Chapter 1

Three years into Sylvia York's marriage, Weston Lowe's foster sister, Elaine Cole, fell into drug addiction. Sylvia sent her to a rehabilitation center in Helvetora without his knowledge, but a sudden plane crash left no trace of her behind.

Since then, Weston has lost his sanity. He destroyed York Group, drove Sylvia's parents to their deaths, and drugged her in a back alley. She was assaulted and left for dead.

As she closed her eyes, she saw him towering over her with madness in his eyes.

"You took Elaine from me. I'll make sure your body is destroyed just like hers!"

It was then that Sylvia finally understood the forbidden feelings he had for his adopted sister.

When she opened her eyes again, she had been reborn.

Sylvia stood frozen outside Elaine's bedroom in the Lowe residence. She rested her palm on the doorknob. A wave of dizziness clouded her mind until a breathy sound drifted from the room.

"Wes… Wes…"

The sultry voice jolted her back to reality.

In her previous life, it was those same shameful words spilling from Elaine's lips that drove her to push open the door in fury. That step not only revealed Elaine's infatuation with Weston, but also her dependence on drugs.

She told herself that Weston's affection for Elaine stemmed from gratitude. After all, Elaine had thrown herself in front of a speeding car to save him a year prior. She had nearly died as her organs had ruptured, spending seven nights in the ICU before pulling through.

From then on, Weston insisted on keeping her at the Lowe residence.

Sylvia had believed that Elaine's feelings were one-sided. To end her twisted affection for him, she had secretly sent her to Helvetora for rehabilitation after discovering her addiction.

But looking at it now, she felt like a fool.

Sylvia yanked her hand away from the door and staggered back to her room. She hugged herself as a shiver ran through her.

Memories of her ruined family and her own tragic fate flooded her mind.

She told herself that she wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.

With newfound determination, she turned to leave. She planned to drive back to the York residence, but Weston came home.

Instinctively, she hid herself.

From the other side of the wall, she heard his assistant speaking. "Mr. Lowe, here's Ms. Cole's medical report. Thanks to the top surgeons you found, her recovery is going well."

"Elaine suffered all that because of me," he said, taking the report. "I always treated her like a sister, but after the accident… I realized that she would risk her life for me. I can't return her feelings, so the least I can do is give her everything."

The assistant adjusted his glasses. "Even so, to ensure there's no lasting damage, the doctors recommend a long-term program abroad. The hospitals in Helvetora are still the best. Shall I…"

"No!" Weston cut him off. "She would break down without me. I can't let her go either. I wouldn't be there to care for her."

Sylvia felt the words stab her chest like knives. She held back a scoff. She wasn't sure if Elaine would lose her mind without him, but she knew Weston definitely would.

Her eyes blurred with tears, but her memories were crystal clear.

She thought back to when she was 18. Weston had fallen for her at first sight and relentlessly chased after her.

He had filled her campus with fresh gardenias flown in from around the globe just because she mentioned she liked them.

Once, he flew overnight to Skydale, queued for hours, and returned the same day just so she could eat the ravioli she had craved.

While she was training and didn't reply to his messages, he mobilized the Lowe family's entire network in Jarnheim just to locate her. He then waited for her outside the training venue.

Once she was done, he hugged her so tightly that she could barely breathe. "Vivi, don't ever ignore my messages again. Not knowing where you are makes me lose my mind!"

On the day he proposed, he lit up giant screens around the city. Drones followed him as he walked down the rose-carpeted streets from the Lowe's home to Sylvia's.

"Vivi, you have no idea how much I love you. I love your stubbornness, and I love how gentle you are deep down inside. I love how pure your heart is. You've brought color to my world," he declared. "Every moment without you feels like agony. Sylvia, will you marry me?"

The large screens and drones displayed the words, "Sylvia, I love you", once he dropped the question.

Just three years had passed since that proposal. It still brought tears to her eyes whenever she recalled it, yet everything had changed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she bit her lower lip. She refused to let out a single sound.

The assistant hesitated. "Mr. Lowe, the doctors warned that Ms. Cole has been relying heavily on anesthetics to deal with the pain. They're afraid that…"

"Elaine told me about it. She's just afraid of pain. It's nothing serious," he said, brushing it off.

The assistant nodded. "I see."

Sylvia slid down against the wall, curling into herself like a wounded animal.

After a while, the assistant left. Weston stayed in the living room, idly checking his phone.

"Wes?" a quiet voice sounded from the stairs.

He turned. "Elaine, what is it?"

"Wes!" Elaine rushed down the stairs barefoot and flung herself into his arms. Her skin was feverishly hot as her eyes glazed with desire. Weston felt something was off.

"Elaine," he began. But before he could say more, her lips crashed against his. She kissed him hungrily and ran her hands all over him.

"Wes, I love you so much," she whispered. "You used to love Sylvia so much. Do you know how much it hurt me? But now you finally love me too. I love you. Promise we'll always be together."

Her repeated declarations of love shook him.

"I'm sorry for not noticing it earlier, Elaine."

He turned the tables and kissed her back passionately.

Their bodies intertwined as gasps filled the air.

Sylvia's face turned pale. It felt like her chest had been crushed. The noises made her sick to her stomach.

The sounds slowly faded. She heard his footsteps moving upstairs.

She opened the door. It was chaos. Torn shirts, pants, and underwear were littered across the floor and stairs.

Her whole body shivered. Pain wrapped around her like chains. The image of the boy who once swore eternal love was shattered completely.

Sylvia went down to the basement with her ID in hand. She set two things in motion.

Chapter 2

The first thing Sylvia did was go to a law firm and ask them to draft a divorce agreement.

The second was to return to the York residence. She was determined to convince her parents to leave Jarnheim for good.

Edward York and Felicia Hastings were stunned when she brought up the idea of moving.

"Sylvia, your mother and I had considered moving before, but we gave up on it because you loved Weston so much and didn't want to leave," Edward admitted, his face darkening. "Tell me, has Weston done something to you?"

Suppressing the surge of relief at seeing her parents alive, Sylvia shook her head. "No, Dad. I've simply decided to divorce him."

Edward studied his daughter, who looked drained of all spirit, but didn't press further.

Felicia squeezed her hand gently and gave her a warm smile. "Sylvia, we'll support every decision you make. We'll start the immigration process today."

The paperwork would take half a month to complete. Sylvia asked her parents to handle family matters while she returned to the Lowe residence.

The villa's living room had already been tidied up. It was as if nothing had happened. Weston and Elaine sat together on the sofa, chatting and laughing.

When Weston noticed Sylvia, he spoke first. "Where did you go, Vivi? You weren't here when I came back."

She paused at the doorway, then answered flatly, "I went home to see my parents."

"Elaine was just discharged. She needs looking after. What if something happened while you left her alone?" he said, frowning.

Sylvia's lips curved into a bitter smile. He had told her the same thing in her previous life. She was told to act like a good sister-in-law and take care of Elaine.

She had been foolish enough to do it, even hiding Elaine's drug addiction from him in hopes of sparing his feelings.

And how had it ended?

With her destroyed.

She would only protect her parents now. "There are over a hundred housekeepers in this house. Isn't that enough for one person?"

Weston froze. Sylvia had never spoken back to him like that before. Irritation simmered in his chest.

"It's fine, Wes," Elaine quickly interjected, trying to sound considerate. "Vivi's your wife. She shouldn't be taking care of me."

"She's also your sister-in-law. Looking after you is her duty." His gaze hardened on Sylvia.

"Elaine's diet requires special care. Everything should be light and easy to digest. You're good at making tomato soup. From now on, you'll cook for her. I don't trust the staff to do it properly. All the alcohol in the house should be locked away too. There will be no drinking here until Elaine recovers."

He said it all as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Sylvia's chest tightened. It seemed like Weston had forgotten all her sacrifices.

She had once spent sleepless nights making tomato soup for him to help with his stomach condition. One morning, she collapsed and cut her wrist on shattered glass. Her right hand had never fully recovered.

She almost laughed at the cruelty of it all. She opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of Weston's phone cut her off.

Weston glanced at the caller, then said flatly, "I'll take this outside. Start getting the soup ready."

He stepped into the courtyard.

Sylvia turned to leave, not wanting to be trapped alone with Elaine. But Elaine caught her wrist.

"Where are you going? Wes said you have to make me soup!"

"Get Ms. White to do it. I'm Weston's wife, not your personal assistant. Now let me go." Sylvia's eyes turned cold.

Unaccustomed to being denied, Elaine pouted. "No! Wes said it has to be you."

Sylvia was annoyed. She was about to yank her hand free when Elaine suddenly stumbled backward with a sharp cry.

Her head had struck the corner of the coffee table. Blood instantly streamed down her head.

Weston rushed into the living room upon hearing the sound. He scooped Elaine into his arms, his face twisting with rage. "Sylvia! Why did you push her?"

"I didn't," Sylvia replied. "She did it herself."

Elaine opened her eyes weakly and whispered, "Don't blame Vivi… I shouldn't have asked her to make soup for me. I'm being a burden. Maybe I should just move out."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Weston pressed his hand against her bleeding scalp, unconcerned with the blood soaking his suit. "You're my sister. I won't let anyone kick you out of this house."

Then, he turned to Sylvia and glared at her. "No one gets to bully my sister, either."

That night, Sylvia was locked in a dark closet.

Anyone who had never suffered from claustrophobia could never understand the terror of being sealed in a small space.

As the doors clanged shut, Sylvia pounded against them. Her voice broke. "Weston! I didn't do it! Don't leave me in here!"

There was only silence from the other side.

Darkness closed in from all sides. Trembling, she curled up in a corner and buried her face in her knees.

She remembered how Weston, after learning of her fear of tight spaces, had installed small nightlights in every corner of the villa.

"I'll be with you every night, Vivi."

Back then, she had wept with gratitude.

She never imagined that one day he'd be the one to throw her into darkness with his own hands.

Chapter 3

When Sylvia was finally released from the closet, her eyes were bloodshot. Her entire body was drenched as if she had just been pulled from water.

Elaine stood proudly before her. Her tone dripped with mockery. "Vivi, Wes said this punishment was for your own good. If you ever bully me again, he won't let you off so easily!"

Sylvia lifted her gaze, her expression flat and unreadable. She turned and walked away.

There wouldn't be a next time.

She would stay far away from those deranged siblings.

On her way back from the clinic, she unexpectedly caught a glimpse of Elaine sneaking out of the master bedroom.

After a quick check, Sylvia found the divorce papers and immigration documents still locked away in a safe. Only she and Weston knew the safe's code.

Just in case, she had planted several hidden cameras around the house.

The immigration process required endless paperwork. For days, she ran around collecting documents. If not for Lowe Group's anniversary dinner that evening, she wouldn't have returned home until late.

After changing into her gown, she reached for her usual jewelry, only to find many pieces missing.

At that moment, Weston opened the door.

Already dressed in a tailcoat, he asked impatiently, "Vivi, where's my emerald ring?"

He sounded annoyed. The emerald ring was a Lowe family heirloom. It was normally locked in the safe and only taken out on special occasions as a symbol of the family's patriarch.

Sylvia checked the safe. Several gold bars she had stored were missing, too.

Their commotion drew Elaine's attention.

"Wes, what are you guys looking for?"

Elaine had changed into a pale-yellow gown and was wearing a huge diamond necklace.

Weston was surprised when he saw her, but he quickly smiled. "Elaine, what brings you here?"

Sylvia remembered how Elaine had crept into their room earlier.

"Elaine, Weston's emerald ring is missing. Some of my gold and jewelry are gone too. You've been in our room before."

"Vivi, are you accusing me of stealing?" Elaine said, tears welling in her eyes.

"Vivi!" Weston snapped. "Don't accuse Elaine without proof."

"I was going to keep this secret for Vivi, but she's slandering me!" Elaine said, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. "She's been sneaking out these past few days with a bag. Out of curiosity, I followed her and saw her steal the emerald ring.

"I didn't want to hurt your relationship, so I kept quiet all this time."

Her eyes glistened as she looked at Weston innocently. "I never thought she'd turn it back on me. That's why I finally had to say something. Weston, you're not angry at me, are you?"

Sylvia stared blankly at the two before flatly replying, "I noticed your sneaky behavior, so I prepared in advance."

She walked over to their wedding photo and pulled out a hidden pinhole camera. "Check the footage, and everything will be clear."

Elaine's face drained of color. She clung to Weston's arms, panic flickering in her eyes. "Don't you trust me, Wes? I saw Vivi hide the ring in the basement with my own eyes."

"I believe you." Weston soothed her, then lifted his gaze to Sylvia.

He snatched the tiny camera from her hand, threw it to the ground, and crushed it under his shoe.

"Sylvia, I've given Elaine an unlimited card. She can buy whatever she wants. She doesn't need any of your stuff! Plus, who permitted you to install cameras in this house?"

Just then, a staff member hurried into the room holding the emerald ring and several gold bars. "Mr. Lowe, just as Ms. Cole said, they were hidden in the basement."

Weston's face grew red. He strode forward and slapped Sylvia across the face with brutal force.

"Why are you doing this? You're such a disappointment!"

A loud ringing filled Sylvia's ears, as if she'd been struck deaf. Everything was muffled, like a thing film closing over her eardrums.

The blow sent her reeling.

She crashed into a vase and fell onto the shards. Her bare back was pierced by glass, and a sharp cry tore from her throat.

Elaine's lips curved ever so slightly before she sighed. "Wes, let it go. I don't want to cause trouble between you. It's all my fault. I should just… move out."

With that, she ran off crying.

Weston grabbed Sylvia by the hair and hissed through his teeth, "I told you that Elaine is my sister. Why are you trying to kick her out?"

Sylvia scoffed inwardly.

His sister? The kind that shares his bed?

She swallowed the blood in her mouth and stared straight at him. "I'm not targeting her. I said, check the cameras, and the truth will come out."

"Still stubborn?"

He flung her aside. Her head slammed into the table corner, blood streaming down her head as he walked away without a glance.

Sylvia watched his back and gave a wry smile.

She pulled herself together and joined the anniversary dinner. Every eye in the hall turned toward her. Her lip was split, and there was a fresh wound on her back. Pity and ridicule were obvious in their stares.

She stood tall as if she felt nothing from those gazes.

She would be leaving soon.

But the next moment, two police officers strode into the ballroom.

"We received a report of theft. The suspect is…" One of them lowered his eyes to the warrant. "Sylvia Lowe."

The room erupted in whispers.

Sylvia froze. She turned to Weston in disbelief.

Chapter 4

Sylvia trembled all over as she confronted Weston. "Did you call the police?"

He didn't bother to hide it from the guests. He nodded. "That's right. You framed Elaine, and I have to see that she gets justice. Didn't you want the truth? This is the truth!"

His voice, like a damp, icy mist, flooded straight into Sylvia's heart.

Elaine clung to his arm, practically melting into his embrace. With an air of generosity, though her tone still dropped with affection, she pleaded, "Wes, let it go. I believe Vivi must have her reasons. If this gets dragged to the station, her whole life will be ruined.

"This will affect you and the company, too. I'd rather we just put an end to it here," she said, her eyes shining with devotion. "I don't want anyone speaking ill of you because of me."

Weston pinched her cheek with a smile. "Don't worry. Lowe Group won't be shaken by this. I only pressed this issue because I couldn't stand seeing you wronged."

Sylvia felt like she was cut off from their world. It felt as if the storm she was weathering had nothing to do with them.

"Ms. York, please come with us."

Sylvia was handcuffed in front of the crowd. She was taken straight to the station.

The basement of the station was damp and reeked. She was ordered to strip so they could check for prohibited items, and was forced to take a urine test under watchful eyes.

Shame and humiliation closed in on her. She curled into a corner of the holding room.

"Sylvia York, you are accused of theft and will be held in detention for seven days. You'll be transferred to the detention center today."

"Officer!" she screamed, breaking every shred of her pride. "I didn't steal anything! Please, check the surveillance footage. I'm innocent!"

"I'm sorry, but the evidence is clear. Witnesses and material proof were all in order," the officer replied flatly.

No matter how much she pleaded, she was locked away.

Sylvia, who had grown up pampered in the York family, had never encountered thugs or criminals before. Her days inside the cell felt like a lifetime's worth of torment.

Insults and beatings became a routine. Hunger and exhaustion wore her down until she grew frail in body and mind. Cleaning toilets and folding blankets became her only survival skill.

She thought obedience might earn her peace, but she was wrong.

Her tormentors weren't just her cellmates, but guards as well. Only then did she realize that someone had already put in a word, demanding that she be taught a lesson.

They forced her on all fours, made her bark like a dog, and ground her face in filth. When she resisted, her left arm was snapped. If not for being discovered in time and rushed to treatment, she would have died in that cell.

Seven days dragged on like 70 years.

When she finally walked out the fates, even breathing made her chest shudder in pain. She was skin and bone. A gust of wind was enough to blow her away.

"If it isn't Vivi." A mocking voice rang out.

Sylvia slowly raised her head to meet Elaine's triumphant gaze. She licked her cracked lips and continued walking.

"Wes is busy buying me mille-feuille from the west side of town," Elaine added sweetly. "He won't be coming."

Sylvia ignored her.

"Sylvia!" Elaine screamed. "I don't know why you keep clinging to Wes. With a record like yours, do you really think you're still worthy of being Mrs. Lowe?"

Sylvia stopped. She stared at Elaine like she was looking at something lifeless. "What makes you more worthy than me?"

"It doesn't matter if you have his last name. Wes' body and heart belong to me. If it weren't for… circumstances, he would've married me long ago! You should take a hint and leave."

"Sure," Sylvia said.

"What d-did you say?" Elaine stammered.

"I'll do as you wish. I'll leave Weston."

Sylvia's gaze locked onto Elaine's.

Elaine's eyes lit with delight. "You mean it?"

She pulled a divorce agreement from the car, Weston's signature already on it. "Sign it, and I'll believe you."

Sylvia scrawled her name without hesitation.

Capping the pen, her eyes brushed the inside of the car. A few syringes glinted in the shadows. She turned and left.

Elaine's breath caught. She glanced from the syringes to Sylvia's retreating figure, her expression hardening with venom.

Chapter 5

Sylvia returned to the Lowe residence and ordered that all the wedding photos on the walls be taken down.

She then gathered all the gifts Weston had given her, along with their shared belongings, and burned them to ashes.

She went out into the courtyard where Weston had once planted an entire garden of gardenias just for her. He used to tell her that gardenias were like their love. They were pure and flawless.

Sylvia cupped one in her palm. Its delicate fragrance rose to her nose. The next second, she crushed the petals and let them fall onto the dirt.

She expressionlessly struck a match and set fire to the garden, watching until the entire place was burned clean.

The flames reflected in her pupils.

The pain she had suppressed surged from the depths of her heart, overwhelming even the aches in her body. It was like the lingering agony after a poison has been scraped from the bone.

Luckily, she would be able to leave it all behind in three days.

She would start a new life.

When Weston came home with Elaine in his arms, the only thing he noticed was that the horse seemed a little tidier. He didn't notice anything unusual.

Catching sight of Sylvia packing, he frowned and asked casually, "Why are you packing, Vivi?"

"My parents are planning to travel abroad for a few days. I'm going with them," she answered without turning her head.

"When? Let me check my schedule. I'll come along if I have time. Elaine's never been abroad either, so this would be the perfect chance to take her with us."

"That's right, Vivi," Elaine chimed in. "I really want to travel overseas too."

Sylvia paused for just a moment before she replied lightly, "I already asked your assistant about your schedule. You'll be busy with clients at that time. Plus, doesn't your sister still need treatment? It wouldn't be wise for her to be running around, would it?"

Weston froze, then said nothing.

In the end, they quietly dropped the plan to follow Sylvia.

The next day, the notary public notified Sylvia to collect some legal documents.

Just as she stepped out the front doors, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth and nose.

The sharp stench of ether made Sylvia's heart jolt. Within moments, she lost consciousness.

When she woke again, everything was pitch black. A blindfold had been tied over her eyes, her wrists were bound behind her with zip ties, and her ankles were lashed with rope.

The air reeked of rotting food, reminiscent of a livestock barn out in the countryside.

The burlap blindfold let a little sunlight seep through, just enough that she could make out two blurred figures close together.

The woman's face was all too familiar. It was Elaine.

Elaine's expression was dark. Her voice was sharp with anger. "Didn't I tell you to get rid of her? Why bring her here?"

The man had a long scar on his face. He lit a cigarette with ease and blew out a puff of smoke.

"For money, of course. All that top-shelf stuff you wanted didn't come cheap, Elaine. The money you had before wasn't nearly enough," he said.

Elaine's face twisted in frustration. "It was all this bitch's fault!"

Her eyes flicked toward Sylvia, who immediately held her breath and stayed still.

"I could've stolen all those valuables and sold them off, but she ruined everything, and I had to put them back!" Elaine's voice dripped with rage and resentment.

"The shipment is about to arrive. You know the rules—cash for goods. For now, the only way to make up for it is to use Weston's wife as leverage," Richard Stone said, crushing the cigarette before spitting on the ground. "You told him yet?"

Elaine didn't answer his question. Instead, she simply looked up and asked, "How much do you think she's worth?"

Richard shook his head. "That's why I waited for you. You're Weston's sister. You'd know what kind of price this woman could fetch."

"50 million," Elaine said after thinking for a moment.

"Great!"

Richard immediately began typing out a message to Weston. But halfway through, his body convulsed violently. He shook all over until the phone slipped from his hand and clattered onto the floor.

Elaine knew that he was in withdrawal. She quickly pulled a syringe from her pocket and plunged it straight into his vein.

Minutes later, Richard's eyes fluttered open again. "Thanks."

"If you really meant that, you could repay me by getting better stuff," she said carelessly as she packed away the syringe.

Richard gave a low chuckle. "As it happens, I have something special right now. I was planning to keep it for myself, but since you helped me out, I'll let you try some."

He pulled out a small packet with a bearded clown printed on it. "New batch. Pure as hell. One hit, and you'll be flying."

Elaine's eyes lit up with excitement.

Sylvia nervously watched them as their bodies slowly relaxed and their gazes grew vacant.

She knew it was her chance.