The pain in her heart and the physical agony struck Savannah together, the crushing weight in her chest making it hard to breathe.

She curled tightly into herself, tears slipping uncontrollably from her eyes, hitting the ground with soft splashes, broken sobs escaping her throat.

Just then, her phone rang twice, the screen flashing Rafael’s name.

Rafael’s low, composed voice came through the line.

"Have you made up your mind? Come to my company, marry me and afterward, I’ll help you clear all your debts."

Savannah gritted her teeth through the pain and forced out a single word. "Okay."

Rafael gave a soft chuckle.

"Good. I’ve already booked your flight for a week from now. Savannah, I’ll be waiting for you."

Savannah numbly hung up the call.

She couldn’t even remember how she made it home. When she woke up again, her phone had another message from Tessa.

[Guess what? He was so wild tonight; he wore me out until my legs gave out. Was he ever like that with you?]

A second message followed and a video from the bar showed Tessa’s flushed satisfied face.

Around them, coaxing and teasing filled the air.

"Tobias, you’re really lucky. Judging by when we left earlier, you had a great time."

"Of course! Tessa has a slim waist and long legs. Who wouldn’t be moved at the sight of her? I wonder, compared to Savannah, who feels better?"

"Is there even a need to ask? Of course, it’s Tessa! After all, Tobias’s heart only belongs to her."

After a few casual remarks, Tobias’s expression darkened again as if recalling something.

He didn’t bother to deny it, only laughed and cursed. "Hurry up and start the game."

The crowd teased a bit more, then pushed Tobias and Tessa into the center.

Tobias held a thin piece of white paper between his lips, needing to pass it to Tessa using only his mouth.

The distance between them was barely a fingertip, their breaths intertwining, creating a sticky, ambiguous atmosphere.

Tessa blushed shyly, not daring to move, but Tobias couldn’t hold back. He cupped the back of her head and kissed her fiercely, like a man starved.

The kiss deepened, Tobias’s Adam’s apple bobbing with restrained desire.

The cold white light from the phone screen illuminated Savannah’s face.

She didn’t dare watch any longer. With a sharp slap, she turned the phone face down on the table.

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she clutched the edge of the phone.

She had never seen Tobias so wild in a video, nor did she understand this hidden side of him.

The Tobias she knew used to blush just from holding hands, let alone kiss so expertly.

Thinking back now, those three years had been nothing but a performance carefully crafted to match the image she loved.

She had never truly seen the real Tobias.

The memory stung. Savannah closed her eyes, bitter sadness flooding her chest.

At that moment, she felt a sudden heat at her waist; strong hands pulled her into a tight hug from behind.

The familiar face from the earlier video appeared in front of her, eyes filled with something dangerous.

Tobias rested his head lightly against her shoulder, carrying the faint scent of unfamiliar perfume.

"What are you looking at?"

Savannah’s body stiffened in shock. She hadn’t realized Tobias had come into her home.

"How did you get in?"

She instinctively tried to push him away, but Tobias only held her tighter, his tone surprisingly soft.

"Savannah, did you forget? I’ve always had the keys to your house."

"I’m sorry about what happened yesterday. To make up for it, I’ve prepared a surprise."

Mentioning the surprise, Savannah’s tone was filled with sarcasm. "Tobias, I don’t need your surprises."

Facing her coldness, Tobias wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he placed a photo in front of her.

"Don’t rush to refuse. Take a look first. The surprise I want to give you is this. It’s an auction item from this afternoon. I asked around a lot. I’ll buy it for you."

With just one glance, Savannah froze.

The ring in the photo was her mother’s relic.

After she went bankrupt and fell into debt, her mother sold almost everything of value to help her.

Later, when the scandalous video of her and Tobias was exposed, her mother spent her days in constant worry until an accident took her life, leaving behind only a few treasured belongings.

Now, after so many twists and turns, Savannah never expected to see her mother’s relic again.

Even knowing Tobias’s sudden kindness must have hidden motives, Savannah didn’t hesitate.

She agreed to follow him to the auction.

But the moment she entered the venue, a bucket of cold water splashed down, drenching her from head to toe.

Her soaked clothes clung tightly to her skin, the icy fabric stabbing at her like thousands of needles.

Savannah gasped at the cold, brushed aside her dripping hair and saw a crowd gathered near the entrance, all wearing malicious smiles.

"Isn’t that Tobias’s ex-girlfriend? Still shamelessly pestering him."

"Yeah. I heard she dumped Tobias when he was broke and now she’s crawling back for money. Disgusting."

"Luckily, Tessa saved him. Their love is strong now. Tobias confessed to her ninety-nine times! That’s true devotion!"

"Look at her now, miserable and pitiful. So satisfying!"

Each mocking word stabbed into Savannah’s heart.

She felt like a rat surrounded by scorn and curses. She wanted to defend herself, but just then, she saw Tobias.

He walked right past her without a glance. Straight to Tessa.

In front of the crowd, he draped an arm around Tessa’s shoulders and kissed her softly, silently confirming every cruel rumor.

The words in Savannah’s throat turned to ashes.

She smiled self-deprecatingly, crushed the pain swelling inside her and quietly went to find a seat.

Because the first auction item displayed on stage was her mother’s relic.

Tobias hadn’t lied. And because of that, she couldn’t bring herself to leave.

The auction began. Without hesitation, Tobias raised the price to the maximum, offering no one else a chance to compete. His determination left the room silent.

When he won the bid, Savannah’s lips curved into a rare, fleeting smile.

As he retrieved the ring, she instinctively stepped forward, expecting it to be handed to her. But then, Tobias turned toward Tessa and knelt on one knee.

He looked up at her, eyes brimming with emotion.

"Tessa, without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Meeting you was the greatest blessing of my life."

"Will you marry me?"

Savannah felt as if lightning had struck her, the coldness spreading from her scalp down to her very bones.

That ring was her mother’s relic. If Tobias hadn’t released that sex video, her mother would still be alive.

And now, he was using that very relic to propose to Tessa.

She thought the worst part of the day had been the humiliation of being drenched in water. But she had been wrong; Tobias never intended to return the ring at all.

Grief surged through her like a tidal wave, threatening to consume her whole. Anger twisted with heartbreak and Savannah trembled uncontrollably.

Behind her, Tobias’s friends chuckled without mercy.

"This is the 97th time. That move never fails!"

"Did Savannah really think Tobias bought it for her? How naïve. The moment he saw that ring, he decided to propose to Tessa with it. I heard it’s her mother’s relic. How perfect for a proposal!"

"Look at her shaking. Is she about to cry?"

Her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood, yet she felt nothing.

Her eyes locked on the ring in Tobias’s hand, unable to look away.

In the next breath, her composure shattered. With tears brimming in her eyes, she lunged forward, trying to snatch it.

"Tobias, give me back the ring!"

But he was faster. Just as her fingers nearly grazed it, he jerked his hand away, clutching the ring even tighter.

The momentum sent Savannah crashing to the floor. Gasps and laughter echoed around her.

"Look at her, just like a drowned rat!"

"So filthy!”

Seeing this, Tessa leaned sweetly into Tobias’s arms, her voice laced with grievance.

"Tobias, why is she trying to steal my engagement ring? Is she planning to sell it for money? If she’s really that desperate, maybe we should just let her have it. You’ve already given me so many rings..."

The moment the word sell reached his ears, Tobias’s expression turned cold.

"That would be far too easy for her."

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the ring straight out the window.

It traced a perfect arc through the winter air before vanishing into a blanket of snow, swallowed whole by the cold.

"Savannah, since you want it that badly? Go find it. If you manage to dig it out, it’s yours."

Savannah froze. Her mind blanked for a second, then instinct took over.

She bolted outside and dropped to her knees in the snow, clawing desperately at the ground. Flakes clung to her cheeks, mixing with tears that burned hot against her frozen skin.

Her clothes soaked through almost instantly and the wind whipped across her body like cold blades, but she didn’t stop.

In no time, her hands turned bright red, numb from the biting cold, but she never stopped digging. Her mind held onto only one thought, the ring.

By the time Savannah finally found the ring, she didn’t even know how many hours had passed.

The moment her eyes landed on it, the string that had kept her heart wound tight finally snapped. She cradled the ring in her hands and tucked it away, desperate to leave this nightmare behind.

But just as she straightened up, a wave of dizziness crashed over her. Her vision blurred, the world spun and the next moment, everything faded into black as she collapsed backward.

***

When Savannah opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed. A doctor stood by her side, his expression serious.

Seeing her awake, he let out a faint sigh before delivering the blow.

"Miss Rossi, I’m sorry, but you’ve lost the baby."

Her breath caught. For a moment, she thought she misheard him.

"...Baby? What baby?"

The doctor furrowed his brows, surprised. "Miss Rossi, you didn’t know? You were already pregnant when you were brought in. By the time Mr. Duncan brought you here, your body was nearly frozen. We barely saved you, but we couldn’t save the child."

Pregnant? When had that happened?

She had forced Tobias to take precautions every single time.