Cecelia simply looked at the gifts presented to her by Francis's friends, her face expressionless.

"You're so lucky!" A sweet voice cut in.

Melody strode over, showing off in a sparkling, skin-tight mini dress. She wrapped her arm around Francis's arm, her eyes full of hidden jealousy and hate, but her smile was very sweet.

"Fran treats you so well! I'm so jealous! If my future boyfriend is even half as thoughtful as him, I'll count my blessings!" Melody said, deliberately emphasizing the word "boyfriend."

Everyone around them burst into laughter.

The salty ocean wind blew by. After a moment, all Cecelia could feel was suffocation. She turned to head back to her cabin for some air. As she rounded the corner, she saw Melody pulling Francis into a lounge.

Cecelia quietly followed.

Through the crack in the door, she saw Melody clinging to Francis, arms around his neck and red lips almost kissing his ear.

"Fran, I'm scared," Melody said, a sob in her voice. "Cecelia looked at me so coldly… Does she know it was me who…ran over her dad that year? Is she going to have her revenge on me?"

Cecelia's nails dug deep into her palms, but she didn't feel a thing.

Francis stiffened, then raised his hand to pat Melody's back, his voice low and steady. "Don't worry, Melody. As long as I'm here, she'll never know the truth. I swore I'd protect you, and I will. She can't hurt you."

Melody broke into a smile and nestled closer in his arms, her voice even sweeter. "You're the best, Fran. I have a surprise for you…"

She looked up at him with flirtatious eyes, gently placing a hand on her own belly. "Congratulations, you're going to be a dad!"

Francis froze completely, his eyes narrowed in shock.

Melody saw his reaction and instantly pouted, looking aggrieved. "Does our baby have to be hidden away like some dirty secret? It makes me so sad…"

After a few seconds, he seemed to have made up his mind. He held Melody's face, his voice both comforting and cold.

"Don't worry, Melody. You can have the baby. If Cecelia really can't accept it, if she won't raise the child… I'll give her enough money and divorce her. I'll take care of you and the baby. I won't let you suffer."

"You're the best, Fran!" Melody hiked up her skirt and tangled herself with Francis.

The room quickly filled with a steamy heat.

Every word they said was like stakes shooting right into Cecelia's heart and twisting it.

The truth about her father's death.

Francis's promises to protect Melody.

Melody's pregnancy.

And how easily he tossed his wife aside…

It was like one poisoned stake after another, reducing her already shattered heart to dust.

So, in Francis's game, she was just an obstacle that could be swept away with money.

All her years of love and even her father's life… She now wondered, what did they mean to him?

A sharp pain ripped through her chest as she clamped a hand over her mouth, just barely keeping her sob of despair inside.

So…

This was how utter despair felt.

Cecelia rushed to the deck and by the railing. The icy sea breeze cut through her, chilling her to the bone. She didn't know how long she stood there.

"Isn't it lonely watching the sea by yourself, Celia?"

Melody's vomit-inducing sweet voice sounded behind her, full of smug triumph.

Cecelia didn't turn around.

Melody walked over, deliberately pressing close, her voice low and laced with malice. "Don't be stupid. I'm the only one he ever truly loves. As for your short-lived old man…"

She sneered, full of disdain.

"He only has himself to blame. He didn't see my car coming. Doesn't he know how to get out of the way when such a beautiful car is coming his way? He deserved what he got, so he won't be in my way anymore!"

Every word she spouted scorched the deepest wounds inside of Cecelia. She remembered the moment her father pushed her away in his final moment. The numbness shattered, replaced by overwhelming grief and hate.

"Melody!" Cecelia's eyes were bloodshot as she whipped around. "You murderer!"

Fury took over. She raised her hand and slapped with all her strength toward Melody's cruel face.

A flash of cold satisfaction crossed Melody's eyes. Instead of dodging, she caught Cecelia's wrist. Then she suddenly flung herself backward, screaming in terror.

"Ah! Don't push me! Help!"

Everything happened in an instant.

Melody pulled Cecelia off balance, and the momentum pulled both of them toward the rail. Cecelia went over the edge, the cold scent of seawater rushing up to meet her.

"Melody!" Francis's voice shouted in panic as he shot across the deck.

His arms reached out, grabbing…

Melody.

He pulled Melody back with all his strength, shielding her protectively.

And Cecelia, losing her last grip, plunged straight down toward the freezing sea, torn apart by the cold wind.

Splash!

A huge splash echoed out, and the cold water swallowed Cecelia whole. The icy sea stabbed into her skin and bones like thousands of needles. The impact knocked the air from her lungs, setting her chest on fire.

Then, the worst happened. A sharp, tearing pain shot through her belly. A rush of warmth spread from deep inside her, blood quickly coloring the water around her…

She struggled, her mind going hazy.

The last thing she saw was Francis clinging tightly to Melody on the deck, his eyes filled with worry and fear.

He never once looked Cecelia's way, even as she fell into the sea.

The cold, the darkness, and the pain swallowed her completely.

When Cecelia woke up again, she was in a hospital ward filled with the scent of disinfectant.

A nurse was changing her IV drip. "You're awake? The baby…couldn't be saved. You've suffered a lot of injuries. Rest well."

Francis hurried in, exhaustion and a hint of panic on his face. He reached for Cecelia's cold hand resting on top of the blanket, but she pulled her hand away, looking at him with empty eyes.

His hand froze in mid-air. His voice was dry. "Celia, how are you feeling? I'm sorry… I really didn't see that you were about to fall, too. It was the angle. I only saw Melody about to fall over. I panicked, I…"

Cecelia forced a twisted smile as the coldness in her chest spread, reaching her now-empty belly. Even his lies were so half-hearted… What else was left to say?

"Get some rest. I'll have the doctors do a full check-up." Francis's eyes grew even more anxious when she saw her unresponsiveness.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed. He instinctively glanced at the message, and his brows furrowed.

"Melody… She cut her arm, and her emotional state is pretty shaken. I'll go check on her and come back right after."

He turned and left, not even staying long enough to find out that both she and their baby were already lost in this so-called accident.

As the door closed, silence filled the room again.

Cecelia's phone screen lit up by the pillow. It was a few photos and a short video from Melody.

In the photos, Francis sat by Melody's hospital bed, gently and carefully applying ointment to a scratch on her arm, the one caused by Cecelia. In the video, the two were sleeping with each other. Even in the dim light, Francis's face and Melody's voice were clear.

Cecelia stared at the screen, her stomach turning. She threw off the blanket, yanked the IV from her hand, and blood immediately oozed out. However, she felt no pain at all.

Her body was so weak that she could barely stand, but she gritted her teeth and, using the wall for support, changed out of the hospital gown and walked out of the hospital. Every step she took was painful, but each one made her mind clearer and her resolve stronger.

The afternoon sun was blindingly bright.

She took out her phone and sent the full chain of evidence, from Francis's faked evidence to how he protected Melody, to her lawyer.

Her eyes were bright, with a touch of decisiveness. She only needed to complete one last commission for a client.

Tomorrow, she would cut all ties with Francis, take her passport, and disappear.

She forced herself back to her studio.

In the center of the huge studio stood a nearly four-meter-tall scaffolding. A precious painting using silk as the canvas was mounted there, waiting for the final varnishing.

Cecelia put on her work outfit, took a deep breath, and carefully climbed up the scaffolding, step by step, toward the platform above.

Every step pulled at her unhealed wounds, cold sweat soaking her hair.

But her eyes were steady, her fingers sure, as if the whole world had narrowed down to just her and this ancient painting.

Melody, after learning Cecelia had left the hospital, came straight to the studio.

She watched Cecelia's focused, determined figure. She saw the nearly finished painting and thought of Francis's growing distraction.

A destructive thought took hold.

Melody crept into the studio silently and methodically, her eyes fixed on the main connector beneath Cecelia's feet. A few tiny bolts were already loose. Putting on a pair of gloves, Melody quietly loosened them as far as they would go.

Cecelia's attention was completely on the tip of her brush as she held her breath, and suddenly…

Crack!

A sharp, splintering sound rang out, and the narrow platform beneath her feet abruptly collapsed at a critical support point.