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.

Gia could not remember how the commotion ended. Maybe she had fainted from weakness, because she was in her bedroom when she woke up again, and the room was dark.

She forced herself up to eat something, but before she could recover, the door was kicked open.

Lucas strode in, his chest heaving violently, his eyes on her carrying a trace of hatred.

"What did you say to Cecelia?!" he hissed.

The scene felt painfully familiar. The suffocating, nauseating feeling surged back at once. Her face turned pale, and she stumbled back a step.

However, Lucas gave her no space to escape. He seized her wrist in a crushing grip, his voice roaring with fury.

"Why would she cut her wrists and try to kill herself?! She almost… She almost…" he said.

Gia forced herself to stay calm. She drew in a deep breath. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Gia! Do you even have a heart?" he asked.

Pain shot through her wrist, a cold bead of sweat sliding down her temple.

Lucas shook her hard and yelled, "Why can't you accept Cecelia? She felt like a burden because of you, and that's why she tried to kill herself! What more do you want from her? She's only a helpless young girl!"

Her vision went dark. She wanted to struggle and wanted to scream, but she could not say anything.

She wanted to snap back at him. 'A helpless young girl? Do you mean the girl who is carrying your child?!'

Somehow, she found it in her to scream, though hoarsely, "What does it have to do with me if she wants to die?"

The slap came out of nowhere.

Gia was knocked to the ground, her ears buzzing.

Her face was burning with pain, and she looked like she was in disbelief. She could not believe that Lucas hit her. They had been together for decades, and he had not even spoken harshly to her in her past life.

Lucas stared at his hands, he was also in shock. "Gia, I…" he trailed off.

He clutched his head in pain. His voice broke as he said, "What you've done is no different from murder! I was so angry…"

His bloodshot eyes glistened.

Gritting his teeth, he dragged Gia out without giving her a choice. He hauled her downstairs, all the way to the basement.

"If anything happens to Cecelia, I'll never forgive you," he said.

With that, he shoved her inside, and the heavy door slammed shut. Darkness and dampness closed in, and Gia began to shake.

"No… Don't…" begged Gia.

She staggered to the door, pounding on it and screaming until her voice cracked. However, there was only silence from outside the door.

Ever since years ago, when thugs had cornered her in a dark alley that night, she had carried a crippling fear of darkness. 'Lucas knew that. He knew…' thought Gia.

She did not know how long she cried and screamed until she had no strength left. Her consciousness faded as she curled up on the floor.

She did not know how much time had passed before someone dragged her away. Pain jolted her awake, and she found herself tied to a chair.

She forced her eyes open through hazy vision, and she saw Lucas standing in front of her with a knife in his hand.

He looked deranged as he muttered to himself, "Cecelia's still in emergency care. The doctor said it doesn't look good…"

A shiver ran through Gia. Her voice cracked as she asked, "What are you trying to do?"

His face looked twisted with pain and guilt. Suddenly, he lunged forward. His voice was choking with tears as he said, "Gia, my mom said there's a remedy. If I use the blood of the person Cecelia's been closest to, I can call her soul back…"

Her eyes widened in horror. "Lucas Isles! Are you insane?!" she shrieked.

'He's a research scientist! How could he believe in such superstition?!' she thought.

However, the blade was pressed against her arm. He said, "I have no choice… I don't. The baby's stuck in delivery, and we're about to lose them both… I'll bleed with you! Cecelia and the baby can't die!"

Gia had no time to react–a sharp pain ripped through her arm.

Blood flowed and dripped into a bowl.

Lucas slashed his own wrist, letting their blood mingle. "It'll be over soon…" he murmured. "It's not enough. I need more…"

Her face turned deathly pale as her blood continued to ooze out, her head spinning as it prolonged.

"You… You've gone insane. You're truly insane…" she muttered.

Her breathing grew labored. She felt her life drained away, despair and bitter irony consumed her.

'Is it all because of this? For a superstition? Would he bleed me dry just to save Cecelia?' she thought.

She used the last of her strength to whisper, "Lucas… I hate you…"

Then, the darkness swallowed her whole.