Stella had no family to say goodbye to.

Her parents died when she was 15. Ever since then, she had been on her own.

She called Ethan's parents and told them she wanted to call off the engagement.

After hanging up, she headed to the auction house.

Stella's mother had been a famous ceramic artist. Since her mother passed away, Stella had been collecting her mother's pieces as keepsakes.

There was one piece named 'Love'. Her mother made it while pregnant with her. Stella had been searching for it for years.

She was lucky. Just before leaving for the Northwest Research Base, the piece came up for auction.

However, when she arrived, she saw Ethan and Rachel there too.

The moment Ethan saw her, his tone turned cold. "Stella, have you made enough of a scene?"

"What?" She blinked, entirely confused.

His face showed even more impatience.

"You called my parents to break off the engagement. Was it because the wedding felt too rushed? Fine. I increased the wedding budget tenfold. Are you happy now?"

Stella finally understood—they still did not believe she was serious about ending things.

"You misunderstood. I really wanted—"

Before she could finish, Ethan cut her off again, "Enough is enough, Stella."

Looking at the cold expression on his face, Stella no longer wanted to explain herself.

The wedding was in five days. Once he saw no bride at the altar, he would understand she meant it.

The auction started.

Ethan leaned closer to Rachel and said gently, "Your birthday is around the corner. Tell me what you like, and I will buy it for you."

Rachel clutched the hem of her sleeve and shook her head. "Uncle Ethan, raising me was already a huge favor. Everything here is too expensive. I don't deserve anything—"

"Don't mention it." Ethan frowned. "You deserve the best in the world."

12 years ago, Rachel's father had died saving Ethan. Since then, Ethan had taken her in.

She had been 10. He was 21.

The little girl had grown into a beautiful young woman.

Watching Ethan gaze at Rachel with soft eyes, Stella suddenly realized how blind she had been in her past life. She never realized how much he loved Rachel.

The host's voice rang out, "Next up is a well-known porcelain piece: Love!"

A snow-white sculpture was carried onto the stage—a mother elephant wrapping her trunk around her baby.

Rachel suddenly looked up.

Ethan noticed right away.

"You like this one?"

Rachel blushed and replied, "Yes... it reminds me of my mom."

At that moment, Stella raised her number. "1 million dollars."

She offered double the market price. She had to get her mother's final piece.

Just then, Ethan followed suit and offered his bid price.

"2 million dollars."

Stella glared at him sharply.

Ethan stayed calm and said, "Rachel likes it."

Anger flashed in Stella's eyes.

"That is my mother's last piece!"

Ethan froze and finally noticed the artist's name. His hand lowered on instinct.

Rachel's voice broke in, soft and trembling, "It's okay, Uncle Ethan. I never deserved something so nice anyway…"

Her eyes turned red. Ethan's chest tightened.

Without a second thought, he turned to the staff.

"I'll outbid anyone for it."

No matter how high someone else bid, Ethan would raise his bid by 100 thousand dollars.

He did not care about the cost; he had to bid the piece.

Stella's face turned pale entirely. "Ethan," she said, voice trembling. "Do you really have to do this? I never asked you for anything—not once in all these years. But just this once... I am begging you. Please let me have my mother's final piece."

Her mother had mentioned this porcelain sculpture many times. It was the one she had always wanted Stella to find.

Ethan calmly replied, "Sorry. Rachel rarely wants anything."

Stella slowly lowered her bidding paddle.

Her parents had left her a large inheritance, but her cash on hand could not compete with Ethan's.

In the end, Ethan won the piece and gave it to Rachel.

"Thank you, Uncle Ethan! I love it so much!"

Rachel smiled as she took the sculpture—then suddenly lost her grip.

Crash!

The porcelain hit the floor and shattered.

Stella's eyes turned red. She gathered the pieces and took them home, gently trying to piece them back together.

She had only managed to form a rough shape when a maid walked over.

"Ms. Walker, Ms. Chester is outside. She knelt at the gate asking to apologize. She refuses to get up unless you forgive her."

Stella did not even look up. "Tell her I won't be seeing her."

A while later, rain poured down from the sky.

Ethan stormed into the Walker Villa, face dark with fury.

"Stella, you've gone too far!"

The ice-cold man had hot anger burning in his eyes.

"Rachel has been kneeling outside in the rain for an hour! Is it that hard for you to forgive her?"

Stella's hands paused over the broken pieces.

"She chose to kneel," her voice was calm. "She destroyed my mother's work. Why should I be the one to comfort her?"

"You—!"

Ethan was shaking with rage when his assistant suddenly ran in.

"Mr. Shaw! Bad news—Ms. Chester fainted!"

"What?" Ethan's expression changed completely.

His anger exploded as he saw Stella still piecing the porcelain back together calmly. He swiped the nearly restored sculpture off the table.

Crash!

"You're heartless, Stella!"

He threw the words over his shoulder and rushed out the door, straight into the rain to carry Rachel into his arms.

Stella stared at the shattered pieces on the floor; they were beyond repair this time.

Her long-held tears finally fell.

She had chased after him, hoping he would look her way. Alas, all she got was a tragic death in her past life and coldness in this timeline.

Stella wiped her tears and knelt down, picking up the shards one by one.

She made up her mind to cut all ties and stop loving Ethan. Stella packed everything Ethan had ever given her and mailed it back.

He never picked any of the gifts himself. It was Ethan's parents who forced him to give them, and his assistant always handled the details.

All except for one—an heirloom pendant from the Shaws. It was too valuable. Stella planned to return that to him in person.

As she reached Rachel's hospital ward, she heard her voice through the door.

"Uncle Ethan, don't be so kind to me. I'm scared I'll get used to it. And then when you get married, I won't know how to let go."

Stella saw through the glass how tenderly Ethan looked at Rachel.

He raised his hand, almost as if he could not help wanting to hold Rachel—but he stopped himself.

He gently placed his hand on Rachel's head instead. His gaze was full of restraint.

"Don't be silly," he said softly. "Even if I get married, I'll always treat you well."

Rachel's eyes lit up—then dimmed just as quickly.

"As my uncle?" she murmured. "Once you have your own children, what will I be?"

"There won't be any," Ethan spoke without hesitation. "I won't have children with Stella."

Rachel froze. "Why?" she asked.

Ethan looked at her, eyes filled with complex emotion.

"After the wedding, I'll have Stella take long-term birth control pills every day. So we'll never have children.

"Rachel, I will always be your uncle. You'll inherit everything I have one day.

"So please, don't worry."

"Uncle Ethan..."

Rachel's eyes turned red as she threw herself into Ethan's arms.

In contrast, Stella stood frozen outside the ward. Her face turned pale.

She suddenly remembered Ethan had told her he had vitamins specially made for her in her previous life.

She was touched that Ethan truly cared for her, and she took those pills every day without fail.

They had been married for years but never had children.

They went for a checkup, and the problem was found with her hormones.

To get pregnant, she began taking ovulation shots. Her stomach was bruised all over. Her body grew bloated from the hormones.

Still, she never conceived.

Her doctor had gently asked if there might be something in her diet or supplements interfering with the treatment.

Stella had considered many possibilities, but never once did she question the vitamins Ethan gave her.

That was, of course, until this moment.

She stumbled back a step, heart crumbling.

'How could you be so cruel, Ethan?' She thought to herself.

Meanwhile, one of Ethan's bodyguards walked by and saw her standing there, surprised. "Ms. Walker?" he asked.

Stella shoved the pendant into his hands.

"Give this to Ethan."

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

It was Stella's birthday.

Since she would be leaving soon, she decided—for once—to throw a grand party for her friends, despite usually hating crowds.

She did not expect Ethan to show up—with Rachel.

"Your gift."

Ethan tossed a box to her casually.

It was a diamond ring.

Just like last time.

How laughable.

A ring most people used to propose—he gave it to her as a birthday present.

He made it clear that this marriage was a charity.

She had been clueless in her previous life. She had cried back then, thinking it meant something.

This time, she handed it back without hesitation. "Did you not receive what I had the bodyguard return to you?"

If he had seen the heirloom pendant, he should have understood that she had no intention of marrying him.

Ethan frowned.

"I didn't. I told you before—I don't need anything. You don't need to give me anything."

Stella paused in surprise.

He had assumed it was a gift and did not even bother opening it.

She remembered in her past life, after Ethan died, when she sorted through his belongings. In the dusty basement storage room, she had found dozens of unopened boxes.

Those were all the gifts she had given him:

The necklace she spent a week carving for his 25th birthday; the blessed cross she got for Ethan when he fell ill at 33; and the handmade essential oil she blended herself after learning about his migraines at 40…

So many heartfelt, painstaking gifts—left to rot, untouched.

Meanwhile, Rachel's paper stars, cheap ties, even a handwritten note—were kept in a safe.

Stella smiled bitterly. She said nothing more and turned to greet her guests.

Halfway through the party, Rachel suddenly slumped into Ethan's arms. "Uncle Ethan, my head feels so dizzy..."

Ethan's face changed instantly. "Did you catch something? Eaten something bad? I'll take you to the hospital."

He picked her up without asking and left the venue.

Stella frowned.

She was the host. If anything happened to Rachel, she would be held responsible.

Not wanting trouble, she followed.

However, when she reached Ethan's car, she froze.

From inside, she heard Rachel's breathy voice.

"Uncle Ethan... I feel so hot... down there... it's so uncomfortable..."