Michelle’s throat tightened, and she let out a faint, humorless laugh.

How ironic.

She had always been the one using money to make people go away, yet tonight she was the one being bought off.

“Does Sigmund know you’re making decisions behind his back?”

Emily smiled. “You probably have no idea how close Sigmund and I were. We almost got married once.

“He used to take me to a different island every year because I loved the ocean. He bought a private restaurant just to recreate the food I missed from my childhood.

“There’s a tattoo on his chest—a rose ring. I inked it myself. It was meant to be our wedding ring.

“Do I need to tell you more about his background? You’ve been with him for three years and still don’t even know who he really is. Do you honestly think he loves you?”

A chill spread through Michelle’s body.

So, everything he liked and did have been because of Emily.

“Miss Lowe, you think you were keeping him, but in truth, he’s been using you as my substitute.”

Emily’s smile brightened, her tone almost teasing. “Do you believe me when I say that if I call him right now, he’ll come straight to me? Want to bet on it?”

A storm of emotions flashed through Michelle’s chest, but eventually, they all settled into calm.

She remembered the first birthday they spent together.

Sigmund brought her a cheap, ugly cake that tasted awful, yet she thought it was the best one she’d ever had.

That day, he held her close as she made a wish.

She said, “I hope you’ll still be with me for my next birthday.”

Sigmund had smiled and promised, “I’ll spend every birthday with you from now on.”

And once, when she’d been drunk and nearly assaulted, Sigmund had shown up just in time.

He held her trembling body in his arms and vowed, “From now on, I’ll always come for you first. I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.”

To him, those promises meant nothing. But back then, she believed every word.

Michelle clenched her hands, forcing a smile. “I’ll do as you wish. I’ll leave him, but not because of anything you said tonight.”

Hearing the answer she wanted, Emily didn’t waste another word.

With the air of a victor, she stood and walked away.

Over the next few days, Michelle was busy arranging her engagement, and Sigmund never once tried to contact her.

It wasn’t until she returned to the club that she saw him again, sitting at the bar.

Sigmund seemed distracted all evening, his gaze constantly drifting elsewhere. He didn’t even notice when Michelle arrived.

Following his line of sight, she realized he’d been watching Emily the whole time.

Men surrounded Emily, drawn to her like moths to a flame.

“Ah, what are you doing? Don’t touch me!”

Her sharp cry broke through the noise.

Sigmund’s face darkened as he stormed forward, grabbing a bottle and smashing it over one man’s head.

He pulled Emily into his arms, his presence so cold and commanding that no one dared move.

Michelle’s heart nearly stopped.

She had never seen him lose control like that, but tonight, he was furious because of Emily.

The man who had dared touch Emily had his arm broken within seconds. No one else dared utter a word.

When Sigmund finally left with his people, the troublemakers were all thrown out of the club.

As Michelle walked past one of the private rooms, she heard a woman’s soft, teasing voice.

“Sigmund, don’t be so nice to me. You’re forgetting you have a girlfriend. What if she finds out and gets upset?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend. She was just your replacement.”

Through the half-open door, Michelle saw Sigmund holding Emily in a passionate kiss.

After hearing his words, she froze on the spot.

So, Emily hadn’t lied.

She really was nothing more than Sigmund’s passing amusement. And all this time, she’d foolishly believed she was his benefactor.

But the truth no longer mattered. She would be leaving him soon anyway.

Michelle let out a silent, bitter smile and was about to turn away when thick smoke suddenly drifted down the hallway.

“Fire! There’s a fire!”

The alarm blared, and the entire club erupted into chaos.

People surged from every direction, shoving and stumbling. Michelle was knocked to the floor, struggling to get up before someone’s foot came down on her again.

When she looked up, she saw Sigmund rushing toward safety with Emily in his arms.

Instinctively, Michelle tried to crawl toward him, screaming his name for help with all the strength she had left.

Sigmund seemed to hear her. He turned and caught sight of her on the floor, bloodied and trampled.

His expression froze.

For a brief second, he looked as though he wanted to go back for her.

But then he noticed Emily faltering in his arms.

After a moment’s hesitation, he turned away and kept running.

Michelle was stunned. The man who once swore to protect her and never let her be hurt again had abandoned her at the most desperate moment.

Drawing a shaky breath, she forced herself to crawl toward the wall and pulled herself upright, stumbling along with the crowd until she finally made it outside.

Once she reached safety, her knees buckled, and she collapsed straight to the ground.

That was close. She had almost lost her life.

After steadying her breath, she lifted her head and her gaze met Sigmund’s from across the crowd.

There were urgency and regret in his eyes, emotions she couldn’t read.

But he stayed by Emily’s side, not taking a single step toward her.

Was he afraid Emily would misunderstand?

Michelle gave a faint, broken smile, pushing herself off the ground as her eyes reddened.

He used to panic over the smallest scrape on her hand, insisting on taking her to the hospital right away.

But now, Sigmund’s eyes could only see Emily.

Michelle returned home alone, cleaned and dressed her wounds with trembling hands, and eventually drifted to sleep on the couch.

When she woke, it was already past midnight. As expected, Sigmund hadn’t come back.

She didn’t bother asking where he’d been. At dawn, as she was about to leave, she ran into him coming through the door.

He pulled her into his arms immediately, scanning her injuries with concern. “Did you go to the hospital? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Michelle just stared at him. Did he really not realize how meaningless this performance was now?

“I’m sorry, Michelle. The woman last night was my sister. She’s been afraid of fire since she was a kid. I couldn’t leave her behind.”

Sister…

He had actually made the effort to invent that lie for Emily.

“It doesn’t matter whether she’s your sister or not,” Michelle said calmly.

“Sigmund, I can’t afford to support you anymore. From now on, you’re free.”

Sigmund’s face darkened, and he yanked her into his arms.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re done with me, so you’re just throwing me away?

“Michelle, I won’t accept this. You said you’d take responsibility for me.”

Michelle shook her head with a weary smile and gently pushed him off.

“Sigmund, it was just fun. Don’t tell me you can’t handle that? I treated you well these three years. Now that I’m broke, are you trying to squeeze more out of me?”

Sigmund yanked her into his arms with force, his teeth grazing her ear in frustration.

“I’m not going anywhere. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Perhaps sensing Michelle’s change in attitude, Sigmund began sticking close to her over the next few days, hardly letting her out of his sight.

To make up for what happened that night, he booked a candlelit dinner aboard a luxury cruise.

The dining hall was decorated in a refined, old style, and beyond the windows stretched the endless ocean.

Just as the waiter brought over flowers and wine, Emily appeared, looping her arm around Sigmund’s with a delighted smile.

“What a coincidence, Sigmund! You’re here too?”

Michelle’s expression froze for a moment.

There was no such thing as coincidence.

This had clearly been planned.

No wonder he had suddenly suggested dinner on a cruise. He’d only wanted a chance to run into Emily.

“Miss Lowe, would you mind if I joined you?”

Michelle didn’t even have the chance to refuse. Sigmund had already pulled out a chair for Emily, looking more than pleased to have her there.

When ordering, Emily laughed teasingly. “You ordered all my favorite dishes again. Aren’t you going to ask Miss Lowe what she likes?”

Sigmund pushed the menu toward Michelle with a gentle smile. “Take a look. See if there’s anything you want.”

She shook her head. “You decide.”

Dinner felt endless, every bite tasteless. Emily and Sigmund chatted easily, completely absorbed in each other, while Michelle sat there like an unwelcome guest.

Feeling suffocated, she got up and stepped outside, wandering into another part of the ship.

As she passed one of the private lounges, someone suddenly grabbed her and yanked her inside.

“You look familiar,” a man sneered. “Since you’re here, why don’t you join us for a drink?”

“Weren’t you the high-and-mighty Miss Lowe? Never took an invite before. Guess now that you’ve fallen, you don’t mind drinking with us after all.”

Michelle frowned. These men had been chasing her for a long time and still held a grudge for the humiliation she’d dealt them before.

“Sorry, I’m allergic to alcohol. I can’t drink.”

She tried to leave, but in the next moment they blocked the door.

A wave of fear rose in her chest and a chill ran down her back.

“Michelle, I’d advise you not to refuse a drink. No one’s protecting you now. What, don’t tell me you are relying on your sugar baby? Behave, and you’ll suffer less. Otherwise, don’t blame us for getting rough.”

When one of them lunged, Michelle’s breath caught and she kicked him hard between the legs.

She grabbed an ashtray to defend herself. “I warn you… Don’t touch me, or…”

“Or what? I don’t believe you can stop us.”

A fist struck Michelle across the face, making her head swim. She stumbled and couldn’t keep her balance.

They shoved her to the floor; her forehead slammed into the corner of a table and blood spurted out.

The sight of blood only excited them more. They whistled and forced alcohol into her mouth.

“I’ll devour you tonight. You used-up whore. Don’t act so damn innocent...”

Before he could finish his sentence, the private room door flew open.

Someone had kicked it in anger.

Sigmund saw the scene and his eyes went blood-red as he stormed in and punched one of the men hard in the face.

“How dare you touch my woman? You’re asking to die!”

He went wild, beating the man until he was covered in blood.

Then, with one last kick, Sigmund crushed the man’s face under his shoe, forcing him to kneel and apologize to Michelle.

Only when the others stepped in to pull him back did he finally relent, scooping the blood-soaked Michelle into his arms and rushing her out.

On the way to the hospital, he carefully wiped the blood from her forehead, his hands trembling. “I’m sorry. I never should’ve taken you there. This is all my fault.”

Michelle no longer knew how much of what he said was real or just another act.

She only knew that none of this had happened by coincidence.

Among those men, at least one had clearly recognized Sigmund.

Otherwise, they never would’ve backed off so easily.

Her eyes reddened as she asked softly, “You picked a fight with them for me. Aren’t you afraid they’ll come after you?”

Sigmund pressed his forehead to hers, his voice low and strained. “I’m not afraid. Nothing matters more than you.”

If she hadn’t already known he’d been lying to her all along, she might have been moved to tears by that line.

But sadly, every word out of his mouth felt hollow now.

The car was silent until his phone rang, shattering the moment.

The change in his expression was instant. His body went rigid, his face darkened.

“Michelle, can you go to the hospital by yourself?”

She froze, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.

He pulled the car to the side of the road and hurried out. His figure grew smaller in the rearview mirror until it vanished completely.

Only then did Michelle start to laugh—softly at first, then through tears she couldn’t stop.

She remembered the voice she’d heard through the phone just moments ago.

“Sigmund, Emily’s in trouble. Please hurry back.”