Waking up in the hospital, Lily moved her hand and only then realized her arm was fractured.

Outside the window, the sky blazed with red clouds.

She threw back the blanket. Today she had to go see her master.

She had just gotten out of bed when Joshua pushed the door open and walked in.

"Lily, why are you out of bed?"

He reached out to help her up, but she turned sideways and dodged.

Joshua blanked out for a second or two. Anyone in this world could dodge him—except Lily.

Irritation rose in his chest. He set down the porridge in his hand.

"At the time the situation was urgent. Miss Swanson has been pampered since she was little; falling down like that must've been really serious—"

Lily cut him off. "What about me?"

"Joshua, I just know a little martial arts. I'm not made of iron. I can hurt, I can get injured too."

Her chest felt so sour it was like it had been soaked in lemons.

Joshua's pupils trembled. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

"You're in such a hurry to get discharged—what are you going to do?"

Lily thought of how her master often mentioned Joshua, so she didn't hide it. "Go to the countryside to see my master."

He seemed to think of fun things from childhood, and the corners of his lips curved. "I'll go with you."

When Joshua drove out of the underground garage, there was one more person in the front passenger seat.

Ada's fiery red lips looked especially bright in the evening glow.

"Miss Gilbert, I've never been to the countryside, so I pestered Joshua into taking me along. You won't mind, right?"

Lily only wanted to leave as soon as possible tomorrow. She didn't want to get tangled up with Ada and Joshua.

"Let's go."

The country road was bumpy and uneven, and Ada complained the whole way.

The car finally stopped in front of an iron gate. Ada pushed the door open, bent over, and dry-heaved.

Seeing this, Joshua went straight inside to find her master and get water.

When Lily lifted her foot to follow, Ada called out to stop her.

"I held it in the whole way and finally have a chance to say it. You and your master really are worthy of being master and disciple—one has a lowly status, and one lives in a lowly place."

"What a good car. Driving it on this kind of road is a waste too."

"You understand what I mean, Lily."

Lily's steps stopped abruptly. She wouldn't allow anyone to insult her master.

But a martial artist needed a broad mind. Besides, right in front of her master's home, if she laid hands on someone, her master would be disappointed in her.

The instant she clenched her fists and turned around, she heard Ada suddenly cry out and fall to the ground.

The next second, Joshua's figure appeared from behind. He ran toward Ada in alarm and slammed hard into Lily's fractured right arm.

The piercing pain made her brows knit tightly.

"Joshua, I just wanted to ask Miss Gilbert where the bathroom is, and she gave me attitude and even pushed me..."

Joshua's expression instantly darkened. He carefully pulled Ada up from the ground.

"Lily, apologize."

If he looked carefully, he would see that Ada didn't have a single injury on her—this was completely her directing and acting it herself.

Lily was so angry she laughed. Just how much did he care to defend her unconditionally like this?

She moved her ankle a bit. "I'll apologize only if I did it."

She quickly kicked toward Ada's lower back, but the kick landed on Joshua's back.

"It's okay, Ada. With me here, she can't hurt you."

Lily's heart felt like someone had forcefully torn off a chunk of flesh.

Joshua had been sickly and weak since childhood, and other rich kids in Capital City bullied him openly and secretly.

It was her—every time, she would rush out and help him vent his anger.

The person she protected with all her heart was willing to take a beating for another woman.

Eighteen years of protection, fed to the dogs!

Her eyes reddened. Only when she heard her master call her did she regain a bit of rationality.

Zion had known she was coming and prepared a lavish spread for dinner.

When she was little, she and Joshua had been sent to the countryside to toughen up. Zion didn't just teach them martial arts—he took them to catch fish in the river, pulled weeds with them in the fields.

So many beautiful childhood memories were tied to him.

After dinner, Ada claimed the best guest room first.

The one Zion had prepared for Lily.

"It's fine." Lily smiled at her master. "It's getting late—you should rest. The three of us can sort things out ourselves."

Zion had always kept a regular schedule. He wished them goodnight and headed to his room.

Lily yanked Ada out of the guest room. "Miss Swanson, there are no extra rooms. You and Joshua can share."

Ada's expression stiffened, then a smile crept across her face. "Sure. Sweet dreams, Miss Gilbert."

Joshua froze. Lily was letting Ada stay in the same room with him—wasn't she jealous? Or was this her way of showing her displeasure?

"Let's go."

In the end, he didn't ask. Ada pulled him away.

Night fell.

Lily had just drifted off when a scream ripped through the air.

"Help! Don't—don't rape me!"

She rushed out and found Zion standing in the moonlit yard, utterly baffled.

Ada stood there clutching her chest, looking violated.

The moment she spotted Lily, she lunged toward her like she'd found a lifeline.

"Miss Gilbert, your master tried to rape me! I came out to use the bathroom and he started groping me!"

Lily knew her master. He would never do something like this.

Joshua's face darkened. He draped his jacket over Ada and fixed Zion with an icy stare.

"Master, I didn't expect that at your age, you still can't control yourself."

Zion's face flushed crimson. "I didn't! She saw me and started screaming! I think she's mentally ill!"

"Joshua." Lily's voice was steel. "You know exactly what kind of person Zion is."

Her master had never been slandered like this in his life. He turned to her. "Lily, believe me."

She stepped in front of him, shielding him.

"Ada Swanson, how many times are you going to pull this self-directed stunt?"

Ada's face crumpled, tears streaming down. "The Swanson family isn't someone you can bully! I can have your master rotting in prison if I want!"

Lily nearly lost her mind. "You wouldn't dare!"

Ada's eyebrow arched. "If you want this to go away, cripple your master's martial arts. Otherwise—prison."

Joshua looked between Lily and Zion, his expression unreadable.

He lifted Ada into his arms. Moonlight gilded his tall frame in silver.

"I've called people from another martial arts school. Master owes Miss Swanson an explanation for tonight."

Footsteps thundered toward them.

Joshua's voice cut through the night. "Whoever cripples Zion Gilbert's martial arts gets five million."

"Joshua Vance! Did a dog eat your conscience?!"

His only answer was his retreating back.

Dozens of men in black swarmed in. Lily had no choice but to fight.

Within minutes, she'd taken over a dozen hits. The pain was blinding.

But then she saw them surround Zion on the ground—punching, kicking, slashing a knife across his hand tendons.

She stopped feeling the pain. Like a woman possessed, she grabbed an iron rod and threw herself into the fray.

Even the most vicious men fear someone with nothing left to lose.

They stopped. Retreated.

With shaking hands, Lily called an ambulance. Then the police.

Looking at Zion's unconscious body, she broke down sobbing.

If she hadn't insisted on visiting him. If she hadn't said too much. He wouldn't have suffered this.

The next day, Zion woke.

She rushed to his side. "Master, does anything else hurt?"

He patted her head gently. "My Lily is almost more capable than her master now."

Her eyes burned. She tilted her head back, forcing the tears to stay put.

"Master, I'm leaving Capital City. I didn't marry Joshua."

"I chose again—someone who loves me. Really, truly loves me."

Zion smiled, as if he'd expected it all along. "No matter who you marry, the premise is that you must make yourself happy."

"Lily, you really should go out and see the world."

Before Lily could speak, Joshua stormed in, his face dark as a thundercloud.

"Lily! Did you post this online?!"

She stood, instinctively shielding the hospital bed behind her.

"Joshua, let's talk outside."

In the hallway, his eyes were black as ink. Once, when he looked at her, there'd been a quiet dependence there. But somewhere along the way, that warmth had frozen over. Now there was only cold.

It didn't matter anymore.

"What do you want to say?"

He froze. He'd expected mockery, self-righteousness. Not this eerie calm.

Something twisted in his chest.

His tone softened without him meaning it to. "Lily, I acted impulsively first—I know that. But you shouldn't have taken this online. I can handle a PR storm. Ada can't."

"She has too much pride. When she saw the backlash today, she tried to kill herself."

"To fix this, you need to record a clarification video."

Lily stared at him. He wanted her to publicly call her mentor a rapist? That would destroy her more than anything.

"Joshua, he's your mentor too!"

His fingers twitched, but the image of Ada dragging a razor across her wrist hardened his resolve. "If you won't do it willingly, then wait for your bed photos from when you were eighteen to leak."

Her mind went blank. Ice shot from her feet to the crown of her head, freezing her from the inside out.

When she was eighteen, she'd given herself to Joshua as a gift.

He'd been so nervous his ears turned red. He kept her up the whole night, insatiable, and at the end, he'd asked to record it.

I want to capture our first time. It means everything.

What was once beautiful had become a blade aimed at her throat.

"You'd really go that far, Joshua?" Her voice cracked. "I regret ever giving myself to you."

She brushed past him. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.

"Lily—"

She wrenched free, her voice frozen solid. "Making me do something that vile? Impossible."

He watched her walk away, her spine straight and unyielding. A hollow ache spread through his chest.

It was fine. Once he calmed Ada down, he'd end things with her. Lily was easier to soothe. A little coaxing, like before, and they'd go back to normal.

That same day, photos tied to Lily's name shot to the top trending spot.

The online mob pivoted instantly—from Ada to Lily.

But strangely, thirty seconds later, the trend vanished. Scrubbed from every platform.

The name Lily Gilbert sank like a stone dropped in a lake—one ripple, then gone. As if it had never existed.

When Lily stepped out of the hospital, a jet-black Maybach waited by the curb. She hesitated, then pulled open the door.

"Thank you."

Sean stubbed out his cigarette and reached over to pinch her cheek.

"Saying thank you? So formal."

She lowered her eyes. The rumors online—didn't he care?

He seemed to read her mind. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "I only wish I'd found you sooner. But from now on, you're mine."

"Come on. Let me show you our home."

She nodded, resting her head against the window, watching the city blur past.

Before leaving, she'd given Joshua a parting gift.

She wondered what he'd think when he discovered the seven birthmarks on Ada's back were tattooed on.