Early the next morning, Clara slowly opened her eyes while resting against the headboard. Sunlight had already filled the room. Leonardo still hadn't returned, and she hadn't even met the man she had married.

Part of her finally relaxed, but the heavy feeling in her chest remained.

An uneasy feeling stayed with her the entire time, like something terrible was waiting for her ahead. After Clara walked downstairs, one of the bodyguards approached and silently led her toward the dining room.

The dining room connected directly to the kitchen. The moment Clara stepped inside, she noticed a tall man walking out of the kitchen while carrying breakfast.

The instant she recognized Douglas, she immediately turned around to leave. Before she could take another step, he deliberately called out to her.

"Good morning, cousin-in-law."

His voice sounded gentle and pleasant, yet there was still a teasing tone hidden underneath it. The bodyguard standing nearby quietly shook his head to himself. Even he couldn't understand why their young master kept pretending in front of his wife.

The moment Clara saw Douglas, disgust immediately rose inside her. She truly couldn't understand why he spent so much time inside his cousin's home without any proper reason.

"Good morning," Clara replied while adjusting her glasses.

After that, she turned toward the bodyguard behind her.

"Your young master still isn't here?"

The bodyguard secretly glanced toward Leonardo, whose face remained completely expressionless.

No matter what, he could only continue lying.

"The young master hasn't recovered yet. He's still staying in the hospital."

Clara looked simple and naïve on the surface, but that only happened because Karen had suppressed her ever since childhood and never allowed her abilities to show.

Over time, Clara learned to hide her true thoughts and strength just to protect herself.

The bodyguard's awkward excuse didn't fool her at all.

Even so, she simply nodded.

"I see. Then can I visit him at the hospital?"

"This isn't the right time," the bodyguard answered, even though the lie was obvious.

It became obvious to Clara that Leonardo truly disliked her and had no interest in seeing her at all. Leonardo calmly set the breakfast down on the dining table before looking at her.

"Are you going to eat breakfast?"

The moment Clara came downstairs earlier, she realized there wasn't a single chef anywhere inside the villa. Did he make all of this himself?

"What is it?" Leonardo asked while walking closer to her. "Are you scared I poisoned the food?"

A dark and heavy look filled his eyes, and just meeting his gaze made Clara feel uneasy.

Without thinking, Clara took a step backward.

"Thank you for making breakfast, but I'm not hungry."

After saying that, she quickly turned around and walked out of the room. Once she stepped outside, she ran into the same bodyguard who had escorted her to the hall the night before.

"Can you drive me home? I need to pick up some things."

She hadn't brought anything with her yesterday. She still needed clothes and other personal belongings from home. On the way there, Clara had already noticed that the villa sat halfway up a mountain. She could walk back if she had no other choice, but the trip would take too much time.

The bodyguard didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked behind her first.

When Clara turned around, she saw Douglas walking out as well. Both of his hands rested casually inside the pockets of his tailored pants while he slowly made his way toward her.

"So you want to go back home to grab some belongings? I can take you there myself. There's no need to bother anyone else."

Before Clara could react, he casually placed an arm around her shoulder.

Clara immediately brushed his hand away, and disgust filled her face.

"No, thanks."

She truly couldn't figure him out. Just yesterday, he mocked her appearance and called her ugly. Yet today, he kept finding reasons to stay close to her.

"Ma'am, why don't you just let him drive you back?" the bodyguard hurriedly suggested.

After going back and forth for a while, Clara eventually ended up leaving with Douglas.

During the drive, he suddenly leaned close to her ear and lowered his voice.

"You're surprisingly soft and warm."

Clara instantly grew tense. Afraid he might say or do something even worse, she stayed completely silent for the rest of the ride. Inside the quiet car, she tightened her seatbelt and kept her eyes fixed ahead. She didn't even dare turn toward Douglas once.

Leonardo quietly watched every reaction she made, and his interest in her slowly deepened. Even though Clara looked plain and ordinary, there was still something proper and restrained about her.

At first, he only wanted to joke around and provoke her for fun. However, the way she reacted made him notice more things about her, so he decided to continue pretending and see how much he could uncover.

The black car slowly came to a stop outside the Jarrett family villa. Clara reached for her seatbelt and prepared to get out, but Leonardo suddenly leaned closer from beside her. His long fingers lightly pressed against the dark buckle before the seatbelt released with a soft click.

His face looked dangerously attractive from up close. The moment he leaned near her, Clara's thoughts completely stalled. Her mind became strangely quiet, and before she realized it, warmth spread across her face. Confusion flickered behind her glassy eyes as she looked at him.

A face like his could easily make any woman lose herself.

Still, Clara quickly remembered everything he had done yesterday, and the softness in her gaze disappeared at once. To her, he was nothing more than a childish man who kept chasing things he couldn't have.

Clara lifted her chin and adjusted her glasses. Her face returned to its usual calm expression.

"I'm getting out now."

Leonardo narrowed his eyes immediately, and a trace of irritation flashed through them.

Clara noticed the sudden change in his mood and hurried to open the car door. Before she could leave, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

His grip was firm, and his long arm wrapped around her closely enough that it almost looked like he was holding her in an embrace. Anyone looking from outside would probably misunderstand the situation completely.

Behind Clara's glasses, her clear eyes met his directly. Leonardo stared into them before speaking slowly on purpose.

"I personally brought you home. Don't I at least deserve a thank you?"

Clara lowered her head a little, and her body trembled faintly. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

Most of the time, the Jarrett family ignored her whenever she stayed quiet and withdrawn. Clara hoped Douglas would react the same way and finally leave her alone.

Instead, Leonardo's eyes slowly darkened while staring at her slightly opened lips.

"Hm. That thank you doesn't sound honest at all. Looks like I'll have to collect it myself."

The moment those words left his mouth, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

While kissing her, only one thought crossed his mind. She was his legal wife. Why should he hold himself back from kissing her?

Clara froze the instant his face moved close to hers. She quickly raised both hands to push him away, but before she could do anything, he firmly caught her wrists.

After the kiss ended, Leonardo slowly pulled away from her lips, though the desire in his eyes still hadn't faded.

That felt better than I expected. I should definitely do it again next time. Once he regained his usual calm expression, he spoke in a firm and commanding tone. "Take those glasses off. If you keep wearing them, I might end up kissing you every single time I see you."

He purposely lowered his voice while saying it. His eyes openly moved across her body without restraint, as though he had already marked her as his.

Before Clara could even answer him, a woman's voice suddenly interrupted the silence inside the car.

"Clara?"

Clara quickly turned toward the half-open car window. Outside, Karen stood frozen in place. Shock and anger filled her eyes at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" Karen asked sharply.

Clara unconsciously tightened her hands, and confusion flashed across her face.

On the very first day after her marriage, another man was openly flirting with her outside her own home, and she had no way to defend herself from the situation.

Even with everything unfolding in front of her, Karen still forced herself to remain composed.

After glancing around and spotting Clara clearly, she coldly said, "Come inside."

Clara hurriedly pushed the car door open and stepped outside. The second her feet touched the ground, Karen grabbed her arm and dragged her straight into the villa.

Unexpectedly, Leonardo leaned halfway out of the car window behind them. His fingers brushed lightly across his lips while a sly smile spread across his face.

"Cousin-in-law, I'll wait for you to come back."

The moment Karen heard the words "cousin-in-law," her expression immediately turned stiff. She glared at Clara with cold and piercing eyes.

Clara pressed her lips together tightly. Was Douglas deliberately trying to destroy her?

Karen seized Clara's wrist and forcefully dragged her into the villa's foyer. The second they stopped, she threw Clara's hand aside and stared at her with a pale face filled with anger.

"That's your husband's cousin?"

Clara gave a small nod.

"Yes."

Slap!

Karen struck Clara across the face with all her strength. The sharp sound echoed through the foyer, and Clara's ears instantly rang from the impact.

"Have you completely lost your sense of shame? What were you thinking, getting involved with your husband's cousin on the first day of your marriage? Are you trying to get yourself killed? If you want to ruin your own life, then go ahead, but don't drag this family down with you!"

Karen turned her face away after shouting at her. Clara slowly lifted a hand and touched her burning cheek before looking back at Karen with cold eyes.

"So you won't even ask what really happened first?"

Whenever something went wrong, Clara was always the first person blamed. It never mattered what actually happened or who caused the problem in the first place. Karen's sharp voice rang out again, filled with contempt.

"One man can barely take care of himself because of his condition and appearance, while the other looks completely healthy and capable. You have eyes, don't you? Anyone would know which man a woman would choose. Don't tell me you already slept with that so-called cousin last night?"

At that moment, a soft voice drifted down from upstairs.

Vicky slowly walked down the staircase, and Karen immediately hurried toward her.

"Vicky, are you feeling better now?"

"Thank you, Mom. I'm already much better."

Vicky smiled gently at Karen before shifting her attention toward Clara.

"Clara, I understand what you're feeling right now. But no matter what, you should still think about our family and control yourself."

Earlier, Vicky had seen everything from the upstairs window. She watched Clara kissing a man inside the car. What shocked her the most wasn't the fact that Clara kissed someone who wasn't her husband. Instead, she couldn't believe that her plain and quiet sister would actually kiss a man at all.

Vicky then looked back at Karen with an innocent expression on her face.

"Mom, don't you agree?"

Karen immediately smiled.

"Of course. My Vicky has always been right."

Clara quietly tightened her fists but didn't say a word.

Anyone watching them would find it hard to believe which daughter was actually Karen's biological child.

For years, Karen had done everything she could to secure her place in the Jarrett family. She constantly tried to please everyone in the household, but Clara was always the one forced to sacrifice her own happiness for it.

The smile on Karen's face slowly disappeared when she looked back at Clara again. Her expression immediately turned cold and serious.

"Clara, you're already part of the Ferrari family now. From this day forward, you need to protect their reputation properly. Don't bring shame to this family."

Clara lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the disgust burning inside her. Her face stayed calm and emotionless, worn down like someone who had already endured too much.

"Thanks for reminding me," she replied calmly. "But if you keep pushing me like this, I might really do something impulsive in front of the Ferrari family one day. I don't know whether they'll take revenge on the Jarrett family because of it, but if I were you, I wouldn't risk finding out. Understood?"

Vicky stared at Clara in disbelief. She never expected the quiet and obedient Clara to suddenly say something like that. A frown immediately appeared on her face.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying exactly what you heard."

Clara slowly lifted her head. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her expression remained as distant and indifferent as before.

Did they really believe she would continue standing there quietly while they treated her worse than a servant, just like before? That version of Clara no longer existed. Back then, she used to force herself to stay humble because she desperately wanted love and approval from everyone around her. Pleasing people had become the only way she knew how to survive.

But the moment Karen forced her to marry into the Ferrari family instead of Vicky, Clara stopped caring about disappointing her mother.

"What?"

Vicky looked completely stunned. She had spent years ordering Clara around however she pleased, so seeing her finally resist was something she never expected.

Anger instantly spread across Vicky's face. She glared at Clara viciously before turning toward Karen.

"Mom, did you hear what she just said?"

Karen had clearly understood the warning hidden behind Clara's words as well. Still, she believed Clara would eventually give in like she always did before. Holding onto her authority as a mother, Karen sharply said, "Clara, apologize to your sister right now!"

Clara looked directly into Karen's eyes without backing down. Her voice turned icy.

"Apologize for what exactly?"

In Karen's memory, Clara used to be a smart and beautiful little girl. Yet as the years passed, she seemed to grow quieter and less noticeable. But at this moment, the sharpness in Clara's eyes completely caught Karen off guard.

Karen swallowed nervously before lowering her voice and turning toward Vicky. "Vicky, let's stop this for now. If she loses control and actually does something reckless..."

Even though Vicky hated it, she had no choice except to back down.

If Clara really snapped and caused trouble in front of the Ferrari family, the Jarrett family would suffer the consequences as well. If that happened, how could they continue living comfortably inside this wealthy household?

After seeing her mother and stepsister fall silent, Clara turned around and walked upstairs to pack her things.

She had spent more than 20 years living inside this villa, but the number of belongings she actually owned was pitifully small. Sometimes, the place didn't even feel like her home. It felt more like she was only staying there temporarily as an outsider.

By the time Clara came back downstairs with her suitcase, nobody remained in the foyer anymore.

She paused briefly before quietly heading toward the back entrance and leaving the villa through there.

Clara didn't understand why Leonardo's cousin suddenly seemed interested in her, but she was certain about one thing. She needed to stay far away from him.

Leonardo had already been waiting outside the villa for quite some time, yet Clara still hadn't come out. Little by little, his patience started running out. As he remembered the information written inside yesterday's report, his brows slowly drew together. Could that plain-looking woman really have been treated badly by her own family all this time?

The second that thought crossed his mind, Leonardo unconsciously touched the cheek Clara had slapped earlier before letting out a cold scoff. She didn't look like someone willing to quietly endure mistreatment.

"Sir, would you like to come inside?"

Hearing the soft voice, Leonardo turned toward the window. Standing beside the car was a delicate-looking woman carrying herself with quiet elegance.

The moment Vicky saw his face clearly, she completely froze.

Earlier, she had already witnessed Clara kissing a man inside the car, but she never imagined that man would look this handsome and polished. A man like him stood out too much from ordinary people. How could someone so exceptional possibly take interest in Clara, that plain and foolish country girl? At that moment, Vicky became even more certain that coming outside had been the right decision.

Leonardo noticed her thoughts immediately through the look in her eyes.

A mocking sneer appeared on his face.

"And you are?"

"I'm Clara's older sister. You can just call me Vicky."

Even though Leonardo treated her coldly, Vicky didn't seem bothered by it at all.

Vicky?

The name quickly reminded Leonardo about the information he had seen before. The Jarrett family had two daughters. One was Clara, while the other was the woman originally meant to marry into the Ferrari family before being replaced.

Most people would probably call Vicky beautiful, but she wasn't the kind of woman he liked.

Strangely enough, he found Clara's plain appearance much more pleasing to look at.

Leonardo completely lost interest in continuing the conversation with Vicky. His tone turned flat as he asked, "Where's Clara?"

"She... well... She's probably still upstairs packing her things. Before I came down, she asked me to invite you inside first."

Vicky had no intention of wasting this chance. Every person connected to the Ferrari family possessed money, power, and influence. On top of that, this man was unbelievably handsome.

Leonardo saw straight through her thoughts, and a mocking smile appeared on his face. Clara invited him inside? More likely, she had already slipped away by now.

Without bothering to look at Vicky again, he raised the car window and drove off immediately.

No man had ever ignored Vicky so coldly before. Her face instantly turned pale with anger.

Meanwhile, Clara returned directly to the apartment she rented for herself.

Back when she first entered university, she stayed in the dormitory on campus. Later, after graduation and during her internship, she moved into this apartment alone. The only reason she went back to the Jarrett family villa recently was because Karen insisted she stay there and marry into the Ferrari family. If Karen hadn't forced her into it, Clara would've never returned to that house again.

Since Leonardo wasn't staying at the villa and clearly wanted nothing to do with her, she saw no reason not to remain here instead.

By the time Clara finished unpacking and cleaning up the apartment, the afternoon had already arrived. She quickly changed clothes before heading outside to buy a few daily necessities.

The neighborhood where she lived sat in one of the busiest parts of Beerworth. Transportation there was inconvenient, and the people living nearby came from all kinds of backgrounds.

As Clara turned into a narrow alley, a sudden loud sound shocked her.

Was that a gunshot?

She instinctively looked up and saw a white van speeding wildly toward her like a mad animal that had lost control. Clara quickly dodged to the side. Right as the van rushed past her, the door suddenly swung open, and a tall man jumped out.

He rolled across the ground before landing right near her feet.

Clara immediately tried stepping away, but before she could react, the man abruptly stood up and pressed something cold against her temple.

His voice sounded low and smooth, and strangely enough, it also sounded familiar.

"Take me out of here. Right now."

The moment Clara lifted her head and saw his face clearly, her heart dropped heavily.

"Douglas!"