Chapter 1

Victoria Thatcher opened the door and saw Samuel Boyle, slightly drunk, walking in with a sultry woman wrapped around his arm. Samuel was Victoria's husband by law, and they had been married for six years.

Meanwhile, the woman beside him, Rachel Miller, was his true love. Rachel smiled and said, "Victoria, Samuel had a bit to drink."

Victoria gave a slight nod and stepped aside to let them in. Then, she headed to the kitchen, moving with practiced ease to make some hangover soup, pretending not to notice the smug look Rachel threw her way.

Once the soup was ready, she gently blew on it and carried it over to Samuel. The man was lounging on the couch, eyes closed, his head resting against Rachel's shoulder.

"Samuel, drink some soup before you go to sleep," Victoria said, her voice calm and even.

Samuel slowly opened his eyes and gave her a look of disgust. "Just leave it. Rachel will feed me."

After that, he closed his eyes again. Seeing this, Victoria placed the bowl on the table without a word.

"Ms. Miller, I'll leave it to you then," she said softly before walking toward the guest bedroom.

Even though they had been married for six years, Victoria had always slept in the guest bedroom. The master bedroom belonged to Samuel and Rachel. She had never stepped foot in it and did not care to.

In the middle of the night, Victoria was deep in sleep when the sounds from the master bedroom woke her. Rachel's passionate moans pierced through the walls.

Victoria was stirred by the voice. Even though she was groggy, she knew exactly what was happening in the room next door.

In truth, she was unfazed by it. At first, they had tried to keep it discreet, but lately, it seemed like they no longer cared if she heard.

Rachel was Samuel's childhood sweetheart, and he loved her very much. Over the past six years of their marriage, Victoria had witnessed Samuel, a man with a terrible temper, shower Rachel with almost all of his tenderness.

Victoria was not angry, but her drowsiness quickly faded as Rachel's voice grew louder and exaggerated, as though she was doing it on purpose. It was as if she wanted Victoria to hear them.

In their social circle, everyone knew that Samuel despised Victoria. He had bought Rachel a luxury villa six years ago, right after his wedding to Victoria. The two of them lived there most of the time, and Samuel only occasionally brought Rachel back to this house.

As his legal wife, Victoria knew everything but appeared completely unbothered by it all. She was extraordinarily kind to Samuel, visibly pouring her heart into caring for him, never showing any anger.

Everyone assumed Victoria was hopelessly in love with Samuel, so in love that she could endure the humiliation of sharing a house with his mistress—so in love that she could maintain her composure for six years.

Yet, that was not the truth at all. Victoria had hidden her emotions well, but it was definitely not because of Samuel.

There was someone else she loved with every fiber of her being, someone whose image filled her every cell, whose name was etched into her. That person was a sweet young man who carried the scent of roses and had the most heartwarming smile.

The man's name was Sebastian Moore.

Victoria closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek, her mind drifting to the past. Six years ago, a month before her wedding to Sebastian, he had gone on a business trip abroad. A few days later, she received a devastating phone call that would change everything.

Sebastian had been in a car accident. By the time she rushed to the hospital abroad, he was already lying on the hospital bed, pale and lifeless, with only a fragile thread of life keeping him there.

She stumbled to his side, bringing his hand to her lips for a kiss as her eyes welled with tears. Sebastian weakly opened his eyes, forcing a smile as he struggled to lift his hand and wipe away her tears.

That day, Sebastian used almost all his remaining strength to comfort her. Even in his final moments, he remained soft and gentle as he spoke to her.

He said, "Vicky, promise me you'll live well. I'll become the wind, the rain, the air—everything that surrounds you."

Sebastian was so fragile that it seemed a mere touch could shatter him. Victoria frantically held his hand, trying to reassure both him and herself.

She whispered, "Seb, don't talk. You're not going to die—you'll survive. I'll find you the best doctors."

Yet, her hands shook violently as she pulled out her phone to call her father for help, causing it to crash onto the floor. Sebastian maintained a calm expression despite his pallor, as if he had already accepted his fate.

He squeezed her hand and comforted her, "Vicky, I have so many regrets. I regret not marrying you sooner, not spending more of our limited time together."

His words hit her like a thunderclap. Victoria's heart froze in terror. For the first time in her life, she felt like something vital was being ripped away from her—something that meant more than life itself. She scrambled to pick up her phone from the floor, desperately believing she could still find him the best medical care.

Sebastian's chest heaved with constant coughing until suddenly, dark blood erupted from his mouth, filling the air with the scent of rust. In his final moments, he spoke to her with the sweetest, weakest voice. "Vicky, my whole heart belongs to you, and no one can ever take it away."

He had said those same words to her in college. So, why was he repeating them now? Victoria feared that he was saying goodbye, but she refused to believe it.

Before she could process what was happening, doctors and nurses rushed in and wheeled Sebastian away. Victoria's mind went blank as her heart broke into pieces. When she finally registered what was happening, she threw herself by his bedside, begging the doctors not to take him away.

Sebastian, who had been trying to stay strong during their goodbye, finally broke down when he saw Victoria on her knees. Then, they took Sebastian to the operating room for a heart transplant. However, this surgery was not to save his life—it was to give his heart to someone else.

Victoria barely understood what was happening, not even having the chance to learn the details of the accident. By the time she regained some awareness, Sebastian's heart had already been transplanted into another person's body.

Sebastian had agreed to donate his heart to the person he had collided with in the accident. While the other driver had suffered a ruptured heart but only minor brain trauma, Sebastian had sustained severe internal bleeding and irreparable vessel damage, leaving him with no chance of survival.

After careful evaluation, their hearts were deemed compatible for transplant. Without hesitation, Sebastian had agreed to donate his heart.

Victoria burst into tears as she thought about her beloved's endless kindness. Even in his final moments, this gentle soul who had lived his entire life with compassion was still trying to give others hope.

When the surgery was over, she vaguely heard someone say, "The recipient of the heart is Samuel Boyle."

She never turned to see who had spoken. All sounds around Victoria became muffled as she felt herself falling into an endless void, her ears ringing. She collapsed in the hospital hallway, clutching her chest and sobbing uncontrollably.

In the days that followed, she numbly handled Sebastian's arrangements and brought his ashes home. Everything had happened so suddenly—just days before, he had been on the phone promising her a grand wedding.

When Victoria returned home, she neither cried nor raged, unable to accept the reality of her loss. She lived as if Sebastian was still by her side, never having left.

It was not until later, when the void in her life became unbearable, that she began crying day and night, consumed by a pain that pierced her very soul.

Chapter 2

During that dark period, Victoria, who had never been a drinker, found herself drowning in alcohol day and night. She tried to numb herself with liquor, desperately attempting to convince the world that Sebastian was still alive.

When she was not drinking, she buried herself in work, afraid to let herself have a moment of peace. She dreaded those quiet moments when the pain felt like ants gnawing at her body and soul.

In just one month, she had aged what seemed like years, and her smile had completely vanished. Finally, when she could not bear it anymore, she decided to follow her beloved into the next world—she missed him so much and wanted to find him.

Victoria did not just think about it—she acted on it by swallowing a handful of sleeping pills. After her parents rushed her to the hospital and saved her life, her usually stern father sat by her bedside with tears streaming down his face, saying many things.

However, Victoria only registered one statement—Sebastian's heart was still alive in this world.

That realization led Victoria to make a life-changing decision—she would protect that heart and care for the only living piece of Sebastian left in this world.

After being discharged, she investigated Samuel, learning he was the sole heir to the Boyle Group, born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Her eyes fixed on the word "single" in his profile. She decided she would marry Samuel, using whatever means necessary to protect Sebastian's heart, as she could not trust anyone else with it.

Using her position as the Thatcher Corporation heiress, she proposed a merger through marriage. She even offered 20% of Thatcher Corporation's shares as part of the wedding gift—a profit so substantial that the Boyle family could not refuse the marriage proposal.

That was how she became Samuel's fiancée, and all that was left was for him to wake up from his coma.

Samuel lay unconscious in the hospital for six months, and within two months of waking up, his parents pressured him into marrying Victoria, making him her legal husband.

Victoria opened her eyes, and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. The sounds of Rachel's moans from the master bedroom still echoed through the walls.

She bit her lip gently to stifle her sobs, trying not to sink into those terrible memories and that unbearable pain. Yet memories, once stirred, were hard to escape.

She remembered her 18th birthday when Sebastian took her camping, and they lay together in a tent.

Sebastian had said, "Vicky, I'm completely mesmerized by you—so addictive, so sweet. I just can't get enough of you."

She had seen the desire in his eyes, and with a blushing face, she had whispered, "Sebastian, do you... do you want me?"

He had smiled, showing his dimples, and hugged her while kissing her forehead, suppressing his primal desires as he replied, "Let's wait until we're married."

He had been such a pure and gentle person, so respectful that he would not touch her intimately even after ten years together.

But now, Samuel, with that same heart beating in his chest, was using his tainted body to do such vulgar things in the next room. Nonetheless, Victoria knew she should not blame Samuel, nor did she have the right to.

After all, it was her selfish use of an arranged marriage that had allowed her to get close to him. She had no right to make any demands.

Still, it made her feel sick to her stomach.

She had investigated the accident later and learned that both Samuel and Sebastian had been victims. Yet sometimes, in the darkest corners of her mind, she selfishly wondered why Samuel had not been the one to die instead.

Early the next morning, Victoria rose early to prepare breakfast, habitually making an extra portion for Rachel. Samuel and Rachel emerged from their room as if on cue, just as Victoria finished setting the table.

The couple sat down to eat with a sense of entitlement, acting as though it were perfectly normal to be served like this—as though it was exactly how things should be. Victoria's sharp eyes could not help but notice the love bites on their necks, evidence of their passionate night together.

She was not bothered by it, though—everyone knew Samuel and Rachel had been together since childhood, even if Victoria was Samuel's wife by name. She quietly lowered her eyes and ate her breakfast, allowing an awkward silence to settle over the table.

Finally, Rachel broke it with a seemingly casual remark. "Victoria, your cooking just keeps getting better."

Her words were laced with hidden meaning—and they were anything but a compliment.

They highlighted how Victoria, the legal wife, had been serving her husband's mistress for six years—long enough for Rachel to notice changes in her cooking. They were also clearly meant to prompt Samuel's opinion.

Sure enough, Samuel responded with his usual contempt, "Don't flatter her. It's nothing special." His words were predictably cruel.

Victoria remained silent, pretending not to hear as she continued eating her breakfast. Rachel cuddled up to Samuel and whispered something, but Victoria tuned them out.

Everyone knew Samuel despised her and never hesitated to show it. In the early days of their marriage, his words had been particularly vicious— he had strung together every possible combination of cruel words he could think of.

Things were better now, though Victoria was unsure if she had just grown accustomed to it or if Samuel had simply grown tired of insulting someone who never reacted. Samuel glanced at Victoria's calm face when she did not respond, irritated by her perpetual composure.

A wave of inexplicable annoyance washed over him, quickly replaced by his usual disgust. After breakfast, Victoria cleared the table and went to wash the dishes.

She had not known how to cook before all this—as the only daughter of the Thatchers, her parents had never let her do such things. Later, Sebastian pampered her even more, never wanting her to experience any hardship.

Victoria only learned to cook six years ago, shortly after marrying Samuel. She started when she discovered his habits of heavy drinking, smoking, and staying up late—things she could not convince him to stop.

Unable to change his behavior directly, she began studying recipes and healthy cooking, trying in her small way to counteract the damage he was doing to his body. If Samuel died carelessly, the last trace of Sebastian in this world would disappear forever.

Hence, she had been as submissive as possible for the past six years. She endured his cold words without anger, not out of love, but purely for the heart beating in his chest.

It was not that she lacked a temper, but she just could not bear the thought of causing any distress to her beloved's heart. She cared too much to let that happen.

Rachel leaned against the kitchen doorframe and said with false warmth, "Victoria, why don't you spend some time with Samuel? I can handle the dishes since he's finally home for once!"

Victoria allowed herself a bitter smile. Rachel's meaning was clear—she had no intention of actually washing the dishes. She simply wanted to assert her claim that Samuel was her man.

Chapter 3

Victoria turned around, maintaining a casual demeanor. She said, "No need, you should go rest. I can handle this."

Rachel shrugged and responded with a curt, "Alright," before returning to the living room to curl up in Samuel's arms.

Victoria had grown numb to Rachel's passive-aggressive remarks. Samuel and Rachel had been childhood sweethearts, and if Victoria had not intervened six years ago using her status as the Thatcher heiress, they would likely have been married by now.

She had previously felt somewhat guilty about Samuel and Rachel's situation, knowing her actions were selfish. However, she had no choice—she could not afford to be selfless.

Hence, for six years, she had allowed Samuel and Rachel to live as if they were the married couple, never interfering. All she wanted was for Samuel to stay alive and healthy, for that precious heart to remain undamaged, and to stay close to that beating heart—just a little closer.

That was why she had endured Rachel's snide remarks for six years. After all, Victoria had taken away the love of her life. Though "taken away" was not quite accurate, since Victoria and Samuel were only married on paper, while Rachel was the one who shared his bed and lived a life as his real wife.

After finishing the dishes, Victoria went to the guest room and grabbed her laptop. She addressed the attractive couple on the couch, "Samuel, Ms. Miller, I'm heading to work now. I won't be back for lunch, so please feel free to eat out wherever you'd like."

She turned to leave but paused to add, "Samuel, try to eat something nutritious—it's good for your health," before walking out without looking back.

Samuel's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as the door closed behind her. He kissed Rachel in his arms, trying to dispel his unease.

Last night, during their intimate moment, he was sure Victoria must have heard something. Even if she had not, she must have noticed the love bites on their necks this morning. Yet, she acted completely unbothered.

Samuel wondered if Victoria truly loved him to such an extent that she could tolerate all this. Though he had never liked Victoria or been intimate with her, throughout their six-year marriage, she had shown nothing but care and consideration for him. In his memory, she had never even shown jealousy.

He could not help but wonder if she was just that good at hiding her feelings or if she truly loved him enough to be this tolerating. As these thoughts crossed his mind, his desire suddenly faded, and he released Rachel from his embrace.

Rachel sensed his withdrawal and asked softly, "Samuel, what's wrong?"

Despite the unexplained heaviness in his heart, Samuel looked at her tenderly and replied, "Nothing. I should head to the office. You go back to the villa first."

...

Both Samuel and Victoria worked at their respective family companies. Thatcher Corporation had recently come under some predictable pressure, and Victoria knew exactly who was behind it.

Samuel had been a spoiled rich kid when he was younger—the classic trust fund kid and one of the worst troublemakers at school. Apart from his good looks and family wealth, he had little else going for him.

Because of this, Samuel's father did not dare let him inherit Boyle Group too early or give him a high position right away. If Victoria had not married him six years ago, he probably would have remained an uneducated manchild even now.

After the marriage, Samuel began learning about company management and corporate politics, hoping to break free from Victoria. His goal was to crush Thatcher Corporation so he could convince his parents to let him divorce Victoria and marry Rachel legitimately.

Finally, after six years, he had learned enough to climb to a higher position. Victoria shook her head at his impatience—he had barely grown into his role before trying to pressure Thatcher Corporation.

She was well aware of the recent turbulence in her family's company and knew Samuel was behind it. That was also why Victoria had transformed herself into a formidable businesswoman to fight against these challenges and any future threats.

It did not matter if Samuel disliked or hated her, but she had to maintain the balance of power between Thatcher Corporation and Boyle Group to keep the marriage alliance intact. Only then could she continue to protect Sebastian's heart.

When Victoria returned home that afternoon, she found Samuel's parents there instead of Samuel and Rachel. She asked, "Connor, Alice, what brings you here? Have you eaten? What would you like me to make?"

Samuel's parents greeted her with polite smiles, maintaining a cordial facade. After exchanging pleasantries, she went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, though their visits were rare—she could count their visits over the past six years on one hand.

As Victoria worked in the kitchen, her mind wandered to the past. Back then, Samuel had undergone the heart transplant surgery abroad, but very few people knew about it, not even Samuel himself.

After returning home, Victoria tracked down Samuel and proposed the marriage alliance using her status while he was still in a coma. Later, Samuel's parents approached her, asking her to keep the transplant a secret.

Victoria did not understand why Samuel couldn't know—it was her beloved's heart, the one Sebastian had given his life for. They told her Samuel had witnessed something as a child, something that had left him with a severe form of obsessive-compulsive disorder—almost a pathological fear of contamination.

They had not revealed what he had witnessed, only explaining that if Samuel knew he had someone else's organ keeping him alive, he would rather die than keep the heart. Victoria found it tragically ironic that someone saved by another's sacrifice would be disgusted by their savior's gift.

It all seemed like some cruel cosmic joke. That day, Samuel's parents had looked at her with pleading eyes, begging her to keep this secret.

Victoria had agreed, not because of their pleading, but because she could not risk anything happening to Sebastian's heart. She could not bear the thought of that pure, beating heart being endangered—it was her only reason for living.

Over the past six years, Victoria had indeed noticed Samuel's obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Nobody except Rachel could touch his belongings, and she remembered how he had once berated her endlessly for entering his study a few years ago.

However, that was not the worst part—Victoria had noticed that during his episodes, his arms and neck would break out in severe hives.

Chapter 4

Whenever Samuel's obsessive-compulsive disorder was triggered, his body would break out in tiny red rashes along his arms and legs. His emotions would spiral out of control, and his entire presence would become overwhelming and terrifying.

After witnessing this, Victoria became even more cautious, treating him with extreme care and consideration. If simply entering his study could provoke such a reaction, she dreaded imagining how severe his response would be if he learned about the heart transplant.

Moreover, Samuel's parents had explained that his condition was untreatable and could only be managed with medication. So, when Samuel woke up after six months in a coma, they made sure to keep the truth buried.

In his mind, she had married him purely for Boyle Group's influence in the country through their arranged marriage. At least, that was what Victoria assumed he believed.

Lost in her thoughts, Victoria had not noticed Samuel's parents calling him home for dinner. She only realized he had returned when she finished preparing the elaborate meal. Notably, he came alone—he knew better than to bring Rachel to such family occasions.

Although Samuel's parents were aware that Rachel was the woman he loved, they still needed to maintain appearances since Victoria was his legal wife. Throughout dinner, Samuel barely glanced at Victoria.

After his parents left, Victoria began clearing the table and washing dishes. Samuel loosened his tie as he watched her working in the kitchen and snapped at her. "Victoria, what kind of stunt are you trying to pull? Are you trying to get my parents involved to keep me home?"

Victoria knew he was making malicious assumptions again. However, she really did not know that his parents would call him.

While continuing to wash dishes, she calmly responded, "Samuel, I never thought that way. They suddenly showed up, and I didn't know they would call you."

Samuel stood at the kitchen doorway, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he remarked, "You didn't know? It was just the three of you here! I bet you deliberately asked them to call me."

Victoria turned to face him, maintaining her composure. "Samuel, you know I have no authority over your parents. I immediately got busy in the kitchen when they came, so I didn't know they would call you."

Samuel wanted to lash out, but Victoria's submissive demeanor left him nowhere to direct his anger. He had been intimate with Rachel at the villa when his parents' call interrupted them, which naturally put him in a foul mood.

Though he knew Victoria was not responsible for his parents' call, he needed an outlet for his anger, and she was the perfect target. However, her calm expression left him with no release, forcing him to suppress his rage as he stormed off to the bathroom.

Surprisingly, Samuel stayed home that night. When Victoria finished cleaning the kitchen and came out, she heard the shower running but did not concern herself with it, focusing instead on her work on the laptop from the couch.

When Samuel emerged from the bathroom, Rachel called. He plopped down on the couch and answered briefly, "It's too late tonight. I'm not coming back," before hanging up.

After ending the call, he quickly observed Victoria's reaction. However, she remained focused on her work, seemingly oblivious to his conversation.

Samuel felt a sudden heaviness in his chest as he pondered the woman's lack of reaction to him staying the night. After all, this was the first time in his six years of marriage that he had not brought Rachel home.

Victoria was deeply focused on handling her emails. After closing her laptop, she finally noticed Samuel sitting nearby and asked in confusion, "Samuel? Why haven't you left yet?"

Samuel's expression darkened. "This is my house—if anyone should leave, it's you."

A wave of irritation washed over Samuel as it became clear she had not been listening to him earlier. What bothered him more was that her first instinct upon seeing him was to question why he had not left yet.

Sometimes, he could not tell if Victoria was playing hard to get or if she truly loved him too much. At least during their early marriage, Samuel was convinced she was playing games.

He believed she was putting on an act—pretending to be the perfect wife, acting submissive and accepting, all just to gain his sympathy. That was why, in those early days of their marriage, he would call her desperate, disgusting, and shameless—accusing her of using cheap tactics.

Yet she never fought back or explained herself, even though she was the one who had pursued him for marriage. Whenever he berated her, she remained silent, making him look like the bad guy.

However, if this was all an act of playing hard to get, how could she maintain the same demeanor for six years?

Meanwhile, Victoria noticed Samuel's sour expression and realized he must be angry. As for the reason why, she figured it was probably because his parents had called him to come home.

Besides, her earlier question was not unreasonable. As far as she could remember, Samuel never stayed here alone unless Rachel was present. So she simply responded with an "Oh" before heading to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

After Victoria left the living room, Samuel stormed into his room, slamming the door with a bang. He muttered, "She brought this on herself."

Victoria finished her nighttime routine and went to her own room, sleeping soundly until morning. Early the next day, she prepared breakfast before leaving for work.

When Samuel woke up, he found breakfast waiting on the table with a Post-it note. The note read, "Samuel, I've gone to work. Remember to eat breakfast."

Samuel glanced at it and mumbled, "At least her handwriting is decent," before contentedly eating his breakfast and heading to the office.

After work, Samuel went straight to Rachel's place. Later at midnight, Victoria received a text message: "Mr. Boyle is at the nightclub drinking with Ms. Miller!"

Reading the message on her phone, Victoria quickly got up to make hangover soup. The message came from her subordinate, Eric Knowles, whom she had assigned to watch over Samuel.

It was not about invading his privacy since Victoria had resorted to this measure solely to protect him better. After all, Samuel rarely appeared within her sight. She could not protect him every moment, and there was no telling what he might do—she refused to let his recklessness put Sebastian's heart at risk.

Over the years, Samuel had become aware of Victoria's surveillance, so he had people watching her too—they were essentially monitoring each other.

As Victoria prepared the hangover soup, she wondered why he could not just stay out of trouble for once. Once the soup was ready, she drove straight to the nightclub, bringing the soup with her since she knew Samuel would return to the villa with Rachel later.