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..."

Stella's hand froze just as she was about to knock on the car window.

Even she could tell something was off, let alone Ethan who was in the car.

Ethan spoke, panicked, "You've been drugged, Rachel. I'm taking you to the hospital right now!"

Rachel clung to him, sobbing. "It's too late... I feel so awful... Please... Please, just give it to me... I only want you..."

Her soft, tearful voice curled like smoke into Ethan's ear, striking at the most sensitive part of his nerves.

Ethan had been holding himself back with every ounce of self-control. Hearing her beg, the last bit of restraint shattered.

He lost himself.

Stella stood motionless as the car began to rock violently in front of her. She heard the girl's sobs twist into gasps, then cries for mercy, and finally soft, broken whimpers.

Ethan did not stop.

Stella's lips curved upward in a bitter, powerless smile.

In her past life, she had been married to Ethan for 20 years. She could count the number of times they made out. Even that once-a-month routine was only a gift after she begged him a million times.

She used to believe Ethan had no interest in such things.

However, listening to what was happening now inside the car, she finally understood that he had no interest in her.

Stella turned away.

Maybe this was for the best.

This lifetime, everyone got exactly what they wanted.

Stella returned to the banquet hall. Two hours later, the event neared its end, and as the host, she needed to give a closing speech.

She went upstairs to the dressing room, drank a glass of juice, and began touching up her makeup.

Suddenly, she felt a strange heat pooling in her lower abdomen. A wave of discomfort surged through her.

She tried to call for help, but before she could open her mouth, a cold voice came from the doorway—

"How does it feel, Stella?

"Not so pleasant to be the one drugged, huh?"