As the sun went down, I went back to the villa. The moment I stepped inside, I felt it. Tension. Fear. Chaos. Felix stood in the middle of the living room, surrounded by his men. The servants were tied up on the floor, shaking, their faces pale. His voice was cold, sharp, dangerous. “Where the fuck is she?” he demanded. “You think I won’t break every single one of you until someone talks?!”

The moment they saw me, it was like they’d been saved. “Miss Danica…!” someone gasped.

Felix turned. And everything about him changed. The cold in his eyes melted instantly, relief hitting his face so hard it almost looked painful.

“Danica!” He crossed the room in seconds and pulled me into his arms, holding me tight like I might disappear. “Where the hell did you go?” his voice dropped, “I’ve been calling you. I thought something happened. You scared the shit out of me.”

I went stiff for a second, then forced myself to relax. “I was shopping,” I said quietly. “Lost track of time.”

He pulled back, looking at me, then sighed like he couldn’t even be mad. “Next time, take me with you,” he said, brushing my hair back gently. “Your husband can carry your bags, pay for everything, and show up the second you call. That’s what I’m here for, yeah?”

Husband. The word stabbed right through me. No… you’re not. You stopped being that four years ago.

“Today’s our seventh anniversary,” he continued, smiling slightly. “Come on. I’ve got something for you.”

He took my hand and led me outside, straight to the helipad, and before I could say anything he picked me up like I weighed nothing and carried me into the helicopter. The blades roared to life, wind whipping around us as we lifted into the sky. I didn’t speak. I just watched him. This man. This stranger.

After we climbed high enough, he tilted my chin toward the window. “Look.”

I looked down. The city lights shifted, moving, aligning until they formed words stretching across the dark.

LOVE, DANICA.

My breath caught. It was beautiful. It was insane. It was him.

Felix leaned close, his lips brushing my ear, his voice low and soft. “I love you, Danica,” he murmured. “Always have. Always will.”

My chest tightened. If someone else saw this, they’d think I was the luckiest woman alive. So why did I feel like I was drowning?

The helicopter slowly descended, landing outside a massive estate far from the city. And I knew… this night wasn’t over yet.

…

The helicopter landed in front of a massive mansion, the kind that looked like it belonged to royalty or monsters, maybe both. Felix had bought it for five billion, people whispered about it like it was some legend. The gates were carved in insane detail, and right in the center were the words that made my chest tighten.

Danica’s Palace.

I couldn’t breathe for a second.

Everything about it… it was me.

The whole place was built in that aesthetic style I once mentioned I liked, just casually, like it didn’t matter. The garden was filled with orchids, rows and rows of them, rare ones, the kind that cost more than most people made in years. And further in… I saw it.

An amusement park.

My amusement park.

Carousels, Ferris wheels, roller coasters, all glowing softly in the night like something out of a dream. Even a small petting zoo, full of dogs running around, playing, sleeping, safe.

Because I once stopped to feed a stray.

Because I once said they looked lonely.

That was all it took for him.

My eyes burned.

He remembered everything.

Every little thing.

For seven years… he really did love me like that. He gave me everything I ever wanted, even the things I didn’t dare to ask for.

So why… why did it feel like I was dying?

Because now I knew.

That love wasn’t just mine.

He had split it.

Given half to me… and half to the woman who destroyed me.

Felix stepped closer and wiped the tears from my face with his thumb, so gentle it almost hurt more.

“Hey,” he murmured, voice low. “A husband’s supposed to take care of his wife. If you keep crying like this, it’s gonna mess me up. Don’t do that to me.”

I almost laughed.

Husband?

Which one?

Under the stars, he suddenly dropped to one knee. My breath caught as he opened a velvet box, a ring inside catching the light.

“Danica,” he said, looking up at me like I was everything. “Marrying you was the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you so damn much I can’t even stand being away from you for a second.”

My fingers trembled.

“So I fixed it. This ring… it’s got a chip inside. And mine has the receiver. Means I’ll always know where you are, what you’re doing. I won’t ever lose you again.”

Something inside me went cold.

Love?

Or control?

His eyes were intense, almost frightening, like if I tried to run he’d burn the world just to drag me back.

He reached for my hand.

And right before the ring slid onto my finger…

His phone rang.

A specific tone.

I saw it in his eyes. Just for a second.

Shannon.

He checked it quickly, face unreadable, then slipped the ring onto my finger anyway like nothing happened. Like I didn’t matter enough to pause for.

“Danica’s an important client,” he said casually, already turning away. “I’ll be right back. Don’t wait too long.”

Client?

I almost choked on that. Before I could even respond, he was gone. Already moving, already boarding the helicopter, like whatever was on that phone mattered more than this moment.

More than me.

The sound of the blades faded into the distance.

And then it was quiet.

I lowered my head slowly and picked up one of the puppies near my feet, holding it close as I crouched down. It bark softly against my palm, warm, alive.

But my chest felt empty. The stray dogs found a home. So why didn’t I?

Something slipped from my finger. It was the ring. My heart sank as I picked it up. He didn’t even notice.

He gave me the wrong one.

The one meant for him. The one that receives. Which meant… The one he took was the one with the chip.

Tracking.

Monitoring.

For a long second, I just stared at it. Then… I pressed the switch.

A voice came through almost immediately.

“I’m sorry, honey… I didn’t want to get like this,” Shannon’s voice trembled, “But I’ve been locked here for four years, I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

My fingers tightened.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” she continued, trying to sound strong. “It’s your seventh anniversary with Miss McKellar today. Go be with her. I’ll be fine. I mean… we made it through four years already, right?”

Silence for a second.

Then his voice.

“Don’t talk bullshit,” Felix said, sharp but controlled. “You think I’d leave you like this? You’re sick. I’m your man. I take care of you, no matter what day it is.”

My heart cracked.

“I don’t care if it’s a damn anniversary or a meeting or whatever,” he continued, softer now. “You come first when you’re like this. We’ll go out, get some air. Clear your head.”

“Really?” Shannon gasped, her voice lighting up. “I can leave? I’m not dreaming, right?”

Felix let out a quiet breath, almost amused. “Since when do I lie to you? Get ready. We’re leaving now.”

And then the sound of the helicopter.

Loud. Familiar.

Carrying her away.

Again.

…

Four years ago, when I had just lost my right hand and the pain was so bad I couldn’t even breathe, Felix stayed with me the whole time. He didn’t sleep, didn’t eat properly, just stayed there like if he let go for even a second, I’d break.

One night, he dragged me out of bed and carried me straight to a helicopter. I remember clinging to him, weak, barely holding on, and he just held me tighter like I was something fragile.

When we were high up in the sky, he tilted my face toward the window.

“Look,” he said softly. “See that? All those buildings… they look small as hell from up here, right?”

I nodded, my vision blurry.

He pressed his forehead against mine, his voice rough but gentle. “That’s life, Danica. No matter how big something feels, it’s not bigger than you. You hear me? There’s no problem you can’t get through.”

His hand squeezed mine. “And you’re not doing it alone. You’ve got me. I’ll get you through anything. I swear.”

Back then… I believed him.

I really did but now I knew the truth. That nightmare… that pain… it started because of him.

...

The helicopter sound pulled me back to the present. I looked up, my eyes narrowing slightly. For a second, I thought I was imagining it.

But I wasn’t.

It landed right next door.

Another mansion.

Identical.

My chest tightened.

The ring in my hand buzzed faintly, and his voice came through.

“Shannon,” Felix said, calm, almost soft in a way I hadn’t heard in a long time, “you didn’t get to leave the villa before. But I’ve got something for you now. This place… it’s yours. Your anniversary gift.”

I stopped breathing.

“I’ll stay here with you today,” he added quietly.

Shannon laughed, bright and happy, like she’d just been handed the world.

At the same time, my phone lit up.

[Danica, I’ve got to meet a client about a project. Won’t be back until tomorrow night. Don’t wait up. Go have fun or whatever you want. If you need anything, call your husband. Love you.]

My fingers tightened around the phone.

A tear slipped down and blurred the word husband on the screen.

He could build the same life twice.

Same house. Same love. Same everything. But he could only belong to one woman.

And it wasn’t me.

Just one wall away, he was with his real wife.

And me? I felt like a dirty secret. Like something hidden in the dark. Like a mistress he couldn’t show the world. My chest hurt, but this time… I didn’t cry.

Not anymore.

It was almost over anyway.

I wiped my face and turned away from the mansion. I didn’t stay. I went home.

And I worked.

I picked up my instruments, both hands stiff but steady enough now, and forced myself to focus. I had only passed the preliminary stage. If I wanted to go further, I had to be better. Stronger. Faster.

Better than everyone else.

Maybe it was everything that had just happened… but decisions started coming to me fast. Sharp. Precise. Like pain had carved something open inside my mind, turning hesitation into instinct.

When I finally finished the first procedure plan, I leaned back, staring at it, breathing slowly. My fingers brushed against the ring on the steel tray by accident.

A soft click.

And then—

“I know one day isn’t enough…” Shannon’s voice came through, soft and breaking. “After this, I have to go back and hide again, right?”

My body went still.

“I get it,” she whispered. “I know I can’t let Miss McKellar see me. I know I don’t deserve that. But I really want to be like her. I want to stand beside you openly. Not hide like this. Just once, I want to be your wife in front of everyone.”

Silence.

My breath got stuck in my throat.

My arm started shaking.

God… it felt like that day again. Like the blade coming down, like my hand being torn away. The pain came rushing back, phantom and real all at once.

It hurts.

Why does it still hurt this much?

Felix knew.

He knew exactly what she did to me. That’s why he kept her hidden. Because he knew if she showed her face… I would break.

He would never allow that.

Right?

Right…?

After a long silence, his voice came through.

“Okay.”

Just one word.

But it destroyed everything.

I clutched my chest, gasping like something inside me had been ripped open.

....

A day later, Felix came back like nothing had happened.

Right on time.

Like a perfect husband.

He walked in with gifts like it was just another normal day. A necklace, blue and shining like the ocean itself, worth more than I could even process. And a dress, custom-made, covered in diamonds that caught every bit of light.

“Danica,” he said, his voice softer now, almost warm. “It’s our seventh anniversary. I want everyone to see how happy we are.”

Happy.

I didn’t say anything.

I just changed into the dress.

Let him put the necklace on me.

Let him look at me like I was something precious.

And then I let him take my hand and lead me out.

The banquet was held in one of his hotels. Of course it was. Seven stars, private, untouchable. His territory.

The ballroom was packed. Celebrities, mafias, business elites, people with power and money, all dressed like they belonged in a different world.

Everything sparkled.

Everything looked perfect. But something felt… off. All the waiters wore the same uniform and masks.

Every single one of them.

Felix barely looked at the masked staff and then glanced at me like none of it mattered. “Danica,” he said calmly, “you’re the center of tonight. No one’s stealing your spotlight. Masks keep the background where it belongs.”

My stomach dropped. I think… I already knew.

Before I could say anything, people started crowding in, all smiles and fake admiration.

“Mr. Gallardo’s still crazy in love, huh?”

“Mrs. Gallardo is so lucky.”

“I heard he bought her a five billion dollar mansion for their anniversary.”

“They say every year his gifts get bigger. His love too.”

Love. The word made me feel sick.

Then suddenly—fabric tearing. The sound cut straight through the room.

A waitress had fallen, her dress ripped high up her thigh, exposing way too much. She scrambled up, shaking. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

No one moved. No one even looked at her properly. Because everyone was scared. Felix didn’t tolerate mistakes. Not tonight. Not ever. I saw it in their faces. They thought she was dead.

Felix’s voice came out cold enough to freeze the room. “Come with me.”

Then he turned to me, and just like that, his tone softened. “Danica,” he said gently, brushing my arm, “rules matter. People need to learn them the hard way sometimes. I’ll deal with her and come right back, alright?”

I nodded without thinking.

He grabbed the waitress by the wrist and dragged her away like she weighed nothing. Something felt wrong. Really wrong.

A few minutes later… I followed. I don’t even know why. Maybe I already knew what I’d find.

The conference room door upstairs was slightly open. I pushed it just enough to see.

And my whole world just… shattered again.

The waitress was sitting on the table, legs wrapped around Felix’s waist. The mask was gone. It was Shannon. Of course it was.

Her face was wet with tears, looking so pitiful, so fragile… like she was the victim in all this. My chest tightened so hard I thought I’d collapse. So this was it. This whole night… wasn’t for me. It was for her.

“Honey…” Shannon’s voice trembled. “I’m sorry. I should’ve just been happy you brought me out. But seeing you with her… seeing how gentle you were… it hurt so bad. I got overwhelmed and I couldn’t breathe… I just fell. I embarrassed you. Did I ruin everything for you and Miss McKellar?”

Felix didn’t even hesitate. “Of course not,” he said quietly. His hand came up, wiping her tears like they mattered. “I’m just worried about you. You don’t look okay. I’ll have someone take you back, get a specialist to check on you. You need to rest.”

“I don’t want anyone else,” she whispered, clinging to him tighter. “They can’t fix me. You can. You’re the only one who can. Don’t send me away please.”

Felix let out a low breath, something dark flickering in his eyes. “Yeah?” he murmured. “You really think I’m your cure?”

“Try me,” she said softly.

He chuckled under his breath, then pulled her in and kissed her.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. Everything felt… wrong.

“Feeling better?” he asked against her lips.

“A little,” she whispered. “But not enough… I need more.”

Her hands moved over him, slow, teasing.

Felix groaned softly, his grip tightening. “Fuck! You acting up ‘cause you’re sick,” he muttered, voice rough, “or you just trying to mess with me right now?”

She laughed quietly, her breath brushing his ear. “Both.”

The next second, he pushed her back against the table, his control snapping just like that.

I flinched.

My vision blurred.

I remembered.

Four years ago. That same woman, naked on his desk, begging him. “Please… just once…”

And Felix didn’t even look at her. “Get this shit out of my office,” he had said coldly.

Then he covered my eyes, pulling me into him. “Don’t look,” he murmured. “It’s disgusting. I’ll only ever touch one woman. You.”

I believed him. God… I believed him.

And now… he was touching her like she was everything. Like she was the only one. There was no disgust in his eyes. Only… affection.

I couldn’t watch anymore. I turned and walked away, my legs shaking so badly I almost fell.

...

When Felix came back later, it was like nothing had happened. Like he didn’t just break me upstairs.

He held a box in his hand and walked straight to me, smiling slightly. “Danica,” he said, placing it in my hands, “this hotel… it’s yours now.”

I blinked. What?

“Transfer papers are inside,” he added casually. “Tonight happened here. Thought it deserved to belong to you.”

Billions. Just like that. Given to me like it was nothing.

People around us gasped quietly, their eyes full of envy. They thought I had everything. They had no idea.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her.

Shannon.

She walked down the stairs slowly, back in her uniform, mask covering her face again. No one would recognize her.

But I did.

Her hands were clenched tight at her sides. Even without seeing her face… I knew. She wasn’t happy.

…

A moment later, Shannon let go of him and went back to work like nothing happened. She started setting up the champagne tower, careful and slow, standing on her toes as she stacked the glasses from the top down. For a second, everything looked normal.

Then suddenly, she slipped. Or… that’s what it looked like. Her ankle twisted and she grabbed the tablecloth in panic, and the whole thing came crashing down. Glass shattered everywhere, sharp and loud, like something breaking beyond repair. Pieces flew toward both of us. People gasped.

Felix’s face changed instantly and he ran forward. Not to me. To her. He pulled Shannon into his arms, shielding her completely like she was something fragile, something worth protecting.

I had already stepped back, already avoided most of it. But then he slammed into me. Hard. My body lost balance and I fell straight to the ground. My head hit first. Everything went white for a second, then warm liquid started running down the side of my face. Blood. Glass shards cut into my skin, shallow at first, then deeper, burning like I was being sliced apart slowly. My whole body shook, pain spreading everywhere. I couldn’t even scream.

My vision blurred. And somehow… I smiled. So this was the truth. I used to think he loved us equally. Split in half. But if he had to choose… he already did.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The lights were too bright. My head throbbed.

“Danica…” his voice was low, almost guilty. “I was trying to protect you. I just… I got confused. I was worried and grabbed the wrong person.”

Wrong person.

He kept kissing my hand over and over, like that would fix anything, like he could pour his feelings into something I couldn’t even feel. Because it wasn’t real.

I stared at him. Felt nothing. “Then what about the waitress?” I asked coldly.

I knew what I saw. That fall wasn’t an accident.

Felix paused for a second, then shrugged slightly. “She messed up. Careless. I already had her blacklisted. She won’t be working anywhere again.”

I blinked. Then I laughed. God… I laughed again. It hurt. It actually hurt to laugh, like cracks forming inside my chest, letting all the pain leak out. Shannon wasn’t even a waitress. So what kind of punishment was that? Like telling a bird it could never be a fish again. So stupid. So meaningless.

Felix saw me smiling and relaxed a little, like everything was fine again. After that, he stayed by my side, attentive, careful, perfect. He checked my IV himself, adjusted it like it mattered. He treated my wounds personally, his hands gentle, focused.

He peeled a lychee and held it to my lips. “Eat,” he said softly.

I did.

Then he held out his hand without a word, waiting for me to spit the seed into his palm like he always used to.

The nurses walking past looked at me with envy. Like I was lucky. If only they knew.

Then my phone rang. That same ringtone.

He froze for half a second. Then he stood up like nothing was wrong. “Danica, I’ve got something at the company,” he said calmly. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t wait up, alright?”

I nodded. Of course I did.

Only after he was gone… completely gone… did I turn on the receiver in the ring. And then I understood.

Shannon was in the hospital too. But not like me. He wasn’t checking her IV. Wasn’t treating her wounds. Because she didn’t have any. Just a minor scratch. Already healed.

Instead…

“Stay still,” his voice came through, lower, rougher. “You’re gonna make a mess.”

I froze. I didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t want to understand. But I couldn’t stop listening.

“Honey… if you keep me locked up like that, I’m gonna lose it,” Shannon’s voice trembled, soft and broken. “I can’t breathe in that place anymore. I feel like I’m dying slowly. Please, don’t send me back there. I want to go out. I want to be seen. I want to stand next to you even if it’s in front of her…”

My fingers tightened around the ring.

“I even want to be close to you like that… even if she’s there…”

I shut my eyes. I couldn’t listen anymore.

“Careful what you ask for,” Felix murmured, voice low and dangerous.

The sounds that followed, I didn’t need to understand them. I turned the switch off.

My hand was shaking. My chest felt hollow. Like there was nothing left inside me at all.

After everything settled down, Felix said that word again.

“Okay.”

Three days later, I was discharged.