Right then, the silent ward echoed with my desperate sobs.

After a long time, my sobs slowly weakened and finally stopped. I felt like a marionette whose soul had been stripped away. My eyes were empty, while my face gradually returned to a terrifying calm.

The last tear slid down my cheek and brushed against my lips, its bitterness spreading deep into my chest.

I lowered my gaze, now the last of my defiance slipping away, leaving only a hollow surrender behind.

Soon, the blinding lights of the operating room burned my eyes. My vision blurred and my consciousness began to completely fade away.

I eventually fell into unconsciousness, as if plunging into an endless darkness—cold, terrifying.

Christian's stern features greeted me when I awoke.

That man sat at my bedside, exuding a cold and terrifying aura. His deep, dark eyes, like a desolate shore, stared coldly at my deathly pale face.

When he saw I was awake, Christian gestured to the bodyguard beside him. Afterwards, an open gift box was presented to me.

His face remained expressionless as he spoke, "This is a gift Jocelyn specially chosen for you."

I didn't move. My silence was frighteningly calm.

The gift he claimed was "specially chosen" was nothing more than an old, slightly yellowed pearl necklace that Jocelyn had already grown tired of wearing.

In the early days of our marriage, Christian would spare no expense, showering me with luxurious jewelry every day. He had even clumsily designed unique pieces exclusively for me.

He used to say that I deserved the best and most expensive jewelry in the world. Now, it seemed utterly ridiculous.

Seeing that I remained silent, refusing to take it for a long time, Christian's half-raised arm looked incredibly awkward.

He frowned, his voice tinged with irritation as he warned again, "Serena Clarke, don't be ungrateful. Don't forget your brother is still in the hospital. Without my family, he would have died long ago."

The mention of my brother sent shivers through my body, my voice suddenly cracking. "What do you want?"

I struggled to sit up. My eyes were bloodshot, while my hands were clutching the hem of my clothes tightly.

I had planned to take my brother away the moment I was discharged. What I didn't expect was that just as I regained consciousness, Christian would already be using my brother to threaten me.

My brother was one of the few family members I have left in this world. So, I would fight with all my life to keep him alive.

Christian rose with disdain, a cold laugh escaping his lips. "Tomorrow night is Jocelyn's celebratory party. I want you to publicly apologize to her and transfer ownership of that island under your name to her."

"Jocelyn said there might be rich mineral resources on that island. It's a waste to leave such a valuable place to someone ignorant like you."

My eyes widened sharply. That island was the extravagant engagement gift he had once lavishly bestowed upon me. It was even named after both our names and my parents' ashes were buried there.

Christian had sworn before my parents' graves that he would never betray me, that he would protect me for the rest of his life. Yet now, he was giving away the island that bore witness to our love to another woman.

Under his relentless pressure, I gritted my teeth and finally agreed. "Fine, I agree. Just don't hurt my brother."

Having secured the answer he sought, Christian turned and walked away without waiting for me to finish speaking. With a thud, the ward plunged back into deathly silence.

My face was ashen, like a flower that had instantly withered.

It turned out that Christian's love hadn't vanished, but had simply shifted.

At that time, my phone buzzed repeatedly with notifications from the immigration bureau. It showed that my paperwork was complete. Once Christian signed the divorce agreement, I could finally leave this hellhole forever with my brother.

Accidentally, my finger brushed the screen and the first thing on my social media feed was a video of Jocelyn showing off their affection.

In the video, Christian's face was clearly visible as the two of them kissed passionately beneath the dazzling fireworks.

Meanwhile, I was lying in a hospital bed, enduring all the pain alone. That was the moment my heart died completely.

The next morning, Christian sent a car to pick me up. To my surprise, ten bodyguards were already seated inside.

A faint unease started to creep into my heart.

Had he found out something?

As the car gradually came to a stop, I was led into a garden overgrown with thorny bushes.

The leading bodyguard finally spoke. "Madam, Mr. Leighton said he won't send you back until you've picked ninety-nine white roses."

As if I had long since given up, I obeyed with surprising calm.

"Give me the tools," I said coolly as I lowered my gaze.

"Mr. Leighton said Miss Stone only likes the ones picked by hand."

That reply made me momentarily frozen. I couldn't help but stare at the garden bristling with razor-sharp thorns before me. I realized that I had no other option.

When I stepped out from the garden, covered in wounds, clutching a full 99 blood-stained white roses, my pristine white dress was already soaked crimson. My once delicate, pale fingers were now drenched in blood.

There was a time when Christian wouldn't even let me touch cold water and gently cradle my hands. "Serena, your hands are meant to hold a paintbrush, to create the greatest masterpiece in this world."

My vision went completely black. I couldn't stand it anymore and fainted.

Meanwhile, in the luxurious party hall, Jocelyn appeared arm-in-arm with Christian, radiating the grace of a princess.

For a moment, everyone present was stunned.

"Isn't that the 'Star of the East,' a gem of which there is only one in the entire world? Mr. Leighton actually bought it for Miss Stone."

"Indeed. It seems Mr. Leighton truly spares no expense to win a smile from his beauty."

Whispers of admiration filled the room, every eye fixed on Jocelyn with envy. She naturally basked in the spotlight and her smile was exceptionally brilliant.

Nevertheless, only one person remained distinctly out of place. That was me, Serena Clarke.

Exhausted from blood loss and the recent abortion procedure, my body was severely weakened. As a result, I had fainted again.

The moment I opened my eyes, Christian forced me downstairs.

"Serena, you're here," greeted Jocelyn, who spotted me standing alone in the corner.

She feigned surprise, her voice soft yet clear enough for everyone present to hear.

I didn't want to get tangled up with her. But just as I was about to leave, Jocelyn grabbed my wrist.

Her eyes instantly welled with tears, giving her a pitiful, vulnerable look. Even so, beneath that gaze lay blatant provocation and undisguised smugness.

"I know you dislike me, but I came to join this family, not to tear it apart. Serena, you'll always be Mrs. Leighton. All I want is Chris' love."

Before I could even object, I was sharply rebuked by Christian, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion. "Serena, haven't you made enough of a scene? Today is Jocelyn's celebration party. Do you absolutely have to cause a commotion so everyone focuses only on you?"

"Apologize to Jocelyn immediately and hand over the gift you prepared for her," he barked.

I stared into Christian's unfamiliar, icy eyes. Though my heart boiled with refusal, the thought of my brother forced me to swallow back my words.

The bruises on my body ached faintly, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

In front of everyone, I held out the blood-stained bouquet of ninety-nine white roses to Jocelyn.

Under Christian's cold gaze, I closed my eyes as if quietly awaiting death itself. I could only sigh softly, "I'm sorry. Everything that happened before was my fault."

As soon as I said that, the crowd murmured. A wife apologizing to the mistress was truly a rare sight.

Jocelyn looked at the flowers I offered and slightly frowned. "Thank you, but as much as I like this bouquet, I can't accept it."

Confusion clouded my eyes as I stared blankly at the lavishly dressed woman before me.

"White roses symbolize purity, yet this bouquet is stained."

As soon as she spoke, murmurs rose from the surrounding crowd.

"There's blood on it!"

"Doesn't she know receiving blood-stained flowers is the worst taboo in our line of work? I hear it brings a curse."

The mutters reached my ears, but before I could gather her thoughts to explain, Christian knocked the bouquet from my hands and onto the floor.

His expression darkened instantly. His eyes, fixed on me, were filled with fierce displeasure as he snapped, "Serena, I never imagined you could be such a vicious woman."

"Someone, take her to the main hall and punish her according to the family rules," he ordered.

Christian didn't spare me even a trace of dignity, publicly ordering my punishment. I knew how brutal his family's punishments were.

Years ago, when he insisted on marrying me, he was given one hundred strikes. His back was bloody and raw, yet he gritted his teeth and refused to give in.

It wasn't until the last strike that I couldn't bear to watch anymore.

Throwing caution to the wind, I cried out and rushed forward, forcibly taking the blow for him. That single strike knocked me unconscious for an entire day.

Now, they roughly forced me to kneel before Jocelyn.

I struggled wildly, resisting with all my might. "Let go of me! Christian, you can't treat me like this!"

Jocelyn, standing nearby, shook her head as if disappointed by my defiance. "Serena, Chris is doing this for your own good. I know you blame me for stealing his love, but you shouldn't resort to such underhanded methods to harm others."

I stared hatefully at the woman who had stolen everything from me, wishing I could rush forward and take her down with me.

I barely opened my mouth when the butler rushed over. He whispered something into Christian's ear and suddenly, every eye in the room was fixed on me.

"Who would've thought the seemingly noble and magnanimous Mrs. Leighton is such a promiscuous woman? No wonder Mr. Leighton fell for someone else."

"Mr. Leighton and Miss Stone share true love. Unlike her, who plays around so recklessly."

Hearing this, my heart lurched violently. It turned out someone had leaked the news of my visit to the hospital for an abortion to the media. Now, reporters and paparazzi swarmed outside the Leightons' residence.

In an instant, I became the focus of public scorn.

I looked at my phone, which was filled with hot searches bearing my name.

"Serena Clarke, the wealthy wife of Christian Leighton, couldn't stand the loneliness and got pregnant after an affair."

"Wife of capital's richest man is pregnant, but the baby isn't her husband's."

…

My mind went completely blank. My dull, empty eyes drifted to Christian, but he showed no intention of defending me.

Of course, even that man believed the baby in my belly wasn't his.

Soon, I was placed under house arrest. The servants roughly threw me into the basement.

As I stared into the pitch-black, damp and gloomy space, my entire body trembled uncontrollably. I cried out in despair and helplessness, but Christian only watched me indifferently.

"When you're ready to admit whose child this truly is, I'll let you out," he said.

I knew he was forcing me to confess.

As the last glimmer of light vanished, I was engulfed by darkness and an overwhelming sense of terror instantly washed over me. Trembling, I curled up in the corner.

How could Christian not know that darkness was my greatest fear?

I couldn't help but recall how, in the past, Christian would keep every light in the house on 24/7 because I was afraid of the dark. Just to make me feel safe.

Today, he was personally throwing me into this endless abyss.

My hands and feet slowly grew cold, then numb and finally stiff.

But his words echoed relentlessly in my ears. "I've already contacted PR. We're going public with a live stream tomorrow."

I've known him for so long; I knew this was a notification, not a discussion.

I refused like a madwoman, screaming and questioning him. Still, all it got me was being locked in the basement, supposedly to "clear my head."

My consciousness gradually faded.

After a long while, the basement door opened. I didn't know how much time had passed, but that night felt impossibly long.

I was dragged out and taken to the study, like a lump of mud.