He then looked at me, his expression dark and unreadable. "Rebecca Crawford, do you even have any dignity left?"

I lowered my head slightly and gave a bitter smile. "As long as it's your request, I'll agree to it no matter what."

Connor's eyes trembled slightly after he heard this. Just as he was about to say something, the door was suddenly pushed open.

Lily glanced at me, looking forlorn. "Connor, did I come at a bad time? Am I interrupting you and your fiancée … "

"She's not my fiancée." Connor pushed me away forcefully and hurriedly stepped forward to grab Lily's hand.

I lost my balance and lurched backward, hitting the table behind me. Glass fragments scratched Lily's ankle as the bottles and glasses on it broke on the floor.

Connor squatted down with a face full of concern, tending to her wound. His friends, eager to please the two of them, picked up a bottle of wine and poured it over my face.

Connor didn't stop him, watching me coldly. "Rebecca, don't think that just because you agreed to donate a kidney, you can act superior in front of Lily. In my heart, Lily is the true mistress of the Lynch Family. You're just a clinger who refuses to leave. You don't deserve to be compared to her, let alone compete with her!"

The sharp alcohol stung as it trickled down my face. I kept my head down, saying nothing.

Connor held Lily in his arms, comforting her softly. "Lily, let's not bother with her. I've prepared a gift for you; let's go see if you like it."

They left hand in hand and the rest of the people also dispersed. I stood there alone, and the tears I had held back for a long time finally fell.

I could only try to comfort myself in my heart. "It's okay, just five more days. In five days, this nightmare will end. The man who truly loves me will return. He'll protect me in every way, just as Connor does for Lily."

As I was about to go home, a torrential downpour started. Stuck in traffic due to the heavy rain, I had to take shelter in a convenience store. Not long after, I received a message from Connor. [Room 808. Bring five boxes of condoms within ten minutes.]

I glanced at the storm outside, gritted my teeth, and ran out with the condoms I had bought.

The wind and rain lashed against my face like knives, making it almost impossible to open my eyes. After stumbling and falling several times, I finally reached the hotel. I handed the things to Connor in the muddy hands, shivering from the cold.

Connor's expression was complicated. "You didn't have to bring it in this rain ... never mind. I'll have the maid make you some ginger tea when you get home. Rest well."

Hearing Connor's words, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yesterday, to help him secure a contract, I had nearly drunk myself into alcohol poisoning. My body hadn't fully recovered, and now I was completely exhausted.

When I got home, I collapsed with a fever. In my delirium, I felt a warm hand gently stroking my forehead. It felt just like Colton.

Whenever I was unwell, he would stay by my side all night, feeding me medicine and lulling me to sleep. Tears rolled down my face as I grabbed that hand and murmured, "Colton … "

The next moment, a sharp pain shot through my wrist. I opened my eyes to see Connor's angry gaze. "Rebecca, why are you calling my brother's name?"

Feeling guilty, I averted my eyes. "No ... I just dreamed of our childhood. I wanted him to take better care of you."

Colton had always cared for his younger brother over the past years. Still, his brother never appreciated it and repeatedly hurt the family.

When Connor heard me say this, there was still some doubt in his eyes, but he believed me anyway. He didn't fully understand the relationship between me and Colton. However, he had witnessed all my efforts over the years.

He frowned at the sparse ginger soup by the bedside. "What kind of job are the maids doing? How could they serve something like this?"

I didn't respond. I used to be the respected mistress of the Lynch Family when Colton was around, but things had changed. Connor treated me with disdain, and naturally, his people didn't take me seriously either.

Seeing me lower my eyes in silence, Connor cleared his throat lightly. "Alright, I'll tell the maids. You should focus on recovering. Mom and Dad specifically requested your presence at the family gathering tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I know what to do." I understood that the little bit of kindness he showed was only to get me to play along.

The next day, I forced myself to get up early. I used careful makeup to hide my sickly appearance.

Connor waited for me downstairs in the car. As soon as I opened the car door, a strange smell mixed with perfume wafted out.

Lily was sitting in the front passenger seat, smiling at me. "Connor said he only wanted to bring the person he loves to such an important event. You don't mind, do you?"

Connor glanced at me awkwardly. "Mom and Dad have always liked you. When the time comes, could you say something nice about Lily?"

I looked at the affectionate couple, feeling a mix of emotions.

With Colton's long illness, Connor had become increasingly reckless. He was even asking his fiancée to plead for his mistress at a family banquet. Only he could do something so absurd.

I worked hard to suppress my feelings. "Sure, I will."

Over the years, whenever Connor did something outrageous for Lily, I cleaned up the mess. I'd taken the beatings, the scoldings, and the ridicule for him. One more time wouldn't make a difference.

I tried to stay quiet on the way, keeping my presence to a minimum. I pretended not to see the affectionate gestures between Lily and Connor. I thought we could at least have peace until we reached the gathering, but I underestimated Lily's antics.

Lily suddenly exclaimed as we passed a river, "Connor, do you remember this river? It's where we held hands for the first time. I miss those days. Can we go down and take a walk?"

Talking about the past brought a tender look to Connor's eyes, and he agreed readily. Lily then turned her gaze to me. "Rebecca, why don't you come too? You should learn more about Connor's past."

I knew Lily didn't have good intentions. I shook my head. "I won't intrude on your memories. I'll wait in the car. Just don't take too long. We don't want to be late and disappoint the Lynchs."

Lily gave a dismissive snort and got out of the car. In no time, the two were embracing and kissing passionately.

I looked away and pulled out my phone, opening a hidden album. Looking at the photos of Colton's radiant smile, I felt transported back to those happier days. Just four more days, and I would see him again.

As I was lost in thought, a shrill alarm from the system rang in my head. "Alert! Alert! The mission target is in danger. If the mission target dies unexpectedly, the mission will be deemed a failure."

Hearing the news, I quickly looked up. Lily had somehow fallen into the river. Despite being unable to swim, Connor immediately leaped in to save her.

I dialed for emergency help while sprinting towards the river. The current was strong due to the flood season. I feared that before the rescue team could arrive, both non-swimmers might lose their lives.

Thinking of the six years of effort and sacrifices, I didn't hesitate. I shed my coat and dove into the icy water. The cold bit into my skin as I swam towards Connor, pulling him towards the shore.

Just as we were about to reach the bank, Connor suddenly began to struggle violently. "Who told you to save me? Save Lily! I need to save Lily!"

Connor's burly body pressed on half of my shoulder, causing me to choke on several mouthfuls of water. My strength began to wane, but seeing the anxious look on his face, I gritted my teeth and forcefully pushed him towards the shore. "Connor, just stay safe."

"I can't let you be in danger. I'll save the person you care about." After saying this, I took a deep breath. I dove back into the river to save Lily, who was sinking below the surface.

After much struggle, my body was almost numb from the cold, and my strength was nearly depleted. I relied on my last energy to swim towards the shore.

As I neared the shore, a sharp branch from the riverbed sliced into my leg. Blood clouded the water and the searing pain made me tremble. My consciousness began to fade, but I seemed to see Colton standing on the shore, waving at me.

I recalled many years ago when Colton patiently taught me how to swim, guiding me hand by hand. "Becca, don't be afraid. Swim forward with confidence. I'll always be here to protect you."

Now, it was my turn to protect him. Summoning the last ounce of my strength, I dragged the unconscious Lily to the shore. The rescue team finally arrived, lifting us onto the ambulance with hurried hands.

Just before I lost consciousness completely, I saw Connor take off his coat and place it over me. His eyes were red, and he repeatedly asked me, "Why?"

His face gradually overlapped with the face of the person I longed for day and night. I slowly reached out and touched his face, which bore a resemblance to Colton's. I couldn't help but say, "Because I love you. I'm willing to do anything for you."

As long as he woke up and I could see him again, all my sacrifices were worth it.

Connor was taken aback since he had not expected me to do so much for him, but he had no idea that everything I did was for his brother. It had nothing to do with him.

I remained unconscious for three days and three nights. When I finally woke up, I was alone in the room. I could only hear the nurses gossiping as they passed by.

"Mr. Connor is so devoted to his fiancée. She only swallowed some water and he was so worried his eyes turned red. He stayed by her side and summoned every doctor for her treatment."

"You're mistaken. His fiancée is in the room next door. His … other woman is a well-known pushover. I heard that she risked her life to save both of them, but Mr. Connor hasn't even glanced at her."

"Ah, how pitiful for a woman to end up like this."

These harsh words didn't cause any ripples in my heart. I calmly stared at the ceiling, with only Colton's face in my mind.