Agnes’s POV

It was as if he forced the words out from between clenched teeth.

“You’re pregnant. I can’t let you go.”

With that, he yanked Lynzee back toward him.

Seeing this, Thiago threw his head back and let out a twisted, mocking laugh.

Then—before Ridley could even process what was happening—Thiago shoved me hard, sending me tumbling down the steep staircase.

I rolled down several steps before instinctively latching onto the banister’s post, my fingers clinging for dear life.

“Agnes!” Ridley’s eyes widened in horror, his voice ripping through the air as he charged toward me.

But in the very next second, Lynzee was suddenly grabbed from behind by Thiago.

She clutched her belly as if in pain, her face pale as she gasped, “Ridley, hurry and go save Agnes! I’m fine… really.”

The words had barely left her lips before she groaned again, her voice trembling with feigned agony. Beneath her, blood began to seep out, dark and startling against the floor.

Ridley froze for a fraction of a second, and then he turned to look at me. His gaze was filled with hesitation, pain, and pity.

“Agnes… Lynzee is carrying a child. You understand, don’t you? A life is at stake. Let me save them first, then I’ll make it up to you.”

Without waiting for my answer, he spun around and ran straight toward Lynzee.

As soon as he pulled her to safety, she—hidden from his view—shot me a triumphant glance, her lips curling ever so slightly.

Soon, the strength drained from my fingers, and my grip slipped.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in a hospital bed.

Almost by reflex, my hands went to my belly—but before I could process anything, Ridley’s voice broke through, low and heavy with accusation.

“Agnes, why did you get involved with Thiago? Why did you plan this kidnapping? Didn’t I tell you I could explain everything?”

My eyes flew wide, disbelief flooding through me.

“I didn’t!” I cried. “How could I possibly work with Thiago? I’ve never even met him in private!”

My voice rose until it was almost a scream.

Ridley’s brows furrowed deeply, his gaze hard with disappointment.

Without another word, he flung a stack of photographs into my face.

“The evidence is right here, and you still want to deny it?!” he snapped. “Because of this kidnapping, Lynzee is still in surgery! If anything happens to the child she’s carrying, I will never forgive you!”

He didn’t give me a chance to explain. Turning on his heel, he strode toward the operating room.

My hands shook as I gathered the scattered photographs.

They were all the same—angled shots and clumsy edits with obvious Photoshop marks.

Even I could see they were fake. But Ridley, blinded by his concern for Lynzee’s surgery, hadn’t noticed a thing.

Not only had he believed them, he had used them to condemn me!

At that moment, the last fragile shred of feeling I still held for him crumbled into dust.

I rose slowly from the bed, intending to leave.

But just as I reached the door, Ridley returned.

Without a word, he seized my wrist and dragged me toward Lynzee’s room. I struggled, but his grip only tightened.

His tone was calm, even a bit gentle. “I can’t watch you keep making mistakes. Thankfully, Lynzee’s fine, but you still owe her an apology.”

A chill swept over me, settling deep into my bones. The next second, my belly twisted painfully.

“Let me go!” I shouted. “The child in her belly is yours. Even if she loses it, it’s no loss—it’s a cursed child! I will never, ever apologize!”

His eyes turned to ice. Without warning, his hand lashed out across my face.

“If you won’t apologize, then you’ll kneel in the villa until Lynzee is willing to forgive you.”

He shoved me toward the bodyguards behind him, and then he walked away without looking back.

I was pinned in place, my voice raw as I shouted after him.

“Ridley! I will never forgive you!”

He paused for a heartbeat—just long enough for me to think he might turn around.

But in the end, he kept walking, disappearing from sight.

Agnes’s POV

I was escorted back to the villa and forced to kneel for an entire day.

It wasn’t until the next morning that they finally let me go.

Four days remained before the time I had agreed to meet my brother. Still, I already began quietly packing my things.

Over the next two days, Ridley didn’t come home. He didn’t send a single message either.

But Lynzee? She was suddenly everywhere on my phone.

[You’ve never seen this side of him before, have you? Oh, by the way, because of what happened, he’s decided we’ll get our marriage license in three days. I’ll be sure to send you the invitation. Don’t forget to come!]

Attached was a photo of Ridley cooking for her.

After reading the messages, my expression didn’t change.

I simply gathered the recipe collections and soup formulas I had spent the past ten years compiling for him. I burned them all to ash.

While Ridley took Lynzee out on a yacht.

I shattered the clay figurines we had once made together.

Ridley bought Lynzee an aerial garden.

I dug up the rose garden he had planted for me, roots and all, and burned it to the ground.

Ridley posed for a family portrait with Lynzee and their son.

I took the ten photo albums Ridley had once saved for us, cut them to pieces, burned them, and buried the ashes—along with our wedding portrait—beneath the garden soil.

In just a few short days, I had erased every trace of the past ten years.

Even the villa’s interior felt hollow and empty.

But with Ridley’s heart and attention fully devoted to Lynzee now, I doubted he would even notice when he returned.

On the day he and Lynzee were set to get their marriage license, he finally rushed back—clearly only to grab his documents.

After rummaging through his study, he came downstairs and found me sitting calmly with a book in hand. His brows knitted together.

He paused for a moment before speaking, his tone uncertain.

“Tomorrow, come with me to a party. Whatever happens there, don’t take it to heart. I’ll explain it to you afterward.”

I simply nodded, my expression unchanging.

That was when he finally sensed something was off.

Frowning, he let his gaze sweep around the villa.

“Where’s all the stuff we used to have? And… our wedding photo?”

A strange feeling must’ve stirred in him.

If this had been before—after the way he had treated me—by now I would have already been confronting him, arguing, refusing to let it go.

But now, no matter what he said, I remained calm… almost detached.

It probably gave him the unsettling sense that I might no longer feel anything for him at all.

And I knew—that possibility tightened something deep in his chest.

Without looking up from my book, I turned a page and answered flatly, “The villa’s going to be renovated soon. Those things aren’t needed anymore.”

His frown deepened, as if the explanation still didn’t sit right with him.

He was just about to press further when Lynzee’s call came in.

The moment he saw her name, his expression softened.

He tossed a half-hearted remark my way before turning on his heel and leaving without hesitation.

“Don’t forget about the party tomorrow. I’ll have my assistant pick you up.”

After he left, another message from Lynzee lit up my screen.

[Ridley told you, right? I’ll send you another invitation—you have to come. Oh, and he told me that after ten years without a child, you probably can’t have one anyway. But he still plans to go through with our agreement and ‘handle’ you.]

[Tomorrow, you’ll be in a car accident that will take away your ability to conceive. You can’t escape it. LOL, this is the price you’ll pay for daring to compete with me, Agnes.]

I let out the faintest curl of a smile.

Tomorrow, was it?

Perfect.

Tomorrow was the day I’d leave. And this time, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Agnes’s POV

The next morning, Ridley even sent me a special message to remind me.

[Remember to come. I’ve already prepared a car for you, so you don’t have to drive yourself. And remember, no matter what happens, I love you.]

I read it calmly, and then I blocked his number for good.

Not long after, Lynzee’s message came through as well—it was an invitation.

On it, their names were printed side by side, exactly like how mine and Ridley’s used to be.

My fingers trembled slightly, a faint ripple stirring in my heart.

But it didn’t last long. I quickly regained my composure.

After blocking Lynzee’s number too, I turned and pulled my suitcase from the corner.

The person my brother had asked to pick me up was already waiting for me outside.

Without looking back, I got into the car.

Ten years with Ridley—this was where it ended.

At the wedding venue, Ridley stared at his phone, his brows knitting together without him realizing.

If it hadn’t been for Lynzee tearfully begging him to invite Agnes, he wouldn’t have wanted to drag her into this at all.

The events from the previous days had already left a heavy stone lodged in his chest.

Even now, when he recalled how Agnes acted yesterday, he still felt an unbearable tightness.

He couldn’t quite put it into words.

All he knew was that if things continued like this, she might truly leave him.

But soon, he dismissed that thought.

After all, in these ten years, he had given everything to Agnes.

No matter what he did now, she wouldn’t leave him.

With that conviction, his gaze hardened.

Although he had told Agnes yesterday to attend today’s wedding, in truth, he had never intended for her to come.

As long as she got into the car accident, he could use the opportunity to fulfill his promise to Lynzee—to make Agnes completely lose the ability to conceive.

That way, she wouldn’t appear at the wedding.

And once he soothed her afterward, everything would return to normal.

Thinking of this, Ridley glanced at his phone again, waiting for someone to send word.

But before the message arrived, Lynzee appeared before him, her smile as sweet as honey.

“Ridley, the wedding’s about to start. Let’s get ready to walk in.”

Ridley frowned and gave a curt nod.

The very next second, his phone rang.

Unable to hide his impatience, he answered it at once.

The venue was filled with lively noise, voices and laughter blending into a chaotic hum.

Yet through it all, he heard the voice on the other end with chilling clarity.

“S-Sir, the car you sent… it exploded. Ma’am Agnes was in there—”