Chapter 1

"We made a mistake, Ms. Cobain. The person who received your boyfriend's heart isn't Soren Blight but someone else. That person is now in Halcyona."

The person speaking on the other end sounded remorseful. After a prolonged silence that grated on the nerves of the party making the apology, Zara Cobain finally spoke.

She said, "I understand."

Just as she ended the call, the door burst open, and Soren rushed in with an anxious expression. The moment he saw her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

"Come with me!" he ordered.

Without offering an explanation, he dragged her into the car forcefully. The vehicle sped off at an alarming pace and ran countless red lights on the way. The only sounds she could hear were the howling wind and the roar of the engine.

His fingers tapped incessantly on the steering wheel, forming a series of rhythmic and soft thuds. This gesture laid his internal unease bare for others to see.

Zara sat in a daze as memories of their relationship flashed through her mind. From the moment she had met Soren, she had pursued him relentlessly. Her persistence had finally paid off when they got married.

But whether it was during their wedding photo shoot, the exchange of rings, or their wedding night, his indifference had remained constant. He never seemed to care about anything, nor had he ever shown such agitation.

The only person who could evoke such raw emotion from him had to be her.

A few minutes later, the car came to an abrupt stop. Zara got out and realized that Soren had brought her to a hospital. Upon inquiry, she learned that his childhood sweetheart, Winry Sinclair, had been in a car accident and urgently needed a blood transfusion.

Coincidentally, Zara's blood type matched Winry's.

A frantic nurse immediately led her to the blood donation room the moment she stepped in. But just as they reached the doorway, Zara stopped abruptly and turned to Soren.

"I can donate my blood, Soren. I just need you to answer one question first," Zara requested.

Worried about Winry, Soren got impatient. He assumed she wanted to ask about Winry.

So, he said flippantly, "I'll explain my relationship with Winry to you later."

To his surprise, she shook her head.

"That's not what I wanted to ask," Zara said emotionlessly.

She didn't care about his relationship with Winry. After all, she had never truly loved him.

There was only one person she had ever loved in her life. But that man had died saving her in a car accident. After his death, his heart had been donated in accordance with his wishes.

Through relentless inquiries, Zara had learned that the recipient of his heart was none other than the CEO of Blight Group, Soren Blight.

Determined to stay close to her late lover's heart, she had pursued Soren with obsessive fervor. Her infatuation became infamous. She had earned the title of "The Ultimate Simp" in social circles. Yet, he remained unmoved.

Later, Zara discovered the truth. Soren had a childhood sweetheart, Winry. Everyone said they were a match made in heaven. Though Soren harbored feelings for Winry, his confession had been met with a casual rejection.

Winry had said, "We will always be best friends."

She had then gone abroad and dated many others, while he foolishly waited for her to change her mind. For her, he rejected everyone else, including Zara, who pursued him tirelessly.

It was only when he saw Winry's social media post featuring her kissing another man that he spitefully accepted Zara's confession and married her.

Zara went on, "I have only one question. Four years ago, you had a heart transplant. What was the donor's name?"

Upon hearing her question, Soren frowned. He didn't understand why she was asking about this now. Yet, perhaps out of concern for Winry's condition, he still answered her.

"I only know his last name was Krause."

Krause… It was a surname entirely different from Andy Wakefield's. So, it seemed there had indeed been a mix-up.

"I see. Thank you." Zara nodded and asked no further questions. She turned and followed the nurse into the blood donation room.

For some reason, a strange sense of unease settled over Soren as he watched her retreating figure.

Just as she stepped into the room, he couldn't help but call out, "Why did you ask about that?"

Zara's expression remained unchanged. It was as if the question had been nothing but a trivial matter. She replied, "Just to confirm something."

After she got that confirmation, she no longer saw any point in staying with him.

The needle pierced her vein, and blood flowed into the bag. As the donation process continued, Zara took out her phone with her free hand and sent a message to her lawyer.

She wrote: "Please draft a divorce agreement for me."

Chapter 2

After Zara donated her blood, she felt light-headed. As she leaned against the wall and walked out, she saw Soren standing by Winry, who had just been wheeled out of the operating room.

He held her hand tightly and whispered to her. His expression was gentle, and his gaze was incredibly tender.

Not once did he ask about his wife's condition or if she felt unwell. Worst of all, he didn't even notice when Zara left the hospital alone and went home.

When she returned to the villa, she went straight to the kitchen. She'd always had anemia. So, she was pale and weak after donating too much blood that day.

She intended to make herself a cup of nettle tea to boost her iron levels and alleviate her dizziness. But just as she poured the hot water into the cup, her hands gave out. With a sharp crash, the cup shattered into pieces on the floor.

Zara had faced years of ridicule and mockery without so much as a wince. For the first time, she found her eyes welling with tears.

She murmured, "Andy… Without you by my side, I can't do anything right."

The spilled nettle tea spread across the floor and pooled at her feet. As she looked at the spilled liquid, she couldn't help but think of the past.

Back then, she had the best love anyone could ask for. Once upon a time, the man she loved was still alive.

She had always had a weak body. And whenever her period came, the cramps would be unbearable. Andy, who was always thoughtful, would brew her some nettle tea. He would then let it cool to the perfect temperature before giving it to her.

Sometimes, she would throw a tantrum. Andy would pull her into his arms and rub her stomach with his hands to soothe her. He'd said, "This way, it won't hurt anymore."

When she was in an irritable mood and found everything an eyesore, he would quietly sit beside her and let her hit or scold him. Then, he'd gently blow on her hand and ask if she had hurt herself when she was done venting.

Zara crouched down and picked up the broken shards one by one. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her fingertip. Looking down, she saw a small cut from which blood started seeping out.

Perhaps it was the physical pain or some deeper psychological response, but Zara's tears began to fall. They splashed onto the floor freely.

She muttered, "How had I not noticed that this was unusual? You loved me so much, but Soren was always so cold toward me. That heart has never beaten or skipped a beat for me."

After gathering all the shards and throwing them in the trash can, a small smile formed on her face. "But it doesn't matter. We'll meet again soon."

The next day, Soren still hadn't come home. After getting ready, Zara left to meet with her lawyer.

She sat across the table. In front of her was the divorce agreement that had already been prepared.

The lawyer explained, "Ms. Cobain, as long as both parties sign this agreement and complete a one-month cooling-off period, the divorce will be finalized."

Thinking of how Soren hadn't even returned home, Zara asked, "Can I sign on his behalf?"

"That's absolutely not allowed, Ms. Cobain." The lawyer shook his head firmly.

Seeing his adamant refusal, she quickly added, "My husband also wants this divorce. He's just too busy to come. I'm just signing on his behalf. If you don't believe me, I'll call him."

She pulled out her phone, found Soren's number, and made the call. After a long series of rings, the call finally connected.

Without any greeting, she got straight to the point. "I need to discuss something with you—"

Before she could finish, Soren interrupted her coldly. His tone was devoid of any emotion. "I'm busy. Just handle it yourself. There's no need to ask me."

As soon as he finished, Zara heard a woman's voice in the background. She could tell who it was right away.

"Soren, the medicine is so bitter… Can I not take it?" Winry asked with mock disgust playfully.

Before the call ended, she heard Soren respond in a gentle tone he'd never used when talking to her. "No, you have to take it. How else will you get better if you don't?"

Zara turned to look at the lawyer.

After hearing the dismissive tone from the other end of the call, the lawyer relented and agreed to let her sign on his behalf.

Upon getting his approval, Zara silently let out the breath she'd been holding and signed Soren's name on the divorce agreement.

After leaving the lawyer's office, she booked a flight to Halcyona one month in advance.

Soren returned home a week later. It was late at night when he came into the room. He brought with him the chill of the night air.

Zara, who was half-asleep, didn't react to his return. But when the bed dipped under his weight and he pulled her into his arms, she woke with a start. She pushed him away and moved to the other side of the bed.

Surprised by her rejection, Soren's expression froze for a moment before he frowned and asked, "Don't you always need to hear my heartbeat to fall asleep?"

In their three years of marriage, Zara had rarely asked anything of him. The only thing he had ever agreed to was this. She had made the request right after their wedding, when all she had was a marriage certificate and nothing else from him.

She hadn't minded his frigid attitude. She simply leaned into his chest while pressing her ear close to his heart.

Soren had asked her why she liked to lie against him like that.

Under the moonlight, she had looked up at him with gleaming eyes full of love and tenderness. "Because I like listening to your heartbeat. Can I fall asleep like this from now on?"

The overwhelming affection in her eyes had made it hard for him to say no. Somehow, he had agreed to it, and it had become their habit ever since. Whenever he was home, she would nestle into his arms and put her head near his heart.

But now, she paused for a moment before shaking her head.

She said, "There's no need anymore."

Chapter 3

Zara turned over to the other side of the bed. As Soren watched her curl up with her back facing him under the moonlight, a strange feeling arose in his chest.

For the first time, Zara wasn't clinging to him like she usually did. He had always thought he disliked her. Now that she wasn't latching onto him, he should have felt relieved. But instead, he felt a hollow emptiness deep inside.

He comforted himself that he'd merely grown accustomed to her leaning in and seemingly clinging to him like her life depended on it.

The next morning, Zara woke up late. After freshening up and heading downstairs, she was surprised to find Soren still at home.

Before she could stop herself, she blurted the first thing that came to her mind. "Don't you need to go to the hospital to look after Ms. Sinclair today?"

Soren might have been annoyed to hear such a question in the past. But now, he secretly felt relieved. It turned out that she had been jealous of Winry after all.

"Winry is just a friend. She got into an accident right after returning to the country, so I took care of her for a bit. She's already been discharged from the hospital," he explained patiently for once.

After a brief pause, he added, "Didn't you want me to take you to watch the sunset? I haven't spent time with you lately. Let me make it up to you today."

"Oh, that's not necessary," Zara replied.

Having realized she had mistaken him for someone else, she was now planning to divorce him. So, she saw no reason to continue engaging in meaningless activities with him. Therefore, she rejected him immediately.

However, Soren thought his plan was reasonable and insisted on sticking to it. When evening came, he ordered for a car to be brought around. When Zara found herself ushered into the vehicle, she decided not to argue further and sat quietly for the ride.

Soren drove all the way to the city's outskirts, reaching their destination quickly. But as soon as they arrived at the mountaintop, his phone rang.

He picked it up, and Zara caught a glimpse of the screen. The name "Winry" flashed across her eyes briefly.

She said something over the phone, and Soren hesitated for only a moment before he climbed back into the car.

Before leaving, he simply said, "I'll come back to pick you up in a while."

Contrary to what he said, Zara waited for a long time. The sun dipped lower, and even when there was no trace of the sunset left, he still didn't return.

There were no cars available on the mountain. She didn't call him to ask if he was coming back either. Instead, she began walking down the mountain on her own.

The mountain was high, and the road was steep. Even though it wasn't exactly a muddy path, by the time she reached the bottom, her feet were covered in blisters. Just as she took out her phone to call for a ride back to the villa, she received a message from one of Soren's close friends.

It read: "There's been an emergency. Come to Eclipse Club."

Most of Soren's friends looked down on her for pursuing him so persistently and marrying him after two years of effort. They rarely contacted her directly.

Zara didn't hesitate after reading the message. She hailed a cab and headed straight to the private club mentioned in the message.

It wasn't out of concern for Soren. She didn't want anything to happen that might delay the divorce.

Following the room number they provided, she found the private room. As she pushed the door open and stepped in, her foot caught on a rope. She tripped and fell. Her head hit a nearby stool with a heavy thud.

Pain shot through her, making her feel dizzy. When she touched her forehead, she felt the warm trail of blood that had slid down.

The group of people in the private room took in her disheveled appearance but showed no signs of letting her off. In the next moment, someone shut the door, and a bucket of ice-cold water was dumped over her head.

As the icy water drenched her completely, laughter erupted around her.

"Look at her! She looks just like a mutt caught in the rain."

"Why, you're right, Eddie. That's a perfect comparison."

Raucous laughter erupted across the room. Every word they spoke was nothing but cruel mockery.

The air conditioning in the room was on full blast. As the wet clothes clung to her body, a cold breeze sent shivers down her spine. Water dripped from the tips of her hair, blurring her vision.

When Zara finally understood that it was all a wicked prank, her expression remained unchanged. She wiped her face casually while ignoring their jeers.

Some found her lack of reaction dull and lost interest, while others decided the prank hadn't gone far enough. Someone pulled out their phone and played a surveillance video for her.

"Hey, Simp. We called you here to tell you something important—Soren's first love is back."

She looked up. Her gaze landed on the phone screen just as the video began playing.

In another room, Soren was on his knees and massaging Winry's ankle. His expression was gentle and affectionate.

"See that? Soren left you behind today to throw a welcome party for Winry. She just sprained her ankle, and he immediately carried her away. Have you ever been treated like that?

"Stop embarrassing yourself and make way for his true love. Otherwise, things will be worse if you get chased out of the house."

The group continued their taunts. Zara struggled to get up. She ignored the pain in her feet.

When she looked at them, her gaze was calm. Her voice was steady as she muttered, "Don't worry. I'll step aside because I don't love him either."

Chapter 4

Zara said that line in a quiet voice. Yet, it caused everyone in the room to freeze as if someone had pressed the pause button. Just then, the door behind her swung open.

Soren stepped inside. His face fell as his gaze swept over the chaos and landed on Zara, who was soaking wet.

He was clearly displeased when he asked, "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

No one had expected Soren to get angry over Zara.

After a brief silence, someone laughed awkwardly and tried to explain, "We were just joking around with Zara. Don't take it seriously."

"Is this any way to joke around?" he retorted sharply. He showed no sign of intending to brush off the incident.

Zara, however, was far more surprised by his reaction than anyone else.

Given how coldly Soren had treated her over the years, his friends had always mocked and belittled her. She had grown used to their humiliation and hostility. Surprisingly, he was standing up for her now.

"We just thought that since the person you've been pining for all these years is back, she should know her place and back away," one of them said with a nervous chuckle, attempting to smooth things over.

But before they could finish, Soren snapped in a cold and commanding voice, "Shut up!"

Ignoring the confused looks from the others, he grabbed Zara's arm and turned to leave. However, just as they reached the door, Winry walked in.

When she saw that he was about to leave, she pouted as a look of dissatisfaction surged in her eyes.

She said, "Soren, we haven't even finished the game. I just got back to the country, and I'm finally having fun. Why do you have to go now?"

Soren had been determined just a moment ago. But upon hearing Winry's words, he became hesitant.

So, he turned back to look at Zara and asked, "Can you hold on a little longer?"

Zara glanced down at herself and smiled at how ironic the situation was. Her clothes were soaking wet, and there was blood smeared on her forehead. It was obvious she wasn't fine. Yet, he asked her if she could hold on for a little longer.

At this point, she didn't even have the energy to be upset with him.

"Go ahead and continue your game," she said listlessly.

Her agreement to concede seemed to lift a weight off Soren's shoulders. He relaxed visibly as the others quickly urged him to sit back down on the couch.

The group resumed their game of truth or dare. In the very first round, Soren lost.

"Soren, at what age did you first feel your heart flutter?"

Upon hearing the question, the others exchanged knowing glances between him and Winry. True to their expectations, he answered without hesitation.

"15," he said without missing a beat.

Zara couldn't help but recall that according to the information she had read, Winry had moved into the villa next to Soren's when he was 15.

Perhaps it was bad luck, but Soren lost the next two rounds as well. The questions became increasingly provocative.

"Soren, how old were you when you first had a wet dream?"

"17."

"And who did you dream about?"

The final question stirred loud laughter and teasing remarks from the group. Soren, however, fell silent. Just as he was about to forfeit and take a shot as punishment, someone stopped him.

"Come on, Soren. If you don't want to say the name, just give us an initial!"

Zara sat quietly to the side. She watched as he finally released the glass in his hand and uttered a single letter, "W."

W for Winry.

That much was obvious to everyone. Not only did Zara fathom who he was referring to right away, but so did everyone else in the room. The teasing voices grew louder, and Winry's face turned red with a mixture of embarrassment and pride.

Amid the noise, she finally looked up. With a hint of triumph in her eyes, she glanced at Zara, who was sitting not far away.

She commented, "Zara, it must be boring sitting over there by yourself. Why don't you join us?"

Feigning politeness, her invitation left Zara no room to refuse. She walked over and sat down as the game continued.

Luck shifted, and this time it was Zara's turn to lose. She casually drew a card from the stack. After turning it over, she read the question printed on it.

"Is the person you love most in this room?" She read aloud.

"That's too easy!"

"Exactly, everyone knows Zara loves Soren the most!"

Complaints filled the room as everyone assumed the answer was obvious.

Under their expectant gazes, Zara slowly shook her head and said, "No."

Chapter 5

When that unexpected word left Zara's lips, gasps of incredulity filled the room. Everyone stared at her in shock.

Even Soren, who always appeared indifferent to Zara in front of others, looked displeased.

The cheerful atmosphere took a nosedive. After a long silence, someone awkwardly tried to shift the topic. But after what had just happened, no one was in the mood to continue the game.

The party ended hastily. Soren remained silent. He acted as if the earlier incident didn't bother him. But as soon as they got in the car, his eyes locked onto hers.

"What did you mean by your answer earlier?" he questioned.

Zara observed his expression and opened her mouth to speak. However, he cut her off before she could say anything.

"Are you still upset about me leaving you during the sunset?"

At that moment, Zara realized he had it in his mind that she was still madly in love with him. The possibility that she didn't love him anymore hadn't even occurred to him. Naturally, he assumed her earlier words were just out of spite.

She didn't bother explaining and decided to let him think whatever he wanted.

When she didn't respond, Soren took her silence as agreement. With that, the pent-up feelings of frustration that gnawed at him eased slightly.

After a brief pause, he added, "The weather hasn't been great lately. I'll take you to see the sunset another time."

Zara nodded absentmindedly, pretending to agree. But only she knew there wouldn't be another time.

The car soon pulled up to the Blight villa. After washing up, Soren lay down beside her. Out of habit, he reached to hold her, only for her to push him away again.

"There's no need. I don't need to hear your heartbeat anymore. I can sleep alone now."

This was the second time Zara had told him she didn't need to hear his heartbeat. If it had been in the past, he might have felt relieved to hear this. But now, for some reason, the words left him feeling irritated.

He didn't want to hear her say such things anymore. Frustrated, he leaned in and intended to silence her with a kiss. But as soon as he got close, Zara turned her head away.

She kept her eyes closed, and her voice was tinged with weariness. "I'm tired. Let's just sleep."

Soren, being the proud CEO of Blight Group, was rarely rejected. Yet, he had been turned down multiple times that night. His expression darkened, and he turned to face the other side without another word.

The next morning, Soren left early to go to work. Zara was still recovering from her injuries. So, she stayed home to rest.

After lunch, her phone rang. The screen revealed that it was a call from Soren's assistant, Jamie Steward.

When she answered, Jamie's anxious voice came through. "Mrs. Blight, Mr. Blight's heart is acting up, but we've run out of medicine at the office. Could you bring some over?"

This wasn't the first time Jamie had asked her to bring Soren his medicine. In the past, she wouldn't even need to be asked. She always kept his prescriptions stocked and delivered them immediately at the slightest sign of discomfort. Everyone could see how much she loved Soren.

But this time, she listened calmly to Jamie's request before replying, "It's too far to travel from the villa to Blight Group. You can buy it yourself."

"Huh?" Jamie blurted in shock. He clearly wasn't expecting her refusal.

Hesitantly, he mumbled, "But I don't know which medicine to get. You've always been the one to handle this. Whenever Mr. Blight didn't feel well, you'd be so worried—"

Before he could finish, she cut him off, "Not anymore."

Her voice was steady and devoid of the concern it once held.

She listed a few medications for Jamie and stated, "You're his assistant. From now on, this is your responsibility."

After that was done, she hung up.

On the other end of the call, Jamie was stunned. Fortunately, he had noted the names of the medicines. He hurriedly arranged for someone to go and buy them.

Later that evening, Soren returned to the villa. As soon as he walked in, he saw Zara sitting calmly on the couch while watching TV.

His expression immediately darkened. "My heart acted up earlier today. Didn't you know?"

His familiar voice carried a sharp tone of accusation, but it failed to draw her attention away from the TV screen.

Without even lifting her head, she replied, "Yup. I knew."

Taken aback by her blunt response, Soren looked at her in disbelief. "You knew, and you didn't come?"

"I already made myself clear over the phone. It was too far."