The car crash left my mother and me clinging to life, the medical bills a mountain we could never climb. The man I loved? He saw that mountain and ran, straight into the arms of another woman. Only Philip, my childhood best friend, didn’t hesitate. He sold his company shares, scraping together seven million dollars to save us. But it wasn’t enough. My mother didn’t make it. And the surgery that saved me, stole my sight. Still, Philip stayed. He handled my mother’s funeral arrangements with a quiet strength that held me together. He then gave me a wedding so beautiful, it felt like a dream. In the years that followed, our love was a soft, warm melody. We were the couple everyone in our social circle envied. I never imagined that one night, after a party, I would overhear his friend ask him a question that would shatter my world. “Philip, what if Elara finds out? What if she discovers you gave her corneas to Lauren? That you let her mother die to save Lauren’s? What would you do then?” Philip’s voice was a low, haunted murmur. “I’ve wronged her, I know. That’s why I’m giving her the rest of my life to atone. But I love Lauren. For her… I would drown in sin for all eternity, unforgiven for a thousand lifetimes, and I would do it gladly.” 1 “Elara, are you absolutely sure about this?” “Once you undergo the cryo-suspension, the Elara we know will be gone.” I nodded, listening to the professor’s regretful tone on the phone. I had one last request for him. “Please, do one more thing for me. Find out the truth about my mother’s death.” “I need to know who killed her.” Just then, Philip’s voice drifted in from outside the door, laced with a familiar, bittersweet ache. “Lauren may not love me, but I saved her mother. I gave her back her sight.” “I have no regrets.” “As for Elara and her mother… I’m repaying them with my life. That should be enough.” My fingers tightened around my phone. My sight, my mother’s life… and to him, it was all settled with a casual “that should be enough”? Even now, every word he spoke was for Lauren. There was never a moment for me. It was his best friend, Leo, who couldn’t bear it. “Was it worth it, Philip? Ruining their lives for a woman who doesn’t even love you?” Philip’s reply was instant, without a shred of doubt. “Of course. I’d do anything to make Lauren happy.” “I’d even die for her!” Leo sighed. “But you didn’t die, Philip. Elara’s mother did.” He trailed off, but the accusation hung in the air. Philip was silent for a moment before downing his drink in one go, as if to swallow any explanation. Their footsteps grew closer. I scrambled back to my room, a clumsy, panicked escape. My foot caught on nothing, and I crumpled to the floor, a heap of helplessness. Right. I’m blind. I can’t see the world. And I couldn’t see the hearts of men. I never, ever imagined that the architect of my misery was the man I loved most, the man who slept beside me every night. And my mother, the person I respected and loved more than anyone, had died as a casualty of his twisted devotion to Lauren. I had once seen him as my savior, the hero who had rescued my mother and me. I had paraded the scraps of his pity around, calling it happiness. How absurd. The front door clicked shut. Leo was gone. Philip came upstairs, calling my name a few times. When I didn’t answer, his footsteps quickened. He found me on the floor, his voice thick with concern as he rushed to help me up. “What happened? Elara, you fell! Why didn’t you call for me?” I could tell his worry was genuine. But I also knew, with chilling certainty, that it was born from pity, not love. “It’s nothing. I just slipped,” I mumbled, pushing his hands away and pulling myself to my feet. I couldn’t see, after all. This wasn’t the first time. His concern only deepened into a pained tenderness. “You have to be more careful. Your vision… I’ll hire someone to be with you at all times.” “If anything else happens to you, it would break my heart.” He pulled me into his arms, his embrace as gentle and loving as it had always been. But this time, I felt no warmth. Only a profound, hollowing cold. To think a person could go to such lengths for another. Sacrificing his own happiness, the happiness of others, even their very lives. I closed my eyes, and the tears I could no longer control streamed down my face. That night, long after Philip had fallen asleep, I lay awake. With my cane, I crept into the spare bedroom and found the box. Philip himself had placed it here, where I could easily find it. It was filled with all the gifts he had given me over the years. Since I was leaving, there was no reason to keep them. Better to donate them, give them to people who truly needed them. I fumbled for the box, lifting it carefully. Suddenly, a voice sliced through the silence behind me. “Elara, what are you doing?” I jumped, clutching the box to my chest to keep its precious contents from spilling. Philip rushed over and snatched it from my hands. “Aren’t these the gifts I gave you?” he demanded, his voice edged with an odd tension. “What are you doing with them?” The irony was a bitter pill. I turned away from him and walked out, not offering a single word of explanation. The next morning, I took the gifts to a charitable foundation. I wanted to donate them to help others like me, people who had lost their sight, find their way back to the light. But the staff member who assisted me seemed incredibly hesitant. I offered a small smile. “It’s alright. Mr. Archer won’t be upset with you. Please, just donate everything.” “That’s not it, Mrs. Archer,” she stammered. “It’s just… all of these items, they’re promotional gifts. They… they don’t have any monetary value.” Her words hit me like a blast of arctic air, freezing me from the inside out. Impossible. These were the gifts Philip had bought for me over seven years. Each one was supposed to be priceless. Yesterday… his anxiety over this box. It wasn’t about the sentiment. It was about the secret. He was afraid I’d find out. He planned to keep me in the dark forever. I forced my voice to remain steady. “Then… where did the actual items, the ones these were gifts with, go?” The staffer thought for a moment, her expression growing even more apologetic. “These are all one-of-a-kind, custom pieces. According to our records, Mr. Archer, on behalf of his company, sent them all to a Ms. Lauren Vance.” Hearing her name was like a thunderclap in my mind. So that was it. For seven long years, he had made Lauren the brand ambassador for his company just so he could shower her with gifts. Every priceless jewel from every auction, sent to her in the company’s name, disguised as a token of appreciation for a ‘business partner.’ A man’s secret love, so ostentatious yet so discreet. It was hidden in every detail, each one a new thorn twisting in my heart. I let out a hollow, self-mocking laugh and didn’t ask any more questions. I had only five days left until the cryo-suspension. Five days to say goodbye to seven years. It was more than enough. 2 To prepare for the experiment, I followed the professor’s instructions and began the process of erasing my official identity. He sent over the first pieces of information about my mother’s death. My signature was indeed on her organ donation consent form. A perfect forgery, crafted by Philip. It turned out that while he was telling me he loved me, he was also practicing my handwriting until it was indistinguishable from my own. All to set this trap. My jaw clenched. When I returned home, Philip was there, a rare day off from work. He saw me come in, his expression a mixture of confusion and nervousness. “Elara, where have you been? And the jewelry I gave you… it seems to be missing.” His hypocrisy was so blatant I couldn’t help but laugh. “I gave it away. I tried to donate it, but the foundation said it was all worthless junk.” “So I gave it to the lady who collects scrap metal.” My words made him even more frantic. He stammered, “Those people at the foundation, they don’t understand the value of custom pieces! They were just talking nonsense, don’t be angry.” “I’ll have my people track the jewelry down right now.” His earnest, panicked act only deepened my disgust. “Don’t bother. You can just buy me new jewelry later.” He visibly relaxed at my words, pulling me into a hug. “That’s right. My Elara has the kindest heart, always helping the less fortunate. We’ll just call it a charitable donation.” “I promise, darling. I’ll bring you something even more precious tomorrow.” He made the vow with such conviction. But then I remembered. Tomorrow was Lauren’s birthday. Of course I would be getting a gift. It would be the freebie that came with hers. I said nothing, just quietly moved to the dining table for lunch. The food was from my favorite hotel, the one Philip had arranged to cater my lunches, day in and day out, for seven years. I used to think it was a sign of his devotion. Now I saw it for what it was: a way to keep me occupied and out of his way. A moment ago, when he’d held me, I had smelled the faint scent of freshly cooked food on him. Who, I wondered, had he been cooking for? He really had thought of everything to keep me from disturbing Lauren. I scraped the entire meal into the trash and walked out the door. This seven-year charade was finally coming to an end. Erasing my identity wasn’t enough. I had to divorce him. I wanted no connection, in any capacity, to this man. Leaving the lawyer’s office, I took the divorce papers to Philip’s company. As I stepped into the lobby, I was met with a buzz of excited chatter. “Ms. Vance is so beautiful! She and Mr. Archer make a perfect couple.” “She must be the mysterious Mrs. Archer everyone talks about. No wonder he keeps her hidden away.” “Definitely! Her bag and jewelry alone are worth millions. And it was all from Mr. Archer!” Before I could hear more, Philip’s assistant intercepted me and whisked me away. In the top-floor office, I heard a familiar voice from within. “How is Declan treating you? Are you two… doing okay?” Philip asked, his voice threaded with caution, as if he was afraid to hear she was unhappy, yet equally afraid to hear she was happy. Lauren’s tone was calm, with an undercurrent of sweetness. “We’re great. He just launched a jewelry brand for me a few days ago, as a surprise. Seven years and he’s still a romantic fool.” The “romantic fool” she spoke of, the man who cherished her so dearly, was Declan—my ex-fiancé, the one who had abandoned me after the crash. A wave of desolation washed over me. It seemed every man I had ever loved was truly in love with Lauren. And I was, and always would be, the one unworthy of love. My nails dug into my palms, mirroring the mangled state of my heart. Lost in my thoughts, I was startled when the assistant took a call and rushed to get Philip’s signature, pushing the office door open in front of me. Philip looked up and saw me, a flash of surprise in his eyes. “Elara? What are you doing here?” He started to rise, but his gaze flickered to Lauren on the sofa. Lauren smiled and stood up. “Elara, it’s been so long. You’re as beautiful as ever.” Her words were venom wrapped in silk. My clothes were dated, and my face had lost its light since I’d lost my sight. Lauren, on the other hand, carried a scent of expensive, elegant perfume. Though I couldn’t see her, I could imagine her, radiant and stunning. My fists clenched. In seven years, the campus beauty queen had become a blind, worn-out housewife. I was no longer her competition. This is what you wanted, isn’t it, Philip? Your precious Lauren is safe from me now. I pose no threat at all. 3 Shaking myself from my reverie, I ignored Lauren’s taunt and spoke calmly. “Philip, I have a couple of documents for you to sign as well.” I slipped the folder into the stack of contracts his secretary had brought in. Without a second glance, he signed everything and handed it back. He seemed eager for me to leave, anxious not to have me interrupt his reunion with Lauren. I smiled. “Well, if that’s all, I’ll head out. You two continue your chat.” But for some reason, he hesitated. Leaving Lauren behind, he came out and stopped me. “Elara, Lauren is the company’s brand ambassador. She was just here to discuss work.” The lie was so blatant, so unnecessary, it was almost comical. “I know,” I said. “You focus on work. I’ll be waiting for you at home.” He finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and had his assistant escort me downstairs. In the underground garage, as I was about to get into the car, someone rushed up from behind and shoved me to the ground. “Elara, you really are blind, aren’t you?” “I have to hand it to Philip. I never thought he’d have the guts to do this for me.” Lauren’s voice, no longer warm and gentle, was now a vicious, triumphant cackle, like a demon crawling out of hell. Her words made my eyes fly open in shock. “What are you talking about? What do you mean, ‘for you’?” Before I could finish, Lauren just laughed, then brought her stiletto heel down, grinding it into my palm. “You still don’t know, do you? That car crash seven years ago, the one with you and your mother? Philip arranged the whole thing.” “He couldn’t stand to see me cry, so he found a convenient victim in you.” “You poor, pathetic thing. Sleeping next to your own enemy for seven years.” Her every word was a shard of ice stabbing into me. I froze. I already knew Philip had stolen my mother’s organs. But the car crash… that it was also his doing? The agony in my heart dwarfed the physical pain. A surge of furious strength propelled me upward. I scrambled to my feet and swung my cane, slapping her across the face. But I was blind, my aim was off, my strength was nothing. Yet somehow, Lauren threw herself backward, slamming against a concrete pillar with a sickening thud. “Lauren!” Before I could process what had happened, Philip was there, shoving me aside with brutal force. My cane clattered to the ground. As I was frantically feeling for it on the concrete, the man who was supposed to care for me ran past, his polished shoe crushing my already injured hand. First Lauren’s heel, now Philip’s shoe. A sickening crack echoed in my head. My hand felt… obliterated. I cried out in pain, but the Philip who had once doted on me was blind to my suffering. His only concern was Lauren. “Elara! Are you insane?” he roared at me. “Lauren was just worried about your eyes! How could you attack her?” A cold, bitter laugh escaped my lips. “How could I not?” “Philip, do you really think she had nothing to do with my mother’s death? With my eyes?!” I clutched my broken hand and screamed at him. For a moment, he looked stunned, then he rushed to explain. “Elara, what are you talking about?” “What does Lauren have to do with what happened to you and your mother?” “You’ve lost your mind! You’re just spouting nonsense!” “Apologize to Lauren right now, and I’ll let this go!” Before I could respond, Lauren spoke up, her voice weak and trembling. “It’s not Elara’s fault. It’s mine. Declan broke off his engagement to her to marry me… she has every right to be angry.” “Elara, I know you hate me. But Philip loves you so dearly. You shouldn’t blame him.” Her false sincerity was nauseating. Philip, however, was completely consumed with checking her for injuries. “Lauren, stop. Don’t worry about her. Let’s get you to a hospital.” Loves me so dearly. Who was he really talking about? I smiled, a bitter, broken thing. Seven years of love had just turned to ash. Philip and I were well and truly over. A kind stranger took me to the hospital. Later, I received a text from Philip. “Lauren is our brand ambassador. You hurting her is bad for the company. Making you apologize was just a strategic move, for show. Don’t overthink it. I’ll make it up to you tonight when I get home, okay? Don’t be sad, my love.” Whether it was an act or the truth, it no longer mattered. I had nothing to do with him anymore. I just wanted to leave this place, leave him. I placed the divorce papers he had signed on the coffee table, in the most conspicuous spot in the house. The next morning, the car from the laboratory arrived to pick me up. The man who had promised to come home and make things right never appeared. I smiled. This home I had never truly seen, this man I had never truly understood… they were no longer a part of my life. Upon arriving at the lab, the professor looked at me with deep sorrow. “Elara, the investigation you asked for is complete.” “Your mother’s death…” He couldn’t bring himself to say more. Instead, he played the audio from the private investigator’s video file for me. “Besides the forged signature, the car crash involving Miss Elara and her mother seven years ago was deliberately caused. The car that came speeding out of the right lane, the one that caused the crash… the registered owner was Philip Archer.” Philip… It was really him. The name that had once made my heart flutter was now fused with my own blood and tears. Seven years. Seven years I had loved him, been grateful to him. It was all a joke. From beginning to end. I made one final request of the professor. “Please, send a copy of this investigation to every major news outlet in the city.” “I want everyone to see this man for who he truly is.”

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My parents died on an overseas mission—officially labeled traitors, bribed by the criminals they hunted. I begged my fiancé, the police captain, to clear their names. Instead, he married the “hostage” they rescued, in a lavish wedding. Crushed by online hate, I stood on a rooftop edge, ready to die for their innocence—until his brother, the medical examiner, pulled me back. He silenced the media. Swore to restore their honor. I married him, trusting him with the investigation. Five years passed. No leads. Then, pregnant, I overheard him: “Alistair, Luna’s parents were stabbed. They didn’t fall. Why stop investigating?” “Rosalind’s prints were on the dagger. Why let your brother marry her?” “She’s innocent. Self-defense. End of discussion.” Ice flooded my veins. My parents’ death wasn’t unsolved. My husband had buried the truth. This marriage was a lie. And it was over. 1 “Are you out of your mind? It was bad enough you rescued Rosalind, but to let her live in your family home for five years? To make Luna live under the same roof as her parents’ killer, day in and day out? Do you have any idea how cruel that is? If she finds out, you’re finished!” Alistair’s face hardened, and he slammed his hand on the desk, rising to his feet. “I told you, Rosie is not the killer! She was a hostage, dragged there by the real culprits. What’s so strange about her being at the crime scene?” “The case is closed. Don’t bring it up again. As long as Rosie is happy, I’ll do whatever it takes. And as for Luna… she’ll never find out. As long as I’m here, Rosie will always be safe.” His colleague’s face was a mask of disappointment and fury. “You’re a fool, Alistair! You’re the most brilliant ME we’ve ever had, solved countless cases before you even hit thirty, and you’re falling for Rosalind’s lies? A hostage? What kind of hostage is decked out in designer clothes and jewelry?” “I think love has rotted your brain. You’ve forgotten who you are!” “You fell for a killer, Alistair. This won’t end well for you.” Rage boiled over in Alistair. He swept a hand across the table, sending files and equipment crashing to the floor. “Enough! I said Rosalind is not the killer, and I don’t need you to teach me how to conduct an autopsy!” “Drop it. If the truth comes out, I’ll do the time for her. It’s that simple.” “You’re a lost cause. Fine. Do whatever you want. I just hope you don’t live to regret it.” The blood in my veins was frozen solid. Footsteps were approaching, fast. I scrambled back to my room, a mess of silent, panicked sobs, pressing my hand to my mouth to stifle the sounds. Five years ago, after my parents’ deaths, Alistair’s brother, Aiden, had refused to let me see their bodies, claiming the shock would be too much for me. Everyone whispered that my parents had betrayed the force, that they were silenced by their criminal associates. The relentless online harassment shattered my sanity, pushing me to the edge. The day I climbed to that rooftop, ready to jump, it was Alistair who saved me. He held me in a crushing embrace. He told me he was a medical examiner, that he could make the dead speak. That he would prove my parents’ innocence. I believed him. I clung to him as the only light in my bleak, gray world. Even as five years passed with no progress, I never lost faith. I trusted he was working tirelessly, and my heart ached for the burden he carried. But it was all a lie. The love was a lie. The comfort was a lie. The only truths were the gut-wrenching betrayal and the carefully constructed deceit. Just as tears blurred my vision, Alistair appeared in the doorway. His eyes instantly reddened with concern. “What are you doing on the floor? Are you not feeling well? Let me take you to the hospital.” I pushed his helping hand away and staggered to my feet, struggling to find my balance. “Alistair, my parents’ case… still no leads?” He froze for a fraction of a second before answering, his voice smooth and certain. “I’m so sorry, Luna. I’m still chasing it, but… nothing new has surfaced. Don’t worry, I won’t give up. I promised you an answer, and I’ll get it for you. Just wait for me.” “Look at you, you’ve gotten so thin from the stress. Please, try not to think about it anymore. It breaks my heart to see you like this.” He pulled me into his arms, patting my back in a familiar, comforting rhythm. But I didn’t miss the flicker of panic in his eyes. The last shred of hope died within me. I couldn’t stop the bitter smile that twisted my lips. Oh, Alistair. You played me for a fool for five long years. That night, I brought him his usual warm milk to help him sleep. Only this time, it was laced with a powerful sedative. He drank it without a second thought and was soon lost to a deep, artificial slumber. I slipped out of the room and walked to the one door he had forbidden me from ever opening: his study. The moment I stepped inside, I froze. The walls were a gruesome gallery of autopsy photos. And there, in the very center, were my parents. Their eyes were wide open in death, hollow sockets weeping tears of blood. They hadn’t died in peace. The fall from the 28th floor had left their bodies mangled, but I could still clearly see the fatal wound on each of their chests. The clean, precise mark of a dagger that had pierced their hearts. The killer’s strike had been fast, sure, and brutal. This was not the work of an ordinary hostage. Alistair had meticulously noted every inconsistency in the autopsy, his red ink a bloody commentary on the lies. The case file was also on the wall. Ten full pages, and Rosalind’s name was on every single one. Her background, her fabricated reason for being at the scene, the fact that her fingerprints—and only hers—were found on the dagger. All the evidence was right there, in stark black and white. But scrawled across the final page, in Alistair’s neat, decisive hand, were two words. COLD CASE. What a sick joke. I photographed every piece of evidence on that wall. I couldn’t bear to look any longer. I turned to the safe. I had seen Rosalind’s file five years ago, a supposed hostage profile. I’d been suspicious even then, and I had memorized her details. I keyed in her date of birth. The safe clicked open. Inside was an album dedicated entirely to Rosalind. As I flipped through the pages, the truth unspooled before me. Rosalind had known the Blackwood brothers for over a decade. Thousands of photos documented their happy past together. The three of them were always together, Rosalind always nestled safely between the two brothers. There was even a photo of her in a wedding dress, perfectly preserved. Except there were three people in the picture. I let out a dry, self-mocking laugh and closed the album. I took out my phone and booked a one-way international flight for three days from now. I filed the applications to terminate all my domestic identification. I couldn’t spend another minute in this place, a place built on lies and betrayal. I didn’t sleep a wink. Memories of the past five years played on a torturous loop in my mind. At dawn, Alistair woke up as usual and made me breakfast himself. He sounded puzzled. “I slept so heavily last night. I feel completely drained, not sure why.” I took a bite of my sandwich and just smiled. “You’re probably just exhausted from the investigation, Alistair. My parents’ case… maybe we should just let it go.” “It’s been five years. I don’t want you to work yourself to death over it. Maybe… maybe it’s time to give up.” A flash of relief crossed his eyes, so quick I might have missed it if I weren’t looking. He was visibly relieved. But he still put on his mask of pained sympathy. “Luna, don’t worry. I will finish what I promised you. It’s never a burden to do things for you.” “Thank you for being so understanding, my love.” He leaned in to kiss me, but a wave of nausea roiled in my stomach. I bolted for the bathroom, vomiting uncontrollably. Alistair rushed after me, his eyes lighting up with a sudden, dawning excitement. “Luna… are you… pregnant?” I froze. He was ecstatic, grabbing me and spinning me around three times. “This is wonderful! It’s wonderful! I’m going to be a father! We’re going to have our own child!” “Mom and Dad will be thrilled! We haven’t been home in ages. Let’s go see them in a day or two and tell them the good news, what do you say?” “We have to tell your parents, too. I’ll buy some offerings and come home to pick you up.” Before I could say a word, he was already on his phone, scrolling through baby products, ready to place an order. I noticed his shopping cart was already full of similar items, buried deep at the bottom of the list. He’d been preparing for this for a long time. My apparent agreement was all the permission he needed. He started placing the order. But for everything, he bought two. After paying, he remembered I was standing there. His expression turned awkward. He hesitated before speaking. “It’s just… we’ll probably run into Rosalind at home. It wouldn’t be right to show up empty-handed. How about I just buy her a little something, as a gift from you?” “Come on, honey. It’s been five years. Rosie was a victim too. You can’t still blame her for taking Aiden from you. We’re so happy now, it’s time to let the past go…” I splashed cold water on my face and numbly agreed. “Fine. You’re right. Rosalind was just a hostage. The fact that there are no leads after five years proves her innocence. Do what you think is best. Consider it my apology to her.” For the past five years, I had been haunted by my parents’ deaths. At every family dinner, I had met Rosalind’s friendly overtures with a stony silence. Alistair had fought with his family countless times over it. He’d even bought us a new house away from them, to “protect” me. I once thought that was a testament to his love. Now I knew it was just to shield his precious Rosalind from my inconvenient grief. He would do anything to protect her. This five-year charade was finally over. The moment he left, I left too. I went to a lawyer’s office and had a divorce agreement drawn up. I also asked about my parents’ case. The lawyer said that with only photos of the evidence, overturning the case would be nearly impossible. And given the old media narrative, no one would believe the daughter of two traitors. I wandered the streets in a daze. When I came to my senses, I was standing outside Alistair’s precinct. As I walked in, his colleagues were gathered in an excited huddle, gossiping. “Was that the ME’s wife just now? She’s gorgeous. And she looks so familiar… oh, right! The international case from five years ago! Wasn’t she the hostage?” “Now that you mention it, I remember! Dr. Blackwood never used to go to crime scenes, but that time he practically begged the chief to go with his brother’s task force. The first thing he did when he got there was ask where Rosalind was.” “They must have known each other before. To make both Blackwood brothers lose their minds like that… must be some connection. I’ve never seen the Captain or the ME so out of control. They nearly shot the suspect on the spot!” “Hey, shut up. When someone tried to point the finger at Miss Vance back then, the Blackwoods almost tore this place apart. Don’t talk about her.” My nails dug into my palms. I walked numbly to his office door. A familiar voice drifted out. “So, these past five years… have you been happy?” “You know your own brother, don’t you? Aiden would pluck the stars from the sky for me. The moment I agreed to try for a baby, he didn’t let me out of the bedroom for three days straight. I could barely walk.” Alistair’s voice was laced with a bitter sorrow. A wry smile touched his lips. “Yes. Aiden has always loved you. I should have known.” “Alistair… thank you. If you hadn’t deliberately guided the media back then, leaking that story about the Su family’s betrayal, I’d probably be in prison right now.” “I just hope Luna doesn’t suspect anything. She hasn’t found out, has she? If you two fight because of me, I could never forgive myself…” Alistair waved a dismissive hand, his tone contemptuous. “Don’t worry about her. The reputations of two dead people aren’t that important. As long as you’re safe, everything I did was worth it.” Something squeezed my heart, tight. I couldn’t breathe. I had thought Alistair was merely unwilling to solve the case, that he just wanted to protect Rosalind. I never imagined he was the one who had personally fabricated the lies that had branded my parents as traitors. They had dedicated their entire lives to justice. They had died trying to catch a killer. Why did they deserve this end? Before I could find an answer, Alistair was presenting Rosalind with a gift. “I heard you’re pregnant too. This little toy… consider it a welcome gift for the baby.” The divorce papers slipped from my hand, fluttering to the floor. The sound caught their attention. Alistair rushed out, his face pale. “Luna? When did you get here? Why didn’t you say anything?” I picked up the papers from the floor. When I stood up again, the storm of emotion inside me had completely subsided. “It’s nothing. I was just passing by. I just got here.” “Don’t get the wrong idea. Rosie was just here to see Aiden, but he’s out on a call, so we were just chatting.” Rosalind rose with a smile and waved at me. Not a hint of guilt on her face. “Hey, Luna. Fancy seeing you here.” I couldn’t stand to look at her. I turned to leave. But Alistair followed me, step for step. “Are you angry?” “Rosie is my sister-in-law. There’s nothing between us. Can you please not make a scene? She’s pregnant too. I was just asking her about things to expect, so I could take better care of you.” I glanced down at the hand gripping my arm. Suddenly, I smiled. To protect Rosalind, he had sent my entire family into a nosedive. He had destroyed my parents’ names and stolen five years of my life. Now that Rosalind was safe and sound, who was he putting on this act for?

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1 Nathan Sterling has an attachment disorder. He recoils from the touch of other women. Everyone said we were fated to be together. And he was always good to me, but he never seemed ready to get married. Then, at his birthday party, I overheard his friend ask, “Nate, you’re not seriously going to marry that stand-up comedian, are you?” He barely lifted an eyelid, his hand lazily stroking the waist of the woman beside him. He let out a sneer. “Are you kidding? I’m just playing a little game with her. A redemption story.” “A woman like her? She’s not fit to tie your shoes, let alone marry me.” I stood outside the door, hesitating, before turning and heading straight to the hospital. Later, Nathan would be on his knees, begging me to forgive him. In the OB-GYN clinic, a man gazed tenderly at the woman’s stomach beside him. She looked back at him, sunlight glinting in their hair. It was a beautiful, picture-perfect moment. It would have been even better if the man in the picture wasn’t my boyfriend. I gave a bitter, self-mocking laugh, my hand resting on my own slightly swollen belly. I guess he wasn’t going to marry me after all. The moment Nathan’s eyes met mine, he panicked. The hand that was on Chloe’s waist shot away as if burned. “Aria, what are you doing here?” The woman beside him seemed resentful of his sudden distance. She reached for his hand, right in front of me. I pretended not to see, my voice flat. “I’m here with a friend.” He nodded awkwardly. “This is… my sister. I’m just going to walk her out.” Chloe stormed past us toward the doctor’s office in a huff. He hurried after her, but not before turning back to me. “Aria, wait for me. I’ll give you a ride home.” I was prepared for it, but hearing it out loud still felt like a punch to the gut. I lowered my head, and a single, traitorous tear fell into the takeout container on my lap. I barely noticed it myself. I mumbled an okay, forced down a few bites, and threw the rest away. If he’d been paying any attention at all, he would have seen the medical chart in my hand. But his mind was clearly elsewhere. I watched the two of them ahead of me, a suffocating tightness in my chest. Their conversation drifted back, loud enough for me to hear. “Your sister? Right. I guess if ‘big brother’ hadn’t been so rough last night, ‘little sister’ wouldn’t be at the hospital today.” “My fault, all my fault. Whatever you want today, I’ll buy it for you, okay?” Behind me, the nurse asked one last time. “Are you sure you want to terminate the pregnancy?” I touched my belly, closed my eyes against a wave of pain, and nodded. A child not conceived in love and anticipation was better off not entering this world at all. After the procedure, I went home. Nathan didn’t come back until late. He smelled of perfume and the cold night air as he climbed into bed, reaching for me like he always did. But I’m allergic to most perfumes. He never wore any. The scent of him made my stomach turn. I subtly shifted away. He grabbed my hand. “Aria, why didn’t you wait for me today?” “Oh, I brought you a gift. It’s a new fragrance from that master perfumer in France. Only three bottles in the whole world.” In the faint moonlight filtering through the window, I stared at him. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I gagged. It was the same perfume I had smelled on Chloe that afternoon. He followed me to the bathroom, his face etched with worry. In the bright light, I saw it clearly: a cluster of love bites on his neck. A testament to the intensity of their afternoon. I pushed his outstretched hand away. “I must have eaten something bad. It’s late, you should go take a shower.” The next morning, the breakfast table was laden with food, including a special porridge he had made himself, supposedly good for the stomach. He wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Aria, come to the auction with me today. Think of it as a make-up anniversary gift.” I nodded silently. He pointed to a beautifully wrapped box on the table and asked if it was a surprise for him. 2 When I confirmed it was, he instinctively moved to open it. I stopped him, forcing a smile. “Wait a week before you open it.” “In a week, this gift will have meaning.” After breakfast, I went to the garage and got into the back seat. As I sat down, a pair of women’s panties fell out from the seat pocket. I said nothing, just stuffed them back in and wiped my hands with an alcohol wipe. In a week, I’d be on the other side of the ocean, working as a psychologist’s assistant. I had only become a stand-up comedian to better understand a former patient’s world. I never expected to meet Nathan at my very first show. It was love at first sight for me. So when he mistook me for a professional comedian, I, for some reason, didn’t correct him. Many patients with psychological issues are resistant to therapists, and I wanted to get close to him. So I became a stand-up comedian, performing on stage every night. I did it for so long I almost forgot what my own dreams were. Since I was leaving, there was no point in making a scene. Hysterics would only be met with more lies. If I couldn’t have the truth, I didn’t want anything at all. When Nathan got to the car, he frowned. “Why are you in the back?” “I’m a bit carsick. It’s more comfortable back here.” He nodded. “Okay, I’ll drive more smoothly then.” The silence in the car was deafening. His phone rang, shattering the quiet. The screen lit up with a photo of the two of us, our smiling faces a cruel irony. The caller ID read “Kitten.” It took me less than a second to guess who “Kitten” was. He quickly silenced the call. It rang again, persistent. He silenced it again, then glanced at me in the rearview mirror, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. “Work call. So annoying.” I was focused on the scenery outside, trying to burn every detail into my memory before I left. I lowered my head, my expression unreadable. “It’s fine. You can take it.” He pulled the car over and got out. Before he answered, he glanced back into the car. Unfortunately for him, he had accidentally activated the car’s display screen. His chat with “Kitten” was laid bare. Chloe had sent him a photo of an ultrasound report, with a section circled: risk of miscarriage. “Big brother, it’s all your fault for being so rough yesterday. You hurt our baby.” “Wasn’t it you who was teasing me, Kitten? You don’t behave even when you’re pregnant.” Another photo followed. Black lace stockings. He got back into the car, a smile on his face. I quickly switched the screen off. At the auction, he touched my cheek. “Aria, what’s wrong? You look so pale.” I licked my dry lips and shook my head. Chloe arrived, wearing the same black stockings from the photo, her hair in perfect waves, her lips a slash of red. Her gaze was fixed on Nathan, bold and unwavering. “Big brother, what a coincidence. Mind if I join you?” Nathan shot me a nervous glance. I forced a smile. “Be my guest.” Then, in a clumsy, staged move, she bumped into me. I was caught off guard and fell, my ankle twisting beneath me, swelling instantly. Nathan’s panic was palpable. He rushed to help me up. Then he snapped at her, “Apologize to Aria.” She looked defiant, staring him down, but eventually relented with a mumbled, insincere apology. She then sat down as if nothing had happened. Before the auction began, the lights dimmed. In the faint glow from the stage, I saw her hand slide under Nathan’s, guiding it beneath her skirt. His breathing grew heavier. He shot her a glare, as if shocked by her audacity. After a few moments of fumbling, his face flushed an unnatural red. He stood up. “Aria, I’m just going to the restroom.” A moment later, Chloe followed him, shooting me a triumphant look as she left. My heart felt like it was being twisted by a sharp blade, each turn a new wave of agony. Did he think I was blind? He couldn’t even wait? 3 I swallowed the pain and turned to leave. As I passed a utility closet, I saw Nathan pull her into his arms, a hint of reprimand in his eyes. “You shouldn’t have shown up in front of Aria.” The woman, her red lips pouted, tapped his chest playfully. “Why not? Isn’t this more exciting?” “I’m wearing the set you wanted to see most. If you walk away today, there won’t be a next time.” Nathan’s eyes were bloodshot. “You little minx,” he cursed under his breath. What followed were her heavy breaths and coy complaints. “Gently, there’s a baby in here!” Nathan chuckled. “You’re the one who was teasing me.” His hand, however, rested gently on her stomach. The piercing pain in my ankle and the sour ache in my heart overwhelmed me. I backed away silently, despising myself. He was doing this, right in front of me, and I was still hurting over him. Hours later, he called, asking where I had gone. “My ankle hurt too much. I left early.” He said okay, then sent me photos of several auction items, asking which one I liked. I was leaving. None of it mattered. “Whatever,” I said flatly. He started choosing for me, his voice excited. “How about this sapphire necklace? It represents the purest love.” A bitter laugh escaped me. The purest love? Did he hear himself? He was defiling the very meaning of the words. I changed the subject. “Nathan, will you marry me?” There was a long silence on the other end, then a low chuckle. “What, you want to marry me now? Not yet. The wedding I give my Aria has to be the grandest the world has ever seen.” I laughed at myself. So, that was a no. Great. After five years, I finally had my answer. I hung up, whispering to the empty room, “Nathan, be careful you don’t fool yourself with this act of devotion.” Tonight, for the first time in ages, he came home at seven. I deliberately asked him about the necklace. I already knew what had happened. I had received a taunting text from Chloe as soon as the auction ended. “The ‘purest love’? Sorry, it’s mine now. And Nathan will be mine too. You should know when to step aside.” He frowned, a look on his face as if he’d finally caught me in a lie. “I’m sorry, Aria. I didn’t win it. I’ll get you something even better, I promise.” I looked down, a sudden urge to mess with him taking over. “No. I want that one.” A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, his tone sharp. “That’s enough, Aria. I hate it when women are demanding and unreasonable.” Seeing his mask of devotion crack, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Oh, Nathan. You never saw me as an equal, did you? I was just a pet you kept. When you were in a good mood, you’d toss me a treat, and I was supposed to be grateful. But the moment the cat starts to think for itself, you have to find a way to declaw it. I smirked. “Well, what am I supposed to do? My mother is pushing me to get married. Will you marry me?” It was the second time I had asked him that day. With his mask off, his true face was revealed. “Enough, Aria. Are you trying to force my hand?” We parted on bad terms. I don’t know if he was trying to teach me a lesson or if he was just too busy with Chloe, but for the next few days, he didn’t come home. Not a single text. Chloe, however, kept me updated with a steady stream of messages. Three days left. He took her to the North Sea, the trip we were supposed to take. A helicopter dragged a banner across the sky: NATHAN LOVES CHLOE FOREVER. How ironic. Then she sent another photo. Nathan, reading a book on prenatal education. “I told him the baby is still the size of a bean and can’t hear anything, but he insists on reading to it every day~” Her previous taunts hadn’t bothered me. But this photo… this one made my eyes burn.

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I left the window open—let the triad boss hear me with other men all night. Morning came. His face darkened. “How many men? Room for one more?” I lay surrounded, coldly refusing. “Don’t you love your ‘little sister’?” He stood bloodshot, frozen. I’d fought ten years to build his empire. Yet he chose some college girl over me. His men protested: “Valerie carved this territory with you. Why marry another?” Caleb crushed his cigarette, thumbing the matching ring he wore with Helen. “Valerie? A bloodstained blade. Sleeping with her disgusts me.” “What if she turns on you?” “This city is mine. Losing her means nothing.” Outside the door, I listened. Dumped the medical supplies I’d brought him. Texted his enemy: “Caleb’s empire—and his life. Yours for the taking.” 1 I was trying to arrange for a speedboat to get off the island when Caleb found me. “A big shipment is arriving the day after tomorrow. I need you to personally oversee the reception. And clear out your house. I have a use for it.” His voice was a low, serious command, but I just found it laughable. To marry Helen, he was willing to throw my life away. Even with Edman closing in, he wanted me to risk my neck to bring his little flower to the island. He really was a fool for love. A use for my house? What else could it be but a place for Helen to live? I gave a cold, “Okay.” My flat reaction seemed to displease him. He frowned. “What’s with the attitude now? The only reason I haven’t made our relationship public is because things are unstable. Edman is watching my every move. I can’t let the men get complacent because of one woman.” “Your most important job right now is to help me break Edman’s siege.” Caleb always had a way of twisting things, of making me feel small. I used to think it was his way of protecting me, so I fought even harder for him. Now, it just sounded ridiculous. I placed the boat requisition form in front of him, my voice flat. “I don’t have an attitude. I’m used to it.” He sensed something was off. A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, and his signature was so sharp it tore through the paper. “Valerie! What’s with the long face? I’m just asking for your house. Everything on this island is mine. Your life is mine. You think I can’t tell you what to do?” He threw the paper in my face. “And in the future, don’t bother me with trivial things like island procurement. I don’t have time for you.” I knew he had misunderstood, but I didn’t explain. I just gave a perfunctory nod and walked out. Seeing the speedboat requisition in my hand, I smiled, a genuine, relaxed smile. I had been with Caleb for ten years, fighting for his territory. We were childhood sweethearts, comrades who would die for each other, and even the most intimate of lovers. I had always dreamed of marrying him. He had hinted at it too, saying that once he had the whole city in his hands, he would give me what I wanted. But now I realized it was all just my own wishful thinking, a lie woven from his manipulation of my feelings. And now he was marrying someone else. That night, a team of heavily armed mercenaries escorted Helen to the island. She was a vision in a white dress, but her innocent eyes were filled with a smug, triumphant gleam. “You’ve worked so hard for Caleb for over a decade, sister. You’ve earned your rest.” “I’ll make sure he promotes you, and I’ll even send you a few male models. A woman’s personal life is important, after all.” “Unlike Caleb… he can’t wait a single moment. He’s marrying me tomorrow. Oh, it’s just…” I tightened my grip on my gun, barely restraining the urge to put a bullet in her. “Let’s go.” I gave her a cold glance and started to walk away. But Helen blocked my path, pulling a diary from her bag. “These are all the sweet nothings Caleb wrote to me over the years when he was thinking of me. It’s too heavy to carry. Would you mind throwing it away for me, sister?” With that, she swished her skirt and walked away. I stood there, the cold wind whipping off the rocks, and with trembling hands, I opened the diary. April 12, 2024. The day I fought my way through an ambush to save him. He had written, “Helen, if I make it out of this alive, I’ll marry you.” August 5, 2023. The day I heard he had been ambushed by Edman during a business trip. I had charged into the enemy camp with two machetes to rescue him. He had written, “Darling, you smelled so sweet today.” January 24, 2021. The day he was arrested, and I was about to take the fall for him. He had written, “If it were you, Helen, I would never let you suffer like this.” Every word in the diary was a knife to the heart, a slow, agonizing evisceration. How many times had I begged Caleb to marry me? He would always kiss my forehead and say, “Valerie, wait for me.” “I have too many enemies. I’m afraid I haven’t cleared the way for you yet. When I have the whole city, I’ll marry you, okay?” But my pleas were always met with empty promises. Finally, a message came back from the other side. Two simple words, but they were a final, definitive blow, a point of no return. “Deal.” I tapped the screen, a desperate need to confirm one more thing. I asked, “On August 5, 2023, you were the one who ambushed Caleb, right?” The reply was instant, each word a drop of blood. “I was framed!” “No way. So you’re the one who chased me for nine blocks with two machetes over that? It wasn’t me!” I laughed at myself, a bitter, hollow sound. So, in Caleb’s eyes, I was just a clown, a toy to be played with. If that was the case, why should I stick around for their amusement? I finalized the details with Edman and started back. But then I heard Caleb talking to his men by the yacht. “Boss, the bride’s dress has arrived. It’s the ten-billion-dollar gown from the royal auction, just like you requested.” “We’re just worried about Valerie. If she makes a scene and exposes our location, we could all be wiped out.” Caleb was unconcerned. “I love Helen, and she will be my only wife. Tomorrow’s wedding must go off without a hitch. I will not tolerate any accidents.” “Not even from Valerie. I’ll make sure she stays quiet.” “And another thing. Keep your men’s mouths shut. If anyone leaks a single word, I’ll feed him to the sharks.” Even though I had already decided to leave, hearing the man who had once loved me so fiercely lie and belittle me like this still sent a sharp, stabbing pain through my heart. Back in my room, I packed my things. Besides my ID, I looked around at the arsenal of weapons and realized Caleb had never given me anything else. He only ever threw weapons at me, telling me to protect him. I had asked for dresses and jewelry before, but he had just scoffed. “Valerie, even in a dress and necklace, you don’t look like a woman. Don’t waste them.” But Helen’s luggage contained a truckload of jewels and beautiful dresses. Why could she wear them, but not me? I rummaged through my closet and pulled out a red dress from the very back. I put on a pair of high heels and even did my makeup. Just then, Helen burst into my room without knocking. “Valerie, you’ve seen the diary. Caleb’s true love is…” Her words died in her throat. She saw me, transformed, stunningly beautiful, and her jaw dropped. When she recovered, she frowned. “I thought you had some shame. I thought when you knew Caleb didn’t love you, you’d just slink away.” “But you’re actually trying to seduce him? You shameless hussy! I’ll tear you apart!” She lunged at me, trying to scratch my face, but her clumsy attack was easily deflected. I slapped her. “Valerie! You dare hit me? Caleb will make you pay!” she shrieked. I crossed my arms and watched her tantrum. “Thanks for the compliment. I’m definitely prettier than you.” The next second, she dropped to her knees and started slapping herself. “Sister, I’m the worthless one. I shouldn’t have married Caleb. As long as you don’t ruin the wedding, you can beat me to death!” I was confused. Suddenly, a foot came flying at me. “Valerie! Did you think my words were just empty threats? You dare bully Helen!” If Caleb’s furious kick had connected, I would have been half-dead. So, what was I to him? A hunting dog? A punching bag to be used and abused after I had served my purpose? I dodged just in time, but my high heel twisted my ankle. I winced, fighting back the pain as I looked at him. Caleb helped Helen to her feet, his cold eyes fixed on me. When he saw my face, his eyes lit up for a moment, but his words were still ice. “Valerie, no matter how beautiful you dress up, you’ll never be half as good as Helen in my eyes.” Helen sobbed, clinging to his arm. “Caleb, it was sister who forced it out of me. I didn’t mean to break my promise. I’m so sorry…” Caleb pulled her into his arms, his voice soft as water. “It’s a small thing. No one blames you.” I laughed bitterly. A moment ago, he was threatening his men with death to keep the wedding a secret. Now that Helen had blurted it out, it was just a “small thing.” She really could do no wrong in his eyes. He doted on her so much. So what was I? A fool? “So you’re really marrying her?” I stared at Caleb, my eyes burning. I desperately wanted to know how he would explain it to me. I thought he would at least be guilty, that he would panic, beg me to let it go, to let them be happy. But Caleb just frowned, unconcerned. “Yes. Tomorrow is the wedding. You can come, but you can’t make a scene. Valerie, don’t force my hand.” In that instant, my last shred of hope for Caleb shattered. It wasn’t that the time wasn’t right to marry me. It was that the person wasn’t right. With Helen, the tight security, the siege, none of it mattered anymore. He could even be so brazen as to benevolently allow me to attend their wedding. How could a person be so cruel? I fought back the tears, my voice a low, pained growl. “Get… out.” But Helen pushed her luck. “Caleb, I don’t know many people here. I was hoping sister could be our bridesmaid, but I’m afraid of offending her…” Seeing his beloved so timid and pleading, Caleb’s heart softened. He ordered me, “Valerie, since you already know we’re getting married, being a bridesmaid is a small thing. You wouldn’t mind, would you?” “I don’t want to see either of you. Get out!” My anger finally exploded. I grabbed a nearby club and chased them out. “Get out!” I slammed the door shut and collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath. A single tear of despair escaped my eye. Just then, my phone lit up. It was a message from Edman. I opened it, annoyed, but my face instantly flushed. “The red dress suits you. You look beautiful.” “Take off the heels. Put some medicine on your ankle.” I was surprised he knew about my ankle. But medicine? Just as I was thinking, a drone flew up to my window, carrying a small box. I opened it. Inside was another red dress and a tube of liniment. So he had found Caleb’s stronghold long ago. He just hadn’t made a move. I really had chosen the right ally. I had just applied the medicine and was about to get ready for bed when Caleb came back. He lifted me into his arms and gently placed me on the bed. He was holding a bottle of bruise ointment. “Shh, don’t be afraid. I’ll put it on for you.” It seemed to be raining outside. Caleb was soaked, but he carefully dried his hands before gently applying the ointment to my ankle. I was terrified of pain. When I first started fighting with Caleb, even a small scrape would make me cry uncontrollably. Every time I got hurt, Caleb, no matter how bruised he was himself, would stay by my side and let me bite his arm to bear the pain. Those years were hard, but I felt safe. But then, one day, his presence by my bedside disappeared. I had countless near-death experiences after that, countless scars, big and small, and he never gave me a second glance. But now that I wasn’t afraid of pain anymore, he was suddenly here to take care of me. A sudden pang of conscience? Caleb’s apologetic voice drifted over. “Valerie, you’ve lost weight. I’ve been neglecting you lately. I’m sorry.” “I didn’t tell you about the wedding because I was afraid you’d overthink it. Helen saved my life, and she was targeted because of me. I have to protect her.” “But don’t worry, I won’t touch her. I only love you. As soon as I deal with Edman, I’ll divorce her and marry you. Okay?” He massaged my ankle, but my eyes were fixed on the wedding ring on his finger. I looked at him, my gaze filled with a desolate sorrow. “Caleb, in all these years, did you ever love me?” He froze for a moment, then knelt beside me, pulling me into his arms, his voice thick with emotion. “Yes. I only love you, Valerie.” Then, he handed me a glass of milk, his eyes full of a soft, lingering affection. “Here, drink some milk. Get some sleep. You can go to the wedding tomorrow if you want. I won’t stop you.” But I could taste it. The milk was drugged. Enough to make me sleep through the entire next day. My throat tightened, and I could barely breathe. He was still lying to me. All for Helen, so she could marry him without a hitch. So this was his way of making me “stay quiet.” I drank all the milk, a single tear rolling down my cheek. My heart was dead. But Caleb smiled, a brilliant, dazzling smile. I closed my eyes under his gentle gaze. He didn’t know that after years of fighting for him, I had developed a tolerance to sleeping pills. A short while later, I heard Helen’s soft moans by my ear. “Caleb, you were gone so long, I thought you were staying here tonight.” Caleb kissed her passionately. “Of course not. She’s just a human shield for me. I’m still being watched by Edman. I need to keep her around to use her.” “Edman is wary of her. He won’t make a fatal move against me.” Helen giggled. “Where are your hands going? Naughty~” “Mmm, my favorite…” Caleb’s voice was a low, hoarse growl. The sound of rustling fabric grew louder. They were locked in a passionate kiss. My heart felt like it had been ripped open, a tearing, agonizing pain. With Caleb, I had always been unconditionally submissive. He had never been this doting, this crazed with me. “Valerie, can you take the fall for me?” “Valerie, I’m in a shootout with Edman. I need you.” And I would always agree, even if it cost me my life. Finally, they left. I lay awake the entire night.

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I’d been inseparable from the Sterling brothers since kindergarten—fifteen years of friendship. Then Phoebe transferred in. They stopped sitting by me. When I enforced class rules with her, they called me aggressive. When she cried over unfinished homework, Liam and Leo told me: “Transfer to Class 10, Celeste. You’re upsetting Phoebe.” I dug my nails into my palm and agreed. Someone protested: “The exams are close! And her leg—she’ll get bullied in Class 10!” Liam sneered: “She deserves it. We’ve protected her too long.” Leo added: “Time she tasted her own medicine.” Outside, I silently applied to a university abroad. Our paths would never cross again. 1. The Transfer Student’s Tears The new transfer student was crying again. All I did was ask her for today’s English homework, and she just broke down. “Why are you only asking me? There are so many other people you could be collecting from first.” “I know you’re just trying to humiliate me. You know my English is bad, so you’re deliberately targeting me.” “You do this every day, don’t you? Just to show everyone that Liam and Leo have bad taste, that they chose me for their study group instead of you.” “Celeste, why are you so manipulative?” With that, she ignored the bell and ran out of the classroom, her eyes red and teary. Liam and Leo stood up, shot me a dark look, and followed her out. I watched their retreating backs, a wave of dizziness washing over me. I remember when I was the one running ahead, the one they were worried about. When I was three, my mother remarried and we moved into my stepfather’s house. That’s when I met the Sterling twins, Liam and Leo, who lived next door. From that day on, the three of us were inseparable. The first time they saw me, they promised to be my knights forever. And they were. I had a hard time adjusting to my new home. I missed my real father and cried myself to sleep every night. They stayed with me, day and night, until I finally came out of my shell. We went to kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school together, never once separated. They always said they would be with me forever, that they would always protect me. But everything changed when Phoebe arrived. Phoebe transferred from another school and was struggling to keep up. As the class representative, I was assigned by the teacher to tutor her. After I started tutoring her, I noticed she often skipped lunch. One day, I found her hiding in the classroom, eating a cold, hard bun with the free soup from the cafeteria. That’s when I realized how poor her family was. From that day on, I started looking out for her. I would bring her along when I went to the cafeteria with Liam and Leo. When she still couldn’t keep up with her studies, I invited her to join our study group. But I don’t know when it started. She grew closer and closer to Liam and Leo, and further and further from me. And now, she had completely taken my place. 2. The Knights’ Betrayal They finally came back at the end of the second period. Phoebe stood between them, her eyes still red. Liam gently stroked her hair and whispered something in her ear. She finally broke into a smile. Leo, seeing this, playfully tweaked her nose with his long fingers. She giggled, her smile even brighter. I watched them from a distance. They looked like the perfect couple from a teen drama, so beautiful, so enviable. Suddenly, a shadow fell over me. Liam, the older twin, was standing in front of me. His face was a picture of carefree charm in the sunlight, but his words were cold and cruel. “Celeste, can you transfer to Class 10?” “You keep upsetting Phoebe here. I’m worried about her.” It felt like a punch to the gut. The college entrance exams were just around the corner, and he wanted me to transfer to Class 10? The worst, most remedial class in the entire school? The one where the students would sometimes laugh at me and call me a cripple during gym class? I opened my mouth to refuse, but Leo strode over, his long legs covering the distance in a few steps. “Celeste, don’t make this hard for us, okay?” “Besides, we don’t want to go home and tell Auntie about you bullying another student. She just had the baby, we can’t have her getting upset.” A gaping hole opened in my chest, a chilling cold spreading through my body. They knew how terrible my relationship with my mother was. She didn’t like me because I looked too much like the father who had abandoned her. After she had a child with my stepfather, her dislike had only grown, to the point where it was almost unbearable. And now, they were using her as a threat against me. I looked at their faces, two identical masks of scorn. Something inside me died. I clutched my schoolbag tighter. “Fine. I’ll go.” 3. The Cripple’s Curse The Sterling family was one of the most powerful in the city. Several of the school buildings had been donated by them. All it took was a single word. I was transferred from the honors class to the remedial Class 10. As I left the classroom with my bag, countless pairs of mocking eyes followed me. Phoebe stood between Liam and Leo, a victorious, malicious smile on her face. “Celeste, I hope you’ll learn not to bully your classmates in Class 10.” “After all, the delinquents there aren’t as easygoing as I am.” “And with your bad leg… you should be careful. They might target you.” She stuck her tongue out playfully. Liam laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke, and gently tugged at her hand. She tilted her head and smiled back at him. The sight was so bright it stung my eyes. But I thought, this is the last time. Liam and Leo, I’ve done what you asked. From now on, I don’t owe you anything. I didn’t say a word. I just lowered my head, picked up my bag, and limped away. My leg was bad. When I was six, Liam and Leo were fighting over a toy and accidentally fell into the road. I pushed them out of the way of an oncoming car, but I was pulled under the wheels myself. I’ll never forget that day. My world was a sea of red. My right leg suffered a comminuted fracture. I would never be able to dance again. When they heard the news, they almost went insane. They cried and promised they would be my legs forever. They wouldn’t let anyone make fun of me for my leg. I never thought “forever” would be so short. And now, they were among the ones who mocked me. 4. Hell’s Classroom Class 10 was even worse than I had imagined. The classroom was a chaotic mess of delinquents who had no interest in studying. The homeroom teacher assigned me a seat at the very back. It seemed everyone knew I had crossed the Sterling heirs, so they were all eager to get a piece of me. Especially my deskmate, a boy with rainbow-colored hair named Ryder. The moment I reached his desk, he viciously kicked my injured leg. My forehead slammed into the corner of the desk, and blood instantly gushed out. Seeing my pathetic state, he feigned a look of exaggerated shock, his eyes full of malice. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” “Celeste, I really didn’t know you were actually a cripple. I’m so, so sorry.” But then, in a voice only I could hear, he whispered, “Welcome to hell, little cripple.” “You should have known someone would get back at you for messing with Phoebe.” So, it was for Phoebe. But what had I done wrong? I went to the teacher’s office and told him Ryder had kicked me on purpose. But the students who had just been laughing at my misfortune all developed a sudden case of amnesia when the teacher questioned them. Not only did they refuse to testify for me, but they also claimed I had fallen on my own. When the homeroom teacher told me the result, a chilling cold washed over me. His voice was dismissive. “Celeste, I know you’re a good student academically.” “But as a student, good grades aren’t enough. You need to have good character.” “I heard you were transferred from the honors class for bullying another student.” “If you continue this behavior in my class, don’t blame me for being harsh.” “The college entrance exams are in a month. I don’t want you causing any trouble in my class during this time.” No one believed me. No one helped me. In that moment, I felt like I was three years old again, completely alone and helpless. My parents had divorced. My mother didn’t like me, but she refused to give up custody, just to spite my father. She hated my face because it reminded her of him. She had hurled endless insults and abuse at my three-year-old self. After she remarried, she simply ignored me. Even when I became a cripple, she didn’t shed a single tear for me. It wasn’t until my half-brother was born a little while ago that I realized. When he got sick, she would worry. When he had a fever, she would cry. It wasn’t that my mother didn’t know how to be a mother. She just didn’t want to be my mother. And now, even Liam and Leo had left me. I had no one to rely on. No one to love me. 5. The Exam Trap I limped back to the classroom. Seeing that the homeroom teacher was not on my side, Ryder became even more brazen. He kicked over my schoolbag, tore up all my textbooks, and dumped trash all over my desk. I held my breath against the stench and wiped my desk clean, bit by bit. I told myself, just endure it a little longer. The college entrance exams are in a month. After the exams, I’ll be gone. I’ll never have to see these disgusting people and things again. But fate is a fickle thing. Even my simplest wish was so hard to achieve. The day before the exams, Liam and Leo cornered me in the school hallway. They magnanimously announced, “Celeste, your punishment is over. you can come back to the honors class today.” Then they glanced at Phoebe, who was standing a short distance away, watching me with displeasure. “But when you come back, you can’t bully Phoebe anymore. Otherwise, we’ll have to punish you again.” At that, Phoebe smiled. But the hatred in her eyes was almost palpable. I touched my arm, which was bruised and purple from Ryder’s compass pokes, and shook my head. “No, thank you.” “I’m fine in Class 10.” I’ve been through the worst of it. One more day won’t make a difference. I limped past them. Behind me, someone kicked a trash can with a deafening crash. “Celeste, you’re so ungrateful!” Yes. I am ungrateful. So, let’s just never see each other again. I had refused Liam and Leo’s offer. But their actions had clearly made Phoebe feel threatened. After the last study hall, Ryder dumped another load of trash on me. I was covered in filth. I had to go to the restroom to clean up. But when I tried to leave, I found the door was locked. A chill ran down my spine. I had been locked in. I frantically searched my pockets for my phone, but it was gone. I suddenly remembered running into Phoebe on my way to the restroom. She had bumped into me, hard. It was her. She had stolen my phone. I pounded on the door, screaming for help. But there was no one. Everyone had gone home. Suddenly, I heard a light laugh from outside. It was Phoebe. “There’s no one out here, my dear class representative. You can just stay in there.” “I wonder… will you miss your exam tomorrow?” “Phoebe? Are you coming?” I thought I heard Liam’s voice. I started screaming his name, frantically. I hoped he would save me, just like he used to. But Phoebe kicked the restroom door and said, “Coming.” Then, silence. Liam was gone. He hadn’t heard my cries for help. The boy who had once promised that no matter where he was, he would come and protect me if I just called his name, was gone. The restroom grew dark. Phoebe had turned off the lights when she left. The small room was pitch black. I hugged myself, a wave of nausea, chest tightness, and anxiety washing over me. I wanted to vomit. Darkness pressed in on me like a demon. I trembled in the dark, my body shaking uncontrollably. I have claustrophobia, and the darkness only made it worse. Terrified, I bit down hard on my arm. I’m so young. I don’t want to die. I wished someone would come and save me. But I realized with a devastating clarity that no one would. My mother… she didn’t care about me at all. Liam and Leo… they used to care. But now, they cared about someone else.

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Thanksgiving week, my dead high school group chat pinged me: “Eleanor, Jessica’s getting married. Quit playing dead.” Scrolling 99+ messages, I learned: Jessica Reed—our former queen bee—was marrying over the holidays. Entire class invited. “Can’t come. Abroad,” I replied. Her minions attacked instantly: “Too scared to face her after stealing $500?” “Pretending to be overseas? Audacity!” Jessica “graciously” intervened: “Ancient history, Ellie! You must come!” The chat erupted praising her “kindness” to a thief like me. Joke. She’d framed me for that theft. Then I saw the groom’s name: James Cole. Family tree says he should call me Great-Aunt. “I’ll be there,” I typed, smiling coldly. 2 After sending that message, I immediately had my bags packed and a flight back to the States booked. When my mother learned I was returning for James Cole’s wedding, she told me to be gracious and to pick out a suitable gift on her behalf. After all, he worked directly under her, and he’d earned our corporation a significant amount of money over the years. James was competent, no doubt about it. But his taste in women was abysmal. Of all people, how did he end up with Jessica Reed? Grumbling aside, I had my butler select some appropriately lavish gifts and load them into the car. After landing, I had the driver take me straight to the wedding venue. The scene was exactly as I’d expected. Jessica was the center of a fawning circle, basking in their sycophantic praise. “Jessica, you’re still as gorgeous as you were in high school. You truly were the queen of our class. And you landed such a brilliant husband! A Vice President at Aurelian Global at his age!” “Totally! If it weren’t for Jessica, we’d never get to set foot in a five-star hotel like this for a wedding!” “I know, right? My husband works at Aurelian too, and he heard that Jessica’s husband is getting promoted to CEO next month! Congratulations, Jessica! I guess we’ll have to start calling you Mrs. CEO soon!” The title “Mrs. CEO” was thrown around like confetti, and Jessica was blooming under the attention. The moment I walked in, the faces that had been beaming at Jessica instantly froze over, their expressions shifting to undisguised contempt. “Eleanor Brown. You actually have the nerve to show up?” “Seriously. Do thieves have no shame these days? Showing up at your victim’s wedding, bold as brass. Unbelievable.” “And you came empty-handed? Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?” “Oh, come on. She’s a thief, what do you expect? She probably can’t afford a gift. Look at her outfit—head-to-toe knockoffs. Probably stole those, too.” Every other word was “thief,” each one meant to grind me into the dirt. I laughed coldly to myself. That five hundred dollars had been a gift from my mother for concert tickets. The cash hadn’t even been warm in my pocket before Jessica accused me of stealing it from her. Later, after the principal investigated and found the truth, he asked me to keep it quiet. He said Jessica’s family was struggling and five hundred dollars was a huge amount for them. It was only out of respect for him that I didn’t press the issue and let her keep the money. I never imagined that after all these years, not only would she feel no gratitude, but she would also keep the lie alive. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. I just wanted the bellhop to bring up the gifts from the car so I could drop them off and leave. After waiting for what felt like an eternity, I decided to go downstairs and check myself. But in the next second, Jessica rushed toward me, and her hand cracked across my face in a vicious slap. “Eleanor Brown!” she shrieked. “After all these years, your hands are still just as sticky! Did you really think you could steal my ring and just walk away?” 3 The blow left me stunned, a smear of red lipstick tracing the path of her hand across my cheek. “What makes you think I stole it?” I demanded, my voice shaking with rage. “We were all in the back taking photos together! You were the only one out here in the main hall! If it wasn’t you, who was it?” Jessica shook out the contents of her purse, which she’d left in the hall. It was empty. “I can’t believe you haven’t changed a bit!” she cried, her voice ringing with theatrical despair. “That was a ten-carat, flawless diamond James bought for me from South Africa! It’s worth millions!” Her words hung in the air, and every eye in the room swiveled to me. “You shameless bitch!” one of her friends spat. “Jessica was just defending you in the back, telling us not to give you a hard time. And you turn around and steal her wedding ring?” “Once a thief, always a thief. A leopard can’t change its spots. Girls, let’s get her! For Jessica!” Before I could even react, Jessica’s pack of hyenas descended on me. One after another, their hands flew, each slap a fresh sting of humiliation. My hair was torn from its pins, cascading in a messy tangle around my shoulders. I tasted blood, a tooth chipped and sharp against my tongue. But that wasn’t enough. They ripped the emerald earrings from my lobes, tore the necklace from my throat, and yanked the designer watch from my wrist. A searing pain shot through my ear as the stud was torn out, and hot blood trickled down my neck. The skin on my throat was raw and red. “Don’t hold back, girls! Don’t stop until this bitch gives back Jessica’s ring!” “I didn’t steal it…” I tried to explain, but they were like a pack of rabid animals, deaf to reason. The slapping stopped, only to be replaced by kicks. I was shoved to the floor, my dress shredding under their assault. I had never felt such profound humiliation. I tried to cover myself, to preserve some shred of dignity, but they gave me no quarter. They grabbed ice-cold bottles of champagne and red wine from the bar and poured them over my head and body. The frigid liquid shocked my system, an icy fire that made my body tremble uncontrollably. I tried to hug myself for warmth, but my arms wouldn’t obey. “Eleanor, just admit you took the ring,” Jessica said, her eyes unnervingly cold. “For old times’ sake, I can let this go.” I was about to speak when someone shouted, “Mr. Davison is here!” Mr. Davison, our old high school homeroom teacher, entered the room and immediately began fawning over Jessica. “Jessica, you haven’t changed a bit. Still as beautiful as ever.” Jessica offered a brittle smile in return. Then, she grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back to present my bruised and battered face to our former teacher. “Mr. Davison, you’re just in time. Tell us, right here, right now. Did Eleanor Brown steal five hundred dollars from me back in high school or not?” Mr. Davison flinched at the sight of me, his eyes darting away nervously. For a fleeting moment, I thought he might finally tell the truth. I was wrong. “Oh, that? Wasn’t that case closed years ago?” he said with a sigh. “At the time, to protect Eleanor’s dignity, I didn’t announce the details publicly. But yes, it’s true. She’s the one who took your five hundred dollars.” His words were the final verdict. The crowd erupted in sneers and disgust, some of them spitting in my direction. “See? Even Mr. Davison says so,” Jessica sneered, her voice dripping with triumph. “Stop playing innocent, Eleanor. You can keep the five hundred dollars as a charity case. Now, give me back my ring!” A bitter, cold laugh formed in my heart. So, Jessica had bought him, too. Before coming to the wedding, I’d had my butler do a background check on Jessica’s most ardent defenders in the group chat. Every single one of them was sucking up to her because she was marrying James Cole, currying favor with the future wife of an Aurelian Global VP. Even Mr. Davison was no exception. He was siding with her in the hopes that Aurelian Global would fund a new building for his school. What none of them knew was that they were betting on the wrong horse. And in doing so, they had just made an enemy of the one person they could never, ever afford to cross. 4 “You know damn well whether I took that ring or not,” I seethed. “And that five hundred dollars? That was money you stole to—” Seeing I was about to expose her, Jessica lunged forward and slapped me twice more, hard, before giving her friends a pointed look. In seconds, they were on me again, dragging my broken body from the hotel lobby and out onto the cold pavement. Just then, the hotel bellhop who was carrying my gifts from the car saw the scene, his jaw dropping in shock. “Ms. Brown! What happened to you?” I was a mess of bruises and blood, my mouth too swollen to form a coherent reply. Jessica and her cronies saw the bellhop speaking to me, their eyes falling on the luxury gift bags in his hands and then to the gleaming black Mercedes parked at the curb. They put two and two together. “Look at that, the bitch drives a nice car,” one of them sneered. “Probably a gift from her sugar daddy. Must be some old man’s kept woman.” “My ring is worth millions!” Jessica shrieked. “That piece of junk isn’t even worth a fraction of it! Girls, don’t be shy. Smash it!” At Jessica’s command, they grabbed loose bricks from a nearby planter and went to work on the car. The windows, headlights, and hood were shattered and dented in a frenzy of violence. Not satisfied, they tore open the gift boxes in the trunk, flinging expensive perfume bottles and a ruby necklace onto the asphalt. “What is this garbage? She actually thought this was a worthy gift?” They continued their rampage, slashing the leather seats and prying open a deep compartment in the trunk, pulling out a picture frame. My heart stopped. It was the only photograph I had of my late father and me. On the back was a message he had written by hand. It was the only one in the world. “See! I told you she was some old man’s plaything! Here’s the proof!” “Look, there’s even a note from him on the back! ‘To my darling Eleanor, may you be happy and healthy forever.’ Ugh, how disgusting!” With a sharp crack, the frame was thrown to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. I scrambled to my feet to stop them, but I was too late. Shards of glass sprayed across my skin. The photo itself was torn into confetti and showered over my head. As I sobbed, trying to gather the pieces, Jessica’s stiletto heel slammed down on my hand, pinning it to the pavement. “Still won’t admit you stole my ring, Eleanor?” she taunted. “And you’re trying to piece together your little love note from your sugar daddy? Pathetic!” Pure hatred, cold and sharp, coiled in my gut. “Jessica,” I bit out through clenched teeth, “you are so, so finished. I will never let you get away with this.” My threat was met with howls of laughter. “Did I hear that right? A kept woman is threatening our future Mrs. CEO? That’s rich!” “Yeah, who the hell do you think you are? With one word, our Mrs. CEO could make sure you never work in this city again! And you have the nerve to threaten her?” “Looks like the bitch hasn’t had enough yet. Girls, let’s give her some more!” Jessica and her friends marched back into the hotel and emerged with a large can of red paint, ready to douse me in it. Just then, a top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce Phantom glided to a silent stop at the hotel entrance. The man who stepped out of the back seat was none other than today’s groom, James Cole. “Wow, now that’s a real power move! The VP of Aurelian Global! That’s a real luxury car, not like that cheap Mercedes some sugar baby drives after begging her old man!” “Jessica, you’re so lucky! Once you’re the CEO’s wife, don’t forget all the hard work we put in for you today!” Jessica preened like a peacock. “Don’t worry. All my friends who helped me today will be rewarded. When I’m the CEO’s wife, you’ll all get what you deserve.” Her friends gushed with thanks, ecstatic at the promise of future favors. Jessica, radiating triumph, ran into James’s arms and burst into tears. “James, thank God you’re here! Someone stole our wedding ring!” James’s brow furrowed. “Who would be so bold? To steal our wedding ring? They must have a death wish.” He stroked her hair. “Don’t cry, baby. I’m here now. I’ll make sure you get justice.” “It’s okay, honey,” she sobbed. “I already taught the thief a lesson. But you have no idea how stubborn she is. No matter what we did, she wouldn’t confess. If she doesn’t give back the ring, what will happen to our wedding?” Hearing this, James’s face darkened with fury. He was ready to fight for her honor. He strode over to where I lay on the ground. “This is the bitch who stole the ring?” he snarled. Everyone nodded eagerly, pulling out their phones to record, their faces alight with anticipation of the beatdown to come. My hair was a wild, matted mess, and my face was so swollen and bruised I was practically unrecognizable. James grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking my head up to get a clear look at my face. And then he froze. His face went pale with shock, and he stumbled backward, collapsing onto the pavement. “Great-Aunt… Eleanor? What… what are you doing here?”

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Seven years after we fled the country, my thirteen-year-old daughter, Anna, was a name whispered in concert halls across the world—a piano prodigy. She could conjure magic from the most difficult compositions, her fingers dancing over the keys to release torrents of beautiful music. Yet, one simple song—a lullaby—remained untouched. No matter how many times it was requested, she refused. She was terrified that if she played it, the melody would soften her heart, and she would forgive the man who had broken it. So, when that man, Julian Astor, appeared at our door with a grand piano handcrafted by a master artisan, asking her to play that one lullaby, Anna just calmly shook her head. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know that piece.” Julian’s eyes reddened. He took her hand, his grip desperate, and placed it on the cool ivory of the keys. “What do you mean you don’t know it? Anna, you’re a genius! Isn’t a piano what you always wanted? Daddy’s bought it for you. From now on, you just have to tell me what you wish for, and I’ll make it happen.” Anna coolly withdrew her hand. “That won’t be necessary, sir. I can earn my own money for pianos now. You should take this one back to your daughter.” The words struck Julian like a blast of arctic air. He pulled Anna into a clumsy, frantic hug. “Anna, what are you talking about? You’re my only daughter.” Anna tilted her head, a picture of confusion. “But didn’t you say only Sylvia’s daughter was worthy of being your child? Didn’t you give the piano you promised me to her?” She let out a small, careless laugh. “It’s fine, sir. If you love Sylvia, go ahead and raise her daughter. I have my mom. That’s enough.” A storm of emotions churned within Julian. Of all the scenarios he’d rehearsed in his mind, he had never imagined this—this unyielding, impenetrable wall. He didn’t know that we had already given him a thousand chances, each one met with his chilling indifference. In the five years we were married, he had endless opportunities to tell us the truth: that he was Julian Astor, the heir to the Astor fortune. But he kept his silence, a wall between us. Whenever Anna would say she wanted to play the piano for him, he’d play the part of the struggling father, brushing her off with a tired smile. “I’d love that, sweetie. But Daddy doesn’t have enough money right now. As soon as I do, I’ll buy you the biggest grand piano you’ve ever seen.” For five years, I took Anna to the city square every day to busk. And for five years, he watched us, his expression unreadable, his silence a heavy cloak. Every evening, as we trudged home, Anna’s eyes would shine with hope. “Mom, did we make enough for a piano today? I want to play Daddy a lullaby. It was the first song I ever learned!” And every time, I would count the meager collection of coins and bills in our jar and shake my head. “Almost, honey. We’re getting closer. Just a little more tomorrow.” Finally, a month before Anna’s birthday, as I counted the crumpled bills and heavy coins, my heart leaped. It was enough. Enough for the cheapest upright piano in the store. But when I took Anna’s hand and walked into the music shop, my world stopped. There, on the second-floor gallery, was Julian. He was holding another little girl, Sylvia’s daughter, as they admired a magnificent piano. My hand trembled as I pointed. “That piano… how much is it?” I asked the salesman. He gave me a practiced smile. “That one is a custom Steinway, ma’am. The gentleman ordered it a long time ago. It’s entirely handcrafted by a master in Germany. The price is eight hundred thousand dollars.” Eight hundred thousand dollars. The blood turned to ice in my veins. People had whispered that Julian wasn’t who he seemed, but living in our drafty, rundown apartment with its broken furniture, I never let myself believe it. To think he had willingly endured that squalor for five years… what a performance. Seeing my silence, Anna looked up at me, her face a mask of innocent curiosity. “Mom, does Dad have a lot of money? Did he order that piano for me?” She was too young to understand the scene playing out on the balcony above. I looked down at her faded, hand-me-down dress, my mouth opening and closing like a fish, no words coming out. Sensing my distress, Anna’s small voice piped up, “Mom, it looks like Dad is busy with that lady. Maybe we should just go home. We can come back and buy one another time.” Her voice grew quieter with each word, the disappointment on her small face a physical weight. But I was too lost in my own spiraling shock to notice. I just took her hand and led her away. Back home, I dug out our legal documents and searched his name and official residence online. The Crestwood Estates, a private, gated community in the heart of the capital. I’d heard of it, even from our side of the country. It was a place of legends, where land was measured in gold, a sanctuary for the nation’s absolute elite. Julian Astor, you played us for fools. I wondered, when you watched us leave every morning and return every night, rain or shine, to perform for spare change… were you feeling pity? Or were you laughing at us, two pathetic fools trying to claw our way up from nothing? A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I picked up the phone and dialed a divorce lawyer. Hours later, the sound of footsteps approached the door. Julian was home. Anna, as always, ran to the door to greet him, her face bright with love. But Julian didn’t even offer her a hug, his face a mask of exhaustion. Normally, Anna was used to his coldness. But today was different. She clung to the hem of his coat, refusing to let him pass. “Daddy, can you buy me a piano? My friend’s teacher taught her a lullaby, and I learned it just by listening. I want to play it for you.” “Alright, sweetie,” he said, the same old empty promise. “As soon as I make enough money.” “When is that?” Anna pressed, an uncharacteristic stubbornness in her voice. He hesitated, then finally sighed. “Soon. I promise.” Anna let out a whoop of joy, hugging my legs. “Mom, I’m getting a piano! I’m going to play so many songs for you and Daddy!” I smiled, my heart aching for her, but I allowed myself to hope. One day passed. Then two. A week crawled by. The promised piano was nowhere to be seen. One morning, I found Anna huddled under her covers, her small body shaking with silent sobs. Julian saw it too, but his face remained a blank slate. Then his eyes landed on me, and he brightened. “Oh, good, you’re here. Can you make some ginger tea and put it in a thermos for me? I need to take it with me.” Ginger tea. For Sylvia, of course. My own menstrual cramps were agonizing, a fact he had witnessed countless times, yet he’d never once offered so much as a painkiller. POP. That was the sound of the last thread of my patience snapping. The rage surged, hot and blinding, and before I knew it, the purse in my hand had connected with his head. The moment it happened, the tears came. He was the one who’d been hit, but I was the one crying, my sobs ragged and ugly. The blow had angered him, but the sight of my tears seemed to extinguish his temper. “You didn’t have to make it, Clara. What’s with the drama?” “The piano,” I choked out. “What about the piano you promised Anna?” He looked momentarily confused, as if he’d forgotten all about it. A flash of guilt crossed his face before he masked it with annoyance. “I’ll buy it. Do you have to hound me like a debt collector?” I’ll buy it. He’d said those words a thousand times over five years. A stone dropped in a well at least makes a splash. Julian’s promises vanished without a ripple. I stormed into Anna’s room and pulled her out from under the covers. “I’m divorcing your father,” I said, my voice shaking. “How would you feel about… going abroad? Just the two of us.” The idea of leaving the country was a foreign concept to a child like Anna, but it was our only real choice. The Astor family’s influence was too vast here. Only overseas could her talent truly flourish. My entire life savings would be just enough for two one-way tickets. Seeing my red-rimmed eyes, Anna wrapped her small arms around me. “Mom,” she whispered, “can we give Daddy one more chance?” Her voice was small but firm. “My birthday. If he forgets about the piano by my birthday… then we’ll leave.” “Okay,” I agreed. One last chance, Julian. That’s all you get. The next morning, we were back at our usual spot in the park. I was a graduate of a prestigious university, but after taking years off to raise Anna, no company would hire me. So, this was our life. I sold small toys and snacks from a folding table, while Anna sang and danced to draw a crowd. She was sweet and charming. Many people stopped by my little stall just because of her. “Excuse me, how much for the ice cream bars?” “Three dollars for one, five for two.” I looked up and froze. It was Sylvia. “I’ll take two, then. And please be quick, I don’t want my husband to see,” she whispered, acting as if she were a spy on a secret mission. She handed me a ten-dollar bill, darting her eyes around nervously as she stuffed the ice cream into her purse. Just then, a large hand shot out and grabbed hers. “Sylvia, I’ve told you a hundred times. You’re on your period, and you get cramps. No cold foods.” It was Julian. “We don’t want the ice cream,” he said, his voice flat. His eyes met mine, and his face instantly darkened. Sylvia, however, seemed oblivious. “Oh, come on, Julian. Look at her little girl, she’s so adorable. Let’s just buy two. It’s for a good cause.” The pity in her eyes was a dagger twisting in my gut. “Hiss—” In my distraction, the knitting needle I was holding slipped, piercing my finger. A bead of dark red blood welled up instantly. Seeing the blood, Julian frowned, taking an instinctive step toward me. “Julian! My stomach hurts so much!” The next second, Sylvia was clutching her abdomen, a pained expression on her face. Instantly, Julian turned, scooping her into his arms. As he held her, Sylvia rested her head on his shoulder and shot me a triumphant smirk. She knew. She’d known who I was all along. A sharp, acidic pain lanced through my heart. “Mommy, are you okay?” Anna, not understanding the adult drama unfolding, rushed to my side, blowing gently on my bleeding finger with her small mouth. “I’m fine, sweetie.” My heart melted. I pulled her into a tight hug. At least I still had Anna. As Julian started to walk away with Sylvia in his arms, Anna, still confused, called out to him. “Daddy, Mommy’s hurt! Come back and help her!” Julian’s steps faltered for a fraction of a second. Then, without turning back, he kept walking. I could faintly hear Sylvia’s voice drift back to us. “Julian, was that your daughter?” “No. I don’t know her. She must have mistaken me for someone else.” Mistaken me for someone else. Five years of devotion, five years of our lives, and all we were to him was a case of mistaken identity. I gently stroked Anna’s hair. “Did you hear that, honey? That man isn’t your daddy. We made a mistake.” That evening, the music shop called. A piano was waiting for me to sign for upon delivery. My heart hammered against my ribs. I rushed home with Anna, my mind racing. Julian was already there. Before I could speak, he pulled me into the bedroom. “Is your hand okay?” he asked, gently taking it to inspect the small wound. I pulled my hand back. “My hand is fine. Where’s the piano you bought?” “What piano?” I thought he was trying to surprise Anna, so I smiled. “Don’t play coy. The store already called me.” At that, Julian’s eyes flickered away. “They must have called the wrong number. Don’t worry, I’ll go buy one as soon as I have time.” As soon as he has time. He had enough time to stroll through the park with Sylvia, but not enough time to buy a piano he had promised his daughter weeks ago. The disappointment was a lead weight in my stomach. I didn’t know how I was going to explain this to Anna. Just then, my phone buzzed. A new friend request. My heart leaped, a dreadful premonition washing over me.

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On the day the Crown Prince exposed me as a woman before the entire royal court, I fell from the most revered Royal Tutor in the kingdom to the lowest of royal harlots. The System declared my mission an utter failure. I’d had four targets. Each was a man of immense power and prestige, yet each came to despise me, to hate me to the bone, all because of my stepsister. Fortunately, the System offered a reprieve: if I could bear the child of any of my four targets, I would be spared the punishment of annihilation. So, I cast aside my pride. I schemed and seduced. And on the final day of my deadline, I was with child. But as I lay in labor, all four of them hunted me down. The Prince, my former student, bound my hands and feet. The Master Healer, my own brother, forced a labor-inducing potion down my throat. The Lord Marshal, my childhood love, sliced open my belly with his longsword. And the Lord Chancellor, my husband, personally carved the heart from my newborn’s chest—all to use my child’s heart’s blood as a cure for my stepsister. And later, as they gazed upon my cold, stiffening corpse, these men who had wished for my death… they shattered. … I sat on a rough wooden cot in a dirt-floored hovel, stitching a tiny garment for my unborn child, when the door was kicked open. Crown Prince Kaelen strode in. His eyes fell upon my swollen belly, and his face became a mask of thunder. “Lady Seraphina,” he spat, the title a mockery. “You truly are with child? Whose is it?” I looked up at him. The timid boy who once hid behind my skirts, weeping, was gone. In his place stood an ungrateful viper I had raised myself. I set down my needle and thread, my face a placid lake. “Your Highness, Seraphina is no longer the Royal Tutor. I am a common whore. Whose child do you imagine I would carry? Another man’s whelp may be disloyal, but this child, no matter the father, will know only its mother.” One of my words must have struck a nerve, because Kaelen’s face flushed a deep, furious crimson. “Filth! This bastard cannot be allowed to live!” I wrapped my arms protectively around my stomach, my eyes fixed on him. Kaelen’s mother had died in the venomous games of court politics. He’d had his tendons cut and was left to die in the castle’s forgotten dungeons. All who passed by averted their eyes. Only I had stopped. I carried him back to my small quarters. I sought healers, spent every last System point I had to mend his broken body. I taught him to read, to wield a sword, even disguised myself as a man to enter the court and fight for him. I poured half my life into him, lifting him step by step to the position of Crown Prince. I remember the day he was named heir. We celebrated in his new palace apartments, his young eyes glittering like a constellation. “Sera,” he had said, his voice full of earnest devotion, “when I am king, I will change the laws. Women will be allowed to serve in the court, and you will never have to hide who you are again.” And yet, it was this same Kaelen who, before the entire assembly, ripped the official robes from my body and denounced me as a woman, a blight upon the kingdom. “You venomous snake, Seraphina!” he had roared. “My sweet Vivia is a paragon of kindness, yet you schemed to have her virtue stolen! How dare you stand in a position of power, enjoying wealth and glory? You will suffer a hundred times what she has endured!” My identity was exposed, and I was cast into a royal pleasure house. The System judged my final mission a failure. But it amended the task: if I could give birth to this child, this life connected to me by blood, my slate with these men would be wiped clean. Kaelen clearly saw me and my child as a stain. “Rest assured, Your Highness,” I said quickly, “once the child is born, I will take him far away. We will never trouble your sight again.” His expression only grew fouler. He suddenly lunged, using a restraining technique I myself had taught him, pinning me to the cot. He ordered his guards to bring rope, and he bound my hands and feet himself. My body, heavy with child, was slow and clumsy. I was helpless. “Kaelen, you treacherous dog!” I screamed, my voice cracking with fury. “You betray your own mentor, your own master!” He sneered. “Vivia is ill, Seraphina. She requires the heart’s blood of your unborn child to be cured. It’s just a bastard, after all. To die saving Vivia is a worthy end for it.” My eyes widened in horror. I shook my head frantically. Without this child, the System would erase me. I would truly die. Just then, another figure appeared in the doorway, both familiar and terrifyingly strange. It was the man I considered my dearest kin in this world: my brother, the Master Healer Theron. Forgetting everything else, I stared at him, my eyes pleading. “Brother… save me…” In my original world, I was an orphan, my body ravaged by illness. I had never known the warmth of family. On my deathbed, the System found me and offered me a new life, transmigrated into this body from birth. It gave me four targets: a brother connected by blood, a childhood love, a passionate suitor, and a student I would raise myself. If I could win the absolute favor of just one, I would be granted health and a true life. I had been bedridden for so long; I cherished this chance, and I cherished these new bonds. But every single one of them had fallen for the lies of this world’s protagonist, my stepsister, Vivia. They all believed I was a venomous witch. My brother had cast me out. My betrothed had broken our engagement. My lover had severed all ties. My student had thrown me into the abyss. All my missions failed. Even the System took pity on me, using its own accumulated points to change my final task. Just give birth to this child, and you can live. Now, to save my child, to save myself, I had to gamble on the last vestiges of Theron’s love for me. But he only stared coldly at my struggles, ignoring my desperate plea. He turned to Kaelen. “Your Highness, there is no time. Vivia is fading. We don’t need to drag her back. We’ll do it here.” I stared in disbelief. He was my first target. But my longing for a family was so deep, I never saw him as just a mission. I nurtured our sibling bond with all my heart, giving him everything, even risking my own life for him time and again. When Theron studied the forbidden arts of healing, I used my System points to gift him knowledge from my modern world: Caesarean sections, cranial surgery, things this world considered blasphemy. No one believed in his abilities. So I became his test subject, his guinea pig, helping him build a reputation as the realm’s peerless Master Healer. Once, he miscalculated a dosage, and I suffered a violent allergic reaction. Terrified, he knelt in the family chapel for days, praying, swearing he would renounce his arts if it would grant my safety. He wanted to be a healer, yes, but he swore his sister was the most important thing to him. I used my own points to save myself and salvage his reputation. I had thought I finally had a home, a brother. But that seemingly unbreakable bond crumbled under Vivia’s relentless machinations. She staged her own abduction, crying that I was the one who had orchestrated it. Theron, holding the feigning Vivia, called me a viper and cast me, still a young girl, out of our home. Now, watching him expertly brew the potion and sterilize his blades, a chilling despair washed over me. “Brother, Vivia being abducted and losing her purity had nothing to do with me! She isn’t sick! Please, let me go! Let my child live! He is your nephew!” Theron’s hand paused. His gaze was devoid of any emotion. “Empty words. Do you think I would believe you? Vivia is good and kind. Would she sacrifice her own virtue and health just to frame her sister? The assault left her with a deep-seated malady, one that can only be cured by the heart’s blood of an infant born from a close blood relative. It’s the life of a worthless bastard. This is a debt you owe her!” He forced the entire potion down my throat. A searing pain ripped through my abdomen. The child inside me kicked violently. Kaelen held my limbs fast. I could only writhe, trying to knock Theron’s sterilized instruments into the dirt on the floor with my head. Theron slapped me across the face, hard. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. “What do you think you’re doing?” I knew he was a meticulous healer; his tools had to be perfectly sterile. But I was out of options. If they cut the baby out, I was dead. I had to delay, to buy even a second more of life for me and my child. Seeing my resistance, Theron had Kaelen hold me down while he prepared a new set of instruments. “No!” I screamed, my voice raw with desperation. “I’ll die without my child!” This time, Theron didn’t hesitate. He let out a cold laugh. “Are you questioning the skill of the realm’s Master Healer? Relax. I’m just taking the child and stitching you back up. My hand is swift. A scourge like you won’t die so easily.” Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. The youngest Lord Marshal in the kingdom’s history, Rhys, burst in, covered in dust from the road, his sword in hand. “Am I too late?” My despairing heart flickered with a new flame of hope. Rhys was my second target. We grew up together, inseparable, our bond deeper than any other. His family was a fallen line of knights, and Rhys himself had no talent for the blade. My heart ached for him, so I used my points to unleash his dormant martial potential. I trained with him for years, sparring with sword and staff. I encouraged him when he wanted to give up, and I watched over him silently from horseback when he tasted his first victories. He would lean against my back, watching the moon. “Sera, you’re so good to me. When I return a Lord Marshal, you will be my lady. Imagine how grand that will be!” “Sera, where do you want to live? We could go to the northern plains, or the western frontier. I’ll let the sun darken your skin, so no one else will try to steal you from me.” I had believed, truly believed, that when he returned from war, I would be his wife. But when he returned, perched on his warhorse was not me, but my stepsister Vivia, covered in blood. Rhys had grabbed me by the throat, his voice a furious whisper. “Why? Why would you harm Vivia? She’s not like you; she’s a delicate flower! How could someone so wicked ever be my wife? Seraphina, our engagement is void!” Cast out by my brother, then rejected by my fiancé, I became the capital’s greatest joke. Years had passed. The boyish charm was gone, replaced by the chilling aura of a seasoned killer. Theron waved a hand. “You’re not too late. She dirtied my blade. We haven’t started.” Rhys’s handsome brows furrowed. “What are you waiting for? Vivia can’t hold on much longer. Do you want her to die?” Before I could react, Rhys raised his sword—the very blade I had commissioned for him from a master smith—and sliced through my clothes. Then, with a single, brutal stroke, he cut open my belly. A geyser of blood erupted. A raw, guttural cry tore from my throat as tears streamed down my face. “No!” Theron quickly extracted the baby. I saw him—a full-term boy, small and wrinkled, but alive. He let out a wail, a powerful testament to his vibrant life. Forgetting the searing pain as Theron began to stitch my wound, I tried to snatch my child back. “Don’t hurt my baby! Do you even know who his father is? He would never allow this!” A soft chuckle came from the doorway. The Lord Chancellor, Alistair, stepped inside. “Still so cunning, Lady Seraphina. What new tale are you spinning to deceive us? It doesn’t matter who the father is. Having a mother like you is his greatest sin.” Alistair was my third target.

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In the fifth year of my overseas venture, I made a last-minute decision to fly home. The plane had barely touched down when a friend dragged me to a high-end auction, before I even had the chance to call my family. In the center of the glittering hall, a massive screen was playing a short video of my younger sister on a loop. Her fiancé, Leo Vance, had his arm wrapped around a simpering woman, his gaze dripping with condescension as he looked down at my sister. His voice was a blade of mockery. “Jasmine just broke a little hairpin of yours, and you have the audacity to demand a king’s ransom for it?” “Since you’re so ‘rich’,” he sneered, “why don’t you make a scorched earth bid on all thirty-six of these videos… unless you want them to go viral.” My sister Chloe’s face was ashen. Her hands were clenched so tight her knuckles were white, but she stubbornly kept her lips sealed. I sat in the VIP suite, my face a mask of stone, saying nothing. Hah. I’ve been gone for five years, and someone already has the nerve to target a member of the Smith family? … My assistant didn’t dare breathe. “I’ll get the owner of the auction house in here right now. He’ll apologize to you personally.” “No need,” I said, my expression unchanging. “Let them play their little game for a while longer.” To challenge me on my own turf? The auction house, along with every single person who participated tonight—none of them would be getting away clean. Outside the suite, a pack of men were pointing and snickering at the screen. “I always thought the Shen family’s daughter was such an innocent little thing. Who knew she was such a freak in bed? Just look at that expression… even the thumbnail is getting me going.” “Leo, you lucky bastard. You’ve had your way with that incredible body.” Chloe’s whole body trembled as she stared at Leo, her face deathly pale. Leo arched a brow. “Whoever wins the bid gets a free set of high-res photos.” “That’s our Leo! Always generous!” A cheer went up from the crowd, the men’s eyes burning with a feral heat. Tears streamed down Chloe’s face. “Leo, how could you do this to me?” “Oh? Is this too much for you?” he taunted. “Aren’t you loaded? Demanding two million for a hairpin? You must have more money than you know what to do with.” He gestured to the screen. “Look, thirty-six of them. You can bid to your heart’s content.” The woman beside him, Jasmine, giggled behind her hand. “Oh dear. A scorched earth bid costs ten million dollars, you know. Sister, I hear you’ve been picking through leftovers in the cafeteria. Do you have that kind of money?” She leaned into him. “And don’t even think about using Dad’s money. He only spends it on me. There’s nothing left for you or that bitch of a mother of yours.” “I wonder if my dear sister has any hidden savings to make a bid?” My brow furrowed. Since when did my sister, Chloe Shen, have to resort to eating scraps? I looked closer. The custom-designed gown I’d gifted Chloe was now on Jasmine’s body. Even her jewelry adorned Jasmine’s head. Meanwhile, my sister was wearing a pair of washed-out jeans, the cuffs frayed, clearly a cheap piece of fast fashion. She was gripping the hem of her shirt so tightly her nails were digging into her palms, her pale face etched with humiliation. Clearly, the woman’s words were true. What in the world had happened? Forget the fact that the Shen family had its own wealth; my maternal grandfather was the head of the Smith family, a name that commanded respect throughout the capital. How could Chloe have fallen so low? I motioned to my assistant, who immediately left to investigate. For the past five years, I had poured everything into my business, with little contact back home. I’d get calls from Mom and Chloe now and then, but over the last six months, they had become less and less frequent. Recently, they had stopped altogether. Worried, I had flown back unannounced. Tears finally broke free, and Chloe confronted Leo, her voice choked with anguish. “Why? I’m your fiancée! These moments… they were private, between lovers. How could you put them up for auction?” Leo didn’t even look at her. He picked up the microphone. “Bid or don’t. Stop wasting my time with your whining.” “If you’re not going to bid, then get out. My friends here are getting impatient.” Chloe looked around the room. Every person here was a multi-millionaire. How could she possibly compete with them in her current state? Her face was a canvas of despair. The sheer weight of the shame made her lower her head, desperate to flee, but a group of men blocked her path. “Well, well. You’re already putting yourself on the market, but you still know how to blush?” “Don’t go, Miss Shen. If Leo won’t bid for you, I will. Just one night with me, and I’ll buy one for you.” “Shut up!” Leo barked, silencing them. Then, he turned to Chloe, his voice casual. “If you get on your knees and apologize to Jasmine right now, I might consider taking one of the videos down.” “You…” Chloe was so furious she couldn’t speak. “My, look at the expression on her face. She doesn’t seem very willing, does she?” Jasmine purred, pressing herself against Leo. “Clearly, she thinks one man… isn’t enough for her.” Leo’s face turned to iron. Chloe bit her lip so hard I thought it would bleed. Under the weight of a hundred mocking stares, she slowly returned to her seat. “Fine,” she said, her voice trembling but unnervingly clear. “I’ll bid.” Leo stared at my sister’s ramrod-straight back, a flicker of surprise on his face. I was a little surprised, too. In the suite, I was flipping through the information my assistant had just sent over. It was true. Chloe was penniless, working eight part-time jobs just to survive. Looking at her, thin as a wraith, I had no idea how she planned to compete. On the grand screen, a high-definition video of my sister played. It showed her from every angle, cutting away at the most intimate moments, leaving every man in the room hot and bothered. “The first set,” the auctioneer announced, his eyes sweeping the room. “Starting bid, five hundred thousand.” A murmur went through the crowd. “Leo, you’re too good to us! Afraid we couldn’t afford it?” “So cheap? I’ll take ten.” The auctioneer raised a hand to quiet the room. “As this is the first set, it comes with a special audio commentary.” With that, a synthesized, sultry version of Chloe’s own voice filled the hall, narrating the actions in the video, describing her feelings, punctuated by moans of manufactured pleasure that weren’t in the original footage. “Incredible! Only a high-society girl could sound so refined even when she’s begging for it!” “That sound alone is enough to get me hard!” “One million!” … The room erupted. Bids flew back and forth. Chloe shot to her feet, her eyes blazing red as she glared at Leo. But he remained as still as a statue, the cold smirk on his lips a stark contrast to the frenzied hall. Yet the moment Jasmine moved closer, he was a different person, his touch gentle as he tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Five million!” “Seven million!” “Scorched earth!” Chloe’s trembling voice cut through the noise. Everyone turned to stare at her. “Sister, a scorched earth bid is fifty million. Do you have the money? Have you been verified?” Jasmine’s light, airy question prompted the auction house staff to approach Chloe. “Miss, we have no record of you being financially verified. If you cannot cover your bid, you will be forcibly removed and will face legal consequences.” My heart tightened. I was about to intervene. But Chloe reached up, removed a locket from her neck, and placed it on the staff member’s tray. “Use this for verification.” Jasmine scoffed. “A cheap trinket from a street stall, and you want to use it to cover a fifty-million-dollar bid? You’re going to make me die of laughter!” But before she could finish, the verification result came back. “Congratulations, Miss Shen. Your scorched earth bid is successful!” “What? That piece of junk is worth fifty million?!” Jasmine shrieked. Even Leo, who had been lounging lazily, sat bolt upright. I understood instantly. That locket was a Smith family heirloom. My sister and I each had one. They were worth over a hundred million. She wouldn’t have brought it out unless she had no other choice. And now, a locket worth a fortune had only been valued at fifty million… I shot a cold glance at the auction house owner, who was standing before me, bowing respectfully and wiping sweat from his forehead. The auction continued outside, the atmosphere even more feverish than before. “She actually did it.” “What a shame. I wonder if the next ones have audio commentary. I love the sound of her voice.” As if on cue, the narration for the second video began to play, full of feigned emotion. “Set number two! Starting bid, still five hundred thousand!” The room exploded again. “Yes! If every set comes with that soundtrack, I’ll buy them all. Listen to them every night before I sleep.” “You’d be going at it seven times a night! Hahaha!” One shameless man reached out to touch Chloe’s face. “Come on, make a sound for me right now, and I’ll bid on one for you. We can watch it together tonight, just the two of us. I promise I’ll satisfy you in ways you’ve never dreamed of.” “Shameless!” Chloe slapped his hand away. Enraged, the man moved to shove her, but Leo stopped him. “Don’t cause trouble here. This is Smith territory, are you trying to get yourself killed? Once you’re outside, you can do whatever you want.” “Hmph! Acting all pure. Just another whore for sale. Twenty million!” “Thirty million!” “Thirty-three million!” The color drained from my sister’s face. Her eyes, usually so full of laughter, were now pools of despair. But she gritted her teeth and cried out, “Scorched… earth!” The auctioneer looked troubled. “Miss Shen, the collateral you provided was only valued at fifty million. If you wish to make another scorched earth bid, you will need to be re-verified.” Chloe looked lost. She turned to Leo. He was her fiancé, yet he was letting her most private moments be exposed to the world. But Leo just smirked, his face a mask of contempt. “Don’t look at me. I’m not getting involved. Do as you please.” The last glimmer of hope died in Chloe’s eyes. She lowered her head, and a sob escaped her lips. Just then, Jasmine spoke up. “Sister is crying. I suppose I’ll make the bid for her this time.” “After all, she is my father’s daughter. Even if she won’t acknowledge me as her sister, I can’t be as heartless as she is!” I frowned. Since when did my father have another daughter? My assistant leaned in. “Mr. Shen brought her home two years ago, a student from a poor family, supposedly as a companion for Miss Chloe. Six months ago, Mr. Shen held a banquet and announced that Jasmine was his biological daughter, lost at birth.” I almost laughed. Good for you, Edward Shen. Getting up to these tricks at your age. You must have a death wish. But first, I had to get my sister out of this mess. Leo’s eyes on Jasmine were full of admiration, a complete reversal of the cold indifference he’d shown Chloe. “You’re pathetic!” Chloe shot back. “What do you think you are? The master of the house throws you a few scraps, and you start thinking you’re a lady?” “Chloe Shen!” Leo’s voice was ice. “Shut your mouth! I’ve been too lenient with you! Apologize to Jasmine now!” Chloe threw him a look as cold as frost and turned to the auctioneer. “I’ll be verified!” She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a small, folded charm, placing it on the tray. Jasmine shot it a disdainful look and blocked the staff member with her foot. She pinched the yellowed paper between two elegant fingers as if it were something filthy and tossed it aside. “Hah. Some piece of trash you picked out of a dumpster, and you want to use it for verification?” The paper fluttered to the ground. She nonchalantly ground it under her leather high heel. “No, please!” Chloe cried out, throwing herself forward and grabbing the hem of Jasmine’s dress. “That’s… that’s the last thing I have…” Jasmine looked down at her, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “Oh? Is that so? Then this will be a good lesson for you. This is what happens when you cross me.” She gracefully lifted her foot, ready to stomp down. “Stop!” A manager rushed over, blocking Jasmine’s foot before it could land. “Collateral placed on the tray cannot be damaged before verification. Otherwise, you will be ejected from the premises and held liable for compensation!” “It’s just a piece of paper. I can afford to pay for it!” The manager was experienced. He deftly snatched the charm from the floor and placed it back on the tray. “Miss, please follow the rules.” Leo patted Jasmine’s arm to soothe her, and she reluctantly backed down. Before the crowd’s laughter had died down, the auctioneer’s voice rang out. “Verification successful!” “Congratulations, Miss Shen. Your scorched earth bid is successful!” The room was in an uproar. “It’s just a piece of paper, how could it pass verification?” “What is this, a game? Someone from the auction house better explain this!” The manager strode onto the stage. An image of the charm appeared on the big screen. “After authentication, this charm was personally scribed and blessed by the Abbott of the secluded monastery of St. Giles. It is priceless. Conservatively, its value is estimated at eighty million.” “As per auction house rules, this item can cover the cost of one scorched earth bid!” He was right. That charm… I had personally journeyed to that monastery when Chloe was eight and burning with a fever, praying at every step, to acquire it for her. Seeing this, my knuckles turned white around my teacup. Leo Vance, you’ve gone too far. “Don’t be angry, Jasmine. Watch me put her back in her place,” one of Leo’s cronies said, trying to comfort the fuming Jasmine. “Yeah, Jasmine, that was only the second set. There are thirty-four more. Let’s see what else she can pull out!” “Hey, little beauty, got any more money? Or are you going to have to strip to raise the funds?” The gazes of the crowd fell on Chloe, heavy and tangible. Some shook their heads in pity, others hid smirks behind their hands. “A desperate struggle.” “The next one is mine!” Chloe’s face was as white as paper. She truly had nothing left. Her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally lowered her proud head. “Leo… please, stop the auction…” Her voice was a whisper, lost in the roar of the crowd, but Leo heard it. He looked up at her, a flicker of emotion on his face. Jasmine saw it and immediately pouted. “Sister, you’re so good at playing the victim!” “Weren’t you just working eight jobs a day? Eating leftovers?” “And yet, you’ve already spent over a hundred million. No wonder you wanted two million from me for a simple hairpin!” The trace of pity on Leo’s face vanished. He shot Chloe a disgusted look and went back to watching the show as if he’d heard nothing. Seeing his complete indifference, Chloe finally broke. Unable to bear the jeers any longer, she turned and fled. I gave a single look, and my assistant followed her out. Just when everyone thought she was gone for good, Chloe returned. Leo’s friends, not satisfied, shouted at her. “You have money? What are you doing back here?” “If you’re broke, get out! We played along for Leo’s sake, but now you’re just shameless, refusing to leave!” Even the auctioneer frowned. “Security! Clear the floor!” This time, Chloe slapped a black card onto the tray. “Verify this. I’m buying out all the remaining videos.” The entire hall went into a frenzy. Jasmine shrieked, “Are you insane? You could sell yourself and you wouldn’t be worth that much!” The auctioneer’s voice was cold. “Miss Shen, you must be certain this card is valid. Otherwise, you know the rules of this auction house. Not only will you be liable for financial damages, you could also face criminal charges.” “I’m aware. Please proceed.” All eyes were glued to the screen. Even Leo, previously so nonchalant, now had a grave expression on his face. The card was swiped. A collective gasp swept through the hall. “That’s… impossible!” Leo shot to his feet, his knuckles white. The entire venue felt as if it had been struck by lightning. “What the hell!”

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The night I first told Doreen I loved her, she wept uncontrollably. She said she had seen the future, and she wanted to make a pact with me. When I asked her why, she only said, “I can’t remember the details, only that my future self is filled with a terrible, soul-crushing regret. Noah, promise me. No matter what happens, you’ll give me three chances. Please.” Deeply in love, of course, I agreed without a second thought. But in the years that followed, as she and her male assistant became inseparable, joined at the hip, she seemed to forget all about it. Only now do I understand why she made me promise. Because the moment my pen touched the divorce papers, I heard a familiar voice. It was the voice of the nineteen-year-old Doreen. She was crying. “Noah, you promised me, didn’t you? You promised you would give me three chances.” 1 “Mr. Bond, a man as magnanimous as you will surely step aside and let Doreen and me be happy together, won’t you?” The message on my phone was from Finn, Doreen’s assistant. Below the text was a gallery of photos and videos. A passionate embrace under the Eiffel Tower. Whispering sweet nothings before the masterworks of the Louvre. And then, them, completely naked on the white sands of the Maldives. There were even photos of them in the throes of passion against a floor-to-ceiling window, the city lights a glittering backdrop to their betrayal. It was only then that I truly understood. The Doreen I knew was gone. We had met when we had nothing. For the sake of her acting career, I worked from dawn till dusk, pouring every cent I earned into her auditions, into networking for her, into her dream. For seven years, I was so exhausted I’d fall asleep on the subway home. I drank so much at business dinners that I ended up with a bleeding ulcer. All of it to build a company from scratch, to build a foundation for her. And Doreen had finally made it. She was a superstar, adored by millions. But all the things we had once dreamed of doing together, she chose to do with her little assistant instead. I didn’t hesitate any longer. I drew up the divorce papers. Just as my pen was about to sign my name, a voice, sudden and ethereal, whispered in my ear. “Noah, don’t. You promised me three chances, didn’t you?” The familiar sound struck me like a bolt of lightning. I trembled, turning my head. There she was—the nineteen-year-old Doreen, standing before me, her form translucent, ethereal. She was wearing the simple three-hundred-dollar dress I’d bought for her with money from a part-time job I’d squeezed in between my other work. In that dress, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I stared at the ghost of the girl I fell in love with, and a slow, bitter smile spread across my face. “Alright. Three chances it is.” Just then, my phone rang again. “Noah Bond! I’ve told you a thousand times, stop bullying Finn! He’s just my assistant, and he’s exhausted from traveling the world with me!” The voice on the other end was the current, twenty-seven-year-old Doreen. I put her on speaker, and her angry words filled the room. “If you cause any more trouble, that trip to the beach I promised you is off!” I glanced at the nineteen-year-old Doreen beside me. A gentle smile touched my lips, which only made her spectral face contort with anger. “How can she talk to you like that! How dare she!” The younger her was shaking with rage. The older her was cold as ice. “Feeling bold, are we, Noah? You have a woman with you now? Get yourself to the Aether Tower in the next thirty minutes, or else…” The nineteen-year-old Doreen abruptly hung up the phone for her. I just said, my voice soft, “That’s the first chance, Doreen.” I wasn’t sure if I was saying it to her, or to myself. It took me forty minutes to get to the Aether Tower. The traffic around the skyscraper, the monument to her success, was gridlocked. When I finally reached her penthouse office and pushed open the door, her voice snapped at me instantly. “Noah, I warned you. Be here in thirty minutes. And now…” “Yes.” I cut her off, my voice flat, and casually sat down on the sofa. Her assistant, Finn, was also in the office. His head was bowed, his eyes were red, and he was clutching his left wrist. My indifferent attitude seemed to provoke Doreen further. She slammed her hand on the desk. “Noah, what is this attitude? Are you still refusing to admit you were wrong?” Before I could speak, Finn did. “It’s okay, Doreen. It was just a watch. It’s not Noah’s fault.” His words only made her angrier. She suppressed her fury, turning to him with a gentle, soothing voice. “What do you mean it’s not his fault? He’s so petty he’d steal the birthday present I gave you. Don’t worry, I won’t take his side.” She whipped her head back to me, her tone turning sharp as a razor. “Noah, I’m giving you one last chance. Give the watch back to Finn.” This had happened countless times. Finn would frame me, and no matter how I explained, it was useless. The Doreen who had once trusted me unconditionally now only suspected me unconditionally. I was done arguing. I stood up, unclasped the worn watch from my wrist, and tossed it lightly at Finn’s feet. The act made both Doreens—the past and the present—speak at once. The nineteen-year-old cried, “Noah, I’m begging you, please… don’t do this.” But the twenty-seven-year-old’s eyes were bloodshot, her rage finally boiling over. “Noah! Have I been too good to you?!” 2 The watch lying at her feet was the only one I owned. She had given it to me after she landed her first real role. It was just a supporting part, but we had been ecstatic for weeks. After filming wrapped, she used her meager salary to buy me that two-thousand-dollar watch. I never wore another one after that day. I still remember how she placed it in my hand, her own hand trembling, her eyes red with what felt like guilt for not being able to give me more. “Noah,” she had whispered, “this is all I have right now. When I make it big, I swear I’ll buy you the one you’ve always wanted.” And she did buy that watch eventually. She just didn’t give it to me. She gave it to Finn. I turned to leave, too tired for this. “You—!” the older Doreen sputtered, speechless with rage. Finn, however, was quick to console her. “Doreen, calm down. Maybe the birthday present you gave me was really important to Noah. If that’s the case, then it was my fault. It’s only natural he’d send someone to take it back. Don’t blame him. I’ll be fine.” His voice dropped. “Besides, no one’s ever celebrated my birthday with me before. Just having you there was enough. The gift doesn’t matter.” His words calmed Doreen’s ragged breathing. She managed to give me a slightly less hostile look. “Noah, give Finn back his watch. I’ll buy you a better one later.” “No, thank you. The one on the floor, and any you might buy in the future… I don’t want them.” With those cold words, I strode out of the office. But the nineteen-year-old Doreen rushed up and clung to my arm. “Noah, Noah, don’t… can we get the watch back? Please? I gave that to you.” Her eyes were red, but her tone was hesitant, as if she were afraid of making me angry. I looked at her fresh, beautiful face, and my heart softened. “Alright. But this is the second chance. Are you sure you want to use it?” She nodded without a moment’s hesitation. I gently stroked her hair and turned back from the elevator. I pushed the office door open again, only to find a scene that made the nineteen-year-old Doreen’s spirit rage. Finn had Doreen in his arms, whispering intimately in her ear. They sprang apart the moment I entered. “Noah, when did you become so rude? Don’t you know to knock before entering someone’s office?” I shot her a cool glance and walked straight toward them, bending down to retrieve the watch. But Finn subtly stepped on the watchband, pinning it to the floor. I had no choice but to stand up again. Finn looked at me, his eyes downcast. “Noah, I was just comforting Doreen because she was so upset. Please don’t be angry.” Seeing Finn play the victim again, the older Doreen couldn’t hold back. “Noah, look at yourself. What have you become? Finn is so understanding, yet you torment him again and again. Apologize to him.” I ignored her, my eyes locked on Finn, my own anger barely contained. “Could you please move?” He pretended not to hear. “Noah, I really didn’t mean anything by it.” Doreen grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at her. “Apologize to Finn.” I looked at her furious face, then turned my head slightly to look at the ghost beside me. She was frozen, silent tears streaming down her face. My heart ached for her. The anger inside me dissipated. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. 3 “Oh, Noah, you don’t have to do that, really.” Finn took a cautious step back, but I saw the flicker of a triumphant smile on his lips. I ignored whatever else Doreen was saying, bent down, picked up the battered watch, and left the office. On the way out of the Aether Tower, the nineteen-year-old Doreen was sobbing, apologizing to me over and over. I stroked her head. “It’s okay, Doreen. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I looked at her lovely face and asked gently, “Do you know what tomorrow is?” She looked at me blankly, then glanced at the date on the car’s display. A blush crept up her cheeks, and her expression turned to one of excitement. “It’s the day you’re going to propose to me.” Yes. Six years ago, on our first anniversary, I had made her a promise. Whether we were rich or poor, on Valentine’s Day six years from then, I would propose to her on the beach. “That’s my girl. So, will you come with me tomorrow?” My voice was gentle. Her nineteen-year-old eyes were filled with stars as she looked at me. Then, as if she’d made a momentous decision, she told me a secret. “Noah, do you know why I know about the future?” “The night you told me you loved me, I made a wish on a shooting star. I wished to see our future. But I wasn’t allowed to remember it… until midnight tomorrow. Then, I’ll remember everything I saw.” A single tear rolled down her spectral cheek. “So tomorrow night… she will regret it.” But none of us could have predicted how it would play out. The twenty-seven-year-old Doreen did appear on the beach. She just wasn’t there for our date. “Noah, you’ve been spying on me? You followed me all the way here? Fine. You’re really something else!” The beach where I had planned to propose was now covered in roses, with elaborate fireworks set up behind them. And in the center of it all stood the twenty-seven-year-old Doreen, her hand still firmly clasped in Finn’s, even as she looked at me. “The three chances are used up, Doreen,” I murmured. Beside me, the nineteen-year-old Doreen grabbed my arm, her voice desperate. “Noah, Noah, don’t. Maybe she prepared this for you. Let’s just go see, please?” Her voice was almost a beg. But the older Doreen’s voice was like ice. “Noah, get over here!” I gave my ghostly companion a gentle look, then walked toward them. “Noah! What more do you want?” Doreen snapped the moment I was close. “You stole Finn’s watch, and I let it go. Now I’m trying to make it up to him with a fireworks display, and you want to ruin this too?” I shrugged. “Not at all. I’m here to enjoy the fireworks. If you don’t mind, I’ll just take a seat.” My casual demeanor seemed to stun her into silence. I paid her no more mind, taking the sobbing nineteen-year-old Doreen by the hand and leading her to a spot on the sand. I tried to comfort her, but her tears wouldn’t stop. Seeing that I wasn’t going to cause a scene, the older Doreen relaxed. She and Finn began to openly embrace, whispering and laughing together, completely ignoring me. I felt nothing. I just held the nineteen-year-old Doreen’s cold, small hand. As the hours passed and night deepened, just as Valentine’s Day was about to end, the fireworks shot into the sky. Beneath the explosions of light and color, I took the ring I had prepared from my pocket. I knelt on one knee before the nineteen-year-old Doreen and said softly, “Doreen, will you marry me?” She covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. “You… you still want to marry me?” “Of course. I will always love the you that is here right now.” I looked into her eyes, sincere and devoted. The starlight in them was the love of my life. After a long moment, she nodded emphatically and held out her left hand. “Noah, I do. I do.” I smiled, my heart full, and gently took her hand. But just as I was about to slip the ring onto her finger, the clock struck midnight. The nineteen-year-old Doreen dissolved into motes of starlight, vanishing completely before my eyes. The tears I had been holding back finally fell. “Goodbye, my love.” At that moment, a man’s voice, sharp and unwelcome, spoke from behind me. “Doreen, look at him. Poor Noah looks so pathetic, all alone. Who is he even proposing to? I guess I’m the lucky one, having you by my side.” I turned. At some point, Finn had led Doreen to stand behind me. From an angle she couldn’t see, his face was a mask of pure mockery. But Doreen… Doreen was weeping, her face awash with tears.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393015”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel