Chapter 1

"Norah Serpentine, are you sure you want to reactivate your father's badge and become an undercover officer?"

Beneath the solemn national emblem, Norah gave a firm nod. "I'm sure."

The first step to becoming an undercover officer was to erase all traces of her past life. The name Norah Serpentine would vanish from this world forever.

Thus, the higher-ups would stage her fake death, and she would start anew under a different identity.

Upon returning from the police station, Norah hadn't even reached her bedroom door when she heard the soft, breathy moans of a woman from inside.

Expressionless, she stared at the wide-open door, trying to recall just how many women Justin Johnson had brought back before this one.

Every single day during their three years of marriage, Justin brought home a woman who resembled Norah, deliberately leaving the door wide open, making no effort to hide his affairs.

He did that just to punish Norah for abandoning him all those years ago.

But this time, Norah froze when the woman inside let out a moan.

In the brief moment of distraction, the suggestive sounds had already ceased.

Justin emerged from the room with a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, his bare torso still glistening with moisture. His gaze was cold as it landed on her.

"Perfect timing. We're out of condoms. Go buy some."

With that, he pulled out a thick stack of cash from a nearby drawer and tossed it at her face.

"The rest is your tip. You love money, don't you?"

The slap of bills against her skin burned, but Norah didn't bend down to pick them up. Instead, she looked at him, her eyes red with fury.

"You've slept with countless women over the years. Why couldn't you at least spare Selena?"

There was a limit to revenge. Justin knew better than anyone that Selena Jones was her best friend.

Justin's sharp eyes glowed with icy malice as he sneered. "Did you spare me back then?"

Norah's heart clenched in pain as memories surged violently, drowning her.

She and Justin had once been deeply in love. They were the campus beauty and the star athlete, the model couple admired by all.

They had promised to marry as soon as they reached legal age. But just when their love was at its peak, Norah suddenly broke up with him and left the country with a wealthy heir.

The day she broke up with him, he chased after her for a long time, his eyes red. A man as proud as him had begged her over and over not to leave, swearing that he would achieve greatness one day.

He pleaded with her to wait, give him time, and promise she wouldn't fall in love with someone else.

But Norah remained cold, refusing to say a single extra word. Even when she watched him get into a car accident while chasing after her, she didn't look back.

The accident was severe. As his kidney ruptured, a transplant was the only way to save his life.

Covered in blood, lying on the operating table, he still struggled to sit up and call her.

But every call he made with his last ounce of strength was rejected.

The deeper the love, the deeper the hate. From that day forward, Justin despised her.

He spent four years climbing to the top of the business world, becoming the wealthiest man in town.

And the very first thing he did after reaching the pinnacle of success was forcefully marry her, only to bring woman after woman home just to humiliate her.

But only Norah knew that their breakup wasn't because she didn't love him, nor was it because she craved wealth and status.

She had no choice.

Her father had been an undercover officer. His mission had failed, and his identity had been exposed to drug lords. After they killed him, the cartel turned their vengeance on his family.

Upon learning of the threat, her family fled. To keep Justin out of danger, she had no choice but to break up with him.

Along the way, she learned about his accident. Risking her own life, she sneaked into the hospital to donate her kidney. She had already left in a hurry before he even woke up.

She never expected that by the time she returned home, her entire family—her four grandparents, her mother, and her younger sister—had been slaughtered by the cartel.

She was the only one who survived.

Her eyes reddened with fury at the thought of the brutal deaths of her family.

Seeing this, Justin spoke coldly, but deep in his gaze, there was a hint of something else—expectation.

He asked, "What, are you about to tell me you had your reasons back then?"

Snapping back to reality, Norah simply shook her head, firm and resolute.

"There were no reasons. You weren't wrong—I was just a shallow, materialistic woman who worshiped money."

She couldn't tell him back then. And now, she never could. Her family's blood was on her hands, and she carried their vengeance on her shoulders.

She and Justin were never meant to have a future. These past few years had been nothing more than borrowed time.

But now, she had made up her mind. She would take up her father's badge.

Her new mission would be a matter of life and death. Soon, she would finally reunite with her family.

Chapter 2

Justin's face darkened even more when he heard Norah's response. His cold gaze locked onto her, and he instructed in a tone laced with anger, "If you don't have one, then get the hell out and buy protection."

Norah said nothing. She bent down, picked up the money from the floor, and walked out the door.

After buying what Justin wanted, she placed it on the doorstep, then returned to her room and locked the door.

That night, the moans from the next room never stopped. As if deliberately trying to punish her, Justin whispered sweet nothings to Selena in between their lovemaking.

"Baby, you smell so good. I love you so much.

"Promise me you'll love me forever. You'll never leave me, okay?"

And every word he spoke now was exactly what he used to say to her back when he held her in his arms in the middle of their lovemaking.

They had nothing back then. Their tiny 220-square-foot rental was cramped and modest, but they had been madly in love.

Norah had fantasized countless times about growing old with him, having a son and a daughter, and having a lifetime of happiness together.

But those memories were nothing more than illusions. They were beautiful yet untouchable, forever lost.

Norah cried the whole night. By morning, her pillow was soaked. She told herself that this was the last time she would ever shed a tear for Justin.

When she came downstairs, Justin and Selena were already up.

In the past, none of the women Justin brought home ever stayed the night. Selena was the first. She was also the only one who had ever stayed for breakfast.

The housekeepers bustled around, busier than usual. It was then that Norah realized that today was Selena's birthday. Justin was throwing her a grand birthday party.

As the party began, the house filled with familiar faces from their social circle. They all greeted Selena warmly, treating her as though she were the true lady of the house.

And Justin played the perfect, devoted man—holding Selena's hand as they welcomed and entertained the guests.

When Selena blew out the candles and made her wish, Justin spared no expense, gifting her a diamond necklace worth tens of millions of dollars.

As emotions ran high, the two of them passionately kissed in front of everyone.

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd, yet their gazes toward Norah were filled with undisguised sympathy.

"This is how she's being treated, even though she's the wife… How pitiful."

"Everyone knows she's the biggest joke in our circle. If I were her, I'd find a place to hide."

"Yet she acts as if nothing has happened. She doesn't give the slightest reaction."

The corners of Norah's lips curled into a bitter smile. She had endured too much pain. This was nothing compared to all she had suffered.

Midway through the banquet, Selena found her in a secluded corner. "It's been a whole day. Aren't you going to ask me why?"

Norah calmly shook her head. "I no longer want to know."

Selena was once her best friend, so she knew exactly what had happened all those years ago.

She had witnessed Norah's endless suffering, seen her red-rimmed eyes staring at the intimate photos Justin sent, and seen her break down in silent tears.

So many times, Selena had wanted to pick up the phone and tell Justin the truth. But Norah stopped her, saying that it wouldn't change their fate no matter what.

Now, Selena looked at her with reddened eyes, her gaze filled with too many unreadable emotions.

"Norah, you know what I hate the most? It's the way you act like none of this matters. You know nothing, so of course, you don't know that I've secretly loved Justin for years.

"Yet, his heart has always belonged to you. I know how much you've suffered because of him, but do you know what kind of life he led after you left?

"For you, he drank himself into oblivion, vomited blood from excessive drinking, and spent nights alone in the apartment you once shared.

"The photo you left behind has remained in his wallet for years. Once, he was mugged, and he would rather take multiple stab wounds than let go of that wallet just to keep the only thing you left him.

"Even after achieving fame and success, he chose to marry you. He brought all those women home, not because he wanted them, but because he was waiting for you to give in. If you had just said you still loved him, he would have given up everything to be with you again.

"Norah, he's such a proud man, yet for you, he's humbled himself to this extent. He may hate you, but he loves you even more."

Selena came to a brief pause before adding, "And you know what? I hate you, too. I hate that he still refuses to let you go after everything you've done to him.

"Justin never intended to choose me. Every woman he brought home over the years looked like you—except me. And yet, I am the one who has stayed by his side the longest.

"Do you know why? Because I lied to him. I told him that I was the one who donated that kidney to him back then."

Norah listened quietly without uttering a word.

Selena's breathing grew unsteady at Norah's continued silence. After a long pause, she finally spoke again, "Norah, you haven't given me a birthday gift this year. But I only want one thing—I want you to give Justin to me."

Silence stretched between them.

Just when Selena thought Norah would never respond, Norah finally spoke, "Okay."

Selena smiled with tears brimming in her eyes. "If you're going to let go, then let go completely. Make sure his heart never holds you again."

With that, she released her grip on the staircase railing, closed her eyes, and let herself fall backward.

Chapter 3

Everyone was startled by the loud crash.

When Justin saw Selena lying on the ground covered in blood, his expression turned terrifyingly dark. "How dare you, Norah!"

He scooped Selena up in his arms and rushed out the door.

The banquet ended in chaos, and Norah was also taken to the hospital by bodyguards.

Hearing that Selena was experiencing massive blood loss and knowing that Norah had the same blood type, Justin immediately demanded that she donate blood without hesitation.

A blood donation required a routine medical checkup, which would reveal any past surgeries and medical history. Norah couldn't let Justin find out that she had once donated a kidney to him.

Her expression instantly turned cold when she thought of this. "I'm not donating my blood. Her blood type isn't rare. Why does it have to be me?"

Justin pulled out a thick stack of cash and threw it at Norah's face.

"You love money, don't you? Tell me how much you want, and I'll give it to you. Will you donate then?"

Norah numbly watched as the money rained down on her, each bill striking her face like a knife slicing through her heart.

After Justin irritably threw six or seven stacks, Norah finally crouched down and started picking up the scattered bills one by one. Looking up at him with a mocking smile, she said, "You should've done this earlier. You wasted so much time."

With that, she turned and walked straight into the blood donation room.

After the checkup, the doctor studied the report and shook his head. "This lady has undergone surgery before and is missing a kidney. She has a history of severe blood loss. I wouldn't recommend she donate her blood."

Justin's brows furrowed deeply. "Missing a kidney? What does that mean?"

Before Norah could respond, Justin coldly sneered. "Are you trying to make up some lie about donating your kidney to me just to get my money?"

A sharp pain stabbed through Norah's heart, but she forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah, I didn't expect you to see through me."

Justin's expression turned even darker. He grabbed the doctor by the collar and gritted his teeth. "I don't care how much she paid you to lie. I'll pay you double.

"Take as much blood as Selena needs."

The thick needle piercing into her vein made Norah tremble involuntarily. As the blood drained from her body, she felt colder and colder. Her vision blurred. Tubes of blood must have been taken before she finally collapsed into unconsciousness.

…

It was already dark when Norah woke up. On the bedside table sat a bowl of her favorite rice pudding. Whenever she felt unwell, Justin would buy it for her just to cheer her up, no matter where he was.

He used to say that he could only afford small things like that since they were poor. But one day, he would give her the best of everything.

Norah's heart clenched so painfully that it was suffocating when she thought of the way Justin used to hold her, gently coaxing her.

She picked up the rice pudding and mechanically spooned it into her mouth, swallowing it bite by bite.

As she walked out, she happened to glance into the next hospital room.

Selena was leaning against the bed, playfully pouting at Justin. "Justin, it's hot."

Justin blew on the soup and gently fed it to her.

She ate a spoonful but pouted again. "It's not sweet enough."

Justin wasn't annoyed. Instead, he smiled, pulled out a piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and fed it to her.

Norah blinked and murmured, "It's still not sweet enough."

This time, Justin put the bowl down, cupped her face, and kissed her tenderly.

They separated after a moment.

Selena rested her head on his shoulder, her voice soft and affectionate. "Justin, stop loving Norah. Love me instead, okay?"

At that moment, Justin's gaze lifted and met Norah's at the door. For a second, silence filled the air.

Justin looked at Norah, his eyes devoid of warmth. "I don't love her anymore. I never will again."

Norah didn't say a word. She merely smiled bitterly before turning and walking away.

Chapter 4

During her days in the hospital, Justin's devotion to Selena became the talk of the entire facility. Everyone knew about it.

Meanwhile, Norah remained alone in her ward, without a single visitor.

One day, a young intern, assuming she was single, boldly asked for her contact information.

Unfortunately, Justin happened to witness the scene. He said nothing, but the coldness in his eyes was terrifying.

That night, Norah watched the grand fireworks display Justin had arranged for Selena. The dazzling lights illuminated the entire night sky, drawing hospital staff and patients outside to admire the spectacle.

Norah stood under the fireworks, quietly appreciating a beauty that was never meant for her.

Fireworks were fleeting, just like her happiness.

The intern who had once visited her never showed up again. Norah never saw him for the remaining days of her hospitalization.

On the day of her discharge, Selena insisted that Norah leave with them.

"Justin, let's bring Norah along. It'd be inconvenient for her to take a taxi alone," Selena said.

Justin shot Norah a cold glance and spoke coldly, "Selena, don't be too kind to her, or she'll eat you alive. Besides, she's quite skilled at seducing men. There'll be plenty of people willing to take her home."

Norah said nothing but ended up getting into the car anyway.

Midway through the drive, Justin received a call about a long-awaited drinking gathering.

Upon hearing this, Selena eagerly asked him to take them along. She claimed she had been stuck in the hospital for too long and wanted to go out and socialize.

Justin didn't refuse. Soon, the three of them arrived at the gathering together.

When they entered, everyone assumed Selena was Justin's wife, as they only saw him holding her hand. This led to curious glances toward Norah, who followed behind them.

"Mr. Johnson, who is this lady?" someone asked.

Justin glanced at Norah before replying coldly, "Oh, her? She's our housekeeper. I brought her here to take care of Selena."

Norah's heart clenched painfully, but she didn't refute him.

During the event, someone raised a toast to Justin. Instead of drinking, he simply waved a hand at Norah. "Drink. You didn't come along just to enjoy yourself. Don't worry. You'll be paid."

With a smile, Norah raised her glass without hesitation and downed the drink in one go.

Seeing how indifferent he was toward her, the others took the opportunity to surround Norah, continuously pouring her drinks. She accepted every one of them.

A middle-aged man, using the excuse of offering a toast, took the chance to grope her.

She pushed him away several times, but he kept placing his hand back on her waist.

In the dimly lit corner, Justin watched the man's movements with dark eyes, his gaze growing colder by the second.

Norah must have had one too many, as she felt dizzy, and the entire room seemed to spin when she walked.

She then got up and went to the restroom to wash her face. As she stepped out, the middle-aged man slowly approached her.

A sense of unease surged in her chest. Instinctively, she backed away, but the man was faster. Before she could react, a cloth soaked in some kind of liquid was pressed firmly over her nose and mouth.

Her body weakened instantly, heat surging through her veins as if her blood was boiling. She struggled, but he was dragging her deeper into the hallway.

Just before she was shoved through a door, she summoned all her strength and kicked the man hard between the legs.

As he doubled over in pain and released her, she shoved him away and staggered forward.

Desperate, she slipped into a nearby room, but her body felt like it was burning from the inside out.

There was no doubt that the cloth had been laced with something. She had been drugged.

In her dazed state, the door suddenly swung open.

The tall figure of a man stepped in.

Norah couldn't see his face clearly as he was against the light. Assuming he was just a server from the private room, she panicked and rushed toward him.

Grabbing his wrist tightly, she pleaded, "Help me find a man, quickly!"

The man's voice was cold. "Do you even know what you're saying?"

Norah bit down on her lip, forcing herself to stay awake.

"I… I can't die here. Please, I'm begging you…"

A mocking laugh echoed in the room. "Why are you looking for another man when I'm right here?"

The familiar voice jolted her mind awake.

When Norah looked up and saw Justin standing before her, she summoned the last of her strength and pushed him away.

"Not you… It can't be you…" she muttered.

Justin's face instantly darkened. He lunged forward in anger and grabbed Norah by the throat.

"Why not me? Didn't you say you'd never leave me as long as I had money? I have money now! So, why not me?"

Norah froze for a moment before tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.

Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Because you're… Justin. You're my Justin."

Her words crashed over Justin like a tidal wave.

Losing all control, he seized her, pressed her hard against the wall, and kissed her.

Chapter 5

It was already the next morning when Norah woke up again after that night of entanglement. Her cheeks burned when she glanced at the marks covering her body.

Beside her, Justin had also awakened. His gaze was unreadable, as if he had countless things to say.

Yet in the end, he only said coldly, "Keep your mouth shut. Don't run your tongue in front of Selena."

A bitter smile tugged at Norah's lips. She was his wife, yet she had to keep their marital relations a secret from Selena. Could there be anything more absurd than this?

She let out a laugh. "Fine. I won't say a word as long as you pay me."

Justin's face turned livid with rage. He yanked a thick wad of cash from the nightstand and threw it at her in disgust before getting dressed and leaving without a backward glance.

It wasn't until later, when Norah returned home, that she learned that starting today, Selena would be moving into their house to live with them.

Selena's suitcases were piled high in the living room, and the maids were helping her unpack.

When Selena saw Norah, she greeted her with the air of a mistress. "You're back. I had the maids move your things to the guest room. You don't mind, do you?"

Whether she minded or not was irrelevant. After all, no one cared about her feelings. And soon, she wouldn't be staying in this house much longer.

Once Selena moved in, she and Justin behaved like newlyweds, glued to each other every waking moment.

At meals, Justin would tenderly pick food for Selena, peel shrimp for her, and even cool her soup to the perfect temperature before feeding it to her.

Whenever Norah passed by the living room, she would inevitably catch the couple passionately kissing, wrapped in each other's arms.

Even though her room had been relocated to the guest quarters, the sounds of their intimacy still seeped through the corridor at night, filling the air with muffled moans.

They had woven a web around her, slowly tightening it until it trapped her and hurt her completely.

Justin was intent on tormenting her. He deliberately made her stand guard outside the door while he and Selena were entangled inside.

"Didn't you say you love money? Then, stand watch for us. 100,000 dollars per night. How about that?"

He looked so striking—those lips curling ever so slightly, exuding an air of icy arrogance.

Norah stared at him in silence for a long time before finally responding, "200,000 dollars."

Justin's face twitched, the veins in his forehead bulging with fury. Grinding his teeth, he snatched another stack of bills and flung them at her in disgust. "Get out!"

She picked up the money impassively. Before leaving, she even thoughtfully shut the door behind them.

…

The humiliation never stopped. Justin made Norah prepare their bedroom for the night. He made her buy lingerie for Selena. He made her bathe Selena after their sessions. He even made her clean up the aftermath of their passion.

And in return? Wads of cash were flung at her face, time and time again.

Not once did she refuse or show any emotion.

No resentment. No anger. No sadness. Nothing at all.

She simply picked up the money, completed his orders, and carried on—cold and mechanical, as if none of it had anything to do with her.

Norah didn't care about Justin, the fact that he slept with another woman, or that he had fallen in love with someone else.

Yet Justin was driven mad by her indifference.

One late night, when no one else was around, he grabbed her by the waist and pinned her against the wall.

He demanded, "Why are you so indifferent? Why don't you care? Why aren't you jealous? Did you never like me at all, Norah? What am I to you?"

Her gaze remained as calm as ever, and her expression was unreadable. She looked at him with empty eyes devoid of any affection.

"I only care about money. I can act the way you want me to act. However, that will cost extra."