“She’s awake! Quick, call the doctor!”

The voice echoed faintly in Aruna’s ears, as if coming from a faraway place.

Aruna blinked slowly. A blinding white light pierced her eyes. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled her nose.

Everything felt unfamiliar. Cold. Empty.

“W-where am I?” her voice rasped, barely a whisper.

Her body felt heavy. An IV tube was attached to her arm, bandages wrapped around her stomach and head.

“Calm down. You’re in the hospital.”

A deep, baritone voice came from beside her bed — low, steady, reassuring.

Aruna turned her head slightly.

Standing there was a man in a sleek black suit. His hair was neatly combed, his features sharp yet composed.

His gaze was piercing, but within it flickered something strange — compassion, and perhaps… admiration.

“Who… are you?” Aruna asked weakly.

The man offered a faint smile. “I’m the one who helped you last night. My name is Leonard.”

He pulled a chair closer and sat beside her, eyes never leaving her face.

“I happened to pass by the road when you had the accident. Honestly, I thought… you wouldn’t make it.”

Aruna stared at the ceiling as flashes of memory flooded back —

the blinding headlights, the screech of brakes, the crash… and—

“My stomach…” she gasped, her hand instinctively reaching under the blanket.

A doctor entered the room, glancing briefly at Leonard before focusing on Aruna with careful eyes.

“Miss Aruna… I’m sorry, but…”

The words stopped mid-sentence.

Aruna’s eyes widened, tension gripping her entire body. “But what? Tell me!”

The doctor sighed deeply. “We couldn’t save your pregnancy.”

Silence.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor roared in her ears like thunder.

The world shattered all over again.

“What… what do you mean?!” Aruna tried to sit up, but the pain made her flinch.

“No… no, that can’t be… I didn’t even get to—”

Her voice broke into uncontrollable sobs. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking the white sheets.

Leonard remained still, his jaw tightening.

He wasn’t used to seeing someone cry — especially not someone who still radiated quiet strength, even in despair.

The doctor lowered his head and gave them space.

“Your body’s still weak. Please rest for now.”

Then he quietly left the room, leaving the two of them in a heavy silence.

---

“The baby… was the only reason I kept going…” Aruna whispered between sobs.

“I’ve already lost everything… but at least I still had her… and now—”

Her voice broke again, the grief spilling out louder this time, more desperate.

Leonard slowly leaned closer, sitting on the edge of her bed. He watched her in silence for a long while before finally speaking softly:

> “You’ve lost a lot, Aruna. But I can give you a chance to start again.”

Aruna turned to him, eyes wet and red. “Start again? With what? I don’t even have anything left.”

Leonard’s gaze deepened — calm, but heavy with something unspoken.

“With a new life,” he said at last.

“Not out of pity. But because I know what it’s like to lose something you’ve fought for with everything you have.”

Aruna studied his face — the stranger who had pulled her from death itself.

“Why do you care about me? You don’t even know who I am.”

Leonard gave a faint, wry smile. “Maybe because I can see it — the kind of pain that’s too heavy to bear alone.”

He stood and looked out the window, where the late afternoon light streamed through.

“Life has given me many things… but it’s taken just as much. I’ve learned one truth: if you want to fight the world, don’t do it alone.”

Aruna stayed quiet. The rain outside the glass fell softly, as if listening too.

“I don’t want your pity,” she said at last, her voice trembling.

“And I don’t need your kindness.”

Leonard turned to her. His eyes were sharp, but his tone remained gentle.

“Good. Because I’m not offering kindness. I’m offering… a deal.”

Aruna frowned in confusion. “A deal?”

Leonard stepped closer again, meeting her gaze directly.

“One year. You’ll live with me. Marry me.”

Aruna’s eyes widened. “What?”

“This marriage… won’t be out of love,” Leonard continued evenly.

“I have my reasons — ones I can’t explain yet. But in return, you’ll have a life no one’s ever given you before. Protection. A name. Power.”

“And in exchange?” Aruna’s voice trembled.

Leonard’s eyes locked onto hers. “In exchange, you’ll be my wife — in the eyes of the world. Nothing more.”

Silence. Only the soft beeping of the monitor filled the air between them.

Aruna lowered her gaze, gripping the bedsheet tightly.

“Why me?” she whispered. “Out of all the women in the world… why the one who almost died on the road?”

Leonard smiled faintly.

“Because you didn’t give up — even when your body was bleeding. Because when I looked into your eyes that night… they still wanted to live.”

Aruna looked at him again. Tears welled up, but this time they were different — not just of sorrow, but of something else.

For the first time in so long, someone saw her.

“And if I refuse?” she asked softly.

Leonard arched an eyebrow. “You’re free to refuse. But think about it, Aruna — sometimes, to fight fate, you have to make a deal with it.”

Aruna fell silent.

Her eyes drifted to the darkening sky outside the window.

Revan. The child she lost. All the pain and betrayal replayed in her mind.

Finally, she took a deep breath and met Leonard’s gaze — her eyes now steadier, sharper.

“Fine,” she said quietly but firmly. “I’ll marry you.”

Leonard nodded once, a small but satisfied smile tugging at his lips.

“From this day on, Aruna… you’re no longer the woman discarded by love. You’ll become someone no one can ever trample again.”

Aruna held his gaze for a long moment, then whispered — almost to herself:

> “Alright. Then from this day forward… I’ll learn to return pain with elegance.”

Leonard paused, then gave her a faint, approving smile.

“Welcome to your new life, Miss Aruna.”

“Aruna, look at me.”

Leonard’s voice came calm but sharp from behind the bedroom door.

Aruna stood before the tall mirror, dressed in a silver-black satin gown. Her hand slowly brushed through her long hair, now styled elegantly. Her face was expressionless—cold and poised, like a marble statue.

“I told you,” she said flatly without turning, “I don’t like being called like that without a reason.”

Leonard entered with steady steps, wearing a crisp white shirt and a dark gray suit. His gaze lingered on her reflection.

“I have a reason,” he said simply, leaning against the vanity.

“Revan is getting married next week.”

The comb in Aruna’s hand froze mid-air.

Silence filled the room.

Slowly, she placed the comb down.

“Repeat that,” she said softly.

Leonard’s tone held no trace of jest. “Your ex. Revan. He’s marrying Celine.”

Aruna smiled faintly—a smile more like a wound than joy.

“He forgot quickly,” she murmured.

Then she turned, her eyes burning sharp.

“And you’re telling me this because?”

Leonard slipped his hands into his pockets, calm as ever.

“Because I want to know… if you’d like to attend.”

Aruna studied him, her gaze long and searching.

“Attend? So they can laugh at me? So Celine can finally smile, seeing me fall apart completely?”

Leonard stepped closer until only a few paces separated them.

“No. You won’t attend as the woman who was discarded,” he said quietly but firmly.

“You’ll attend as Mrs. Leonard Arken—the wife of the most powerful man in City A.”

Aruna gave a short, bitter laugh. “You want to turn me into a display piece for your power games?”

Leonard met her gaze without flinching. “No. I want to give you a stage to stand above them.”

Aruna was silent. Her chest trembled—caught between anger and an unfamiliar ache.

“And if I refuse?”

Leonard’s voice dropped lower, steadier.

“Then they’ll keep believing they’ve won—and that you’re ruined.”

Aruna took a deep breath. She looked back at the mirror—the face that once looked gentle now carried an entirely different aura. Sharp eyes, crimson lips, a quiet danger in her posture.

She smiled faintly.

“Of course,” she said coolly. “I’d love to congratulate them… in my own way.”

---

That night, in the vast dining hall of their mansion, Aruna sat at the marble table. Leonard poured red wine into her glass.

“You don’t regret it, do you?” Leonard asked, not looking at her.

Aruna lifted the glass with delicate grace. “Regret?” She smirked. “No. I’m just learning to be calm while planning revenge.”

Leonard met her gaze across the table. “You’ve changed a lot since the day I found you in that hospital.”

Aruna took a slow sip, then set the glass down gently.

“People who’ve lost everything don’t stay the same.”

“Maybe,” Leonard said quietly. “But be careful, Aruna. Revenge has a way of making you forget who you are.”

Aruna smiled faintly, her eyes glinting.

“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten who I am. I’m just becoming someone they’ll never dare to hurt again.”

Leonard studied her for a long moment, then nodded slightly. “Good. Then we’ll attend that wedding… as the perfect couple.”

---

The day of Revan and Celine’s wedding arrived.

The grand hotel in the heart of City A glittered with luxury—music drifting softly, white flowers adorning every corner, flashes of cameras capturing smiles and laughter.

Aruna entered with Leonard beside her, wearing a blood-red gown adorned with pearls at her throat. All eyes turned.

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

“Isn’t that… Aruna?”

“Wait, wasn’t she Revan’s ex?”

“No way—she came with Leonard Arken?”

Aruna held her head high, walking gracefully beside Leonard.

At the front of the hall, Revan turned mid-conversation—his face froze.

Aruna smiled, sweet yet cutting.

“Congratulations, Revan,” she said softly when they finally stood face-to-face.

“Truly, I didn’t expect you to marry this soon.”

Revan swallowed hard. “Aruna… I—”

Before he could finish, Celine appeared, clutching his arm tightly.

“Oh! Aruna, it’s been ages,” she said sweetly, her tone laced with mockery. “So glad to see you’ve finally found someone who would take you in.”

Leonard’s lips curved into a small, sharp smile.

“Thank you, Mrs. Revan,” he said coolly. “But perhaps you haven’t heard—this woman beside me isn’t just anyone. She’s my wife—Mrs. Leonard Arken.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Guests exchanged looks; Celine’s smile faltered, and Revan’s face turned pale.

Aruna looked at them both, her gaze calm yet piercing.

“Don’t worry,” she said softly. “I didn’t come to revisit the past. I only wanted to say… may you be happy. If that’s even possible.”

The final words carried pain—but also undeniable strength.

Revan’s voice turned bitter. “So this is your revenge, Aruna? Showing up with a rich man so you can pretend you’ve won?”

Aruna stepped closer until only a breath separated them. Her smile was cool, her eyes like steel.

“No, Revan. This isn’t revenge.”

Then she leaned in, whispering just loud enough for him to hear—

> “It’s proof… that I can still stand, even after you tried to destroy me.”

Revan gave a shaky laugh, hiding behind arrogance. “You’re still so dramatic.”

Aruna stared at him—and then slap!

The sound of her hand striking his cheek echoed through the hall.

Gasps filled the air.

Aruna leaned closer, whispering,

> “Consider that my wedding gift to you.”

Then she turned, took Leonard’s hand, and walked out with her head high—leaving the room in complete silence.

Outside, Leonard glanced at her, his voice quiet. “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Aruna smiled faintly.

“No. But at least now they know… the woman they once threw away is gone. What remains is someone who will never lose again.”

“Excuse me! Is anyone home?”

The deep, hoarse voice echoed through the front yard of Leonard’s grand villa.

Drizzles of rain dampened the driveway, filling the air with cold and mist.

A middle-aged man stood before the tall iron gate. His clothes were plain, his face weary, and his eyes red from holding back tears.

It was Mr. Darman — Aruna’s father — the man who had spent months searching for his daughter who had vanished without a trace.

The security guard eyed him warily. “Who are you, sir?”

“I… I’m Aruna’s father,” he said shakily. “Please… tell her her father is here. I just want to see my daughter, to know she’s alright.”

The guards exchanged glances, then one nodded. “Wait here, sir. I’ll let them know.”

Mr. Darman nodded, clutching his hat tightly to his chest, his hands trembling.

> “Aruna… my child, I hope you really are happy like people say,” he whispered faintly.

Meanwhile, Leonard had just stepped out of his car with Aruna when one of the guards approached.

“Sir, sorry to interrupt. There’s a man at the gate who claims to be Madam’s father. He’s waiting outside.”

Aruna froze.

“Father?” her voice trembled.

Without another word, she ran toward the entrance, ignoring the rain that was now pouring harder.

“Aruna, wait!” Leonard called out, but she didn’t stop.

When the gate swung open, Mr. Darman looked up, eyes glistening with tears.

“Aruna… my child…”

“Oh God…” Aruna covered her mouth, tears spilling instantly.

“Father…?”

They ran toward each other and embraced tightly in the rain, their sobs breaking through the sound of thunder.

> “You disappeared without a word… I thought you— you were gone…”

“I’m sorry, Dad… I’m so sorry… I just needed time, I—”

But their brief joy was shattered by the sound of an engine stopping behind them.

A black car halted near the gate, its door slammed open— and out stepped Revan, his face twisted with rage.

“So it’s true,” he said coldly. “You’re living here. Living comfortably off another man’s money, huh, Aruna?”

Aruna spun around, fury burning in her eyes.

> “Revan! You have no right to be here!”

Revan sneered, glancing at the old man beside her.

“And who’s this? Oh… your father? I heard he was the one who kept you from working out of town before. No wonder his daughter ended up like this.”

Mr. Darman’s face hardened.

“Watch your mouth, son. You have no idea what my daughter has gone through.”

Revan let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Oh, I know. She’s always been good at pretending to be innocent. Look at her now—married to a rich man, parading her happiness. How ironic.”

> “Enough!” Aruna shouted, stepping forward, eyes blazing. “I won’t let you talk to me like that again!”

But Revan’s temper flared out of control.

He jabbed a finger at her face. “You think marrying Leonard erases your past? You’re nothing but—”

Mr. Darman interrupted, his voice firm. “Stop talking to my daughter that way!”

Revan turned to him, smirking. “And who are you to tell me what to do? An old man who couldn’t even protect his own daughter?”

Slap!

The sound cracked through the rain — Mr. Darman’s hand across Revan’s face.

But Revan struck back brutally, his fist landing hard against the old man’s jaw.

Mr. Darman fell to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his lips.

> “FATHER!!!”

Aruna’s scream pierced the air. She dropped to her knees beside him, cradling his face in her shaking hands as tears mixed with rain.

Leonard, who had just reached the steps, froze. His eyes darkened with fury. But before he could move, Aruna stood up.

Her expression was no longer that of a broken woman—

but of someone ready to fight back.

She strode toward Revan.

“Aruna, don’t—” Leonard called out, but it was too late.

Slap!

Her hand struck Revan’s cheek—hard. Then again, harder.

Revan’s head snapped to the side, his face stunned.

> “You already destroyed my life once,” Aruna shouted, voice cracking with emotion,

“and now you dare lay a hand on my family?!”

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Guards, maids, even Leonard—all stood frozen, watching her fury ignite.

Revan clenched his jaw. “Aruna, you don’t know what you’re doing—”

“No, you don’t know what you’re doing!” Aruna took a step closer, eyes blazing.

> “You took my trust, my love, and my child. And now you dare to insult my father? Not this time, Revan. Not ever again.”

Revan lowered his gaze, his face twisting between shame and anger.

Some passersby who had stopped near the villa began whispering; a few even raised their phones, recording.

Leonard stepped forward, standing firmly beside Aruna.

> “I think that’s enough, Revan,” he said flatly, his voice cold as steel.

“If you still have a shred of dignity left, leave—before I make you regret it.”

Revan glared at both of them, hatred flickering in his eyes.

“This isn’t over,” he hissed before storming into his car and driving away.

---

The rain kept falling. Aruna knelt beside her father again, holding him close.

Mr. Darman smiled faintly, brushing her wet cheek with a trembling hand.

> “You’re strong now, my daughter. I’m proud of you.”

Aruna grasped his hand tightly, her tears falling onto his.

“I’m sorry, Dad… I came back too late.”

Leonard approached, taking off his jacket to drape it over Mr. Darman’s shoulders.

He looked at Aruna quietly before saying softly,

> “You don’t need to cry for your past anymore, Aruna. It’s time to fight back—not hide.”

Aruna looked from Leonard to her father’s frail smile, her heart trembling—

not with pain this time, but with resolve.

She lifted her gaze toward the stormy sky, her voice quiet yet unwavering:

> “No more tears. This time, I’ll seal every wound… not with sorrow, but with my own strength.”