Liam was a notorious playboy in Harbor City's business circles. His private jet was always filled with beautiful companions.

That all changed at a cocktail party one day, where he fell for Winter at first sight.

The very next day, he cut off every woman around him and grounded his private jet.

In the height of summer, he showed up outside her office building every single day with a sapphire necklace worth over a billion.

People around him tried to persuade her to be with him. They said they had never seen Liam so fixated on any woman before.

"A reformed playboy is priceless," they said.

Even Winter's friends both openly and subtly nudged her. "Just give him a chance."

Still, Winter never accepted him.

She knew how wide the gap between them was.

She was afraid that it was just a passing obsession and that he'd lose interest in her after a few days.

Instead, he stood there for an entire month, regardless of the weather.

One night after working late, the rain was pouring outside.

Winter saw Liam standing in the downpour through the office window. His expensive suit was soaked through.

She ran downstairs. "What do you want from me?"

He tore off his tie, showing a messiness he had never had before.

"I want you," he said. "If you'd just look at me once, I'd give you my life."

That was the moment Winter's defenses finally collapsed. Ignoring Richard's objections, she married him.

After the wedding, his devotion grew.

Anything she mentioned liking would appear at her bedside the very next day. It didn't matter how far away it was or how outrageous the price was.

People joked that if Winter asked for the stars, Liam would find a way to pluck one straight out of the sky.

Even Richard, who had always opposed the marriage, changed his mind.

"Liam's a man you can trust. I can die without regrets if he's the one taking care of you."

Winter remained wrapped in the illusion of a perfect marriage. That was until the day Liam appeared in front of her while holding Regina's hand.

"Winnie, this is Regina," he said calmly. "You two should get along."

Before Winter could process what she was seeing, Regine burst into tears. "You never told me you were married! I may just be a poor college student, but my parents raised me to have dignity!"

Liam immediately pulled her into his arms and apologized to her repeatedly. "She's my wife. But you're the one I truly love. Don't worry. You won't be any less important than her. Whatever she has, you'll have more."

Every word stabbed straight into Winter's chest.

Afterward, she cried, argued, and eventually drafted divorce papers, placing them in front of him.

"I'll step aside for you and Regina," she said. "I'll give up being Mrs. Jager."

Liam's eyes reddened as he tore the papers into pieces. "Winnie, she's just a distraction. No one can replace you as Mrs. Jager."

When Winter insisted on divorce, his tone shifted to a half-threat, half promise.

"Winnie, your father’s health has never been good. You wouldn't want all this chaos interfering with his recovery, do you?"

Her head snapped up, and she stared at him. "What are you implying?"

"We're family. You've never had to worry about the cost of his treatments, have you?" he answered lightly.

Winter froze. She couldn't say a word.

He pulled her into a loose hug. "That's enough drama. I'll come back once I get bored. We'll have a child then. It'll make your father happy."

The truth was that Liam cared about Regina far more than he ever admitted.

When Regina caught a cold, he canceled billion-dollar deals just to sit with her through IV drips and medication.

When her school organized a summer camp, Liam—who usually despised pointless socializing—took off his suit, put on a ridiculous school uniform, and went hiking hand in hand with her.

At her graduation, he showed up in full formal wear as her fiance, landing himself on the front page of Harbor City's headlines overnight.

Winter became a laughingstock among socialites and wealthy wives.

When she confronted him with the newspaper in hand and red eyes, Liam didn't even look at her.

"The media makes up things all the time. Do you really believe them?"

He even turned it back on her. "You're my legal wife. Is this really all the grace you have?"

…

Bit by bit, Winter's disappointment hardened into resolve. She began planning to leave with her father.

Until she received a call from the hospital: “Your father has a successful match! The heart has arrived, and we are ready for surgery at any time.”

She cried with joy. Seven years of prayers had finally been answered.

Yet Liam had used her father's life to force her to give up the hope she had waited seven years for.

Winter dragged herself back to the place she had called home for the past eight years.

The moment she opened the living room door, she saw Regina leaning against Liam's chest.

There were tears on Regina's face. She had clearly been crying.

Liam was gently comforting her. "Alright, stop crying. If you keep this up, your eyes are going to swell, and they'll look ugly."

Regina pouted and lightly thumped his chest. "You're so mean. I'm not ugly! You're the ugly one!"

Winter watched coldly as the man she once deeply loved petted his canary intimately; there is no greater sorrow than a dead heart.

Liam cleared his throat and finally looked up. "Winnie, you're back. How's your father?"

Winter felt like laughing.

He had ordered her father's life support shut off, and yet he still had the nerve to ask her how he was doing?

She glanced at Regina.

"Thanks to you, he's still breathing for now," she replied.

Liam's expression darkened. "Do you realize who you're talking to?"

Who? The man who nearly killed Richard, of course!

The two locked eyes as tension snapped tight between them.

Regina timidly tugged at Liam's sleeve and spoke in a soft, fragile voice. "Daddy, did I upset Winnie?"

"Daddy?" Winter widened her eyes.

That used to be her nickname for Liam.

The irony stung.

Liam didn't notice Winter's expression. Perhaps, he simply didn't care.

He turned back to Regina and pinched her cheek indulgently. "Don't say that. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Will you stay with me at the hospital? I don't want the nurses taking care of me. They're not gentle at all," she pleaded.

Winter's eyes dimmed.

Now that he had the consent form, he was already rushing Regina into surgery.

As Winter turned toward the stairs, Liam suddenly called out to her. "Winnie."

He stood up and walked toward her. "I need you to do something for me."

With one foot already on the first step, Winter didn't turn around.

"Go on. What is it this time? Is it another document you want me to sign? A divorce agreement? Or maybe you want another organ for your precious little girl?"

Liam's face hardened. "Winter! Can you stop talking like that?"

"My dad just came out of emergency surgery. What do you expect from me?" she said, swallowing the ache in her throat. "I haven't slept in over 24 hours. I just want to go upstairs and rest."

Liam grabbed her wrist. "This is your home. You can sleep whenever you want. It's just—"

He pointed toward Regina, who was watching with innocent eyes.

"Regina needs to be hospitalized for treatment. You've taken care of a heart patient before. You'll stay and look after her for a while."

"Have you completely lost your mind? My dad is in the hospital. Who's going to take care of him if I have to take care of her?" she asked, laughing.

He tightened his grip on her. Pain shot up her arm. "Can you handle the consequences of disobeying me?"

She lowered her gaze. "Fine. I'll take care of her."

He loosened his hand at once.

"Good. I'll leave it to you," he said gently.

Sending his wife to serve his mistress would undoubtedly dominate the Harbor City gossip columns.

Winter no longer cared. She didn't have the strength to care.

On Regina's first day in the hospital, Winter understood why no private caregiver would stay.

Regina complained that the room looked too plain, and had a renovation team brought in to redecorate it in pink.

She said the hospital bed was too small and demanded that a custom round bed be moved in.

"Is this water even drinkable? I only drink Evian," she complained. "This food is disgusting. I want Pretorian cuisine."

The doctors and nurses grumbled constantly. "Is she here for treatment or a vacation?"

Regina did whatever she pleased because Liam had donated an entire building to the hospital.

When Winter tried to reason with her, Regina burst into tears and immediately called Liam.

"You said I wouldn't be less important than her. You lied!"

Liam soothed her over the phone. Seconds later, Winter's phone rang.

"She's a patient," she said impatiently. "Can't you just give in to her?"

Was someone who had the entire hospital running in chaos really the critically ill patient he claimed she was?

Winter hung up after hearing Liam's accusations. She looked at Regina, who was sprawled across the oversized bed. She was lounging under the air-conditioning and eating ice cream.

"Aren't you afraid that I'll take a picture of you like this and send it to Liam?" Winter asked.

Regina didn't even blink. "What's he going to do? Get mad? He'll probably say I'm cute and that I know how to enjoy life. I'm not like you. You always look miserable. He got sick of that a long time ago."

"This is the first time I've seen such a shameless mistress. Didn't you swear you'd rather die than be the other woman back then?"

Regina's face flushed. Humiliation turned to anger. She stepped toward Winter, then stopped three feet away from her.

A second later, she yanked the breathing mask off the bedside machine and shoved it into Winter's hands.

"The one unloved is the real mistress," Regina spat. "Let's see who he believes—you or me."

She dropped to her knees with a loud thud and slammed her head on the floor. "Winnie, please! Give it back! I can't breathe!"

Winter was still trying to process what was happening when a violent kick broke open the door.

Liam rushed in and scooped Regina into his arms. He snatched the mask from Winter before fitting it back over Regina's face.

"Regina, are you okay?"

Regina sagged against him. Her breathing was shallow. "It isn't Winnie's fault. She just lost control because I took her father's heart. She didn't mean it…"

Liam's gaze darkened. "You're just too kind. That's why people step all over you."

He turned to Winter. The warmth from his eyes was gone.

"I was the one who decided to give Regina the heart. If you're angry, take it out on me. Do you have any idea that you could've killed her?"

Winter remained calm. She pointed toward the camera in the corner of the room.

"It wasn't me. Check the cameras if you don't believe me. Besides—"

She paused. "It was just a breathing mask. She wasn't in danger. Have you forgotten that you shut off my dad's life support for ten full minutes?"

A flash of violence crossed Liam's eyes. "We’ll see how long you can keep being stubborn."

He started to get up, but Regina clutched his sleeve and shook her head weakly.

"Don't check. I don't want you to see me like this. I don't want you to hurt over this," she said, coughing. "I believe Winnie didn't mean to do it. Please give her another chance."

Her coughing fit left Liam visibly shaken.

"Alright, sure. We won't check the cameras, but I can't just let her humiliate you like this."

His voice hardened as he turned back to Winter. "She knelt and begged you. You'll kneel and apologize the same way."

Winter stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm not going to admit to something I didn't do, Liam. I'm not kneeling to her. You wouldn't sink so low as to threaten my dad again, would you?"

Liam stepped closer, and his tall frame cast a shadow over her. "There's no need to complicate things, is there?"

He gestured toward the door. Several large bodyguards rushed into the room.

His eyes met hers casually. "Make her kneel and apologize. Keep going until I say stop. Leave the door open. Make sure everyone knows what happens when someone hurts Regina."

The guards didn't hesitate. Two of them pinned Winter's arms while another grabbed her from behind.

She struggled violently at first. Her hair fell loose as tears streamed down her cheeks. "You'll regret this, Liam!"

Liam looked down at her from above. His expensive wool coat was still perfectly pressed. "The only thing I'd regret is not teaching you a lesson for Regina today."

The last of Winter's resistance drained away when she met his ice-cold gaze.

She went limp, letting the guards grip her hair and slam her head against the freezing marble floor.

Each impact exploded inside her skull. Pain tore through her forehead. It was as if her skull were about to shatter.

The noise drew people passing through the hallway to look inside the room.