Without even guessing, these photos were clearly taken by Dave for her.

Kate tossed her phone aside, too tired to argue. She just felt exhausted.

When she opened her eyes again, she realized it was already midnight. At this time, Dave was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed.

She slowly opened her eyes and the sound of a message notification caught Kate's attention.

Her gaze shifted toward Dave's phone. Perhaps Dave thought Kate had already fallen asleep and was not being cautious.

On the phone screen, it clearly showed his social media secondary account.

Normally, Kate didn't have the habit of checking his phone. Dave was also well aware that even if she did, he would have countless ways to deceive her.

At this moment, a message popped up on the phone screen.

Curious, Kate opened it and saw several photos sent by someone saved as "My Ona" in the contacts.

In the photos, the woman was dressed in stockings and a cute, sexy outfit. Kate immediately recognized that it was Leona.

"Dave, come find me. Same old place..."

As she saw those photos and the flirtatious messages, Kate's hand trembled uncontrollably.

It felt like the phone would slip from her hands at any moment.

Her breath quickened as she realized that, despite the wedding being only days away, they had already taken this step behind her back.

Seeing those messages with her own eyes again made her heart ache, as if the pain never truly left.

Hearing the sound of the water stop, Kate put down her phone, turned around and closed her eyes, lying down.

Dave picked up his phone, first glanced at Kate to confirm that she was asleep, then started typing a message.

His tone was flirtatious.

"But I just got back, babe. How about tomorrow?"

On the other end, Leona was chatty and even more audacious, directly calling with a voice message.

"Dave, don't you miss me? I miss you so much, I just want to see you. By the way, did you like the wedding dress I wore today?"

Dave didn’t hesitate at all. "Of course, it looked great."

Leona continued to press him. "Then, who looks better, me or Kate?"

Dave paused for a second, glanced at Kate, then replied into the phone.

"No one is as beautiful as my Ona."

These words felt like a sharp needle piercing into Kate's heart as they left his lips.

He had once said that Kate was the most beautiful and kindest woman he had ever known. Not long ago, Dave had even knelt on one knee in front of everyone to propose to her. The crowd had showered them with envious looks and even Kate herself believed that she would be happy for the rest of her life.

It was only now that Kate realized that Dave’s pursuit and proposal had always been about taking her away from the Shawn Family as early as possible. Only then could Leona safely take on the role of the Shawn Family's daughter, all while keeping Kate under her control, within her grasp.

It seemed like Leona had heard the answer she wanted, as her tone immediately softened. "Then, are you coming to see me? I’m waiting for you today..."

Leona's tone was soft and delicate and Dave couldn't help but soften as well. "Your sister is asleep now, so wait for me."

He stood up, grabbing his clothes, preparing to leave. Before he went, he made sure to send Kate a message.

"Darling, there’s something urgent at the company, I have to head back. Stay home and be good, I’ll be back soon."

Kate didn’t know how many nights Dave had lied to her like this. Perhaps every night he claimed to have work was actually spent secretly meeting with Leona.

It had become impossible to count how many times it had happened.

She watched Dave’s retreating figure, a bitter feeling she couldn’t put into words.

Lying on the bed, she couldn’t help but let her tears soak the pillow.

She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. "Dave, this time, I’ll let you have it all."

There were still five days until the cruise arrived.

Kate woke up early and immediately went to take care of the necessary procedures.

As soon as the ship arrived, she would board immediately, with the first stop being Polarisia. It has always been a place she wanted to visit. Once she resolved these matters, she would finally be able to live for herself.

She had already packed most of her things.

Dave returned early today. Seeing Kate running around busy, he thought she was preparing for the wedding.

He walked up and took Kate's hand.

“Darling, you don’t have to work so hard. Once you marry me, I’ll take care of everything at home. You just need to enjoy it," Dave said with a smile.

Kate paused for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Marry him? That was impossible now.

Seeing the smile on Dave's face, Kate couldn't help but feel exhausted for him.

Before long, he received a call from the Shawn Family.

"Today is the day for our two families to discuss the wedding details. You must be there."

This wasn't a discussion; it was a notification.

Even though Kate was unwilling, she had no choice but to play along and finish this act.

The venue was set in a park and the restaurant was decorated in the style that Leona liked the most.

Though it was supposed to be Kate and Dave’s special day, Leona was sitting in the seat of honor, wearing a red robe.

Dave's parents were exceptionally fond of Leona, so naturally, she could sit wherever she pleased.

Compared to Kate, who was just an adopted daughter, they had always hoped that Dave would marry Leona.

Because of this, they had never treated Kate well.

In the past, it was Kate who loved Dave and was willing to swallow her pride for him, believing that one day they would change their attitude toward her.

But now, she no longer thought that way. She didn’t want to live this kind of life for even one more day.

When they saw Kate arrive, they merely glanced at her briefly. Their bodies, however, were still turned towards Leona as they chatted away.

They continued to criticize Kate without hesitation.

"Kate, if you were as lively and cute as Leona, that would be great! I really wish I had a daughter like Leona."

This wasn’t the first time they had said such things and Kate had grown somewhat numb to it.

But she had always been cold and distant by nature and in front of these people, she couldn’t bring herself to show a different side of herself.

Leona replied with a smile, "It's okay, just treat me like your daughter. Although my sister is not very likable, I'll still try to win your favor for her."

Her ability to talk smoothly was her strong suit and it didn’t take long before she had both Dave's parents smiling with delight.

Meanwhile, Dave stood by, grinning from ear to ear. His gaze towards Leona was like that of an artist admiring his masterpiece, filled with satisfaction.

Throughout the entire gathering, Kate spoke very little, wanting nothing more than to leave quickly. Perhaps no one could understand how she felt. She truly hated these kinds of occasions.

In the past, Dave would always find excuses to leave with her, never caring about what others said. But now, as she looked at the man before her, he remained indifferent. Was it that he had hidden his true feelings too well, or had Kate only discovered the truth too late?

As it was time to leave, rain began to pour outside.

Leona was wearing a beautiful dress, her heels delicate and high. She didn't even have to call out to Dave; he took the initiative to wrap her in his arms.

He held the umbrella with one hand and carried her in his other arm, with Leona curled up in his embrace like a small cat. Dave didn't mind if his shoulders got soaked, as long as Leona stayed dry. He even forgot that Kate was still standing behind them.

She watched them walking towards the car, coldly observing their backs. It reminded her of the year she loved him the most, when he had also held Leona in his arms like this. Kate didn't have time to think too much. With a burst of energy, she rushed into the rain and got into the car. It wasn't until Leona had been comforted that Dave finally got out of Leona's car.

Seeing Kate drenched in rain, Dave was momentarily stunned before quickly reacting, immediately explaining, “Leona has always been frail and if she gets caught in the rain, she might fall ill. I just sent her to the car first. You're not angry, are you?"

"Darling, why didn’t you wait for me to help you up?" Realizing his actions, Dave quickly apologized.

Kate simply replied softly, "It's fine."

Dave, who knew that Kate wasn't one to hold grudges, felt relieved when she said it was fine. He believed there was no issue.

But in Kate's heart, Dave had long since decayed.

On the way back, Kate didn’t say a word. The two of them seemed like strangers who had just met. If she could, Kate would rather have never known him.

Kate went back to the Shawn Family, packed up all her belongings, leaving behind only a diary.

The diary contained all the memories of her childhood. She thought to herself, let it be her final gift to her parents.

No one knew the real reason she was packing her things, nor did anyone care. When her mother, Melanie, saw her carrying the suitcase out the door, she only left a cold remark.

"What's this? Are you really planning to never come back? Then you'd better pray that nothing troublesome happens to you, because we won't care anymore."

Perhaps, from the moment they discovered that Kate wasn't their biological daughter, they no longer considered her as part of the Shawn Family. They were eager to get rid of her and marry her off as quickly as possible.

Kate didn't respond. Instead, she turned and glanced at the woman who had raised her for twenty years.

"Is there really no emotion at all?" She looked at her mother and slowly said, "Goodbye."

Melanie had no awareness of it.

It was as if it was just another ordinary day and no one knew that this was her farewell.

She placed her things in a safe place, deciding that once she left, she would leave nothing behind.

When she returned home, it was already evening.

As soon as Dave saw Kate return, he immediately placed the wedding dress he had personally chosen in front of her. "The wedding is a one-time event, how can we settle for less? Quick, choose one you like!"

Kate stared at the neatly arranged white wedding dresses for a while, lost in thought.

When her gaze shifted back to Dave, her eyes inadvertently filled with tears.

It turned out that no matter how much love there seemed to be, it could all be faked.

He casually picked up a wedding dress and handed it to Kate. "This one suits you! Go try it on!"

Kate didn’t refuse, even though the dresses in front of her could never compare to the one she had designed herself.

When she came out in the second dress, she saw him answering a phone call. "Do I have to come out and shop with you now? But I’m with your sister trying on wedding dresses. Okay, I’ll be right there."

His voice was soft and barely audible as he hid in the corner.

But Kate still heard every word clearly.