In the eighteenth year after Lily Gilbert became the Vance family's adopted daughter, she married their eldest son.

Joshua hosted a banquet for all of Capital City to witness his wedding to Lily.

But just as she held out her hand, face glowing with happiness, waiting for the ring to slip onto her finger—her wedding was hijacked. In front of everyone.

Ada Swanson, in a backless red dress, curled her lips at Joshua with bold confidence. "Joshua, I'm the one meant to stand beside you through life and death. If you don't come with me today, you'll never see me again."

The venue erupted. Someone shouted, "Look at her back! What that drifter said was true!"

Three years ago, a disheveled man claiming to see the future—calling himself The Prophet—had left Joshua with a single sentence: When you turn twenty-three, you'll meet a woman with seven cinnabar moles on her back. You'll fall for her at first sight and give everything for her.

Lily had never taken those words seriously. She and Joshua had grown up together since they were five. They'd seen each other at their lowest, stayed up all night baring their souls. They were confidants, family, lovers. She was certain nothing could come between them.

Until a stormy night one month ago, when Joshua brought home a rain-soaked Ada Swanson.

In eighteen years, Joshua had never spared an extra word for any woman—let alone taken in a stranger just because she'd run away from home with nowhere to go.

But for Ada, he made an exception.

"She's the Swanson pharmaceutical heiress from Harbor City," he explained. "We have business ties. It was just a small favor."

Lily believed him.

Then the next morning, she watched Ada walk out of the bathroom wearing Joshua's shirt.

Lily froze. Joshua had had severe germaphobia since childhood. Even she could only touch his belongings—never his clothes.

"Her things are being washed," he said, his handsome face perfectly calm. "Mine will do for now."

The double standard gnawed at her, but Joshua seemed like Ada had stolen his soul. For over ten days straight, he stayed glued to her side, oblivious to Lily's frustration.

He even cooked. Joshua Vance, who had never set foot in a kitchen, was suddenly willing to squeeze into one full of grease and smoke alongside Ada. The two worked in perfect sync, chatting like an old married couple.

As if confirming The Prophet's words—they were the destined match.

Lily still refused to believe such a coincidence could exist. She contacted the Swanson family herself and asked them to retrieve their daughter.

When Joshua found out she'd revealed Ada's hiding place, he lost his temper at her for the first time. The look in his eyes—like she was an enemy he wanted to skin alive.

Days of neglect and resentment finally boiled over.

She slapped him across the face. "Joshua Vance! In this house, she's the outsider! What did I do wrong?"

He was silent for a long time. Then, slowly: "What The Prophet said isn't false. The first time I saw Ada, something in me just... pulled toward her. When I look at her, my chest aches. My eyes sting. It's like a bond carved into my soul—I can't help wanting to treat her better. I'll sort out my feelings. Lily, just give me some time. Please?"

How could she accept that?

"If you can't let her go—fine. I'll leave. I'll make it easy for you."

That one sentence snapped Joshua back. He stopped paying attention to Ada. To win Lily over again, he proposed formally, showered her with gifts, threw a banquet for the entire city to witness their love.

A sharp sting at her fingertips yanked Lily back to the present.

The ring meant for her ring finger—Joshua had shoved it onto her thumb instead. She reached out to grab him before he could leave.

But he was terrified Ada would disappear. His violent pull knocked Lily off the stage. A champagne tower half her height toppled, crashing down on her.

Her flawless makeup was ruined. Blood soaked through white silk. The ring slipped from her thumb.

Even that commotion couldn't make Joshua look back once. He grabbed Ada and vanished from the hall.

A server helped Lily to her feet. Grayson, expression thunderous, dismissed the guests.

Lily leaned against the stage, a mess of glass and blood, and suddenly remembered being ten years old. The Vance manor had caught fire. She was trapped inside. Everyone held Joshua back, but he'd shouted: "Lily only has me. I can't abandon her!"

That Joshua—the one who would've thrown away his life to save her—had just abandoned her at their wedding.

She rubbed the red mark on her thumb.

Maybe it was time to let go.

Eighteen years as the Vance family's adopted daughter, and she had never truly been herself.

For the first time, Lily wanted nothing more than to shed that identity completely.

Lily returned home. While waiting for Joshua, she packed up her things.

These past eighteen years, he had been too good to her. Every single item displayed in her room had his touch: paper stars he had folded by hand, all kinds of pretty dresses he had given her, a diamond crown he had won at an auction by outbidding everyone.

The things she had once treasured now looked like nothing more than a pile of junk.

Dawn cast bright light through the window.

With dark circles under her eyes, Lily walked out of the empty room and ran straight into Joshua's arms.

"Lily, why are you throwing yourself at me so early in the morning?" He smiled, pulling her closer. "It was my fault for ditching you yesterday. I messed up the wedding. Tomorrow I guarantee something like that will never happen again."

She smelled the strong rose scent on him, and it felt like her throat had been stuffed with a ball of cotton.

Only after everything was over did he remember her. Was he trying to make her a joke in Capital City again?

She pushed him away. "Joshua, let's end it."

In an instant, his face clouded over. The smile still hung at the corner of his mouth, yet the anger behind it was unmistakable.

"Lily, I know you're mad that I followed Ada and left yesterday. You can hit me, you can curse me, but you're not allowed to say things like that!"

She frowned, just about to say she was serious, when his phone cut her off.

She didn't know what the other side said, but his expression changed drastically. He suddenly yanked her by the wrist.

"Ada was detained at a casino. You know a little martial arts—come with me and get her out."

A piercing pain shot through her wrist. Just how much did he care for Ada to be this frantic?

The bitterness in her heart spread into her mouth, so bitter that her eyes turned wet.

Fine. She would help him this one time, as repayment for the Vance family's kindness to her.

Only when they arrived did Lily learn that the other side wanted an exchange—one for one.

Inside the private room, more than a dozen vicious-looking men surrounded Ada, whose face was pale.

Lily met eyes with the man sitting in the corner watching the show, and her heart suddenly sank.

Sean James—the man who had pursued her for a full five years. When did he come back to the country?

"Tsk, didn't expect Mr. Vance to really bring Lily here for his past-life lover."

Before Joshua could speak, Ada gave a contemptuous laugh. "I told you—Joshua would definitely take care of me."

Joshua's eyes were full of worry for Ada. He turned to Lily. "She can't get hurt. Lily, you stay here first and stall them."

The next second, she was pushed forward.

The second time. Because of Ada, he decisively abandoned her. A stabbing pain tore through her chest.

After finishing the show, Sean stood up unhurriedly. The intense sense of oppression made even the air currents around them slow down.

"Lily, is it worth crying for a man like that?"

She didn't say a word, just lifted her head to look at him. Her reddened eyes made him freeze. As if compromising and as if heartbroken, he reached out and wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye. "Does our bet still count?"

A year ago, faced with his ninety-nine confessions, Lily had made a bet with him to make him give up: if one day Joshua didn't love her anymore, she would accept him.

She hadn't expected that day to come so fast.

Lily pressed her lips together. She was willing to accept the loss.

Even after getting the marriage certificate, she still felt unreal.

"Sean will come pick me up in three days."

The James family was three or four cities away from Capital City. Before leaving, she wanted to go to the countryside to see her master once.

That little old man who always secretly bought her candy.

Sean reached out and covered the back of her hand. Noticing her stiffen slightly, he chuckled. "As you command, honey."

Sean took Lily back to the Vance manor.

When she was five, Lily had been abandoned by her parents and left by a roadside trash can. If it hadn't been for Grayson Vance, she would have died that winter.

She needed to say goodbye to him.

"Over these years, Uncle has long treated you as his own daughter."

"If you want to leave, Uncle won't stop you. But know this—the Vance family will always have a place for you."

Coming out of the manor, Lily's heart was a tangle of emotions. If it weren't for that so-called enlightener, if it weren't for Ada's appearance, her life would have been complete.

But life never goes smoothly all the way.

When she got home, Lily found the nanny moving everything out of her room and piling it into storage.

Before she could ask what was happening, Ada emerged from her room with a warm smile.

"Miss Gilbert, I'm staying here for a few days. You don't mind, right?"

Lily froze. Was this Joshua's idea too?

"Lily, let Miss Swanson stay in your room for now. You'll stay with me these two days."

Lily clenched her fists, so angry she laughed. "Joshua, you moved my things without my consent. I want her to apologize."

"And I'm not sleeping with you."

In Joshua's memory, this was the first time Lily had ever spoken to him so sharply.

Staring into her dark eyes, he felt like he was looking at a stranger.

Ada seemed unable to stand the stifling atmosphere.

She flicked her wavy hair. "If Miss Gilbert doesn't want me here, forget it. I have plenty of places to go."

With that, she left, swaying gracefully.

Joshua hesitated for a second, then grabbed his coat and chased after her. The scene stabbed at Lily's eyes.

Once upon a time, Joshua would have paid attention to her emotions like that.

Lily lay wearily in the empty room and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, she was roughly yanked up by the makeup artist Joshua had hired.

"Miss Gilbert, the young master is holding the wedding again at the amusement park you two often visited as children."

"Time is tight. Please cooperate."

Lily suppressed her anger. "Please leave. I'm not going through with this wedding."

But the makeup artist kept working on her. Lily's temper flared and she stood to leave.

The woman jabbed a needle into her arm.

Lily's pupils shrank. Her whole body went limp as she was dragged to the venue.

The entire amusement park was covered with red roses—romantic and dreamy.

Lily was helped out of the car. When she looked up, she saw Ada holding Joshua's arm, smiling brightly.

Looking around, the entire park had only staff. No guests.

"Miss Gilbert, I apologize for my rude behavior at the wedding the day before yesterday. To show my sincerity, I personally designed this make-up wedding. Do you like it?"

So that's why she'd been forcibly dragged here.

"Joshua, I'm not marrying you. Hold this wedding with whoever you want. I have things to do."

But Ada's hand shot out faster than Lily could move.

"Miss Gilbert, I've always been fawned over by people. You're really not giving me any face, are you?"

Joshua frowned, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Lily, that's enough."

"Miss Swanson went to all this trouble for you. You should be happy."

He automatically categorized everything Lily said as angry words. In his mind, Lily had been his wife since she was five.

The wedding was just a formality anyway.

Lily tried to shake off Ada's grip, but she had no strength.

"Miss Gilbert, I hired a professional photographer for your wedding photos. I read online that roller coasters make for the best shots."

Lily's blood ran cold—she had severe acrophobia.

But Ada gave her no chance to refuse. She pulled her onto the roller coaster.

Four seats. Joshua sat in the middle.

Lily kept her eyes shut the entire time. Every sound amplified in her ears.

"Joshua~ If there's a next life, you have to wait for me!"

"Joshua, I know you agreed to let me design this wedding as a roundabout way of giving me the wedding I always wanted. Thank you!"

Joshua's voice, thick with affection, reached her ears. "Sorry I can only satisfy you this way."

So his so-called make-up wedding was to fulfill Ada's wish to marry him.

Lily's chest tightened until she couldn't breathe.

At that moment, she felt like the villain breaking up a loving couple.

Suddenly, the car shook violently. The next second, it derailed, grinding out intense sparks.

The sensation of weightlessness made Lily's heart leap into her throat.

The car crashed to the ground. In the instant the pain hit, Lily saw Joshua shielding Ada beneath him.

How ironic.