Every sentence cut deep, and the pain sank straight into Vanessa's chest.

Her body shook uncontrollably, and she bit down hard on her lower lip until blood seeped out and left a bitter, metallic taste on her tongue.

In that moment, Vanessa understood she had already lost. The defeat had been sealed the instant she stepped into this office.

After remaining frozen for what felt like forever, she finally turned to face Shawn, and the color had completely drained from her face.

"Okay." The word slipped out of her mouth, dry and hollow, followed by a breath heavy with despair. "I agree."

As darkness settled over the city, a black Bentley came to a stop in front of a villa by the river.

Without giving Vanessa time to resist, Shawn pulled her inside, and the lights came on one by one.

Beneath an extravagant crystal chandelier, a spotless white grand piano stood beside the wide window, and beyond it, the river shimmered quietly in the night.

Vanessa's eyes locked onto the piano. She was unable to look away.

Back when they were still together, she had once laughed and said to the struggling Shawn, "When we finally have a home, we need a white piano and a balcony where we can watch the stars."

At the time, he had said nothing, and she believed he hadn't taken her words to heart, yet the piano now stood before her, undeniable and painfully real.

A sharp, suffocating ache spread through Vanessa's chest and refused to ease.

Catching the way her attention drifted, Shawn followed her line of sight and released a short, cold scoff. "What is that look for? Do you think this was meant for you?"

Moving closer, he reached out and struck several piano keys at random, and the clashing notes shattered the quiet.

"Do not overestimate yourself. Everything in this place exists only to remind me of how stupid and laughable I used to be," Shawn said.

The cold ridicule in his eyes shattered the fragile illusion she had built, and it dragged her back into the merciless truth. Once again, she had forgotten that this was not about love returning, but about revenge being fulfilled.

Later that night, Vanessa had barely stepped out of the bathroom when powerful arms wrapped around her and hurled her onto the soft mattress.

On top of her, Shawn filled her vision, and his presence carried a brutal sense of dominance.

There were no kisses and no tenderness. What followed was nothing but punishment.

Every movement felt deliberate, as though he intended to carve five years of buried hatred into her body and leave nothing untouched.

Pain tightened Vanessa's jaw as she clamped her teeth down and forced herself to stay silent.

Tears slipped free without a sound and dampened the pillow beneath her cheek.

Taking in Vanessa's tear-stained face, Shawn let out a harsh, mocking remark. "We have been through this before, so why pretend to resist now? Or are you holding yourself back for someone else?"

Rather than answer Shawn, Vanessa turned her head away and bit her lip again, but before she could escape, his hand seized her chin and dragged her back, and an angry kiss crashed onto her mouth.

"Whoever it is, end it completely," Shawn said with cold finality. "I will not accept a woman who betrays me."

Morning arrived with a dull ache spreading through Vanessa's body, and her thoughts felt slow and heavy.

Beside her, the other side of the bed had already gone cold.

Fully dressed and flawless, Shawn stood near the bed while adjusting his tie, and nothing about him hinted at the brutality of the night before.

A glance fell on her, and his eyes held the same indifference one might give an object.

"Last night was acceptable." His thin lips moved, delivering words that cut deeper than anything else. "I will name your price. Two hundred thousand per night. It will be deducted from the cost of your parents' case."

Those words shattered Vanessa's heart, and the ache in her chest made every breath feel heavy and strained.

Without sparing her another glance, Shawn reached for his suit jacket and turned away. "Clean yourself up. I do not want you looking this lifeless when I return."

A loud slam echoed as the door closed, and Vanessa remained in a daze for a while before she finally forced herself out of bed.

Barely a second later, her legs buckled, and she almost crumpled to the floor.

Bruises marked her body, and after she managed to wash up and steady herself, faint sounds drifted up from downstairs.

Inside the living room, the butler was instructing the staff to carry in neat rows of brand-new clothes, handbags, and shoes. Every item was placed carefully inside the walk-in closet, all chosen in her size.

With a respectful bow, the butler said, "Miss Owen, Mr. Madison prepared all of this for you."

Had this happened a day earlier, Vanessa might have read too much into it, but after remembering Shawn's warning from the night before, she felt only bitter irony while staring at the luxurious display.

He had crushed her dignity without mercy, and then he tried to confine her with lavish possessions. Thinking of that, Vanessa lowered her gaze and replied in a calm, detached voice, "Please thank him on my behalf."

A sudden notification sounded from her phone.

The screen showed a message sent from a college reunion group chat.

At the sight of it, Vanessa felt her fingers begin to shake.

Those years in college had held both her proudest memories and her deepest humiliation, all of them tangled with Shawn.

Holding the phone firmly, she typed a quiet "yes" and confirmed her attendance at the reunion.

After the Owen family collapsed into bankruptcy, Vanessa had been disqualified from a design competition she was supposed to enter, and with that, she lost the chance to earn prize money that could have eased the company's burden.

Because of that setback, she placed her remaining hope on the reunion and thought it might offer an opportunity to attract investment.

"Mr. Madison left his phone behind," the butler said politely. "Would you mind bringing it to him, Miss Owen?"

"Alright." After taking the phone from the butler, Vanessa stepped outside and flagged down a taxi, heading straight for the law firm.

At Aegis Law Firm, Shawn had just walked into his office when Bruce Ford, his longtime friend and business partner, lounged against the desk and looked him over with obvious amusement.

"Interesting," Bruce said with a grin. "You look unusually satisfied today. What happened? You spent five years talking about revenge, yet the second she showed up, you took her straight home?"

Any trace of warmth vanished from Shawn's expression, and a sharp chill settled over his features.

"You have no idea what is really going on," he replied flatly. "This is only the start of my revenge."

With a sharp pull, Shawn loosened his tie, and a dangerous glint surfaced in his eyes. "I will force her to understand her position in front of everyone, just like she once shamed me in front of everyone."

A scornful laugh escaped Shawn, as though the idea itself offended him. "Do I look like someone she can toy with whenever she feels like it? The moment she embarrassed me in front of all those people, whatever love I had disappeared. What remains now is nothing but hatred."

Left slightly open, the door allowed sound to slip through.

Outside, Vanessa stood frozen, and a cold shiver crept through her body. Even though she had always known the truth, the pain still pierced straight through her chest.

At last, she understood that everything Shawn had done was meant as revenge.

And she finally accepted that his love for her had vanished long ago.

That fragile, foolish hope buried deep inside her flickered out completely.

The phone slipped from her grasp and struck the floor, and she hurriedly bent down to retrieve it.

Staying here became unbearable, so Vanessa placed the phone on the front desk and turned away, stumbling forward with no clear direction.

Brilliant sunlight flooded her vision outside, yet despite the warmth, she felt cold to her very core.

Over the years, Vanessa had known that aside from herself, Shawn was the only one who had never shown up at any class reunion.

Because of that, she assumed he would skip this one as well, yet his name appeared clearly on the attendee list for that event.

For a brief moment, Vanessa fixed her gaze on his name before swiping the screen away, forcing herself not to dwell on the thought that he might be attending because of her.

In a blink, three days slipped past.

To Vanessa, however, each of those days had felt slow and agonizing.

When the day of the reunion finally arrived, she found herself awake far earlier than usual.

Stepping into the walk-in closet, she selected a burgundy silk slip dress from the array of extravagant clothing Shawn had arranged for her.

With every step she took, the high slit of the skirt revealed a glimpse of her long, slender legs.

Carefully applied makeup framed her face, and bold red lipstick stood out against her skin while soft curls flowed down her shoulders.

Staring into the mirror, Vanessa took in her reflection, striking and captivating, looking no different from the woman she had been years before.

With her decision already made, Vanessa chose to meet the coming humiliation with as much pride as she could muster.

Descending the stairs, Shawn caught sight of her and stopped.

For the briefest instant, something close to surprise and admiration crossed his sharp gaze, but it vanished just as quickly and left behind a cold edge.

Slow and deliberate, he moved closer, his eyes traveling over her as he assessed her from above.

That stare felt invasive, as though he intended to strip away every layer and expose what lay beneath.

When he finally spoke, his voice carried an unmistakable chill. "Who exactly are you trying to seduce by dressing like that?"

Those words shattered what little resolve Vanessa still held.

Her hands curled into fists, and her nails pressed painfully into her skin.

"I…" She struggled to form a response.

"Change it," Shawn said harshly, his tone making refusal impossible.

Turning away, he reached into the walk-in closet, grabbed a long-sleeved black dress at random, and threw it toward her. "Do not embarrass me."

Even though the fabric concealed most of her skin, the dress could still highlight Vanessa's refined grace in a quiet, deliberate way.

Vanessa did not argue or hesitate.

Without a word, she slipped into the black dress and adjusted it carefully. What stared back at her in the mirror felt composed and restrained, far removed from the striking beauty she had seen only minutes earlier.

"Go there ahead of me. I have a meeting to attend, and I will meet you there later." Shawn studied Vanessa briefly, satisfied this time.

As night settled over the city, the car rolled to a halt beneath the glowing entrance of the Scepter Club.

Keeping her expression blank, Vanessa made her way toward a private room on the third floor.

Because the door was not fully closed, voices and laughter spilled into the hallway before she reached it.

"Have you heard? Vanessa and Shawn are both showing up tonight!" someone shouted.

Another voice answered with disbelief, "Seriously? They have not appeared in five years!"

A man spoke louder than the rest, unable to hide his excitement. "Do you remember the graduation party? Shawn humbled himself completely, and Vanessa would not even spare him a glance!"

"That is true. Back then, Vanessa was glorious in those days. Shawn could barely stand beside her without feeling overshadowed. But now everything has changed. The Owen family collapsed, and Shawn rose to become the city's most renowned lawyer at such a young age."

"Looks like fate has flipped everything around, so tonight should be entertaining for us!"

The laughter bursting from the room struck Vanessa like something sharp and unpleasant.

At once, her body went rigid.

Without warning, the past forced its way back into her thoughts.

The setting had been the same place.

That night marked their graduation party, and everyone had been drunk while loudly pushing Shawn to propose to her.

At that time, even in his youth, Shawn had already stood out for his talent and promise.

After hesitating, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, and his hands trembled because he was painfully nervous.

Rather than a diamond ring, the box held a brooch shaped with seashells and silver wire, which he had crafted himself after countless sleepless nights.

One glance was all Vanessa needed before she struck the box from his hands.

A dull thud echoed as it hit the floor, and the brooch slipped free before rolling across the floor.

"Shawn, do you seriously think something like this is acceptable for me?" she said coldly, and her sarcasm cut through the room until every other sound faded away.

A heavy hush spread through the room as everyone stared, stunned by what they were witnessing.

All the color drained from Shawn's face within seconds.

With a cruel curl of her lips, Vanessa spoke, and her words cut deep. "I was only playing along with you. I would never marry someone poor like you. Do you honestly believe you are some rare prize? You are just a failure trying to rise by clinging to the Owen family. I am sick of this. Do you hear me?"

His body rocked slightly as Shawn looked at her, confusion and pain filling his eyes. "Vanessa, please…"

"Do not say my name anymore! I am finished with you. I have been exhausted by this for a long time. I was already planning to end everything in a few days, so this changes nothing. Whether it happened sooner or later never mattered to me."

In that instant, everything seemed to stop moving.

Most people expected Shawn to lose control and walk away.

However, he remained where he was.

Before anyone could recover from their shock, the young man who was known for his distance and pride reached out and held Vanessa's hand, and he begged her in a voice stripped of dignity not to leave him.

Without hesitation, Vanessa pulled away and turned her back on him. "Go away. Are you incapable of understanding? I do not love you. I am exhausted by you. Do you get it now?"

By the end of that night, he had become the most humiliating spectacle the entire school would remember.

Reality pulled Vanessa back in without warning.

A deep, biting cold spread through her body, and her hands began to shake.

So much grief pressed against her chest that breathing felt difficult.

Only after her fingers brushed against the brooch tucked inside her purse did her emotions slowly steady. That small piece of jewelry was the same one Shawn had given her years ago.

What no one ever discovered was that after she left that night, Vanessa had returned to the club and searched through every trash bin until she found it.

After drawing in a long breath, she fixed a flawless smile on her face and eased the private room door open.

The lively chatter inside stopped at once, leaving behind a suffocating stillness.

Every person in the room turned toward the entrance at the same time.

Under the lights stood a woman dressed in a modest black gown. Her hair was pulled into a neat ponytail, and light makeup failed to hide the pallor of her face.

Even with signs of weariness clinging to her, she still carried a reserved elegance that placed her beyond reach.

Standing there was Vanessa, the very woman they had been whispering about moments earlier.

None of them had believed Vanessa would actually appear. Even when the Owen family was at its height, she had skipped every class reunion. With the family's downfall, her presence had seemed impossible.

What surprised them even more was the way she chose to appear.

A heavy stillness settled over the room.

That humiliating scene from their graduation party had never really faded from memory.

Because of that, what was unfolding now felt unsettling and strange.

Breaking the silence at last, the former class representative stepped forward. He had once been the most admired among them, and with a wine glass in hand and a practiced smile, he spoke carefully. "It has been years, Vanessa. We didn't expect you would come."

Every ear in the room strained to catch her response.

Without revealing the slightest feeling, Vanessa answered calmly, "It has been a long time since I saw everyone, so I thought I would come by and greet a few familiar faces."

At that, a mocking laugh cut through the quiet. "You did not come just to greet people. You must be here to ask for help, right?"

Her face tightened as Vanessa turned toward the speaker. The one who had spoken was Tyler Reynolds.

He had confessed his feelings to Vanessa on the very first day of university, and even after she rejected him, he continued to bother her throughout all four years of college.

Once Vanessa began a relationship with Shawn, Tyler's feelings twisted into resentment, and he started spreading indecent rumors about her. After Shawn stepped in and put him in his place, Tyler finally learned to keep quiet.

Only now, with her family's downfall, did he dare to provoke her again.

His comment plunged the room into an uncomfortable stillness.

Seeing the mood sour, the class representative forced a smile and tried to smooth things over. "Let us not make this awkward. We are all old friends here. Besides, Vanessa has always been capable. It is not as if she needs to come to us for funding."

"Actually, I am here to seek investment," Vanessa said calmly, unruffled.

Another silence swept through the room.

Glances passed quietly between the group, and soon, everyone chose to steer away from the subject.

The people gathered there were sharp and calculating. While they recognized Vanessa's talent in design, they also understood that business success demanded far more than creative skill alone.

In their eyes, the former Owen family heiress was no longer someone to admire from afar or feel intimidated by. Instead, she had fallen far enough to stand before them and ask for support.

At the same time, the person truly worth pleasing had not yet arrived, and that person was Shawn.

With a wine glass in hand, Tyler made his way toward Vanessa. Back then, his family status had never measured up to hers, and she had barely spared him a glance. Now, triumph flashed openly across his face as he studied her.

"Miss Vanessa Owen," he said, "you used to stand so high above everyone else, yet here you are, crawling around for investors, now that your company collapsed."

On the surface, Vanessa appeared calm, yet her hand curled into a fist so tightly that her nails pressed painfully into her skin.

After graduating, she had poured everything she had into building Victrix from the ground up. The company had been modest in size, but it once earned a respectable name in the industry.

When the Owen family fell, partners withdrew their funding and canceled contracts one after another. Even steep breach penalties did not stop them from severing every connection.

There was a time when clients lined up outside her office. Now, she struggled to cover even the next month's rent.

Still, Vanessa maintained a courteous smile as she replied, "Actually, Mr. Reynolds, the company has not shut down."

"Is that so?" Elora Stewart, who once followed Vanessa everywhere, laughed with open disdain while clinging to the arm of a potbellied middle-aged man beside her. "My husband bought the building next door just last week. And I heard you are already three months behind on your property management fees. Who do you think you are fooling? Your good times are long gone, Vanessa."

A crushing wave of shame washed over Vanessa.

Humiliation settled deep in her chest, leaving her feeling exposed and small.

In the past, she would not have even bothered to remember people like them.

Now, however, she had fallen to the point of being nothing more than entertainment in their eyes.

Taking her silence as weakness, Tyler became even more emboldened. Swirling the wine in his glass, he said, "That little company of yours is bound to collapse sooner or later. Your designs might impress amateurs, but they are barely worth looking at for us."

Someone else quickly joined in, saying, "That is right. Just look at Shawn. He is the real success story. Vanessa, what were you even thinking back then?"

Their voices overlapped as they showered Shawn with praise while tearing her down without restraint.

All of a sudden, a calculating look crossed Elora's face as a new idea formed in her mind.

With a subtle gesture, she called over a server, and a tray soon arrived holding ten neatly arranged glasses filled with amber liquor.

Wearing a cruel smile, Elora said, "Vanessa, think of this as goodwill from your former classmates." She motioned toward the glasses and continued, "If you manage to drink every one of these, I will convince my husband to invest one million dollars in your company. Does that sound fair?"

That sum alone had the power to drag Vanessa's business back from the edge of collapse.

Even so, everyone understood that the offer was blatant humiliation.

Anticipation hung thick in the air as every person in the private room waited to see how she would respond.

Fixing her gaze on the liquor, Vanessa felt nausea twist in her stomach.

She shut her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, her emotions had dulled into quiet acceptance.

In that instant, she recalled that she had once valued her pride deeply but had surrendered it the day she knelt before Shawn.

Drawing in a steady breath, Vanessa seemed to steel herself for what came next.

Slowly, she extended her hand, although her fingers shook. She was just about to grasp the first chilled glass when a thunderous crash echoed through the room. The private room door flew open with force, and the sudden noise made everyone jolt in alarm.

Standing in the doorway was Shawn, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and the veins on his hands stood out sharply. Behind his glasses, fury and a dark edge of hostility swirled in his eyes, emotions he had not yet noticed himself.

Every word spoken inside had reached him while he waited outside.

With deliberate weight in each step, Shawn strode into the room, his presence pressing heavily against the tense silence.