Archie hesitated for a beat before his voice came through, tight with panic. "Babe, what's going on? Why do you want to break up all of a sudden? If I messed up, I'll make it right. Please, just tell me what I did."

Without another word, Eleanor ended the call.

She quickly erased every trace of him from her phone—his number, every message, everything. Then she headed straight for home in a taxi.

Stepping inside, she didn't waste a second. Every one of Archie's things went straight into the trash.

She stopped at her dresser and yanked open the drawer, staring down at the so-called gifts he'd given her over the years—a pile of origami hearts he'd folded on her birthday, a ring made out of grass from a Valentine's Day that felt hollow now, and a handful of cheap plastic snowflakes from a Christmas Eve walk that was supposed to be romantic.

Once, these little tokens had felt precious to her. Now they seemed almost cruel in how little they meant.

A three-year relationship, and Archie never gave her anything real—just cheap souvenirs.

Meanwhile, she'd spent nearly three million just to bail him out over and over again.

Laughing softly, Eleanor swept the whole lot into the garbage can, not a trace of regret on her face.

Suddenly, her phone blared, the ringtone shattering the silence.

Eleanor fixed her gaze on the glowing screen, knuckles blanching as she gripped the device.

A moment passed before she finally answered the call.

Her adoptive father, Hank Harris, wasted no time, his voice harsh and commanding. "How much longer are you planning to sulk? Get yourself home right this instant!"

"Go home so I can be your precious daughter's stand-in bride?" A bitter smile played on Eleanor's lips. "That brute from the Carter family can tear me apart if he snaps. Do you really think I'm that gullible, Mr. Harris?"

The line crackled as Hank exploded, saying, "Eleanor! Watch your tone! I'm still your father!"

"Father? That's funny." Her voice dripped with disdain. "You're only a father to Jordyn, not me. The day you tossed me out, you made that perfectly clear."

Hank's frustration boiled over. "You never stopped fighting with Jordyn! If you didn't keep making trouble for her, maybe we wouldn't resent you so much!"

Cold resolve colored Eleanor's answer. "I wasn't the one picking fights. Jordyn just couldn't stand having me around. Now that I'm out of your house, you can stop blaming me for everything she does."

She knew all too well how Jordyn Harris twisted every situation to her advantage, while the rest of the Harris family turned a blind eye, choosing to believe whatever lies Jordyn spun.

Hank cut in, sharp and unyielding, "That's enough! We took you in and raised you. Don't think you can just walk away whenever it suits you. You ungrateful woman!"

"You didn't take me in out of kindness. You only adopted me because Jordyn and I share the rare golden blood type." Eleanor's tone turned steely as she spoke. "From the time I was thirteen, every time she needed blood, you just took it from me. I lost count of how many times I blacked out from all the transfusions. Not once did anyone bother to check if I was all right. I owe your family nothing. I refuse to be branded ungrateful."

A derisive huff sounded from Hank. "If you weren't useful, we never would've brought you in. Enough of this—three days, that's all you have. Come back and marry into the Carter family for Jordyn. That's final."

She didn't waste time arguing about the past. "If you want me to take Jordyn's place at the altar, I want twenty percent of Harris Group's shares or one hundred million in cash. That's my price."

He yelled, "A hundred million? Why not just ask for the whole world while you're at it?"

Eleanor's answer was flat, unwavering. "I won't be a stand-in for Jordyn unless you pay for it. Mr. Harris, if you can't spare the money, let Jordyn marry into the Carter family herself."

With no hint of hesitation, Eleanor ended the call and turned her attention back to sorting through her belongings.

Her gaze brightened as she glanced over her collection of pharmacology notes, toxicology references, music scores, and jewelry sketches spread across the desk.

All those years in the Harris family's house, every formula for skincare and scar removal, every piece of jewelry she dreamed up, and every melody she wrote—all of it had been stolen and handed over to Jordyn as if it was never hers at all.

Free from the chains of the Harris family and no longer obligated to sacrifice for Archie, Eleanor finally felt ready to let her true self shine and take charge of her future.

She took a deep breath, collected her thoughts, and began packing. As she rummaged through her bag, her fingers brushed against something unexpected—a pocket watch.

"A pocket watch? How did this get in here? I don't remember picking it up."

Right then, her phone rang with a call from the hotel reception. "Hello, ma'am. A highly esteemed guest of our hotel lost a pocket watch somewhere on the premises. There's a reward of one million for whoever returns it or provides information."

The mention of the reward made Eleanor's eyes widen, especially with the burden of her debts looming. "One million?" She stared at the pocket watch, hope rising in her chest. "I did find a pocket watch. I'll be right there to return it."

After ending the call, she slipped on a mask, grabbed her bag, and caught a cab straight to the hotel. At the front desk, she offered up the pocket watch.

"I found this earlier today and thought—"

Suddenly, a strong hand reached out, wrapping around both her wrist and the pocket watch.

Startled, Eleanor looked up, meeting the cold, penetrating stare of a man.

Austin's gaze was cold as he gripped her hand tighter. "Where did you get this? Did you sneak into my suite?"

Before she could protest, he reached up and pulled down her mask.

In a rush of panic, Eleanor turned her face away, desperate to hide the birthmark she was sure would disgust him.

Austin gripped her chin and tilted her face toward him, eyes narrowed with suspicion. The lighting in the hotel room last night had been too dim for him to recognize her clearly, leaving him uncertain if this was the same woman.

As he leaned in, Eleanor's senses were overwhelmed by the sharp scent of chemicals on his clothes and the sight of a fresh bandage across his brow. Her blood ran cold. Was this the same man from Room 1619—the one who had nearly assaulted her? Had she taken his pocket watch by mistake, slipping it into her bag without realizing?

Pain shot through her jaw and she flinched, struggling to pull away. "Please, you're hurting me. Let go of my face. I—I only picked up the watch from the hotel lobby. That's all."

Austin's stare hardened. Without loosening his grip, he shouted at the receptionist, "Show me the lobby footage. Now."

The receptionist wasted no time and quickly pulled up the security footage.

Austin's gaze hardened as he fixed his attention on Eleanor, a mocking smirk twisting his lips. "If you're lying to me, you're going to regret it."

A jolt of fear shot through Eleanor, making her quickly put her mask back on. The threat in his voice left her shrinking back, dread creeping up her spine.

Her mind spun as she tried desperately to think of a believable story, but panic choked off her thoughts. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead.

The screen flickered to life, playing the recording for everyone to see.

Eleanor's heart thudded against her ribs.

By pure luck, when she arrived at the hotel last night, several guests happened to walk by, blocking the camera's view.

Relief washed over her, and she seized the opportunity. "I noticed the pocket watch stuck under the carpet and thought I should report it. I was planning to hand it over to the police so the real owner could be found. Could you please let me go now, sir?"

She could hardly believe her luck. At the very moment the camera would have caught her, she'd crouched down, tying her shoes.

Without warning, Austin yanked her closer, his arm locking around her waist.

Her face blanched with outrage. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Instead of releasing her, Austin grabbed her hand and leaned in, inhaling softly. There was no trace of artificial scent—just the light fragrance of jasmine clung to her skin. He found himself questioning whether this was truly the woman from last night, as he struggled to remember the scent she had worn.

Eleanor's nerves frayed as she squirmed in his grasp. "What do you want from me?" she blurted, her tone a mix of anger and anxiety.

Austin seemed ready to let her go, but his eyes darkened when something caught his attention.

Without warning, he tugged at the collar of her shirt, exposing a fresh bite mark on her shoulder.

That was the last straw. Eleanor tore herself away, fury blazing in her eyes. "That's enough! You're way out of line. If you don't back off, I'll call the police!"

Ignoring her threat, Austin traced the mark with his finger, voice low and edged with menace. "Where did you get this?"

He struggled to recall if he had left that mark himself. His memory blurred after the blow to his head, but he remembered catching a glimpse of a woman stumbling out, clutching her shoulder.

Panic flickered across Eleanor's face, but she forced herself to sound casual. "It's nothing. My boyfriend left it, all right? Does that answer satisfy you?"

Austin only hesitated a moment before gripping her wrist and pulling her toward the exit.

With his long stride, Eleanor had to scurry to keep up, stumbling after him. "Where are you dragging me? Let go—I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Eleanor struggled to keep pace, desperately trying to wrench her hand from Austin's iron grasp.

No matter how hard she tried, his hold remained unyielding, making escape impossible.

Reaching the curb, Austin yanked open the car door.

Without wasting a second, Eleanor made a frantic attempt to bolt, clawing at his arms and digging in her heels.

With a single motion, Austin scooped her up and dropped her onto the back seat.

Fuming, Eleanor shoved at his chest. "Let me out of here!"

Austin paid her no mind. He looked over at Braeden and instructed, "Take us to the Carter family's hospital."

Braeden started the engine, his tone even. "Sir, is this Ms. Golden?"

Inside, Braeden was genuinely taken aback. After combing through the hotel's guest list all day, they'd found no sign of anyone surnamed Golden. Yet here she was, practically falling into their lap.

Fear shot through Eleanor as she stammered, "I... I'm not some Ms. Golden. You've made a mistake. Let me out—now!"

Austin ignored her plea, his silence as heavy as stone.

Breathing hard and shaking with frustration, Eleanor tried again. "You've got the wrong woman! This is illegal—do you hear me? I'll call the police!"

"Not another word." Austin silenced her with a glare, his voice cold and final. His stare never left her face, his expression dark enough to send chills down her spine.

His glare struck Eleanor speechless, leaving her frozen in fear.

She pressed herself as far as she could against the car door, desperate to keep distance between them.

The moment they arrived at the hospital, Austin wasted no time dragging her into the lab. He roughly tugged her shirt aside, exposing the bite mark on her shoulder.

"Run a DNA analysis on the wound. Test for my saliva."

It didn't take long for Eleanor to grasp what he meant. Her background in pharmacology and toxicology told her exactly what he intended—if his DNA matched, there would be no denying she had been in his room.

Her face drained of color. She scrambled to protest. "No—I won't let you do this!"

Austin's eyes flicked up, cold and unreadable.

He didn't need to raise his voice. His lips pressed into a thin, unforgiving line as he pinned her with a cold stare.

The intensity of his gaze pressed on Eleanor like a physical weight, squeezing the air from her lungs.

Tears threatened as she looked at him, her voice trembling. "Why are you doing this? We're strangers. I never meant you any harm. I really just stumbled on that pocket watch."

Ignoring her plea, Austin turned to the nurse and spoke with finality. "I want those test results as soon as possible."

The nurse wasted no time, quickly swabbing Eleanor's shoulder to collect a sample from the wound.

A storm of frustration and fear churned inside Eleanor, but she had no way to fight back. Her thoughts raced for an escape plan. If this DNA test confirmed Austin's suspicions and she had nowhere else to turn, she would have to rely on the Murray family to defend her. But who exactly was this man—and would the Murray family really cross him for her sake?

Once Eleanor's sample was taken, the nurse calmly moved on to Austin, gathering a swab from the inside of his cheek under his watchful eye.

Waiting in uneasy silence, Eleanor backed away until she stood by the window at the far end of the hallway, keeping a wary eye on the stone-faced bodyguards stationed nearby. All the while, she quietly plotted a way out.

Braeden risked a glance in her direction, then turned to Austin and spoke in a low voice. "Sir, do you think she's the one you're searching for?"

Austin absentmindedly rolled the pocket watch between his fingers. "She brought this back to the hotel."

"She found it? That's a relief." Braeden let out a breath, but quickly shifted back to business. "If that's the case, she might not realize you've been trying to track her down."

A chilling smile flickered on Austin's lips. "She checked in under the name Eleanor Lloyd. Look into it."

"Understood," Braeden replied. "Also, the Harris family called again about the marriage arrangements. Miss Harris's illness has postponed things for three years, but now that your grandfather's health is failing, he wants to finalize everything soon. When would you like to meet with the Harris family?"

Austin barely reacted. "Set it up however you like."

Marriage was nothing but a formality to him. His illness kept him distant, and the idea of actually living with a wife never crossed his mind. As long as his grandfather was satisfied, he'd go through the motions. He figured he could always make it worth the other person's trouble later on.

"Understood." Braeden nodded, already expecting this answer. "One more thing—Mr. Harris wants to swap in his younger daughter. He says the elder one isn't healthy enough to have children. Should I look into the younger one first?"

With an indifferent arch of his brow, Austin dismissed the thought with a lazy wave.

Braeden took the hint and fell silent.

Across the hallway, Eleanor finally abandoned the idea of making a run for it. Too many guards and too few options.

Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. She glanced down—Murray family.

Her hands shook as she picked up, frustration boiling over. "You've crossed the line! I offered to donate blood for your daughter, and this is how you repay me? Setting me up like this?"

To keep Archie from discovering she'd sold her blood, Eleanor had gone to great lengths, even disguising herself to stay unnoticed.

"Who has set you up? Are you delusional? Why aren't you here yet? You still want that one hundred grand or not?" The voice on the other end snapped at her with zero patience.

Thrown off, Eleanor replied, "But I showed up last night!"

"We've been sitting in Room 1616 for the whole night and you're nowhere to be seen. Are you backing out?"

That number—1616—made Eleanor's head spin. She didn't know whether to laugh or scream. "You told me 1619!"

"1619? Looks like we gave you the wrong number. Come to 1616 now."

Eleanor's reply was ice cold. "Forget it. Don't ever call me again."

She ended the call, heart pounding as she replayed the entire ordeal in her mind. With new resolve, she marched straight up to Austin.

His cold stare didn't faze her. She held out her hand, palm open. "You said there'd be a reward. I want it now."

Let him think she was after the money—maybe that would be enough for him to throw her out. That was exactly what she hoped for.

Austin's expression stayed cold, his gaze filled with contempt.

Braeden gave him a quick look, then turned to Eleanor. "Miss, we'll need you to wait for the DNA results before anything else."

Unbothered, Eleanor thrust her hand out even further. "You've wasted my time and dragged me into this mess. I expect to be paid for my trouble—lost wages, emotional distress, all of it. Not a cent less than a million."

A spark of challenge lit her eyes as she braced herself to bolt the moment Austin dismissed her.

Austin's eyebrow arched and a frigid, mocking smile flickered across his lips. After all that scheming, she was only asking for a million? He couldn't decide whether to admire her cunning or shake his head at how clueless she was.

Right then, the nurse returned with a sealed envelope, moving carefully as she offered it to Austin. "Sir, your test results are ready..."

Braeden took the report, then turned to the nurse. "Just give us the answer."

Eleanor immediately pulled her hand back, tension knotting her shoulders and her heart pounding in her chest.

With a cautious glance at Austin, the nurse remarked in a soft voice, "There's no trace of this gentleman's DNA in Miss Lloyd's wound."

Austin's glare cut through the silence, icy and filled with doubt. Was he really wrong about Eleanor?

A wave of relief washed over Eleanor, making her stand a little taller. "See? I kept telling you, I wasn't the one you were looking for!"

She secretly rejoiced that the test had come back clean. Maybe scrubbing the wound with antiseptic after her shower had done the trick, or perhaps the DNA had simply faded away with time. Either way, luck was on her side for once.

Braeden cast a cautious glance at Austin. "Sir, do you want us to release her now?"

Without waiting for an answer, Eleanor spun around and dashed for the nearest exit, desperate to leave them all behind.

"Don't take another step." Austin's command cut through the corridor, cold and commanding.

Eleanor froze mid-stride, nerves jangling, a tremor running through her.

"Braeden, transfer her a million," Austin said, voice low and final.

A shaky breath escaped Eleanor. She spun around, a hint of panic in her eyes. "There's really no need. I'm not interested in your money. I—"

Without waiting for her to finish, Austin strode forward, casting a long shadow over her. His presence radiated dominance, making the air heavy with authority.

Eleanor swallowed her protest, the weight of his gaze leaving her breathless. She fumbled for her phone, quickly pulling up her bank account details.

Braeden got to work immediately, sending the money to her account without a word.

Barely pausing, Eleanor whispered a rushed thanks and made her escape, darting away without so much as a glance back.

As the hallway fell quiet again, Braeden looked to Austin. "Do you want us to keep digging into Miss Lloyd's background?"

"Of course." Austin's reply was quiet but firm.

"You think she's still hiding something? Did you give her the money just to make her let her guard down?" Braeden considered the situation aloud.

A shadow passed over Austin's features. "Eleanor's behavior was odd. Something doesn't add up."

Braeden mulled it over, then nodded in agreement. "At first, Miss Lloyd was visibly shaken and tense, but the moment she heard the test results, she seemed almost relieved. Maybe she's covering up something bigger. We can't afford to overlook any threat, not when your safety is at stake."

The nurse arrived in a rush, announcing that the hospital director needed to see Austin right away for something urgent.

Inside the office, the director gestured for Austin to take a seat, then slid a folder across the desk. "Mr. Carter, we've completed the analysis of Miss Lloyd's blood. Not only does she have an extraordinarily rare blood type, but we also found a compound in her sample that's never been documented."

Austin's eyes narrowed with interest, focusing on the report.

Braeden spoke up, curiosity piqued. "What sort of compound are we talking about? Do you know its effects?"

Shaking his head, the director replied, "At this stage, all we can tell is that it's a complex substance, likely developed or introduced after birth. We'll need advanced testing to learn more."

Braeden glanced over, reading Austin's expression. "Should we arrange for further tests?"

The director spread his hands in a gesture of frustration. "Unfortunately, there's not enough of Miss Lloyd's blood left to continue, and we're limited by our current lab technology."

Braeden hesitated before turning to Austin. "Mr. Carter, would you like us to request more samples from Miss Lloyd?"

Pausing for a moment, the director added thoughtfully, "One more thing—I suspect that the large dark mark on her face may not be something she was born with. It could be directly linked to this unidentified element in her blood."

Austin absently tapped his fingers against the tabletop, his mind turning over the implications.

Watching Austin's expression carefully, the director offered a suggestion. "Mr. Carter, if we can isolate and study that compound, we might be on the verge of something groundbreaking. Perhaps we could—"

Before he could finish, Austin pushed back his chair and shot the director a cold, sidelong glare. His eyes were as sharp as steel.

Nervousness overtook the director. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he quickly reassured, saying, "You have my word, Mr. Carter—this stays between us."

Without another word, Austin straightened his suit and walked out.

In the car, the atmosphere felt heavier than ever. Braeden's voice matched the tension. "Mr. Carter, what if that substance in Eleanor's blood isn't just some coincidence? Your episode and meeting her at the same time—maybe it wasn't an accident at all."

Austin's gaze turned lethal, his eyes cold and calculating. "Send the blood sample and the test data to our main pharmaceutical lab. Let the Carter Group's team handle it."

Braeden nodded, but worry lingered in his voice. "I'll make arrangements, but... there really isn't much of the sample left."

Austin's answer was curt. "Have them start with what we have."

As the car rolled on, Braeden couldn't help glancing at Austin's pale face, signs of poison still lingering. A note of regret slipped into his tone. "If only Professor Benjamin Lloyd were still alive..."

The moment the name left his lips, Austin's head snapped up, his stare turning glacial, slicing through the quiet like a knife. The chill in his eyes seemed to freeze the entire car.

Braeden's heart hammered, and sweat dampened his back as he realized he might have crossed a line.