Gia lay on the floor for a long time before slowly getting up. She endured the pain and carefully dabbed medicine on her swollen forehead.

The wound had started to swell, but she forced herself not to let the tears fall.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from downstairs.

"Gia!" Lucas yelled. His voice was meaner than she had ever heard before.

He rushed to grab her wrist as soon as she stepped out of her room.

His eyes were bloodshot, the veins bulged on his forehead, and his breath came fast and heavy.

"Did you prepare the ingredients in the fridge?!" he snapped. He glared at Gia like she was his worst enemy.

Pain shot through her wrist, but she could not break free. She yelled, "Let go of me! What are you talking about?!"

He raised his voice, "Don't play dumb! Cecelia almost died! She got food poisoning! The nitrite levels in those dishes were ten times over the limit! That could only have been deliberate!"

Gia was shocked.

Lucas never cooked before last night, so of course she was the one who had prepared the ingredients. However, what he said made no sense to her.

"When did you become so vicious? You wanted to hurt Cecelia just because I cared about her? Do you realize you almost killed two lives?" he yelled. His gaze was cold and unfamiliar.

His sudden accusations made her head spin. She staggered and hoarsely replied, "Calm down. Why would I poison anyone? I prepared the ingredients for myself…"

"For yourself?" asked Lucas. He clearly did not believe her. He gave a harsh laugh, yanked her by the arm, and dragged her downstairs. He yelled, "Fine, then eat it right now!"

He dragged her into the living room. The breakfast was still sitting on the table, and he picked it up.

"Eat it if it isn't poisoned!" he yelled.

Her heart turned cold, disbelief washed over her. She thought it was ridiculous that he would think she had poisoned Cecelia.

She desperately struggled and said, "You're insane… Do you seriously think I'd kill someone, Lucas Isles?!"

"Who else could it be?" he asked. He grabbed her chin, and looked at her with a terrifying dark expression. He said, "The dosage was clearly intentional. There are only three of us in the house. Are you suggesting Cecelia poisoned herself if it wasn't you?"

He forced her mouth open and shoved a spoonful of food in her mouth.

She fought with tears streaming down her face.

However, he acted like a man possessed and stuffed another spoonful of food. "Didn't you say it wasn't poisoned? Then eat!"

He was like an animal who lost his mind, his red eyes flashed with cruelty. "Prove your innocence!" he yelled.

Gia was forced to swallow spoonfuls of food because she was pressed against the table. Spoonful after spoonful, until all the food was gone. The nausea rose violently, and she bent over and gagged, but nothing came out.

Then, a burning pain flared in her stomach. She stumbled, was unable to steady herself, and collapsed to the floor.

Her breathing grew rapid, her vision blurred, and a shrill ringing filled her ears. She whimpered in agony.

'It hurts so much,' thought Gia.

"Lucas…" she gasped, instinctively reaching toward him for help.

However, he only stood there, watching as she writhed in pain. Her breath grew shallow, foam gathered at her lips, and her struggling slowed.

He finally crouched down, his voice distant and chilling, "Hurts, doesn't it? That's what Cecelia went through."

Gia could barely hear him anymore. She curled up and wept in silence as her consciousness faded.

'Am I going to die like this? Am I going to die earlier and more tragic than in my past life?' she thought.

That was the first time she tasted a meal made by Lucas across two lifetimes. She could not believe that it was under those circumstances.

That was worse than death to her.

She saw him call the ambulance through hazy vision.

He said, "Don't worry, I only wanted to teach you a lesson. I won't let you die… You did something wrong, so you deserve punishment, don't you think?"

Gia coughed up blood, and a bitter laugh rose in her chest.

'Yes, I was wrong. My mistake was falling in love with a human scum. Wrong enough that I had to pay for it in two lifetimes,' she thought.

The wails of sirens drew closer as darkness closed in on her.

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air.

Gia slowly opened her eyes.

The suffocating feeling lingered, so she instinctively clutched her throat, breaking into a harsh cough.

"Relax," hushed a female doctor. She helped Gia sit up and carefully gave her a glass of water. "Do you feel any better?" she asked.

Gia, though pale, nodded.

"You developed complications from food poisoning. I've looked at your past records, and your body has always been weak. This time, it's caused irreversible damage…" she explained

Gia listened quietly, emotionlessly.

She had been a premature baby, so she was frail from birth. Lucas used to care for her with meticulous attention in the past. He made sure she took her medicine, never let her drink too much coffee, and constantly bought tonics for her.

All that, and he had poisoned her.

Pain and hatred twisted in her chest. She only managed to nod like a robot, and she did not even realize when the doctor left.

A single tear slid down her cheek, then they kept coming. She tried to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more tears there were.

It was not because of his betrayal, but because of how she foolishly trusted. She had died once, but she still held onto a sliver of hope for the man.

That fragile hope only brought deeper wounds.

The door creaked open. Lucas walked in, his shirt wrinkled and dark circles under his eyes.

The moment their gazes met, he hurried forward and reached for her hand, only for her to pull away.

He froze for a second, then grabbed her hand anyway. His voice was trembling as he said, "Gia… Are you still unwell? I… I must've been insane to do that to you!"

Tearing up, he said hoarsely, "When I saw Cecelia lying in the emergency room, I panicked. I couldn't believe you'd actually do something like that… That's why I lost control. It was what you did that scared me…"

"It wasn't me," said Gia raspily.

He looked like he was in pain for a moment, but it was clear he still did not believe her.

Gia let out a bitter laugh. 'Of course,' she thought.

Overwhelming fatigue washed over her, and she lost the will to speak.

"You really went too far this time. Cecelia is pregnant. You can't do that no matter what," muttered Lucas.

Gia cut him off. "Do you love her?" she asked.

Lucas jerked his head up. "What? No! Of course not! She's just a childhood friend, I only pitied her," he retorted.

'All lies,' she thought.

Fighting back tears, she whispered, "Let's get a divorce."

The hospital room fell into a dreadful silence. His expression shifted from shock, to anger, to twisted rage, before finally settling into a dark scowl.

"No. I won't agree," he said.

Gia gripped the blanket tightly.

His furious voice erupted before she could respond.

"Do you seriously want a divorce? I told you there's nothing between us! Why are you still jealous? We're married! Half of your company belongs to me if we get a divorce! Would you throw away everything you worked so hard for?" he yelled.

Dread spread through her body. He was threatening her with her career.

However, that was exactly what had happened in her past life. He had given half of her company to his illegitimate child.

"Gia, I love you," he said.

Lucas suddenly leaned down, pulling her into his arms. His tone was soft and earnest as he said, "I can't live without you. Please, don't make me angry anymore."

His lips pressed against her forehead. Her body stiffened.

That kiss once gave her comfort, but no more. It only made her sick.

"Lucas… My stomach hurts again…" said Cecelia. Her weak voice drifted from outside the door.

Lucas immediately got up and strode toward the door. He turned to look at Gia before he opened the door and said, "Get some rest. Don't dwell on nonsense. I'll come tomorrow to bring you home."

The door shut, and Gia shuddered.

She felt like the man who had once been her gentle companion was secretly a demon.

She reached under her pillow and pulled out her phone with her trembling fingers. A single unread message glowed on the screen–it was from her private attorney.

[Ms. Rowan, the last batch of assets has been transferred to the offshore account, but the company's equity changes still require your signature]

Gia let out a long sigh, then replied [Okay.] with shaking hands.

Her body was weaker than ever, but she told herself that was the price of having a second chance in life.

She would never go back again.

The hospital recommended that Gia stay for further observation, but she did not want to see Lucas again, so she checked out of the hospital.

She was still weak, but she did not dare waste time. She rushed to sort things out and had documents sent from her private investigator.

Gia opened them and saw Cecilia's prenatal reports inside.

The DNA results showed a 99 percent match. Lucas was indeed the father of the unborn child.

Her expression barely changed. She had suspected it, and the evidence only confirmed it.

She called someone and instructed, "Suspend all funding and investments for Lucas's lab next month."

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Gia frowned, and on the monitor she saw his parents, Linda Hoffman and Shane Isles–and they did not look happy.

Gia took a deep breath before she opened the door.

"What took you so long?" scolded Linda as she shoved her way inside, her judgemental gaze fixed on Gia. "I heard you were in the hospital? You do look a bit worn out," she said.

Gia said nothing, and Linda did not seem to care. She pulled out several bags and began rummaging through them. "I found more remedies for infertility, and this time, I'll make sure you drink them every day," she said.

"You've been married for three years and still have no child. Our family's reputation must be a laughing stock for other people!" she exclaimed.

She laid out bundles of dark and powdery medicine. The pungent smell filled the room, and Gia frowned. "I won't drink it," she said.

"How dare you?" snapped Shane. "How can a woman not give birth to a son? I asked an old doctor for help. You're rich anyway; give me a hundred thousand so I can send him a gift."

Gia let out a cold laugh.

'The topic of children was only an excuse. The real reason was for the money,' mused Gia.

"What are you laughing at? You're nothing but a useless hen that can't lay eggs, and you still dare to laugh!" yelled Linda.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" Lucas could be heard from the doorway. He walked in quickly and gave Gia a reassuring look.

"I've told you so many times that Gia's health and career come first. Why are you pushing her to have a baby again?" he asked.

Shane grew furious and said, "Our bloodline ends if she doesn't bear a child. It'll be so embarrassing for the family!"

Lucas suddenly said, "Don't worry, I have a plan."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Lucas held Gia by the hand and spoke gently, "Gia, since we don't have a child, why don't we take Cecelia's baby as our godchild? Wouldn't that be good? Think about it. My parents would have a grandchild, and when that child grows up, he could help you manage the company. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

Gia froze. Had she misheard him or something?

'Does Lucas want to publicly make his illegitimate child their godson, let him manage my company? Am I a complete fool to him?' she thought.

Anger and humiliation overwhelmed Gia as she shouted, "No!"

Linda slapped her harshly.

"How did our family end up with such a shameless daughter-in-law? Things are settled if Lucas has decided. Who are you to refuse?" she exclaimed.

The slap was so harsh, Gia's head swung to the side. A burning pain spread across her cheek.

"Mom!" Lucas stepped in front of Gia, but instead of protecting her, he gripped her tightly to stop her from striking back.

He was afraid that Gia would fight back.

"Alright, it's decided. Cecelia is pitiful. We should help a widow and her child. You're being unreasonable, Gia," said Lucas.

Gia felt like her heart was shattering into pieces. The voices around her grew distant and fractured.

"Anyway, the company is marital property. At least half of it is mine to decide. When Cecelia gives birth, I'll treat that child like my own.

"Don't be stubborn, Gia. I'm a man, and I need someone to succeed. He's only a godson. You can understand that, can't you?" asked Lucas.

His voice was fading to her.

Suddenly, Gia tasted blood in her throat.