When I looked up, I found none other than my childhood sweetheart, Hugh Stone.

Hugh was the president of the Stone Consortium, a true figure at the very top of the pyramid. His company's assets had far surpassed the Lawrence Group.

He strode straight toward me, his tall figure casting a shadow that nearly engulfed me.

“Victoria,” his voice was low and steady, “I've come to take you away.”

There were no empty words of comfort, just a simple statement, yet it brought a long-lost sense of security.

Thomas's expression instantly darkened. He strode forward, blocking the space between Hugh and me.

“Mr. Stone, Victoria is my wife. She needs rest and won't be going anywhere. Please don't interfere in our family affairs.”

Hugh didn’t even look at him. He simply helped me to get out of bed and set me into a wheelchair.

"Hugh!" Thomas's voice rose. “By what right are you taking her away?”

"Victoria, so you've already found a new man? Are you this eager? This shameless?”

Before I could react, a sharp thud rang out.

Thud!

Hugh turned around abruptly and slammed a punch on Thomas's jaw. The force was so great that Thomas staggered and fell backwards, hitting the wall with a cry of pain. Blood immediately appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Hugh shook his fist and towered over the disheveled Thomas.

"Thomas, this punch is for Victoria. If I hear another word of insult from your mouth, I won’t hesitate to show the Crawford Family what it means to be destroyed!"

Thomas's face turned from red to white. Meanwhile, my father, who had been so aggressive to me before, was cowering to the side at this moment, too afraid to speak.

Just then, the sound of hurried high heels echoed through the room. My stepmother, Joan's mother, rushed in.

“Wait! You can't leave!” She grabbed the armrest of my wheelchair. “I've arranged everything. Joan will have her bone marrow transplantation tomorrow. You absolutely cannot leave!”

I lifted my eyes and slowly brushed her hand off the armrest.

“What surgery?” My voice was unnaturally calm. “I don’t agree.”

“What?” my stepmother shrieked. “What do you mean you don’t agree? She’s your sister!”

I looked into her eyes and said word by word, “I have entrusted the Stone Consortium's legal department and private investigators to re-investigate my car accident.”

The color drained from her face. Terror and panic flashed in her eyes. “What nonsense are you spouting? It was an accident. The police closed the case. Victoria, have you lost your mind?”

Her panic and loss of composure were starkly obvious to everyone present. Even my father looked with suspicion and disbelief.

Hugh personally pushed my wheelchair. “Let's go.”

I hadn't expected that the moment I arrived at the Stone family villa to recuperate, Thomas would follow close behind.

I watched him standing rigidly in the pouring rain, his gaze filled with a near-obsessive plea. And I knew all of it was for Joan.

Hugh sat next to me. His eyes were deep and serious. “Should we let him in, or have someone escort him out?”

I watched Thomas in the rain in silence. If this were the past, his posture might have softened my heart. But now, I only felt truly disgusted.

“If we make a scene now, the media will be on it, and this won't benefit me in reclaiming the Lawrence family. Six more days. I need time, and I also need Joan’s medical records. Without solid evidence, I can’t expose their lies.”

I analyzed the pros and cons calmly. Hugh’s appearance had successfully saved me from the hospital and spared me from being forced into surgery, but the road ahead, I would have to walk it myself.

Hugh was silent for a moment. Then he gently patted the top of my head and sighed. “Do what you need to do. Just remember—the entire Stone Consortium stands behind you. Six days from now, no matter the outcome, I’ll come for you.”

I nodded and walked toward Thomas. “I'll go back with you. I'm willing to donate to save Joan.”

Thomas's eyes flashed with disbelief.

"But the Stone Consortium's doctors have examined me. My health is too poor right now. They said I need at least six days of rest and observation before a bone marrow transplant can proceed.”

Six days—the exact timeframe for the “Seven-Day Plan” to be finalized.

Hardly without hesitation, Thomas nodded. “Alright, I'll do whatever you say. As long as you're willing to go back and save Joan, I'll do anything!”

I stared coldly at the man before me, who was pleading desperately for my stepsister's sake.

A cold smile touched my lips.

Thomas, I hope you will still be able to smile in the end.

The day after returning to the Crawford residence, Thomas took Joan and me to an exclusive jewelry auction under the pretext of helping me unwind.

With his one arm casually draped around my waist and Joan clung tightly against him on the other side, the three of us formed a strange and attention-grabbing formation. Many people cast complicated looks at our way; some sympathetic, some curious, but most with amused looks, as if watching a show.

The auction proceeded smoothly, but I was losing interest until a sapphire necklace was presented on the display stand.

As if possessed, I raised my bidding paddle. “One hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”

Almost the moment my words fell, Joan’s sweet voice chimed in beside me, “Two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.”

I turned to look at her. She wore an innocent and naïve expression. “Victoria, I really like it too.”

I tightened my grip and raised my paddle again. "Two hundred and seventy thousand dollars."

"Three hundred dollars." Joan followed closely.

Whispers rippled through the room—it was clear to everyone that this wasn't a normal bidding war.

Suddenly, Thomas made a gesture. "Always bid fifteen cents higher."

This meant that, no matter how high the final bid reached, he pledged to purchase the item for fifteen cents more than the winning bid.

The auctioneer excitedly brought down the hammer. “Congratulations, Mr. Crawford!”

The sapphire necklace was carefully presented before us.

I thought it was for me, but Thomas didn't glance at me. Instead, he gently placed the necklace around Joan's neck. “Joan, consider this a wish for your surgery's success. You deserve the very best.”

Joan’s eyes reddened with emotion as she threw herself into Thomas’s arms.

And I turned around, and under everyone's sympathetic or mocking gaze, I walked out of the auction hall stiffly and went to the balcony.

Unexpectedly, Joan followed me out and stood beside me.

“Sister,” she said softly, her voice laced with malice as she gently stroked the necklace, “What a pity. You can never win against me. Ever since childhood, everything you've wanted will ultimately be mine.”

She paused, admiring my pale profile. “Your child... what a pity. But it doesn't matter. Once I get better, I'll have many children with Thomas. As for you, you'll end up with nothing.”

I remained silent, refusing to turn toward her. But she suddenly took a step back and raised her hand.

Smack!

A crisp slap echoed.

"Why did you hit me?" she cried out with tears streaming down her face as if she had suffered the greatest injustice. “I was only trying to comfort you. I know you're hurting, but how could you do this?”

I turned in shock, but Thomas had already rushed out after he heard the sound.

When he saw the red mark on Joan's cheek, his face instantly turned gloomy. "Victoria."

He pulled the sobbing Joan behind him. “When are you going to stop causing trouble? Joan kindly came to cheer you up, and this is how you treat her? You made a scene at the hospital, you made a scene at home, and now you’re embarrassing yourself out here. Where are your manners?”

“I didn't ...” My protest sounded weak and feeble.

“Enough!” Thomas cut me off, refusing to listen. He shot me a look of utter disgust before turning to the butler, who had hurried over, and instructed, “Madam is unwell after her miscarriage and emotionally unstable. Take her home immediately. She is not to leave the house again without my permission.”

After being “escorted” back to the villa, suppressing my hurt and anger, I slipped silently into Joan's room. I need more evidence to rip away their disguise with my own hands.

As my heart pounded, I held my breath and frantically searched through the room. Finally, at the very bottom of a drawer, I found a document with the logo of a private hospital.

I swiftly pulled it out, flipped to the diagnosis page, and snapped a clear photo of the critical conclusion with my phone. [Aplastic Anemia (Mild, Drug-Controllable), No Immediate Indication for Transplant.]

As expected, Joan’s illness was nothing but an excuse.

When I was about to close the drawer and leave after I had the evidence, my fingertips accidentally brushed against a slightly worn manila envelope beneath the document. It was written in my grandmother’s handwriting.

My heart skipped a beat. I had grown up by my grandmother’s side; she was the person who had been the kindest to me besides my mother. But why would my grandmother’s letter be here with Joan?

My hands trembled as I tore open the envelope, and I quickly scanned the letter.

[Grandma's heart condition has been getting worse lately. I miss you terribly and can't get in touch with you. I'm afraid your father will stop me …]

"Victoria? What are you doing in my room?” Joan's sharp voice rang out from the doorway.

“Victoria.” Thomas strode in, his voice strained. "Where are your manners? Who gave you the nerve to break into Joan's room? What's that in your hand?"

I instinctively hid the letter behind my back. “This is a letter from my grandmother. What have you done to her?”

Joan's voice filled with hurt. “I truly didn't know it was your grandmother's letter. It's all my fault. I'll move out immediately and never make you angry again.”

I trembled with anger and raised the letter paper, “How many things have you hidden from me? How is my grandmother doing now? I have to see her!”

Thomas's eyes flickered subtly. He didn't try to snatch the letter back, but instead scoffed, "See her? Victoria, your priority right now is to recover. Unless ... do you want some accident to happen to Grandma during her peaceful recovery, something that no one wants to see?"

I stared into his icy eyes, then at Joan's smug gaze behind him. I understood that any resistance or questioning at this point would be useless and would only put Grandma in greater danger.

I lowered my hand that was still clutching the letter. “What do you want?”

Thomas seemed satisfied with my compliance. Pointing toward the villa's entrance, he commanded in a tone brooking no argument, “You trespassed and frightened Joan. Your punishment is to kneel at the front gate until she forgives you.”

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, seized my arms, and dragged me to the villa entrance, where they forced me to kneel.

At this time, it was time for residents of the upscale neighborhood to return from strolls or head to dinner parties.

Luxury cars slowed as they passed by, and in the distance, people stopped, pointing and whispering.

“Isn't that Mrs. Crawford? Why is she kneeling at her own doorsteps?”

“Tsk, I heard she caused a scene at the auction. This is getting interesting. The rightful wife is kneeling outside while the other one walks right in.”

“Poor thing. I heard she lost the baby too...”

I bit my lower lip hard, forcing myself not to listen to the whispers, barely holding back the tremors in my body.

Then, a voice I knew all too well called out from afar.

“Oh dear, Victoria, why are you kneeling on the ground? Get up, get up! What kind of behavior is this?”