The warm water soaked through my ruined dress, the wet fabric clinging tightly to my skin.

My resolve to break our marriage vows was as solid as bedrock.

Even though I had lost five years of memory, seeing Caspian recklessly risk himself to save Elena still sent an instinctive pang of pain through my heart.

I supposed it was the twenty-seven-year-old me struggling to extinguish the very last ember of love.

Caspian rested his chin on my shoulder, his intangible affection making me feel sick.

"I misjudged the situation; I didn't know you had fallen in too. Otherwise, I would have saved you first," he confessed, his voice raspy. "I swear on my honor, it will never happen again."

I watched the water level rise just below my knees, feeling nothing.

"It doesn't matter. I want a divorce. Bring the divorce papers tomorrow. From now on, whoever you want to save first, go right ahead."

Caspian's arm around my waist tightened, his fingers digging deeply into my flesh.

"The Don does not grant divorces," he denied flatly. "And I do not consent."

His voice dropped into a lethal whisper that sent chills down my spine.

I squirmed against him, splashing water over the edge of the porcelain tub.

"Why are you chaining me to you?" I demanded, my voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You value her life over mine. This marriage is a joke."

My elbow slammed hard into his ribs with a dull thud. Taking advantage of his muffled grunt, I scrambled over the edge of the tub, warm water cascading from the hem of my dress.

I retreated to the center of the bedroom, keeping the massive king-sized bed between us as a barrier.

Caspian stepped out of the bathroom, a puddle of water gathering at his feet.

His dark obsession eroded his features, twisting his handsome face into something terrifying.

He walked slowly toward me, shucking off his ruined suit jacket and tossing it to the floor.

"Back off!" I warned, grabbing a heavy brass lamp from the nightstand and wielding it like a club.

He ignored the weapon.

He kept advancing, his steps steady and resolute.

I raised my leg and kicked him hard in the thigh.

A flash of primal rage crossed Caspian's eyes, but he swallowed his anger, letting out a sharp hiss.

He lunged forward, snatching the lamp from my hands and throwing it across the room, where it shattered against the wall.

He grabbed my face, trying to force me into submission with a kiss, his lips pressing punishingly against mine.

"I will make it up to you, Sienna," he growled against my mouth. "You are mine."

I planted both hands firmly on his chest, using all my strength to break free from his hold.

Caspian's patience completely fractured, his last thread of restraint snapping.

He shoved me down onto the mattress, covering my body with his massive frame, intent on claiming his wife and re-establishing his dominance.

A sharp, relentless spike of pain erupted from the center of my skull.

My vision flashed blindingly white.

I screamed, my entire body trembling violently beneath him, as if some lingering trauma from my past life had violently collided with the present.

Caspian instantly shifted from predator to protector, the feral glint in his eyes vanishing.

He rolled off me, frantically checking my face, his hands hovering over me as if terrified of causing further harm.

"Sienna? Look at me."

As I clutched my head, his gaze darted down to my hands.

He froze, his throat tight, unable to breathe.

The warm water in the bathtub had dissolved the adhesive on the waterproof bandages. The struggle had dislodged them, and the thick gauze had peeled away from my skin.

They were completely soaked in bright crimson blood, creating a stark, horrifying contrast against the white bedsheets.

Caspian grabbed my forearms and, with trembling fingers, tore the gauze away.

He stared at the deep, jagged cuts across my veins.

His pupils dilated with horror; the reality of what he was seeing finally convinced him.

He realized the clinic's report was wrong.

He realized I had truly intended to end my life, and that I had meant every single cut.

The Don let out a roar of absolute terror and rage that shook the walls of the suite—a sound of utter devastation.

"Who gave you permission to die?!"

I looked up at his horrified face, my own expression cold, devoid of an ounce of pity, feeling only absurdity.

"You were willing to let me drown, so why do you care about my wrists?"

Caspian stared at the blood-soaked bandages on my wrists, horror etched across his face.

The heavy silence in the hotel suite was shattered by a commotion out in the hallway. Hurried footsteps and muffled shouting seeped through the thick wooden door.

"Let me go! I need to see her!" Elena's shrill voice pierced the silence.

Caspian didn't even look toward the sound. He stood up, his jaw clenched, and strode out of the bathroom.

I wrapped a towel around myself and cautiously followed him, stopping at the bedroom doorway.

Caspian yanked the suite door open.

Elena stood in the heavily guarded hallway, struggling against two massive bodyguards, an elderly man with a black medical bag hovering nearby.

She looked past Caspian's broad shoulders, her eyes landing on the blood-stained towel I was clutching tightly.

She gasped, pressing a slender finger against her chest.

"Oh, Sienna, you're bleeding again! I was so worried, I brought the family doctor right away."

Her performance was flawless, yet laced with a sickeningly sweet faux concern.

"Get out, Elena. Go back to your room and rest," Caspian ordered, his massive frame blocking the doorway.

His voice was low and dangerous, rumbling like thunder, leaving no room for argument.

Elena exaggerated a sigh, her shoulders slumping in a show of disappointment.

"I couldn't sleep, Caspian. Sienna slipping by the pool made me feel so guilty I've been awake all night. I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

I looked at the woman who had shoved me into the deep end.

"You don't have to pretend; no one here is applauding your performance."

Elena blinked, feigning innocent surprise, her eyes wide.

"I don't know what you mean. It was a terrible accident."

I crossed my arms, locking eyes with her.

"It's a shame you didn't notice the security cameras installed on the stone pillars by the pool."

Elena froze.

The color instantly drained from her face, leaving her pale and trembling.

I kept my face perfectly blank, giving her nothing.

"They recorded every word you said to me before you pushed me in. Shall we watch the footage together?"

Elena swiftly took a step back, her eyes darting toward the relative safety of the hallway.

"I... I suddenly remembered I have to make a call to my grandfather's associates."

She turned and practically ran down the hall, the doctor awkwardly retreating behind her.

The heavy door clicked shut, plunging us back into silence.

I relished the sudden quiet, refocusing my attention on the man standing in the center of the bathroom.

Caspian hadn't stopped staring at me.

His gaze was heavy, unreadable, locked onto my face as if searching for something I was no longer willing to give.

He grabbed a clean towel from the rack and walked toward me.

He draped the thick fabric over my trembling shoulders, his movements surprisingly gentle.

"Rest for tonight, we'll deal with this tomorrow."

I pulled the towel tighter, building a wall between us.

"Bring the mob lawyers with you, and the annulment papers."

Caspian stopped moving.

He didn't reply, but I heard the faint, abrasive grinding of his teeth—a dry rasp that spoke of a barely contained urge to rip something to shreds.

"If you don't bring them, I'll find my own way to break the oath."

The air in the room grew heavy, as if crushed by his sudden, suffocating rage.

His eyes darkened, flashing with a terrifying possessiveness that made me shiver.

"You are mine, and I will never divorce you." He turned his back and marched stiffly out of the bedroom.

I heard the heavy door click shut, followed by a long, suffocating silence.

I walked over to the nightstand and picked up my phone.

The screen lit up, asking for a passcode.

Without even thinking, I entered Caspian's birthday—the numbers had become muscle memory.

The phone unlocked instantly.

I scoffed at my past self's pathetic devotion.

I went straight into the settings and changed the passcode to my own birthday.

I severed that pathetic little connection I had with him.

A notification popped up at the top of the screen.

It was a short, authoritative text from Caspian.

"Rest well. Wait for me there tomorrow."

I sneered. Why should I listen to him?

I turned the unlocked doorknob and slipped out the hotel's service elevator before the sun was fully up, then took a cab to an upscale Italian café in neutral territory—far from the syndicate's usual haunts.

Luca was already sitting at a corner table.

He stood up when I walked in, his eyes carefully scanning my face as I sat across from him.

"Thank you for pulling me out of the pool last night," I said quietly.

Luca leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed. "Sienna, you're different today. You haven't looked at me like that in years."

I picked up the menu, avoiding his gaze. "Like what?"

"Like you completely forgot about me."

I put the menu down and met his eyes.

Luca let out a long sigh and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.

"During our junior year of college, I confessed my feelings to you," he said, his voice tight. "You turned me down."

I was stunned.

I truly didn't remember Luca.

But I couldn't risk exposing my amnesia. If I did, anyone could manipulate me.

"You were completely infatuated with Caspian. To appease his insane jealousy, you cut off all your male friends."

Luca shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "To stay near you and make sure you were safe, I had to stoop to being a low-ranking grunt in this dangerous underworld."

I stared at the coffee cup in front of me.

The tragic reality of my past submission hit me like a punch to the gut.

I had isolated myself entirely for a man who wouldn't even save me from drowning.

At that moment, I realized I had to hide my amnesia from Caspian at all costs.

If he knew I had forgotten, he would use it to trap me all over again.

The bell above the café door jingled loudly.

The temperature in the room plummeted the second Caspian walked in.

Flanked by four massive soldiers in dark suits, Elena stood right beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm.

Caspian's gaze locked onto Luca.

His massive frame radiated a lethal territoriality as he strode toward our table, his very presence terrifying the few civilians in the shop into absolute silence.

Before he could even speak, I stood up.

"We're breaking the oath. Who I see is none of your business."

I raised my voice, making sure every guard heard me publicly denounce his suffocating control.

Caspian didn't even glance at me.

He stared at Luca with murderous intent. "The West Side Port was the price you paid to stay away from my wife."

Luca sneered, leaning back and crossing his arms. "I just wanted to buy her a cup of coffee. Seems you lack confidence in your own charm."

Caspian took a step forward, his hands balling into tight fists.

Feeling a strong surge of disgust, I grabbed my purse from the chair.

Caspian's hand shot out, clamping tightly around my arm.

I looked down at his grip, then pointed at Elena standing a few feet away.

"Give the papers to my lawyer, Caspian. Other than that, we have nothing to talk about."

I yanked my arm hard, but his grip was like a vice.

I raised my voice, ensuring the entire café could hear me. "I'm done playing the supporting role to your shadow mistress."

Shocked, Caspian's grip loosened just enough for me to break free.

I turned my back on the Don and walked out the front door, Luca right by my side.

As the chilly morning wind brushed against my face, I finally understood why the 27-year-old me had wanted to end her life.

Living under the crushing weight of his coldness would break anyone.