Owen cut me off without hesitation. "Are you saying Leah would harm the one thing her mother left her?"

From an angle where Owen couldn’t see, Leah shot me a triumphant smirk.

Then, as if on cue, she sighed and put on that pitiful expression she wore so well.

"Miss Walker, why do you always hate me so deeply?"

Ever since this woman returned, my world had been turned upside down.

She hadn’t just driven a wedge between me and Owen.

She was the reason I lost everything.

Even my family.

If not for her, I wouldn’t have lost my loved ones.

That thought ignited something uncontrollable inside me.

Rage boiled over, scorching through every rational thought.

I lunged at Leah, my fingers closing around her throat, tightening with every ounce of fury I had suppressed.

"Aaah! Help!" Leah gasped, clawing at my hands, her terror-stricken face twisting as she struggled.

A sudden force yanked me back before I could unleash the full force of my anger.

Owen stared at me, eyes wide with shock. "Abigail, have you lost your mind? Do you even realize what you’re doing?"

"Leah deserves to die." My hands curled into fists, my voice seething with venom. "If not for her, I wouldn’t have lost my family."

Owen let out a heavy sigh as if exhausted by my accusations. "Do you think I don’t know what happened to your family? Stop causing trouble for no reason."

Even now, he refused to see the truth.

Wasn’t it laughable?

Five years of love and this was what remained.

A hollow ache spread through my chest, bitterness sinking deep into my bones.

I exhaled sharply. "Owen, let’s break up."

His gaze snapped to mine, sharp as a blade. "What did you just say?" He stepped forward, his voice dangerously low. "You want to break up with me?"

I took a few steps back, my voice calm, distant. "You’re not the right person for me. We were never meant to be."

"Stop this nonsense." Owen suddenly seized my wrist, yanking me closer. His gaze burned into mine. "You’re just jealous of Leah, aren’t you? I told you, I only see her as a sister."

I wrenched my hand free, disgust curling in my chest. "You make me sick."

Owen stiffened, his eyes flashing with disbelief. "Did you misunderstand something? I—"

Before he could finish, a pitiful scream cut through the air.

Leah had crumpled to the ground, gasping as if the very air had turned against her. She clutched her throat, trembling like a fragile doll.

Owen had warned me before, told me she had asthma since childhood and told me not to provoke her.

But wasn’t it always her who provoked me first?

She was an exceptional actress and this was just another well-rehearsed performance.

"Leah, hold on." Owen hurriedly lifted her as he barked at the bodyguards to bring the car around.

I turned to leave, unwilling to be part of this farce.

But before I could take a step, Owen shoved me into the car, his glare sharp with fury. "If anything happens to Leah, you’ll be the one to take responsibility."

I had no idea how long I had been waiting in the hospital corridor.

Time stretched endlessly before Owen finally had his bodyguards drag me to a VIP ward.

He pointed at Leah, frail and pitiful in bed, his voice cold with command. “Apologize. Now.”

I stood motionless, unmoved. “She’s the one who should be apologizing.”

The moment the words left my lips, Leah covered her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes. “Miss Walker, wasn’t it enough that you killed my dog? Do you want to kill me too?”

“Liar.” My voice was sharp as ice, my gaze filled with quiet fury. “People like you always get what’s coming.”

Leah’s pitiful sobs grew even softer, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry… Someone like me shouldn’t even be alive. I should just go and be with my mother…”

The second those words left her lips, Owen’s anger flared. “Abigail, shut up! Leah isn’t in good health; she can’t take this kind of stress.”

I met his furious gaze with an indifferent expression and turned to leave.

But Owen refused to let me go. His grip tightened. “You’re not leaving until you apologize. Otherwise, I won’t forgive you.”

I shoved him away. “It doesn’t matter to me whether you forgive me or not. We’re already over.”

Owen let out a low, mocking laugh as if I had just told a ridiculous joke. “Are you serious? Do you think breaking up will make me chase after you?”

He kept pushing and demanding my apology. But I never wavered.

In the end, his patience snapped. He ordered his bodyguards to lock me up in a villa on the outskirts of town.

Before leaving, Owen furrowed his brows, his eyes burning with fury.

“Abigail, don’t think that just because I spoiled you before, you can do whatever you want and hurt others.”

“You’re not leaving until you learn to apologize.”

“And those little games you’re playing to get my attention? They’re getting old.”

His bodyguards moved swiftly, confiscating my phone and severing my last link to the outside world.

I sat in the villa, hollow and motionless, disappointment weighing down on me like an anchor.

Maybe I should have never met Owen.

Then, none of this would have happened.

Late at night, I was startled awake by frantic knocking.

Before I could react, the door burst open and a group of unfamiliar men flooded the room.

They weren’t Owen’s bodyguards.

Had he replaced his security team?

But the door had been locked. How had they gotten in so easily?

A chill crawled up my spine as unease settled deep in my bones. “What do you want?”

The bald man at the front smirked, his gaze predatory. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.”

The others eyed me hungrily, their whispers dripping with vile intent.

“I heard Abigail is Owen’s woman. Are we allowed to touch her?”

“Of course. Miss Wood said we can do whatever we want. If anything happens, she’ll handle it.”

“What’s there to be scared of? We’ll have our fun and leave. No one will ever find us.”

Their words sent a sharp, icy terror through me. My body trembled as I staggered back. “Stay away! This is illegal! Owen won’t let you get away with this!”