Outside the Ford Group Tower, fireworks lit up the night sky in dazzling bursts. Every pattern was one Ariel had once mentioned liking.

A moment later, her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a text message from Keith, along with a photo of fireworks taken from the upper floor.

"Babe, there's a firework show tonight. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

He followed with another text. "I'm still busy with work, but I miss you. I'll come home later with a surprise."

Ariel gripped her phone tighter as she felt a sharp pain twisting through her chest.

Every day for the past five years, Keith had always checked in on her. It used to give her a sense of security and make her feel loved.

If she had still been in the dark, she would have smiled at his text message and been happy all day.

But now she knew the truth.

Thinking back on those five years, Ariel no longer knew which of his words had been real and which had been lies.

She dared not think about it.

Instead of replying, she dialed a number. The call was answered almost instantly. A deep and magnetic voice came through the line.

"Ms. Levine, to what do I owe the honor of your personal call? Aren't you afraid that crazy husband of yours might get jealous?"

"Cut the crap," Ariel replied. "I need you to help me fake a death. One week from now, on my birthday."

Keith's rival, Sean Miller, was clearly taken aback. "You're Keith's precious darling. That stand-in, Natalie Green, is just his secretary. She's no threat to your position as his wife. Why go this far?"

Then his tone turned teasing again. "Five years ago, I pulled you out of that kidnapping mess out of my own goodwill. But the risk is a lot higher this time, so what's in it for me?"

Ariel's voice was hoarse but steady. It was calm in a way that felt like she had already given up everything.

"You know I'm the second largest shareholder of Ford Group. I can transfer my entire 40% stake to you."

Sean froze for a moment but quickly accepted with a chuckle. "Deal. I'll come for you in seven days."

After the call ended, Ariel looked at the giant screen in front of her. It showed a wedding photo of the Fords, but the bride wasn't her.

In both figures and features, Natalie bore an uncanny resemblance to her.

Ariel remembered that Keith had indeed mentioned Natalie once while talking about work.

One night, years ago, he returned to the castle after a business dinner. There was foundation smeared on his shirt collar and a faint trace of unfamiliar perfume clinging to him.

That was the first time she had ever felt suspicious.

However, Keith dropped to his knees, swearing he would never betray her. He had persuaded her for hours until she finally gave in.

He said his new secretary was capable and not someone he could just dismiss. He assured her that there was nothing between them, that it was strictly a professional relationship.

Ariel believed him wholeheartedly.

For five years, her world had revolved entirely around Keith. She had never once suspected him of cheating.

But now, it all seemed like a cruel joke. She had been played like a fool.

"Mrs. Ford, there are rumors that your husband kept you locked away for five years. Now that you've reappeared after so long, do you have anything to say?"

Out of nowhere, a swarm of reporters surrounded her. They pointed their cameras at her and shoved their microphones toward her face.

It had been years since she had faced the outside world. Her throat tightened so much that she couldn't form a single sentence.

More onlookers gathered around, whispering among themselves.

"Mr. Ford has kept his wife locked in that castle for the past five years. What's the difference between that and keeping a caged canary? Maybe he's got an affair elsewhere too."

"Keep your voice down. The last person who dared to say that had his tongue cut off."

"Exactly. Mr. Ford is known for integrity. How could someone so devoted ever cheat? Didn't you see the hickey on Mrs. Ford's neck in the wedding photo? It was so deep that even the foundation couldn't cover it…"

Ariel dug her nails deep into her palms, but she couldn't feel the pain.

So, Keith had indeed kept his real wife locked away at home while flaunting his secretary as his lover in public. What others could see at a glance had taken her five whole years to realize.

"What's all this noise in front of the Ford Group? You think this is a marketplace or something?"

All of a sudden, the once-rowdy crowd fell silent, instinctively parting to make way.

Keith strode over, his cold gaze sweeping across every reporter who had been hounding Ariel.

Everyone broke into a cold sweat, fearing that the infamous wife-obsessed Keith might lose his temper and literally sew their mouths shut.

The air froze in death silence.

Ariel felt that familiar sense of safety, and she instinctively turned to him for help.

But in the next second, Keith looked at her coldly. "You've gotten the wrong person. She's not my wife."

"This woman beside me is my wife," said Keith.

As soon as he pulled Natalie tightly into his arms, his cold tone softened. "This is Ariel Levine, the daughter of the Levine family and the real Mrs. Ford.

"As for her…" Ignoring the shocked stares around him, Keith paused and glanced at Ariel's pale face. "She's just my secretary, Natalie Green. A stand-in who happens to resemble my wife.

"She's just someone I keep around for fun. Easy on the eyes, that's all."

The crowd erupted in gasps.

As if to drive his point home, Keith suddenly kissed Natalie passionately in full view of the reporters.

Their lips locked, and a faint shimmer of saliva catching the light as they pulled apart.

Ariel froze in place, as if struck by lightning. Unfortunately, her mutism relapsed. She couldn't speak or defend herself, couldn't even question Keith.

Natalie shot her a provoking and triumphant glance.

"Keith, it's windy out here. Let's go back," she said, blushing.

Then, she coyly wrapped herself around Keith's arm. "You kept me up half the night and even cleaned me up afterward. You haven't slept, so I don't want you to catch a cold now…"

There was an unmistakable pride hidden in her tone.

Before Keith and Natalie left, Ariel's eyes met Keith's for a brief second. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she could've sworn she saw a flicker of guilt in his dark eyes.

Having lost their excitement, the crowd dispersed.

Someone even sneered loudly on purpose. "Who knows if she had plastic surgery to look like Mrs. Ford. She's probably slept her way up the ladder. How shameless and disgusting…"

Dozens of contemptuous stares pierced Ariel like needles, stabbing at her already broken heart. Her eyes reddened as she smiled bitterly and self-mockingly.

After her abduction, Keith had sworn that he would always treat her like before, openly and sincerely.

But now, to stage his so-called protection, he twisted the truth. He let baseless accusations fall squarely on her shoulders.

Suddenly, a bang shattered the air.

One of the hydrogen balloons from the wedding decorations nearby exploded. A burst of flame shot up without warning.

The searing heat licked across Ariel's arms, blistering her skin.

"Fire! Run!"

Panic broke out instantly. People screamed, shoved, and scrambled to escape.

Ariel was knocked to the ground in the chaos. Her injured hand scraped against the pavement, raw and bleeding.

The panicked crowd trampled over her fragile body.

Through her teary vision, Ariel saw Keith glancing back several times from a short distance away.

She tried to call out to him, but no sound came out. Her voice was caught in her throat. Her vocal chords throbbed painfully, but the only sound she could make was a faint rasp of air.

Natalie deliberately clutched her ankle and whimpered, "Keith, I twisted my ankle! It hurts so bad!"

Her cry immediately stole all of his attention.

Keith rushed over and scooped Natalie into his arms, his eyes filled with panic and tenderness.

It was the same look he had when he rescued Ariel from abduction back then, the same desperate, protective urgency.

"Make way! She's hurt!"

Pain spread through Ariel's body. Her heart ached like a thousand invisible insects were eating away at it.

Her gaze locked onto Keith's retreating figure. In her daze, his silhouette overlapped with that of the boy who used to shield her from the world.

Back in high school, Keith broke his left arm fighting off a gang that had been bullying her. She scolded him for his recklessness, but he only smiled and wiped away her tears.

"Don't cry, Ariel. I'm fine."

Five years ago, he stormed the kidnappers' hideout alone. Ignoring his own injuries, he carried her on his back and said, "Don't be scared. I'll never leave you."

However, Keith broke his promise.

From beginning to end, he never even noticed that she was hurt. Not once did his eyes drift toward her.

Stumbling out of the chaotic crowd, Ariel managed to stop a passerby and frantically signed for them to call an ambulance.

But in the next second, the person shoved her hard. "Ew, you're filthy! Get away from me!"

Catching sight of her reflection in a nearby glass window, Ariel finally saw her face streaked with soot. Even her once-expensive clothes were torn and dirty.

She bit her lips hard and started crying uncontrollably. The humiliation and helplessness all came crashing down.

Everyone bullied her just because she couldn't speak.

Suddenly, behind her, she heard Keith's urgent voice calling out to her. "Ariel!"

Ariel ignored him and flagged down a cab.

With a sharp screech of brakes, a black Maybach with a vanity plate reading K8888 stopped smoothly in front of her.

Keith stepped out of the car and draped his suit jacket over her shoulders.

"Get into the car. I have something to tell you."

"I'm sorry, Natalie got hurt. I panicked and forgot you were there too," Keith explained softly.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Ariel's waist. His hands were warm against her skin. It felt like an act of comfort or perhaps a reflex of possession.

He carefully checked her from head to toe, just as he always used to.

"Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" he asked. "I'll send you home."

Ariel quietly hid her injured arm and shook her head, her eyes red. They were standing so close, yet it was the first time she felt their hearts were miles apart.

When she reached to open the front passenger door, Natalie was already sitting inside.

"Oh no, have I accidentally taken Mrs. Ford's exclusive seat? But since you rarely leaves the house, you probably won't mind, right?"

Natalie stuck her tongue out playfully, yet she had no intention of moving.

"It's fine, she doesn't mind," Keith said before Ariel could respond.

Then, he opened the back door and coaxed gently, "Natalie is used to being pampered. Besides, she's sprained her ankle, so it's inconvenient for her to move."

Ariel said nothing and got into the backseat.

"Ariel, she and I are just putting on an act. You don't have to be jealous."

Keith held the steering wheel absentmindedly and kept glancing at Ariel in the rearview mirror.

"Too many people out there are eyeing you, so I'm worried about you. It's better to let her be your shield."

His assurance only made Ariel's heart ache even more. She didn't respond in sign language as she used to and only remained silent.

Natalie chimed in, her tone light, "Exactly. As a healthy and able-bodied woman, I can take the bullets from outsiders for Ariel."

She leaned in closer to Keith and wrapped an arm around his shoulder in mock intimacy. "I spend every day with Mr. Ford. I even know what color boxers he wears on which day of the week. How could I possibly have bad intentions? We're just friends.

"Once, Mr. Ford accidentally drank some bad liquor at a business dinner, and I was the one who rushed him to the hospital. Ariel, since you stay at home all the time, did you even know about that?"

Natalie's tone dripped with smugness and feigned innocence.

Keith cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Ariel, don't listen to her nonsense. She's just careless and doesn't understand boundaries between men and women."

Ariel clenched her fists so tightly that the wound on her arm split open again and started to bleed.

If she hadn't felt that lacy underwear wedged in the seat gap when she first got into the car, she might have believed their lies. But now, there was even a flicker of guilt in Keith's eyes.

"Mr. Ford, we have an urgent company document to discuss," Natalie said. She held her phone with one hand and placed the other on Keith's thigh, brushing past a sensitive spot.

Then she deliberately hesitated, glancing toward Ariel in the backseat. "With Ariel here, it's a bit inconvenient… It's a confidential document, after all…"

"Ariel, could you step out for a moment?" Keith's Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke. His expression shifted slightly, but his tone remained calm and steady. "It won't take long."

Ariel nodded and obediently opened the car door.

But the moment she stepped out, the Maybach began to rock in a steady rhythm. Then, a woman's groan and a man's heavy breathing sounded faintly from inside.

Ariel lowered her gaze and smiled bitterly.

She hadn't seen it wrong. The content on Natalie's phone wasn't a document, but a seductive photo of her dressed in a bunny costume.

"Natalie, keep your voice down. My wife is still outside…" Keith murmured, his voice low and restrained.

The tone he used to call Natalie was the same as the way he used to call Ariel. He was calling another woman with that same intimate tone.

A sharp pain shot through Ariel's chest. Her eyes were burning red. She bit her lip hard to swallow the bitterness rising in her throat while gently caressing the ring on her ring finger.

Over the past five years, she had never taken off her wedding ring. The mark it left on her skin had already turned into a deep red groove.

"Keith, be more gentle… Not there…"

Natalie's breathy moans floated through the air, thick with desire.

Ariel wanted to escape, but they were on a long sea bridge with no cabs in sight. Since there was nowhere to go, she could only wait for the absurd act inside the car to end.

She thought of Keith's once strict family rules: no intimacy before marriage. He had never crossed that line back then. He had kept his word and waited until their wedding night.

But that unexpected kidnapping had delayed their wedding. They had never consummated their marriage.

Ever since that day, Ariel would tremble in fear whenever things got intimate. Even when passion burned between them, all she could manage was faint whimpers.

Keith always felt bad for her and cooled his desire with cold showers. He said he wouldn't force and would wait until she was ready.

However, he had broken that promise too. To make things worse, he was even doing it with another woman in her presence.

Perhaps in Keith's eyes, Natalie was a perfect substitute. She shared Ariel's face, carried the same innocence, and had a soft and gentle voice. In every way, she resembled the woman Ariel used to be.

No wonder he cheated with her.

After what felt like an eternity, Natalie slowly rolled down the car window. Her flushed face was still glowing with satisfaction.

"Ariel, we're done. You can get back in now."

As soon as Ariel entered the car, she was overwhelmed by nausea from the amorous scent lingering inside. Nausea churned in her stomach, and her heartbreak had numbed her completely.

On the way to send Natalie to the hospital, Keith just remained silent.

When they returned to the castle, he instantly scooped Ariel into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

His gaze darkened as he leaned over her, slowly tracing his slender fingers along her lips.

"Ariel, I won't hold it against you for sneaking out to my company today," he said. Then, he raised his phone, showing her the "evidence". "But why did you contact my biggest rival? Give me a reason."

Ariel's face turned pale. Fighting the urge to speak, she signed with trembling hands. "You've been monitoring my calls?"

"You're the one who misbehaved first," Keith replied. He slid his hand beneath her clothes and caressed her sensitive parts.

"I told you that I don't like you showing yourself in public," he added. "I'm afraid someone will take you away from me again."

As he spoke, he tore away the thin barrier and thrust into her without hesitation. His movements were anything but gentle.

Ariel whimpered and struggled, pressing her hands against his chest to push him away. But her resistance only seemed to fuel his primal possessiveness.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Keith suddenly noticed a small stain of red on the white sheets. He was stunned, abruptly stopping his intense movements.

His voice came out rough and trembling with disbelief.

"Why is there blood on the sheets? Are you still… a virgin?"