I smiled at him, already at peace, but he wasn't.

Aaron dragged me into the hospital room.

The moment we entered, his kisses rained down on me in a frenzy.

"Amanda, you're being disobedient. You're trying to run again."

He held me close, and for the first time, I felt his body trembling—he was scared.

"Aaron, I'm not keeping this child, and I don't want you either."

I spoke firmly, but it was as if he hadn't heard. He reached into my clothes, trying to unhook my bra.

"Amanda, if you give birth to our child, you won't leave, right?"

"Now that the old woman is dead, you have something else to hold onto, don't you?"

He... was acting insane.

Desperately, he continued to strip my clothes. I slapped him hard, my disappointment reaching its peak, and tears instantly spilled from my eyes.

"Aaron, listen carefully. I don't want you anymore. You can keep me locked up, but you can't make me stay."

In the three years we were together, he never said it, but I knew he had been watching Grandma secretly all along.

I... wanted to escape.

I was betting on a shred of decency in him.

But he just laughed.

"Amanda, you owe me. Have you forgotten? You'll spend the rest of your life repenting for abandoning me."

He held me tightly, and I couldn't move. I... lost the bet.

He wasn't the Aaron I used to know anymore.

And I really did owe him.

The cheerful, righteous young man who had once told me countless times that he wanted to be a guardian of the nation—he was gone.

Then, my alcoholic father killed someone.

I... couldn't drag Aaron down with me and ruin his reputation.

So, I ran away. I ran for three years.

I owed him.

I knew, the feelings Aaron had for me are nothing more than obsession.

If I were to die by his hands, would that satisfy him just a little?

Aaron took me back to Romland—it was the cage he built for me.

I was his canary, and I belonged there.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips, and Aaron's large hand immediately covered mine.

"Amanda, there are doctors in the villa who will watch over you until you give birth to the baby."

His voice carried a gentle coaxing tone, but his grip on my hand was firm.

He was afraid I would run. I didn't respond and turned my head to look out the car window.

When I left, the flowers outside were still blooming.

Today, they were all wilted.

They were flowers I had planted, one by one, during those long, dull days.

Now, not a single one remained, just like the outcome between Aaron and me.

I can only admit defeat.

"Once the baby is born, we can plant new ones together."

Aaron gently stroked my head, trying to show his care for me.

But I wouldn't live long enough to give birth.

And I wouldn't be keeping this child either.

That night, Aaron lay beside me, just like before.

He reached out to touch me, and I moved away.

But he was still overbearing and pulled me into his arms.

"Amanda, I've arranged for a tracker. This way, we'll always know where the other is."

After saying this, he remained silent, only tightening his hold on me.

A tracker—something embedded under the skin. Aaron was serious this time; he was determined to keep me tied to him.

Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes, and his breathing grew heavier. It seemed like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

I crawled out of bed, and he didn't notice.

I went to the bathroom and pulled out a small pill from my sleeve.

The doctor had said that once I took it, the baby would be gone on its own.

I reached down to touch my belly—it was hard to let go.

This was my first child, and it would be my last.

Having had it, it can be considered fulfilling.