Elena Carter turned around and found Damian Shaw already changed into loungewear, his sharp aura diminished quite a bit.

“Uncle Damian.” She looked a little nervous. “I just came to say goodbye. It’s getting late—I should head home.”

For a moment, the man said nothing. Then he finally gave a slow nod.

“Mm. The driver is already waiting outside.”

He turned to head back toward the study, but Elena quickly stopped him.

“Wait!” She looked at his halted steps, her fingers twisting together as she hesitated for a long time before speaking.

“About what happened today... may I trouble you to keep it a secret?”

Whether it was her nearly being assaulted or the organ donation agreement almost stolen, once Adrian Shaw heard any of it, his suspicion would certainly be aroused.

Damian tilted his head slightly toward her. Under the light, his striking features looked almost unreal, too handsome for this world—yet also made it impossible to read his emotions.

With her heart pounding, Elena finally heard his calm reply:

“I’ve never had the hobby of prying into other people’s privacy.”

That was his way of agreeing.

Elena let out a long breath of relief, quickly thanked him, and, not daring to disturb him further, gathered her things and left in the waiting car.

Damian stood in the hallway for a while, listening as the sound of the car faded away, before turning back inside.

It was indeed late. He rubbed his sore forehead and returned to the master bedroom to wash up.

The bathroom, freshly used, still held steam and a faint fragrance that teased at his senses. Damian frowned, his eyes sweeping the room—then suddenly froze.

In the corner lay something left behind by the previous user: white, trimmed with lace, still carrying a lingering scent. The image it conjured came all too easily.

Damian stared quietly at it, his expression darkening.

…

Meanwhile, Elena dozed in the back seat of the car. Halfway through her rest, a sudden realization jolted her awake, her eyes flying wide.

She—she had left her lingerie at Damian’s place.

If he saw it…

Her face flushed hot with shame, and she wished she could fly back instantly to destroy the evidence. But that was impossible now. All she could do was pray Damian wouldn’t react.

Still flustered, Elena returned home—only to find Adrian Shaw and Vivian Cole sitting together on the living room sofa.

The moment he saw her, Adrian rushed over.

“Where were you this afternoon?” His brows knit tight, a hidden worry flickering in his eyes that no one else noticed.

But Elena had already lost all faith in him and didn’t even want to answer.

Instead, Vivian stepped forward, her voice gentle.

“Adrian, don’t worry so much. Elena’s back safe and sound. Clearly nothing bad happened.”

Adrian instinctively scanned Elena up and down, finding nothing out of place. His anxiety dissipated into irritation.

“Vivian and I are just ordinary friends. There’s nothing sordid between us. Even if you’re jealous, there’s no need to put on such dramatic displays!”

He had actually rushed straight from Memorial Hospital out of concern for her—yet here she was, acting unreasonable.

Vivian chimed in sweetly, “That’s right, Elena. If you really don’t want us spending time together, you could’ve just said so. I can keep my distance from Adrian if that makes you more comfortable.”

Their duet of false concern only made Elena sneer inwardly.

She gave Vivian a mocking look.

“No need. If I were you, I’d enjoy these days of being flattered by both sides while I still can. Because later... you may not get the chance.”

Vivian’s face shifted at Elena’s veiled words. Clearly, Elena must have uncovered something about that year’s events.

Vivian bit her lip hard. Those two useless people had sworn they’d handle it when they took the money—yet vanished without a trace.

Adrian instinctively defended her.

“Elena Carter! Must you always go this far?”

Vivian seized the moment to look pitiful.

“Elena, do you really hate me that much? Is it because I spend too much time with Adrian?” She cast a reluctant glance at him. “If that’s the case, then I’ll cut ties with him.”

She pressed her hands to her face and ran out, feigning heartbreak.

“Vivian!” Adrian immediately chased after her.

Elena watched their little performance with cold disdain, then simply turned and went back to her room.

After a day like this, exhaustion overwhelmed her. She soon fell into a deep sleep—until the next morning, when the shrill ring of the phone roused her. She forced her eyes open.

“Hello?”

“Miss Carter,” came the urgent voice on the other end. “Your father was involved in a prison brawl yesterday. The incident is serious—it may lead to additional sentencing.”

“What?!”

In an instant, Elena’s foggy mind snapped awake.

She shot upright in bed, urgently pressing for details. But the caller’s answers were vague—advising only that she quickly find a lawyer or prepare money for bail negotiations.

Elena steadied herself, hung up, and counted the cash she had. Only about fifty thousand remained.

In the years of her marriage to Adrian, he had seemed attentive in every way—constantly gifting her jewelry, clothes, and luxuries so she never had to worry about material needs.

But now, thinking back, he had never given her any actual financial control. She had no idea about his salary, their savings, or Shaw Corporation’s operations. Her daily expenses came only from her own hospital salary.

She had even used much of her earnings to buy reciprocal gifts for Adrian. Though her gifts were modest compared to his, they at least carried sincerity. Yet those tokens always ended up shoved aside, forgotten.

Now, desperate, Elena gathered all of Adrian’s past gifts and took them to a luxury resale boutique, hoping to sell them. But after a glance, the manager’s expression turned awkward.

“Sorry, ma’am. These are all just accessory pieces—we can’t take them.”

Elena’s fingers trembled. She had suspected as much.

Lowering her gaze, she asked evenly, “Could you at least tell me where the genuine pieces are?”

The manager, seasoned from years of clientele, gave a practiced smile.

“I’m afraid that’s private client information. We can’t disclose it.”

The harsh light glared across the glass counter, stabbing at her eyes. Elena swayed slightly, dizzy. Still, she managed to ask,

“Then… what collection do these belong to?”

“These are from our Summer Limited ‘Stars & Moon’ series,” the manager explained with enthusiasm. “The highlight is the ‘Moon & Stars’ necklace, featuring a 5.21-carat pink diamond symbolizing ‘I love you.’ The necklace you brought in is ‘Starlight,’ meant to accompany the Moon & Stars piece—together, a romantic blessing.”

He continued describing the other items, his words blurring into meaningless noise as Elena’s ears rang. The voices around her felt muffled, yet deafening, filling her skull.

“Mr. Shaw must adore her… to gift jewelry worth tens of millions so casually…”

So it was true. Adrian valued Vivian Cole far more than she ever imagined—while degrading Elena in ways she hadn’t even realized.

Staggering, she left the counter and went home, only to find Adrian walking quickly toward her.

“Elena, where did you go?” he asked, though his eyes darted nervously to the boxes in her hands.

Feigning calm, he pressed, “Why did you take so many pieces of jewelry out?”

Elena steadied her gaze on him.

“You look… nervous.”

His pupils shrank, then he forced a smile.

“Of course I am. These pieces mark our love. If they got lost, even buying them again wouldn’t be the same.”

He pulled her into his arms, voice soft, almost playful.

“Don’t you care about them too?”

So close, his warm breath dampened her neck—sticky, suffocating, making her stomach turn.

Without a flinch, she eased away.

“I thought about donating them for charity, but the staff told me they’re all fakes.”

“Adrian, how do you explain that?”

His grip tightened, then he scowled.

“Impossible. I bought these myself. They must’ve lied, trying to trick you. Forget the donation—I’ll handle it. You just keep wearing them.”

He brightened suddenly.

“By the way, I noticed your neck was bare. Tomorrow, I’ll buy you a new necklace.”

His obsidian eyes sparkled with devotion, as though she was his entire world.

Once, Elena would have felt blessed. Now she felt only cold irony.

A new necklace? No doubt just another “accessory.”

“…Fine,” she murmured, expression flat as she lowered her gaze.

With no money from reselling jewelry, Elena had to find another way.

Since the Carter family’s downfall, her so-called friends had scattered. Years of Adrian’s manipulation had further cut her off from outside contacts. She had no one to turn to.

She tried asking colleagues at Memorial Hospital for loans, but the amount scared them off. Only one fellow doctor she was close to transferred her twenty thousand.

“I don’t have much either, but take this for now. If it’s not enough, I’ll think of something else.”

Elena Carter thanked her, but staring at the meager sum that could barely solve anything, she was forced to part with the relic her mother had left behind.

It was an antique emerald bracelet, a keepsake her father had once given her mother when they got engaged.

It wasn’t particularly expensive, but after years of careful preservation, its luster still shone. Elena took it to a pawn shop in Los Angeles and managed to exchange it for half a million dollars. The amount wasn’t high, but it was enough to put out the immediate fire.

As fate would have it, the bracelet barely entered the shop before it fell into Nathan Quinn’s hands.

Nathan was the sole heir of the Quinn family, holding a cushy position at the Shaw Corporation with little real responsibility. He often wandered outside when he had nothing to do, and with his grandmother’s birthday approaching, he was hunting for a suitable gift.

The moment Nathan saw the bracelet, he knew it wasn’t a top-grade piece, but years of being handled had imbued it with warmth. He liked it instantly and bought it without hesitation.

Carrying the box with pride, Nathan rushed to Damian Shaw.

“Damian, I finally solved a big problem today.” He presented the bracelet as if it were a treasure. “Take a look—my grandmother has every luxury already, but she has a soft spot for pieces like this.”

Damian glanced indifferently at first. But when his eyes fell on the emerald bracelet resting in the cedar box, his gaze sharpened.

“Where did you get this?” he asked.

Nathan replied casually, “Ran into it at a pawn shop—lucky find. The owner said the seller had just left.”

Damian’s brows knitted. He remembered seeing this bracelet on Mrs. Carter’s wrist at social galas. What could have driven Elena to sell her late mother’s keepsake?

“Damian? Earth to you?” Nathan waved a hand in front of his face.

Snapping back, Damian suddenly reached out and took the bracelet.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“I want it. Ryan Linwood will wire you the money later.”

Nathan flared up. “No way! If you take it, what am I supposed to give Grandma?”

“Thirty million,” Damian said flatly.

“Deal!” Nathan agreed in a heartbeat. He had paid only a million for it—turning that into thirty million was a windfall. With that kind of money, he could buy countless other gifts.

Still grinning, Nathan leaned closer. “So… who’s the lucky girl? You never spend on women. Don’t tell me this is—”

Damian’s expression turned icy. “If you’ve got time for gossip, go help the cats in your backyard give birth.”

Instead of backing off, Nathan grew more curious. Damian hadn’t denied it—so this was for a woman. And he had been completely kept in the dark.

“You’re really holding out on me, I—”

“Another word, and I cut the amount in half.”

“I—”

“Five hundred.”

“I’m leaving now!” Nathan bolted before his payday shrank again, vanishing from the office in seconds.

Once alone, Damian traced the bracelet with his thumb and sent a message to his secretary, Ryan. “Check into her situation recently.”

“Understood.”

With the money in hand, Elena rushed to smooth things over with the family she had offended, offering apologies and compensation until they finally relented.

Once that was settled, she wanted to visit her father.

He had been in prison for years, and she hadn’t seen him in so long.

But after waiting outside for hours, all she received was the message that her father refused to see her. Disappointed, she could only ask the guards to look after him.

When she returned home, her mood was heavy.

She didn’t notice Adrian Shaw come in until his arms wrapped around her from behind.

“Elena, what are you thinking about?” he murmured, placing a velvet box in her hands. “I brought you a gift. Open it, see if you like it.”

Everything he gave her was whatever Vivian Cole had discarded. How could she feel joy?

Elena forced a faint smile. “Leave it here. I’ll look at it later.”

“Alright.” Adrian circled around to face her. “Actually, I need to tell you something. Tomorrow is Vivian’s birthday. You’ll come with me.”

Elena frowned. “I don’t want to go.”

“You’re still holding on to that incident?” Adrian’s tone hardened. “You never used to be so petty. Vivian didn’t even blame you for injuring her, and you’re still upset?”

Elena’s heart chilled.

“I—”

Before she could explain, Adrian cut her off. “Vivian specifically invited you. Don’t keep making a scene. She’ll apologize. Don’t be difficult—just come with me tomorrow.”

Elena lifted her eyes to the man in front of her—her husband. No, a demon wearing a man’s mask.

She laughed bitterly, then looked away. “Fine.”