As the lock snapped into place, Lilah slid down to the floor and shut her eyes, hopelessness washing over her.

That evening, a female doctor arrived to check on her.

The results came back soon after. She wasn't pregnant.

So it wasn't over. If that man wanted a child, it meant this would continue.

At that thought, Lilah's hands tightened into fists.

She couldn't keep letting him decide everything. She needed to get out.

Her mind started racing, and a plan formed not long after.

Darren stayed occupied with work that night, so he didn't come to her.

The following day, while he was in his study, his assistant, Jack Foster, stepped in after knocking. "Mr. Stanley, Miss Moore has gotten away."

Darren paused mid-sentence, then lifted his gaze. "Explain."

Keeping his head lowered, Jack reported what the surveillance had captured earlier.

"Miss Moore dismissed the servant under a pretense. After that, she used her bedsheets to make a rope and secured it to the balcony. She avoided the guards and slipped out through a gap near the base of the wall."

When he finished speaking, Jack had already prepared himself to be scolded. Instead, Darren simply smiled, without a trace of anger.

That reaction left Jack unsettled. Gathering his nerve, he asked, "Mr. Stanley... what are your instructions?"

"Bring her back," Darren said, his voice firm.

Lilah's resistance only made him more determined to tame her.

"Understood," Jack replied. Just as he was about to leave, Darren spoke again. "There's something else. I need you to investigate it."

At the same time, Lilah rushed back to her small rented apartment. She went straight to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Hot water poured over her as she scrubbed at her skin, trying to erase every trace of Darren. The strain she had been holding in finally gave way, and tears slipped out, mixing with the water before disappearing down the drain.

She had grown up without a family. With her medical skills, she had only just started to build a stable life at a nearby clinic. Things were finally improving. So why did everything keep going wrong?

She stayed in the bathroom until she was sure she had washed away every last trace of Darren, and only then did she finally step out.

Her phone kept vibrating on the nightstand. When Lilah picked it up, she saw more than forty unread messages from Cayson.

"Lilah, did Nicole contact you?"

"I know you're upset, but this engagement wasn't my choice. You're the one I care about."

"Please call me, or meet me. I'll explain everything."

...

Each message hit her like a blow she couldn't block.

She didn't allow herself to stay in that state for long. Pulling herself together, she typed a response.

"It's over. Don't reach out to me again."

The message was sent without hesitation. She blocked Cayson's number right after and removed him from all her social accounts.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Coming," Lilah called out, thinking it was her delivery, and went to answer it.

Instead, Jack stood there with several men behind him. "Miss Moore, you'll need to come with us."

An hour later, she was back inside Darren's estate.

Darren sat behind his desk with a file open. When he saw her, he pushed it toward her and gestured for her to look.

Lilah's eyes dropped to the contents, and she went still.

Everything about her was inside. Her Social Security number, her school history, her orphanage records, and even a clear photo of her as a child standing at the orphanage gate.

"What is it that you want?" she asked, keeping her guard up.

Darren didn't bother softening his words. "My people checked. You weren't part of the Stanley family's global selection."

Relief slipped out of Lilah as she exhaled. "Then you know the truth. That's enough. I don't want anything. Just apologize and let me leave."

A quiet laugh came from Darren, like he had heard something ridiculous.

"No one asks me for an apology," he said. "And even if they did, it wouldn't end well for them. As for letting you go, that was never on the table."

The Stanley family's selection process had always been strict. He was still investigating how someone else had arranged for Lilah to take her place.

Still, he couldn't deny it. Lilah caught his attention.

Her appearance, her figure, and the way she acted all stood out.

He had seen too many women who tried too hard to impress. Lilah was different. She would rather escape through a hole than stay.

Whether it was genuine or not, she had gotten his interest.

There was also another reason. Sleep had always been a problem for him, yet on the night he had spent with Lilah, he had rested well.

Darren continued, making his stance clear, "I don't care who you are. My family needs an heir. Give me a child, and you'll get a billion."

"Not happening," Lilah shot back immediately.

Money wasn't everything to her. She valued her freedom far more.

Over the past few days, she had already seen what kind of man Darren was. Cold, ruthless, and rough. To him, she wasn't even treated like a person. Someone like that had no right to have her child.

As expected, Darren's expression turned grim. "That's not something you get to decide."

Lilah tried to speak, but he didn't give her a chance. His men stepped in and dragged her back to her room.

Beyond the bedroom window stretched nothing but the open sea.

There was no way out.

Despair crept in, but she forced herself not to give in.

If she wanted a chance, she needed something to negotiate with.

Right now, the only thing he cared about was a child.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

Later that night, after finishing his work, Darren came down for dinner.

He paused as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

Rose petals were scattered across the floor. At the dining table, Lilah sat waiting, dressed in a purple slip dress with the straps hanging loose. Her gaze held a quiet invitation.

"You're finally here, Mr. Stanley."

She stood, took his hand, and guided him toward the table. "I had them set this up. Sit down."

Darren looked at her with a hint of doubt. "Have you lost your mind?"

"You're the one who—"

The words almost slipped out, but she stopped herself.

Letting go of his hand, she forced a calmer tone. "I've just changed my mind. Is that so strange?"

"Fine." Darren didn't press further.

Or rather, he didn't take her seriously.

On this island, everything was under his control. With his men everywhere, he didn't believe she could do anything.

Once seated, Lilah poured a glass of red wine for him.

Darren pushed it back toward her. "Drink it first."

Lilah had expected that. Without hesitation, she lifted the glass and finished it, then poured another and handed it to him. Her eyes briefly flicked toward his waist.

Darren took a sip. Almost immediately, his brows tightened.

In the next moment, he spat out blood.

Before anyone could react, Lilah moved. She grabbed the gun from his waist and pressed it against his forehead, her voice turning cold. "The wine's poisoned. If you want the antidote, let me walk out of here."