"Sis, are you... oh my god-"

The second Sabrina stepped into the room, a full bucket of icy water slammed down on her, drenching her from head to toe, and the bucket itself even knocked her on the head.

Amelia rushed over, her face full of worry. "Sabrina! Are you okay?"

Clutching her head, Sabrina winced in pain. It was pounding. "You... what the heck, Amelia?"

Amelia quickly shut the door and grabbed her sister's hand, looking sheepish. "I panicked. I was scared someone might break in, so I rigged that booby trap at the door... I didn't mean to hit you. I'm really sorry."

Sabrina was fuming inside but kept her cool. With a forced smile, she asked, "Why would someone break in? Who'd even show up here like that?"

"At the hotel earlier..." Amelia looked away, clearly dodging something.

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, pushing, "What happened at the hotel?"

Amelia hesitated, clearly fighting herself. "I... I really don't wanna talk about it."

"C'mon, we're sisters. You can tell me anything," Sabrina said, trying a little too hard to look concerned. The way Amelia looked... it had to be something big. Judging by her face, probably lost her virginity, huh?

Amelia tugged on her pajamas, revealing bruises and red marks all over her shoulders and collarbone.

"Wait, what happened to you? Who did this to you?" Sabrina gasped, staring with fake worry while her heart was practically doing cartwheels. That confirmed it-the two guys totally went through with it.

Amelia pulled her pajama top back on, her face pale. "Sabrina, please stop asking. I don't wanna relive it. I just wanna be alone right now."

"But I can help you if you tell me. We're sisters. We always got each other's backs, okay?" Sabrina's lips curled into a brief, subtle smirk. The more unwilling Amelia was to talk, the more obvious it became.

"This whole thing... ugh," Amelia shook her head, looking totally defeated.

"Seeing you like this really worries me. Please, just tell me what happened," Sabrina practically begged, dying to hear Amelia admit it outright.

Looking at Sabrina, still dripping wet like a soaked cat, Amelia bit back a laugh and stayed in character. "Sabrina, I know you mean well, but really... I can't. If you keep pushing, I'll probably break down."

"Fine... I won't ask anymore. You rest, okay?" Sabrina turned to leave, but the glint in her eyes revealed her real thoughts: if not now, she'd get the truth out of Amelia sooner or later.

Amelia nodded slightly. "Thanks. Go shower before you catch a cold."

As soon as Sabrina left, Amelia walked to her vanity, grabbed some makeup remover, and started wiping off the heavy lipstick and eyeshadow.

Most of her makeup? Gifts from Sabrina. All ridiculously bright reds and purples-flashy and loud.

She opened her closet. Again, all from Sabrina. The clothes inside looked like a color explosion. Way too much.

Sabrina once told her it was Ethan' type. So every time they met, Amelia dressed like some overdone showgirl just to please him. The result? She'd always end up looking kinda tacky.

Her phone buzzed.

A text from Rowan Carter: [Happy Birthday!]

That boy was her bestie. Amelia smiled and called him back. "You almost made me think you forgot about me."

Rowan chuckled. "Never! I was just waiting for the last minute to make my birthday wish stand out."

Amelia laughed, "I'm seeing you tomorrow."

Rowan lit up on the other end, "No way! You're serious? Didn't you say last week you were gonna be a housewife for your fiancé?"

"Pfft-that was just talk. You really think I'd drop my career for a guy? What do I look like-someone who's lost her mind?"

Ending the call, Amelia saw a new friend request.

Request message: [I'm Damien.]

Damien didn't leave the Johnson neighborhood. His gaze remained fixed on the window Amelia had climbed through earlier. The light inside flickered on and off-she was clearly still awake. Using the number she'd given him, he sent her a friend request.

Amelia accepted almost instantly.

Damien typed: [Still awake?]

Amelia replied: [About to sleep. Are you home yet?]

Damien: [Just got back.]

Amelia: [Get some rest, then.]

Damien: [I'll pick you up tomorrow. I've arranged a dress for you.]

Amelia: [Okay. We'll talk then.]

Damien: [Good night.]

Amelia: [Good night.]

Only after her final reply did Damien finally start the car and drive away.

Amelia hadn't been asleep long when she drifted into a vivid, restless dream.

In it, she was with Damien-in bed, in the bath... the scenes were intense, leaving her flushed and breathless.

She woke with a start, cheeks burning, and sat up straight, pressing her palms to her face. What's wrong with me? She'd only met him once, and already her mind was running wild. So much for composure.

But when she fell back asleep, the dream returned-just as heated, just as vivid.

Early the next morning, a knock sounded at her door.

Sabrina's voice called through, "Sis, can I come in?"

"Come in, Sabrina," Amelia answered, still curled under the covers. She had no idea what drama was coming so early.

Sabrina usually barged in without knocking-maybe last night's incident had taught her some caution.

But then Ethan stepped into the room behind her.

In her past life, on this same morning after her birthday, though the two men hadn't succeeded in assaulting her, they had forced her into a degrading photo session. And Sabrina-who else?-had anonymously sent those photos to Ethan.

Before pushing Amelia from the building, Sabrina had even posted those images online. She'd said she wanted Amelia to die despised and ruined, without a shred of dignity.

No wonder Ethan had come to loathe her. In his eyes, she must have seemed utterly cheap. Just as she had once trusted him, he had fallen for Sabrina's innocent act. But not this time. Amelia was done with heartbreak and manipulation.

Maybe she hadn't loved Ethan as deeply as she'd believed-facing him now, she felt nothing but cold clarity.

Sabrina approached the bed. "Sis, who hurt you last night? Tell Ethan-he'll make them pay."

"No one hurt me." Amelia almost smiled bitterly. Is that what this is about?

"Don't lie to me, sis. Those bruises last night..." Sabrina reached for Amelia's pajama top, but her words trailed off as she froze.

The marks-the bites, the reddish bruises-were gone.

"What are you doing, Sabrina? Ethan is right here," Amelia said quickly, pulling her collar back into place.

"Where are the injuries? You had so many last night. Where did they go?" Sabrina looked stunned, as if last night had been an illusion.

Amelia lowered her gaze, her voice trembling just enough: "You left me alone at the hotel, remember? A few girls came in... they smeared makeup all over me, on my face and body... I was too drunk to fight back..."

Her voice broke as if she were on the verge of tears.

Ethan frowned. "Sabrina, you left Amelia alone last night?"

"Ethan, it's my fault. Last night, I was celebrating Amelia's birthday, got way too excited, and drank a lot. I didn't mean for this to happen..."

Sabrina thought those marks were something flirty, but she didn't expect this explanation. She couldn't help but wonder-could Amelia have done this to mess with her? But looking at how clueless Amelia seemed, it didn't look like she had the brainpower for that.

"It's fine, as long as everyone's okay." Ethan had been a bit anxious earlier when Sabrina mentioned Amelia's injury.

"Sis, didn't you say you wanted tiramisu? Ethan and I are going to a gala tonight, so I can pick it up for you on the way." The true purpose of Sabrina's words lay in the latter half of her sentence, and her eyes gleamed with a flicker of pride.

"A gala? Can I come with you?" Amelia looked at her hopefully, her eyes lighting up.

"But Ethan only has two invitations," Sabrina replied.

Amelia's face fell, a trace of disappointment creeping through her expression.

"Well, I'm his fiancée. It's only logical for me to go with him." Amelia said this deliberately, but, deep down, she had no interest in attending with Ethan.

Showing a rare hint of generosity, Sabrina said, "Ethan, why don't you let my sister go with you?"

"You're coming with me, Sabrina." Ethan wasted no time with his response. After what happened last time, there was no way he wanted Amelia tagging along.

"Sis, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Ethan for you and make sure no sleazy girls get near him." Sabrina glanced at Amelia with disdain. Who did she think she was, wanting to go to an event like this? Clearly, last time's embarrassment wasn't enough for her.

Amelia's inner thoughts: You're literally the biggest "sleazy girl" here.

Ethan's refusal to take Amelia wasn't random. The last time they went to an event together, Amelia had embarrassed him in front of everyone. While he had planned to network and make important connections, she showed up wearing tacky counterfeit clothes. People whispered behind their backs until Ethan was forced to leave early out of humiliation.

Those fake clothes? They'd been a "gift" from Sabrina, who had assured Amelia they were designer pieces brought over by a friend from abroad. Sabrina later claimed her friend had scammed her, and Amelia even comforted her for days.

Standing awkwardly, Amelia fidgeted with her fingers, the gesture making her seem as fragile as a little bunny. She looked up at Ethan, her voice soft, "Ethan, you really won't take me?"

Ethan's expression didn't waver. "I need someone with the elegance of a proper lady to go with me. Do you fit the bill, Amelia?"

Just thinking about last time-the whispers, the judging eyes-made Ethan's temper boil. Tonight's gala was even more important, and there was no way he'd let Amelia ruin it.

Sabrina already knew exactly what Ethan was worried about. Flashing him a sweet smile, she said, "Ethan, don't hold it against my sister. She grew up in the countryside for years; habits like that aren't easy to break."

Suddenly, Amelia's demeanor sharpened. She raised her head and locked eyes with Ethan. "If you think I'm so beneath you, then let's just call off the engagement."

Ethan froze, taken aback. For reasons he couldn't quite explain, a spark of panic flickered in his chest. It had to be the shock, that's all. "If Grandpa hadn't insisted on this, do you think I'd have chosen you myself?"

"Well, it's clear we're incompatible. Maybe it's better this way." Amelia had expected Ethan to jump at the chance to agree, but to her surprise, he hesitated. What was holding him back?

Sabrina's face clouded with contrived sadness. "Sis, I get it. You're still upset about me going to the gala with Ethan. If that's the case, I'll stay behind-"

Ethan cut her off with a cold laugh, his gaze hardening as it fell on Amelia. "Amelia, stop playing games. What is this? Another attempt at reverse psychology?"