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.

When Karina opened her eyes, she found herself in a hospital bed. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled her nose, and the steady beep of a heart monitor echoed in the room.

A nurse pushed the door open and entered. "You're awake? You were badly injured—three broken ribs. You'll need a family member to take care of you, so give them a call."

The nurse handed her a phone, and Karina took it with trembling hands.

On the screen were dozens of unread messages, all from Rowena.

"Nicholas peeled an apple for me himself. It tasted so sweet."

"Clarence bought me a new dress. He says I look best in white."

"Irving and Luther stayed with me all day for my check-ups. They're so worried about me."

"It's been two days now, and at the slightest mention of a headache, they all fuss over me. No one even asked where you were."

"A thief is always a thief, and stolen love has to be returned sooner or later. Karina, I pity you. Not a single person truly loves you. If I were you, I'd have killed myself a long time ago."

Karina stared quietly, her fingers tightening unconsciously until her knuckles turned white.

"I don't have a family," she said softly, returning the phone to the nurse. "I only have myself."

The nurse seemed to want to say more, but she ultimately sighed and left.

Outside the window, maple leaves covered the ground.

Karina counted the drops of fluid falling through the IV tube, as if counting each piece of sincerity that had been betrayed over the years.

…

Five days later, she discharged herself from the hospital.

When she pushed open the villa's front door, the sound of laughter rushed toward her.

In the living room, Nicholas was peeling an apple for Rowena, while the three brothers stood around them, discussing something. When they saw Karina walk in, they abruptly stopped laughing.

"Where have you been? Why didn't you come home?" Clarence asked with a frown.

Karina didn't reply and walked straight upstairs.

Behind her, Luther scoffed. "There she goes, throwing another tantrum."

The moment her bedroom door closed, she finally collapsed to the floor.

The wound in her ribs throbbed faintly, but it was nothing compared to the pain of her heart being torn apart.

Molly brought in dinner, but Karina didn't eat a single bite.

Late at night, her phone lit up again.

"You persistent bitch! I'll make sure you understand who matters more to them!"

Karina powered off the phone and tossed it into the drawer.

…

Early the next morning, the bedroom door was kicked open with a sharp crash.

"Karina!" Nicholas yanked her from the bed. "Where is Rowena?"

Before she could even process what was happening, Irving had grabbed her by the collar. "She left a note saying, 'Since Karina won't accept me, I'll just leave.' What exactly did you say to her? Did you force her out?"

"I don't know," Karina replied hoarsely.

"You're still lying at a time like this?" Luther roared, smashing the dressing table angrily. "Do you even realize she's terminally ill? If anything happens to her, I'll definitely make you pay!"

"I'm not lying. I really don't know."

Just as the standoff intensified, Nicholas's assistant, Doug Davidson, rushed in. "We found Ms. Rowena! She's at the edge of the cliff!"

Hearing this, the faces of the four men darkened instantly.

"Karina!" Clarence grabbed her by the throat, his grip so tight she could barely breathe. "When did you become so vicious? Rowena is terminally ill. She doesn't have much time left to begin with, yet you still won't spare her!"

Karina struggled to breathe. Forced to tilt her head back, she still managed to pull out a bitter smile.

How utterly ridiculous.

Leaving aside whether the terminal illness was even real, over the past few days, they had brought in the world's top medical teams and developed the most expensive treatments for Rowena.

Even if she had been truly ill, she should have been cured by now.

This was nothing but an excuse, one that allowed them to forgive Rowena for running away from the wedding all those years ago.

Seeing Karina remain silent, the four men grew even angrier.

"Get her in the car!" Nicholas commanded coldly. "No matter what, she has to convince Rowena to come back today!"

Karina was shoved roughly into the car. The vehicle then sped off at breakneck speed to the edge of the cliff.