"Kneel!" Luther commanded coldly.

Bodyguards immediately stepped forward, gripping Karina's shoulders as roughly as if handling a criminal.

She struggled but was forced to her knees on the cold marble floor. Her kneecaps slammed down hard, the pain so sharp it darkened her vision.

Clarence picked up a whip that had been prepared in advance, swinging it through the air with a sharp crack before bringing it down fiercely across Karina's back.

Intense pain exploded through her body. It felt as though thousands of needles had simultaneously pierced her flesh.

Karina clenched her teeth hard, the taste of blood spreading in her mouth. Yet, she stubbornly refused to make a sound.

"Will you admit your mistake?" Clarence asked icily.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Karina replied, forcing out the words with difficulty.

Another crack. This time, the blow landed even harder. Blood immediately soaked through her thin dress, spreading across her back like a crimson bloom.

"I'll ask again," Clarence said. "Will you admit your mistake?"

"I didn't… do it."

The whip lashed down again and again on her body, each strike feeling as though it were tearing her soul apart. Blood gradually soaked through her white dress, pooling in a glaring red on the floor.

"Stop. Please stop hitting her," Molly cried, kneeling down. "Ms. Karina will die. She really will."

But the three Fleming brothers turned a deaf ear, and the whipping continued relentlessly.

Karina was starting to lose consciousness. In a daze, she heard Luther scoff and say, "Since she refuses to admit her mistake, we'll keep whipping her until she does."

When the final strike landed, she could no longer hold on. Darkness flooded her vision as she passed out completely.

Before sinking into that darkness, the last thing she saw was the glaring pool of blood on the floor and the cold, indifferent eyes of her three brothers.

…

Karina was left alone in her room for three entire days.

Lying in bed, she could clearly hear the cheerful laughter and conversations coming from next door.

Rowena's soft whining, her three brothers' gentle coaxing, and Nicholas' low laughter cut into Karina's already battered heart like a knife without end.

"Rowena, take your medicine."

"But it's so bitter."

"Be good. I'll give you candy once you finish."

"Feed me, Nicholas."

Karina buried her face into her pillow, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She had thought she was already numb to the pain, but with every breath, a sharp ache still pierced her chest.

On the morning of the fourth day, she managed to get out of bed. Using the wall as support, she slowly made her way to the stairs, where she happened to overhear an excited discussion below.

"I heard a pod of dolphins had been spotted nearby recently," Nicholas said, his voice unusually cheerful. "Rowena has always wanted to see them."

"Let's go right away then," her three brothers said at once.

Clarence added, "It'll be a good chance for Rowena to relax."

Karina froze on the landing, her fingers trembling slightly as they gripped the railing.

The wounds on her back hadn't yet healed, so every step felt like fire burning across her skin.

"Karina?" Rowena suddenly looked up, her voice bright with surprise. "You're finally up and about!"

All four men turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes shifting to Karina on the stairs.

She had grown terribly thin. Her loose nightgown hung emptily on her frame, and the bruises on her exposed wrists had yet to fade.

Rowena walked upstairs and warmly looped her arm through Karina's. "We were just about to go see the dolphins. Won't you come with us?"

Karina instinctively pulled her hand back, a gesture that instantly made Rowena well up with tears.

"Karina, even though you ruined my reputation, I already forgave you," Rowena said, her voice choking with emotion. "I don't have much time left, so I don't want to hold onto grudges anymore."

"Karina!" Nicholas strode over and stepped protectively in front of Rowena. "Rowena is extending an olive branch, and this is how you respond?"

Luther chuckled coldly and said, "Exactly. Just look at Rowena and then look at yourself. The difference speaks for itself."

Karina bit her lip until she tasted blood.

Looking at the four men who had once been closest to her, she suddenly felt they were complete strangers.

In the end, to please Rowena, she was forcibly taken aboard the yacht.

The vast expanse of the blue sea stretched endlessly before them, and the sunlight reflecting off the deck was dazzling.

Rowena excitedly suggested having a barbecue, but the four men immediately frowned in disapproval.

She lowered her head, her voice as light as a feather. "I'm going to die anyway, so can't I just do what I want?"

"Don't say that!" Irving quickly covered her mouth. "We've already contacted the best specialists abroad. You'll be fine."

Karina sat quietly in the corner, watching them busily prepare for the barbecue. No one remembered she was allergic to seafood, just as no one remembered the wounds still healing on her back.

Nicholas suddenly noticed her and asked, "Why aren't you eating anything?"

"I'm allergic to seafood," Karina answered softly.

An awkward silence instantly fell over them.

Frowning, Nicholas was about to stand and call the chef to bring other food when a sudden fierce wind swept across the sea.

The yacht lurched violently, the grill overturned, and scalding charcoal scattered in every direction.

"Watch out!"

Karina watched as all four men threw themselves toward Rowena, forming a protective wall around her.

As for herself…

"Ah!"

A cluster of embers landed on the hem of her dress, instantly igniting a fierce blaze.

She rolled on the deck in agony, screaming. But not a single person glanced back at her.

The four men were still anxiously checking if Rowena was hurt. A small patch on her arm was red from the burn.

"Rowena, are you alright?"

"Let me take a look!"

"It's a little red. Quick, get the ointment!"

In the end, it was a passing crew member who noticed Karina. He rushed over in a panic and swiftly put out the flames on her dress with a fire extinguisher.

"Ms. Fleming, hang in there!" the crew member shouted in alarm.

Through blurred vision, Karina saw the four men hurrying toward the cabin with Rowena in their arms. They didn't spare her a single glance at all.

By the time she was carried back to her room, she was in too much pain to speak.

Large areas of her skin were burned, and even the slightest movement caused bloody fluid to seep out. The crew member hurried off to find a doctor, leaving her alone in the room.

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

"Ms. Fleming, the uninhabited island you purchased requires some additional documents."

"I'll send them to you right now," Karina said through gritted teeth, her voice hoarse from pain. "Please process them as quickly as possible. I'm in a hurry to go to the island."

As soon as she finished speaking, Nicholas' icy voice suddenly came from behind her, "Who were you talking to?"

"No one." Karina hung up and hid her phone under the covers.

Nicholas stood at the doorway, picking up on the strange tension in the air. His brow furrowed slightly. He was about to press further when his gaze suddenly fell on the shocking burns covering her body.

"How did you get burned like this?" He walked over quickly, his voice carrying an unusual hint of panic. "Why didn't you call for me?"

Karina lowered her gaze, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Why didn't she call for him?

Just moments ago, the flames had singed her hair. She writhed and screamed in agony on the deck, yet he didn't even turn his head. So, what good would calling for him have done?

"It's nothing," she said softly. "The doctor will be here soon. You should stay with Rowena. She needs you more."

To her surprise, Nicholas sat on the edge of the bed instead. "She has people looking after her. I'll wait until your wounds are treated."

He gently brushed the stray strands of hair from her forehead, his movements tender, almost like the way he used to be. But Karina simply looked at him calmly. All the light and hope that used to shine in her eyes for him were gone.

Nicholas had already married Rowena, making him her husband now. And there was no way Karina would love a married man.

The moment he secretly married Rowena behind her back, any possibility between them was forever destroyed.

"Does it hurt?" he asked quietly with a frown.

Karina shook her head gently but remained silent.

Of course it hurt! But compared to the pain in her heart, what was a little physical suffering?

The doctor arrived quickly. He treated her burns with great care, each touch sending a wave of pain so sharp it made her break out in cold sweat. Yet, she only bit down hard on her lip without making a sound.

"Nicholas," Rowena called sweetly from outside the door. "Come quickly to see the dolphins! They're so beautiful!"

Nicholas hesitated for a moment but ultimately helped Karina to her feet. "Let's go have a look together."

On the deck, the setting sun painted the sea in shades of gold. A pod of dolphins leaped from the water, tracing graceful arcs through the air.

"Quick, make a wish! They say if you make a wish when you see dolphins, it'll definitely come true!" Rowena pressed her hands together, closing her eyes as she made her wish.

Karina, placed by Nicholas on a deck chair, watched the absurd scene before her eyes. The four men, who had never believed in such things, now closed their eyes with indulgent fondness, looking as devout as if they were praying in church.

She knew their wishes must have been about Rowena.

Slowly, she closed her eyes as well.

Rowena suddenly sidled up to her and asked curiously, "Karina, what did you wish for?"

The four men also turned their attention to her.

Karina looked at them all and replied emphatically, "I wished that from now on, I would never have to see any of the five of you again for the rest of my life."

At that very moment, a fierce gust of wind churned the sea into towering waves, violently rocking the yacht. Karina's words were completely drowned out by the roar of the waves and the startled cries around them.

Nicholas frowned slightly. "What did you just say? The wind and waves are too loud."

Karina was about to repeat herself when Rowena whined, "It's too dangerous out here. I'm really scared. Let's hurry back to the cabin."

The others quickly shielded her as they made their way out one after another, with Karina trailing at the very back.

She glanced back one last time at the dolphins gradually fading into the distance and suddenly smiled.

Perhaps this was meant to be.

They would never know she had wished to never see them again.

Just as they had never truly cherished her sincerity, they would also never know she was about to vanish from their world forever.

…

On the day Rowena received the invitation to the debutante ball, none of the four men could spare the time to go with her.

"Clarence, Irving, and Luther are flying to Belport to bid on that pink diamond for me," Rowena said sweetly, waving the invitation. "And Nicholas has a 100-billion-dollar contract to sign. Karina, won't you go with me?"

She batted her eyes pitifully. "I haven't attended an event like this in five years, so I'm afraid I'll embarrass myself."

"I'm not going," Karina said flatly.

But the four men gave her no room for refusal.

"Rowena isn't in good health. You should go with her," Clarence commanded coldly.

"You're the most familiar with these events," Irving said, adjusting his glasses. "Don't let Rowena make a fool of herself."

Luther simply pushed her into the car. "Take good care of Rowena. Don't cause any trouble."

The door slammed shut. Through the window, Karina watched the four men's worried expressions and could only feel a bitter irony.

They only ever worried about whether Rowena might feel wronged but never once cared if Karina was willing to go.

…

At the ball, Rowena stood out in a dazzling red dress.

"Here, drink this for me," she said, pushing a champagne glass into Karina's hand with a sweet smile. "After all, if I go home drunk, what do you think they'll say?"

Karina's fingers tightened around the glass until her knuckles turned white.

She knew Rowena was doing this on purpose, but she could only do as she was told. If anything happened to Rowena, those four men would never let her off.

As she drank one glass after another, Karina felt the world begin to swim before her eyes.

"Oh dear, are you drunk?" Rowena feigned surprise. "Here, I'll help you to a room."

Karina struggled to push Rowena away, but she was no match for her strength.

Half-dragged, half-carried, she was led away from the ballroom, down a long corridor, and finally pushed into an unfamiliar hotel room.

"Enjoy yourself," Rowena whispered in her ear with a light laugh before closing the door.

Karina slumped to the floor, and through her bleary eyes, she saw a strange man approaching. The man loosened his tie, a nauseating smile spreading across his face.

"Ms. Fleming paid a high price to have me take care of you," the man said, reaching for her dress. "She wasn't wrong. You really are a rare beauty."

Karina struggled with all her might, but her alcohol-numbed body refused to cooperate. The man's hand clamped around her wrist like an iron vice, his hot, sickening breath hitting the side of her neck.

Just as the man was about to press down on her, Rowena's delighted voice suddenly sounded from outside the door. "Nicholas? What are you doing here? I thought you had an important contract to sign?"

"I couldn't stop worrying about you, so I came to take you home." Nicholas' voice came through the door, as cool and composed as ever. After a pause, he asked, "Where's Karina?"

"Oh, she's in the restroom," Rowena replied without missing a beat.

Karina mustered every last ounce of her strength and threw herself against the door.

"Nicholas! Save me!"

For a second, silence fell outside the door.

"Are you sure she's in the restroom?" Nicholas pressed, his voice growing colder.

"Of course," Rowena replied, her tone wounded. "If you don't believe me, we can go check the restroom right now. It's almost time for my medication, though… But it's fine. I can wait."

Karina's heart sank. She knew Nicholas would choose to take Rowena back first to take her medicine, just as he had countless times before.

After a suffocating silence, Nicholas' voice finally came through. "Never mind. I'll take you back to take your medicine first."

The sound of footsteps faded into the distance. Karina felt as though her heart had been carved out, the pain so sharp it nearly choked her.

Inside the room, the man had already torn open her collar.

In desperation, Karina reached for the crystal ashtray on the bedside table. With all her remaining strength, she slammed it against the man's head.

The man grunted and crumpled to the floor.

Karina staggered to her feet and stumbled out of the room.

The hallway was empty. She ran desperately toward the exit, her high heels long since lost. Her bare feet pounded the cold floor, yet she felt no pain.

In the rainy night, she rushed onto the road. Suddenly, blinding headlights swept over her.

A loud crash echoed as Karina was thrown into the air and landed heavily on the road several yards away.

"Nicholas, I think we hit someone." Rowena's panicked voice came from inside the car. "Should we get out and check?"

Rain blurred his vision. Nicholas frowned and glanced out. "It's fine. I'll have my assistant handle it."

Without hesitation, he stepped on the accelerator. "It's more important for you to take your medicine."

The car sped away, its tires splashing mud and blood across Karina's pale face. She lay in the spreading pool of blood as the rain washed it toward the roadside drain.