Samuel straightened up and looked at the bodyguard behind him. "Do it. Ensure Mrs. Willis is out of danger within ten minutes."

"Yes, sir." The bodyguard immediately picked up the phone to make a call.

Ten minutes later, the antidote serum was delivered to the hospital and injected into my mother. The doctor told me that she was saved.

I felt relieved. My mother was going to be fine...

Samuel walked up to me, and his shadow enveloped me entirely. His emotionless, deep voice was chilling. "Elisa Willis, chief engineer of the Rossi Group. I appreciate your talent. From now on, you are mine."

I implored him. "Mr. Walker, I will fulfill my promise. Please give me a little time. I have some things to deal with."

He stared at me for a few seconds, and his penetrating gaze hinted at danger. "I'll give you one week. Don't even consider fleeing."

I said, "I won't."

At that moment, I had only one thought in my mind—cut ties with Timothy.

Samuel and his bodyguard left.

My phone pinged with a notification from Instagram—Jennifer had posted an update.

In the photo, she was wearing a pink bikini and leaning against Timothy. The caption read, "Thank you for your company. I'm feeling much better."

A piercing pain shot through my heart.

I didn't know how I made my way back home.

Timothy and I had lived in that apartment for five years, and it was filled with traces of our past happiness.

The wedding photo on the living room wall showed us smiling with pure joy. But it was like a cruel joke played by fate at that moment.

I took the wedding photo down and hurled it to the floor. Glass shards flew in all directions.

I stepped on the shards and shredded the photo into bits before flushing them down the toilet.

Then, I looked at the ring around my finger.

The memory of our wedding day flashed before me. Timothy, backlit, got down on one knee and put the ring around my finger. He said, "Elisa, you're my angel. With you, I have the whole world."

What a joke!

I glanced at the new Instagram post. It was Timothy's update this time. The photo showed him and Jennifer kissing on a beach with the ocean behind them. The caption read, "With you, I am in paradise anywhere."

My bitter laughter echoed in the bathroom.

Timothy had thrown away his entire world.

He had lied to me.

I yanked off the ring. Its edges cut my finger, and blood dripped onto the bathroom tile. But I felt no pain.

I hurled the ring into the toilet and then watched it swirl away with the water alongside the wedding photo bits.

We had dated for seven years and been married for five years. But our relationship was erased in mere moments.

In that moment, all my regret, sadness, and anger vanished. I only felt relieved and free.

Timothy's betrayal made him too tainted. I didn't want him anymore.

I took out my phone and messaged my lawyer. "Mr. Kim Norris, kindly expedite a divorce agreement for me. I want to divorce Timothy Rossi."

After sending the message, I opened the closet and began packing my clothes into a suitcase.

While I was busy, my phone suddenly rang. It was Timothy calling.

I pressed decline.

A few seconds later, a message from Timothy popped up. His words seethed with barely suppressed anger. "Elisa, what the hell are you doing? Kim just called me and told me that you want a divorce. Are you crazy?"

I glanced at Timothy's message and let out a cold laugh. My fingers tapped rapidly on the screen. "My mother narrowly escaped a deadly snake bite while you were enjoying a happy vacation in Arngueuil Isles with Jennifer. She shattered the only antidote serum, and you still defended her. Now you ask me why I want a divorce? You'd better ask yourself what you have done to me and to my mother.

After I sent the message, Timothy's call quickly came through again.

I directly blocked his number this time.

I then blocked Jennifer and every member of the Rossi family.

I dragged my suitcase and disappeared after removing all traces.

For the next few days, I mostly stayed at the hospital.

Though I disliked that place, I felt at ease staying with my mother.

The only visitors were the kind neighbors, my mother's friends from church, and me.

Timothy didn't show up.

I arranged for my mother to be transferred to another hospital and told her that I was getting a divorce.

My mother held my hand and gazed at me gently. "You seem calm."

Of course, I was calm. While Timothy was kissing Jennifer at sea, my mother was screaming in pain. My love for him died back then.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was from an unfamiliar number. I hesitated before answering.

"Elisa, thank God. You finally answer my call." Timothy's voice came through with a hint of forced urgency. "Where are you? Why did you block me? I've called you so many times but couldn't get through."

I leaned against the wall and said coldly, "I'm at the hospital and taking care of my mother."

Timothy's voice suddenly rose. "Your mother's hospitalized? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I told you when she needed the serum to save her life."

He was silent for a few seconds and then said in a softened tone, "You hung up, and I thought you were just upset…"

"Enough! Stop acting, Timothy." I felt nauseated and continued, "You're still in Arngueuil Isles, aren't you?"

He didn't respond, and I just heard the faint sound of waves.

"Answer me!" My voice became serious.

After a long while, Timothy stammered, "I… I haven't finished my itinerary. It is a good place to relax here…"

Before he could finish, Jennifer's coquettish laughter suddenly came through the phone. I heard her clearly as she said, "Timothy, stop talking to her so much. Aren't we going snorkeling?"

"Timothy, is she there with you?"

"Eliza, don't be so sarcastic." Timothy instantly became impatient. "Jennifer already feels guilty. She didn't want to get your mother hurt. Can't you be more understanding?"

I sneered, "Was she feeling guilty while kissing you on the yacht or while posing in a bikini for Instagram?"

Timothy was momentarily lost for words. Then he changed his tone and said, "Jennifer said she'd cover all of your mother's medical expenses. So you'd better not ask for too much."

I looked at my mother sleeping soundly on the hospital bed and suddenly asked, "Timothy, did you ever love me?"

Timothy paused before saying in a hesitant voice, "Of course. You're my wife. How can I not love you?"

"But you were vacationing, taking photos, and flaunting your happiness on social media while my mom was in critical condition." I laughed with self-mockery and said, "Timothy, let's have a divorce. Don't call me again."

Without waiting for his response, I hung up and blocked this number as well.

A few days ago, I hired a detective to investigate what happened when my mother was bitten by the snake.

Within a few days, the detective sent me a file containing copies of several purchase orders.

I flipped through them and found the dates from three months ago, a month ago, and two weeks ago. They were all about "Special King Cobra Antivenom Serum," with the delivery address at Jennifer's home.

I was stunned. Did Jennifer buy three batches of king cobra serum in just three months?

Why did she need so much of it?

But she only had one vial left?

Was she deceiving me, or were there multiple incidents involving the same pet snake?

I continued to look through the documents, and suddenly my eyes fixed on the "Recipient" column. It was Timothy Rossi.

A chill ran up my spine.

So Timothy knew all along. He knew Jennifer's pet snake wasn't properly trained and was dangerously aggressive.

I tried searching online for posts about Jennifer's pet snake attacking people, but I found nothing. The information had been thoroughly cleaned up.

Someone must be covering up for Jennifer.

I thought of Timothy and the Rossi Group behind him. They were all protecting Jennifer.

They'd rather cover up the incident than offer a single apology to my mother and me.

I found Samuel's number and dialed it directly.

Samuel's voice was deep and a little lazy. "What's up?"

I said directly, "I suspect that others have been injured by Jennifer's snake besides my mother. But the news has been suppressed. Please help me investigate it."

Samuel gave a low chuckle and said, "My dear, you know that my services don't come cheap."

"Anything I can offer, I'll give." I bit my lip. I had nothing left to lose now.

Samuel sounded more satisfied. "I want my payment tonight. Wait, and my people will come to pick you up."

After hanging up, my heart raced.

I didn't know what "payment" Samuel wanted, but I knew it was my only chance.

An hour later, a sleek black luxury car stopped in front of me. The window rolled down, and the driver respectfully said, "Miss Willis, please get in."

The car finally pulled up in front of an imposing private club.

After I got in, several people in elegant suits immediately surrounded me. Some of them did my hair, and others chose clothes for me. Their swift actions left me no time to react.

Eventually, they dressed me in a sleeveless gold gown. Its hem reached my ankles and accentuated my graceful figure.

I felt a bit out of place.

I used to love beautiful dresses. But after dating Timothy, I put away those revealing ones because Timothy didn't like them.

"You look gorgeous." Samuel's voice suddenly sounded behind me. He walked up to me and pinned a ruby-studded rose brooch on my chest. His eyes were full of admiration as he said, "You look much better than in those conservative clothes."

My cheeks warmed, and I whispered, "Thank you."

"There's an auction this evening," Samuel said. "You're my specially appointed chief engineer."

"But I haven't resigned from the Rossi Group yet..." I was stunned.

Samuel sneered and said in an assertive tone, "If I want, anyone in the Rossi Group dare not hold you back. You don't need to worry about this."

His words startled me. He could make the Rossi Group wary. It was the top three on the city's wealthy list. What was Samuel's real identity?

At seven in the evening, Samuel brought me to the Brooks auction gala.

I followed Samuel into the opulent hall. Everyone around was dressed in a lavish gown. They held champagne and spoke softly. The whole place looked elegant and exclusive.

As soon as Samuel entered, the organizers invited him to a meeting room.

I held a glass of champagne and stood alone in a corner. I was not quite used to such occasions.

"Eliza?" A surprised voice suddenly rang out.

I turned to see Timothy's mother, Amilia Rossi, standing before me. She was dressed in a purple gown with a fake smile on her face. "Why are you here? Timothy says you've been unwell lately, so we didn't send you an invitation."

"I've been in the hospital taking care of my mother," I replied flatly. "Now that she's discharged, I naturally have time to come."

Amilia's smile stiffened for a moment but quickly recovered. "Oh, poor Mary, thankfully she survived. We were all worried about her."

I didn't respond. Were they worried about her?

If they were, why hadn't they visited her in the hospital even once?

Seeing my silence, Amilia awkwardly changed the topic. "Timothy's here too. He's on the terrace. Do you want to go and see him?"

I sipped my champagne and shook my head. "No. I'm fine here."

Amilia didn't say more and left.

I set down my glass and intended to find a quiet place, but as I passed the hallway, I heard familiar voices.

They were Timothy and his father, Marcus Rossi!

I instinctively hid behind a pillar and listened to their conversation.

"Find a way to get Eliza to sign the patent transfer agreement now." Marcus's voice was low and commanding. "It is crucial for Jennifer."

Timothy sounded anxious. "Eliza won't agree."

"She will," Marcus sneered.

His tone was full of disdain. "A woman from modest origins like her is blinded by greed and only sees money. Isn't she trying to divorce you? Offer her a million in compensation, and she'll definitely sign it. If she still refuses, have someone forge her signature. No one will believe her words, as she is an engineer without a good background."

"But what if she makes it known to everyone? And about Mary being bitten by the snake..." Timothy sounded hesitant.

Marcus's voice turned cold instantly. "If she insists on opposing the Rossi family, ensure she never speaks out. Timothy, remember that Eliza isn't important, but Jennifer is. Her father is the head of the Walker Group and controls a third of Europe's new energy business. It benefits the Rossi Group a lot to maintain a good relationship with her. You know that."

Standing behind the pillar, I clenched my fingers tightly and felt cold all over.

So the Rossi family not only planned to steal my patent but also intended to take my life. It was not an accident for my mother to be injured by the snake.

I suppressed my anger and was about to leave. But suddenly, Jennifer's shrill voice called out. "Eliza, why are you here? You don't belong here."