Two hours later.

Liora came downstairs.

Edward leaned in slightly,pulled out a chair for her with a gentle smile and handed her a cup of coffee with three sugars,just the way she liked it.

"Liora,Edward is gone now,but I know my brother would want you to keep living well."

"As his only brother,I’ll make sure to take good care of you."

He played the part so perfectly.

There was a time when Edward remembered every one of her quirks and little habits and Liora truly believed she was the happiest woman alive.

But now,it all felt like a bitter joke.

She did not say a word.Instead,her eyes drifted to the wall in the living room.

The spot where her wedding photo with Edward once hung had been replaced with pictures of him and Callista.

Callista curled affectionately in Edward’s arms and noticed her gaze.Her body tensed and her eyes turned red with guilt.

"Liora,Sister,I was just afraid you’d feel too sad looking at the wedding photo.That’s why I thought I should take it down.I…"

"Don’t call me that.I don’t have a sister."

Liora’s voice cut through the air coldly.

The smile on Edward’s face immediately faltered.

"Liora,Callista only changed the photo for your sake.I know you’re not in a good place after my brother’s accident,but you can’t take it out on her."

His voice,once low and calm,grew icy and edged with threat.

That tone was a clear sign of Edward's fury.

Liora had never heard him speak to her like that before.

She pressed her fingernails deep into her palms,trying to keep the surge of pain in her chest from overtaking her.

Her eyes swept across the room,landing on the new decorations,the unfamiliar tea set and even the vase of lilies she was severely allergic to.She spoke,her lips curling into a bitter smile.

"All of this…All of this was also changed for me?"

Every corner of this house had been chosen by her and Edward over the course of five years.

As soon as Callista arrived,Edward replaced nearly everything in the house with things she preferred.

It was beyond absurd.

When she heard Liora’s words,a flicker of jealousy and bitterness flashed across Callista’s eyes.

But a second later,pitiful tears welled up in them.

"Liora,if it bothers you,I’ll put everything back the way it was…Ouch!"

She stood on tiptoe,reaching up to remove the wedding portrait of her and Edward.But before she could manage it,she let out a sharp cry of pain.

"Callista,are you all right?"

In the blink of an eye,Edward rushed over,panic in his expression as he clutched Callista’s hand with trembling concern.

Liora looked at Callista’s perfectly fine hand,then at Edward’s frantic face and once again felt the sting of betrayal like a knife twisting deep in her chest.

Well,it would not matter.In just two more weeks,she would no longer be tied to this man in any way.

Thinking of that,she turned and instructed the housekeeper to burn the wedding portrait along with everything else.

Out in the courtyard,the paintings Edward once made for her,the keepsakes he gifted and the custom dresses he designed were fed to the flames,one after another,until nothing but ashes remained.

"Wrenford,no matter how hard you try,Edward isn’t coming back."

"Even if he loved you once,so what?He still made another choice."

At some point,Callista appeared again.

But now,there was no more fragility in her voice.Her expression was smug,radiant with triumph.

Liora cast her a cold glance.

"So,you’re saying Edward who is now pretending to be Edmund chose you?"

Callista’s face twitched.She had not expected Liora to know.

So,why was Liora still so calm?

That composed face made Callista’s smile twist with irritation.

"Listen,Wrenford,it doesn’t matter if it’s Edward or Edmund,they both love me.If you know what’s good for you,leave this place right now."

"Otherwise…ah!"

She had not even finished her threat when she spotted a figure approaching from a distance.

Immediately,she put on a show of distress,let out a dramatic cry and stumbled directly into the fire pit.

Liora flinched in shock.

Before she could react,a powerful force slammed into her from behind.

She barely managed to regain her balance before a strong hand clamped tightly around her neck.

"Liora!How dare you hurt Callista?Have I spoiled you too much?"

Edward’s eyes were sharp and cold,colder than frost in midwinter.

Liora’s face turned red as she struggled to breathe.Her wounded hands clutched his wrists and her scabbed skin split open again,blood trickling out.

At last,Edward released her.

Thud!

Liora crumpled to the ground like discarded trash,her body slamming against a jagged stone.

Pain radiated through her limbs and she curled up instinctively,her forehead quickly damp with sweat.

"Don’t let there be a next time."

With that,Edward scooped up Callista and walked away without a glance back.

Liora stared after him,teeth sinking into her lower lip,refusing to let out a single sound of pain.

But no matter how strong she tried to be,the tears still fell,tracing silently down her cheeks.

She shut her eyes tight,trying to tear the image of that man,the one who used to trim his nails before touching her hands or feet,afraid even a scratch might hurt her completely out of her heart.

She kept telling herself.

Liora,this is the last time you’ll cry for Edward.

What she did not expect was for Edward…to return so soon.

With a dark expression,he dragged Liora to the hospital,forcing her down and pressing her head against the rail of Callista’s hospital bed.

"Liora,what else did you do to Callista?You scared her so badly she nearly had a miscarriage.Apologize to her now!"

Her forehead slammed hard against the bed rail again and again and her pale face twisted in pain.

Still,she gritted her teeth and refused to bow her head.

"I didn’t do anything.Callista jumped into the fire of her own free will.What does that have to do with me?"

Edward’s anger flared even more.Always the composed one,he lost control and tightened his grip violently.The veins on the back of his hands bulged.Then,without hesitation,his polished leather shoe struck Liora hard in the knee.

"You’re still making excuses?Why would my brother ever marry someone so cruel?"

Cruel?

The word made Liora let out a bitter laugh.

She slowly straightened up on trembling legs,locking eyes with the man in front of her.Her black pupils were calm and piercing,unaffected by the blood trailing from her forehead and clouding her vision.

"If you want to talk about cruelty,then you should be saying that to Edward."

She had married him,carried his child,given up her career and all of it.And in return,he faked his death,betrayed her and slept with his so-called sister-in-law,pretending to be his own brother.

And now he had the nerve to call her cruel?

"What are you talking about?"

Edward froze,his lips pressing into a thin,tight line.

Right then,Liora appeared calmer than he had ever seen her.

Not just calm but cold and detached.Her eyes held nothing but clarity…and deep,bitter hatred.

The sorrow was gone.

It was only now that he noticed that Liora,the woman who was once so well cared for,was now bruised and battered,her entire body a mess of injuries.

A wave of panic hit him and he immediately let go,reaching out instinctively to call for a doctor.

But just then,Callista was awake in her hospital bed and suddenly screamed and cowered beneath the covers,shaking violently.

"Liora,I know I was wrong.I shouldn’t have touched your things.I shouldn’t have stayed in your home.I’ll pack my things and leave right away,just please let me go."

Instantly,Edward’s expression changed.

He shoved Liora back with all his strength,fury flaring in his eyes like a storm about to break.

"Liora!You hurt Callista just to drive her out?"

"As your brother-in-law,I have a duty to teach you what family means for my brother’s sake!"

After that,he barked an order for the housekeeper to bring the family paddle.

Liora resisted stubbornly,catching the descending blow with her bare hands.

Instantly,her already wounded palms split open further,blood trailing down her arms and dripping steadily onto the floor.

She gritted her teeth,enduring the searing pain,but then let out a wild,mocking laugh.

"Brother-in-law,huh?Are you really Edmund?"

The moment she said it,she clearly saw Edward hesitate.

But only for a beat.His expression quickly darkened again.

The next blow that landed on her was even more brutal.

Before long,Liora’s vision blurred into blackness and she passed out.

When she came to,she was jolted awake by a splash of cold water.

Edward stood over her,chest heaving,eyes bloodshot.He gripped her arm tightly and yanked her from the bed.

"Liora,where did you send Callista?"

That was when Liora learned Callista had gone missing from the hospital.

And Edward,without question,believed she was behind it.

She had no intention of getting involved,but in the end,she was forced,escorted by his bodyguards,to help search for Callista.

Under a relentless drizzle that only grew heavier,Liora was made to comb the area for five full hours.Her legs had long gone numb.

By the time she reached home,she nearly collapsed at the door.

However,the door did not open.The fingerprint scanner rejected her and her calls went unanswered.

Just as she was about to hang up,the call finally connected.

Breathless moans,the rustling of fabric and low gasps filled the line.

Then came Callista’s soft,seductive voice.

"Ed,it’s pouring out there…isn’t it a bit much to leave Liora locked outside?"

Edward’s voice was flat and cold.

"It’s the perfect time to teach her a lesson.Let her learn who is in control."

In control?

Funny.The deed to this house was in her name.Liora Wrenford.

She scoffed,wiped the rain from her face and called a locksmith.

As soon as they arrived,she stepped aside to let them in,completely unfazed by the fact that Callista and Edward were half-dressed and in disarray inside.

"Liora,who gave you permission to bring strangers into this house?"

Edward hurriedly grabbed the clothes off the floor and wrapped them around the panicked Callista.His entire face was clouded with simmering anger.

Liora remained composed.Without even lifting her head,she pulled out the property deed and handed it to the locksmith.

"This is my house.If you’re in such a hurry to get into bed but don’t want an audience,maybe try a hotel next time."

Callista’s face burned with shame.Tears welled up as she shot to her feet and bolted barefoot toward the door.

Edward yanked her back,his expression growing darker as he glared at Liora.

"This is my home.I make the rules.Someone get her out of here!"

Liora had not expected that Edward would actually order someone to rip her clothes and throw her out into the street just like that.

The icy rain cut through her like knives.

Her injuries tore open again and within minutes,she was shivering with fever.

Through the haze,Liora’s mind drifted to a rainy day five years ago.

Her car had broken down right before a major performance.

That day,Edward had shown up like a hero,wrapping her in his coat and carrying her through flooded streets to the venue.Not a single drop of rain had touched her.

His expensive suit had been soaked and filthy,his umbrella always tilted toward her.

Even during their five years of marriage,he was still the same.

If there was so much as a puddle in their path,he would carry her over it.

Now,everything was different.

Shaking off the memories,Liora forced her thoughts back into the present.

She pulled out her phone and,without hesitation,listed the house she had shared with Edward for sale.

But just as she hit confirm,bright headlights blazed toward her.

She instinctively stepped aside,only for the car to speed up and veer in her direction.

Crash!

Her frozen,weakened body was flung violently into the air.

As the world spun around her,she caught a glimpse of Callista behind the wheel,chin held high with a smug,victorious smile.

When she finally crashed to the pavement,there was nothing but excruciating pain and a blur of fading consciousness.

Somewhere in the distance,voices murmured,someone calling an ambulance,someone trying to contact her emergency contact.

"Hello?Is this Mr.Gravemont?The owner of this phone has been in an accident and…"

A cold,familiar voice cut him off mid-sentence.

It was Edward.

"Liora,what kind of stunt are you pulling now?Admit you were wrong,apologize to Callista and I’ll send someone to pick you up…"

Beep.Beep.Beep.

Liora groaned at the noise.She did not know where the strength came from,but she grabbed the phone and ended the call herself.

Soon,she was rushed to the hospital.

On the operating table,as the anesthesia began to dull her pain,her mind grew a bit clearer.

The doctor approached her and handed her a liability waiver to sign.

"I’ve reviewed your medical records.You previously lost a healthy,late-term pregnancy,which caused significant trauma to your body.This time,due to the car accident,you’ve had another miscarriage.There’s a high possibility you may never conceive again…"

A healthy baby?

Liora’s entire body suddenly went rigid.She could not hear another word the doctor was saying.

Her mind spiraled back to that moment of how happy she had been when she first learned she was pregnant and how devastated she was when Edward told her the baby had a deformity and had to be terminated.

But now,this doctor said it had been a healthy child.

Shock and disbelief surged through her like ice water.Her entire back stiffened and her teeth began to chatter.

Off to the side,another doctor let out a quiet sigh.

"Some people today are so careless,ending a pregnancy just like that,on a whim."

"I remember a similar case from about five years ago.Same name,actually.Her husband was some kind of artist.I think he couldn’t handle the idea of stretch marks on her belly,so he told her the baby was deformed just to convince her to get an abortion..."