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.

The appearance of the diamond ring felt like a death sentence, sealing my fate.

The banquet hall erupted in chaos, like boiling oil splashed by a drop of water. Guests rushed toward me, hurling wine and food in my direction.

“She’s a thief!”

“Don’t let her escape!”

“I knew she came with bad intentions; how dare she steal the diamond ring!”

Security guards swarmed and pinned me to the ground. My face was pressed harshly against the floor, like a fish caught on a chopping board, helpless and at their mercy.

Somehow, Arabelle’s engagement ring ended up in my bag. I looked up and caught sight of a waiter quickly slipping away. It dawned on me that he had bumped into my bag earlier. That must have been when the ring was planted.

Through the noise and confusion, Jaxon pushed through the crowd, snatched the ring from the floor, and looked at me with cold disdain.

“I thought you had truly repented. Turns out I was wrong to go soft on you.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words stuck in my throat. With the evidence so clear, any explanation would be pointless.

Jaxon grabbed my hand so tightly that red marks quickly bloomed across my skin.

"Looks like you won’t learn your lesson unless you’re taught one."

Arabelle clung to Jaxon’s arm, her voice dripping with feigned kindness as she pleaded, "Let it go, Jaxon. Maybe Liora was just jealous of me. It's fine, I don’t mind..."

"Arabelle, you’re too kind. People like her don’t deserve sympathy."

With a snap of his fingers, an assistant quickly handed over a dagger.

"You’ve always wanted to take what belongs to Arabelle, right? Without these hands, how will you take anything?"

The words echoed in my ears, but strangely, fear didn’t grip me as expected. My only thought was, how could I still marry into the Montgomery family if I lost my hands?

A bodyguard held my hands down as Jaxon slowly approached, the knife glinting ominously. Cold sweat poured down my face. I knelt, my voice trembling as I begged, "Please, don’t do this to me. Even if I haven’t done anything good, I’ve suffered enough for you. Have you forgotten what happened at the forest lodge?"

Jaxon paused, his expression faltering. In that storm at the forest lodge, I took care of his injuries for three months.

Back then, the Aldridge family was embroiled in a fierce battle for the heir position. As the youngest son, Jaxon had far less power and fewer shares than his older brother, who had already secured the Vice President role. In a carefully planned car crash, Jaxon was trapped inside the vehicle. I risked everything to pull him out. The explosion sent us flying, throwing us dozens of meters away. Jaxon hit a rock, and all feeling in his legs was lost.

To keep the incident under wraps, I carried him through the snow-laden night to a secluded villa in the forest. The roads were blocked, and there was no chance of reaching a hospital. Jaxon held his numb legs with a look of despair. In my past life, I had been a herbalist, so I decided to treat his legs myself. At dawn, I climbed the mountains to gather fresh herbs, boiled medicine through the night, and performed massages three times a day. After three months, his legs finally began to heal.

When he could walk again, Jaxon’s face lit up with hope. He promised me that once he secured his position, he would never let me down.

But instead of gratitude, I received three years in prison.

I later discovered that Arabelle had sent him a pack of medicine at that time. She, too, was involved in the medical field, and Jaxon always believed it was her medicine that had healed his legs. But I had seen that medicine was nothing more than a basic treatment for superficial wounds.

I never explained. I saved him out of pure instinct as a doctor and out of love for my fiancé. Holding onto the hope that I’d one day see Callum again, I endured each lonely night.

Jaxon clearly remembered. His hand, still gripping the knife, slowly dropped. After a long silence, he spoke, "Forget it. It's a happy day. We shouldn't shed blood."

Arabelle’s face tightened slightly, and she let out a sob. Hearing this, Jaxon added, "But for Arabelle’s sake, I can’t let you go so easily either."

"Since you tried to come between us, why don’t you kneel right here and let Arabelle and me walk over you into our happiness?"

Tears silently traced down my cheeks. Just hold on a little longer. As long as I can see Callum, I can bear any humiliation.

I nodded and whispered, "Okay."

As long as I could still marry into the Montgomery family, I would endure anything.

I knelt before Jaxon and Arabelle, bowing so low that my posture resembled that of a dog. The sight of me, humiliated beyond measure, caused the guests to burst into laughter. The shame was so overwhelming that even though my arms remained unbroken, the crowd no longer cared.

Flashes from cameras flickered relentlessly, each one capturing my degradation.

"Look at her, she’s just like a dog."

Jaxon took Arabelle’s hand, raised his foot, and stepped over me.

"From now on, don’t show your face in front of me again. Get lost."

I quietly dusted off my knees and walked out, my head heavy with humiliation.

The next day, the front page of every newspaper displayed a photo of me kneeling at the engagement banquet, with the headline:

"Aldridge Family Criminal Kneels Like a Dog at Engagement Banquet; Why?"

As I glanced at the newspaper, I was already on my way to the Montgomery estate.

Only four days remained. In those four days, I had to awaken the man in the coma and marry him.

The Montgomery family was an old, prestigious lineage.

Once one of the top families in Greenville, their power had faded when their only son became paralyzed ten years ago. Yet, their legacy and influence still lingered.

Their business still thrived, and even Jaxon seemed to flinch at the mention of the Montgomery name.

In the misty rain of Roseville, I pried open the heavy iron gate of the Montgomery Residence. The door swung open, and I smiled, hoping for a warm reception. But the moment the butler saw me, he slammed it shut.

"Disgusting. Where did this dog come from?"

Through the crack, I caught sight of the newspaper tucked under his arm. I quickly pounded on the door.

"I’m here to save your young master!"

The door creaked open again. The butler eyed me skeptically.

"You?"

Before I could answer, a familiar voice called out from inside.

"Butler Dayne, who is it?"

Five years ago, while collecting herbs for Jaxon, I had accidentally saved a woman. I kept it from him, quietly tending to her wounds until, one day, she vanished without a trace. I never saw her again.

That voice sounded like hers.

Butler Dayne seemed to leave to report something, and after a long wait, the door opened again, inviting me in.

The Montgomery estate sprawled out before me, its classical elegance filling the courtyard. I was led to a spacious tea room to wait. Not long after, I heard footsteps, the sharp click of high heels growing louder as a maid ushered someone in. As I looked up, I came face-to-face with Arabelle.

She froze, clearly startled to see me. Jaxon, too, halted in his tracks when he saw me. His expression darkened, a scowl overtaking his features as though his face had become the color of storm clouds.

"You followed me? Didn’t I say you’re not allowed to show up in front of me again?"

I quickly explained, "I’m here to see Rigel, the young master of the Montgomery family."

His expression softened slightly, though suspicion still lingered in his eyes. "Why are you looking for him?"

"I’m here to treat—"

"You came early just to beg the Montgomery family to take you in, didn’t you?" Arabelle interrupted. "But Liora, you’re just a pawn to marry into the Montgomery family in my place for luck. Do you really think they’ll treat you kindly?"

"I’m only thinking of your well-being. I’m afraid you’ll be mistreated. You should leave quickly. If you anger Mrs. Montgomery, it won’t end well."

Her voice was sickly sweet, as though she were trying to protect me out of kindness. Jaxon glanced at her with appreciation, his gaze softening.

"Arabelle, you’re so considerate."

I blinked, confused; what was Arabelle doing here?

"And what’s your reason for being here?"

The maid at Arabelle's side spoke up, "Miss Arabelle just returned from studying abroad. She’s highly skilled in medicine, so we invited her to treat our young master."

Jaxon nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "I know Arabelle’s abilities. It was her medicine that helped me recover back then."

I turned my gaze to Arabelle, who lifted her chin, a smug glint in her eyes as she met my stare.

Arabelle clung to Jaxon’s arm like a pampered child. "Jaxon, I’m worried Liora’s presence might interfere with my treatment."

"She’s just a housewife, she doesn’t know anything."

With a wave of his hand, two bodyguards at the door stepped forward, grabbing me roughly and dragging me out.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"You’d better leave. Don’t get in Arabelle’s way."

The maid sneered. "Someone like her has no right to step foot in our Montgomery estate. She’s a disgrace!"

"Stop! Let go!"

But just then, Butler Dayne burst into the tea room, panting. "Stop immediately! She’s an honored guest!"

Arabelle smiled sweetly and stepped forward. "Butler Dayne, you’re here. Please, take us inside."

But to everyone’s surprise, Butler Dayne walked right past her and came directly to me.

"Let go. All of you, let her go!"

The bodyguards released me at once. Butler Dayne bowed respectfully.

"Miss Liora, please come with me. Mrs. Montgomery wishes to see you."

The entire room fell into stunned silence.

Jaxon quickly pulled Arabelle aside and questioned, "Are you sure you’re not mistaken? This is Arabelle."

The maid hurried to add, "Yes, yes! Butler Dayne, maybe you got the names confused?"

Butler Dayne cast her a cold glance. "You’re fired. You don’t even know who the true honored guest of the Montgomery family is." Without sparing them another look, he turned and led me away.

I felt dazed. It was the first time in this world someone had shown me such dignity.

"This, how could this be possible? She’s just a housewife…" Arabelle’s stunned murmur echoed behind me.

Right in front of Jaxon and Arabelle, I followed Butler Dayne and walked out first.

We passed through a quiet covered walkway, and at its end stood a redwood door. The moment it opened, a slender figure appeared behind a gauzy curtain.

My eyes widened as I froze in place. "It’s really you?"

She smiled softly. "Miss Liora, it’s been a long time."

She stepped forward and gently took my hand. Just as I was about to respond, she suddenly dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.

"Please save my son!"

Behind us, Jaxon and Arabelle stood frozen in shock, having followed and witnessed the entire scene.