Chapter 1

She fell in love with her father's friend, a man 12 years older than her.

The first time she saw him, he was dressed in a sharp suit.

Broad-shouldered and lean-waisted, he was the most dazzling presence in any crowd.

He smiled, patted her head, and gifted her a beautiful princess dress.

When she was 20, he was drugged at a banquet, and she, wearing that very dress, gave up her innocence to be his cure.

The next morning, they were caught in a disheveled state by his childhood friend, Nadine Quill. Shocked, Nadine fled in tears, only to be hit by an out-of-control truck and die on the spot.

From that moment, Alyssa Camden felt that Enzo Slater had become a different person.

He handled Nadine's funeral with chilling composure, married Alyssa with the same calm, shared a bed with her every night without passion, and repeatedly forced her into one abortion after another because he didn't want children.

On her 18th abortion, Alyssa suffered massive bleeding and lay dying on the operating table when she overheard the doctor calling Enzo.

Enzo's voice remained indifferent as he asked, "Is she dead? Call me when she is."

At that moment, Alyssa finally understood that Enzo hated her.

He hated that she had willingly been his cure. He hated that, by sheer misfortune, she had caused Nadine's death.

As she took her last breath on the operating table, regret consumed her.

But when she opened her eyes again, she had been reborn to the very night Enzo had been drugged.

Looking at the usually cold and untouchable man now lying on the bed, shirt unbuttoned, eyes tinged red—like a fallen god from his pedestal—Alyssa felt a myriad of emotions.

In her past life, it was this image of him that had bewitched her. It had driven her to desire him, to ignore that he was her father's friend, to disregard the 12-year age gap, to cast everything aside and become his remedy.

Only later did she learn that Enzo and Nadine had loved each other all along. They simply hadn't had the chance to confess before she had stepped in.

Perhaps the heavens took pity on Alyssa.

Now that she had a second chance, she would do only one thing—bring Enzo and Nadine together.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her phone and dialed Nadine's number.

Nadine arrived in a hurry ten minutes later.

Alyssa grasped her hand tightly. "I know he loves you, and you love him. You just never had the right moment to admit it. Now that he's drugged and needs you, this is the perfect chance for you both to be together."

Nadine had been skeptical when she received the call, but hearing these words, her expression turned even more conflicted, as she was wary of some kind of trick.

"Alyssa, what are you up to? You've been chasing Enzo so openly. Now that he's in this state, instead of taking advantage of it, you're calling me here to bring us together?"

Hearing this, Alyssa let out a bitter laugh.

Indeed, at this moment in her past life, she had pursued Enzo so relentlessly that the whole city knew.

Back then, she believed that if she tried hard enough, she could bridge the gap of status and age.

Now, she understood that as long as he didn't love her, the only thing left for her was a lifetime of suffering, no matter how much she gave.

She had been terribly, terribly wrong in her past life.

Shaking her head, she whispered, "I don't love him anymore. I never will again."

The moment her words fell, a muffled groan of suppressed pain came from inside the room.

"He can't hold on much longer. It'll be too late if you don't go in now."

Following Alyssa's gaze, Nadine looked toward the bedroom hesitatingly.

Finally, as if convinced, Nadine bit her lip. "Why are you still here, then? Planning to listen in?"

Alyssa's body stiffened for a moment before she turned sideways, making way for the woman before her.

The moment Nadine's hand touched Enzo's face, Alyssa shut the door firmly without hesitation.

The next moment, muffled groans from the man and soft gasps from the woman seeped through the thick wooden door, ringing in Alyssa's ears.

One sound after another, their passionate noises slammed into her heart like a hammer, shattering it into pieces, leaving it bloody and raw.

She lost all strength and slid down to the floor.

Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, yet deep inside, Alyssa felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

She had finally broken free from the fate of her past life.

Frantically wiping away her tears, she stumbled back to her room.

That night, the two in the next room indulged in reckless passion.

Alyssa, however, didn't sleep at all.

At dawn, Philip Camden's call came through.

"Liss, do you want to come live abroad with me?"

Years ago, when Camden Group set out to expand into international markets, Philip had moved overseas alone. Worried that he wouldn't have time to take care of his daughter, he had entrusted Alyssa to his longtime friend, Enzo, to look after her.

And so, Enzo had cared for her for years.

Later, Alyssa fell in love with Enzo. Even after Camden Group had firmly established itself abroad, and Philip had repeatedly asked her to return to his side, she had refused every time.

But now, Enzo and Nadine had finally confessed their feelings for each other.

It was time for Alyssa to leave and live her own life.

At the thought of this, Alyssa exhaled slowly.

"Dad, I want to go abroad."

Philip seemed momentarily stunned by her sudden change of heart. Then, his voice turned noticeably excited.

"Sweetheart, you've finally come to your senses. I told you long ago that Enzo was never right for you! You were too stubborn—no matter how hard you tried, it was never going to work! It's not wrong for you to want love, but you need to find the right person.

"I've already picked a fiancé for you. He's closer to your age. Once you move abroad, spend some time with him and try opening your heart to someone new. There's no harm in that."

Philip's words made Alyssa's already swollen eyes well up with fresh tears.

He had told her the same thing in her past life, but she had been too blinded by obsession to listen.

And because of that, she had wasted her life away.

Digging her nails into her palm, she forced out a smile.

"I'll do as you say, Dad. I'll start my immigration paperwork right away."

Chapter 2

After hanging up, Alyssa hurriedly wiped away her tears, grabbed her documents, and started to leave.

But the moment she opened the door, she bumped straight into the man standing outside.

Enzo's neck was covered in kiss marks.

The sight of him hit Alyssa like a truck.

Even though she had already mentally prepared herself for the fact that Enzo and Nadine had been intimate, she still instinctively averted her gaze.

Enzo noticed this subtle movement of hers. Seeing her slightly reddened eyes, he immediately connected the dots.

His tone carried a warning as he spoke coldly, "Alyssa, whether you like it or not, I'm with Nadine now. I will marry her. Since you live here, you need to respect her. Don't say those ridiculous things again."

Alyssa lowered her gaze and calmly replied, "I understand, Mr. Slater."

The moment her address—"Mr. Slater"—left her lips, Enzo found it incredibly unfamiliar.

He lowered his head and gave the young woman in front of him a deep look.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had her address him that way.

Back when Alyssa first moved into the Slater residence, she had always called him "Mr. Slater" sweetly.

But later, when her feelings changed, she started calling him by his name instead. She refused to call him the way she used to.

He frowned slightly and was about to speak when a woman's voice from behind him shattered the strange silence between them.

"Enzo, I've moved my luggage here. Which room will I be staying in?"

Enzo snapped back to reality and pulled Nadine, who was walking toward him, into his arms. He said gently, "You like sunlight, don't you? Alyssa's room faces south and has the best lighting. I'll have her move to the guest room; you can stay here from now on."

A triumphant smile flickered in Nadine's eyes, but her tone carried a show of hesitation. "Oh, but how could I possibly take Alyssa's room?

"Compared to Liss, I came later, after all. Maybe I should take the guest room instead?"

As she spoke, she made a move to head downstairs, but in the next second, a startled gasp escaped her lips.

Enzo had scooped her back into his arms. "You're my future wife, the mistress of this house. How could you possibly stay in a guest room?"

"But Liss has lived in that room for so long. Won't it be hard for her to adjust if she suddenly has to move?"

Hearing this, Enzo glanced at the woman standing at the door. "She'll have to get used to it. She needs to accept that I'm getting married, that this house has a mistress now, and that she is just an outsider."

Alyssa's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she put on a self-mocking smile.

An outsider, huh?

Yes, he wasn't wrong. She was just an outsider.

She pursed her lips. "I'll pack my things now and move to the guest room."

It didn't matter anyway. Soon, she would be leaving for good and returning to her father's side. She never had to come back or set foot in this place again.

This was Enzo and Nadine's home now.

In the days that followed, Alyssa went to the embassy to handle her immigration paperwork. She left early and returned late every day just to avoid seeing Enzo.

But no matter how hard she tried to avoid it, she still witnessed his deep affection and devotion to Nadine.

When Nadine had a poor appetite, he spared no expense to hire top chefs to cook for her.

When Nadine felt unwell, he canceled billion-dollar contracts just to stay home and take care of her.

When Nadine casually mentioned a piece of jewelry she liked, he personally delivered it to her within ten minutes.

Alyssa silently watched everything without making a fuss or causing a scene.

As she waited for her immigration papers to be approved, she started packing her belongings.

She packed up her suitcase first, then gathered all the love letters she had written to Enzo and the sketches she had drawn of him, placing them into a box. Carrying it outside, she was ready to throw it all away.

Just as she reached the doorway, she unexpectedly ran into Enzo, who had just returned from buying sweets for Nadine.

Alyssa acted as if she didn't see him, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she prepared to walk past him.

The next moment, a sharp pain shot through her wrist.

Enzo had grabbed her hand.

"You've been avoiding me these past few days, haven't you?"

Chapter 3

Alyssa frowned slightly. "I'm not."

Enzo took a few steps closer, carefully studying her evasive gaze. "And you're still saying you're not? You leave early and return late every day, and when you see me, you don't even say hello before walking away. If that's not avoiding me, then what is?

"Why? Just because I'm dating Nadine now?"

Alyssa quickly shook her head. "No! Mr. Slater, you've found someone you love, and as your junior, I'm truly happy for you. I sincerely wish you both a lifetime of happiness. Don't worry, I've accepted the fact that you will never have feelings for me. I won't love you anymore."

Her voice was calm as she simply stated a fact.

But Enzo's face darkened. Those words somehow grated on his ears.

Alyssa not liking him was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.

"I rejected you when you confessed. I rejected you when you clung to me. And now you're trying a new trick to get my attention?"

As he spoke, he closely observed her reaction. The brief flicker of surprise in her expression only confirmed his suspicions.

He slowly advanced toward her. Then his gaze fell on the box in her arms, and his tone grew even colder.

"You claim you don't like me anymore, yet you wrote me all these love letters, drew so many sketches of me, and chased after me for years. And now you suddenly say you don't like me anymore? Alyssa, do you even realize how ridiculous you sound?"

Alyssa silently looked at the man before her.

Of course, she knew how ridiculous she sounded. No one would believe someone who had cried wolf too many times.

But these absurd words were the truth.

"Mr. Slater, I did like you for a long time. But since you will never love me back, I've truly given up."

With that, Alyssa dumped the contents of the box onto the ground right in front of Enzo. Then, one by one, she ripped the letters and sketches to shreds.

As the paper fragments fluttered through the air, she noticed that Enzo's expression didn't show the slightest bit of relief. On the contrary, it turned even darker.

Just as Alyssa began to doubt whether she was seeing things, she suddenly heard him saying in an icy voice, "Keep putting on a show, Alyssa. Remember this—no matter what tricks you play, Nadine is the only person I love."

From that day on, Alyssa and Enzo never spoke again.

For Alyssa, there was nothing left to say.

For Enzo, he believed she was playing hard to get, so he chose to ignore her.

This tense standoff lasted until the Slater family's banquet.

In the past, Alyssa had always been the center of attention at such gatherings, as she was beloved by the Slater family's elders. They would fuss over her, and it was always Enzo who had to step in to "rescue" her from their enthusiastic questioning.

But now, all of the Slater family's attention was on Nadine.

After all, she was the future mistress of the Slater household, whereas Alyssa was just an outsider.

They knew who would be more important to them.

That morning, Alyssa personally witnessed how much the Slater family valued Nadine.

As soon as Nadine arrived, Marie Jacobson, Enzo's mother, slipped the family's heirloom emerald bracelet onto her wrist.

Alyssa had never even seen that bracelet in her past life.

During the banquet, the Slater family openly discussed the couple's wedding date at the dining table.

By the end of the event, the wedding date was set.

As Alyssa prepared to leave with Enzo, Marie suddenly called out to her and said that she wanted to have a private conversation with Alyssa.

Once they entered the study, Marie got straight to the point. "Liss, you should leave Enzo. You know that he and Nadine are together now. You will only humiliate yourself and trouble him by staying here. What else can you possibly gain from this?"

Seeing how Marie made no effort to hide her dislike for her, Alyssa felt an inexplicable pang of bitterness in her heart.

Marie used to like her, but that affection had ended the day she confessed to Enzo.

Everyone called her ridiculous and condemned her as shameless...

Alyssa clenched her fists tightly. "Don't worry, I'll leave."

With that, she took out the immigration documents from her bag and handed them to Marie.

"I called my father a few days ago and told him I would go abroad to live with him. He has already arranged a fiancé for me. From now on, I'll stay far away from Mr. Slater and never bother him again."

Marie carefully examined the immigration documents before her expression finally softened. "You'd better keep your word."

Only after Marie left did Alyssa feel less tense. She put the documents back into her bag, ready to leave.

But just as she stood up, her gaze met Enzo's at the doorway.

"Who are you planning to stay far away from?"

Alyssa's mind went blank in an instant. She had no idea how much Enzo had overheard, but her first instinct was to keep her departure a secret from him.

So, she shook her head. "No one. You misheard."

Without another glance at him, she turned sideways to leave. But just as she took a step, Enzo said, "I know you don't want to go abroad. You don't have to move out even after I marry Nadine. Your father is my friend. I can take care of you for a lifetime."

Alyssa's eyes widened in shock at those words. Even Nadine, who had come looking for Enzo, froze in place.

It wasn't until Nadine's resentful gaze fell upon her that Alyssa snapped back to reality and hurried away.

Chapter 4

Alyssa didn't take Enzo's words to heart. She simply waited in silence for her immigration paperwork to be approved so she could leave as soon as possible.

But Nadine refused to let her go.

One day, Nadine warmly insisted on taking Alyssa out shopping. However, Alyssa lost consciousness not long after they got into the car.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself tied up on a cliffside by the sea.

On the other side, Nadine was bound in the same way.

Alyssa struggled desperately, trying to ask Nadine why, but the tape over her mouth reduced her words to muffled whimpers.

Nadine seemed to understand her unspoken question and sneered coldly. "I didn't want to do this, Alyssa. But what Enzo said that day kept bothering me. I just wanted to prove who really matters more to him."

Hearing this, Alyssa felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow.

What was there to prove? Wasn't the answer obvious?

Before long, Enzo arrived in a hurry with two suitcases full of cash.

He threw the suitcases forward and barked, "I've brought the money! Let them go!"

But the kidnappers, following Nadine's orders, remained unmoved. Instead, one of them leisurely said, "Mr. Slater, I didn't kidnap them for money."

Enzo's expression darkened, his voice turning ice-cold. "What do you mean?"

The kidnapper placed a hand on both Alyssa and Nadine's shoulders, grinning sadistically.

"I heard that one of these women is the daughter of your old friend, and the other is your fiancée. You can only save one. We will throw the other one into the sea to feed the sharks. Make your choice!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he loosened the ropes slightly.

The two women, bound at the edge of the cliff, teetered on the brink of plunging into the sea.

Nadine turned pale with fear, and her voice trembled uncontrollably. "Enzo, save me! I don't want to die!"

Enzo's heart dropped.

"Don't touch Nadine!"

The answer was clear.

Satisfied, the kidnapper smirked, while Nadine, who had been feigning distress, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked at Enzo with feigned gratitude, but before she could say anything, Enzo instinctively turned his gaze to Alyssa.

He had thought she would break down in despair.

However, Alyssa's expression remained calm.

For some reason, that eerie composure unsettled him deeply.

Before he could speak, he suddenly felt a weight against him.

Nadine, now untied, had thrown herself into his arms in an emotional embrace.

He instinctively held her close. "Nadine…"

In the next instant, Enzo's pupils shrank in horror.

Alyssa, whose ropes were cut, plunged straight into the sea.

The ocean swallowed Alyssa whole, waves crashing as the depths pulled her downward.

She struggled to swim up, but exhaustion overwhelmed her.

Slowly, her eyelids grew heavier… until she lost consciousness entirely.

When Alyssa finally woke up in the hospital, the first thing she saw was Enzo sitting beside her bed.

His bloodshot eyes and unshaven jawline revealed that he had been watching over her for days.

But Alyssa no longer needed his protection.

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a long time.

Finally, Alyssa was the first to speak.

"Mr. Slater, you don't have to stay here. Go check on Nadine. She needs your care more." Perhaps sensing that her words were too abrupt, she added softly, "I can take care of myself."

Stunned, Enzo looked at the woman in the hospital bed with a complicated expression. After a long pause, he finally stood up and walked away.

The day Alyssa was discharged from the hospital happened to be Nadine's birthday.

Since it was their first birthday celebration as a couple, Enzo spared no expense.

A hundred thousand roses were flown in from Fluence, filling the entire venue with their blooms. Expensive gifts were casually piled in the corners, and photos of Enzo and Nadine during every stage of their love story were displayed from the entrance all the way into the grand hall.

As fireworks lit up the sky, the party reached its climax. Enzo held Nadine's waist tightly, guiding her gracefully across the dance floor in time with the elegant waltz.

Behind them, the large screen played a looping montage of their sweet moments together.

Just as the guests were touched by their romance, the screen suddenly went black.

A moment later, a series of childish love letters and hand-drawn portraits—each one filled with Alyssa's deep, unspoken love for Enzo—appeared on the screen.

The entire hall erupted into chaos.

Alyssa's face went deathly pale.

She had torn all of those letters to shreds. How were they still here?

She wanted to rush forward and turn off the screen, but her feet felt nailed to the floor. She could only stand there, frozen, as the murmurs and whispers dragged her into the abyss.

"Mr. Slater is about to get married, and the Camden family's daughter still won't give up! How shameless!"

"And during Ms. Quill's birthday party, no less. Isn't this a direct challenge?"

"Poor Ms. Quill… Even after marrying him, she'll have to deal with other women coveting her husband."

The murmurs finally reached the people at the center of the dance floor.

When Nadine turned to see what was on the screen, her face turned ghostly white.

She trembled violently as she turned to look at Alyssa—the culprit behind her humiliation.

Tears welled in her eyes before she lifted her dress and ran out of the banquet hall.

"Nadine!"

Enzo's heart clenched, and he immediately moved to chase after her.

But the moment his gaze landed on Alyssa—who still stood stiffly in place—his steps halted abruptly.

Then, without warning, he raised his hand.

Slap!

Silence fell over the room.

"And I was wondering why you'd been so obedient lately, Alyssa. So, this was your plan all along!"

Chapter 5

The force of the slap was so strong that it sent Alyssa crashing to the ground.

Her face swelled up rapidly, and even the corner of her mouth began to bleed.

A buzzing sound rang in her ears.

She could hear or see anything.

With a trembling hand, she reached up to touch her face. The moment her fingers brushed against the palm print, tears started streaming down uncontrollably.

This was the first time Enzo had ever slapped her.

But before she could even react, Enzo had already left through the doorway.

Alyssa took a deep breath, hurriedly scrambled up from the ground, and ran after him.

She was afraid that Nadine would meet the same tragic fate as in the previous life.

Boom!

One deafening thunderclap after another rumbled through the sky as the heavy rain poured down relentlessly, drenching the world.

Amidst the rain, a tall man held a petite woman tightly in his arms.

Nadine struggled desperately, her voice full of despair. "Today is the most important day of my life, yet she did something like this. How can you expect me to stay? Since she still can't let go of you, I don't want to fight with another woman over a man. I might as well return you to her…"

But Enzo only tightened his embrace around her. "No, Nadine. I will never love her. You know how long I've been in love with you. Why are you pushing me toward someone else? Do you want to tear my heart out?"

As he spoke, he leaned down to kiss her.

But in the next second, a blinding pair of headlights sped toward them from a distance.

Alyssa had just caught up, only to be met with a scene bathed in blood.

She froze on the spot.

The red light inside the emergency room flickered on.

Doctors rushed forward, surrounding Enzo and attaching various medical devices to his body, preparing for emergency treatment.

However, Enzo ignored his own injuries and insisted they save Nadine first.

"But Mr. Slater, you're the one who's critically injured!"

Enzo's voice was weak and shaky. "Forget about me. Save her first…"

Left with no choice, the doctors hurriedly wheeled the unconscious Nadine into the operating room.

Not long after, a doctor rushed out in a panic. "The patient is experiencing massive blood loss! Who here has type A blood?"

Upon hearing this, Enzo shoved the nurses aside and got off the bed. "I do! Take my blood!"

"But Mr. Slater, you—"

"Shut up! Hurry!"

Bag after bag of bright red blood filled the medical tray beside him. By then, Enzo's face turned deathly pale.

Only when Nadine was finally out of danger did he allow himself to collapse onto the operating table and be wheeled into emergency surgery.

Alyssa could no longer bear to watch. She turned and walked out.

She knew Enzo loved Nadine more than himself.

If she had realized this sooner in her past life, would her ending have been less tragic?

She had changed the course of events in this lifetime.

Even so, Nadine still ended up in a car accident.

And the root cause of everything was the love letters and portraits she had drawn. Yet she had no idea how they had spread—she had torn them up with her own hands.

It seemed that Nadine was the only person who could have secretly kept her love letters and then made them public.

But why would she do such a thing when she already had Enzo?

Alyssa couldn't figure it out, nor did she dare to think too deeply about it.

For three days, she stayed at home in a daze.

Then, Enzo was discharged from the hospital.

The first thing he did upon returning was order his bodyguards to throw Alyssa into the cold storage.

The moment she was tossed inside, the bone-chilling cold engulfed her entire body.

Surrounded by nothing but icy whiteness, Alyssa let out a bitter laugh. She couldn't even remember the last time she had felt this kind of cold.

Ever since she had accidentally fallen into a frozen lake as a child, her body had been frail, and she had become extremely sensitive to the cold.

That was why the villa was always kept warm, making it feel like spring all year round.

Yet now, Enzo was punishing her in this cruel way for not giving up on him and for indirectly causing harm to Nadine.

Instinctively, Alyssa curled up, desperately trying to preserve some warmth, but it was futile. All she could do was let out weak, whimpering sounds.

Outside the cold storage, a maid who couldn't bear to watch any longer softly pleaded, "Ms. Camden, why don't you make the first move and apologize to Mr. Slater? Given your health, how will you survive this…"

Alyssa's eyes suddenly turned red.

She had been wrong in her past life, hence why she accepted her fate.

But she had done nothing wrong in this life. What was there to apologize for?

Besides, Enzo's heart was completely with Nadine now. He wouldn't even want to hear her explanation.

The freezing wind howled in from all directions, and soon, a layer of frost formed on Alyssa's eyelashes.

She could feel her heartbeat slowing, her thoughts growing more and more blurred…

In the end, she slowly closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

Chapter 6

When Alyssa woke up again, she found herself lying in bed. Enzo stood beside her, his expression cold as ice.

He growled, "You've caused such a mess this time. You should've been locked up for three whole days, but Nadine took pity on you and begged me to let you out. I knew you still had feelings for me, but listen carefully, Alyssa, I will never like a girl 12 years younger than me. You and —it's never going to happen."

With that, the door slammed shut right in front of her, the loud bang drowning out the explanation she had wanted to say.

She leaned back against the headboard, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh before murmuring, "Enzo, I swear… I really don't like you anymore."

...

For the next few days, the Slater residence was buzzing with excitement. Everyone in the mansion was busy preparing for Enzo and Nadine's upcoming wedding. Nadine was all smiles, taking charge of the arrangements while enthusiastically pulling Alyssa along.

She acted as if all the past unpleasantness had vanished into thin air, saying, "The venue and decorations are almost done; we just need a bridesmaid now. Liss, I think you'd be perfect! It's such a joyous occasion, and maybe you'll even snag yourself a groomsman."

Nadine's words carried a playful, teasing tone, but Alyssa was not in the mood to play along. She discreetly pulled her arm away, just about to decline, when a cold male voice suddenly interrupted them from above.

"She can't be a bridesmaid."

Both Alyssa and Nadine turned around and saw Enzo standing behind them. Nadine looked surprised that he would reject her suggestion and asked, "Why not?"

Enzo did not answer immediately, only glancing at Alyssa. Lately, she had been behaving, not clinging to him like before.

While that should have been a relief, the thought of her finding a boyfriend made something inside him tighten, an uncomfortable feeling he could not quite explain. His expression darkened as he was about to come up with some random excuse, but Alyssa spoke first.

She said, "I'm much younger than you all—it wouldn't be appropriate for me to be a bridesmaid."

The truth was, she was leaving the country soon, and she would not even be here for the wedding.

Enzo gave a slight nod, playing along with her reasoning, and Nadine finally let the idea go.

Alyssa quietly sighed in relief, ready to step away, but then Nadine spoke again. "If Liss can't be a bridesmaid, then how about this? To show your blessing, why don't you give me that wedding dress you designed? I love it so much."

Alyssa's eyes immediately flickered toward Enzo. She had designed the wedding dress when she was 18, and it had even won an award in a competition.

Countless socialites had tried to buy it, desperate to wear it on their big day. However, she had turned down every single one of them—that dress was meant for her. She had wanted to wear it when she married Enzo.

Enzo knew exactly what that dress meant to her, but he also did not want to disappoint Nadine. So, after a brief pause, he said, "Alyssa, if you sell me that dress, I'll grant you any request you want."

Alyssa tugged at the corner of her lips. "That won't be necessary. Nadine's right—I should give my blessing. So, consider this dress as my early wedding gift to you both."

With that, she picked up her phone and made a call to the bridal boutique. Not long after, staff from the store personally delivered the wedding dress, handing it over to Nadine.

Nadine was overjoyed with her prize. She stopped pestering Alyssa and excitedly ran off to the dressing room to try it on.

Alyssa watched her leave with a calm expression. Then, she turned back to her room without a hint of emotion. Only Enzo stood there, staring at her retreating figure, lost in thought.

...

Late that night, Alyssa was alone in her room, packing up her things. Her luggage was almost full, and the paperwork was nearly done. Soon, she would be gone.

Just as she finished stashing her luggage away and was about to go to bed, the door suddenly burst open. Before she could react, Enzo stormed in, grabbing her wrist and lashing out furiously.

He shouted, "What the hell did you do to the dress? Nadine only tried it on for a moment, and now her whole body is itching and breaking out in hives! Alyssa, are you trying to kill her?"

Under the dim, warm light, Enzo's eyes burned with rage, sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to tear her apart.

Alyssa frantically shook her head. "I never touched that dress! I wouldn't do anything to it, and I have no reason to hurt her!"

Enzo's face darkened as he shoved her onto the bed, his cold eyes locking onto hers. "I don't care what your excuse is. I know you still refuse to let go of me, but you should never, ever have hurt Nadine. You better pray she's okay, or—"

Before he could finish, a housekeeper suddenly rushed in from the doorway. "Mr. Slater! Ms. Quill just collapsed!"

Enzo's expression changed instantly. Before rushing out the door, he ordered, "Watch her—don't let her escape!"

Chapter 7

The entire night, the Slater residence remained brightly lit. Alyssa sat anxiously on the couch, her nails digging so deeply into her palms that blood trickled down her hands.

Yet, she did not even seem to notice. She just sat there, staring unblinkingly at the clock on the wall. She watched as the hour hand slowly moved from midnight to 7:00 am.

The very moment the clock chimed, hurried footsteps echoed from outside, growing closer and closer. Then, Enzo stepped inside, his dark eyes filled with pure rage, so intense that it sent a shiver down Alyssa's spine.

A deep, cold dread spread through her as she watched him take a whip from a housekeeper's hands and approach her step by step.

Enzo asked, "Alyssa, do you even realize what you've done? Nadine and the baby almost died because of you."

Alyssa was overwhelmed with shock when she heard his words, but she soon snapped back to reality. She recalled that this was exactly when she had gotten pregnant in her past life.

However, this time, she had pushed Nadine toward Enzo to relieve his effects from being drugged. Hence, it only made sense that the one carrying his child now was Nadine.

Nonetheless, Alyssa did not have time to dwell on that thought. She stared at Enzo, who was so furious he was willing to punish her just to vent Nadine's anger.

Alyssa's eyes turned red, and she struggled to explain."I didn't do anything to that wedding dress, and I never wanted to hurt her. From the kidnapping to the anonymous love letters at the gala, and now this dress—don't you think it's strange that all of this keeps happening? Even if I wanted to frame her, how could I succeed every single time?"

She thought that, after saying this, the usually cautious Enzo would at least start to see the holes in the situation. Unfortunately, his fury had completely consumed him.

His voice was ice-cold as he said, "So what? Are you saying Nadine is the one setting you up? I love her, and I'm marrying her. Why the hell would she go out of her way to ruin you?"

That was exactly what Alyssa did not understand. "I don't know—"

Before she could finish, a sharp cry of pain escaped her lips. She did not even notice when Enzo had raised the whip, but the moment it lashed across her body, a searing pain ripped through her.

Enzo hissed, "Alyssa, you're just as stubborn as ever."

Her face went pale as the corners of her lips twisted into a bitter smile. Nadine was the one Enzo held closest to his heart. So, how could she still foolishly think, even for a second, that he might believe her?

Alyssa's instincts screamed at her to run, but before she could move, the guards rushed forward, pinning her down. Another lash struck her back, and Enzo's furious voice boomed through the room.

"Alyssa, do you admit your mistake?"

Alyssa trembled from the pain, her entire body shaking, but she clenched her fists and refused to make a sound. Seeing her remain silent, Enzo's grip on the whip tightened, and he brought it down even harder.

"I'll ask you one last time—do you admit it?"

Yet, the girl on the floor kept her lips tightly sealed, refusing to say a single word. After all, she had not done anything wrong, and she would never admit to something she did not do.

Enzo grew even more furious when he saw how stubborn she was. The whip lashed across her back repeatedly, each strike heavier than the last. Before long, her entire back was a mess of torn flesh and blood, yet she still refused to admit to something she had not done.

Finally, Andrew, the butler, could not stand by any longer. He stepped forward and grabbed Enzo's wrist, stopping him. "Mr. Slater, if you keep this up, you're going to kill her."

Only then did Enzo finally let go, tossing the whip aside with an icy expression. He warned, "Alyssa, don't let there be a next time!"

The moment he finished speaking, Alyssa's body gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, losing consciousness completely.

...

For the next few days, Enzo did not return home. Meanwhile, Alyssa was beaten so badly that she could barely move, and she was left bedridden in unbearable pain.

It took her several days of rest before she was finally able to get out of bed again. On the day she fully recovered, immigration officials notified her that her permanent residency had been approved.

With her residency card now in hand, Alyssa had no reason to stay in the Slater residence any longer. She picked up the documents, returned to her room, and packed the last of her belongings.

Dragging her luggage behind her, she was ready to leave. However, just as she stepped out the door, she ran straight into Enzo.

Before Alyssa could even react, his cold voice cut through the air. "Alyssa, how old are you? Are you seriously still playing this childish runaway game?"

His expression darkened as he added, "I've told you countless times—stop having those kinds of thoughts about me. Yet, you refuse to listen and keep trying to harm Nadine. What, do you think I punished you unfairly?"

Alyssa was getting exhausted by this treatment. She did not know how many times she had to say it before he would finally believe—she truly did not like him anymore.

Seeing her remain silent, Enzo's irritation only grew. He rubbed his temple in frustration before sighing.

He mumbled, "Forget it. If you want to get some air, fine. Nadine's pregnancy has been unstable, and I've been busy with the wedding. Keeping you here might only tempt you to cause trouble again."

Without another word, he reached for her luggage and said, "I'll take you to the airport myself."

Alyssa did not argue or explain, simply following him without a word. Then, the car sped toward the airport. When they arrived at the terminal, she quietly grabbed her luggage and prepared to leave.

Just as she stepped out, Enzo finally asked, "Where's your flight headed?"

Alyssa was about to answer when he cut in coldly. "Just stick to nearby places, and don't go too far. Once the wedding is over, I'll come pick you up."

This time, Alyssa did not say anything. She simply nodded and replied, "I got it."

With that, she picked up her luggage and walked toward the terminal. Under his watchful gaze, she stepped into the airport without looking back.

It was not until she saw his car drive off into the distance that she took out her phone, blocking every single one of Enzo's numbers. Then, without a shred of doubt, she walked straight toward her gate.

She thought, "Pick me up? That won't be necessary, Enzo. I'm never coming back."