I packed all my things in my room before stepping out the moment I saw Adeline leaning casually against the second-floor railing. She held the engagement ring Brian had given me while she showed off a smug smile on her face.

"Lilian, was that kidnapping game fun last time?"

"You still haven’t learned your lesson, have you? No one will believe you. They’ll only believe me. You’re nothing but a liar."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! The men who beat you were sent by Brian himself. It was his punishment for making me sick with your little self-made drama!"

After that, Adeline laughed loudly as she rubbed her fingertips against the smooth ring. Then, all of a sudden, her grip loosened. The ring then slipped from her hand, clattering down the stairs with a sharp sound.

"What did you just do?"

Without realizing it, I shouted as I rushed forward to catch the bracelet. But as I passed her, Adeline suddenly leaned forward to block my path. Her lips curled into a cold smile. She grabbed my hand and deliberately placed it on her shoulder.

With a piercing scream, Adeline then threw herself backward and tumbled down the stairs. By the time I realized it, Adeline was already on the ground. She was half-kneeling, tears streaming down her face.

She wailed pitifully, "Ah! It hurts!"

Footsteps thundered up the stairs. Brian and my parents appeared in a rush. From where they stood, they saw me at the top of the staircase while Adeline curled on the floor below, sobbing.

Brian stormed up the last few steps, grabbed my arm and shouted, "Lilian! How could you push Adeline?"

"I didn’t push her!"

I glared at him, forcing each word out through gritted teeth as I said, "She fell on her own!"

My father’s face turned red with anger as he shouted, "Are you still lying? You know Adeline’s health isn’t good. How could you be so cruel?"

My mother’s expression was icy as she stepped forward and shoved me hard. My lower back slammed into the railing. A sharp pain shot through me, making me gasp.

On the floor, Adeline sat up slightly and clung to Brian’s clothes with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Brian, don’t blame Lilian. Maybe I accidentally bumped into her and made her angry. Just … pretend I fell on my own. Don’t make things difficult for my parents."

Adeline’s pitiful act only made Brian’s expression grow darker and darker. He snatched the engagement ring from my hand and hurled it to the floor. It shattered instantly, fragments scattering everywhere.

Then, Brian turned to me as he looked at me with eyes burning with fury.

"Why do you always hurt and put the blame on Adeline? Do you know that intentionally harming someone can land you in prison for years?"

I stared at the broken ring. My heart couldn’t help but twist painfully. The man I loved most stood firmly by Adeline’s side once again. He was defending her without question.

Slowly, a bitter smile spread across my face.

"You want to send me to the police because of this? Fine by me. Let them check the CCTV footage and see who staged this little performance!"

I shoved Brian away, raised my hand and slapped Adeline across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the hall.

"See that? This time, I really hit you. I won’t let him falsely accuse me without proof."

Adeline froze. Her hand was covering her cheek. For a moment, she forgot to even cry.

Brian snapped out of his shock and raised his hand. His palm struck my face with full force. His eyes looked at me coldly.

"I haven’t even dealt with what happened last time. You’ve barely left the hospital and you’re already targeting Adeline again. I’ll send you to prison. You can stay there until you’ve reflected on your actions. When you finally understand what you’ve done, I’ll come to get you."

Before I could respond, his bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me toward the door. Brian didn’t even glance at me. Instead, he turned and gathered Adeline into his arms, his eyes full of heartache as he comforted her.

The moment I had come at the police station, he followed shortly after. He then threw a confession document onto the table in front of me.

"Put your signature on it," he ordered coldly.

I got the pen on my hand. However, I ripped the paper to pieces instead of signing. Looking up, I met his gaze and let out a low, mocking laugh.

"Brian, why should I sign something when I’ve done nothing wrong? If you really want to put me in jail, don’t hide behind excuses. I want to see just how far you’ll go for Adeline."

Brian looked as if he was choked. His expression shifted several times before he turned away sharply.

"Lock her up for now. Release her tonight. Let her reflect on herself," he coldly ordered the police.

Without looking back at me, he walked out. I watched his retreating figure while my eyes were swollen with unshed tears. My heart felt like it was being stabbed over and over again.

Between Adeline and me, he had never once hesitated. Even when I was innocent, he would always choose her. He kept pushing me deeper and deeper into the abyss.

As soon as Brian left, my parents arrived. Their faces were full of disappointment as they looked at me. Their voices cold and sharp, without a trace of sympathy as they said, "Lilian, admit your mistakes. Only then Brian will let you go."

I couldn’t help but give them a bitter smile.

Since the day they brought me home, I had been forced to admit fault for everything. If I scored higher than Adeline on a test, that was my fault. If I won a prize in a competition, that was my fault. If I didn’t act like Adeline and play the spoiled child, that was my fault too.

But now, I no longer wanted to bow my head or admit to anything.

Swallowing the bitterness in my heart, I asked them calmly, "What’s the point of admitting anything? Should I admit that I didn’t push Adeline hard enough?"

The words had barely left my mouth when my father’s hand struck my face with a loud smack. Pain stung my cheek, but I held back my tears. I lifted my chin stubbornly and let out a cold snort.

"I was kidnapped, but you only worried about Adeline. Now, she stages a fake fall. But you force me to confess again. Am I just some piece of trash you picked up off the street?"

My parents didn’t even flinch. They just stared at me as if I were a vicious enemy threatening their beloved daughter.

"Lilian, you’re being ungrateful. Just stay here then!" they shouted at me.

Without another glance after they said, they turned and left. Meanwhile, the guards ignored my protests and shoved me into a small cell. The room was pitch black with only a thin beam of light slipping through a narrow window.

My body trembled uncontrollably as my breathing turned shallow and ragged. My claustrophobia surged, choking me with terror. Instinctively, I called Brian name. Yet, there was no answer. Only endless darkness pressed down on me.

I had no idea how much time passed before the cell door swung open. A group of tall, rough-looking women stepped inside with their eyes gleaming with malice.

"Is that her? Miss Wyatt said to teach her a lesson."

As one of them spoke, a short-haired woman cracked her knuckles and stepped toward me. My heart dropped. I backed away, but another grabbed my hair and slammed me to the ground before I could escape. Fists and kicks rained down on me. Each blow sent sharp waves of pain through my body.

I tried to fight back, but my old injuries hadn’t healed yet. I was too weak to defend myself. All I could do was curl up and endure it silently as they vented their anger on me.

They didn’t stop until a guard’s voice shouted from outside the bars, "Enough! Stop right now!"

Finally, the women backed away.

I was lying motionless on the cold floor. My body was covered in blood and bruises. Slowly, I lost my consciousness. My back was torn open again, old wounds mingling with fresh ones. Every move felt like my bones were shattering from the inside.

After a long while, the cell door creaked open. After that, I was dragged out. Their laughter echoed in my ears as they mocked me openly. But I didn’t even have the strength to respond.

A full day and night passed before they finally threw me out of the police station. Sunlight hit my face, blinding me. I raised a trembling hand to shield my eyes, then staggered to my feet and limped toward the hospital.

After my wounds were bandaged, I turned to leave only to see Brian and Adeline walking toward me. He froze when he saw me. His eyes widened in shock. For a while, he stuck on his place.

"How … how did you end up like this?" he asked, frowning deeply as he looked at me with a flicker of heartache.

Brian tried to reach out almost as if to help me. However, I stepped back to avoid his touch. Before I could speak, Adeline hurried to his side, clutching his arm like a devoted lover. She looked at me with fake worry in her eyes.

"Lilian, Brian released you yesterday. Why didn’t you come home last night? And how did you get yourself into such a state?"

Then she turned to Brian and added, "Don’t blame her, Brian. Lilian probably just wants attention. Look at how badly she’s hurt. Let’s get her treated first, okay?"

Her gentle words worked like poison. The pain in Brian’s eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by cold fury. He glared at me coldly as he angrily accused me, "You’re doing this again! Lilian, your lies are so obvious now. No one believes you anymore!"

This time, I didn’t answer. Instead, I just stared at him as I silently memorized the face I had once loved so deeply. His eyes were still beautiful, but now, they no longer held even a trace of love for me.

Brian the turned to Adeline, gently holding her hand as he spoke while he was looking at me, "If you have the strength to hurt yourself, then you have the strength to walk home."

"Watch her closely. Don’t let her take a single shortcut."

After that, both Brian and Adeline walked away. Step by step, I forced myself to walk home. Every painful step burned the same words into my mind.

‘I would make them pay for this. All of them.’

When I finally reached home and pushed the door open, the sound of Adeline’s sobs filled the living room. She sat on the sofa, trembling as she cried in Brian’s arms.

"Brian, I don’t want to go through with the arranged marriage. I don’t want to marry that lunatic. He’s cruel and brutal. The women from previous arranged marriages … they all died! Why does it have to be me and not Lilian?"

Brian stroked her back gently. His voice was soothing and tender as he said, "Don’t worry. With me here, no one will dare force you. It doesn’t matter who has to go through with the arranged marriage. It won’t be you."

My parents immediately chimed in, their voices full of reassurance as they said, "Don’t worry, sweetheart. We would never agree to let you go. We’ll protect you."

I stood silently at the doorway. No one turned to look at me. Without a word, I walked straight to my room. The moment the door clicked shut, memories flooded my mind like a relentless tide.

I remembered the time I casually mentioned wanting to see the sunrise. That very night, Brian chartered a private jet to fly me to a remote island. He even built a special observation deck so I could watch the sunrise in comfort.

Just to make me smile, he spent hundreds of millions creating a paradise for me. He took me skiing in the Alps, chased the aurora by my side, cooked my favorite dishes again and again and traveled with me to the farthest corners of the world.

Brian documented every moment we spent together, as if each memory was a treasure. Back then, I truly believed he was my one and only. But now I understood that he barely loved me. It was because I was just a passing novelty, a distraction.

I quickly wiped my tears away while I pulled a small recorder from my pocket and took out the memory card. I placed it, along with the prison’s CCTV footage, into an envelope and sent it to my friend.

As I stared at the files on the screen, a bitter taste rose in my throat. At first, I’d only planned to record Adeline pretending to be pitiful in front of Brian and my parents. But in the end, I had also captured proof of her ordering the prisoners to beat me.

The moment the files were successfully sent, I heard familiar footsteps outside my door.

My heart tightened. The door opened quietly. Brian’s tall figure appeared in the doorway. Before I could react, he crossed the room in a few strides and pulled me tightly into his arms. The scent of cedar still clung to him, but it only made me feel suffocated now.

Brian looked at me as if he was heartbroken. He then rested his chin gently on top of my head before he weakly whispered, "Forgive me, Lilian."

I couldn’t help but be stunned in his embrace. My lips pressed together, unable to speak. But Brian didn’t seem to mind my silence.

He continued speaking softly, as though nothing had happened, "Don’t be so hard on Adeline anymore. She’s different from you. You’re the Wyatt Family’s biological daughter. You already have everything. Besides, I’ll marry you one day."

"But Adeline … she has nothing. It’s normal for her to be sensitive. You should try to understand her, to be more patient with her."

"I have everything … "

I muttered those words that tasted bitter, which made me want to vomit.

So, this was his apology. He didn’t come here to truly say sorry. Instead, he came to make excuses for Adeline and to demand that I keep indulging her.

Brian thought that a hug and a few soft words would be enough to erase everything. That no matter how deeply he hurt me, I would forgive him like always. Even if just yesterday, he had sent me home bruised, broken and covered in blood.

It seemed that Brian believed he could slap me ninety-nine times … and then hand me a single piece of bones to make me wag my tail and come crawling back.

I lifted my head and looked at his face. My heart ached so fiercely it felt as if it might shatter into pieces. Sadly, he was wrong.