"That's more like it." Darian's cold voice came through.

Just then, the assistant quickly stepped forward and spoke in front of the livestream, “Miss Barren’s account balance has been updated. A large deposit just came through."

Darian frowned and looked at me. "Where did you get the money?"

I sneered and replied coldly, "None of your business."

Liora, nestled in Darian’s arms, seemed to be mocking me for overestimating myself. In a delicate voice, she nudged Darian and said, “Mr. Vale, you better be careful. What if Whitney is using your money?”

While soothing Liora, Darian sneered and warned me coldly, “Whitney, I’ve already filed a notarized declaration. We no longer share any financial ties. If you borrowed money from the bank or anywhere else under my name, I suggest you return it immediately. You won’t be able to touch a cent of the Vale Family’s money. If there’s any illegal borrowing, I’ll personally send you to prison.”

I let out a bitter laugh. So this was the so-called perfect marriage, the so-called true love I had once believed in.

Looking at the two of them in front of me, I replied calmly, “Don’t worry. I don’t want your money.”

The livestream audience was eagerly watching the drama unfold. Some were constantly asking how much money I actually had left.

Darian signaled his assistant to sync my account balance to the stream.

I knew my current balance was enough to sustain a full night of virtual carnivals. That number might be something even Darian had never seen before.

I turned away and began gathering my things, thinking everything was finally coming to an end. Suddenly, Darian’s voice rang out again.

“What's wrong? Are you too embarrassed to face anyone? Are you trying to run away?”

As I wondered why Darian would say such a thing, he signaled his bodyguards to pin me down in front of the livestream.

On the screen, my bank balance displayed a large, glaring zero.

The livestream’s heat surged once again, even higher than when the video was first played.

However, the comments in the livestream were filled with mocking laughter this time.

There were even people specifically applying to join the call.

The mocking voices thundered into my ears like a storm.

“Are you really playing the role of a virtuous woman while being a kept woman? Did you think you were rich earlier, huh?”

“No need to put on such an act to stall for time, it’s so embarrassing.”

*The Elderglen Saintess may not have much, but she sure knows how to attract laughter. This is the loudest laugh I've had this year!”

Liora was laughing so hard that she could barely catch her breath.

She walked up to me, snatched a bracelet off her wrist and threw it on the ground.

The emerald bracelet, in excellent condition, shattered into two pieces on the floor.

This bracelet was the Elderglen heirloom I had received when I married Darian.

Liora had begged Darian for a long time before finally getting the bracelet into her hands.

“Whitney, here’s your bracelet back. Oh no, what a shame. It accidentally got broken.”

“Whitney, I know you won’t blame me. Let me compensate you with some money. After all, money is probably what you need the most right now.”

She stepped on the broken bracelet and pulled out a wad of cash from her wallet, flinging it right at my face.

Liora used a lot of force, so the sharp corners of the bills cut my face.

Seeing me like that only made her laugh even harder, like a flower shaking in the wind.

“Why aren’t you picking it up? Didn’t you say yourself that an Elderglen Saintess shouldn’t be humiliated like this? Then hurry up and pick up the money. You might be able to stop a couple more photos from being sold!”

Darian stood nearby, watching Liora with indulgence.

I feel a dizzy rush to my head. ‘Is there really no way out of this?’

"Wait! The balance just changed!"

At that moment, my assistant's voice rang out.

Everyone's eyes turned to the screen.

They watched as my bank balance, once at zero, refreshed again and again…

Each time revealing a new, record-breaking figure.

In the end, it took a long while just to count how many digits there were.

I let out a cold laugh.

I knew this was the moment.

I looked at Darian and Liora, then threw the money from the ground right into their faces. “Is this enough? With that number, I could fund a carnival until tomorrow morning without breaking a sweat. Darian, you better not regret this!”

In an instant, the tone in the comment section shifted.

Some were curious about where my money came from. Some still suspected it was all a scam. And others were eager to stick around and watch the rest of the unfinished video clip from earlier.

“Whoa, plot twist for real?”

“Wait, she’s actually rich? Where’d all that money come from?”

“Mr. Vale, maybe you should double-check. What if it’s another scam?”

“Guys, is that really the issue? The real problem is I was about to take off after watching that video!”

*Cut off right at the peak. My joy is gone.”

“To the one above, we suffer the same fate. Let’s keep watching and see what happens.”

Darian’s expression shifted.

He wiped the embarrassment from his face, stood up, slipped his rosary beads back onto his wrist, then ordered the bodyguards to restrain me.

He looked down at me from above, towering with cold authority.

I stared at the man before me and in that moment, three years of memories with him flashed through my mind like a movie reel.

The first time I met Darian, he looked pale and fragile.

He sat quietly by a pine and bamboo tree in the Vale Family garden.

The faint sunlight spilled over him and it felt like the wind might carry him away at any moment.

The very first thing he said to me was, “Leave.”

He said he didn’t want to rely on a woman to prolong his life.

The Vale Family used every tactic, both gentle persuasion and harsh threats. They even stooped so low as to use the Elderglen tribe to threaten me.

The Elderglen were my weakness and I absolutely would not allow anyone to use that against me.

I had originally planned to teach them a hard lesson, but it was Darian who told them to let me go.

He even apologized to me, promising that he would never harm the Elderglen people.

That caught me completely off guard.

In the end, it was me who chose to stay, curious about what kind of person he really was.

I slowly got closer to him, step by step, as he changed from cold and distant to quietly caring.

Sometimes, I caught him looking worried about me and when I saw the shy, nervous look on Darian’s face, it made me feel like I had helped him become better.

That feeling made me want to marry him. I never thought he had a side like this.

"Whitney, what did you do?" Darian grabbed my chin and forced me to look him in the eye.

I didn’t resist. In my mind, I was counting down. ‘…9, 8, 7…’

The look I gave him was no longer one of sorrow or questioning. It was one of unwavering confidence.

The time was almost up.

‘Darian, I could save you back then. Now, I can destroy you. You should never, never, have used the Elderglen people to threaten me!’

The countdown ended.

Right on cue, Darian’s phone rang.