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.

The next morning, I was awakened by loud noises coming from outside.

Still groggy and confused, I sat up just as a servant knocked on my door.

"Miss, Mr. Herbert has invited a circus to perform. He asked me to tell you to come downstairs and watch."

I straightened my clothes, feeling a wave of disbelief. Did he really think a circus performance could make up for everything that had happened? Besides, I had never liked circuses. It was always Adeline who loved these kinds of spectacles, not me.

I opened my mouth to refuse, but the door swung open again before I could speak. Adeline entered, her arm wrapped intimately around Brian’s. A sweet, fake smile bloomed on her face. She hurried over to me, grasping my hand as if we were the closest of sisters.

Her voice turned soft and coaxing as she said, "Lilian, come on, just go. Brian’s been planning this for a long time to make you happy. If you don’t go, he’ll be sad."

Brian stood behind her, watching me closely with a faint glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

"Let’s just go take a look, alright?"

The two of them were perfectly in sync, like they were performing a well-rehearsed duet. I felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. But with Adeline tugging at me and Brian’s eyes fixed on me, I had no choice but to follow. I was dragged downstairs like a prisoner.

In the yard, a makeshift stage had been set up. A fire-breather was performing, sending blazing orange-red flames shooting high into the air. The heat was so intense that it burned my face from where I stood.

As the performance continued, Adeline clung tightly to Brian’s arm. She was whispering to him and laughing softly. Meanwhile, Brian gently wiped sweat from her forehead and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Their affectionate gestures were so natural, like a real couple deeply in love.

I stood off to the side, completely forgotten. Just a silent observer. Suddenly, Brian’s phone rang. He leaned close to Adeline, murmured something to her and then walked toward a corner to take the call.

Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but stare at the raging flames. There was an uneasy feeling creeping over me. My instincts screamed that something terrible was about to happen.

And then I met Adeline’s gaze. The sweet, sisterly smile she had worn moments ago had vanished. In its place was a strange, twisted smirk that sent chills racing down my spine.

Before I could react, she lunged forward, grabbed my arm with a grip like iron and shoved me toward the flames behind the safety line.

"Ah!" I screamed as I struggled desperately to pull free, but her strength was terrifying.

The searing heat rushed against my skin as the flames leapt closer, scorching me. Then, Adeline let go of me in a single motion. And with a loud, pitiful cry, she flung herself even closer to the fire.

"Help me! Brian!" she screamed.

Brian’s head snapped up the instant he heard her voice. He dropped his phone without hesitation and charged through the cordon like a madman. In one swift move, he scooped Adeline into his arms and stumbled back to safety.

After Brian managed to keep his balance, his face turned grim. He then turned to me as he looked at me with his eyes blazing with fury. Without warning, his hand struck my cheek with a sharp crack.

He shouted at me, gritting his teeth, "Why did you push Adeline? Do you want to kill her?"

My ears rang, my whole body stunned. I stared at him, utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Brian didn’t wait for an answer. His expression twisted with fury as he shoved me hard.

I lost my balance and fell backward, hitting the ground. My shoulder brushed against the edge of the spreading flames. Immediately, I shouted.

The sound made Brian freeze. He looked down at me lying on the ground. For a brief second, a flicker of heartache flashed in his cold eyes.

However, Adeline clutched his chest as she weakly said, "Brian, Lilian … she looks more seriously hurt than I am. Take her to the hospital first…"

Without further ado, Brian glanced at me with visible disgust. He then looked back at the fragile woman in his arms. His voice was cold, commanding as he ordered his bodyguards, "Take her too. We’re going to the hospital!"

Then, he carried Adeline to the car like she was the most precious thing in the world without even glancing back at me.

Meanwhile, I was lying on the ground. The pain in my shoulder became more unbearable. My vision blurred slowly. Just as the bodyguards rushed to lift me, everything went black.