I spent two days trapped in my own thoughts, my mind an endless loop of worst-case scenarios. Kristoph’s screams haunted me, his voice replaying over and over in my head. I had no choice—I had to go back.

With shaking hands, I called Harrison.

“I’ll come,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady.

A low chuckle rumbled from the other end of the line. “Good girl.” His tone sent a shiver down my spine. “I’ll send the location. And remember, come alone. If I see even a hint of a cop, Kristoph dies.”

The call ended, and a message popped up. It was an address—an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. I swallowed hard, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. This could be a trap. No, it was a trap. But what choice did I have?

At midnight, I arrived at the factory. The air was thick with the stench of rust and oil, and the shattered windows allowed the cold wind to creep in. I stepped inside cautiously, my heartbeat echoing in my ears.

Then I heard it.

A scream—Kristoph’s scream.

I ran toward the sound, my pulse hammering against my ribs. Rounding a corner, I skidded to a halt.

Harrison.

He descended from a zip line like some villain from a nightmare, his black suit crisp and perfect, his smirk dripping with arrogance. Around him, his men formed a tight circle, their expressions unreadable.

“You actually came,” Harrison mused, tilting his head. “I almost thought you’d run again.”

I barely heard him. My eyes locked onto Kristoph, who was slumped in a chair, his face swollen and bloody. His head lifted slightly, and he met my gaze with a weak, desperate look.

My grip tightened around the knife hidden in my pocket.

I had to act fast.

In one swift motion, I pulled out the blade and pressed it against my stomach.

“Let him go, or I swear, I’ll do it.”

The room fell into stunned silence. Harrison’s smirk faded, his eyes darkening as he studied me. I didn’t blink, didn’t waver. If he thought he could keep controlling me, he was wrong.

Then, with a sharp nod, he gestured to his men.

Kristoph was untied and shoved forward. He collapsed onto the floor, groaning in pain. He tried to reach me, but I shook my head.

“Go,” I mouthed.

His lips parted, as if he wanted to argue, but he knew better. He staggered to his feet and ran.

The second he disappeared, Harrison’s grip closed around my wrist like a steel trap. He wrenched the knife from my fingers and tossed it aside.

“You’re coming home,” he whispered.

I swallowed back the bile rising in my throat. I had won this round—but I knew, deep down, this was only the beginning.

The drive back to the mansion was suffocating. Harrison didn’t speak, but I could feel his gaze on me the entire time. Every glance, every moment of silence felt like a reminder that I was still his prisoner.

The moment we stepped inside, Ychan was waiting at the staircase, arms crossed. His sharp eyes raked over me like he was searching for weakness.

“I thought you were dead,” he muttered.

I forced a smirk. “Disappointed?”

He scoffed and walked away.

Days passed, then weeks. I realized something terrifying—Harrison was fixing his public image. Bit by bit, the scandal around him was fading. Investors were returning. People were starting to believe in him again. His power was strengthening.

And I was still trapped.

Months later, I gave birth to a baby girl.

I stared at her, at the small bundle in my arms, feeling something shift inside me. She was so tiny, so innocent. For the first time in a long time, I felt warmth spread through my chest.

I named her Lawrent Del Fuego.

At first, I thought I’d resent her—another chain tying me to Harrison. But as the days passed, I found myself unable to resist loving her. She became my only light in this dark world.

And then, just as I started to believe this nightmare had settled into something bearable, Harrison shattered it all.

One night, he called me into his office.

I walked in cautiously, cradling Lawrent in my arms. “What is it?”

He stood by the window, his back to me. “Our relationship has come to an end.”

I blinked. My heart pounded, confusion swirling inside me. “What?”

I should’ve been relieved. I wanted to be free. But something felt…off.

Before I could process it, Harrison turned around, holding a gun.

I froze.

His eyes were cold. Emotionless.

“I don’t need a wife anymore,” he said simply. Then, with a small smirk, he added, “If you’re confused, this is exactly what I did to my first wife.”

My breath hitched. My hands gripped Lawrent tighter.

This is it.

He cocked the gun.

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the shot.

Then—

“WHAT THE FUCK?”

A voice exploded from the doorway.

I snapped my eyes open. Harrison’s finger hovered over the trigger, but his gaze shifted to the man standing at the entrance.

The intruder’s face twisted in fury.

“The rumors are true! You’re killing your wives! I’ll tell this to the board, Mr. Del Fuego.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

This was my chance.

BUT WHO'S THAT?

A gunshot shattered the silence.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched Mrs. Letoya slump to the floor, blood pooling beneath her. My hands trembled, my mind struggling to process what had just happened. Harrison… he had shot her.

Not me.

I slowly turned to him, my chest rising and falling in rapid, uneven breaths. “Why?” I whispered.

Harrison glanced at the lifeless body as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience. He sighed, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. “Mrs. Letoya was useful once. She helped me gain access to the elite circle. But now? She was nothing more than a charity case I kept around for amusement.” His lips curled into a smirk. “You should be thanking me, love. That bullet could’ve been for you.”

I staggered back, horror clawing at my insides. “You’re a monster.”

He chuckled, stepping toward me. “Oh, come on. Did you really think I was going to kill you? That was all just a prank.”

I froze, my brain struggling to catch up. “A… prank?”

Harrison suddenly dropped to one knee.

My stomach lurched.

A velvet box appeared in his hands, and when he opened it, a diamond ring glistened under the dim lights. My pulse pounded in my ears.

“I want a real wedding with you,” he said, his voice smooth, confident. “You belong to me. Let’s make it official.”

Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run. But then I looked at him—at his cold, powerful gaze—and I understood. He had won. He was now part of the most powerful elite circle. There was no escaping him.

Slowly, I exhaled.

And then, I nodded.

Harrison’s smirk widened.

We were married within days.

The townhouse was suffocating.

Harrison had purchased an extravagant home, far from the city, where no one could reach me. It was just us and Lawrent. No one else. No family, no friends, no escape.

Months turned into years.

Five years passed, and with each day, I felt my fight slowly fading. I had accepted it—this was my life now. I was Harrison’s wife. My only purpose was to care for Lawrent. I lived for my daughter, and nothing else.

Every day, I watched over her as she attended one of the most prestigious schools in the country. That was my only task. Harrison didn’t trust me with anything else. I was nothing more than a beautifully caged bird.

Until the news broke.

The headline spread across every media platform.

Ychan Del Fuego Involved in University Riot

I stared at the screen, my heart hammering. Ychan… he was eighteen now. It had been years since I had last seen him. Guilt settled in my chest. Had he rebelled because of me? Had he suffered because Harrison had chosen me over him?

That night, I got my answer.

Harrison brought Ychan home.

“He’ll be staying with us,” Harrison said casually, pouring himself a drink. “It’s best if I keep an eye on him.”

The moment Harrison left the room, Ychan turned to me, his eyes burning with hatred. “I hate you.”

His words hit like a slap.

“You ruined everything,” he hissed. “Ever since you married him, he stopped caring about me. You replaced me.”

I swallowed hard. “Ychan, I—”

“Don’t pretend you care,” he cut me off. “I don’t want your pity. I just want you gone.”

I stared at him, a realization settling in.

“Then help us escape,” I whispered.

Ychan stiffened. His expression flickered with something unreadable.

A long pause stretched between us. Then, slowly, he nodded.

For days, we planned in secret. Ychan studied the guards, learned their routines. We waited for the right moment—when Del Fuego Corporation was in chaos, too distracted to notice our absence.

The night finally came.

Ychan drugged one of the guards, stealing his key card. My hands trembled as I held Lawrent close, whispering reassurances in her ear.

We reached the gate. Ychan swiped the card. The lock clicked.

We were free.

But before we could take another step, Ychan suddenly stopped.

“I need to hug her,” he said.

I blinked, watching as he knelt beside Lawrent, wrapping his arms around her. My heart ached. He wasn’t just helping us escape—he was saying goodbye to the only family he had left.

Then, we ran.

We sprinted through the dark streets, my lungs burning. We had to make it out. We had to—

A car screeched to a halt in front of us.

My body froze.

The window rolled down, and my breath caught in my throat.

Kristoph.

A sob escaped my lips. “Kristoph?”

He grinned. “Get in.”

We didn’t hesitate. We jumped into the car. The moment the doors shut, Kristoph floored the gas.

Tears blurred my vision. “I thought you were dead.”

Kristoph smirked. “Yeah, well, I thought you were, too.”

But before relief could settle, another car roared behind us.

“They found us,” Ychan cursed.

Gunshots rang out.

Kristoph swerved, narrowly avoiding the bullets. Lawrent screamed, clinging to me. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Then I realized—Harrison had tracked my phone.

I grabbed the device and hurled it out the window.

“Hold on!” Kristoph shouted.

I barely had time to react before he yanked the wheel—sending the car straight toward the ocean.

My stomach dropped.

“We have no other choice,” Kristoph yelled. “Brace yourselves!”

The vehicle soared through the air.

Water exploded around us as we crashed into the sea.

Panic seized my chest. The car was sinking fast.

Kristoph smashed the window. Water rushed in.

“Take Lawrent!” I shoved her toward him.

He grabbed her, pushing her through the broken glass.

I tried to follow, but the moment I moved—

My body seized as my foot stucked on the car seat.

The cold swallowed me whole.

My limbs went numb. My lungs screamed for air.

Darkness crept into the edges of my vision.

I reached out blindly.

And then—

Nothing.