In her third year of dating Jackson Hunter, the cool and proud Lumina Walker took out a secret loan of one million dollars to repay his debt. She even resorted to performing stripteases in a bar.

Everything changed when she overheard a shocking conversation between him and his friends.

"You're ruthless even to yourself! Just to get back at Lumina, you pretended to be a bartender for three years, tricked her into taking out a loan for you, and used her nude video as collateral. You even got her to strip at your bar! "

"If she ever found out that you're the loan shark and own the bar she stripped at… She'd probably drop dead from anger right there and then!" another chimed in.

Celia Price was Lumina's living nightmare, her tormentor for nine years since their middle school days—relentless bullying, harassment, and abuse.

The painful twist? Celia was Jackson's secret love all along—for a decade, to be exact.

Yet Lumina didn't cry, didn't fight back.

So when her Uncle Howard called and ordered her to marry the mute oldest son of the powerful Morgan family from Crown City, she agreed without hesitation.

Lumina Walker, cool and untouchable ice queen.

At her height of obsession over her boyfriend Jackson Hunter, she secretly took out a loan worth millions to pay off his debts. No one knew—not even her family.

As part of the deal, she had to take a nude video as collateral. She even went so far as to perform stripteases at a bar for extra cash.

Late at night, Lumina stood before raucous men screaming for her name. Her eyes turned red as she slowly removed her clothes, her body swaying in a seductive dance.

When the performance ended, she was left with nothing but a few scraps of fabric.

As soon as she left the stage, Jackson, who had been waiting in the crowd, quickly wrapped his black trench coat around her. He led her into a cramped backstage room and pushed her against the door.

"Shush. Stay still. I want you." In the darkness, Jackson's rough hands skillfully pulled down her underwear and he went into her from behind.

Lumina gasped uncontrollably and looked back in terror. "You… Get out first... We're right next to the door…! People in the hallway might hear us."

Jackson leaned in and gently licked her earlobe. "Relax. The way you danced out there turned me on. I want to hear your voice."

His voice was both teasing and commanding, and Lumina's alluring figure quickly went weak. She was pressed against the door powerlessly, moaning softly as he guided her. They went at it twice before Jackson finally let her go, planting a kiss on her cheek with lingering affection.

"I still have another hour before clocking out, Lumi. You should head home and rest first."

After the redness faded from her face, Lumina got dressed and headed out.

Maybe she was still dazed by what had just happened, but she lost her way and accidentally walked into the VIP lounge area where staff weren't allowed.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard her own moans coming from one of the private rooms at the end of the hall.

"She sounds so wild!"

"You've really fallen head over heels for Celia, Jackson. You picked dare over truth just because you didn't want to say Celia's measurements out loud. You've even recorded Lumina's moans for us!"

"Speaking of which… If Lumina found out you that actually like her nemesis Celia, I wonder if she'll just drop dead from anger?"

Lumina froze—her body went rigid, and her mind blanked for a few seconds. Chills ran down her spine.

"Serves her right for pushing Celia off the roof and turning her into a vegetable!" Jackson snarled.

"You're ruthless even to yourself! Just to get back at Lumina, you pretended to be a bartender for three years, tricked her into taking out a loan for you, and used her nude video as collateral. You even got her to strip at your bar! If she ever found out that you're the loan shark and own the bar she stripped at… She'd probably be so furious, she'd die right there and then!"

"What you did was even worse than what they said online—make a woman pay for you, sleep with you, and sell herself for you!"

Those words hit Lumina like a truck; her head buzzed, and her blood ran cold.

"Oh, right, didn't you keep that video she used for the loan? You know, the one where she's holding her ID, fully nude? I heard it's in high definition? Share it with us already!"

"That's hot! Show it to us as a treat!"

Inside the room, Jackson lounged on the sofa, bearing not a trace of the affection he had shown Lumina earlier. His lips curled into a cold smile.

"What's the rush? Celia just woke up. Her birthday is in seven days. I'll persuade Lumina to have a wedding that day. Then, I'll reveal to her the truth about Celia's fall and release the videos of her in the nude and doing stripteases. Celia will be ecstatic, and I can confess to her."

"Genius! Good luck in advance, bro!"

"Cheers!"

The room erupted in cheers.

Lumina couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the bar, her eyes red. She wiped her tears all the way home, the conversation she had overheard echoing in her mind again and again.

So, her whole relationship with Jackson had been a lie from the very beginning!

After losing both her parents six years ago, Lumina stayed in Arriva City against her uncle and aunt's wishes, just because it had the nation's top agricultural university.

She had always loved researching crops. She was obsessed with it.

She never expected Celia to pick the same university.

Celia had been Lumina's tormentor from their middle school days, a downright monster. For nine whole years, she made Lumina's life miserable. She had gone so far as to shave Lumina bald and slapped Lumina for a whole month.

Lumina tried seeking help, but nothing ever came out of it.

All because Celia had a guardian angel—the heir of the Hunter family of Arriva City.

Rumor had it that he harbored a secret crush on Celia for years, but never dared confess. Instead, he helped her behind the scenes. He was a pure-hearted warrior among the wealthy.

In their junior year of college, Celia fell from the rooftop and ended up in a coma.

Everyone suspected that Lumina had pushed her.

Overwhelmed by the false accusations, Lumina drowned her sorrows at a bar, where she met Jackson, a bartender. They hit it off immediately, and after Jackson's intense pursuit, she agreed to date him.

For one year, Jackson treated her incredibly well.

That was, until a year and a half ago.

Gangsters showed up, demanding that Jackson repay his late father's massive debt. Seeing that he had no way to pay and was about to lose both hands, Lumina caved. Under their manipulation, she gritted her teeth and took out nearly a million dollars for him. To pay off the loan faster, she later quit her dream job at the Agricultural Institute and became a stripper.

Lumina used to fantasize that once the loan was paid off, she would take Jackson to her parents' graves and tell them she had found true love.

But now, looking back, she felt like a fool.

She had no idea how long she wandered in the night, until her phone suddenly rang.

It was her Uncle Howard from Crown City, the country's capital.

"Lumina, we found your late father's belongings. If you agree to marry that mute from the Morgan family, I'll give them to you. Otherwise, for the rest of your life, you—"

Before Howard could finish his threat, Lumina coldly cut him off.

"I'll marry him."

Howard was surprised by how readily Lumina agreed on the other end of the line. His cold, stern expression broke into a smile.

"Have you finally come to your senses? I'm doing this for your good, you know? If the Morgans' eldest son hadn't suddenly lost his voice five years ago, he would've become the family's official heir by now! You're coming back to Crown City tomorrow. I'll take you to them to discuss the wedding."

Lumina's lips curled in a cold smile. Her face remained expressionless.

Everyone in the capital knew that after Cadmus Morgan lost his voice, he was no longer favored by Margaret, the matriarch of the Morgan family.

Lumina didn't answer Howard directly and instead said, "I'll marry him, but you have to agree to two conditions. Firstly, I need seven days. Secondly, I want all of my father's belongings. Every single one of them. You won't keep even one of them."

She needed seven days to say goodbye to her best friend and to find a way to erase the nude video from Jackson's computer. She would replace it with evidence of all the years Celia had tormented her.

"Fine!" Howard slammed his hand on the table. "I agree!"

After hanging up, Lumina headed home.

Ever since taking out the loan, she had moved out of the city center to save money. She now lived with Jackson in a cheap rental in the rundown neighborhood that was only worth 150 dollars a month.

Lumina looked at the cozy living room she had put together with her own hands. With a cold laugh, she threw all the items she had shared with Jackson onto the floor and stomped on them to pieces.

After venting her anger, she walked over to Jackson's computer and tried to guess his password. She tried several times, but every attempt was wrong. Suddenly, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her and quickly shut the laptop.

"I heard from the supervisor that you've taken seven days off. Are you not feeling well?" Jackson said as he changed into slippers at the entryway, his eyes full of concern.

Hearing his voice, Lumina clenched her fists. "No, I haven't."

Jackson gently rubbed her head, making sure she was fine. Then, he suddenly produced a diamond ring. He got down on one knee, his intense eyes fixed on her.

"Lumi, from the moment you took out that loan for me, I knew I'd never marry anyone else. Will you marry me?"

Lumina looked at Jackson before her. If she hadn't overheard that conversation in the VIP room, she might have been moved to tears.

"Yes," she replied.

Inwardly, she vowed, 'Jackson Hunter. I'll never marry you, whether it's this life or the next.'

Hearing her answer, Jackson smiled. His eyes almost curled as he slipped the ring onto her finger. "We'll have our wedding in seven days."

Lumina momentarily froze at his words; she almost laughed herself to tears.

Soon, Jackson took her out for supper, just like always. They went to a roadside barbecue stall. Lumina sat down while Jackson went to order some food.

Suddenly, a red sports car pulled up in front of her, and an uninvited guest stepped out. The woman was attractive, dressed in the latest designer outfit and carrying a rare Hermes bag.

It was none other than Celia, the nightmare who had haunted Lumina for over a decade.

Celia glanced around the barbecue stall with clear disdain before fixing her gaze on Lumina, her red lips curling in contempt.

"I haven't seen you for three years. I heard you're in a relationship now. What a coincidence, too… Your bartender boyfriend and my guardian angel even have the same last name—Hunter. But look at you, dragged here to eat this cheap, toxic food. If I were dating my dear Hunter, he'd never let me touch this filth."

Lumina didn't say a word, simply looking at Celia in silence with calm eyes. After a while, she suddenly spoke up.

"When you fell from the roof three years ago, it wasn't me who pushed you."

Celia was stunned for a few seconds, not expecting Lumina to bring up the past.

Lumina ignored Celia's reaction and went on speaking.

"That day, you and your lackeys forced me to swallow a burning cigarette on the rooftop. While I was struggling, you kept trying to get the best angle to film my humiliation. You stepped to the right and slipped by accident. I was the real victim, but your lackeys all stuck to the same story—that I invited you to the rooftop and pushed you off."

During that time, Lumina had been slandered persistently. All the surveillance footage from that day was destroyed by the Price family in advance.

Luckily, she had kept a backup plan.

Celia raised her eyebrows in surprise, but showed no fear at all. "So what if you were wrongly accused? As long as Mr. Hunter is on my side, who in Arriva City will believe you?"

Lumina frowned and looked up at her suddenly. "I don't get it. I've never provoked you. Why have you always hurt me?"

"Why?" Celia looked down at her with arrogance, her lips curled into a sneer. "A cursed orphan like you, who lost both parents… What right do you have to steal the spotlight that should belong to me?"

Hearing herself accused of bringing a curse to her parents, Lumina clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. Her gaze grew cold.

"And what about you? Your mother died because you never called for help after your father beat her. You missed the chance to save her. She begged you, but you coldly ignored her. On the other hand, my parents died in an accident. So, tell me—who's really the cursed one here?"

"Who said you can talk about that?!" Celia shrieked.

She never expected Lumina to bring up her family's dirty laundry. Her face twisted, madness flashing in her eyes.

Just as Lumina was about to say something else, Celia suddenly grabbed a metal skewer from the table and stabbed it right in Lumina's face.

Slash!

The sharp skewer pierced Lumina's fair skin, blood streaming down her right cheek.

"What's going on there? Someone call the police!" shouted a bystander.

Pain numbed the right side of Lumina's face. Just as she tried to call for help, she saw Jackson standing at a distance, looking on with indifference.

Celia smiled in satisfaction as she walked up to Lumina. Without warning, she drove the skewer toward Lumina's head.

"That's what you get for infuriating me! I'm going to ruin you right this instant! No matter what I do, Mr. Hunter will always cover for me!" Celia sneered.

Stab!

The skewer drove into Lumina's scalp. It was so painful that Lumina shuddered—she almost cried. Anger flared up inside her. She grabbed a skewer from the table, raising it to strike Celia's face in retaliation.

Right before the skewer could hit Celia's face, however, Jackson caught her wrist.

His grip was tight, his tone cold as he said, "Miss Price didn't do anything to you. Why are you hurting her?"

Lumina looked up at the uncaring man, blood streaming down her face. Her voice trembled as she said indignantly, "She didn't do anything to me? Look at my face and my head! Who do you think did this?"

Jackson paused, frowning slightly. "It's just a couple of scratches. Put a bandage on it and you'll be fine. She has Mr. Hunt's protection. If you hurt her on purpose, you'll be the one to suffer in the end. I'm stopping you for your good."

Lumina was stunned at first. She looked at the man she had loved for three years with red eyes. A wave of mixed emotions crashed over her.

Celia sneered in satisfaction. "Tsk, you really have no idea what's good for you. At least your bartender boyfriend sure knows which way the wind blows!"

Lumina wiped the blood from her face and turned to look at Celia, who was still gloating.

While Jackson was still distracted, Lumina's hand shot out. She grabbed a freshly grilled skewer of meat from the next table and flung it in Celia's face.

Smack!

Celia howled in pain as the hot food burned her, her fair cheek instantly turning red.

Jackson's face turned cold; he ran over to Celia, shoving Lumina away.

Lumina stumbled and fell to the ground, thrown off balance. Her ankle twisted. Worse, she landed on her injured right cheek. Blood gushed from the wound, and she quickly lost consciousness.

Just before she fainted, she heard Celia's furious screech.

"How dare you burn me? I'll make Mr. Hunter avenge me! I want you to suffer a hundred times worse!"

-

When Lumina opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the face of a middle-aged nurse. Seeing her wake up, the nurse sighed.

"Look at you! You're so pretty, but you're nearly disfigured. What a pity. Now that you're awake, don't forget to pay your hospital bill later."

Pain shot through Lumina's head and face. Her eyes red, she asked, "The man who brought me here… Didn't he pay the bill?"

The nurse looked at Lumina and sighed several times before saying kindly, "Someone called an ambulance for you. No man sent you here. If the department head hadn't covered your expenses, you'd still be bleeding. Anyone can see you've been victimized. You youngsters need to be careful about who you date."

Lumina's nose stung, her eyes welling with tears. The nurse shook her head and left the room.

Soon after, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. A group of men in black burst in, slamming the door behind them.

Lumina noticed the words "CG" embroidered on their uniforms, and her heart sank.

It was said that the heir of the Hunter family had assembled a special team, the "Celia Guards", to clean up after Celia and keep her happy.

No wonder Celia was so untouchable. The stories were all true.

The men in black roughly dragged Lumina out of bed, pinning her limbs to the ground. In the darkness, burning hot torture tools pressed down again and again on her bare arms, legs, and face.

Lumina screamed in agony, her whole body seized by fear.

"Let me go… Ngh…!"

Just as she tried to cry for help, someone shoved a cloth into her mouth, and more torture tools scorched her body. She writhed uncontrollably, her hands clawing at the floor, tears rolling down her face from the pain.

The five men became crueler as they saw her suffer.

"That's ninety times now! Ten more to go. Mr. Hunter said you must pay her back a hundredfold, just as Miss Price demanded!"

"Everyone in Arriva City knows Miss Price is Mr. Hunter's favorite, but you burned her with a skewer of barbecued meat! No wonder he sent us to teach you a lesson!"

"If you know what's good for you, apologize to her on camera right now!"

The leader of the "Celia Guard" held up his phone and started filming Lumina. Lying on the floor, covered in burns and stripped of all dignity, Lumina stared at the group with bloodshot eyes. Even as she longed to kill herself from the overwhelming pain, she remained defiant.

"I'll never apologize! Tell your Mr. Hunter that I never provoked Celia! She abused me for nine years straight! She's the one who owes me an apology!" she insisted, her voice ragged.

The leader paused, disappointed by the footage he had gotten.

"Mr. Hunter said it himself. You made Miss Price cry for so many nights and visited more than a hundred psychologists! Do you think he's accusing you falsely?"

"He'll know the truth in six days!" Lumina snarled.