The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose, and I opened my eyes.

My leg was encased in plaster and suspended in the air. Even the slightest movement sent a piercing pain shooting through me.

The hospital room was empty.

When the nurse came in to change my dressing, she mentioned in passing that Adrian was downstairs with Vivian while she underwent a full round of examinations.

I stared at the harsh ceiling light until my eyes felt dry and sore.

After what felt like forever, the door to the room was pushed open.

It was Vivian.

A few rough-looking men trailed in behind her.

"Serena, you're harder to kill than I thought." Vivian walked up to the bed, folding her arms as she looked me over.

"Get out," I said, not even bothering to look at her.

"Still talking tough, I see." She let out a soft scoff and tilted her head toward the men behind her. "Teach Mrs. Blackwood some manners."

One of the men stepped forward at once and raised his hand to slap me across the face.

I jerked my head aside, and his hand came down hard against the pillow instead.

"Oh? You've still got the nerve to dodge?" the man sneered as he reached for my hair.

Another man, his arms covered in tattoos, stepped up and grabbed at the collar of my hospital gown.

"Ugly face, decent body. Whatever, we'll make an exception today."

I struggled with everything I had, but the cast on my leg left me nowhere to retreat.

Vivian stood off to the side with her arms crossed, calmly enjoying my humiliation.

In my desperation, my hand fumbled blindly across the bedside table until it found something cold and solid.

It was a glass vase.

With every bit of strength I had left, I grabbed the vase and brought it down hard on the head of the man who was tearing at my clothes.

The man screamed, clutched his head, and collapsed, blood streaming through his fingers.

At that exact moment, the hospital room door was shoved open.

Adrian stood in the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the chaos in the room, the thug on the floor howling with his hands over his head, before finally settling on the disheveled front of my gown.

"Adrian!" Vivian reacted instantly. Her eyes reddened as she threw herself into his arms. "I just came to check on Serena out of kindness, but the second she saw me, she completely lost it and started attacking people. It was like she'd rehearsed the whole thing..."

Adrian's eyes passed over the bleeding man on the floor before returning to me.

"Serena, how did you become like this?" His voice was slow, heavy with exhaustion. "I only went with Miss Mercer to have a few scrapes treated, and you hired these men to stage this whole act?"

He actually thought I was putting on an act?

My eyes reddened in shock.

A man as sharp and intelligent as he was could have seen the truth with the slightest thought. But when it came to Vivian, he didn't question a thing. Whatever she said, he believed.

Even though I had already seen through his hypocrisy, even though I had accepted that his heart belonged to someone else, the nakedness of that favoritism still left me aching with hurt and humiliation.

When I didn't speak, Adrian's voice dropped lower. "Serena, are you resenting me because of the accident? It was chaos back then. I just got the wrong person."

The wrong person?

And even the name… was that wrong too?

A laugh escaped me, even as tears spilled uncontrollably down my face.

"Adrian, were you blind when you chose who to save, and are you still blind now? Did you not see what they were trying to do to me?"

"Enough." He frowned, disappointment heavy in his voice. "There's evidence and witnesses. You've gone too far this time. I can't keep covering for you. Intentional assault isn't something I can overlook. Spend a few days inside and calm down."

He turned to his assistant and told him to call the police. He never looked at me again before walking away.

Vivian glanced back at me, her gaze full of provocation, as if to say I had it coming.

The police arrived quickly.

Charged with assault, I was taken away on the spot and locked in detention.

Three days. Seventy-two hours.

The room was dark and damp, thick with the stench of sweat and urine.

The other women in the cell took one look at my hospital gown and lit up with excitement.

They grabbed my hair and shoved my face into the reeking toilet, laughing as they mocked my appearance.

"Heard your own man was the one who sent you in here?"

"Looking like that? Not surprising."

Blows rained down on me. New wounds layered over old ones. The cast on my leg cracked, and the injury beneath grew inflamed and infected.

A fever burned through me, my body scorching hot, yet I didn't shed a single tear or beg for mercy.

Between each beating, I kept replaying those three years of marriage to Adrian, over and over again.

He had once taken drinks meant for me at banquets, clumsily cooked porridge for me late at night, whispered that I was the best in his eyes...

Now, every memory had turned into the cruelest kind of mockery.

My love for him, along with my dignity, was ground into dust over those three days—crushed beyond recognition.

The day I walked out of detention, the sunlight was blinding.

I saw Adrian's car parked not far away.

I didn't go to him.

Instead, I took out my phone and called him.

"Adrian," I heard my own voice, hoarse and strained, "let's get divorced."

There was a brief silence on the other end before his voice came through, edged with anger. "Serena, are you done causing trouble?"

"I'm not causing trouble." I said calmly, "I'll have my lawyer send you the divorce papers."

Then I hung up.

I didn't know when Adrian planned to come clean, but I was done playing along.

If he refused to sign, I would take it to court.

But after hearing me out, the lawyer hesitated. "Mrs. Blackwood, you know better than I do how much influence Mr. Blackwood has in Kingsport. Taking him to court... there's no chance of winning."

I stood there, stunned.

So in this game, I didn't even have the right to say it was over.

I stood at the crossroads, watching traffic stream past, and felt utterly trapped.

In the end, I pulled up a number I had thought I would never call again.

The call connected quickly, and an aged yet authoritative voice came through. "Serena?"

"Dad..." I closed my eyes, and at last, the tears fell. "I was wrong. I want to come home."

"Alright." There wasn't a trace of hesitation in his voice. "Wait for me. Three days. I'll come and bring you home."

After hanging up, I returned to the home I had shared with Adrian for three years.

I began quietly erasing every trace of my life there.

I threw away every gift he had ever given me. The paintings, the jewelry, the luxury items I had once treasured—now they were nothing but proof of my own foolishness.

I deleted every photo of him from my phone.

I packed the few belongings I had brought with me into a suitcase.

Adrian probably thought my request for divorce was just a tantrum. To make it up to me, he started coming home more often.

He would hold me from behind like he used to and ask how my day had been.

He would bring back my favorite desserts and set them in front of me.

He would even set aside an entire day's work just to sit with me and watch old movies.

The more he did, the more disgusted I felt.

I moved like a puppet without emotions. Whatever he said, I followed—no resistance, no response.

My silence seemed to unsettle him.

"Serena, are you still upset with me?" He pulled me into his arms, a hint of helplessness in his tone. "I only sent you to detention so you could calm down. It was meant to teach you a lesson. If you behave, I'll take you out somewhere nice. Alright?"

He didn't wait for my answer. Instead, he dragged me straight onto a yacht that was about to set sail.

A lively party was already underway on board.

Perfume lingered in the air, glasses clinked, and laughter flowed easily.

Adrian led me through the crowd. Everyone raised their glasses to greet him—then turned those same eyes on me, filled with curiosity and disdain.

I pulled my hand free and walked out onto the deck alone.

The sea breeze tangled my hair and scattered the heaviness in my chest.

Behind me, the sharp click of heels echoed.

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Serena, you really don't know when to disappear, do you?" Vivian came up beside me, holding a glass of champagne. "Do you really think acting pitiful will make Adrian look at you twice? You're ugly and pathetic. You're not even qualified to be my replacement. Adrian will divorce you soon and marry me. You'd better have the decency to walk away on your own."

I kept my eyes on the distant horizon and ignored her.

"What, lost your voice?" Seeing no response, she grew bolder and shoved me. "I'm talking to you!"

This time, I didn't hold back.

I caught her wrist mid-shove, twisted it, and pinned her against the railing.

"Vivian, you'd better stop provoking me." I looked at her, my voice cold. "Or I won't be responsible for what I do next."

"You think you can touch me?" A flicker of panic crossed her face before arrogance returned. "Go ahead. Try it. Adrian will never let you off."

She suddenly cried out, "Help! Serena's gone crazy! She's trying to push me into the water!"

At that moment, the yacht lurched. My footing slipped, and my body tilted, about to fall into the sea.

Vivian screamed and tried to pull away, but I held on tight.

In the end, we both plunged into the sea.

The freezing water swallowed us whole. All we could do was struggle and gasp for air.

Adrian noticed the commotion almost immediately. When he saw who was in the water, his pupils shrank sharply.

Without hesitation, he dove in and swam toward us as fast as he could.

I drifted in and out of awareness, rising and sinking in the water. When I saw Adrian coming toward me, I thought—finally—there was hope.

But the next second, he swam right past me—straight toward Vivian, farther away.

He caught hold of Vivian and pulled her toward the yacht with all his strength.

From start to finish, he never once looked back at me.

Cold seawater rushed into my mouth and nose, stealing my breath. My limbs slowly went numb.

The water washed over my face again and again, stripping away the heavy foundation and pushing aside the sticky fringe.

Just as I was about to stop struggling and sink beneath the surface—

I saw Adrian, nearly pulling Vivian onto the yacht, suddenly pause as if sensing something, then turn his head sharply.

My body drifted in the vast ocean like a piece of debris.

His pupils contracted, shock and disbelief flashing across his face.

For a split second, it seemed he had seen Serena's face in the water transform into something unfamiliar—yet breathtakingly beautiful.

But it was only an instant.

He turned back, intending to get Vivian safely aboard first—then come back for Serena.

The moment he climbed back onto the yacht, my consciousness slipped into endless darkness.

I felt myself sinking… deeper and deeper.

Until a pair of strong arms caught me and held me steady.

When I woke again, I found myself lying in an unfamiliar cabin.

A warm blanket covered me, and a small brazier glowed nearby.

A stranger dressed in black casualwear sat across from me, a tablet in hand as he worked through what looked like business matters.

"You're awake." He looked up, his gaze calm and steady. "How are you feeling?"

"Was it you who saved me?" I struggled upright, my voice rough and hoarse.

"It was nothing." The man set the tablet aside. "You've been unconscious for a day."

A whole day...

My heart jolted as I suddenly remembered my promise to my father.

"Thank you." I threw off the blanket and started to get out of bed. "I have to leave right away."

"No rush." The man rose to his feet and poured me a glass of hot water. "Your friend is still searching for you everywhere. If you walk out like this, are you sure he won't find you?"

My friend?

I froze for a moment before realizing he meant Adrian.

"He's not my friend." I took the glass from him and spoke quietly.

The man didn't press further. He only gave me a thoughtful look. "This ship will stay docked here for another two hours. You can take that time to rest properly. In two hours, I'll have someone take you wherever you want to go."

"Thank you."

After finishing the hot water, I went into the bathroom.

In the mirror was a face that looked ashen and unfamiliar.

The seawater had washed away every layer of disguise from my face, revealing what I had really looked like all along.

My soaked bangs clung to my forehead, and the heavy black-framed glasses were long gone.

The face in the mirror had delicately shaped brows and eyes, with a high, elegant bridge to the nose.

It was the kind of face that could drive men mad and stir envy in women.

I stood there staring at myself in the mirror for a long, long time.

Then I turned on the faucet and carefully washed away the very last traces of makeup still clinging to my face.

I didn't want to hide anymore.

And I didn't want to keep myself concealed anymore.

Two hours later, the man had someone take me to a private airport.

A helicopter was already waiting on the tarmac.

Walter Reed, my father's longtime butler, was standing at the foot of the steps. The moment he saw me, his eyes turned red.

"Miss Sterling, you've suffered far too much."

"Walter, let's go home." I gave him a small smile and boarded the helicopter.

The helicopter soared into the sky, leaving far behind the city that had held three years of my humiliation and pain.

What I didn't know was that someone had secretly photographed my face at the harbor, and the images were already spreading wildly across the internet.

"Stunning natural beauty spotted at the harbor, looks too good to be real."

"Now this looks like a real heiress, that elegance is unreal."

Within hours, the posts had shot to the top of the trending charts, and countless people were trying to find the girl who looked like she had stepped out of a dream.

Meanwhile, Adrian had nearly turned the entire stretch of sea upside down.

He had sent out dozens of rescue boats and hundreds of divers, searching for me without rest through the entire night.

Only then did the rescue teams, one by one and with great caution, voice the truth no one wanted to admit—Serena had no chance of surviving.

Adrian had not slept all night. His eyes were bloodshot, and there was a raw, frayed edge to him that even he did not seem to recognize.

He smashed everything in his office that could be smashed.

Then a news alert popped up on his phone.

"Unbelievable beauty spotted at the harbor, outshines socialite Vivian instantly!"

He glanced at it casually.

The woman in the photo had her head slightly lowered. Her long hair was lifted by the wind, revealing a profile so beautiful it stole the breath from anyone who saw it.

Adrian's breathing stopped for a beat.

That face...

He had seen it before.

In that single glance over his shoulder, after pulling Vivian to safety, this was the face he had seen in the freezing black water.

At the time, he had thought it was a hallucination.

He stared at the photo, his heart pounding wildly as an absurd, terrifying suspicion rose from deep within him.