Marcella made a show of leaving, and James caught her back, pulling her hard against him.

"It's a worthless trinket. Lose it, buy another."

With that, James reached for my hand, meaning to take me out with him.

I glanced at his neck and saw the red cord truly wasn't there anymore. I jerked my hand away from his and turned, walking straight back into the private room.

James moved to stop me, but just then Marcella let out a soft cry. "Ah... I think my calf got burned. Will it scar? James, I'm scared..."

His attention snapped to her. Without a moment's hesitation, he scooped Marcella up and left.

After they were gone, I searched the smoke-choked room for a long time before I finally found the peace pendant, abandoned in the corner of the sofa.

By then the flames had spread, but I didn't care about the risk of being burned. I reached out, snatched it up, and clutched it against my chest.

My mother had knelt up ninety-nine steps to pray for this before she died.

Just as I reached the door, the frame collapsed in flames. I threw myself clear of it, dodging desperately, and finally made it out.

The moment I escaped, my vision went black and I passed out cold.

When my mind surfaced again, before I could even open my eyes, I heard James's voice cut through the room, leaving no room for argument.

"Graft her skin onto Marcie. Marcie's only twenty. She has her whole youth ahead of her. She can't be left with scars."

"As for Constance Vance, she's already past her prime. There's no need to worry about her."

The doctor seemed to hesitate. "But Miss Vance's burns cover a large area, while Miss Pruitt's burn is only the size of a fingernail. There's really no need..."

Before the doctor could finish, James cut him off, impatient. "If I remember correctly, I own this hospital. I'm the one who pays your salary."

The doctor paused a few seconds, then gave in. "Yes, Mr. Rowe."

"But Miss Vance doesn't have much undamaged skin left. I'm afraid we can only graft from the scalp..."

"Then take it from there. Anything goes wrong, it's on me." James didn't hesitate at all.

I lay limp on the bed, and when I felt a faint sting in my arm, my consciousness sank back into darkness.

When I woke again, three days had passed.

I looked at myself in the mirror, wrapped head to toe in bandages, and my eyes brimmed.

I lifted my hand and touched the top of my head.

The thick hair was gone. Only cotton and bandages remained, with a faint seep of blood through them.

Ding!

I picked up my phone and saw a message from Mrs. Rowe.

【The divorce paperwork is finalized. I'll give you the divorce certificate and your mother's belongings tomorrow. Do you need me to buy your plane ticket?】

I worked my stiff fingers.

【No.】

I had just stepped out of the bathroom when I saw Marcella sitting at the head of my bed, holding the peace pendant I'd dragged out of the fire.

My pupils shrank. "Give it back!" My voice came out harsh.

I lunged to take it back.

But Marcella dodged me with ease.

Click.

A flame leapt from a lighter, and Marcella held the pendant above it.

She gloated. "Constance Vance, you think you're so capable? I want you on your knees, repenting to me!"

Repent for what?

I opened my mouth, asked nothing, my eyes locked on the pendant in her hand.

Seeing I didn't move, Marcella offered a "kind" reminder. "Back when you saved James, why didn't you save Olive? Because you already knew he was the heir to the Rowe family, so you wanted to slip in while she was gone."

"Constance Vance, who said you had no schemes? Look how cushy these seven years have been for you. You almost gave birth to a bastard, too."

"Tsk, tsk. You breed like a sow. I've already killed three of your bastards, and I never imagined you'd manage to conceive a fourth. Cheap to the bone."

She paused, her expression delighted, her gaze dropping to my flat stomach. "Heh. But a bastard's still a bastard. I won't let him be born, and he won't live!"

Dread rose in my chest. I asked, my voice cracking, "Who are you, really? Why would you go after my children? They were innocent!"

No matter what, the children were innocent.

And yet Marcella wore the look of a petty soul drunk on victory.

Rage surged through me. I wanted nothing more than to rush at her and tear her apart.

Marcella smiled gently and said it plainly. "Olive was my sister. I came to take my revenge."

"Whose fault is it that you didn't save my sister back then? All these years you've climbed up on her flesh and blood, and you've had quite the comfortable life, haven't you~"

My face was bloodless. I wanted to explain, but there was nowhere to begin.

Marcella held up the peace pendant and arched a brow. "Kneel. Kowtow to me."

"Keep going until I'm satisfied. Maybe then I'll give it back. Otherwise…"

As she spoke, her fingers loosened.

I lunged forward to stop her. "No! Don't let go! I'll kneel!"

My mother had earned that pendant on her knees, one bow at a time, the whole way. I couldn't lose a single thing of hers.

Slowly, I sank down.

Marcella pressed again. "And the kowtow."

My hands curled into fists at my sides. Swallowing the humiliation, I lowered my head to the floor.

She clicked her tongue, displeased. "Looks like you don't know how. Fine. Let me teach you."

Before I could lift my head, she yanked it up by force, then slammed it back down.

A heavy thud.

My whole skull spun. A hollow ringing filled both ears.

Marcella wasn't finished. She kept her grip on the bandages around my head, hauling me up, driving me back down.

A dozen times over, until pain wracked my body in shaking spasms.

In the end, too weak to hold on, I passed out.

When I came to, the charred remains of the peace pendant lay beside me.

Exhausted, numb, I gathered the pieces one by one.

My phone lit up. A message from James.

【I'm taking Marcie to a birthday party today. Get yourself up to the second floor and stay there. Don't come down and cause trouble.】

I pressed the screen dark and turned to check myself out of the hospital.

When I reached the Rowe residence, I went in through the back door. After collecting my things from Mrs. Rowe, I left without a backward glance.

Halfway there, someone knocked me out.

When I woke again, I was hanging over a cliff, with an equally unconscious Marcella beside me.

Before I could make sense of it, James arrived, travel-worn and breathless.

The kidnapper before me was raw with hate, glaring at James. "James Rowe, you got my son killed. Today I'm going to make you lose the one you love too."

"Come on, two choices. Pick one. Hahaha!"

Everything in me went to ash. I knew he wouldn't choose me.

The next second, James said, every word firm: "I choose Constance. Let her go. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you, just don't hurt her."

Something flickered in my chest.

But the kidnapper burst into wild laughter and let Marcella go. "So a wild flower really can't beat the one at home. You play around out there, but it's still Mrs. Rowe you carry in your heart. How touching."

Then he turned to me, his face twisting. "So. It's your turn to die."

He cut the rope without hesitation. In the instant I fell—

I saw James sprint forward, pulling Marcella into his arms, his big hand clamped tight over her eyes.

His own eyes, fixed on me, were full of something complicated, and indifferent.

Behind that covering hand, Marcella deliberately gave me a smile, mouthing the words without sound: I won. Die, you bitch.

In that moment, the last shred of feeling left in me dissolved into nothing, and I smiled, at peace.

Dying this way didn't seem so bad after all.

"James, what about Constance, she…"

Before Marcella could finish, James cut in. "Don't worry. There's a rescue team down below. I arranged it all in advance. She'll get a few scrapes at most."

"Come on, let me take you to the hospital first. Once she's back, I'll give her some compensation."

Before James left with Marcella, he had the police take the kidnapper away to be charged.

After three long hours, James finally got the call from the rescue team.

"Find her and take her to the hospital. No need to report to me."

The voice on the other end was frantic. "Mr. Rowe, we couldn't find Miss Vance. We couldn't even find a body…"