursue this. I’ll have my assistant cancel the order for you right away.” His voice was now laced with an almost imperceptible tremor. Seeing his panic, I raised my hand and initiated a paid call-in, an exclusive VIP privilege that streamers on this platform are obligated to accept. “Chad, don’t panic. If I remember correctly, your livestream’s rule is: if someone spends a million credits and doesn’t pull a Golden Ox, you’ll pay a hundred-times refund on the unboxing fee, right?” My voice echoed through the livestream. The chat, which had been mocking me moments ago, froze. Everyone was stunned. Chad and Tiffany’s faces turned instantly ashen. “Sis… you… you can’t be serious, that was just for stream effect, to add some fun…” Chad started stammering, his composure completely gone. “Stream effect, you say?” I pressed on. “Your livestream’s background wall clearly displays, in bold red letters: ‘Spend a Million, No Card? Get a Hundred-Times Refund!’ Are you now telling me that was just for effect?” Chad seemed to remember something. He spun around, and the eight bold words on the background wall made cold sweat bead on his forehead. The livestream audience finally caught on. “Holy crap! There really is such a rule! I always thought it was just hot air!” “I remember too! Chad kept talking about it, saying he welcomed big spenders to challenge him!” “A hundred times a million… that’s a hundred million?!” “My God! This is going to be epic!” “The streamer isn’t going to back out, is he? This is going to be good!” Public opinion flipped. Chad looked at the chat, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. He looked desperately at Tiffany, who nervously lowered her head. Just then, my son, Leo, burst through the door. He had clearly been watching the stream, his small face flushed. “Mom! Is that you on Chad’s stream! Are you crazy! Where do we get all that money! Stop it! Cancel the order now!”

This was the first time I’d seen my son since being reborn. Seeing his distressed expression, my heart ached. But I still pushed him away, my voice cold as I warned him. “Get out, now.” “Mom! My teacher said gambling is illegal! You’ll go to jail! I don’t want you to go to jail!” Leo cried, kneeling at my feet, pleading with me to stop. “Get out!” I snapped, my voice harsh. Leo froze, startled by my ferocity. I had never been so harsh with him, but to make him learn his lesson about card unboxing, and for my revenge, I had to be strong. I steeled my heart, picked him up, threw him out of the room, and locked the door, ignoring his cries. After dealing with Leo, I fought back tears and turned my attention back to the livestream. Hearing my conflict with Leo, Chad and Tiffany seemed to find a lifeline. Chad immediately put on a pained expression. “EmpressGale! You’re going too far! How can you do this in front of your child! You’re teaching him to gamble! Do you have any regard for him?” Tiffany’s eyes immediately welled up. “Sis, please stop. Look how scared your child is. Money can be earned again, but if you lose your family, you lose everything! For your child’s sake, don’t keep going down this path!” They instantly seized the moral high ground, portraying me as a negligent mother. The chat exploded again. “Gross, gambling with her kid’s money?” “What a crazy woman! Doesn’t deserve to be a mom!” “Streamer, call the police! This is definitely domestic abuse! Child abuse!” I looked at the chat and smiled. In my previous life, you said the same things. I ignored their accusations and continued my questioning. “Don’t be so quick to label me. Chad, answer my question first. If a million credits are spent and no card is pulled, is it a hundred-million-credit refund? Does what you advertise every day on your stream count or not? If it doesn’t, then refund me!” Chad was pushed into a corner, knowing he couldn’t just smooth things over. He gritted his teeth, forcing a smile. “Alright, EmpressGale! Since you’re so determined, Chad’s Box Breaks will play this game to the end!” He slapped the table. “I’ll unbox it for you right now! In front of hundreds of thousands of people online! If I really don’t pull two Golden Ox cards in these remaining ten thousand one hundred packs, I’ll directly pay you two hundred million! Chad’s Box Breaks always keeps his word!” He was gambling with me. Gambling that my next million-credit order would yield a Golden Ox. They were also very clever. They didn’t say they’d pay me a hundred million if the next hundred packs didn’t yield a Golden Ox. Instead, they combined the two million-credit orders, betting on pulling two cards. They could use the excuse of going to the warehouse to retrieve more packs, then secretly re-seal a Golden Ox into a pack. If they could pull one Golden Ox from the remaining ten thousand packs, this crisis would be over. If not, the time it took to unbox ten thousand packs would be enough for them to fake a Golden Ox card and re-seal it into a pack. This way, the livestream could create drama while avoiding compensation. It was their usual trick. I looked at Chad’s face, twisted with excitement, and sneered inwardly. Finally, I had lured him into the trap, making him live up to his streamer persona. The real show was about to begin!

Seeing me disconnect the call, Chad also became highly agitated. He had Tiffany bring in ten thousand packs, piling them into a small mountain. “Folks! Today, let us witness a miracle together! Witness the birth of the Golden Ox!” He roared into the camera. Tiffany fanned the flames beside him. “Card Breakers! Hit that follow button! Drop those badges! Send in those gifts! Let’s all wish EmpressGale good luck and cheer on Chad!” The livestream’s popularity peaked, with online viewers exceeding a million. Everyone was captivated by this million-credit gamble, eagerly awaiting the outcome. Chad took a deep breath and started unboxing. “Nothing!” “Nothing!” “Still nothing!” He unboxed faster and faster, sweat dripping from his face. Tiffany stood by, offering water and wiping his brow. “Almost there, almost there, it has to be soon!” “Oh my god, this is so intense! My heart’s pounding out of my chest!” Time ticked by. Half an hour. An hour. Two hours. The mountain of card packs rapidly dwindled. The “Golden Ox” still hadn’t appeared. The atmosphere in the livestream shifted from frenzied to eerie. “The odds are ridiculously low, aren’t they? He’s opened thousands of packs already?” “I’m starting to get a weird feeling. What if there really isn’t one?” “If he really doesn’t pull it in these ten thousand packs, isn’t the streamer going to have to pay 200 million?” “Dude, you’re overthinking it. It’ll definitely come out in the last few packs. It’s just a script.” Chad’s face grew increasingly grim, his movements mechanical, his hands starting to tremble. Tiffany couldn’t even manage a smile, biting her lip nervously. She anxiously shot Chad meaningful glances. But Chad ignored her, burying his head in the packs. He couldn’t stop, only hoping the company would save him soon. When he reached the very last pack, Chad took it from Tiffany. Then, he began his performance. “Folks! Wish me luck! This is the last pack! If I don’t pull two Golden Ox cards from this pack, I’ll have to pay 200 million!” After saying that, Chad clasped his hands together and began to pray. Watching Chad’s expression, I couldn’t help but marvel at their acting skills. This last pack, I thought, must be one they re-sealed, and it definitely contains two Golden Ox cards. Sure enough, just as I expected, after Chad finished praying, he picked up a pair of golden scissors. He shouted. “Folks! The miracle happens now!” Then, with a swish, he cut open the pack and pulled out two limited edition cards. Golden Ox! “Hahahahaha! We got it! Finally! Folks! Did you see that! A miracle! Two golds in one pack!” Chad laughed, tears streaming down his face—half acted, half genuine relief. Tiffany clapped excitedly. “Congratulations, EmpressGale! It’s your persistence that allowed us to witness this great moment!” The livestream chat erupted. Over a million viewers simultaneously spammed messages of congratulations. Watching them perform with such gusto, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction. So, I clicked on the livestream’s shopping cart and ordered another ten thousand packs.

The livestream screen froze the moment my order went through. Chad and Tiffany’s expressions of wild joy were abruptly replaced by shock. “Chad… EmpressGale, she just ordered another ten thousand packs…” Tiffany’s voice, now laced with a sob, utterly shattered Chad’s fleeting hope. On the screen, after a brief, stunned silence, question marks and exclamation points erupted like a volcanic explosion. “Holy crap! Again? Is she an actual money-printing machine?” “Wait a minute! Didn’t she already get the cards? Why is she still buying?” “I’m confused, what is this rich lady trying to do?” Chad’s face went from ashen to deep green, his eyes glued to the “Order Placed Successfully” system notification on the screen. His lips trembled, unable to utter a single word. I didn’t give him a moment to breathe, initiating another paid call-in. “Chad, don’t just stand there, keep unboxing,” I said calmly, fighting back a smile. Chad snapped back to reality, suddenly jumping up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “What exactly do you want?! You already pulled the Golden Ox! The event is over!” “Over?” I chuckled softly. “Who said it’s over? Your rule is: ‘Spend a Million, No Card? Get a Hundred-Times Refund,’ but it didn’t say there was a limit.” I stated my case clearly and precisely. “Let me break it down for you. My first order totaled one million credits. You unboxed ninety-nine thousand worth of packs and pulled nothing. Even in that last one thousand credits worth of packs, you didn’t pull a Golden Ox. Therefore, according to your rules, that first million-credit order already triggered the hundred-times refund clause. That’s one hundred million credits.” “As for the two cards you just pulled, they belong to my *second* million-credit order. Congratulations, you don’t have to pay for the second million-credit order, and I can temporarily ignore the hundred million from the first. Now, I’ve placed a *third* million-credit order. Please start unboxing. Millions of viewers are watching, don’t try to back out now.” My words ignited the chat once again. “Holy crap! I get it! She’s a logical genius!” “Yeah! The first million absolutely didn’t yield the card! Those two were from the second million!” “OMG, you can play it like that? So the streamer has to pay 100 million?!” “This isn’t just unboxing cards anymore, this is psychological warfare!” “It’s over, Chad just messed with the wrong person!” Chad’s breathing grew incredibly ragged. He pointed at the camera, his face contorted in a furious scream. “This is extortion! Malicious ordering! You’re trying to ruin us! I’m not unboxing! Go ahead and sue me!” He resorted to being a complete jerk. Tiffany also caught on, immediately turning to the camera and crying. “EmpressGale, why are you doing this? We’re just a small business trying to earn an honest living. You’re so rich, why do you have to pick on us? You’re trying to drive us to ruin!” They started playing the victim card, attempting to gain sympathy and shift public opinion. Some fans started defending them, but most people were simply watching the drama unfold. I coldly observed their pathetic performance. “Chad, are you sure about that? Are you admitting, in front of a million people, that the promise displayed on your livestream’s background wall is a lie? Or are you saying your entire livestream is a scam?” “I…” Chad was choked into silence. “I’ll give you two choices.” My voice hardened. “Either you immediately transfer one hundred million credits to my account and then continue unboxing the cards from my third million-credit order. Or, I call the police right now and report you for commercial fraud. You choose.” After I stated my demands, Chad slumped in his chair, remaining motionless for a long time. The livestream descended into a dead silence. Suddenly, the screen went black. They went offline. They thought going offline would solve everything? How naive. I immediately edited the recorded livestream footage, especially the segments where they promised the hundred-times refund and where they finally admitted to being dishonest. I attached all my order records and payment proofs and posted them online.

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My CEO husband loved having his friends over for dinner. He always said it made us feel like a real family. Watching me serve a table full of dishes, one of his friends grinned. “You’re truly the perfect wife, Eleanor! So gracious, so regal!” My expression didn’t change. I playfully asked, “Oh? What, do you mean there’s a *different*, less generous ‘Mrs. Blackwood’ around?” His friends froze, a flicker of panic in their eyes. Julian just laughed, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “Don’t listen to their nonsense, darling. Besides you, who else in this world could ever be my wife?” Watching him act so nonchalant, I smiled. But as I turned to leave, I dialed a number. “Marcus, Julian Blackwood is cheating. Make sure he rots in jail.” My brother on the other end of the line was silent for three seconds. “Eleanor, are you sure? Julian Blackwood, he…” I pulled off the wedding ring from my ring finger. The diamond felt like a shard of ice against my palm. “For ten years, every single cufflink he owned was custom-made, imported from Milan.” “But today, he was wearing a cheap, gaudy plastic flower. Marcus, do you really think that’s a mistake?” “You know I won’t tolerate any injustice. Expose all the dirty deeds he’s done over the years. And by the way, get me the best lawyer. I’m filing for divorce.” My brother’s voice was filled with fury. “Alright.” Half an hour later, my phone received an encrypted file. I clicked open the first photo: a seemingly innocent girl in a white shirt, her arm linked through his, was beaming at him, her smile absolutely radiant. And on the wrist peeking out from her cuff, there was a wolf’s head tattoo – identical to Julian’s. I didn’t hesitate. I drove straight to his company. A few minutes later, a girl with long, straight black hair, dressed in a white skirt, hurried out. I glanced at her employee ID: Chloe Miller. The moment she saw me, her face went instantly white. She instinctively tried to hide her hand behind her back. But I still saw it: a custom-made Swiss watch. Last year, for my birthday, I received a Swiss purchase record. A three-million-dollar watch, a fifty-thousand-dollar necklace. The necklace was carefully tucked away at home. The watch was on her wrist. I scoffed, stating directly, “Ms. Miller’s husband seems to have similar taste to mine. Even the custom-made watch designs are identical.” Chloe trembled at my words, her red lips parted and closed several times before she finally stammered out a response. “Oh… oh, really… Maybe all men just have similar taste.” Her knuckles were white where she clutched the hem of her dress. “Alright, stop pretending.” “You’re the ‘other Mrs. Blackwood,’ aren’t you?” Seeing me lay it all out, Chloe trembled even more, looking utterly panicked. “Please don’t misunderstand, it was just that Mr. Blackwood fainted again from low blood sugar, and I simply helped him. Mr. Blackwood’s friends thought I was very attentive and were just joking.” “I’m truly sorry if I caused any misunderstanding.” With that, she even exaggeratedly bowed ninety degrees to me. She put on a pitiful, fragile act, the classic ‘damsel in distress’ routine. If I hadn’t seen her manipulative tactics with Julian before, I might have actually fallen for it. Half a month ago, she posted a video on social media. A man was swiping his card at a luxury car dealership, next to a Porsche. Her caption read: “A man’s money shows where his heart truly lies.” At that time, I was home with a fever, burning to the point of unconsciousness. I called Julian, asking him to take me to the hospital. He sounded flustered for a moment, but then his voice turned hoarse, as if suppressing something. “Darling, I’ll have the housekeeper take you. I’m tied up with something urgent right now.” An hour later, I was in the hospital, fighting pneumonia. But she posted a photo lying in a car, a man’s abs clearly defined, adorned with suggestive red marks. The caption: “Both my new car and you will forever bear my mark.” Julian rushed in, his shirt still half-unbuttoned. He collapsed by my bedside, his eyes red-rimmed. Back then, I naively thought he was worried about me. But now, I knew it was just the guilt of a cheating man. A sudden wave of disgust washed over me. This cheap, manipulative woman wasn’t even worth Julian betraying me for. Too tired to watch her pitiful expressions, I turned and left. But just as I got into my car, Julian called. The moment I answered, his tone was frantic. “Why did you suddenly decide to come to the company?”

“Why?” I started the car, asking coolly, “Just happened to have a contract to discuss. Is there something you’re afraid of me finding out?” Julian seemed unprepared for my question. His breathing hitched for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, his voice softened, adopting his usual cajoling tone. “Darling, what are you talking about?” “I have nothing to hide from you. My office is just a mess, so I’d have someone clean it up before you came. Besides, why would I ever betray you? Feel free to check anything you want.” Hearing that, I was somewhat surprised. Chloe hadn’t told him that I’d confronted her. I scrolled through the evidence while listening to his excuses. Three gigabytes of files, every single day connected to Julian. Last Valentine’s Day, he claimed to be on a business trip abroad and couldn’t call, but he was actually watching the Northern Lights with Chloe in the Arctic. When my father was gravely ill, I called him over thirty times, but he didn’t answer a single one. At that very moment, he was celebrating Chloe’s birthday. “I believe you, but what about that watch?” Seeing me bring it up, Julian seemed to relax a little. He lowered his voice, the affection clearly forced. “That watch was because I suddenly fainted at work. Chloe happened to be passing by and helped me to the hospital.” He paused, then added, “She stayed by my side all night. I just gave her the watch as a thank-you gift. I forgot to mention it to you at the time.” Forgot? He must have a very selective memory. He didn’t just forget to tell me that. He also forgot they spent three days and three nights in the hotel’s penthouse suite that very same night. A cold sneer formed in my heart. “She’s certainly attentive. The black shirt you wore when you fainted? She even washed and ironed it perfectly before returning it the next day.” Julian on the other end clearly stiffened, his breathing hitched, then he chuckled, trying to play it off. “Isn’t she? The girl is incredibly meticulous.” “See, you’re always so suspicious. My heart belongs only to you, darling.” He lowered his voice, the affection clearly forced. “Once I’m done with this busy period, I’ll take you on that make-up vacation to the Maldives, alright? Just the two of us.” His gentle tone, which once melted my heart, now filled me with utter revulsion. “Sounds great,” I said, looking out at the neon lights flashing past my car, my voice as calm as if discussing the weather. “But you take care of your business first. Don’t let me distract you.” “Nothing is more important than being with you, darling.” Julian’s voice was filled with eager flattery, but my heart grew colder. Not just because Julian had cheated, but because I couldn’t believe they had put on such a long act right under my nose. My grip on the steering wheel tightened. I suppressed the urge to confront Julian then and there. I wanted him to admit his relationship with Chloe himself. Then, I would ruin that wretched pair, utterly and completely. I mumbled a few dismissive words and hung up. Just then, Chloe’s social media updated again. The screen showed her wearing an elaborately designed, diamond-encrusted wedding dress, her face beaming with joy. “Another mistress tried to cause trouble today, trying to take my place. Mr. Blackwood is making it up to me; he’s finally going to marry me!” “I only mentioned wanting a castle wedding, and he bought me an entire castle!” She curved her lips, and the camera casually panned over a property deed. “And these vineyards! He wants me to manage them! I’m such a silly girl, how could I? Thankfully, Mr. Blackwood promised to come with me to establish my authority, so those people don’t try to take advantage of me for being young!” Looking at the property deed in the video, emblazoned with my French name, pure rage surged through me. Those vineyards were my coming-of-age gift from my brother. Julian actually used them to woo his mistress! Fine, so they want to establish their authority? We’ll see how they do it in front of the *real* owner of these vineyards!

I bought a plane ticket that very night and flew to France. At the vineyard, the old butler’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw me. “Miss Eleanor, what brings you here? Didn’t you say you were lending the estate to Mr. Blackwood for a banquet today? And that all the family members were to be cleared out?” Hearing that, pure rage surged through me. Just as I was about to answer, Julian’s call came through. “Darling, I’m in a cross-country meeting. I’ll fly back to you as soon as I’m done.” Before I could reply, I faintly heard a sickly sweet female voice from the other end. “Julian, do I look good in this?” The next second, Julian muffled the phone and walked away. “Gotta go, the meeting’s starting.” Almost simultaneously, the grand, ornate gates of the vineyard swung open, and over a dozen luxury cars pulled up, parking one after another in the fountain square. Countless unfamiliar faces were being seated. I found a secluded spot and sat down. Once everything was set, Chloe, wearing a fiery red haute couture gown, made her grand entrance, radiating the triumphant arrogance of someone who’d gotten everything she ever wanted. “Let me introduce myself. I am Chloe Miller, the new owner of this vineyard.” “Mr. Blackwood said that from now on, the wine, the castle, even every grape in the vineyard, are all under my command!” “To celebrate, all the wines are seventy percent off! Consider it my welcome gift to you all!” Seventy percent off? She’s certainly generous. The cheapest bottle here costs at least a million dollars. Some are even collector’s items; even the British Royal Family would have to think twice before getting a discount like that! Mr. Davies, who had watched me grow up, was seething with anger. “Since when did this vineyard belong to her?!” “And Julian Blackwood! How dare he keep a mistress behind Miss Eleanor’s back! Is he out of his mind?!” Seeing the butler about to storm out, I quickly shook my head. This wasn’t the time to expose her. I wanted to wait for Julian to personally admit his relationship with Chloe, then I would utterly ruin that wretched pair. Just then, the ornate gates opened again, and Julian walked in, dressed in a custom-tailored suit. Seeing him, Chloe immediately ran into his arms, giggling as she shook his arm. “Julian, I told you this brand of suit fits you best.” Julian’s eyes visibly stiffened, but he managed to maintain a poker face and nodded. And the anger in my heart almost burst into flames. The founder of that brand is a sworn enemy of my family. My father, he was literally schemed against by them – it broke his heart and his health. Julian knew all about this, yet now, he was publicly slapping me in the face. Just as I could no longer hold back and was about to storm out, Julian’s friends surrounded him. “Julian, look at Chloe! She’s so vibrant, so captivating!” “Chloe, our Julian here just hands over a multi-million-dollar estate like it’s nothing! Where else would you find a man like that!” Amidst their laughter, Chloe lowered her head, blushing. Just then, Mr. Jenkins, the wine estate manager, who was delivering wine, spoke up, confused. “What do you mean ‘now belongs to a Miller’? Didn’t you just borrow this from our young lady, Miss Vance?” At his words, the guests exchanged bewildered glances, whispering amongst themselves. “What’s going on?” “I only ever heard this vineyard belonged to Mrs. Blackwood. But Mrs. Blackwood’s surname is Vance, isn’t it?” “Huh? Then if her name is Miller, isn’t she a fake?!” Mr. Jenkins’s face was already burning with anger. “Mr. Blackwood, how could you do such a thing behind Miss Eleanor’s back?!” Saying this, he reached for his phone to call me. The next second, Julian’s bodyguards swarmed forward, roughly forcing the manager to his knees. Julian’s gaze swept coldly over the crowd. “Silence him. Make him understand the price of loose talk.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried the ruthlessness of someone long accustomed to power. The banquet hall fell into immediate silence. Julian didn’t even lift an eyelid, his fingers idly caressing Chloe’s face. “Chloe is the *real* Mrs. Blackwood! Eleanor Vance is nothing but a servant I hired for my household!” A servant? I almost laughed out loud from sheer indignation. It seemed Julian had truly forgotten who had helped him climb to his current position of power. If it weren’t for me, he’d still be begging on the streets, getting kicked around by strangers! I stood by him for ten years, fighting tooth and nail, even taking two knives to the chest for him, while my brother helped us behind the scenes. Even when I was hovering between life and death, all I could think about was how to pave the way for his success. And now, in his mouth, I was just a “servant.” No one dared to challenge Julian, and they all quickly chimed in. “Oh, is that how it is! Mrs. Blackwood is far too generous, letting a maid use the Blackwood name to scam people!” Some even advised Chloe. “Mrs. Blackwood, a maid like that might try to seduce Mr. Blackwood at any time.” “You need to be careful! I think you should fire her!” “With such malicious intent, she should be thrown into the sea to feed the fish!” The smugness on Chloe’s face was impossible to suppress. The manager’s face was ashen, and he struggled desperately before being dragged away. “I want to see Miss Eleanor Vance! She’s the real Mrs. Blackwood!” The guests wore expressions of disdain. “This maid is truly cunning! Even the vineyard manager has been fooled by her!” “Mr. Blackwood, you can’t keep a treacherous person like that around.” Julian’s cold gaze swept over everyone, and his thin lips parted. “I’ll say it one more time: I only have one wife, Chloe Miller. From now on, anyone who dares to disrespect her will face my wrath.” The hall was silent, save for my slow applause, which drew everyone’s attention. I took off my baseball cap, looking at them coldly. “Then tell me, if she’s Mrs. Blackwood, who am I?” Julian’s and Chloe’s smiles instantly froze. The air in the banquet hall seemed to instantly solidify. The guests’ eyes collectively snapped to me. From initial confusion, they gasped in shock as they recognized my face. Chloe’s triumphant smile instantly froze.

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Princess Royal, the War Goddess, unleashed her fury after the transmigrated woman died tragically in the ancestral chamber. I am Cassandra Volkov, Princess Royal of Veridia, yet my King, my own father, decreed my death, branding me an ill omen. It was Luna Blackwood who pulled me from the wasteland of the dead, breathing life back into me, and brought me to the Royal City. She taught me strategy. She taught me how to wage war. Luna, with a bright, defiant smile, declared, “Even women can carve out their own destiny.” She also claimed her mission in this world was to protect me and reverse our kingdom’s grim fate. Veridia was plagued by internal dissent and external threats. Luna helped me on the battlefield, forging my fearsome reputation as the ‘War Goddess,’ until I forced my King to abdicate in favor of my younger brother. Once her mission was complete, Luna didn’t return to her supposed homeland. Instead, she married a man who promised to love her for all eternity. The moment my brother ascended the throne, enemy nations regrouped and attacked. I led our armies to war. “Luna, my brother and our kingdom are in your hands.” She smiled, her voice steady. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here, waiting for your triumphant return.” But when I returned victorious, she was gone. Gazing at her bloodied corpse in the old family crypt, my rage exploded.

After shattering the enemy capital and capturing their royal family, I rode back to Veridia’s Royal City at a breakneck pace. Luna, who should have been waiting on the city walls, was nowhere to be seen. I rode straight to the Thorne Dukedom. Three years ago, the Thorne Dukedom had fallen on hard times. The legitimate daughter of the prominent Li family, Seraphina—Sera—who was supposed to marry Lord Elias Thorne, the Heir, suddenly backed out. Luna, the overlooked, unofficial daughter of the Li family, was swapped in as the replacement bride, pushed into the Dukedom. Thankfully, over time, the two fell deeply in love. Elias even swore an oath of eternal devotion to Luna in my presence, promising her a lifetime of undivided love. Upon entering the Dukedom, I walked directly to Luna’s courtyard. The plum trees Luna adored had all been replaced by peach trees. As I stood there, bewildered, a woman emerged from the rooms. At first glance, I nearly mistook her for Luna. Only because she was wearing one of Luna’s specially designed dresses – a matching friendship dress that only Luna and I owned. Luna had called them ‘best friend dresses.’ On her head was the white jade hair comb I had given Luna for her birthday. Luna cherished it dearly, never daring to wear it. Now, these precious items adorned a stranger. A terrible premonition coiled in my gut. I stepped forward, grabbing the woman’s arm. “Who are you? Why are you in Luna’s courtyard?” A maid beside the woman rushed forward, shoving me away. “Watch your tongue! This is the Lady of the Dukedom!” The Old Lord Thorne was dead. Elias had no brothers. I couldn’t fathom how the Dukedom had gained another Lady. My gaze turned to ice, fixed on the mistress and servant before me. “If you are the Lady of the Dukedom, then who is Luna Blackwood?” The woman faltered, but her maid put her hands on her hips and snarled, “Is that vixen sending you? To harm our Lady?” “She truly is a venomous witch! Someone! Seize this woman! Break her legs and toss her out to keep that hussy company!” No sooner had the words left her mouth than two matrons rushed out of the courtyard, reaching for me. I kicked one to the ground, and a cry of pain echoed through the courtyard. “You wretch! Still dare to fight? Do you have a death wish?” The maid beside the woman, puffed with indignation, lunged at me, hand raised to strike. I backhanded her. She spat blood and crumpled to the ground. More maids and matrons swarmed into the courtyard. The woman’s expression instantly shifted. She fell to her knees beside her maid, tears welling in her eyes. “I know Luna always hated me. You’re her accomplice, here to avenge her.” “Every fault, every mistake is mine. Strike me if you must, but don’t hurt anyone else.” “If hurting me will ease Luna’s pain, if it will make her humble herself and apologize to Lord Elias, then I would gladly die.” I turned my head, watching the flock of servants point and whisper, and sneered. Such a pathetic display. I’d seen these tricks countless times in the palace since I was a child. My face remained cold as I stepped forward, slapping the woman across the face. I knelt, grabbing her chin. “Luna. Where is she?” Her maid shrieked, clawing at my face. “You wench! My Lady is cherished by Lord Elias! If you harm her, he will ensure you meet a gruesome end!” The maid’s attack was vicious, clearly aiming to tear my face apart. I instinctively raised my arm to block, and two bloody scratches appeared on the back of my hand.

The maid screamed at the gawking servants and maids. “What are you standing around for? Seize this woman!” “Dare to harm the Lady? Her crime is doubled! Drag her away and give her twenty lashes, just like that vixen, Luna Blackwood!” My heart plummeted. Twenty lashes? Years ago, when I led my army into the Royal City, forcing my King to abdicate, my elder brother, resisting to the last, sent assassins after my younger brother. Elias and Luna, to protect him, used themselves as bait, pretending to be my brother. When an assassin’s arrow flew towards Elias, Luna shielded him with her body. But the arrow was coated in a deadly poison. Luna barely survived, and ever since, her health had been fragile. For an ordinary woman, twenty lashes could easily be fatal. For the frail Luna, it would be a death sentence. I drew the whip from my waist, cracking it once to drive back the surging maids and matrons. I walked over, seizing the maid by the throat. “You struck Luna?” My nails dug into her flesh, blood staining my fingers. The maid stared at me in terror. “Not me! It was the Lady!” I flung the maid aside and turned to face the woman. She trembled, backing away. “You dare to harm me? Lord Elias will never forgive you!” “Hmph!” I snorted, then brought the whip down across the woman’s body. A shriek of agony echoed through the entire courtyard. I dragged the whip forward. “Luna Blackwood. Where is she?” The woman was about to speak, but she glanced behind me, then suddenly collapsed to her knees, wailing. “I’m so sorry, I was wrong! I’ll leave Elias right away and give him back to my sister!” “I just beg my sister not to hate me.” Sister? Before I could process that, two shouts suddenly came from behind me. “Sera?” A figure dashed past me, rushing to the woman’s side, gathering her into his arms with a look of overwhelming concern. It was Elias Thorne, the man who had sworn eternal love to Luna. In that moment of stunned distraction, sharp pain lanced through my arm and leg. My arm was roughly twisted behind my back, and my calf was brutally kicked. My knees slammed into the ground, the pain so intense I almost cried out. “Insolent wretch! How dare you disrespect the Lady of the Dukedom!” The voice that reached my ears was none other than my own brother, Prince Alaric. Guards rushed forward to seize me as Alaric, in his royal robes, hurried to the woman. He gently, carefully, caressed Sera’s face. “Sera, your face?” Sera looked utterly wronged, and moved her arm. “Hiss—” A gasp of pain. Elias and my brother immediately fussed over her, each taking one of her hands. “Sera, where are you hurt?” Sera glanced at me, then sweetly said, “It’s alright, Elias, Alaric. I don’t blame my sister, nor the maid she sent.” “That venomous Luna again!” Elias roared, enraged. “This time, I will show no mercy!” Alaric’s face turned dark. “Rest assured, anyone who harms you, I will make them pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold!” Alaric spun around. “Guards! Drag this common wretch away and give her a hundred lashes!” Elias yelled, “Your Majesty, I’ll do it myself!”

I burst out laughing. “Excellent! Simply excellent!” This Seraphina, she was the legitimate daughter of the Li family. I had almost forgotten that Seraphina and Elias were childhood sweethearts. Their families had arranged their marriage when they were mere children. And my own brother, Alaric, had been tutored by the Old Lord Thorne since childhood. He had spent every day with Elias, making them childhood companions as well. In that brief moment, I understood completely why my Luna wasn’t in this courtyard. Why all the plum trees had been replaced by peach blossoms. Why all her belongings were now on another woman. I raised my head, my gaze cold and detached, looking at the two men. Upon seeing my face clearly, Elias immediately dropped to his knees, his forehead pressed to the ground. My dear brother, Alaric, instantly withdrew his hand from Sera’s. A fawning look on his face, he rushed forward, kicking away the guards who held me, and reached out to pull me up. “Cassandra, the army wasn’t due back for days! Why did you return early? And why didn’t you tell me?” I slapped his hand away. He stumbled, caught by a guard behind him. “Get lost. A mere common wretch like me wouldn’t dare let His Majesty personally assist her.” Sera scurried over, pointing at me. “How dare you! Even if you are a Princess, you cannot disrespect His Majesty!” I sneered, raising my hand and slapping her. “What do *you* think you are, to lecture *me*?” Sera clutched her cheek, tears glistening in her eyes, looking pitifully at Alaric. “Cassandra, are you insane?” Alaric pulled Sera up, sheltering her behind him, and roared at me. I sneered, stepping past him, straight to Sera, and pinched her chin. “Your father is the Minister of Rites. By all accounts, the legitimate daughter of the Li family should be the most proper and dignified of women. How is it that you’ve managed to waltz into your sister-in-law’s home and take charge? Is this the ‘upbringing’ of the Li family?” Sera’s face turned ashen, her lips trembling as if about to cry. Alaric rushed forward, pushing me away. “Cassandra, do you truly need to humiliate Sera like this?” He glared at me. “You’ve been at the borders for years, Cassandra. How did you become so cruel and petty?” “Sera is a gentle soul, without a hint of malice or cunning. Are you trying to drive her to her death with such words?” “Luna snatched Sera’s rightful place as the Lady of the Dukedom. Now, it’s merely a return to its rightful owner.” I finally lost my temper and slapped Alaric across the face. Years ago, my King doted on my Queen, my mother. But my mother, targeted by these very same schemes, was framed, cast aside, and ultimately forced to take her own life to prove her innocence. Alaric and I fell out of favor, endured countless slights, eating rotten scraps and moldy bread, living worse than the lowliest servants in the palace. At the Royal Autumn Ball, I secretly hoarded pastries, intending to save them as food for Alaric and me. It was then that Luna found me hiding in a dark corner. “Princess Royal, when a kingdom falls, no one is safe.” “Our kingdom is on the brink of collapse, yet the court nobles care only for their own pleasures.” She told me that after our kingdom fell, I would be captured by an enemy general, become his trophy, utterly broken and discarded, and meet a tragic end. “Princess Royal, you are the heroine of this story, meant to be a phoenix revered by all, soaring above the heavens.” “Your Highness, let us go to the borders.” Luna used her own wealth to secure a safe, secluded cottage for Alaric. We went to the borders. Luna taught me strategy and how to lead armies. Time and again, when men in the military questioned me, attempting to steal my glory and claim my achievements, she protected me and turned danger into opportunity. We repeatedly turned the tide of battle, reclaiming conquered territories. Whenever I was in danger, she was always the first to rush forward and shield me. But she never claimed any credit for herself. “Your Highness, I came for you. I ask for no rewards. I only wish for your future to be one of flourishing beauty and radiant glory.” With her by my side, I became Veridia’s first female general, commanding vast armies. Luna quietly stepped back, marrying Elias Thorne. But what arrived before the King’s decree of my death was Luna. I led my troops into the throne room, forcing my King to abdicate. Alaric, protected by Luna, was able to ascend the throne. But now, my dear brother had forgotten everything.

I drew my whip, cracking it against the floor. Sera shrieked, clutching her head. “Elias, save me!” Elias, who had been kneeling, suddenly lunged forward, shielding Sera with his body. “Your Highness, Sera is frail. She cannot withstand your whip.” Hah! I laughed, a chilling sound. “Elias, I ask you, where is Luna?” Elias’s eyes darted away. “In the Dukedom’s ancestral chamber.” I flung my sleeve, turning to walk towards the crypt. But Elias blocked my path. “Your Highness, Luna Blackwood is malicious and consumed by jealousy. Yesterday, she pushed Sera into the pond, nearly harming her own sister.” “I merely confined her to the ancestral chamber for a day to teach her some decorum. Your Highness, please do not interfere.” I looked at Elias, whose face was twisted with disgust at the mention of Luna. It was laughable. During those years at the border, Luna spent her free time working with the common folk to improve wheat strains. The famine-stricken Veridia now saw its granaries overflowed, and no one went hungry. A few years prior, when the plague raged, it was Luna who, regardless of her own life, risked it by testing medicines on herself, saving countless lives. How could such a kind and compassionate woman become the malicious, jealousy-ridden person he described? Sera stood behind Elias, softly weeping. “Elias, my presence only makes my sister unhappy. Perhaps I should just leave.” She said she would leave, but Sera didn’t move an inch. Elias and Alaric, however, panicked. Elias grabbed Sera’s arm. “Sera, if anyone’s leaving, it’s that venomous Luna, not you!” Alaric chimed in. “Precisely. She’s merely an unofficial daughter of a lesser branch. Just because she was Lady of the Dukedom for a few years doesn’t mean she can forget her place.” Alaric turned to me, lecturing. “Cassandra, you should also distance yourself from that venomous woman.” “You don’t know, ever since Sera arrived at the Dukedom, Luna has constantly targeted her—poisoning her, pushing her into the water…” Elias’s confidence swelled. “Your Highness, if it weren’t for the fact that she saved my life once, I would have divorced her long ago!” “She married above her station, greedily seizing Sera’s engagement. Sera, in her kindness, didn’t pursue the matter. Otherwise, what right did an obscure relative have to marry into the Dukedom?” I felt as if I’d heard the greatest joke in the world. “Sera told you all this?” They said nothing. I understood everything. I brought my whip down on Elias, then stormed straight to the ancestral chamber. Such a fool. He was unworthy of my Luna. I would take her away. Kicking open the heavy door to the ancestral chamber, in the cold, dark threshold, I saw a person, lower half covered in blood, lying in a pool of it. A trail of dried blood stretched from inside the crypt to the doorway. “Luna?” Luna, ever since taking that arrow, had become terribly sensitive to the cold. My voice trembled. Elias followed behind, his voice laced with disgust as he looked at Luna on the ground. “Luna Blackwood, stop faking it!” I knelt and cradled Luna in my arms. Her face was ashen, her breath long gone. In her blood-soaked, scraped hand, she clutched a crimson-stained letter. It was my letter to her. She had been waiting for me. “Luna Blackwood, even the cheapest street performer couldn’t fake it as well as you do!” “You had plenty of strength when you pushed Sera. I only gave you twenty lashes, not enough to kill you! Get up now!” “Still not moving? Do you want me to divorce you, leaving you with nothing, not even a place as a mistress?” Elias continued his relentless threats. My body was ice cold. I let out a low, chilling laugh. Elias Thorne, Seraphina Thorne. You killed my Luna. Now, I will ensure you all die a gruesome, pathetic death. “Sister, stop pretending! I’ll give Elias back to you!” Elias’s forehead immediately bulged with anger. He lunged forward, grabbing Luna. “Luna Blackwood, stop this immediately—”

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The year I was scraping by, I overheard my roommate, Chloe, talking about the wealthy girl from the department next door, Shawn, who was sick. Quietly, I went for a kidney match. The moment the results came out, Shawn’s second brother, Liam, found me. He had me sign a contract and quickly arranged for my hospitalization. Just then, floating comments suddenly flashed before my eyes: “Sweetie, don’t sign! He’s your brother.” “Your biological one.” “Liam, you’ll regret this. The sister you’ve been looking for all this time is about to be sent to the operating table by your own hand.” I ignored them. Because I knew the man in front of me already knew the truth. He just chose to abandon me. Six days after the surgery. As the on-screen comments buzzed with the most heated discussions, I quietly checked myself out of the hospital. The dense stream of comments eagerly anticipated my return home as the true heiress, ready to unleash hell on the Vance family. “The legendary scene is coming! Our sweet Aria is finally going to have her moment!” “Big brother knows the truth now, oh yeah!” “Get ready for the groveling, this is going to be epic!” “After today, the female lead will be everyone’s favorite, finally time to get back at the family!” “Aria, make sure you really make them pay, don’t forgive them too easily.” I couldn’t help but shake my head. I was about to disappoint them. I chose to walk away just as the story was about to reach its climax. That so-called “group favorite” life? I didn’t want it.

The first time I met Liam, it was near the hospital. After hearing that my kidney was a match for his sister, he contacted me immediately, inviting me to meet. Once we confirmed the details, he handed me a contract along with a face mask: “It’d be better if you wear this outside.” I took the mask, saying nothing. I glanced at the penalty clause in the contract – a hefty sum. After I put on the mask, he looked at my eyes. The hand holding the pen paused for a moment before he decisively signed his name. Suddenly, the floating comments flashed rapidly: “Sweetie, don’t sign! He’s your brother.” “Your biological one.” “Liam, you’ll regret this. The sister you’ve been looking for all this time is about to be sent to the operating table by your own hand.” “I just re-read it. Did Liam already suspect Aria’s identity at this point?” “Definitely! With the mask on, she looks so much like their mom around the eyes. I refuse to believe he didn’t notice.” “I even suspect he knew, which is why he told her to wear the mask, so he could observe her better.” “He’s a smooth operator with a hidden agenda. Right now, he’s doing whatever it takes for Shawn. But once Aria’s identity is confirmed, he’ll frantically try to make it up to her and be a ‘good’ brother.” I remained expressionless, signed the contract, and handed it to Liam. I had to admit, Liam was efficient. He arranged my hospitalization quickly, and it was a private room. I didn’t have to worry about anything; all I had to do was sign the consent form for the surgery. During my stay, besides doctors and nurses, I saw Liam the most. But between us, there was nothing to say. After all, we were just strangers. He, however, didn’t seem to think so. He kept strolling into my hospital room. I numbly looked at him, visiting for who-knows-how-many times in two days, then at the lunch he brought. I was genuinely curious: “Are you that free?” Liam smiled and nodded: “Try it. Our chef at home specifically made it. I hope it suits your taste.” “You need to rest up well during this period.” I gave a slight tug at the corner of my mouth: “Thanks, but you don’t have to bring me food. I just ordered takeout.” At my words, Liam’s expression stiffened abruptly. He quickly recovered, his voice deep and drawn out: “Takeout isn’t healthy. Nothing beats our chef’s carefully prepared soup, don’t you think, Arie?” That nickname suddenly reminded me of Jade. She always liked to call me Arie, too. “When your takeout arrives, you can just try both, see which tastes better. I have a lot of confidence in our chef’s skills.” Just as Liam was about to say more, someone knocked on the door. Shawn poked her head in: “Brother, I knew you’d sneak off here again.” Shawn, wearing a hospital gown, walked in, a bright smile on her face as she spoke to me: “Hi there, are you the one who’s going to donate a kidney to me? Thank you, Ms. Aria. Can I call you that?” My gaze rested on her. She was clearly well-cared for: “Whatever.” Liam immediately steadied Shawn: “Why are you down here? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?” Shawn stuck out her tongue: “Not at all! I just wanted to see my lifesaver.” “And the surgery is soon, Brother. I’m a little scared.” Liam stroked her head: “Brother promises you nothing will go wrong. You’ll wake up and the surgery will be over.” “I trust you, Brother.” Shawn’s eyes scanned my room before she spoke, a hint of hesitation in her voice: “Brother, why didn’t you arrange for Ms. Aria to be on our floor? This room isn’t very big. Is she comfortable here?” Before Liam could answer, the comments suddenly flared up: “That sounds a little off, saying you’re scared in front of the donor.” “Such a green tea vibe! Oh, so *your* room is better, huh?” “Come on, guys, don’t be so malicious! She just asked casually, she’s just worried about the female lead.” “Malicious? Can’t you see the words ‘green tea’ written all over that? She’s clearly showing off how much better her room is, right in front of the female lead.” “Why isn’t Second Brother answering?” “He can’t answer. If she was on the same floor, other Vance family members might run into the female lead. The room he arranged must have been deliberate.” “Waiting for Second Brother to start groveling to win her back.” The next second, Shawn’s phone rang: “Mom? I came out to find Brother. Okay, I’ll head back with Brother now.” As Shawn left, she politely smiled at me: “Ms. Aria, Mom’s calling me. Brother and I are going back to our room now. I’ll come see you again when I have time.” A gust of wind blew outside the room, conveniently seeing them off.

As for the lunch Liam brought, it sat untouched. I sat by the bed, looking out at the view from the window. Actually, I had heard about Shawn’s kidney failure from my roommate, Chloe. The day before, I’d dragged myself back to the dorm after a part-time job, and overheard Chloe saying: “Did you hear? Shawn, that heiress from the department next door, apparently has kidney failure.” “Really?” “Totally. I even heard a rumor that her family is looking for a kidney donor. If they find a match, money won’t be an issue.” “Wait, shouldn’t a family match be better?” “Wealthy families like theirs might be different. Who’d willingly donate a kidney?” My roommate, Chloe, spread her five fingers: “I heard, if you match, it’s at least this much.” “Whoa, five million?” “Yep.” “Still, I wouldn’t do it. Losing a kidney, who knows what effect that’ll have on your body.” “The chances of a stranger matching are tiny. We probably won’t match, don’t even think about it.” “Enough about that, how were your interviews? I’m completely stressed out.” I, who was just about to go wash up, paused. I lowered my eyes. Five million. If I could match, it would be enough for Jade’s medical bills. I privately contacted someone and quietly went to get tested. After a successful match, Liam hastily arranged to meet me, hoping I would be admitted to the hospital as quickly as possible. When the comments told me not to sign the contract, what they didn’t know was that earlier, when I went to get hot water, I’d accidentally overheard Chloe’s phone call: “Mr. Vance, I’ve already told Aria. That company interview…” “No interview needed. You can start working directly.” “Okay, thank you, Mr. Vance.” I didn’t know who “Mr. Vance” was at first, until I met Liam. The man’s voice on Chloe’s phone was identical to his. That’s when I realized that the person who wanted to leak the information to me had always been Liam. He couldn’t just stand by and watch his beloved sister lie in a hospital bed. In his heart, no one was more important than Shawn. And I? I was desperate for money. Jade’s exorbitant medical bills were something I couldn’t earn enough of, no matter how many part-time jobs I took. So he knew I would actively seek out the match. He understood human nature. And he had calculated it perfectly.

So, when I first started seeing the floating comments, I didn’t react much. After all, what did blood relation matter? His calculations against me had begun even before I met him. From the comments flashing across the air, I also pieced together the truth of what happened years ago. When I was three months old, my mother and father had an argument. In a fit of anger, my mother took me and drove away. After two hours on the road, she was too exhausted and fell asleep after pulling the car over. When she woke up, I was gone. From then on, she often fell into her own emotions, unable to pull herself out. Six months after I went missing, my aunt gave birth to a daughter but passed away from massive hemorrhage. After discussion, that child was adopted by my parents and took my mother’s surname. That child became my mother’s lifeline. And my two brothers regarded her as their own sister. As for me, I was passed around by human traffickers and sold to another place. Jade, like me, was a trafficked child. The difference was, I was a baby and didn’t remember anything. Jade was four, with memories of her parents, but she could never find her family. After Jade fell ill, she was always worried I’d be alone in the future. She dragged me to the police station to register a missing person report and provide a blood sample for DNA registration. Actually, before my match results with Shawn came out, I had received news from the police station about the DNA matching for finding relatives. I thought Liam must have also received the news; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so anxious. After seeing me, he immediately arranged for my hospitalization. Most importantly, I didn’t believe that if other Vance family members knew about this, they would choose to let me stand by idly. I, on the contrary, felt that the possibility of them guilt-tripping me was much higher. After all, the child they’d raised for over twenty years and the child they’d lost for over twenty years—their feelings for the two definitely wouldn’t be the same. Which one was more important? Did it even need to be said?

Actually, during my hospitalization, Liam had arranged a caregiver for me. Then he quickly replaced her. Because Liam accidentally overheard her complaining on the phone: “People really can’t be compared. This little girl in this room is having a huge kidney donation surgery, and no one’s here with her. She’s all alone.” “I’ve only seen one person visit her these past few days. The employer and she don’t even seem close. I wonder what their relationship is.” “But this girl’s room is quite nice, what a shame.” Liam immediately called to replace the caregiver and then left in a hurry. Half an hour after he left, someone else found me. Meredith, or rather, Liam and Shawn’s mother. The new caregiver followed behind her. Gentle yet decisive – that was my first impression of Ms. Meredith. Comments quietly appeared: “It’s Mom!” “She’ll recognize our sweet Aria, right?” “Ms. Meredith looks so elegant.” “Even if she doesn’t recognize her, Aria must be different to her, right?” Meredith’s voice was gentle: “Aria, hello. I’m Liam Vance’s mother. I’ve switched caregivers for you.” “I came to ask if you’re donating voluntarily? My son might be a little too concerned about his sister; I’m afraid he might do something foolish.” I shook my head: “You’re overthinking it. I’m doing this voluntarily. Mr. Vance and I signed a contract.” Her gaze fell on my eyes, and she seemed lost in thought for a moment. Snapping back to reality, she glanced around the room: “Are you staying here alone?” “Yes.” Her voice was slightly hesitant: “Do your family know?” I curved my lips: “My consent is all that matters.” I imagined if Jade knew I was having surgery, she’d immediately rush to the hospital, drag me out by my ear, and scold me relentlessly. In her eyes, nothing was more important than my health. But in my eyes, her survival was more important than anything. Silence spread. Meredith said nothing more. Until Shawn appeared in my room: “Mom, are you here to see Ms. Aria too?” Meredith quickly went to steady her: “Shawn, why are you here? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?” Shawn shook her head: “No, Mom, don’t worry.” “I just came to see Ms. Aria, in case she’s nervous.” Shawn looked at me: “Ms. Aria, will you be scared during the surgery? Actually, just thinking about the surgery time approaching, I’m a little scared too.” Meredith comforted her: “Don’t worry, everything will go smoothly.” Just as Meredith turned to comfort me, I shrugged, my voice calm: “I’m not scared.” Just thinking about the five million after the surgery filled me with motivation. As for fear, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. Shawn’s voice carried a smile: “Ms. Aria is much braver than me. I should learn from you.” Shawn couldn’t help but lean on Meredith’s shoulder: “Mom, will you dislike me for being timid? I’m not as brave as Ms. Aria.” Meredith stroked her head: “No, in Mom’s eyes, you’re already very brave.” This scene of mother and daughter, Shawn and Meredith, always felt incredibly familiar to me. Comments quietly floated by: “Such a familiar scene! Last time it was Second Brother, this time it’s Ms. Meredith.” “Shawn is really loved by the Vance family.” “I’ve noticed, the Vance family likes to visit our sweet Aria in groups.” “Right, right.” “I wonder if it’s intentional or unintentional.” Before Meredith and Shawn left, they left the caregiver behind. I could only say that the person Meredith sent was extremely perceptive and took care of everything. I didn’t have to worry about a thing.

The day before the surgery, Jade called me. Jade’s voice on the phone was exceptionally excited: “Arie, the police might have found your biological parents!” Jade rattled on about many things, finally asking if I wanted to meet them. I knew Jade always wanted to make sure I was settled. Before I could answer, Liam suddenly burst into my room, his voice anxious: “Can the surgery time be changed to tonight?” I instinctively covered my phone, afraid Jade would hear something. I hadn’t seen Liam this anxious in a long time. Jade on the other end of the phone didn’t get my answer, but vaguely heard other voices. She paused before speaking: “Arie, are you busy? Call me back when you’re done and have thought it over carefully. If you want to meet them, I’ll come with you.” I nodded: “Okay, Jade. Take care of yourself. Rest well these days, and I’ll be home soon.” After I hung up, I looked up at Liam and slowly said: “Yes, that’s fine.” The comments again danced before me: “No, don’t!” “My heart aches for Aria. Suddenly, Liam doesn’t deserve to be a brother.” “Why the rush? Is Shawn your only sister?” “It’s just one step away! If Aria and Jade agreed to meet tomorrow, why move the surgery up?” “I’m betting a bag of chips, Liam definitely knows the truth.” “Probably because someone in the Vance family found out about Aria. Second Brother is panicking.” “Their precious daughter found a kidney donor, the Vance parents must be thrilled.” “I wonder how they’ll feel when they find out the donor is their own biological daughter, and their son personally sent his sister to the operating table.” “Didn’t Ms. Meredith feel something was off? She already saw Aria.” Liam was stunned when I agreed, then, as if by a strange impulse, he asked: “Why did you agree so readily?” I blinked: “One day earlier or one day later, it makes no difference to me.” Hearing my words, Liam’s eyes darkened: “Then remember to fast during this time.” The comments flooded in: “There IS a difference, of course there is!” “If it was one day later, I don’t believe the Vance parents, knowing the truth, would still let you have this surgery.” “Big brother, please find out the truth soon. I can’t stand Aria being wronged anymore.” “I just think it’s separate issues. The female lead isn’t losing anything from this surgery; she gets five million. And she’s doing it voluntarily. Why do you guys think she’s being so wronged?” “When she’s found and taken back, the others won’t not compensate her.” “Why do you think the newly found daughter would be more important than the daughter they raised for twenty years? Shawn is clearly more important in the Vance family’s eyes right now.” “If the female lead were taken back under these circumstances, the likelihood of them guilt-tripping her into donating would be even higher, wouldn’t it?” I skimmed the comments, my gaze landing on the last two sentences. I couldn’t help but smile; they were thinking exactly what I was. Liam quickly discussed the surgery time with the doctor. Before I was wheeled into the operating room, I saw a familiar figure by another gurney. It was Liam. The others around him must have been the Vance family. As we passed them, my eyes met with one person: Meredith. I didn’t have time to make out her expression. Once in the operating room, I quickly lost consciousness. When I woke up again, it was around three in the morning. I was in the intensive care unit. Before the surgery, I had already called Jade, telling her I wouldn’t be able to meet her for a few days due to something I needed to take care of.

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Everyone in the city’s elite circles knew the Sterling heiress, Eleanor, only dated college guys who were exactly eighteen. They were like ripe, green fruits on a summer branch, radiating a fresh, vibrant energy. Then I met Eleanor. I was eighteen, delivering food in a faded uniform, but she couldn’t take her eyes off me. Soon, everyone was saying, “Eleanor Sterling has gone completely insane.” She chased me for two whole years, showering me with flowers, cars, and even a house. She even quit drinking for me. The craziest part? She actually married me, and after that, she devoted herself entirely to me, no longer seeing anyone else. Five years into our marriage, my father was diagnosed with leukemia. Without a moment’s hesitation, Eleanor poured a fortune into sponsoring a financially struggling college student, Kai, just to find a bone marrow match for my father. But on the day of the surgery, Kai had vanished into thin air. My father lay on the operating table, his vital signs fading. I fumbled for my phone, calling Kai fifty-two times before he finally picked up. “Hello? Mr. Hayes?” Kai’s voice sounded panicked. “Kai! Where are you?!” I practically screamed into the phone. “The surgery’s been delayed for two hours! My dad, he…” “I’m so sorry…” His voice trembled. “I, I’m just so scared. I can’t come…” I was about to speak again when a familiar female voice drifted from the background of the call. “It’s okay, it’s okay. If you’re scared, then don’t donate.” It was Eleanor’s voice. I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. My phone clattered to the floor. I stumbled out of the hospital, rushing to the furthest corner of the parking lot, where I saw Eleanor’s familiar black Maybach. The window was half-open. I saw Kai leaning on Eleanor’s shoulder, his eyes red. Eleanor’s hand was gently stroking his back, a gesture so tender it made my eyes burn. “…Don’t be afraid. We can always postpone the surgery for another month. I’ll use every resource in the country to find another suitable donor during that time.” Eleanor’s voice came through clearly. “Don’t worry.” “But Mr. Hayes’s father has already had several critical condition notices, hasn’t he?” Kai raised his pale face. “He’ll be fine,” Eleanor reassured him, pinching his nose. That intimate gesture used to be exclusively mine. “Don’t overthink it.” Kai broke into a tearful smile and hugged Eleanor tightly. “Thank goodness for you, Elle. I truly don’t know what I’d do without you. I accepted your sponsorship, so I should be donating bone marrow to Mr. Hayes’s father, but I’m just so afraid…” “Don’t worry, I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to,” Eleanor’s voice was soft enough to melt. “No matter what, I’m always your rock.” The roar of an engine starting jolted me out of my daze. I ran forward and pounded on the car window, but I only managed to catch the cold outline of Eleanor’s profile before the car sped away, leaving me trembling, alone in the parking lot. My phone rang again. It was the hospital. I pressed the answer button, only to hear the doctor’s heavy voice. “Mr. Hayes, has the donor arrived yet? Your father can’t wait any longer. Just a minute ago, he passed away due to multi-organ failure, and resuscitation efforts had failed… Please accept our condolences.” My world spun out of control. I collapsed onto the cold concrete, everything went black, and I lost consciousness. I had a very long dream. In the dream, I went back five years, to when I was eighteen. Eleanor was still the most prestigious heiress in our city’s elite circles, and I was just a poor student trying to make ends meet by delivering food. That day, I went to a high-end club to deliver wine and accidentally bumped into a woman. When I looked up, I met a pair of deep, dark eyes. “I’m sorry,” I apologized hastily, but froze when I clearly saw her face. Eleanor Sterling. The Sterling heiress, famous for her sky-high standards and only dating eighteen-year-old college guys. She stared at me for a long time, then suddenly smiled. “What’s your name?” Everything that followed felt like a dream. The city’s most respected woman fell for me at first sight and began pursuing me relentlessly. She’d park her Maybach next to my delivery scooter, waiting for me to finish work. If I casually mentioned wanting pastries from the south side of town, she’d drive halfway across the city in the middle of the night to buy them. She even quit drinking for me, just because I said I hated the smell of alcohol. The most unbelievable part was that she defied her family’s objections to marry me. At our wedding, in front of everyone, she placed a priceless ring on my finger. “Liam, I’ll only love you, and only you, for the rest of my life.” After we married, her devotion to me became legendary. She’d wake up early every day to make me a loving lunch, despite never having lifted a finger in the kitchen before. She’d leave important work functions early just because I texted her, “Miss you.” My phone wallpaper was my photo, her password was my birthday, and all her social media bios read, “Liam Hayes’s wife.” Even when my father was diagnosed with leukemia, she used all her connections to find a match, eventually zeroing in on Kai, a student from a financially struggling background. She paid for Kai’s tuition and living expenses, personally took him for all his medical exams, and even arranged for the best nutritionist to keep him healthy. “Why are you so good to him?” I once asked uneasily. Eleanor kissed my chin. “Silly, are you jealous? I’m just making sure he stays healthy enough to donate his bone marrow.” I believed her. Until Eleanor started frequently accompanying Kai shopping, buying him designer clothes and jewelry. Until she abandoned an important meeting for one of Kai’s calls. Until she remembered all of Kai’s preferences, but forgot our wedding anniversary. I slowly began to understand everything. My eyes red, I confronted her. “He’s eighteen, in his prime. So you’ve fallen for him, haven’t you? All that talk about settling down for good, it was just a joke, right?” What did Eleanor say then? “What nonsense are you spouting? I’m just being kind to him as compensation. Donating bone marrow is a serious matter; I need to keep him in a good mood.” But now, every single thing she did proved she was lying. When I woke, I numbly signed document after document. My father lay there peacefully, as if sleeping. I held his large hand, the one that used to lead me to school, that taught me to write. Now, it was cold and stiff. “Dad, I’m so sorry…” I choked up, but no tears would fall. My heart felt hollowed out, leaving only a dull, aching numbness. Three days passed. Eleanor hadn’t appeared, not even a single call. I opened Ins. The first post was a nine-picture photo dump from Kai. It was a photo of him and Eleanor by a lake. In the picture, Eleanor had her arm around Kai’s shoulder, her smile blindingly bright. The caption read: “Thanks for the company, Elle. Feeling much better now.” I mechanically liked the post. Less than a minute later, my phone vibrated. A message from Eleanor popped up: 「Liam, Kai’s emotional state is unstable, so he can’t donate bone marrow temporarily. I’ve contacted the best specialists, both locally and internationally. We’ll reschedule the surgery for next month. In the meantime, I’m taking Kai to relax and get him back in shape.」 I stared at the screen and suddenly laughed. She didn’t know my father was dead. She also didn’t know I’d already overheard everything in the parking lot, that her heart had long since strayed. I closed the chat window and dialed another number. “Mrs. Sterling, I know you’ve always disapproved of me. I’m now willing to sign the divorce papers and leave Eleanor forever, with the money.” There was a noticeable pause on the other end. “But you always said you two had true love and refused to let go?” I was silent. Yes, I had once naively believed Eleanor would love me forever, just as she did in the beginning. But love is never black and white. Hearts change, vows expire, and human nature never truly alters. She only loved eighteen-year-old boys, and I was no longer eighteen. “Mrs. Sterling,” I finally said softly, “please send me the divorce papers.” Mrs. Sterling seemed to understand something from my silence, her tone suddenly lighter. “Alright. Once you sign, just wait for the mandatory one-month divorce cooling-off period to end, then leave. The money will be deposited into your account on time.” “Remember, once you leave, never appear in front of Eleanor again.” I hung up and quickly received the digital divorce papers. I read them word for word, then clicked print. The printer slowly whirred as it spat out the papers, the sound eerily clear in the empty room. When I picked up the pen, my hand was steady, without a single tremor. “Eleanor,” I whispered to myself, “this time, I’ll make you disappear from my world completely!” The next day, I went to the office. Pushing open Mr. Davies’s office door, I directly handed him my resignation letter. “Why the sudden resignation?” Mr. Davies looked surprised. “Don’t you love this job? I even approved your leave for your father’s serious illness. By now, he should have had the surgery and be recovering, right?” I shook my head. “My father is gone. And I… I plan to divorce and leave this city.” Mr. Davies was silent for a moment, then finally sighed. “…Alright, I respect your decision.” My colleagues had always liked me. When they heard I was resigning, they gathered around to say goodbye. “Liam, keep in touch!” “Your wife is so devoted to you, being a stay-at-home husband isn’t so bad either.” I didn’t explain, just smiled, then quietly packed my things. Everyone walked me down to the company’s ground floor. Suddenly, someone gasped. “Liam, your husband-obsessed wife is here to pick you up!” My body tensed. Through the glass door, I saw the black Maybach parked at the company entrance. I took a deep breath, nodded goodbye to my colleagues, then carried my box out and opened the car door. Inside, Eleanor was leaning over, fastening Kai’s seatbelt. Her hair brushed his neck, one hand on the seatback, the other around Kai. They were close, their breaths mingling. Kai looked down at her, his Adam’s apple bobbing, his ears flushed crimson. The moment the car door opened, they both turned, their expressions frozen. Kai hastily sat upright. “Mr. Hayes, please don’t misunderstand, I just didn’t have my seatbelt on. Eleanor was just helping me…” “I don’t misunderstand.” I cut him off, my voice calm, without a ripple of emotion. I didn’t want to hear explanations, nor did I want to watch their pathetic performance. Eleanor finally looked at me directly, her gaze falling on the box in my arms. Her brows furrowed slightly. “You resigned?” “Yeah, I’m tired,” I said dismissively. “I have other plans now.” Eleanor stared at me for two seconds, seeming about to say something, but ultimately just said coolly, “Get in the car.” I forced a smile. “Why did you suddenly come to pick me up?” “A new restaurant opened; the dishes are very good for recovery,” Eleanor said casually as she started the car. “I’m taking Kai to try it, and you can taste it too. If it’s suitable, we can get some for your father later.” My fingertips curled inward. It felt like a dull blade slowly carving into my chest. My father was dead. Yet she hadn’t even come to see him one last time. But I said nothing, just got into the car in silence. In the restaurant’s private room, Eleanor ordered a table full of nutritious dishes. “This rich, healing stew is excellent for post-surgery recovery.” She scooped a bowl of soup and placed it in front of Kai. “You try it first.” Kai took it, flattered, and took a small sip, his eyes lighting up. “It’s delicious!” Eleanor’s lips curved upward. She picked up a piece of steamed fish, carefully deboned it, and placed it in his bowl. “Fish is high in protein. Eat more.” Kai’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Eleanor, you’re so good to me…” he said softly. Eleanor smiled and added a sweet red date pastry to his plate. “This is good for blood.” Throughout all of this, I sat quietly opposite them, like an outsider. I watched Eleanor patiently wipe soup from Kai’s lips. I watched her softly ask him, “Is there anything else you want to eat?” I watched the gentle light in her eyes, a light that once belonged only to me. “Eleanor is so good to me, Mr. Hayes, you’re not jealous, are you?” Kai looked at me, flustered. “Please don’t misunderstand, this is all for your father…” “No, I know,” I said, looking down. My forks gently poked at the food in my bowl. I hadn’t eaten a single bite. The meal was a drawn-out, agonizing affair. When it finally ended, Eleanor took a work call. “You two go downstairs and wait for me,” she said, frowning at her phone. “I’ll be right there.” Kai and I went into the elevator together. The moment the elevator doors closed, Kai suddenly grinned, his voice boisterous. “Mr. Hayes, you’re so magnanimous. Eleanor is so good to me, yet you’re not even a little jealous.” I ignored him. But Kai persisted, leaning close to my ear and lowering his voice. “Actually, you’ve known for a long time, haven’t you? Eleanor has already fallen for me.” My fingertips trembled. “She said you’re too boring, like a block of wood,” Kai chuckled smugly. “And me…” Before he could finish, the elevator suddenly jolted! The lights flickered twice, then went out completely. “Ah—!” Kai shrieked, grabbing my arm in a panic. “What’s happening?!” I quickly pressed the emergency call button, my voice calm. “Elevator malfunction.”

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For Asher, I sold myself to Damon Sterling. In the pouring rain, inside his RV, my hair was yanked, and my thin white dress was torn to shreds. My body became the currency for this treacherous dance with my enemies. But I never imagined that this degrading spectacle, this feast where I was just a kept woman, didn’t go unnoticed by another pair of eyes. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Marcus Sterling, Damon Sterling’s uncle.” The last final exam of my sophomore year had just ended. The moment my phone buzzed with the message, I rushed out into the pouring rain towards the hospital. “The patient’s heart stopped briefly, but thankfully, after resuscitation, he’s out of danger. We couldn’t reach you, so we contacted Mr. Sterling.” The doctor was still rambling on, but I pressed my head against the glass, letting out a long, shaky breath. The cold sweat of a near-disaster drenched my back. Damon Sterling had helped me again. Knowing him, he’d undoubtedly make me pay, in his own twisted way. Sure enough, no sooner had I settled Asher than my phone rang. Damon Sterling’s driver, Victor, subtly urged me downstairs. The car was already waiting. Stepping out of the hospital, the biting evening wind felt like a harsh slap across my face. But what chilled me more was Damon Sterling’s gaze. He turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine across the torrential rain. The stark, cold white light reflected off his face, his thin, chiseled lips pressed tightly together. My gut told me my sugar daddy was pissed. Without another thought, I pulled up my collar and ran towards the RV, battling the storm. Victor was already standing by the door. “The young master isn’t in a good mood,” Victor whispered, pulling open the door. I gave a barely perceptible nod of thanks as I ducked my head and plunged into the car. The door closed, sealing off all sound from the outside. “With this kind of rain, why did you come?” I tried to steady my voice, shaking off the raindrops. Damon Sterling said nothing, only hooked his finger under my chin, his rough thumb tracing the line of my lips. I avoided his intense gaze, dropping my eyes. “It’s about Asher. Thank you for your help again today.” Damon Sterling hummed faintly, his voice devoid of warmth. “Your classmate even followed you here.” I followed his gaze and looked back. Noah Jensen was still standing at the hospital entrance. I didn’t know how long he’d been watching, but the two men stared at each other through the rain. My right eyelid twitched. That possessive jerk’s jealousy was flaring up again. I got out of the car, and Victor, holding an umbrella, walked me back to the hospital entrance. “Noah, you should head back to campus. Asher’s fine, and thank you for your help today.” Noah looked at the car behind me, wanting to say something, but he didn’t push me. He nodded and disappeared into the rain. When I got back into the car, Damon Sterling had just hung up his phone. I felt compelled to explain. “I forgot my bag after the exam. Noah happened to see it and chased me to bring it, then offered to come to the hospital to see if he could help.” “That kid likes you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. “Noah’s just a warm-hearted person. He’s friendly to all his classmates.” Damon Sterling leaned closer, rubbing his nose against mine intimately. One hand slipped under my dress. “A toad wanting to mate with a swan! He’s completely out of his league! Doesn’t matter if he likes you, you’re mine.” His fingers were cold, and I instinctively flinched. Damon Sterling paused, raising an eyebrow. “What, are you cold?” He curved his lips into a smile, and my heart lurched. Having been with him for a year, I knew that expression all too well. Sure enough, the next second Damon Sterling loosened his tie. “Since you’re cold, let’s play a grown-up game and warm ourselves up.” “No!” I pressed hard against his chest, stopping him from coming closer. Victor was still outside the car. Damon Sterling might be shameless, but I still had some dignity to lose. Damon Sterling, with his entitled young master’s temper, couldn’t stand even a hint of resistance. His face immediately hardened, and he narrowed his eyes. “In front of me, do you have the right to say no?” “No, it’s not that. I mean, can we not do it in the car? Victor is right outside, he’ll hear us.” “Ha! You’re really concerned about his feelings. First a classmate, now the driver. You sure have a lot of men on your mind.” “No, they’re just my friends.” “You’re mine. Your thoughts should only be on me, understood?” He pinched my cheek. “But you did remind me. Victor is still standing outside. It wouldn’t be good if he caught a cold in this weather.” I should have known, Damon Sterling was a total psychopath! When he was in a good mood, he’d practically give me the world for a smile. But when he was in a bad mood, he’d stoop to the most despicable acts. Rich and utterly unhinged! He tapped on the window, deliberately calling Victor inside. The atmosphere in the car became incredibly bizarre. Victor sat in the driver’s seat, staring straight ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel. I couldn’t tell if the drops on his face were rain or sweat. “Young Master, are we heading back to the mansion?” Damon Sterling chuckled, his gaze flitting between Victor and me. After a long moment, he slowly replied, “To Brock Miller’s birthday party. I have a ‘big gift’ for him.” The Miller family and the Sterling family were old family friends, their relationship complex and tangled. Damon Sterling’s temper was merely unpredictable, but Brock Miller, the other heir to the Miller fortune, was a pure, unadulterated madman, a loose cannon. The car started moving, but Damon Sterling hadn’t forgotten what had just happened, and he wasn’t about to let me off easily. “Didn’t you say thank you earlier?” He stroked my long hair. “Show me some sincerity now.” His gaze fell on my lips. I steeled myself and leaned in, kissing the corner of his mouth. “That’s it? Are you playing with me?” He sneered, pulling me close by the waist, not letting me move. I bit my lower lip, shaking his arm. “Just a little interest payment for now. When we go back tonight, I’ll take off my makeup and shower, then you can do whatever you want, okay?” “Not okay! Begging won’t work.” “I’ve been working like a dog all these days on my business trip, and I just landed only to rush here for your brother. Meanwhile, you’ve been living it up, and I’m practically bursting at the seams…” My face flushed, and I clapped a hand over his mouth, afraid of what other vulgar words he might utter. Damon Sterling chuckled, kissing my palm and then pulling my hand into his, playing with it. He whispered a hot breath into my ear, “I’ve changed my mind. Your cries for mercy sound so sweet, I don’t want any other man to hear them. Let’s try a different game.” He pressed me against him, my vision completely consumed by him. I shook my head frantically. Without his command, Victor wouldn’t dare lower the privacy screen or turn on the music. In the confined space, all that could be heard was my soft, desperate resistance. “Don’t cry, baby. The more you cry, the more I want to torment you.” His breathing grew heavier, his eyes fixed on my face. He licked away my tears, coaxing softly, “Now, you have two choices…” Between Damon Sterling and me, there was no ‘if I wanted to,’ only ‘if he wanted to.’ “If you’re a good girl and listen, I’ve found a special medication from abroad to ease your brother’s pain. It can be air-shipped next week.” Asher was my weakness; Damon Sterling knew that perfectly. There was no choice. All my dignity and pride were trampled under Damon Sterling’s heel. With my hair falling around me, I reluctantly lowered my head. “Hiss…” Damon Sterling’s arm muscles flexed, his throat working. I had never done this before. Outside the window, traffic flowed, but who could imagine such a scene unfolding in the opaque car? I looked up, tears blurring my vision as I gazed at Damon Sterling. What normal man could resist such a look? “Lower the privacy screen!!!” Damon Sterling roared.

Victor, as if a great weight had been lifted, quickly pressed the button. I closed my eyes, trying to empty my mind, my consciousness slowly blurring. I felt as if I was back in that cicada-filled afternoon. Golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the ground. Asher’s lean, firm arms were stiffly wrapped around me, his fingers gripping the reins so tightly they were white. I looked back and saw his ears flushed crimson, and the sparkling galaxy in his eyes. “W-what are you looking at? I’m teaching you to ride. If you’re not careful, you’ll fall and start crying again.” “What’s there to be afraid of? You’re here, you’ll protect me. Wow, Asher, your face is red!” “Such disrespect! I told you to call me ‘big brother’.” Asher suddenly spurred the horse, and I shrieked, burying myself in his arms, hearing the thunderous beat of his heart. That summer, the vast grassland, unripe fruits, and intertwined figures on horseback. A sparkling secret was etched into my life, from a time in my youth I could never return to. “Skylar, look at me, say my name!” Damon Sterling’s voice was hoarse as he patted my face. I slowly opened my eyes. The illusion vanished. I had missed that vibrant summer and lost that bright boy. Tears streamed down my face. “Damon Sterling.” Damon Sterling tugged my hair and kissed me deeply, not hearing the rest of my sentence. “I hate you…” He kissed my sweat-dampened forehead, wiping away the marks on my body, as intimately as if we were lovers lost in passion. “Sorry, I got carried away. Your dress is ruined, I’ll take you to buy a new one.” “No.” No dress was better. That way, I wouldn’t have to go to Brock Miller’s birthday party. Meeting my enemy face-to-face, I was afraid I’d lose control and stab him. Damon Sterling didn’t think much of it, only assuming I was pouting playfully. He smiled, picked me up, and wrapped me tightly in his jacket. “Alright, alright, my bad. I wore you out, baby. I’ll carry you in myself, how’s that?” Damon Sterling had already informed the store manager to clear everyone out. When he carried me in, only a few meek-looking staff stood by the door. He placed me on the sofa in the dressing room. “Don’t be shy. These guys are all trustworthy, they won’t gossip or stare.” He knelt before me, looking completely harmless. I reached out to smooth a stray lock of hair on his head, my hand lingering on his face, gently caressing it. Such a simple gesture made Damon Sterling grin like an idiot from a rural town. Even a hint of feigned affection from me was enough to send him over the moon. Damon Sterling was already deeply smitten, though he didn’t realize it. He reluctantly held my hand, kissing it for a long time before his phone rang. “What the hell are you rushing for?!” The person on the other end wasn’t bothered by his rudeness. “What’s up, buddy? So much anger. Did I interrupt something good?” “Get lost, get lost! If you call again, I’ll kill you.” Damon Sterling cursed as he hung up. The tender moment was broken. “Go take a shower, I’ll go pick out clothes for you.” When I emerged, I was dressed from head to toe, including jewelry. Damon Sterling sat beside me, propping his chin in his hand, watching me apply makeup, thoroughly pleased with my look. Beauty is tempting; it can make a king forget his duties. I knew how much my face tempted men. I also knew that beauty was just one card. Coupled with background, education, or intelligence, any one of them could be a winning hand. But alone, it was a dead end. So, I needed a teammate to help me win this game. Damon Sterling brought me to the club, but his hands were empty. “Didn’t you say it was Brock’s birthday? How come you didn’t bring a gift?” Damon Sterling smiled, kissing my cheek. “The gift will arrive on its own.” The private room was thick with smoke, making me cough. I nudged Damon Sterling inside. “I’m just going to the restroom, I’ll be right back.” This floor was for VIPs, so there weren’t many customers. I walked down the corridor to the ladies’ room. The moment I entered, I froze. A woman’s voice mingled with the sound of impacts. I instinctively stepped back, kicking a nearby trash can, which made a loud noise. The woman shrieked in surprise, and then everything fell silent. I turned to leave, but the door behind me opened and then closed. A large hand reached over my head, slamming against the door, blocking my exit. The man loomed over me. “Where are you running off to?” He had clearly come out in a hurry, his shirt unbuttoned. I immediately turned and walked a few steps away, widening the distance between us. “Little darling, you interrupted big brother’s fun. Aren’t you going to apologize?” “Fun? What kind of fun is this? This is the ladies’ room, a public place. Don’t you have any shame?” Brock Miller walked closer, looking at me like an interesting toy. “Look at you, all fired up with righteous anger. Have you never tried it in a bathroom? Want to try with me? Big brother will be very gentle.” He grabbed my raised hand, pinning both my hands behind my back. “Trying to hit me?” Seeing my mixture of fury and fear, Brock’s smile widened. He leaned in, but I dodged, and his kiss landed on my neck. “You smell delicious.” He then bit me. Just as I was about to scream for help, there was a knock on the door. “Skylar, are you okay? What’s taking so long?” It was Damon Sterling. Seizing the moment Brock was distracted, I raised my knee and brutally slammed it into him, then pushed him away and ran out. “Damon Sterling, help me!” Damon Sterling’s face instantly changed when he saw me. He pulled me behind him. “Which bastard, get out here!” The door opened, and Brock Miller emerged, his face grim. “You little brat, you dare lay a hand on me? You’re tired of living!” Damon Sterling looked at the sign on the door, then at Brock, and turned to ask me, “Did you hit him just now?” I nodded vigorously. “He’s a pervert! He was in the ladies’ room…” A scoff echoed from the end of the corridor. All three of us looked. A tall figure leaned against the window, smoking. The glowing red tip of his cigarette flickered, illuminating a sharp jawline. “Some dogs never change their spots. Brock, your bathroom ‘encounters’ habit will probably stick with you forever.” Brock Miller’s face flushed and then paled at the insult. Damon Sterling seemed frozen, as if struck by lightning, until the man in the black suit, hidden in the shadows of the night, stepped out and walked towards him, blowing a puff of smoke into his face. “Well, nephew, what’s wrong? Don’t you recognize me?” Damon Sterling, at 6’1″, actually had to look up. “Uncle… Uncle Marcus.” Marcus Sterling nodded in satisfaction, flicking his ash onto Brock Miller’s leather shoes. The smell of burning leather quickly spread, but Brock didn’t dare utter a single sound. “Uncle Marcus, why are you suddenly back in the country?” “Grandfather Sterling isn’t well. As his younger son, I came back to check on him. Do you have a problem with that?” His gaze swept past Damon Sterling and settled on me. “And who is this?” Damon Sterling’s hand, gripping mine, was clammy with sweat. He was visibly nervous. “Oh, you don’t want to introduce her? Is she that precious? Afraid I’ll steal her?” I stepped out from behind Damon Sterling, meeting Marcus Sterling’s scrutinizing gaze. “Hello, Mr. Sterling. My name is Skylar Xiao.” My position was awkward. I wasn’t Damon Sterling’s wife or girlfriend; I was just his kept woman. He smiled slightly, extending his hand towards me. I thought he wanted to shake my hand, but he gently took my fingers, lifted them to his lips, and kissed them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Xiao. I’m Marcus Sterling, Damon Sterling’s uncle.” Marcus Sterling was a stain on Grandfather Sterling’s life, a love child born out of wedlock. His mother had been a hotel hostess back then. She’d thought she’d gain status by having a son and marry into the Sterling family as a mistress, but instead, both mother and son were exiled abroad. Damon Sterling called him ‘Uncle Marcus’ because Marcus was older in terms of generation, but in reality, he was only five years older than Damon. They shared a five-point resemblance in their features; standing together, they looked more like brothers than uncle and nephew. I had thought I would meet Marcus Sterling, but I hadn’t expected it so soon. “Uncle Marcus, Skylar is my…” Marcus Sterling’s expression instantly changed, the chill in his eyes dropping the surrounding temperature by several degrees. “My girlfriend,” Damon Sterling bit out, snatching my hand from his uncle’s and pulling me close by the shoulder, asserting his claim. His grip was so strong it hurt. He was starting to panic. “Girlfriend?” Marcus Sterling scoffed. “Have you brought her home to meet Grandfather? What did the old man say?” My heart skipped a beat. How could Damon Sterling dare take me to meet his grandfather? “Not yet, but when the time is right, I’ll definitely bring Skylar home to meet my parents and grandfather.” Damon Sterling’s urgent declaration was for his uncle, but it sounded more like it was for me. Marcus Sterling patted Damon Sterling’s shoulder. “Good nephew, remember your uncle’s words: the more beautiful the expectation, the easier it is to fall apart. Not getting what you want is the norm in life.” After saying that, Marcus Sterling gave me a meaningful look.

Marcus Sterling extinguished his cigarette and took the elevator, not forgetting to taunt Brock Miller about the “wild woman” from the restroom. Brock Miller frowned, watching Marcus Sterling’s retreating form. “Grandfather Sterling just fell ill, and your uncle returns to the country. The timing is too coincidental; he’s probably up to no good.” Outside, storm clouds gathered, a strong wind blew – a storm was brewing. Brock Miller walked ahead, Damon Sterling pulled me along behind him. Trailing far behind was the woman from the restroom. She followed us all the way into the private room, then casually snuggled into someone’s arms, getting intimate. It turned out she was the companion of one of Brock Miller’s friends. Even rabbits don’t foul their own nests, but Brock, that horny dog, clearly didn’t care who he preyed on. The private room was noisy, filled with people who were either high or simply drunk. Damon Sterling kicked someone aside and pulled me onto a sofa. Brock Miller sat across from me, drinking moodily, glaring at me hatefully. The door was knocked open, and a server brought someone in – someone I had seen just a few hours earlier. “Skylar?” Noah Jensen’s face lit up with surprise when he saw me. “Did you come to the wrong room?” I was startled, a strange premonition creeping over me, but I still held a flicker of hope. “Didn’t you ask someone to tell me to find you here, that you had something to tell me?” I immediately shook my head. No doubt, this was Damon Sterling’s doing. Damon Sterling gave me a chilling look, then beckoned to Noah. “You, come here.” “Do you know who I am?” Noah shook his head. “Reading too much, huh? My name is Sterling. When people talk about the Sterling family in this city, they’re talking about my family.” Noah stood his ground, unfazed, his expression calm. “Oh, Mr. Sterling, why did you specifically trick me into coming here?” *Smack!* Brock Miller stood up and delivered a hard slap across Noah’s face. Not satisfied, he followed it with a vicious kick. “Oh, ‘Mr. Sterling’ my ass!” Noah crashed into the corner of a table, his glasses falling to the floor. A winding trail of blood streamed down his forehead. “You bastard, who are you trying to impress?” I couldn’t control a scream. I wanted to rush to Noah’s side to check his injuries, but Damon Sterling gripped my arm tightly, holding me captive in his embrace. “Skylar isn’t a name you get to use. Stay away from her from now on, or I’ll beat you every time I see you.” Noah wiped the blood from his head. “Skylar is well-liked at school. Friends who are close to her all call her that. May I ask, Mr. Sterling, what right do you have to order me around?” Noah was on the school debate team; he had never lost a competition. But at this moment, I truly wished he was mute. “Firstly, I haven’t heard that Skylar has a boyfriend. Secondly, even if Mr. Sterling is Skylar’s boyfriend, treating her so brutally and arrogantly certainly doesn’t make you a suitable one.” “Noah, please stop talking!” Too late. Damon Sterling grabbed a wine bottle, swung it, and smashed it over Noah’s head. I watched, horrified, as Noah collapsed before me. Brock Miller caught Noah, then patted his face. “Wake up, hey! Are you that weak? Did one hit kill you?” “Brock, this Noah is quite stubborn. Help me ‘reason’ with him.” Brock Miller looked at the unconscious Noah and grinned sinisterly. I was icy cold. How could I leave an unconscious Noah behind? But Damon Sterling forcefully dragged me towards the door. “Let’s go. Don’t worry, Brock will take good care of your friend.” I clung to the doorframe, refusing to let go. “No, I have to take him with me! I won’t leave Noah here alone!” “Skylar!” Damon Sterling rarely called me by my full name like that. “Don’t add fuel to the fire. Say one more word, and I guarantee your friend will vanish without a trace, never to see tomorrow’s sun.” “You wouldn’t dare!” Damon Sterling was furious, gritting his teeth. “What wouldn’t a Sterling dare to do?!” I froze. He was right. There was nothing a Sterling wouldn’t dare to do. Damon Sterling lost his patience. “Skylar, you’re done for. Tonight, you’ll see how I punish you.” He delivered a chop to the back of my neck. Before I completely lost consciousness, he slung me over his shoulder. As darkness enveloped me, I vaguely saw Brock Miller moving towards Noah. Damon Sterling didn’t kill me in bed – not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t get the chance. When I woke up, I was still in the car, my neck aching. Damon Sterling was beside me, unconsciously chewing on his fingers. He only did that when he was most stressed; the last time I saw him like that was the day his grandfather had a stroke. “You’re awake.” When I stirred, he grabbed me like a lifeline, pulling me into a tight embrace, burying his face in my chest. “Skylar, what do I do? My parents… they were in a car accident…” His voice was choked with tears, like a helpless child. Damon Sterling was the Sterling family’s only third-generation grandchild, spoiled rotten since childhood, protected fiercely by his parents and grandfather. He had no ability to stand on his own when faced with a crisis. The car turned around, speeding towards the hospital. I felt a persistent unease. While Damon Sterling wasn’t paying attention, I secretly called Noah’s phone, but it kept going straight to voicemail. When we arrived at the hospital, as I got out of the car, I immediately felt an undeniable gaze from above. I looked up. Marcus Sterling leaned against a window, smoking. This hospital was a Sterling family asset. Although he was a love child, he still bore the Sterling name, and no one dared to stop him. Through the vast darkness, I couldn’t discern his expression, only the crimson glow of his cigarette, flickering on and off. “Uncle Marcus!” Damon Sterling, after all, was just a twenty-something young man. With such a massive catastrophe, the first sight of his uncle brought out his vulnerability, and he couldn’t help but feel wronged. Marcus Sterling was still dressed in the same black suit from hours earlier, the only difference being one shirt sleeve rolled up, revealing a bandage on his arm. He had short hair from living in tropical regions for so long, and a scar on his forehead, giving him a fiercely intimidating aura. “What happened to my parents?” “They were on their way to a gala, but they crashed into a truck. Now, both of them are in the ICU.” Damon Sterling’s legs gave out, and he sank to the ground. “What do I do, Uncle Marcus? What should I do?” Marcus Sterling patted his shoulder. “Don’t panic yet. I’ve already donated blood to your father. Let’s wait for the surgery to finish and hear what the doctors say.” “Thank you, Uncle Marcus.” “Don’t thank me yet. There’s a tricky situation at hand. Tonight’s gala is very important. As leaders of the business council, the Sterling family must have someone there to represent…” Grandfather Sterling was incapacitated by a stroke, and now his parents were in trouble. Damon Sterling suddenly lost all his support. “Uncle Marcus, can you go in my father’s place? I don’t understand anything about the company, and I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here and wait for them to wake up.” “Me? I don’t think that would be appropriate. I’ve been living abroad for so long, the board members probably won’t recognize me.” “No, Uncle Marcus, it’ll be fine. I’ll have Victor accompany you. He’s been with the Sterling family for many years; most people know him. Besides, we both share the Sterling name. You’re my uncle, and those people will have to accept you.” “In that case… alright, I suppose. Who else but your uncle would help you? However, besides Victor, I’ll need to take one other person with me.”

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