Lilian's heart crumbled to bits. She went down on her knees, trying to pick up the pieces of paper, but he had shredded them beyond repair.

Her eyes burned with tears. She dug her nails into her flesh.

And then she looked up at him, feeling the large lump in her throat. "Why?" Her voice came out as a strangled cry.

His jaw hardened, somehow pissed or annoyed about her teary eyes or the fact that she had dared to question him.

"You can't just ask for a divorce, Lilian," he said, his voice stern.

Yes, she could. She was a human, a living, breathing human with emotions, and she had a right to make her own decisions.

She slowly stood up, her eyes glaring at him like she intended to burn him to a crisp. She would if she could.

"I'll have the lawyer draft up another contract." She turned to leave, but his words stopped her from taking a single step.

"And you think I'll sign it?" he scoffed. "Listen, princess, I didn't come all the way here just to push through with the damn divorce."

She squeezed the pieces of the shredded divorce papers in her hand, crumpling them. A lone tear rolled down her eyes against her wish.

"And why wouldn't you push through with this?" she croaked. "This isn't marriage; this is hell."

Her throat tightened. He had given her a roof over her head, luxury she could never have afforded even if she sold her soul, yet she felt lonelier than ever. She felt like a commodity that had been bought.

His rule was simple: she was forbidden from meddling in his life, and she wasn't allowed to call or text him when he was away either. Throughout their three years of marriage, she had only seen him twice. This wasn't the life she wanted, but she had been grateful for being rescued from her family.

Now it was up to her to rescue herself from him and her cruel family, and most importantly, rescue her mother.

This divorce would happen whether he liked it or not.

A look of surprise dawned on his face, one she failed to catch with her back still facing him.

"Hell?" he repeated, cold brush through her spine.

She pinched her fingers, feeling his hard stare on her back. Now she wanted to run. She had never talked back to him before; she had never talked back to anyone before.

"I'm leaving," were her last words before ascending the stairs and heading back to her room.

She took a deep breath and then she picked up her luggage, taking them out of her room. She took the elevator and arrived back at the living room.

She tightened her grip on the handle, seeing him still standing at the exact spot as minutes ago.

She tore her gaze away from him. "The lawyer would send the divorce papers again. Please sign them."

She dragged her trolley, walking past him to the large double door.

"Lilian," he called her. She halted, refusing to stare at him.

The sound of her own name caused a rush of goosebumps on her skin.

His footsteps echoed, mixing with the drumming of her heart in her eardrums. He stalked towards her, his hand slammed against the door frame, right beside her head.

And then he leaned in, his breath fanning her neck.

She stilled, her heart racing.

His breath brushed her neck. "Even if you decide to push through with the divorce, you are still mine, Lilian." His tone was calm, with a cold sharp edge.

His words didn't sound like a threat; rather, they sounded like a promise.

Her breath hitched. Even if she had been married to this man for three years, she still didn't know anything about him, nor did she know what he was capable of.

She managed to calm herself. His words would only materialize if he was ever able to find her. He wouldn't; she would make sure of that. She would escape his clutches and that of her family.

"Goodbye, Xavier," she swallowed. "See you in court."

She pulled the door handle, and thankfully, he stepped back. She didn't waste another second before stepping out of his house and possibly out of his life.

She took a cab to a hotel where she intended to stay till the divorce was over.

She had some savings. Could she hire someone to find her mother? She didn't have the resources; she didn't know anyone.

Even though her husband, Xavier, was the biggest and richest CEO in Hong Kong, she barely got to leave the house, and when she did, she had guards tailing her.

After the divorce, she would finally get what she wanted, freedom.

Her phone buzzed. She pulled it from her purse. Her hands trembled at the text she received from her father, Yhuan.

It was a picture of her mother, a cloth tied over her mouth and bruises on her face.

Tears clouded her vision immediately. She took a deep breath in and managed to blink them away before reading his text:

'Hasten up with the divorce, else the next picture might be her corpse.'

Her heart squeezed in her chest, quiet sobs pushing past her lips.

She tried hard to keep calm. She called the lawyer once more, asking him to draft another divorce paper as soon as possible.

It took two days this time, and now it was ready.

She had texted Xavier to meet her in court. She had broken his rule for the second time, but it didn't matter now. She was no longer his wife; she was no longer obligated to bend to his wishes.

She dressed smartly, wrapping her hair in a low bun, and then she stepped out of the hotel, taking a cab to court.

She stared at the divorce papers. She had signed every one of them, and the empty spaces left were for Xavier to sign.

Today, this divorce would happen.

Her eyes blazed with determination.

The cab stopped in front of the courthouse, and it was then she noticed it had begun to rain.

She stepped out nevertheless, but she took no more than two steps before a black umbrella suddenly hung over her head.

Her eyes fell on the black polished shoes first, and then her gaze slowly trailed up to land on him.

Xavier.

His cold gray eyes bored deep into hers.

Her heart hammered against her ribcage. His lips tilted up into a sinister smirk, one that promised to break and destroy her resolve.

Lilian clutched the straps of her handbag, trying hard not to break eye contact.

She wouldn't look weak.

She would show them all she wasn't that scared and helpless girl anymore. Now she had something worth fighting for.

"Good to see you came," she managed to say.

"Why wouldn't I?" An evil glint flashed in his eyes.

She shuddered.

She wanted to step away, even if it meant enduring the cold, chilling rain, but he acted before she could.

He handed her the umbrella, and with furrowed brows, she watched him step into the rain, unbothered about the heavy downpour , drenching him.

He simply walked, with hands in his pockets. His whole demeanor, the charisma in every stride, gave her the feeling that he had never failed in anything he set his mind to do. The rumors about him weren't just myth.

He was indeed shrewd, calculative, and there was something about him that made cold brush down her spine whenever he looked at her with those icy gray orbs.

Now she began to doubt if she would succeed in this.

No, she shook those thoughts away. Everything would go as planned.

But whose plan? Hers or his?

She stepped into the courthouse. Xavier was already seated, his face unreadable as always.

His eyes landed on her, never tearing his gaze away.

And for a moment, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him either.

There he was, sitting like a god. He looked the part also, and every part of him screamed perfection.

She clutched the divorce paper in her hands and then tore her gaze away from him.

She handed the paper to her lawyer and then carefully took a seat next to him.

She noticed that he didn't even bring a lawyer. Why?

The family court judge arrived, and her eyes widened when he bowed to Xavier with utmost respect.

She gulped. With his affluence, this man could get whatever he wanted without moving a finger.

The proceedings began. Her heart raced, and then the final question came.

"Are you certain you want this divorce, Mrs. Rune?" the judge asked her.

Lilian nodded instantly. "Yes," came her definite response.

He turned to Xavier. "Do you want this divorce, Mr. Rune?"

The silence thickened with every second.

She couldn't breathe, and then his curt response came:

"Yes."

Her eyes flew wide. She stared at him in shock. He... agreed? The more she tried to decipher his thoughts, the more unreadable he became.

Why would he agree just like that? Did he have an alternate plan?

She had expected relief when this moment came, but instead, worry bathed her.

Did it matter? She was moving far away anyway. Whatever he planned would not work.

This is the last time he would ever lay his eyes on her. After this, she would disappear for good.

"Alright then, that wraps up this case," the judge finalized.

She stood up immediately, staring at Xavier briefly, but he wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he walked over to the judge to discuss matters she knew nothing about.

There was no use staying. She turned, leaving.

She took a cab back to the hotel, and then she packed her things immediately.

Thankfully, she had booked a flight back to Russia, to her home country, just in case everything went according to the way she planned.

All these felt surreal to her. Finally, she would be going home, and then she would be reunited with her mother.

Tears welled in her eyes, remembering the picture her father had sent her, the condition her mother had been in for twenty-two years now, for as long as she lived.

She sniffed in her tears, and then she sent a text to her father, telling him she had divorced Xavier and now she was going home.

Meanwhile, back in the courthouse...

Xavier stood outside, a grin expression on his face, and then his right-hand man, Marco, hurried to him, bowing deeply.

"We must return right away, boss. They are planning an attack. Your grandfather demands your presence this instant."

Xavier pulled a stick of weed from his coat pocket, and then he flicked the golden lighter in his hand, lighting the tip , and then took a long drag, his cheeks turning hollow as he did.

And then he puffed it out. He remained calm, as if unaffected by the words Marco had just spoken.

There were other important things in his mind.

He checked his watch. Her flight was scheduled a few minutes from now.

"Boss," Marco carefully called him, trying to get his attention to the pressing matters.

"There's somewhere we have to go first. If my grandfather dies in my absence, then that's good news for me."

His words had Marco's eyes widening, even if he doubted that he meant that.

He loved his grandfather; he was sure of that. But what could be more important than him? What could be more important than his people right now?

Without questioning, he opened the car door for him, and once he got in, he got into the driver's seat and drove them out of the court.

When they arrived back at Xavier's mansion, it was past midnight. Marco retired to bed, but Xavier remained wide awake.

He stood at the balcony, a glass of vodka in his hand, which he leisurely drank from.

The cold breeze brushed against him occasionally, but he didn't flinch.

He held on to the railing, his mind working fast.

And then he felt a presence behind him. He didn't turn, knowing who it was.

Marco poured himself a glass of vodka, and then he stood beside him, maintaining a careful distance. He knew very well how much he hated anyone getting into his personal space.

Moments of silence passed between them.

"Boss," Marco called, breaking the silence.

He said nothing, but he knew he was listening, and so he proceeded to ask, "I know how dedicated you are to the empire, yet you came all the way here and stayed for nearly a week the moment you got her text. So then... why did you let her go?"

Marco watched him place the rim of the glass on his lips, and then he pulled it back, savoring the bitter taste of the alcohol on his lips.

His lips tilted up into a smirk.

Marco became wary instantly, knowing he never smiled for a good reason.

His next words ran low, frighteningly calm:

"I enjoy the chase."

The flight from Hong Kong to Russia took a few more hours. Her heart raced in her chest as she alighted the plane.

The cold breeze welcomed her, brushing against her relentlessly, as if warning her to get away from here.

She shivered.

She would do just that, but she wouldn't be leaving alone; she would go with her mother.

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she imagined holding her, hugging her, feeling her warmth.

She would make up for all the times they had lost. She would take care of her with the money she had saved up over the years. It would be enough for them to relocate to a faraway country. She would get a job; everything was finally going to be okay. For once in her life, she would be happy.

She smiled, but it immediately faded upon her father's text:

'There's a white jeep waiting for you right outside the airport. Get in now.'

The happiness she once felt was soon replaced with anxiety and dread. She would meet her family again after three long years of being free from the clutches.

Her father-he was no short of a monster-and she would have to face him to get her mother.

Fear settled in her chest, but she reminded herself she had won a huge battle. She had divorced her husband.

She wasn't as helpless as she used to be. She refused to be. Everything would go according to her plan, just like it did before.

She stepped out of the airport, a brand new confidence growing within her with every step she took, and then she found him-the supposed driver her father had hired.

"Lilian Hart?" he called gruffly.

The last name hit her. She was no longer a Rune and now back to being a Hart. She despised the thought of going back to taking her father's last name, not when he never thought of her as a daughter, not when he tormented her mother for twenty-two long years.

She watched the driver stare at his phone for a moment, and then he looked back at her. "Get in," he ordered.

She was suddenly skeptical, but nevertheless she got in, and then he ignited the car and drove her out of the airport.

She squeezed the fabric of her dress, her heart thumping loudly as she neared the Hart residence.

Minutes later, they arrived. She suddenly felt her body turn cold, her eyes falling on the house that hadn't changed a bit. It was nothing extravagant, nor was it anything near Xavier's mansion, but it was a comfortable home.

She got down from the car; her body swayed as the memory of the hell she went through here flooded her mind.

She could hear her own painful screams in her head as her father whipped her back with all his might, not minding the fact she was already bleeding.

She tried hard to snap out of it. Now wasn't the time to cry or show weakness, and if she kept thinking of it, she would.

She dragged her trolley to the house, and immediately she stepped in. She saw everyone already waiting for her.

She stiffened, her eyes falling on her father, Yhuan, first, who stared at her with a strong hint of displeasure, his face grim.

And then her stepmother, Liah, who threw her a scornful look, eying the expensive dress she wore-a huge contrast to the rags she used to wear when she lived here.

"Looks like Cinderella has finally returned," her eldest sister, Amara, snorted.

And then she felt the harsh glare from her immediate elder sister, Nelly. "Looks like Mr. Rune has been taking good care of you, fattening you up and adorning you with the most expensive items."

She stalked towards her. Lilian stood her ground, and then Nelly walked past her, only to snatch her trolley.

"All these belong to me and Mara now. You won't be needing them anyways."

Lilian dug her nails into her flesh. She understood their hatred stemmed from jealousy. She looked much better than she used to; her skin no longer clung to her bones. But they were idiots to think she was coming here to resume the life of a maid.

Walking past her sisters, she stood right in front of her father, her body shook-not from fear but from anger.

Seeing him now, knowing what he had done, knowing how heartless he truly was...

"Where is my mother?" she seethed, digging her nails deeper into her palms.

"Have you no manners? Seems like being away for so long has made you forget who you are talking to, filthy bastard," her stepmother spat, but she wasn't even listening.

All Lilian wanted was for him to take her mother right this instant.

His hand suddenly shot to her shoulder, squeezing it in a bone-crushing grip.

Lilian winced at the immense pain, and then she let out a loud cry once he added more pressure.

"Want to know where your mother is, huh? Rotting somewhere in the ocean bed after I killed and discarded her body twenty-two years ago."

The pain on her shoulder suddenly turned non-existent, replaced by a sharp prick in her chest.

A tear fell without her control. Another followed, her vision blurring instantly.

"You're lying," Lilian shook her head in denial. "Tell me, where is my mother?!"

A painful slap suddenly met her cheek. She instantly fell hard on the ground.

"You dare speak with such disrespect?" her stepmother kicked her with all her might, but she held back her cry. In fact, her whole senses numbed.

He had... lied to her. Her mother wasn't alive? Her chest squeezed. Her heart combusted to pieces.

And before she could say one more word, she felt something extremely heavy hit her head.

She felt warm blood dripping down her neck. She struggled to keep her eyes open, but everything went blank instantly.

Her eyelids felt heavy as she forced them open. She could barely make out her surroundings.

She felt the cold ground beneath her frame, biting through her skin. She pushed herself up, her brows rumpling at the rusty iron bars in front of her.

Where was she? How did she get here? Was this a prison?

Her nose crinkled from the pungent smell of rusting iron and something rotten.

The last thing she remembered was speaking to her father, and then her memory restored all at once, and the sharp pain she felt in her chest returned double-fold.

Her mother wasn't alive? He had lied to make her divorce Xavier and then to lure her to this place.

Where was this place?

The sound of clicking shoes against the cemented ground cut through the silence, and then a figure came to stand in front of the iron bars.

Her father, Yhuan.

She forced herself to stand on her feet. He stared at her, his lips pulling up.

"Why did you have me locked here?" she demanded. Was this some hidden place in the house? Was this some sort of punishment?

Yhuan slowly nodded, his eyes taking in her surroundings. "For once, you are of great use to me."

Lilian failed to understand what he was saying, but she just let him continue.

"Mr. Rune needs a bride from my household. With the divorce which you issued, he'll have no choice but to take Nelly as his bride once I introduce her to him."

Her blood boiled from so much anger, and she could see herself ripping this human to pieces.

"Cut the long story short and tell me why you have me locked up in here," she gritted, her hands holding on to the iron bars, trying to pull them open, but they never budged.

"You won't get out of here that easily, Lilian," he chuckled, pleased by her misery.

Where was here? Her body shook from both pain and anger.

"I sold you to the Russian mafia slave establishment. Only death would grant you escape from this place."

The news hit her harder than waves.