"Why would you frame your own sister? Why would you hire someone to smash her hand?"

Nathan shot to his feet, fury radiating off him like something that could swallow a person whole.

The gift box slipped from his hand, its contents scattering across the floor.

Evelyn took a step back, confusion written all over her face. "I didn't… I've been busy these past few days. I didn't even know she was hurt."

"And you still dare to deny it?" Nathan let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

"Last time you stepped forward at the press conference, I thought you'd finally changed. Turns out you're even more vicious behind the scenes."

He threw a stack of documents in front of her.

Papers scattered across the floor, chat logs and transaction records laid out clearly, all pointing to her paying someone to injure Annelise's hand.

"The evidence is right here. And you still say it wasn't you?"

Evelyn stared blankly at the evidence on the floor, her blood running cold.

"I didn't do it! This wasn't me!" Her eyes reddened as she stared at Nathan. "Photos can be faked! We've been married for three years, don't you know what I'm like? How could I ever hurt Annelise?"

Nathan frowned slightly. He stepped forward, snatched her phone without a word, and unlocked it with her fingerprint before opening the messaging app.

The top contact matched the documents exactly, down to the timestamps and the amounts transferred.

"And you're still lying to me!" Nathan snapped, completely losing control. He turned to the bodyguards. "Take her to the police."

Two tall bodyguards stepped forward immediately, grabbing her arms and dragging her out.

"I'm not lying! It really wasn't me!"

Evelyn shoved them away with all her strength and bolted for the door.

She had to make Annelise believe her.

She stumbled all the way to the hospital and pushed the door open. Annelise was sitting on the bed, her right hand wrapped in thick bandages.

"Annelise!" Evelyn rushed forward, dropping to her bedside. "You have to believe me. I didn't hurt you. Those records are fake. Someone set me up…"

Annelise looked at her, her eyes calm, almost cold.

She gently pulled her hand away, cutting her off. "I know. It wasn't you."

Evelyn froze, relief just beginning to rise before the next words fell.

"Because I planned it myself."

"Why…" Evelyn's body went rigid, her breathing turning shallow.

She took a step back, as if unable to believe it.

"You're lying… aren't you?"

Annelise's lips slowly curved into a twisted, venomous smile. "Why? You're asking me why? I grew up in the Whitmore family, with the best of everything. My parents loved me, Nathan loved me. My life was perfect. And then you had to show up. I felt guilty. I pitied you. I gave you everything that should have been yours. But the company is something I built with my own hands, and now the parents who once favored me want to give you thirty percent of the shares! I'm the one who's supposed to inherit it all, yet you get everything without doing a thing!"

"I don't want the shares. I can give them all to you. I never wanted to compete with you…" Evelyn murmured.

She had never wanted anything from the Whitmore family. In just two days, she would be gone.

Before she could finish, Annelise raised her hand and slapped her hard. Evelyn's head snapped to the side, a trace of blood appearing at the corner of her lips.

"That pathetic look again! Then why did you come back? Wouldn't it have been better if you'd just stayed there and died in that miserable little village, never showing up at all?"

Evelyn walked out of the hospital in a daze, the sting of the slap still burning on her face.

She hadn't gone far when two rough hands suddenly clamped over her mouth and nose from behind.

When she came to, she was tied to a chair.

Not far away, Annelise was bound as well, her face ashen.

Footsteps approached from the distance.

Nathan rushed in, his suit disheveled. "Annelise! Evelyn!"

Behind him, a man in a silver mask stepped out slowly, idly twirling a sharp knife in his hand. "Mr. Langford, long time no see."

Nathan clenched his fists. "Who are you? Name your price. Just let them go!"

The masked man let out a low chuckle and strolled over behind Annelise.

"Money? I'm not interested." He paused. "Today, only one of them walks out alive. Nathan, your wife… or your sister-in-law. Pick one."

The air froze.

"Don't you dare!" Nathan's eyes burned with fury. "Let them go now while you still can. Once I find out who you are, I won't let you off."

The masked man sneered and pressed the blade against Annelise's throat.

Annelise screamed, her voice breaking. "Nathan! Save me!"

"I'll ask one last time," the masked man said, his voice turning cold. "Who do you choose?"

Nathan's fists tightened as his gaze shifted between Evelyn and Annelise.

In the end, he closed his eyes. "I choose… Annelise."

Three simple words, yet they landed like a crushing weight on Evelyn's chest.

She had expected it, yet it still hurt so much she could barely breathe.

The masked man let out a scoff and shoved Annelise forward.

Nathan pulled her into his arms, soothing her over and over. "It's okay, Annelise. You're safe. I'm here."

He never looked at Evelyn once.

The masked man raised a remote and pressed it, pointing straight at Evelyn.

"No!" Nathan turned back in alarm at the sound.

A red light blinked on. The countdown began.

Seeing the blood on Annelise, Nathan gritted his teeth and carried her toward the exit.

Evelyn closed her eyes, a tear slipping down silently.

But the explosion never came.

A warm, steady hand caught her wrist and pulled her toward the back exit.

Only when they reached safety did he stop and remove the mask.

It revealed a face she didn't recognize, calm and gentle.

Evelyn struggled to catch her breath, her body going weak. "You…"

The man looked at her seriously. "What you said at the press conference… none of it was true, was it?"

Evelyn froze, her pupils shrinking. "How do you know…"

"I found your application for the remote teaching program." His voice was quiet. "And your eyes. I've seen that look too many times."

In that moment, Evelyn finally broke.

In front of a complete stranger, every layer of her composure collapsed.

Tears fell uncontrollably, one after another.

He reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face, his touch almost impossibly gentle.

"Don't cry." He took a plane ticket from his pocket and held it out to her.

The destination was exactly where she had planned to go.

"I bought your ticket. Come on. Leave this place. Go where you really want to be."

Outside the factory, Nathan gently set Annelise down, already turning to rush back in.

Annelise grabbed his arm, her face pale. "Nathan, have you lost your mind? Going back in there is suicide!"

Nathan shook her off, his eyes bloodshot. "That's my wife!"

Annelise froze where she stood, her fingers still curled in the air.

He had never spoken harshly to her before, never pushed her away like that.

After a long moment, resentment slowly filled her eyes.

Nathan charged into the factory like a madman. Thick smoke filled the air, stinging his lungs, but Evelyn was nowhere to be seen.

Where she had been tied up, there was only a dismantled explosive device left behind.

He reached down and squeezed it. It was nothing but a fake.

"Evelyn! Where are you?"

The factory stood empty, his voice echoing back at him.

The bodyguards arrived, forming two dense lines behind him.

Nathan took a deep breath, his grip tightening around his own fingers as he forced himself to calm down.

A fake bomb meant they hadn't intended to kill Evelyn.

His voice turned cold. "Everyone, search within a ten-mile radius of the factory. Any suspicious vehicles, any rival companies. Don't miss a single lead. Whatever it takes, find her!"

"Yes, Mr. Langford!"

The lead bodyguard hesitated before speaking. "Mr. Langford, Ms. Whitmore is still outside. Her hand is badly injured. Should we take her to the hospital first?"

Nathan froze for a moment, only then remembering Annelise was still outside.

"You keep searching for Evelyn. I'll take Annelise to the hospital."

He strode back and saw Annelise's injured hand hanging at her side, bloodied and torn. A flicker of concern crossed his eyes.

"Annelise, I'm sorry. I lost control just now…"

Annelise shook her head gently, her tone as composed as ever. "It's okay. You were just worried about Evelyn."

The car sped all the way to the hospital.

Nathan pulled every string he had, calling in the hospital's top surgeons to operate on Annelise's hand.

The operating room light turned red. He sat down on the bench in the hallway.

He should have been worried about Annelise in surgery, yet his mind kept circling back to Evelyn.

She was afraid of the dark, afraid of pain, soft as something that could be crushed too easily.

Would she be crying right now? Would that masked man hurt her?

She was so naive, so obedient. She'd probably be curled up in some corner, quietly waiting for him to save her…

A fear he had never felt before tightened around his chest.

He slammed his fist into the wall, his knuckles reddening instantly.

He didn't understand what was happening to him.

He had once thought it would be better if Evelyn had never come back.

Before long, the operating room light went out.

The doctor removed his mask, visibly relieved. "Mr. Langford, the surgery went well. She'll recover after a few days of rest."

Nathan stood and walked in.

Annelise had just woken up, her face ashen, a weak smile appearing when she saw him.

"Annelise, the doctor said you're fine. I'll—"

"I'll go find Evelyn." Before he could finish, Annelise cut him off.

She reached out and held onto his sleeve, her eyes glistening. "Nathan, stay with me… please?"

Nathan frowned. "But Evelyn is still with the kidnappers."

"She'll be fine," Annelise said softly.

Nathan paused, looking down at her. "You weren't like this before. You've always cared about your sister the most. But today…"

Annelise trembled, forcing herself upright as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Nathan… I regret it. I'll agree to it. You divorce her, and we can be together again. I'm really afraid of losing you."

This was what Nathan had been waiting to hear for three long years.

Yet now that he heard it, there was no joy in him, only an uneasy resistance.

He even found himself resenting her. Evelyn's life was still uncertain, and this was what she chose to talk about?

Tears rolled down Annelise's face.

"When he held that knife to my throat… the only person I thought of was you."

Nathan's expression softened slightly.

What happened today must have shaken her. That was why she wasn't thinking clearly.

Nathan raised his hand and gently brushed her hair, his tone softening. "Give it some time, okay? We'll talk about it after we find Evelyn."

Annelise pressed on, "You'll divorce her soon, right?"

Nathan gently pulled away, his tone turning stiff. "Annelise, I know Evelyn has wronged you before, and you're upset. But she's missing right now. Let's put this aside for now."

Before Annelise could say anything else, he picked up his coat and walked out of the room.