For ten years, I risked my life for Jaxon Aldridge.

And the moment he regained control of the Aldridge family, he threw me into prison, making me take the fall for him without a second thought.

I had once trudged through snowstorms to heal his shattered legs, carried him through a storm of bullets, and stayed up countless nights, nursing him through every fever and wound.

After I was released, he held the woman he truly loved in his arms and looked at me with cold detachment.

"Didn’t you always say you’d do anything for me?"

"Then marry a man in a coma for Arabelle’s sake."

Everyone mocked me for wasting a decade of my life on him.

But none of them knew. My ten years of silent endurance were never for him.

They were for the one I truly loved, my fiancé, the one I was determined to bring back from the brink of death.

Outside a quiet chapel, I knelt in the cold, pleading with God for one last miracle.

I vowed to repay the world with a hundred good deeds if only He would give me one thing: his life.

Once I have signed that final contract, I will fulfill the last task.

I would leave without hesitation and never look back.

1

“Prisoner 9527, you’re free to go.”

The prison gates creaked open, and the blinding sunlight pierced my eyes like a blade. For a moment, I felt like a ghost stumbling back into the land of the living.

Right then, a message popped up on my phone.

My former fiancé, Callum Drayton, was beginning to regain consciousness.

The moment I read those words, my vision blurred. Tears streamed down my face before I could stop them.

I hadn’t shed a single tear during the false charges, the beatings, or the suffocating solitude behind bars.

But that message cracked me open.

This was the moment I had waited for, for what felt like an eternity.

Ten years ago, Callum had been in a tragic car crash the night before our wedding. He had slipped into a coma, and the man I loved became a silent shell.

In desperation, I had knelt in a chapel for ninety-nine days straight. The priest, moved by my devotion, told me God had sent a message.

Complete one hundred acts of penance with the right people, and your lover will return.

That became my miracle, my one purpose: to bring Callum back to life.

For ten years, I gave everything to Jaxon. No pride. No limits. I did everything he asked without question.

Three years ago, in his ruthless quest to become the Aldridge heir, he used corporate espionage to destroy his competitor.

And like every man with power, he already had a scapegoat in mind.

That night, he texted me. My stomach hurts.

Worried, I hurried to the estate with warm soup in hand.

But the moment I stepped inside, the lights went out, and a pair of hands shoved me hard to the ground.

“So it’s you! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?!”

When the lights flickered back on, the room was packed with police, prosecutors, company executives, and Jaxon. He stood across from me, his expression cold and void of anything human.

“It was her. She stole our company’s secrets.”

A policeman stepped forward. “Liora Whitmore, we have concrete evidence. Do you confess?”

This was my 98th deed, only two steps away from the end.

I smiled and answered clearly, “I confess.”

I was sentenced to three years. No one came. Not a single visit. The guards and staff treated me like trash, like something rotting behind bars.

“They say she’s the reason the Aldridge family lost millions.”

“She even dragged Jaxon’s name through the mud. Disgusting woman.”

To the world, I was nothing but a criminal. I walked out bitterly, no one waiting, no taxi in sight. So I walked, legs trembling, dragging my weary soul toward the Aldridge estate.

After a long journey, I arrived. The entrance was covered in white roses. A red carpet stretched down the path like something out of a dream.

Luxury cars gleamed under the sun.

A grand banner fluttered in the wind: [Welcome back, Miss!]

For a brief, foolish second, I thought it was for me.

But then a voice, cold as frost, cut through the illusion.

“Liora, did you forget your place? These flowers aren’t for your filthy hands.”

Jaxon stood behind me, distant, untouchable.

And just then, a delicate girl ran into his arms.

Clad in an elegant gown, it was Arabelle. The heroine of this story. Jaxon’s so-called first love.

She had left him for a wealthier man. But the moment he rose to power, she came back.

So, this whole event wasn’t for me; it was for her return.

Inside the estate, I instantly felt how wrong I looked, wrapped in tattered prison clothes that didn’t belong in a world of luxury.

Hunger gnawed at me; I hadn’t had a proper meal in years.

I reached for a slice of cake, but someone smacked it out of my hand and crushed it beneath their heel.

A group of rich brats burst into laughter.

One of them shoved my head to the floor. “This is where you belong; lick it clean.”

I struggled against them. The noise caught Jaxon’s attention.

Arabelle spotted me and spoke sweetly, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “This is the friend who just got out of prison?”

All eyes turned toward me, humiliation burning my skin as I remained pinned to the floor.

Then Arabelle knelt and pulled me up, gently wiping the cream from my cheek.

“Be grateful, okay? Jaxon, let you come back.”

Jaxon handed me a document. “Sign this. Marry someone in Arabelle’s place. Repay your debt.”

It was a marriage contract to wed a man in a coma.

Sneers echoed around me.

“They’ll probably substitute a rooster for the groom.”

“She’s marrying into the Montgomery family. Every bride there ends up dead.”

Jaxon looked torn. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to…”

“I’ll do it.”

I cut him off, just as calm as I had been when I fell for him all those years ago.

He stared at me, stunned. “You’re willing?”

I met his gaze without flinching. “This is what you wanted, right? Is this the final thing I need to do for you?”

Sensing his hesitation, Arabelle leaned into him.

“Jaxon, are you going soft?”

That snapped him out of it. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’d never let Arabelle marry someone like that.”

She smiled victorious.

I picked up the pen and signed my name.

When I didn’t even hesitate, he tried to soften the blow.

“I’ll treat you well this week. If you want, you can sleep in my bed.”

Then came the knife beneath the sugar.

“But we won’t have kids. I’ll never father a child that isn’t Arabelle’s.”

I didn’t respond. A strange calm settled over me.

After this last task, in seven days, I would finally be free.

After signing the paper, I stood up, only to be hit by a sudden wave of dizziness. Years of malnutrition in prison had left me with severe hypoglycemia. My body gave way, collapsing forward uncontrollably.

Then, a pair of arms caught me. I was lifted gently, cradled horizontally, and placed on the sofa. Moments later, the sweet taste of honey water touched the corner of my lips.

With each spoonful, the haze slowly lifted. My vision steadied. The face before me blurred and shimmered through my tears.

Once upon a time, Callum had cared for me just like this.

Ten long years. So many grievances were swallowed, and so much pain endured. Through it all, the one belief that had kept me going was seeing him again.

If bringing Callum back meant throwing myself into the fire, I would do it without hesitation.

Still drifting in memory, I barely realized when I woke again, only to feel a hard shove. Jaxon had pushed me away.

Caught off guard, I hit the floor, the back of my head slamming hard. Pain pulsed through my skull as I clutched it.

His cold voice rang out above me.

“Don’t flatter yourself. This was just compensation.”

Murmurs rippled through the guests nearby.

“Give her a drop of kindness, and she wants to drown in it. Bootlickers are all the same.”

“Young Master Jaxon is too soft. She’s already clinging to his leg like a leech. Disgusting.”

“Young Master Jaxon, don’t bother with someone like her. She’s marrying into the Montgomery family, right? Just let them take her already.”

I struggled to my feet, breath shallow and hands shaking. Just as I braced myself, Arabelle sauntered over.

In a swift, hidden move, when no one was looking, her stiletto heel crushed down on my hand.

A sharp cry escaped me as pain ripped through my fingers. I jerked my hand back, blood already pooling beneath my palm.

But before I could react further, Arabelle suddenly stumbled backward in a dramatic arc right into the towering stack of wine glasses.

The crash was deafening.

Glass shattered. Red wine splashed everywhere. The entire hall seemed to freeze.

“Arabelle!” Jaxon’s voice rang out in panic as he rushed to her side, lifting her from the jagged mess of broken crystal.

Her white gown was drenched in red, the stains vivid and jarring, like blood blooming through silk.

“Arabelle! Are you alright? Say something!” Jaxon’s hands trembled as he brushed the tears from her face. “Someone, call an ambulance! Now!”

But Arabelle didn’t speak to him. Her tear-brimmed eyes were locked on me.

My hand throbbed, bleeding from where her heel had torn skin. But over the noise and chaos, I heard her soft, trembling voice.

“Liora, why did you push me? Didn’t you already agree to marry into the Montgomery family?”

Her voice cracked, perfectly timed, as a tear rolled down her cheek. “You must still hate me. You smiled and acted generously, but deep down, you still wanted revenge.”

The room went still. A suffocating silence swallowed the air.

Arabelle’s best friend was the first to charge over and slap me hard across the face.

“I knew you had bad intentions! You faked fainting just to win pity, didn’t you? So Jaxon wouldn’t send you to the Montgomery family?”

Suddenly, the entire banquet hall turned into a storm of righteous fury. People grabbed whatever they could reach, pastries, glasses, scraps, and hurled them at me without mercy.

Cream and cake splattered across my body. I crouched in shame, trembling, clutching my injuries as laughter and scorn rained down like knives.

Then, a pair of leather shoes came into view, cold, polished, and unforgiving. They stopped in front of me.

Jaxon stepped forward and lifted his foot, then slammed it down on my head.

His sole ground into my scalp, forcing my head low until my cheek smeared against the sticky cream on the floor. The humiliation was bone-deep, unbearable.

“You actually dared to hurt Arabelle? You’ve got some nerve. Did you think gaining my sympathy meant you could stay? Dream on. Get out. From this day on, there’s nothing between us!”

He pulled his foot away. I gritted my teeth against the pain and slowly stood, staring him down. My voice was steady, each word sharp and final. “Fine, as you wish. From now on, we are completely done.”

As long as I could marry that vegetative man and bring Callum back, I could vanish from this cruel world. I no longer needed to trail behind Jaxon, scraping for scraps. I was finally free, and I could walk away whenever I pleased.

Jaxon looked stunned as if he couldn’t believe I had the nerve to talk back. Then he sneered coldly. “I’d like to see how long that stubborn mouth of yours lasts. Don’t come crying to me later, begging me to take you back!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve promised to marry into the Montgomery family. I won’t go back on my word. I won’t pester you again.”

Without another glance, I turned on my heel and pushed open the Aldridge family’s doors under the weight of countless gazes.

I walked out, head held high, not once looking back.

Mocking voices rang behind me like sharp thorns:

“Leave her! Let her go! She dared to hurt Sister Arabelle; breaking her legs would be doing her a favor.”

“Young Master Jaxon, don’t worry. She’ll be back, crying within three days.”

But as I stepped into the sunlight, the world ahead seemed to shimmer. I thought of Callum’s warm smile, and for the first time in a long while, my eyes filled with hope.

This time, I didn’t need to look back.

Callum, once I finished this final task, we’d meet again.

The pain from the wounds on my forehead and hand flared up with each step as I left the Aldridge estate. I gritted my teeth, the blood staining my skin, but I didn’t stop. I had to go to the hospital.

The nurse took one look at me, bruised and battered, and then glanced toward a distant, luxurious ward, shaking her head.

“Comparisons will kill you,” she muttered.

Following her gaze, I saw Arabelle had also arrived. The doctor was removing glass shards from her skin. She had gone all out to frame me, willing to sacrifice her own flesh to see me suffer.

Each time the doctor touched her, Arabelle’s soft cries filled the air, and she clung to Jaxon as if they were the only two people in the world. Their affection for each other was sickening to watch.

The nurse pressed alcohol onto my wounds, the sting sharp enough to make me flinch. My hand, where Arabelle’s heel had stomped, was raw; a deep gash and ugly purple bruises marked the spot, a clear sign of her intent to destroy me.

Once my wounds were bandaged, I grabbed the bill and turned to leave. But as I rounded the corner, I ran straight into Arabelle.

Jaxon wasn’t around. Arabelle immediately dropped the act, crossing her arms and eyeing me with a mocking smile.

“How does it feel to be kicked out of the Aldridge family? Doesn’t feel so great, does it?”

Her words were hollow, like an echo that meant nothing to me. The truth was, the only two real consequences of leaving the Aldridge family were the lack of food and nowhere to sleep. She still thought I cared about Jaxon and still believed I was clinging to him.

I ignored her, trying to walk past, but she stepped forward, blocking my way. I frowned, meeting her gaze.

“Miss Kingsley, since I’m no longer part of the Aldridge family if you keep this up, things might get ugly.”

Arabelle sneered.

“Stop pretending. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re really up to. You’re acting like you’re leaving just so Jaxon will come after you, right? You think playing hard to get will get you back in his bed?”

I knew full well that Arabelle had the power to cancel the arranged marriage with the Montgomery family. To ensure the marriage went through and I could complete my final task, I didn’t dare provoke her. All I could do was grit my teeth and bear it patiently.

“So, what exactly do you want?”

“What do I want? I want you completely out of Jaxon’s life.”

“He only loves you. Besides, I’ve already agreed to marry into the Montgomery family. I won’t interfere with you.”

“That’s not enough…”

Arabelle’s eyes gleamed as she pulled out an invitation. She handed it to me, and I saw it was an invitation to her and Jaxon’s engagement party.

“Jaxon and I are getting engaged soon. I want you to come to our engagement banquet. I want you to see it with your own eyes. I want you to give up completely.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want to go. I’ve got other things to do.”

Clearly expecting my refusal, Arabelle wasn’t surprised. She asked, “So you don’t want your diamond pendant either?”

I froze. “My diamond pendant is with you?”

A smug smile crossed her face. “Of course. Jaxon saw I liked it and gave it to me while you were serving your sentence.”

My vision blurred, and my heart sank. That diamond pendant had been handcrafted for me by Callum. It wasn’t worth much, but it held his heartfelt intentions.

Before leaving, Arabelle’s voice was cold, almost a warning. “If you don’t come, I won’t give you the pendant.”

I sighed. It seemed I had no choice but to attend the engagement party.

On the day of the engagement, the banquet was filled with the city’s elite, a grand and bustling event. I arrived late, hoping to slip in unnoticed, but Arabelle spotted me right away and called out my name loudly.

Countless eyes turned toward me, all eager for the spectacle. I knew I was the one who shouldn’t be there.

Jaxon walked through the crowd toward me, his face cold as ice.

“What happened to your pride? Weren’t you all tough and proud yesterday? Regretting it now?”

“I knew you couldn’t live without me. What dirty tricks are you playing this time? I’m warning you, I won’t let you ruin my engagement!”

Arabelle, dressed elegantly in her noble engagement gown, walked gracefully over and stood close to Jaxon.

“Liora, you came too? Could it be you still can’t forget Jaxon?”

It seemed Arabelle hadn’t told Jaxon why I was there. Before I could say anything, she teared up.

“Jaxon, it looks like Liora really does love you. Maybe I should give you up to her.”

She reached for the necklace around her neck. Only then did I see the diamond pendant Callum had given me.

“Arabelle!” Jaxon shouted, his voice filled with panic. “I only love you. To me, she’s not even worth a dog.”

“Get lost!”

“But my diamond pendant…”

I tried to explain, but the guests quickly surrounded Arabelle to shield her.

“The parasite’s back? Didn’t she push Arabelle last time? What’s she up to now?”

“Just go die already, you disgusting trash. Can’t you stop ruining things for them?”

Amid the crowd’s harsh words, Arabelle looked at me smugly. It hit me: I had fallen into her trap once more. She never intended to return the diamond pendant. Her real plan was to invite me here to humiliate me.

I looked at the diamond pendant hanging from her neck. I couldn’t let Callum’s gift fall into someone else’s hands.

I pulled a gift box from my bag, looking at Jaxon sincerely.

“I’m not here to ruin your wedding. This is premium ginseng; I wish you both a long and happy life.”

“And I hope you can return the diamond pendant to me. Let me keep it as a memento.”

Jaxon stared at me, taken aback. He hadn’t expected that, even after he’d discarded me like trash, I still cared about his health at his engagement to another woman.

After a long silence and under the stunned eyes of the crowd, he accepted the gift box. His gaze flicked to the pendant on Arabelle’s chest, then he nodded.

“Fine. I’ll agree.”

With my goal accomplished, I quietly retreated into the shadows. My gaze fixed on Jaxon as he pulled Arabelle close and kissed her tenderly.

As the engagement came to an end, I made my way toward the exit, intent on slipping away unnoticed, when suddenly Arabelle called out from the stage.

“My diamond ring is missing.”

A ripple of panic spread through the crowd. I didn’t want to stir up any more trouble, so I headed for the door, but a security guard suddenly stepped in front of me.

“Miss, may I check your bag?”

Before I could respond, the guard yanked my bag open, and a diamond ring slipped out, clinking onto the floor.