Lindsey had a very long dream.

In her dream, Stephanie hadn't yet returned to the country. She and Jacob were still a couple deeply in love. He would take her to hang out with his friends, proudly showing her off like she was his entire world.

Jacob would also accompany her to visit Jenny at the hospital. He tried his best to win her mother's favor and cautiously hoped that Jenny would acknowledge him as her son-in-law.

He had done so much for her and given her countless memories of heart-pounding moments. Lindsey truly believed they would have a future together.

Her dream was finally shattered when she was abruptly woken up by a bucket of ice-cold water dumped over her head. Her thin clothes were completely soaked, and a cold gust of wind pierced her body with unbearable pain.

Jacob sat in a chair and looked down at her with a cold gaze. "You should be grateful that Grandpa pulled through. Otherwise, you would've lost your life on the operating table. However, you're going to stay here to reflect on your actions until he wakes up. Be ready to donate blood at any time."

A loud explosion went off in Lindsey's mind, and goosebumps appeared all over her body.

This solitary chamber was where Jacob dealt with his enemies. Countless lives had ended in this place. It hadn't seen daylight in years, and the air in the space itself reeked of blood.

Once, Lindsey had asked teasingly, "If we ever become enemies in the future, would you lock me in here and torture me too?"

Back then, Jacob had promised her with conviction. "No, that would never happen to us."

But now, he had personally thrown her into this abyss full of bones because of a lie riddled with holes!

Lindsey was utterly heartbroken. She felt as if her heart was being cut open bit by bit with a blunt knife.

She looked up at Jacob and spoke clearly in defense of herself, "I did not push Mr. Whitaker Senior down the stairs. I'm innocent, and I won't reflect on something I never did."

She scrambled to get up, but her whole body felt like it was falling apart. She simply couldn't stand on her feet.

Jacob let out a cold laugh. "Lindsey, you've perfectly mastered the act of playing innocent, but I'll never believe a word you say ever again!"

With that, he turned and left.

The lights in the room went out completely. Lindsey was plunged into the pitch-black darkness, thick with the stench of blood.

A suffocating fear engulfed her. She broke down and screamed at the top of her lungs. It wasn't until her voice had turned hoarse that the door to the solitary chamber was flung open.

Stephanie gave Lindsey a condescending look and spat with contempt, "You hussy! If it weren't for the fact that your face resembles mine, Jacob wouldn't spare you a second glance! But it doesn't matter. As long as I ruin this face of yours, you won't be able to seduce him ever again!"

Stephanie approached menacingly with a knife. Her eyes were filled with jealous rage and madness. She slashed the blade toward Lindsey's face.

Lindsey's survival instincts kicked in, and her eyes turned bloodshot. Instinctively, she raised her hand to block the attack. However, the pain she expected never came.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from the doorway. "Lindsey!"

A second later, Lindsey was shoved to the floor by brute force, and her forehead slammed into a corner of the wall. What was worse, she fell directly onto a pile of bones. The crunch of bones cracking under her weight made her scalp tingle, and she screamed in fear.

But what truly shocked her was that Stephanie actually stabbed the knife into her own left shoulder. She collapsed into a pool of blood. "Lindsey, I came to save you… but you tried to kill me…"

Lindsey panicked. She wanted to explain to Jacob that she didn't hurt Stephanie. However, Jacob was more panicked than she was.

He carried Stephanie, who was covered with blood, in his arms and rushed to the hospital. Then, he gathered the most experienced doctors for Stephanie's surgery.

His white shirt was stained with blood, his arm was bleeding from scraping against a rusty metal door, and his eyes were bloodshot. Jacob looked frantic, vulnerable, and on the verge of breaking down.

He even yelled angrily at his friends who came to console him.

"Get lost!"

Finally, Jacob fell to his knees in front of the hospital window and prayed to the skies with reverence, "If Stephie dies, I won't live either!"

This was a side of Jacob that Lindsey had never seen.

The doors to the operating room suddenly burst open, and a nurse rushed out in a hurry. "The patient is experiencing massive blood loss, but the hospital blood bank is running low…"

Jacob rolled up his sleeves without hesitation. "Take my blood! I have the same blood type as Stephie. I can save her!"

Jacob's friends were shocked and tried to stop him. "Jake, have you gone mad? She's just a woman. No matter how much you love her, she's not worth you going this far!"

However, Jacob's eyes were terrifyingly cold. "Stephie is the love of my life, and she's my everything! Without her, I can't go on living!"

The surgery lasted for a whole day and night. Stephanie finally made it through. Although Jacob had lost a dangerous amount of blood, he was overjoyed with the results.

He cleared out the entire hospital and called in all the doctors to serve Stephanie alone. He also never took one step away from her bedside.

Everyone was praising the greatness of their love, but Lindsey couldn't help remembering the terrible state Jenny was in before she died. It turned out that Jacob had the final say over someone's life and death.

How ironic was it?

Stephanie was hospitalized for two weeks, and Jacob stayed by her side the entire time.

During those two weeks, Lindsey packed up her luggage and moved out of the villa that had imprisoned her for five years. She rented a small apartment with the little savings she had left and returned to work at the bar where she used to have a part-time job.

She had to endure these last two weeks before she could officially return to the National Institute of Research. However, she hadn't expected to run into Jacob again so soon.

To celebrate Stephanie's discharge, he booked out the entire bar and invited all the rich young scions of Janderville for a party all night long. The lights in the bar were dim, and the music boomed as loud as thunder.

Meanwhile, Jacob took great care of Stephanie the whole time. His friends surrounded her and fussed over her as well.

Lindsey didn't want to be involved with any of them, so she texted her boss to request leave.

However, Stephanie called out to her just as she was about to leave, "Lindsey, you've done such horrible things to me, yet you don't even have a single word of apology? Now you're trying to run away too?"

Her teary eyes aroused the pity of everyone who saw her, but Lindsey merely cast her a cold glance. "I'll say it one more time. I didn't do any of those things. If you keep spreading lies, I'll sue you for defamation."

With that, Lindsey turned to leave. However, Jacob ordered his bodyguards to block her path.

A glass of strong liquor was dumped all over Lindsey's head, and a wave of humiliation overwhelmed her like never before.

The loud, jarring music was cut off instantly. The group of wild partygoers fell silent at that moment and stared at her gloatingly.

Jacob sneered. "Trying to run away after what you did? Lindsey, why haven't I ever realized what a vicious woman you really are? First, you hurt Grandpa. Now, you dared to lay a hand on Stephie. What's next? Planning to turn me into a puppet and keep me by your side forever?"

His face looked a little pale from days of exhaustion, but his gaze was locked onto Lindsey. His eyes were as sharp as a blade.

Lindsey felt mentally drained from repeating herself. "I've already told you. I didn't push Mr. Whitaker Senior, and I didn't hurt Stephanie either."

Nonetheless, Lindsey knew she sounded unconvincing and powerless even as the words came out of her mouth. The surveillance cameras were broken, human witnesses had been bribed, and Jacob was blinded by love.

She said, "I swear on my life that I didn't stab Stephanie. If I'm lying, I'm willing to be cursed with a terrible death. But Stephanie, do you dare to swear on your life? Do you dare swear that this whole thing wasn't an act you set up?"

"That's enough!" Jacob snapped and shielded Stephanie behind him. "Lindsey, you still show no remorse! Then, don't blame me for disregarding our past and teaching you a lesson about our family's values!"

Lindsey's legs buckled, and the bodyguards forced Lindsey to her knees in front of everyone. She struggled violently, but the threat of death filled her with fear.

Jacob took a leather whip from one of the bodyguards and approached her slowly. "Are you scared now? Did you ever think about how heartbroken Grandpa and Stephie were when you hurt them?"

With that, he swung the whip with a crack. The first blow landed square on her back.

Lindsey's body jerked violently like she had been electrocuted. The pain was so intense that she couldn't speak.

"Speak!" Jacob raised his voice, filled with fury. "Do you admit your mistake?"

"I won't…" Lindsey's voice was weak but stubborn.

Jacob laughed in exasperation and raised the whip again. "You won't? Do you think you could avoid responsibility just by refusing to admit your fault? You're a criminal, Lindsey!"

The sound of the cracking whip and the crowd's jeering laughter suffocated Lindsey, and she found it hard to breathe. But the more they crushed her, the more defiant she became.

Lindsey suddenly burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that tears appeared in her eyes. "I didn't do anything wrong! Why should I admit to something I didn't do? My biggest mistake in this life was getting involved with a beast like you! Jacob, you're the real heinous villain here!"

Stephanie furrowed her brow. "Lindsey, I won't let you insult Jacob like that—"

"And who do you think you are? Do you think you're any better?" Lindsey cut her off coldly, shouting like a madwoman. "You're just a pathetic parasite leeching onto others! What right do you have to order me around?"

Jacob was beside himself with anger. He cracked the whip and struck Lindsey's body ruthlessly.

"This is for Grandpa," he said after the first blow.

"This is punishment for daring to harm Stephie," he growled on the second blow.

And on the third blow, he shouted, "This one is a warning. Don't even dream of becoming the mistress of the Whitaker family!"

…

All 64 lashes seemed to land squarely on Lindsey's heart. A sweet, metallic taste rose in her throat. She spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

Lindsey found herself in a hospital room when she woke up once more. The television in the room was looping a live video of her being whipped. Her agonized screams of pain seemed to spur on their drunken revelry, and her bloodied back was doused repeatedly with liquor by malicious bystanders.

She lay there like a piece of ragged cloth, forgotten and discarded in a corner. Lindsey was finally saved when the bar owner came to check the place and found her barely alive.

There was no sorrow greater than a broken heart.

Despite her sadness, Lindsey couldn't even shed a tear.

Suddenly, a voice called out, "You're awake?"

The door to Lindsey's hospital room had opened at some point, and Stephanie strolled in leisurely. Her complexion was healthy and rosy. She didn't look at all like someone who had just recovered from a serious illness.

Lindsey sneered, "The two weeks you spent at the hospital… It was all an act, right?"

"So what if it was?" she replied smugly. "Jacob would kill or die for me as long as I put on a pitiful act. Very soon, I'll be standing proudly by his side."

With that, she threw a plastic bag at Lindsey. Inside was the urn that held Jenny's ashes.

Lindsey felt as if her blood had frozen in her veins. She opened the urn with trembling hands, only to find it empty.

"What… What did you do? Where are my mother's ashes?"

Stephanie gleefully admired the devastated look on Lindsey's face. She said, "By the way, it was my suggestion to have the hospital stop your mother's treatment. See? Jacob could ruthlessly take the life of your closest family with just a single word from me. What else do you have to compare yourself to me?"

As if trying to flaunt Jacob's affection for her, Stephanie raised her left hand. A dazzling diamond ring sparkled on her ring finger.

Lindsey recognized it immediately. It was the pink diamond that Jacob had bought at an auction six months ago for 100 million dollars.

At that time, everyone thought that good news was on the horizon for both of them. The entire venue had erupted in cheers, urging Jacob to propose to her.

However, he retorted coldly, "It's not for her."

Stephanie gloated smugly, "Jacob said that I deserve all the rare treasures of the world, including him. Only I am worthy of a man like him!"

Lindsey couldn't hold back any longer. She raised her hand and slapped Stephanie across the face and grabbed her by the throat. "You're the one who killed my mother! You should die! Die!"

The desire to avenge her mother's death made Lindsey's eyes turn bloodshot. It was a stark contrast to the smug smile lingering on Stephanie's face.

Suddenly, a vase came crashing down on the back of Lindsey's head. Warm blood trickled down her forehead and onto the floor.

Jacob pushed Lindsey away and slapped her across the face without mercy. "You crazy woman!"

Lindsey's heart felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible hand. The pain in her chest was unbearable.

Crazy?

She could be crazier.

Consumed by hatred, Lindsey picked up a broken vase shard on the ground and lunged at Stephanie, aiming for the vital spot in her neck. However, Jacob gripped her wrists tightly and restrained her.

"Both of you killed my mother! You two deserve to die!" Lindsey screamed with reddened eyes.

Jacob finally noticed that something was wrong with her. He was utterly shocked when his gaze dropped to the urn in her arms. "What do you mean by that? Your mother…"

Past memories flashed in his mind and landed on something he had said a month ago, "Didn't she just have surgery last week? One less surgery won't kill her, right?"

Stephanie quickly interrupted his train of thought when she saw the shock and disbelief surfacing in Jacob's eyes.

She said, "Jacob, don't believe what she says! I saw her mother taking a walk outside the hospital two days ago. How could she suddenly be dead? Lindsey, how could you even lie about your mother's death to make Jacob feel sorry for you?"

Hearing this, the guilt in Jacob's eyes vanished immediately and was replaced with icy disdain. He ordered that Lindsey be thrown into a psychiatric hospital and gave explicit instructions for her to receive "special treatment".

On her first day at the psychiatric hospital, Lindsey broke a window and tried to escape. However, she was caught and beaten up.

On the second day, she was forcibly strapped to an operating table and had shock therapy without anesthesia.

Lindsey finally gave in on the third day and begged to see Jacob. However, she was greeted by a group of filthy beggars. They fixed their gazes on Lindsey the moment they entered the room, and sleazy grins spread across their faces.

"Sure enough, Mr. Whitaker was right. She looks really fine!"

Color drained from Lindsey's face. "Did Jacob send you?"

"Who else?" The beggars surrounded her and approached menacingly. "Mr. Whitaker said that we could enjoy your company tonight…"

Lindsey was seized by terror and backed away in fright, but the group descended on her like a pack of wolves. She kicked and struggled violently, but her terrified screams only seemed to excite them more.

Slaps rained down on her face. The group of beggars pinned her down and tore at her clothes violently. "Why are you still putting on an act? Those private videos of you and Mr. Whitaker are everywhere. Your moans sounded so lewd, and now you want to act all pure? Who would believe you?"

The blood in Lindsey's body rushed to her head in shock. She felt a heavy sense of impending doom.

Jacob had a hidden fetish that no one knew. He liked taking private videos whenever they made love.

Lindsey was overcome by shame when he brought out the camera for the first time. "Can we not record this?"

Jacob chuckled lazily and persuaded her in a gentle tone, "Just trust me. These will be our most precious memories."

Their wild and shameless acts were completely recorded on camera, from the bedroom, to the study, the bathroom, and even in his office.

But Lindsey had never imagined that one day, the so-called precious memories would become the very weapon he used to destroy her.

Just when she was about to give up on all hope, the door to her room was suddenly kicked open. Jacob stormed in like a monster from the inferno, fury and wrath burning in his eyes.

He grabbed one of the beggars by the collar and began raining heavy punches on his face. Loud wails and screams pierced the night as the room was filled with the stench of blood.

After all these years, Lindsey finally felt the warmth of Jacob's body temperature once more. She trembled involuntarily before everything went black, and she passed out in his arms.