A faint sound from the entryway shattered the stillness of the night.

Leyla had just stepped out of the bathroom, droplets of water clinging to her damp hair. Looking toward the door, she said softly, "You're back."

Kristopher stood in the doorway with his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever.

Instinctively, Leyla gripped the sleeve of her nightgown. "I need to talk to you about something—"

Before she could finish, Kristopher strode over and seized her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

The scar that ran from her left eyebrow to her cheek caught the light, its jagged edges standing in stark contrast to the delicate beauty she had once possessed.

"You want to talk?" Kristopher's voice was quiet, but every word carried a chilling edge. "Leyla, since when did you learn to play these little games with me?"

"I wasn't..." Leyla tried to explain.

She never got the chance to finish. Kristopher caught her wrist and pulled her toward him. She lost her balance and slammed into his chest.

With his free hand, Kristopher grabbed the collar of her nightgown and tore it open. Buttons flew in every direction, bouncing across the polished floor.

Startled, Leyla shoved against him with all her strength. "What are you doing? Stop!"

"Enough with the performance." Kristopher's lips curled in disdain as he looked at her as if she were beneath him.

"Why else would you insist on me coming home tonight? Isn't this exactly what you've been after? One night with me every month—that's what you've asked for, isn't it?"

Leyla froze.

So, that was what the matter meant to him. Just another monthly obligation.

Three years of swallowing her pride and sacrificing everything, yet she had never earned even the smallest trace of his affection.

If this was all their marriage amounted to, there was no reason to keep holding on.

"Kristopher," Leyla said quietly, her eyes meeting his, "let's get a divorce."

Kristopher's movements stilled for a second. A faint crease formed between his brows. "What did you just say?"

Without wavering, Leyla repeated, "Let's get a divorce."

Kristopher tugged impatiently at his tie, annoyance flashing across his face. "A divorce?" His voice was emotionless, almost mocking. "Leyla, what ridiculous stunt are you pulling this time?"

"I'm being serious." Leyla's tone remained calm and unwavering. "The woman you truly love is back. I'm giving you your freedom. You can be together with her."

Kristopher's expression darkened instantly, his eyes turning dangerously cold. "Stop pretending. You don't even have the courage to walk out of this house. If we divorce, where exactly can you go?"

His words struck with brutal precision.

To everyone else, she was nothing more than the scarred woman he kept hidden from the public—someone locked inside a gilded cage.

She had no career, no social life, no financial independence.

She didn't deserve to be with him at all.

Leyla lowered her gaze before answering evenly, "That's my concern, not yours."

Kristopher narrowed his eyes.

For three years, she had always been gentle and obedient.

This composed, distant version of her was completely unfamiliar to him.

"Leyla," Kristopher warned, his tone growing colder, "this little game of playing hard to get has gone on long enough."

Leyla didn't reply.

Just then, the sharp ring of a phone cut through the suffocating silence.

Kristopher glanced at his phone screen. The frost in his eyes melted away in an instant. He answered the call immediately. "Phoebe? What happened?"

The concern in his voice was unmistakable. As he listened, his expression softened even further. "Don't be scared," he said gently. "I'll be there right away."

The call then ended. Without sparing Leyla so much as another glance, Kristopher turned and walked out of the room.

He was convinced Leyla would never leave him.

After all, for the past three years, she never had.

The bedroom door slammed shut behind him, leaving Leyla alone in the space.

She sat motionless on the edge of the bed, staring into the emptiness for what felt like an eternity.

Then, her phone suddenly vibrated.

A message from an unknown number lit up her screen.

"He came to see me again."

Attached was a candid photo of Kristopher.

A gentle smile curved his lips, and his eyes brimmed with warmth—a tenderness Leyla had never once seen directed at her.

Before Leyla could process it, another message popped up.

"I told him there might be reporters outside, and he rushed over without a second thought. He was so worried about me. Oh, and he bought me 'Angel's Heart' at today's auction. I even suggested he pick out something for you, but he said there was no need. I suppose he is right. Only beautiful women should wear jewelry. With a face like yours, it would only go to waste. Leyla, he only married you because he had no choice. I've always been the one he truly loves."

Leyla stared at the message, and a cold laugh escaped her lips.

Every sentence was another knife twisting in her wounds. It finally dawned on her that the man who had treated her with indifference for three long years could be so gentle and attentive to another woman.

Without the slightest hesitation, Leyla typed a reply.

"You want Kristopher? A used man like him suits you perfectly. The two of you deserve each other—two shameless people cut from the same cloth. Do everyone a favor and stay together forever, so neither of you gets the chance to ruin anyone else's life."

She sent it, then immediately blocked the number.

"Kristopher..." she murmured with a bitter smile. "From now on, we are even."

The next day.

Leyla placed the signed divorce agreement on the bedside table.

She wasn't taking anything from Kristopher. All she wanted was a clean end to their marriage.

With nothing but a small suitcase in hand, she walked out of Prime Estate.

Three years had passed, yet she had never managed to earn Kristopher's love.

It was time to stop trying.

The moment she stepped through the estate's front gate, a limited-edition extended Rolls-Royce glided to a stop before her.

The rear door swung open, and a tall figure stepped out.

The instant Leyla saw her eldest brother, Damien Holden, tears rushed uncontrollably into her eyes. "Damien..." Her voice trembled. "I've signed the divorce papers."

For three years, she had buried every grievance, every humiliation, forcing herself to endure a loveless marriage. But the moment she saw her brother, all her emotions came crashing down.

"Leyla, congratulations on getting your freedom." Damien wrapped her in a warm embrace, his voice filled with concern. "It's time to be yourself again."

He gently stroked her hair before smiling. "Welcome home."

In truth, Leyla was the youngest daughter of the prestigious Holden family, one of Wrafham's most wealthy and influential households. Since childhood, she had carried her mother's surname.

Now that she had left the divorce papers for Kristopher, she was finally returning home.

Before leaving, she had already hacked into the Gordon family's surveillance system and erased every trace of her existence from their records.

From this day forward, the so-called "Mrs. Gordon" no longer existed. Only Leyla Thorpe, the cherished daughter of the Holden couple, remained.

Kristopher stayed away the entire night.

By the time he finally returned to Prime Estate, it was already noon the following day.

The moment he entered the bedroom, his gaze settled on the divorce agreement left atop the nightstand.

One clause stated, "The wife voluntarily relinquishes all claims to the couple's joint assets and will leave the marriage without receiving anything."

Kristopher's fingers curled around the pages until his knuckles whitened.

Pulling out his phone, he called Leyla.

Her phone had been switched off.

He tried once more.

The result was the same.

"Helen!" Kristopher barked, his voice sharp with fury.

Helen came hurrying over from the kitchen. "Mr. Gordon, you're home."

"Where's Leyla?" Kristopher asked.

Helen faltered beneath his stare. "She... she left first thing this morning with a suitcase. A luxury car worth tens of millions picked her up... The man inside the car was incredibly handsome. He looked very rich, too."

A layer of frost seemed to settle over Kristopher's expression when he heard that.

He strode back into the bedroom and called his assistant, Derek Carter. "Track Leyla down. I want to know her whereabouts before the end of the day."

After ending the call, he stopped before the window as a pulse hammered at his temple.

So, Leyla had truly dared to leave him.

He had assumed her demand the previous night was nothing more than a fit of temper.

For the past three years, she had relied on him for every part of her life.

How long could she possibly survive in the city without him?

It would only be a matter of days before she came back in defeat.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Kristopher crushed the divorce agreement in his fist and tossed the wad of paper into the trash can.

There was no chance he would sign it.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to lose her; it was just that no one had ever dared walk out on him like that.

Leyla had demanded a divorce the previous night, then left in a luxury car that morning. Clearly, she had planned everything in advance.

She had never loved him. Otherwise, how could she have left so resolutely with another man?

Kristopher let out a humorless chuckle. His jaw clenched as he muttered, "Leyla, you've really got some nerve!"

***

A Rolls-Royce eased onto the grounds of Holden Manor.

Looking out the car window, Leyla took in scenery that felt both familiar and strange. For reasons she couldn't explain, her pulse began to race.

After three long years, she had finally returned.

Her parents, Gregg Holden and Jayde Thorpe, were already waiting for her at the entrance.

The car door swung open.

"Leyla!" Jayde ran forward and gathered her daughter into her arms. Tears spilled down her face as she said, "You're finally home. We've waited so long for you to come back."

Leyla rubbed her mother's back in gentle strokes. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry I put you through so much worry."

Even Gregg, a formidable titan of industry, felt his vision blur. His voice came out rough with emotion. "Having you home safe is all that matters."

Jayde finally loosened her embrace and brushed the tears from her cheeks, only to go rigid when her gaze landed on the scar marring Leyla's face.

"Leyla, your face..." A flash of concern crossed her features.

She had spent all those years believing her daughter was happy.

Leyla had rarely gone outside, and every phone call with her parents carried the same assurances. She spoke only of the good and concealed every hardship.

Yet this was what had truly become of her?

Leyla had gotten her face ruined to save Kristopher, hidden her privileged identity, and taken care of him for three years. But in return, he had held another woman at an auction and spent recklessly just to please her, completely ignoring Leyla's feelings.

Damien moved closer. "Mom, don't worry. Collin is one of the best reconstructive surgeons in the world. He'll be able to erase Leyla's scar."

A spark of hope brightened Leyla's gaze as she nodded. "Yeah."

Collin Holden, her second brother, was an exceptional surgeon.

Her third brother, Felix Holden, had built a celebrated career as a jewelry designer.

"Mom, Dad, I'm all right. It's all in the past." Leyla's voice softened as she tried to reassure them. "From now on, I'll stay right here with you, always."

Only now did she realize that being with Kristopher had been a huge mistake. Loving him had brought her a disaster.

Gregg sighed heavily. Thinking of his daughter's past choices left him torn between anger and heartache.

"Take a few days to rest," he told Leyla. "The Pearl Charity Gala is coming up next week. You'll attend with Damien."

Gregg knew his family had made one critical mistake in the past.

They had kept such a low profile that ignorant fools believed they could mistreat his daughter without facing any consequences.

Gregg's words stirred complicated feelings within Leyla.

The Pearl Charity Gala ranked among the most exclusive gatherings in Wrafham.

Despite being Kristopher's wife for three years, she had never attended the event. She had not been considered worthy of an invitation.

Gregg continued, "Since you've chosen to reclaim your true identity, it's time to let everyone know that you are my daughter."

Leyla was silent for a moment before giving a firm nod.

Three years ago, she had defied her parents and concealed her identity to marry Kristopher. Her decision had enraged them so deeply that they had nearly cut ties with her.

Now, she owed it to them to make amends.

"Okay," she replied.

"Now that's my daughter," Gregg said with approval.

He then extended a sleek black card edged in gold toward her. "The card has no spending limit. The Holden family has more than enough money, so you can buy anything that catches your eye."

Leyla studied the black card, and a faint smile touched her lips.

Only minutes earlier, she had been completely penniless. Did this mean she had suddenly become wealthy?