Eira’s eyes darted nervously as she stammered, at a loss for words.

The villa had been purchased shortly after I lost my memory. She had coaxed me into buying it with a bank card that came from who knew where.

When I thought about it, that card must have belonged to my family, the Grant family.

She had used my money to buy the house. Even so, she had led me to believe, without a single mark on her conscience, that I was the one relying on her to survive.

“And you.” I turned to Reed. “That designer coat you’re wearing must’ve cost a pretty penny. I wonder which card it was charged to?”

Reed’s expression darkened.

I stepped closer, sneering coldly. “It’s Eira’s supplementary card, isn’t it? Don’t you know who’s been paying the bill on the primary card every month?”

Over the past five years, Eira’s career had only just taken off. Her income could not possibly cover such extravagant spending.

I had paid for everything.

I once thought it had been proof of Eira’s love. Out of love, she had entrusted her money to me. I finally realized that I was nothing but their human ATM.

Reed was rendered speechless by my question, but within a second, he straightened his back. Far from showing shame, his face flashed with defiant arrogance.

“What of it?” He snapped, frowning. “Vedran, what gives you the right to act so high and mighty? If Eira hadn’t taken pity on you and picked you up five years ago, you’d probably be wallowing in some filthy gutter right now!

“Every penny you spend, every bite you eat, is a gift from Eira! Without her, you’re nothing!”

Eira shielded Reed behind her, glaring at me. “Vedran, what is wrong with you?

“I worked my butt off to build a home for you. I trusted you with the finances! Your money is my money, isn’t it?

“I provided you with a life free from want. What more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?

“What’s wrong with spending a little now and then to buy Reed a new outfit? What gives you the right to yell at me like this? Don’t forget that I supported you for five whole years!

“Don’t think a few scrapes and bruises would make you some big shot now. Let me tell you, without me, you’re nothing!”

“Is that so?”

I watched her face flush crimson with guilt, and the last shred of lingering affection vanished from my heart. I wrenched my hand free from hers.

“Eira, we’ll soon find out who is nothing without whom.”

Eira, however, fixed her gaze on me. “Who says you could leave me?

“So what if the marriage certificate is fake? We truly lived together for five years. Isn’t it all fine as long as our feelings are real?

“Rest assured, to the outside world, you’ll always be my husband.”

“Eira, Vedran must have been deeply hurt. We should give him some time to adjust.”

As he spoke, Reed smirked viciously. He deliberately emphasized each syllable in “Eira.”

He turned to me with an air of superiority. “Speaking of which, I wore Eira out last night. Go change the sheets and wash them.

“Remember to hand-wash them. They’re silk. Don’t ruin them in the washing machine.”

As he spoke, he touched the love bites on his neck. It was almost as if he was flaunting them.

Eira also shot me a glance, silently implying it was all perfectly normal.

“Reed is right. You should find more things to do. That way, you won’t have time for more wild thoughts.”

She flashed Reed a bashful smile. “I’m not tired. Let’s continue tonight.”

I watched them banter back and forth, like two clowns putting on a show.

The wall clock read half-past seven. Elena would not arrive for another half hour.

The thought of going home soon gave me peace of mind. I was not bothered to get angry. I merely smirked softly.

“Do you want them washed? Fine!”

With that, I yanked the filthy sheets off the bed and flung them right into Reed’s face. He was flustered and stunned.

Before he could recover, I grabbed him and dragged him toward the washing machine.

My sudden actions caught Eira off guard. It left her stunned for a moment.

The next second, I roughly shoved both Reed and the sheets into the washing machine.

“Dirty things need to be washed together!”

“Ah! Vedran, you lunatic! Let me go!” Reed roared as he kicked around wildly in fury.

I easily seized his wrist. Five years of housework had made me way stronger than this pampered man.

Eira finally snapped out of it. She charged over and delivered a vicious kick to my stomach. The force sent me crashing to the floor.

She immediately pulled Reed out of the washing machine and shielded him in her arms.

Reed whined in her embrace. “Eira, how dare he do this to me! My wrist hurts so much...”

Eira glared at me, her eyes blazing with fury. “Vedran, I truly underestimated you!”

I pushed myself up from the floor. There was a dull ache in my stomach. Cold sweat was pouring down my forehead.

Her face twisted into a hideous grimace. “Stop playing around! I only kicked you once.”

Her high-heeled foot slammed down hard on my wrist. My bones cracked under the crushing weight.

“Ugh!”

The excruciating pain made me groan.

Eira leaned down. Her gaze was razor-sharp.

“Apologize to Reed right now! Admit you were wrong, or I’ll cripple this hand of yours today!”

Reed stood nearby and taunted me. “Eira, make him kneel and lick my shoes, and I’ll forgive him.”

“Do you hear that? Reed’s giving you a chance.”

As Eira spoke, the pressure from her foot intensified.

I gritted my teeth through the excruciating pain. My eyes stung and turned bloodshot.

It physically hurt, but much less so from the sheer absurdity of the past five years.

‘Elena, why are you not here yet? Your fiance is being bullied!’ I screamed in my head.

Just then, a voice rang out, cold and furious.

“Who dares bully my fiance!”

A dozen blinding headlights instantly illuminated the entire courtyard.

A woman dressed in sharp, crisp attire stepped out of the leading car. Her figure was poised and agile. Behind her followed a line of stern-faced bodyguards.

The viciousness on Eira’s face froze. It transformed into utter shock.

Elena lunged forward in a single stride and sent her flying with a kick.

She pulled off her coat and draped it over me to conceal my disheveled state.

Carefully, she cradled my bruised and swollen hand.

She gazed at me with the cherished warmth of finding a long-lost treasure.

“Vedran.” Her voice trembled slightly with emotion.

“I’ve come to take you home.”