Never wanting to see that hypocritical man again, Clara checked herself out of the hospital that very night and returned to her own home.

There was no saving the design competition now. She drifted through three days in a daze, until an urgent call from Tessa finally broke the silence.

"Clara, was that thing online posted by you?"

She froze. "What thing?"

A moment later, Tessa sent over a slide deck more than a dozen pages long and said furiously, "Adrian is such a disgusting bastard! Why did you never tell me? Next time I see him, I swear I'm going to crack his skull open."

Clara didn't even have time to reply. The moment she opened it, she went completely still.

The deck, more than a dozen pages long, was written as if in her own voice, accusing Adrian of cheating with Sienna. The timeline was clear, the photos were all there, and some of the details were things even she hadn't known.

She had just opened her mouth to say she wasn't the one who posted it, when Adrian kicked the front door open and stormed inside.

He yanked her straight off the bed and demanded furiously, "Clara, have you lost your mind? Posting something like that? Do you have any idea you could ruin Sienna this way?"

Her knees slammed hard against the floor, tearing open the wound in her abdomen. Blood began spilling out at once.

Clara's face turned ashen as she said in a trembling voice, "I wasn't the one who posted any of it."

"Then who else could it have been?"

Adrian looked at her coldly, his eyes full of suspicion.

Clara closed her eyes for a moment, then said with biting mockery, "Maybe someone got sick of you two shameless pieces of trash and decided to do the public a favor."

His face darkened. "I don't care whether you admit it or not. You're going to clear this up right now. Tell everyone it was just a joke and that you deliberately framed Sienna."

"Why should I?"

Adrian answered, "Because you stole her life as the rich young lady of the family. You owe her all of this."

The shameless things the two of them had done somehow became someone else's scheme.

Clara almost wanted to laugh. "Leaving aside the fact that I didn't post any of it, even if I had, I still wouldn't say a word for two trashy people like you. And Adrian, I don't owe anyone a damn thing."

She had expected Adrian to explode, but he only went silent for a moment before leaving her with a single sentence. "You'd better not regret this."

With that, he turned and walked out.

Clara didn't take his warning to heart. Soon enough, she would be leaving this place, and leaving Adrian with it.

Then that night, an explicit video of her suddenly spread across the internet like wildfire.

The woman in the video was completely naked, flushed all over, moving in front of the camera in a way that left nothing to the imagination.

The instant Clara saw the woman's face, all the blood in her body seemed to run cold. She felt as if she'd been struck by lightning.

The woman in the video was her. And the only person who could possibly have had footage like that was Adrian.

Sure enough, the moment the video was released, no one cared about the cheating exposé anymore. Every accusation turned toward her instead.

The comment section filled with filth. Countless people called her cheap and disgusting, slandered her as a homewrecker who seduced other women's men, and some revolting creeps even dug up her personal information and asked how much she charged for a night.

Clara's hands shook as she unlocked her phone, about to call the police, when a message from Sienna popped up.

"Clara, you really are filthy. Eleanor saw your disgusting video, and the shock was too much for her. She's in the hospital being resuscitated right now."

Something had happened to Eleanor Mercer.

Clara's mind went blank. Never in her life had she regretted meeting Adrian more than she did at that moment.

From the time she was little, her adoptive parents had beaten and scolded her. Eleanor had been the only one who protected her, the only one who gave her a piece of candy when she was sad, the only one who bought her gifts when she made progress.

Even after she and Sienna were returned to their rightful identities, even after Clara was taken back by her biological parents, Eleanor still saved every good thing for her.

A grandmother that kind had seen something so vile, and it had put her in the hospital.

Clara's limbs felt weak, but a terror deeper than anything she had ever known drove her to the hospital like a madwoman.

The operating room light was still on, yet Sienna sat off to the side, lazily scrolling through short videos on her phone.

Clara rushed at her and demanded through tears, "It was you, wasn't it? You showed that to Grandma on purpose. Otherwise how could she have seen something like that?"

"So what if I did?" Sienna curled her lips into a smile, her voice dripping with malice. "You're still the real reason this happened."

Clara shook with rage, unable to believe what she was hearing. "She's your grandmother too. Your own grandmother. How could you do this to her?"

Sienna only shrugged, utterly unconcerned. "I'm the one who's actually her biological granddaughter, but that old hag only ever cared about you. She should've died a long time ago. So? How does it feel to be the one who killed your grandma?"

The moment those words left her mouth, Clara raised her hand and slapped her hard across the face.

But in the very next second, a powerful force yanked her away and shoved her violently to the floor.

At some point, Adrian had arrived. He dragged Sienna behind him and shielded her completely.

"Clara! What the hell are you doing?"

Sienna immediately hid herself in his arms. "Adrian, don't be mad. Clara only hit me because she's upset that you always protect me. She just got emotional."

As she spoke, she sniffled softly and shot Clara a look full of contempt.

Her wound had torn open again and again. Clara sat collapsed on the floor, cold sweat beading across her forehead, unable to say a word.

She had never imagined Adrian could be this cruel. He knew perfectly well she still had a wound in her abdomen.

Just then, the doors to the operating room flew open and a doctor hurried out.

"Which one of you is family? The patient's condition is critical. We need a family member to sign the surgical consent form before we can begin."

Sienna was the only one there who could legally sign. Clara immediately turned to look at her.

"Wait."

Adrian caught Sienna's hand before she could move. Then he looked at Clara, his expression tense but controlled. "If you want Sienna to sign, then go make a public statement. Say that you deliberately seduced me, interfered in my relationship with Sienna, and framed her."

He paused, then lowered his voice. "Babe, be good. Once you clear things up, Sienna will sign."

Clara could hardly believe what she was hearing. Never had she imagined Adrian would use Eleanor to threaten her at a moment when life and death hung in the balance.

She turned to Sienna at once. For the first time, desperation showed on her face as she pleaded hoarsely, "She's your grandmother. Her condition can't wait. I'm begging you... please sign now, okay?"

Sienna pretended to shrink back and said softly, "I think Adrian's right. Go clear things up first. Once you do, I'll definitely sign and save Grandma."

The doctor urged them impatiently, "The patient is in very bad condition right now. Which one of you is family? If this gets delayed any longer, we may not be able to save her."

Those words hit Clara like a crushing weight straight to the chest.

Eleanor had been the one who loved her most. She could not let anything happen to her.

Clara bit down on her lower lip until she tasted blood. At last, she closed her eyes and nodded.

"I'll do the clarification. Sign now, immediately."

"How do I know you won't go back on your word later?" A malicious smile curled across Sienna's lips. "Go livestream yourself at the hospital entrance and shout that you're a slut. Say it three times, then do the clarification. The second you're done, I'll sign."

It was humiliating beyond words. Adrian frowned, instinctively about to stop her.

But Sienna suddenly leaned into his arms and gave him a pitiful smile. "Adrian, am I being too much? But there are so many people online calling me a slut and telling me to die. What did I do wrong?"

In an instant, pity won out.

Adrian looked at Clara. "Babe, do what Sienna says. Haven't you always wanted to marry me? Once this is over, we'll get married and go spend our honeymoon in Valoire, your favorite place."

It was poison wrapped in candy, but she no longer wanted it.

A mocking curve tugged at Clara's lips. Limping badly, she made her way to the hospital entrance and started a livestream.

"I'm a slut. I'm a slut. I'm a slut..."

More and more people gathered around her, pointing and whispering, their eyes full of contempt.

For a moment, Clara felt as though she had been stripped naked and slapped in public.

Forcing herself to endure the humiliation, she spoke to the camera in a numb voice. "It was all me. I seduced Adrian. I interfered in the relationship between Adrian and Sienna, and I deliberately framed Sienna..."

The moment the words left her mouth, the livestream exploded with abuse.

Clara shut it off with trembling hands. Like an empty shell with her soul torn out, she turned and walked back in a daze.

But when she returned, Adrian and Sienna were already gone. Only the surgeon remained outside the operating room.

When he saw her come back, he shook his head in silence.

"My condolences. Miss Mercer never signed. We had no authority to operate. Because surgery was not performed in time, the patient has passed away."

All the blood in Clara's body seemed to freeze. She nearly lost her balance.

She was on the verge of breaking down as she screamed, "Didn't Sienna say she'd sign? Why didn't she sign? Why?"

The doctor looked troubled. "I'm sorry. Miss Mercer fainted before she agreed to sign. We had no authority to intervene. I'm sorry."

Clara could not hear another word after that. She ran like a madwoman to Sienna's hospital room, only to find her casually eating a banana while scrolling on her phone.

The last thread of Clara's reason snapped in an instant. She lunged forward. "You did this on purpose, didn't you? You never intended to save Grandma from the start! She was so good to you. She was your own grandmother. Why would you do this? I won't let you get away with it. I'll make you pay for this."

"Clara, have you lost your mind?" Adrian dragged her back and said darkly, "Sienna fainted earlier. She just woke up. She's upset about Eleanor too. Can you stop being so cruel? If we're really assigning blame, aren't you the one who killed Eleanor?"

Adrian's voice was low and cold. "If you hadn't insisted on putting out that slide deck to hurt Sienna, those videos of you never would've been leaked, and Eleanor never would've seen them and collapsed. If you hadn't kept targeting Sienna and gotten her harassed online, she wouldn't have fainted when it was time to sign. This is all because of you. If you want someone to hate, hate yourself."

With that, Adrian did not wait for her reply. He scooped Sienna up and carried her off to the VIP room.

A doctor stepped in and said hesitantly, "Someone needs to handle the arrangements for the deceased. If no one claims responsibility, we'll proceed according to hospital protocol."

Tears slid down Clara's face without restraint. She slowly rose to her feet, her voice hoarse as though scraped raw by sand.

"Leave her to me."

No matter what, she had to see Eleanor off one last time.

As she took the urn, her phone suddenly rang.

It was her mother. "So you finally decided to answer. Look at the mess you've made. The Whitmore family has almost lost all its dignity because of you. Let me make this clear. If this marriage falls through, get out of the Whitmore family. The flight has already been arranged. Someone will take you to Kingshaven tomorrow. And don't you ever come back."

Clara thought she would cry. But when she reached up on instinct to wipe away tears, she realized there were none left.

Inside the funeral hall, Clara knelt motionless before the memorial portrait, like a statue weathered by time.

Sienna walked in and looked down at her from above, every word steeped in malice.

"Clara, how does it feel to watch someone you love die right in front of you? How does it feel to watch everything you care about slip away from you, one by one?"

"You were the one who leaked that slide deck, weren't you?" Clara spoke suddenly, her voice calm. "A lot of what was in there... only Adrian and you would have known."

"So what if I was?" Sienna did not deny it. "I wanted you to know what it feels like to lose everything. I'm the one who should've been the Whitmore family's daughter. Everything you have should've been mine. But because of you, none of it is. Why are you still alive?"

The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Then a smug smile spread across her face. "But it doesn't matter anymore. The man you care about most is already mine. Want to see who Adrian would choose... you or me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed one of the candles at the altar and set the curtains on fire.

Flames spread through the room in an instant. Clara immediately struggled to breathe. She tried to stand, but after kneeling for so long, her legs would not hold her.

Sienna had to be insane. She was gambling with her life.

"Help... help..." Clara tried with all her strength, but no sound came out.

The blaze alarmed the people outside, and Sienna screamed, "Help! Adrian, save me! I'm so scared!"

The moment Adrian heard her voice, his face turned ashen. "It's Sienna. Sienna's trapped inside."

Without another thought, he rushed in and ran straight to her.

"Adrian... I thought I was never going to see you again."

"Don't be scared, Sienna. I won't let anything happen to you."

Watching that scene, Clara was suddenly dragged back to the fire years ago, when Adrian had rushed in just like this and carried her out. Only this time, the person he had come for was Sienna.

As he helped Sienna to her feet and turned around, his pupils contracted sharply when he saw Clara in the corner.

Sienna clung to him and said weakly, "Adrian, I feel awful... am I dying?"

Without hesitating again, Adrian caught her by the wrist and ran out with her.

The flames grew fiercer and fiercer, and Clara knew she was about to die.

She had long expected Adrian would choose someone else, but when that moment truly came, it still felt unbearably cruel.

The man who had once charged into a sea of fire for her without caring whether he lived or died was truly gone.

The love he had once given her had been real. So had the betrayal that came after.

In the final second before she lost consciousness, regret hit her with crushing force.

She regretted ever loving Adrian. She regretted giving so much to a love that had almost cost her everything.

If there was another life, she would only wish that she had never met Adrian at all.

When Clara opened her eyes again, Adrian was sitting by her bedside.

The fire had been put out in time. Aside from burns on her arm, she was otherwise unharmed.

"Babe, you're finally awake." Adrian's eyes were bloodshot. The second she woke up, he let out a heavy breath of relief. "Do you have any idea how scared I was just now? I..."

"Done with the act yet?" Everything about him felt grotesquely ridiculous to Clara. "Adrian, I already told you. We're over."

Adrian froze. Maybe out of guilt, he lowered his voice and explained, "I know you're angry, but Sienna has never been through something like this before. She was terrified. You're different. You've been through it before, and you made it out safely this time too."

It was precisely because of what had happened before that she feared fire more than anyone.

But Clara said nothing. Her eyes fixed on the scar on Adrian's arm, the one he had gotten saving her all those years ago. At some point, it had been covered with a beautiful rose tattoo.

The mark he had once carried for her had been erased by his own hand.

Clara's voice was hoarse. "Get out."

Silence fell around them. Adrian pressed his lips together. "Be good. Once you're discharged, I'll go home with you and talk about the wedding."

A wedding?

Once, that might have made her jump for joy. Now, it only made her sick.

There would be no wedding. Never again.

After Adrian left, a group of bodyguards entered the room.

"Miss Whitmore, the plane to Kingshaven is ready."

Clara nodded. She took nothing with her, only her identification, and boarded the plane to Kingshaven.

Even with an uncertain future ahead, she still hoped that, for all eternity, she and Adrian would never cross paths again.