Simon Webb had been Caroline Webb's arch-nemesis for three years in her previous life.

He hailed from a prominent family, graduated from Harvard, and took the helm of Webb Enterprises before hitting the big three-oh. Highly efficient and sharp, he quickly amassed a fortune in the billions. His striking good looks turned heads among many socialites, and his tall, imposing frame made him a regular feature in fashion magazines.

Then came the car accident—everything went south, leaving him unable to find a single woman willing to marry him and chase away the bad luck.

Caroline's words were like a grenade in a crowded room.

"I've told you countless times, but your family... It's beyond me. I'm supposed to be your aunt, and yet you treat me like this? You even want to take your uncle's woman?"

The reporters, eyes glinting with anticipation, scribbled furiously. Meanwhile, Caroline kept fanning the flames, hell-bent on dragging Dennis Webb and his family down.

Dennis' mother sensed the situation getting out of hand and positioned herself protectively in front of him, smiling nervously as she said, "Everyone, this is all just a big misunderstanding! Please, hold off on your stories. My son and Caroline will work everything out. It's truly a blessing for our family that someone is willing to stand by Simon even in such difficult times."

Caroline eyed the Webb family, their faces twisted with frustration, and felt a rush of satisfaction. She glanced meaningfully at Dennis and said, "Dennis, there's no need for you to lose your cool."

"After all, once I'm part of the Webb family, we'll have plenty of time together."

You owe me, and I'll make sure to settle the score.

The fact that someone was willing to marry Simon to fend off disaster delighted Deborah Stewart tremendously, and the wedding went ahead without a hitch. It stirred up the business community in England, drawing a crowd of elites, but the groom was conspicuously absent.

Caroline calmly went through all the ceremonies and moved into the Webb family mansion that night.

Simon lay unconscious in the master bedroom, his tall frame cramped on the hospital bed, IV lines connected to his body. His pale skin stretched over well-defined muscles, making it appear as if he was merely asleep, ready to wake up at any moment.

Caroline moved closer, studying him. His features were chiseled and handsome, exuding an air of nobility.

What a waste of such a face; the doctors said he didn't have much time left. But Caroline knew that in a few months, he'd recover as if nothing had happened.

If her past life was any indication, his body would easily last a century.

With this in mind, Caroline crouched by the bed, whispering to Simon, "Mr. Webb, I can't think of a better solution, so I'm borrowing your name for now..."

"I promise not to go against you this time. Just give me a few months to deal with Dennis and Josie, and then we can part ways without jeopardizing your future."

She had witnessed Simon's capabilities before. With such an uncle on the scene, Dennis would be left with nothing, not even an inheritance.

Unfortunately, in her past life, Caroline didn't realize this. Misguided by gratitude, she married him, helped him seize the family assets, and ended up as a pawn in someone else's game.

This time, Caroline aimed to cut off Dennis' path completely!

Lost in thought, the door behind her suddenly swung open!

It was Dennis!

"Caroline, what do you mean by this? You said Simon was done for and that, with the Webb family in chaos, you'd help me seize power, give me whatever I wanted, and now you're marrying that invalid?!"

Dennis stormed over, his chest heaving with anger, "Do you plan to live as a widow all your life? Or are you just waiting for his death to claim the Webb estate? What delusion are you in?!"

A wave of contempt surged through Caroline, but she had to admit she'd been naive in her past life.

Blindly grateful, she had accepted marrying Dennis, becoming a pawn for his ambitions. But now—

Caroline snapped her arm up and slapped him hard, "Don't spout nonsense in front of my husband. I'm your elder now, show some respect."

Dennis was utterly flummoxed; he couldn't fathom how Caroline had changed so drastically.

The old Caroline had been naive and easy to manipulate; a few sweet words had always been enough. But now, she was assertive and unyielding.

Dennis approached her, issuing an ominous warning, "Have you forgotten who saved your life back then? Who your benefactor is? Can you really be so ungrateful?"

Caroline's eyes turned icy, her gaze sending chills down his spine, "Is that so? Then why don't we revisit how you supposedly saved my life?"

Panic surged through Dennis, causing him to backpedal several steps, his body trembling slightly, "Revisit what? You owe me your life, don't pretend otherwise."

How had Caroline become like this? She had been completely taken in by him, thoroughly believing his fabricated story. Had she discovered the truth? No, it couldn't be!

The next moment, he saw Simon, still lying on the bed, move a hand slightly!

Dennis' complexion turned ashen, sweat pouring down his brow, as he desperately replayed their conversation in his mind. If Simon had overheard—

"In any case, your life is mine. Take care of yourself!"

With that, Dennis scrambled out of the master bedroom.

Just as Caroline was about to speak, she felt something slide across her hand. Looking down—

It was Simon's oxygen tube.

Pulled out by Dennis during his frantic escape!

Oh no!

Without the oxygen, Simon's heart rate plummeted rapidly, sending paralyzing fear through Caroline. She frantically pressed the emergency button, urgently calling for help.

Moments later, the master bedroom was brightly lit and filled with people.

A doctor pulled Caroline aside and gave a grim prognosis, "Given his current condition, even if we manage to revive him, the chances of him waking up are quite slim—"

Caroline, her eyes red with worry, clung tightly to the doctor's coat, "Enough with the negativity. Who says he won't wake up? Do your utmost, and I promise he will. I believe in him!"

Caroline Webb's feelings towards Simon Webb were rather complex. He was a man of such stature, seemingly out of reach, and surely, in his more lucid moments, he would despise her. Caroline's return was solely for revenge; she planned to use Simon temporarily and had no desire to disrupt his life. The thought that her own vendetta might cause Dennis Webb to harm Simon again was unbearable. Simon must be saved and restored to health!

The Webb family estate was lit up all through the night. Though Simon had been saved, the situation was far from resolved. Caroline directly accused Dennis Webb as the culprit. However, Dennis had become sly. In front of Deborah Stewart, the family matriarch, he played on family loyalty, insisting on how much he cared for his uncle and how he could never harm him. No surveillance had been in place at the time of the incident. Caroline watched him perform with a cold smile, her eyes glinting with a predatory chill. Prey that struggles is always more interesting; she would savor seeing how long his arrogance would last.

After everyone else had left, Deborah called Caroline aside. Despite Caroline's involvement with Dennis, Deborah had seen through the facade. Caroline's immediate instinct to save Simon was genuine, at least. Plus, with her father eager to forge connections with the Webb family, there were interests at play that Caroline could leverage. Deborah spoke bluntly, “If Simon doesn't have much time left, and you wish to secure your place in this family, you need to have a child.”

Caroline was taken aback. "You saw what happened today. So many in the family are eyeing his position. If he does leave us, how will you manage?" Deborah continued, "You must understand, a child of yours and Simon's could inherit the estate, securing your future and that of your family."

The thought made Caroline's skin crawl. Have a child? Once Simon recovered, she intended to live her life freely—who would want to have a child with him? She straightened up and declared, “I believe Simon will wake up. I married him not for gain, but purely out of admiration. I refuse to believe he will remain in a coma forever.”

Deborah regarded her with an inscrutable gaze. “You're quite the clever girl.” Caroline concealed her slight unease, exchanged some polite remarks, and left. As she did, Deborah's eyes gleamed with renewed intent.

Five days remained until the Webb shareholders' meeting, a date engraved in Caroline’s memory. In her previous life, she had helped Dennis seize Simon's shares during the chaos. This time, she intended to ensure Dennis met his downfall in the most humiliating fashion.

Just as Caroline began plotting her strategy, Josie Garza showed up, laden with gifts, wearing a smug expression as she arrived at the Webb estate. The first thing she said upon seeing Caroline was, “Sister, with all your advantages, how did you end up marrying someone who's on the brink of death? I truly sympathize with you!”

Internally, Caroline laughed coldly; Josie seemed rather pleased with the situation. So Caroline took Simon’s hand, appearing enamored, “You don’t understand, I genuinely admire him.”

Josie sighed dramatically, though her eyes gleamed with joy. “Have you thought about the consequences? If Simon dies, our family will lose its standing, and our parents will blame you forever!”

Feigning anxiety, Caroline replied, “Well, there's nothing I can do. I really… like him.”

Was it her imagination, or did Simon's hand just squeeze hers slightly?

Josie looked down on her sister, who had once been so brilliant but now seemed brought low. The tables had turned, and karma had arrived. She wished for nothing more than Caroline's complete disgrace, imagining her destitute on the streets.

Drawing closer, Josie boasted, “You could have married someone as great as Dennis, you know... If Simon passes, Dennis is the rightful heir to the family estate!”

Caroline lowered her gaze, a flicker of calculation passing through her eyes, as she calmly picked up her phone. “I know. That’s why I’m setting up my best friend with Dennis for a dinner date. If it works out, once Dennis takes over the family, he might treat us kindly.”

Josie's smile faltered, envy flaring within her. Such an opportunity, and Caroline was giving it away rather than considering her stepsister?

“I’m going to grab some medication for Simon from the next room. Can you wait here?” Caroline placed her phone, now displaying the dinner information, on the table, and hurriedly left the room.

The moment Caroline was out of sight, Josie, acting like a thief, pounced on the phone, eagerly checking its contents. All of this was being recorded by the security cameras in the room.

Since the incident with the oxygen tank, Caroline Webb had installed surveillance cameras in Simon Webb's bedroom. At this moment, she was in the adjacent room, observing Josie Garza's every move through the monitor.

Once Josie had taken photos of the dinner location and Dennis Webb's contact information, Caroline smiled slightly, her eyes gleaming with a cold, ruthless light. She immediately sent her plan by email to the restaurant booked for the dinner: a romantic dinner for two, a reservation at a five-star hotel with a special suite, and a key card tucked discreetly into the spiced honey cake. A pair like them deserved each other, Caroline thought, hoping Josie would seize this chance to latch onto Dennis.

After completing these tasks, Caroline returned to the bedroom with some medication, only to run into Deborah Stewart at the door.

“Oh, Caroline, are you here to speak with your mother-in-law? I won't interfere; I'll be on my way!” Josie, clearly nervous, quickly picked up her bag and left with her head down.

Caroline maintained a calm smile, her "innocent and kind" demeanor not raising any suspicions from Josie.

Deborah noticed the complex mix of medication Caroline was carrying—a list so long that the housekeeper usually considered it too much trouble—and couldn't help but admire how Caroline handled it all by herself.

“Caroline, come on in and have some soup. You've lost weight with all this stress,” Deborah urged.

Caroline hung up Simon’s medication without suspicion and drank the soup entirely.

No sooner had she set the bowl down than Deborah clasped her hand. “I mentioned having children last time. Have you given it any thought?” Caroline was about to give a noncommittal answer when Deborah added earnestly: “You really should consider it. Even though Simon hasn’t woken up, the doctor assured me there are no issues on his end.”

Caroline blinked in confusion. “No issues where?”

Deborah just chuckled, said nothing more, and left the room.

For a moment, Caroline’s mind went blank. When she finally realized what had happened, she rushed to the bedroom door, only to find it locked!

Suddenly, a peculiar warmth spread through her body. Caroline shivered, staring incredulously at the bowl of soup—could it really be what she thought it was?

But things quickly spiraled beyond her expectations. Overcome by an inexplicable heat, she supported herself with her weakened body, stumbling step by step toward Simon.

The air was thick with intimacy, and the room became a space of tenderness.

When sunlight once again streamed into the bedroom, Caroline awoke on the spacious double bed to find herself curled in Simon’s arms, the two of them snugly nestled together.

Memories of the night’s passion surged back like waves, leaving her head feeling as though it was about to explode.

Sunlight traced across Simon’s high nose bridge, down his thin lips, casting a soft glow on his divine-looking face, making it hard to look away. In his sleep, the fierce lines of his brow had softened into gentleness.

Caroline's heart raced as she stared at Simon's face, caught between panic and embarrassment, until she instinctively mumbled, “I’m sorry,” as she clambered out of bed.

A moment later, her phone erupted with notifications. The private investigator she had hired had been quite productive the night before!

Photos of Josie and Dennis entering the hotel arm in arm, kissing in the elevator, with Dennis drunkenly groping Josie…

Caroline forced herself to suppress the nausea as she looked through the photos, her eyes becoming ice-cold.

The bait had been swallowed whole.

Caroline gripped her phone tightly and set about dealing with the photos, unaware of the slight movement of Simon's fingers as she left the bedroom.

…

Josie awoke to find that Dennis had left a few hundred dollars and slipped away without any intention of taking responsibility.

She was about to explode in anger when Caroline’s call came through.

“Sister, I’d like to ask you something,” Caroline said.

“Mom and Dad are encouraging me to arrange some dates for you. I've shortlisted a few honest and hardworking guys. They might not come from wealthy families, but their character is impeccable...would you like to choose?”

Josie’s eyes widened in disbelief, nearly crushing her phone. “I’m not going!”

So, Caroline had married into the Webb family and wanted to pair her off with some nobody? What a joke! Always pretending to be so saintly and pitying her—what a hypocrite!

Caroline kept her cool, composed demeanor over the phone. “You know, Mom and Dad aren't concerned about how much money you make. They just want you to marry a decent, hardworking man and live happily ever after—”

“I’m not going. Don’t bother me again.” Josie hung up angrily, wishing she could somehow reach through the phone and tear Caroline apart!

She could never let go of Dennis Webb, her ticket to becoming the Webb family’s matriarch, and she was determined to stomp Caroline beneath her feet in triumph!

Just then, her phone lit up again with a message from Caroline in their family group chat, sharing a fundraising link: A professor’s relative, please share.

The first two lines read: I am a single mother, unmarried and pregnant…

The words struck the 22-year-old Josie, giving her an idea.