Nina lay in an ICU bed. Beneath the oxygen mask, every breath felt like knives cutting through her lungs.

She had barely crawled back from the brink of death. The doctors had said that if she had arrived two hours later, no one could have saved her.

But the moment she regained consciousness, she heard Aria's weak sobbing from the next room. "Julian… I'm so cold… Am I going to die?"

Julian's voice was low but firm. "You won't. Hang on. I'll get someone to transfuse blood for you right away."

"But… the blood bank is running low," the nurse said anxiously.

Julian's tone left no room for argument. "Nina and Aria have the same blood type. Take hers."

Nina's entire body froze.

In that moment, it felt as if her soul had been torn apart.

He had once taken a bullet for her. Now he was willing to drain her blood to save another woman.

The attending doctor immediately protested. "Mr. Blackwell! Dr. Avery just suffered massive blood loss. Her hemoglobin is only sixty. If we draw more blood, she could die!"

"She won't die." Julian's eyes were cold. "She's tough. Aria has lost too much blood. We can't wait."

The doctor's voice trembled. "This really isn't possible!"

"I said take her blood." Julian spoke each word slowly, carrying the unmistakable pressure of a mafia heir. "If something happens, I'll take responsibility."

When the needle pierced her vein, Nina didn't resist.

She simply stared at the ceiling, letting the warm blood flow drop by drop into the transfusion tube.

So in his eyes, her life was nothing more than a resource that could be measured and sacrificed.

The transfusion lasted forty minutes.

Nina's blood pressure suddenly plummeted, and the heart monitor shrieked with a sharp alarm.

The nurse screamed. "The patient is going into shock!"

Julian only glanced over coldly. "Stabilize her. How is Aria doing?"

"Miss Monroe is out of danger."

"Good." He turned and walked away without looking back.

As Nina drifted toward unconsciousness, she heard those words. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye into her hair.

It took an entire day and night before she woke again.

Her body felt as if it had been crushed and stitched back together. She was too weak to even lift a hand.

The hospital door opened. Aria walked in wearing a patient's gown, her complexion rosy and her smile bright.

"Nina, thank you for saving me." She sat beside the bed, her voice syrupy sweet. "Julian said your blood worked perfectly. I felt better almost immediately."

Nina closed her eyes and ignored her.

Aria leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Do you know what you are? Just a tool. I'm the rose he keeps in the palm of his hand."

Nina suddenly opened her eyes, her voice hoarse. "Get out."

"Oh, angry?" Aria sneered. "What do you think you are?"

Nina stared at her. "At least I didn't fake an illness to get sympathy."

Aria's expression changed. Suddenly she grabbed the glass from the bedside table and smashed it against her own forehead.

"Ah!" she screamed as she collapsed, blood instantly pouring down her face.

Julian rushed in at the sound. Seeing Aria covered in blood, he immediately picked her up. "Aria! Who did this?"

Aria pointed at Nina through tear-filled eyes. "She… she yelled at me… and hit me…"

"I didn't!" Nina protested urgently. "She did it to herself!"

Julian didn't even look at her. "Lock her up," he ordered the bodyguards. "No one sees her without my permission."

"Julian!" Nina screamed. "You believe her? Are you blind?"

Julian finally turned back, his eyes icy. "Nina, I've already shown you more mercy than you deserve. Don't force me to make you disappear."

He carried Aria away without hesitation.

Nina collapsed back onto the bed as silent tears slipped down her face.

This time, even anger was gone.

All that remained was a barren silence.

The next day, she checked herself out of the hospital.

As she stepped out of the hospital entrance, a black Maybach pulled up in front of her.

The window rolled down. It was the butler from the Blackwell family's estate.

"Ms. Avery, Mr. Blackwell would like you to come to the estate."

Nina felt a slight tremor run through her body. A bad feeling crept over her.

The car drove toward the century-old estate outside the city, the true center of Blackwell power.

The iron gates slowly opened, revealing rows of guards in black standing on both sides.

Edmund sat at the head seat, his expression grave.

Julian stood by the window, the gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses impossible to read.

Julian's voice was low. "Nina, why did the other side set up an ambush in advance during yesterday's negotiation? They even knew our retreat route perfectly."

Nina froze, the color draining from her face. "You… you're asking me?"

He stepped closer, his tone icy. "Who else could it be but you?"

The words struck Nina like lightning, pain tearing through her chest.

He actually suspected she was the traitor.

"I didn't!" Her voice trembled. "You know I've never leaked a single one of your secrets in ten years. How could I possibly betray you?"

"But Aria almost died!" Fury burned in Julian's eyes. "If she hadn't dodged in time, that bullet would have gone straight through her head."

His voice turned glacial. "I didn't expect you to be this vicious."

Vicious?

Aria almost died?

But the one who had nearly died in the shootout and almost lost her life in the ICU after having her blood drawn was her.

Aria leaned against the doorway, her arm wrapped in bandages, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Julian… don't blame Nina. Maybe she just made a foolish mistake."

"A foolish mistake?" One of the elders sneered. "Colluding with enemies and putting Julian in danger is a grave crime. According to family rules, she should be thrown into the sea."

Voices immediately echoed around the room. "Yes! Throw her into the sea!"

Nina looked around the room and suddenly laughed.

She had treated his wounds countless times, yet now she was about to be executed as a traitor.

"Julian." She looked straight into his eyes. "If I told you I was innocent, would you believe me?"

Julian remained silent for three seconds, then slowly removed his glasses. "Family rules allow no mercy. Take her away. Throw her into the sea."

Two bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed her.

All the strength seemed to drain from Nina at once. She didn't even struggle. She only asked softly, "Ten years ago you said, 'As long as I'm here, no one will dare touch you.' What about now?"

Julian's voice remained utterly calm. "That promise was for someone loyal. Not for a traitor."

She was dragged out of the estate and thrown onto a speedboat.

The sea was pitch-black under the midnight sky, waves rising under fierce winds.

The bodyguards tied her hands behind her back, shackled an iron chain to her ankles, and pushed her to the edge of the boat.

The next second, she was shoved into the sea.

Freezing seawater swallowed her whole as the iron chain dragged her rapidly downward.

Saltwater flooded Nina's lungs, her chest bursting with pain as her consciousness quickly faded.

So this was her ending—silent and unseen, buried in the belly of the sea.

Just as she was about to stop struggling, the roar of an engine thundered in the distance.

A black speedboat cut through the waves. A man stood on the deck in a silver-gray suit, dark hair slightly curled, a reckless smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Well, well. Isn't this Julian's doctor?" He raised his voice. "What happened? Your own boss toss you out here to feed the sharks?"

It was Damon Hale, heir to another major mafia family on the Eastridge Coast—and Julian's sworn enemy.

Nina had never had any personal grudge against him, but because of Julian she had never treated Damon kindly. Every time they met, the two of them clashed head-on.

Under normal circumstances, Nina would have snapped back immediately. But now she felt utterly hollow, and even Damon's mockery no longer meant anything to her.

The next moment, Damon plunged into the sea. He caught Nina's sinking body, unlocked the iron chain around her ankles, and hauled her back to the surface.

Nina spat out seawater and weakly opened her eyes to look at him. "Why… did you save me?"

Damon lifted her onto the boat and wrapped his coat around her. A crooked smile spread across his face. "Because you're valuable. And…"

He glanced toward the distant Blackwell speedboat. "I've been wanting to get under Julian's skin for a long time."

Back at the Hale estate, Nina burned with a relentless fever. Damon stayed by her bedside himself, feeding her medicine.

"Relax. You're under my protection now," he said with a faint chuckle. "If he doesn't want you, I do."

A few hours later, Nina lay in the hospital bed when her phone suddenly lit up.

It was a notification from the bank informing her that fifty million dollars had been deposited into her account from the Blackwell Trust. The note attached read that the contract had been terminated and the money was given as a gift of freedom.

She stared at the ceiling and suddenly laughed.

Damon pushed the door open, holding a cup of hot cocoa. "Awake? Stick with me from now on. I'll make sure you live well."

Nina took the cup and said softly, "Thank you."

"Don't hate Julian anymore?" Damon raised a brow.

She looked toward the dawn outside the window, her eyes calm as the deep sea. "Hate is exhausting. From now on, whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me."

Morning settled over the Blackwell estate. Julian sat at the head of the dining table. In front of him was his usual breakfast—a perfectly fried soft-centered egg, two slices of whole-wheat toast, and a cup of steaming black coffee.

It had been his standard breakfast for the past ten years.

But today, he stared at the coffee with a faint frown.

It was too hot.

In the past, Nina would always cool the coffee to the exact temperature he liked before quietly sliding the cup to his side.

"Aria," Julian said softly, "let the coffee cool a bit."

Aria froze for a moment, then stood with a bright smile. "Sure. I'll cool it down for you."

She picked up the cup and blew on it gently, her lips pursed in a playful, almost childlike gesture.

Julian watched her, yet for no reason at all he found himself remembering the way Nina used to lower her head and focus intently on her work.

He abruptly shook his head, forcing the inappropriate thought away.

He had simply grown used to her taking care of things.

She was just a doctor. If she died, she died.

"No need." His tone turned faintly distant as he pushed Aria's hand away. "I'll do it myself."

Aria's smile stiffened for a split second. A trace of darkness flickered in her eyes before the sweetness returned. "Julian, have you been working too hard lately? Want me to go to the beach with you to relax? You promised to take me to Gutrein to watch the sunset."

"Mm." Julian answered absentmindedly, his gaze drifting toward the corner of the dining room.

A high-backed chair used to stand there. It had been Nina's seat. Now the chair was gone, leaving nothing but empty space.

She used to sit there, flipping through medical journals while eating breakfast, occasionally glancing up at him.

"Julian?" Aria waved a hand in front of his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Julian came back to himself and forced his fingers around Aria's hand, softening his voice. "Come with me to try on formal wear tonight. I should get a suit tailored for the engagement banquet."

Aria's eyes lit up instantly as she leaned into him. "Really? You're finally putting effort into our wedding!"

Julian didn't answer. He only squeezed her hand lightly.

That afternoon, the Blackwell family's quarterly meeting was held in the underground vault chamber.

Twelve elders sat around a long table discussing the transfer of an Uthington arms route. Normally Julian spoke first, his reasoning precise and his decisions ruthless.

But today he remained silent the entire time.

When one elder asked about the security breach at the port, Julian paused for several seconds before finally answering. "Increase patrols."

Another elder lowered his voice. "Julian, you seem distracted today."

Julian absently rubbed the center of his left palm. The fresh wound there tingled faintly.

The last time he had taken a bullet in the back during a shootout, Nina had stayed beside his hospital bed for three straight days, personally changing his dressings.

She had always said, "Keep the wound dry. Don't let it touch water."

Now it seemed no one had reminded him of that in a very long time.

"Julian!" an elder snapped sharply. "You're drifting off. That's not like you."

The cold clarity returned to Julian's eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses. "My apologies. I was thinking about something else. Please continue."

He reminded himself that he had personally ordered Nina to be thrown into the sea.

She was only a traitor. If she died, so be it.

When the meeting ended, Julian walked alone to the underground shooting range. He needed an outlet.

But the moment he picked up the gun, he remembered Nina standing behind him once, one hand steadying his wrist, the other pressing lightly against the old scar on his shoulder blade. "Don't rush. Keep your breathing steady. Your shoulder was injured before. The recoil could tear the scar open."

It seemed Nina had left traces of herself everywhere, making it impossible to forget her.

Irritated, he threw the gun down and walked away.

That night, Aria prepared an elaborate candlelight dinner.

A diamond necklace Julian had given her rested against her neck. She smiled brightly. "Julian, do I look beautiful tonight?"

Julian nodded, but when she leaned closer, he instinctively shifted his body aside.

"Julian, what's wrong?" Aria noticed the distance immediately, her eyes reddening. "Are you still thinking about that woman? She betrayed you. Why are you still thinking about her?"

"I'm not." Julian frowned, though his voice lacked conviction.

"Then prove it to me!" Aria threw herself into his arms, lifting her face to kiss him as her fingers hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt. "Tonight… don't go to the study. Stay with me."

Julian's body stiffened for a moment, but in the end he closed his eyes and let her continue.