Adaline nodded, enduring the pain.

Mr. Singleton glanced at the time. "It's getting late. Let's take care of business first."

Elois's eyes lit up, but she put on a hurt expression. "Carter, would this ruin your marriage? Maybe we shouldn't..."

Carter's voice softened slightly. "Don't worry. It should have been you all along."

Adaline's head snapped toward him. Should have been you? What did that mean? The Singleton and Holder families had no marriage agreement. It had been her, Adaline, chasing Carter for ten years. She had given up hope--and then he suddenly agreed to marry her.

She had just escaped her biological parents and was barely surviving with the Singleton family. She had been overjoyed, thinking Carter had finally seen her worth. Then she was framed for climbing into his bed, and he reneged on his promise. Old Mr. Holder had forced him to go through with it. They had signed the marriage certificate in secret--no wedding, no announcement. She was like a shameless stray dog. He grew to hate her more each day. That brief warmth had come out of nowhere and vanished just as fast.

Elois said shyly, "Carter, I don't mind." He reassured her with a few words, then gathered the documents and took Adaline away.

Mr. Singleton took his daughter's hand. "Elois, the future of this family rests on you. Don't mess it up."

Compared to the unloved Adaline, Elois--whom Carter clearly favored--was the better choice. Mr. Singleton preferred her too.

The car headed toward the city clerk's office. Adaline stared blankly out the window at the passing scenery--familiar and strange. After four years locked away, the outside world had changed completely. She didn't even have a phone. The Singleton family had taken all her documents and belongings.

She caught a whiff of smoke. Turning, she saw him light a cigarette and instinctively shrank back. She remembered he hadn't smoked before.

"Bother you?"

She shook her head quickly. Who was she to complain?

But her body betrayed her. Her throat itched, and she began to cough. Once she started, she couldn't stop--as if she would cough out a lung.

Carter's face darkened.

"Stop the car."

The car pulled over.

"Get out."

The driver followed orders, yanked her out, and left her on the roadside.

"Walk. If you're late, you know what happens."

The car sped away.She bent over, coughing violently, and a stream of warm liquid shot from her mouth.

She looked down at her hand--covered in blood. Last winter, she had been left outside all night in the cold. She'd developed a high fever that never fully healed. Her lungs were damaged. She couldn't handle smoke.

Slowly, she straightened up and limped forward. The sun was setting.

Outside the city clerk's office. Carter's shadow stretched long. The setting sun cast a warm glow over his handsome face, but it couldn't melt the ice in his eyes. He turned and walked away.

He didn't know that a hundred meters behind him, someone shouted, "Someone help! A woman collapsed!"

Adaline had fallen--a hundred meters away from him.

As the Cullinan rolled past the crowd, Carter glanced out the window. His phone rang. His expression softened as he answered, and at that exact moment, the crowd lifted Adaline up and carried past his window. An ambulance siren wailed. She was rushed to the hospital.

When she woke up, it was the next day. She saw Doctor serious, grave expression and felt dread crawl up her spine.

"Contact your family and have them come to the hospital as soon as possible. Your condition is critical."

"Doctor... what's wrong with me?"

"You have lung cancer. The cancer cells have spread."

Lung cancer.

The two words hit her like thunder, shattering her sanity. She tried to smile, but tears poured down her face. She had thought that leaving the rehabilitation center meant she could start over. But fate was playing a cruel joke.

"Doctor... how long... do I have?"

"With proper treatment, you might live longer. But the treatment is expensive." She was silent. Her hands slowly clenched.

"Worst... case?"

"Two months."

The doctor's face was sympathetic, but he pressed on. "With good results, there could be a miracle. You should discuss this with your family."

Her expression went blank. "I... have no family." Her biological parents wanted to sell her. Her adoptive parents despised her. She had no one.

She couldn't afford the hospital bill or even the medication. She owed the hospital money--she would pay it back someday. Her phone and ID were with Carter. And her mind, dulled by years of electric shocks, couldn't remember the way back. Her bad leg throbbed with pain. She could barely walk. She couldn't go back, and no one would lend a phone to a beggar.

She ended up on the streets, sleeping under a bridge, surviving on garbage. She kept telling herself that Carter would come looking for her to finalize the divorce. But she didn't know that everyone thought she had run away to avoid signing the papers.

"Nothing?"

"No, sir. We've searched everywhere--the Brandt house, the Singleton house. No sign of Miss Brandt."

Carter frowned deeply, his eyes flashing with understanding--and disgust. Of course. Adaline would never cooperate with a divorce. She had chased him for ten years, refused to leave, even impersonated Elois and climbed into his bed to marry him. Why would she want a divorce? Her obedient act on the way here had just been to lower his guard so she could run and hide.

He let out a cold laugh. "Start with her friends. Without her documents, she can't go far."

But three full days passed, and they found nothing. Carter grew impatient. He thought of one person and called her. Genevieve Thorne, Adaline's former best friend.

She screamed into the phone, "Carter Holder! Are you even human? You sent Adaline to that place for four years! You're an animal! A bastard! Don't call me!"

"She's with you. Have her come out."

"Are you insane? You think I'm hiding her? Wait--what do you mean? Adaline is missing?"

"Genevieve, don't play dumb."

"Play dumb, my ass! Carter, I've held back for years. You were the one who agreed to marry her, then you backed out. You're worse than a--"

"The Thorne family business deal is canceled."

She went silent. After a moment, her voice softened. "She's not with me. I swear."

He hung up, his face dark. Not with the Brandt family, not with the Sutter family, not with Genevieve. No one in their circle would dare take her in. She had gotten better at enduring. Better at hiding.

He gave the order: "Contact Tranquil Meadows. Once we find her, send her back."

If she wasn't reformed yet, they would keep reforming her.

This was Adaline's fourth day on the streets. She was covered in filth, reeking of garbage, chased away everywhere she went. She had waited and waited, but Carter never came for her.

She coughed constantly, day and night. The other homeless people stayed away, afraid she was contagious. She coughed up mouthful after mouthful of thick, dark blood. Each breath burned. Every step felt like walking on cotton.

She struggled down the street, asking everyone she saw to borrow a phone. No one would lend one. She couldn't walk anymore. She collapsed. A kind-hearted college student, Paige Foster, helped her up.

"Are you okay? Should I take you to a hospital?"

"Can... I borrow... your phone?"

"A phone? Here."

Her trembling hands took it. She dialed the number burned into her bones.

Ring. Ring.

"Who is this?" That cold voice.

Her eyes slowly reddened. Her voice was rough and hoarse. "Carter... it's me."

"Adaline, you need to--"

"No, that's not... cough, cough, cough--"

She started coughing again, and a huge gush of blood sprayed out. The student next to her gasped.

"Oh my God, are you okay? You're coughing up blood!"

She felt her body growing cold. A fierce will to live made her beg. "I'm... sick. Really sick. Can you... lend me some money? Just... three thousand dollars? Please? I'm in so much pain..."

Every organ, every inch of her body ached--a deep, bone-crushing pain.

But on the other end of the line came a laugh--cold and cruel. "Adaline, using that trick again? Why don't you just die?" Each word was a knife.

In a daze, she looked up and saw a giant screen playing a news headline: [Holder Group CEO Spends 30 Billion on a Private Estate to Make His Beloved Smile]

And in her ear, Carter's merciless voice: "You'd better pray I don't find you. Because if I do, you'll spend the rest of your life in Westcliff."

The line went dead. And so did the last flicker of hope inside her.

After Carter hung up, he immediately ordered a trace on the IP address to find her.

"Carter, what's wrong? Who was that?"

"Business." He didn't tell her the truth.

Elois's health was fragile. No need to worry her.

"Carter, I love this estate so much! Thank you!"

"I'm glad you like it." An estate meant nothing to him.Years ago, he had been hunted, gravely wounded, at death's door. If Elois hadn't saved him, he would have died. He owed her his life. Then Adaline had stolen the token he left for Elois and pretended to be his savior, blackmailing him into marriage. He had thought she was just spoiled and willful. But this proved she was vicious and unforgivable.

Elois asked tentatively, "Carter... have you gotten the token back yet?"

He came back to himself. "She hasn't returned it to you?"

Elois looked troubled, then said softly, "No, not yet. Sister just got out. I feel bad asking. I don't want to upset her. I was going to wait until she's adjusted to life outside. After all, it's the keepsake you left for me."

She looked down shyly, the picture of maidenly modesty.

Carter said quietly, "You're too kind."

She had stolen the token and impersonated Elois, and yet Elois was still considerate of her feelings.

Elois started to lean toward him. "Carter, I--"

His phone vibrated.

He answered immediately.

The voice on the other end reported: "Boss, we've found Miss Brandt."