Rather than getting kicked out in the end, I might as well leave sensibly.

Adrian didn't speak. The warmth in his eyes simply froze over.

Then he laughed—a soft, humorless sound.

"Serena Jenner. This is the birthday gift you're giving me?"

I saw the storm brewing in his gaze. My body shrank back instinctively, but I forced myself to continue. "You promised me. You said if I ever felt uncomfortable, if I wanted to end things, I could walk away anytime."

"I'm walking away."

A long silence. Adrian lit a cigarette, and a suffocating pressure filled the room.

His tone stayed casual, almost bored: "Sure, you can walk away."

"But your mother's care—can that walk away too?"

I stared at him, like I was truly seeing him for the first time.

After I got together with Adrian, the nearly one million in expenses for Mom at the nursing home all came out of his account. The best specialists, top-of-the-line equipment—he arranged everything.

So in his eyes, I'd forfeited the right to leave long ago.

The quiet threat he was making now? It was no different from grinding my dignity into dust beneath his heel.

But my reaction seemed to satisfy him.

He flicked the ash, his voice dripping with indulgence. "Serena, don't be stupid. Stay by my side, and your mother gets the best treatment. You keep the life you have now. Some things—make a scene of them, and nobody wins."

He stubbed out the cigarette, turned, and left the villa.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

On impulse, I opened social media, looking for something—anything—that would make me give up for good.

Like fate was mocking me, Victoria's latest post appeared first.

The photo showed an indoor winter wonderland. She was dressed for some gala event, elegant as a swan princess.

The caption was simple: "Merry Christmas, my exclusive magic."

Posted three minutes ago.

Who else would spare no expense to create an indoor snowfall in the most expensive district in the city, just to make her smile?

What I had, she had too.

The snow that once moved me to tears became a slap in the face.

The next morning, I came downstairs with swollen eyes—and stopped cold.

The living room was piled high with gift boxes.

An assistant stepped forward, clearly having waited for some time. "Mrs. James, good morning. Mr. James had these delivered. Please have a look."

Mrs. James.

The words pricked like a needle.

I stood frozen, staring at the expensive gifts, my thoughts spiraling.

"Mrs. James? There must be some mistake."

But the assistant only smiled politely. "That's what Mr. James calls you. He also said he'll personally pick you up for the weekend family dinner."

My fingertips trembled.

My heart—the one I thought had gone cold and dead—rippled pathetically back to life.

This small gesture blurred everything again, like we'd rewound to better days.

He took me to an auction, high-profile, no attempt to hide me. Victoria was there too.

She clearly wanted the first item—a brooch—badly. Her paddle kept rising, bid after bid.

That brooch was something I'd had my eye on too.

While I hesitated over whether to raise my paddle, Adrian signaled directly for the top bid—buying it at an overwhelming price.

The room erupted in murmurs.

Victoria's hand froze midair, her face draining of color as she stared at Adrian in disbelief.

But he acted like she didn't exist. When the item was brought over, he handed it to me casually.

"It suits you."

I gripped the box. My chest burned, and something wild and hopeful surged up inside me.

At that moment, I thought: maybe I really could hope for a real place in his life.

Maybe I could finally tell him the truth—that a little life was already growing inside me.

Adrian James only needs the tiniest gesture to make me sink into it easily.

After the auction ended and I got into the car, I was hesitating about how to speak, when my gaze swept over the front passenger seat.

The assistant was carefully holding a black gift box—obviously bigger and more exquisite.

Lying inside was that finale blue diamond necklace.

Adrian still hadn't gotten into the car. The assistant avoided my eyes and was quietly instructing the second assistant: "Remember to deliver it to Miss Simmons tomorrow."

I couldn't hear what came after that. My ears were buzzing.

The last bit of weak expectation in my heart was doused by reality until it was ice-cold to the bone.

He was afraid Victoria would be sad, so he bought the more expensive one to coax her.

Fine.

This way, there won't be any ties anymore.

I gently stroked my lower abdomen, incomparably calm.

I can't let him become a bargaining chip for marriage, much less let the child have a father who treats feelings like a toy.

Adrian got into the car soon after and glanced at the box on my knees. "Why don't you put it on and try it?"

If it were before, I would have already excitedly put it on and taken several sets of photos.

"It's too valuable. I'm afraid I'll lose it."

His gaze stayed on my face for a moment, but he didn't say anything more.

In the days that followed, Adrian keenly noticed that I had become quiet.

No longer like before—going up to greet him when he came home; carefully preparing the foods he liked; revealing cautious concern in daily life.

"What's going on with you lately?"

After one time ended, he asked me. "You're absent-minded."

"It's nothing. Maybe I'm a little tired."

I put on my robe, my voice flat.

He frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this answer, but he didn't press further.

Maybe in his eyes, this was just me throwing a tantrum, and sooner or later, like before, I would be soothed by him.

The James family dinner still came in the end.

At the table, all kinds of insinuating humiliations came one after another.

"Miss Jenner really is capable."

"This outfit—Adrian got it for you, right? Young girls should still know how to respect themselves."

I listened quietly, occasionally lowering my eyes and showing a trace of fragility. Then, under their disdainful gazes, I accepted one check after another.

In order to make me leave Adrian, Mrs. James really spent a fortune.

Doing a rough calculation, it actually added up to nearly ten million dollars.

Enough for Mom's follow-up treatment, and for our living expenses for a long time after we leave.

"Serena Jenner!"

Just as I was about to take the last check, Adrian suddenly appeared, his face ugly.

His eyes were wide with anger, a rare display of emotion. "Who told you to take these?"

I lightly struggled at my wrist. "Isn't this compensation your family is giving me? Other than these, what else can I ask for?"

The words instantly enraged him.

"Between us, you measure it with money?"

I pulled my hand out of his grip, with the maliciousness of smashing a pot that was already cracked. "But yesterday, Miss Simmons gave one too—then should I take it?"

The instant he saw the check clearly, his expression became extremely ugly.

I thought he would fly into a rage, that he would threaten me like before.

But in the end, he didn't say anything to me.

He didn't even look at me again. He grabbed his coat, turned around, and left the family dinner scene.

Lily comforted me. "Don't be sad, Serena! Anyway, in everyone's eyes right now, my brother is the one who loves you! As long as he doesn't let go, the family will accept you sooner or later!"

I found it extremely ironic.

The one he loved, from beginning to end, was Victoria Simmons.

To love her so much I would've thrown everything away to chase her. To love her so much it made my very existence feel like a joke from start to finish.

I saw Victoria again on a private yacht a week later.

I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

That face—the one that used to have nothing to do with me—now looked nearly identical to mine.

She'd had plastic surgery.

Or rather, she'd become herself again.

When Adrian first saw her, his steps faltered. He just stood there, frozen, for a few seconds.

That brief moment of shock—I saw it with my own eyes.

And right then, my phone flashed with a cold reminder.

"Your manual abortion procedure is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Please arrive at the hospital on time."

Guilty as a thief, I hid my phone.

"Adrian!"

The instant she spotted us, Victoria stumbled forward and dropped to her knees in front of Adrian with a thud.

She grabbed his pant leg. "Save me—the Graves family has their sights on me! He's crazy, he said he wants me!"

I'd heard rumors about the Graves family. They were another untouchable power in the Capital.

Adrian's expression darkened, his tone unusually tense. "Get up first. Explain clearly."

"I can't explain! He's right here—on this ship!"

Victoria was sobbing, tears streaming down her face. "He called me out by name and said he wants me to keep him company tonight! Adrian, for the sake of what we had—are you really going to stand by and watch me die? I'm still your woman, at least in name!"

The looks from everyone around us grew even stranger.

Adrian's brows furrowed tight, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as if searching for something.

Then his eyes landed on me.

I sensed danger and instinctively stepped back.

I watched Adrian help Victoria to her feet—and look at me.

"Serena, you go."

I didn't process it at first. "What do you mean?"

Adrian's voice was flat. "Go over there and keep Mr. Graves company for a drink. Deal with it for a bit. He knows who you are—he won't do anything to you."

The world seemed to freeze.

Adrian actually wanted me to go in her place?

Knowing full well what kind of invitation this was, how could he say it out loud?

I'd thought the pain in my chest had already gone numb.

But it still hurt.

I didn't fight it, though. I was just tired.

Anyway, they were all sugar daddies—what difference did it make whose company I kept? I didn't believe Mr. Graves would actually lay a hand on a pregnant woman.

"Adrian, you'll regret this."

In the end, I only gave him one long look, turned around, and walked in the direction he'd pointed.

On the other side, Adrian brought the trembling Victoria back to the room, hostility radiating off him.

"What are you all standing around for? Take some people and stand guard outside Graves's room. The moment you hear anything, intercept her immediately!"

The assistant followed, bewildered. "What reason do we give?"

Adrian rubbed between his brows. "We're retrieving my wife who got lost and wandered into the wrong room. Do I need a reason?"

The assistant froze at those words. Even Victoria looked stunned.

Just then, a phone on the nightstand buzzed with a notification. The assistant said stiffly, "It seems to be Miss Jenner's."

Adrian gestured for someone to hand it over.

But after he saw the text on the screen, his body swayed.

"Miss Jenner, your scheduled abortion procedure has been rescheduled to tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Would you like us to handle hospital admission for you tonight?"