Isabella Harrison sent Alexander Reynolds's mistress abroad secretly.

That night, he kidnapped her parents, wanting to trade their lives for his mistress's location.

Alexander pushed his phone in front of her, the screen showing her parents tied to chairs. A time bomb was strapped to their chests as the countdown numbers ticked down.

00:59:59

00:59:58

He sat across from her, dressed in a suit, his long fingers tapping lightly on the table, as if waiting for an insignificant contract to be signed.

"Isabella, you have fifty-nine minutes left."

His tone was calm, even a little gentle. "Tell me, where did you send Olivia Johnson?"

Isabella felt a chill run through her, her throat felt like it was being squeezed, and she couldn't say a word.

This was the third time he had asked her.

The first time, he asked her where Olivia was, and she remained silent.

The second time, he pinched her chin, the pad of his thumb stroking her lips, his voice low, "Isabella, don't throw a tantrum."

Now, the third time.

He threatened her with her parents' lives.

"Alexander..." Her voice trembled. "They are my parents, the most important people to me..."

He chuckled, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold. "So?"

Then when you sent Olivia away, why didn't you think about how important she is to me?"

Isabella stared at him, finding it all ridiculous.

Important?

He had said that the women on the outside were just for fun, to be thrown away when he got tired of them.

He had said that she was the one he loved the most.

But now, for Olivia's sake, he was going to kill her parents.

"Alexander," her voice was hoarse, "if I don't tell you, will you kill them?"

He leaned in slightly, his dark eyes reflecting her pale face. "You can try."

Isabella trembled all over, her tears splashing onto the tabletop.

She didn't understand how things had come to this.

Alexander had once loved her so deeply.

Back then, she was just a girl from an ordinary family, while Alexander was the heir to a top wealthy aristocracy family in the Elite Circle, born with a silver spoon—proud and arrogant, who never bowed his head to anyone.

And yet, he fell in love with her at first sight.

He pursued her with city-wide fanfare, ninety-nine declarations of love, each one causing a sensation.

A giant rose banner dropped from a helicopter, an LED confession that took over the entire financial district, and on her birthday, he even had the city's fireworks display set off just for her.

She was moved, but her parents were firmly against it.

They knew all too well what the wealthy aristocracy was like: a wife at home and mistresses on the side; the love of the children of the privileged was never a fairy tale.

They wanted to marry her to someone of equal social standing, but Alexander knelt outside her family's home for a day and a night, casting aside all his pride, just to beg for a chance to marry her.

In the end, her parents relented.

After they married, he doted on her completely, indulging her in everything.

When she had period cramps, he flew back from abroad overnight just to make her a cup of warm lemon water.

She casually mentioned wanting to eat a Chestnut Pastry from the west side of the city, and he drove halfway across town to buy it for her.

She thought she had married the right man.

Until she first heard the name Olivia Johnson

It was brought up by her assistant during a casual chat, who said some college girl had intentionally staged an accident by falling during one of Alexander's speeches, a cliché tactic.

She just smiled and paid it no mind; after all, too many women tried to latch onto him, but he had always been faithful.

But the second time she heard it, it was in bed.

He was on her body, and in a moment of passion, he softly called out, "Olivia."

At that moment, she felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss.

She confronted him, but he just held her and explained that he did want to keep Olivia as a mistress, but only for fun outside.

"Everyone in our circle does this, Isabella. I love you the most, and that will never change."

But after that, he became more and more brazen.

He bought Olivia jewelry, gave her mansions, and even took her to private parties. The scandal was the talk of the city.

She cried and threw fits, but he no longer comforted her like before, just coldly saying, "Stop being unreasonable."

Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore, she sent Olivia abroad.

But she never expected his reaction to be so extreme; he kidnapped her parents, strapped bombs to them, all to force her to reveal Olivia's whereabouts.

"She's in Switzerland."

Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Zurich, in the villa that's under my name."

He stared at her for a few seconds, as if trying to tell if she was lying, then picked up his phone and made a call.

After confirming it, he grabbed his suit jacket and rushed to go get her.

"What about my parents?"

She grabbed his sleeve. "You promised you'd let them go if I told you!"

He looked back at her, his eyes indifferent. "The abandoned factory in the south district. Find them yourself."

Isabella stumbled out the door and drove straight for the south district.

When she found them, the bomb had only ten minutes left.

Her parents were tied to chairs, their mouths taped shut. The moment they saw her, they shook their heads frantically, trying to tell her to leave.

She rushed over, her hands trembling as she fumbled with the ropes, but the countdown timer on the bomb beeped like a death sentence.

00:03:21

00:03:20

She couldn't get it undone, and tears streamed down her face in frustration.

Her dad shoved her hard. She stumbled backward, and an instant later, he threw his body onto the bomb—

"Dad—!!!"

The explosion was deafening, and the heatwave knocked her over.

She hit the ground hard, her vision turning blood-red.

...

When she woke up, Isabella was in the hospital.

Her parents were both seriously injured, but thankfully, they were still alive.

She knelt by the bed, crying as she apologized, "I'm sorry... I chose the wrong person..."

Her mother, Grace Harrison, weakly raised a hand and stroked her hair, "Silly girl, you just have to start over."

She shook her head, "He won't let me go."

When she first found out about Olivia, she couldn't accept it, but the thought of divorce had crossed her mind.

But every time she drafted a divorce agreement, Alexander would tear it up.

He said he was just playing around with Olivia and would dump her when he got bored. He said his true love was her, and he wouldn't let her go.

Her dad, Robert Harrison, took her hand, "No, Isabella, there's something you don't know, and he's probably forgotten it too. The night we agreed to let you marry him, your mom and I made him sign a divorce agreement."

She froze.

"If he betrays you," her father's voice was soft, "the agreement will take effect. You can divorce him immediately, and our family... will disappear forever."

Isabella was stunned, and the tears wouldn't stop falling.

So her parents had left her a way out all along.

...

The next day, Isabella did two things.

First, she, along with her dad and mom, took the signed divorce agreement to a law firm.

After reviewing it, the lawyer nodded, "The agreement is valid. The divorce is effective immediately."

Second, her family went to file for an official death certificate.

Once the official death certificate was processed, Isabella would cease to exist.

And Alexander would never be able to find her

After learning the official death certificate would take half a month, Isabella talked it over with her parents and decided to go back to Alexander's house for the time being.

For those two weeks, she had to stay by Alexander's side and not let him notice anything was wrong.

Otherwise, with the way he was, none of the three of them would be able to get away.

Back at the villa, Isabella started packing up her things.

The photos she'd once treasured, the love letters Alexander wrote to her, the souvenirs from their trips together... she threw every last one into the fireplace.

The flames consumed the past, like burning away a ridiculous dream.

The next day, Isabella went out to the backyard.

There was a grove of symbolic love trees that Alexander had planted for her with his own hands. He'd said they symbolized faithfulness, just like his love for her, which would never die.

Isabella picked up an axe and started chopping them down, one by one.

The maids stood at a distance, not daring to get closer or to stop her. The sound of the trunks splitting was dull and grating, like an obsession being violently severed.

On the third day, Isabella went to Lover's Leap at the top of the mountain.

A Love Padlock hung there, engraved with their names. Years ago, Alexander had held her as he threw the key off the cliff, saying they'd be locked together for life.

Now, Isabella took a pair of bolt cutters and snapped the chain.

The lock fell to the ground with a sharp clang.

She turned and left without a single glance back.

When she returned to the villa, there were two other people in the living room.

Alexander was sitting on the sofa, and Olivia was nestled in his arms, her face pale, looking so frail that a gust of wind could knock her over.

Isabella walked past them without a change in expression and went straight upstairs.

"Stop."

Alexander's voice was cold.

Isabella stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around.

"Do you know why I brought her back?"

he asked.

"I don't care."

"After you sent Olivia abroad, she had trouble adjusting and hasn't slept for days."

His tone was accusatory. "Isabella, apologize to her."

Isabella finally turned to look at them.

Olivia clutched timidly at Alexander's sleeve, but a flicker of triumph showed in her eyes.

"And if I don't?"

Isabella asked calmly.

"It's okay, never mind..." Olivia said weakly. "It's fine if I'm a little hurt. After all... she's your wife."

Alexander immediately tightened his hold on her. "Didn't I tell you not to be so damn considerate?"

He kissed her forehead. "I'll be here to spoil you from now on. You can do whatever you want."

A corner of Isabella's mouth twitched. The irony was suffocating.

A maid brought over a bowl of coco drink, saying it was specially made for Olivia.

Just then, Alexander's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID and said softly to Olivia, "You always get a headache when I talk business. I'll take this outside. Go on and drink your coco."

With that, he got up and left.

Isabella stood rooted to the spot, her heart feeling as if it had been struck by an axe.

He never used to discuss business outside the office because of trade secrets. But now, for Olivia, he was even willing to break that rule.

Only Isabella and Olivia were left in the living room.

The frail look on Olivia's face vanished instantly, replaced by the arrogance of a winner.

"See that?"

She chuckled, "Even though you're Mrs. Reynolds and you used that to send me away, Alexander's body and soul are with me."

Isabella looked at her coldly. "You want him? He's yours."

Olivia was stunned for a moment, then became angry. "I don't need you to give him to me!

He'll be mine sooner or later, and your place will be mine too!"

Seeing Isabella unmoved, she became even more furious and flustered.

Just then, Alexander's footsteps could be heard from outside.

A vicious glint flashed in Olivia's eyes. She suddenly picked up the bowl of scalding coco drink and poured it directly on herself!

"Ah!"

She screamed, and tears instantly welled up.

When Alexander rushed in, this was the scene that greeted him.

Olivia was a complete mess, the liquid dripping down her clothes as she cried pitifully.

"Isabella!"

His brow furrowed with anger. "It's one thing not to apologize, but how dare you do this to her?

!"

"I didn't do it."

Isabella said calmly, "You can check the security cameras."

"Fine, check them!"

He sneered.

Olivia immediately grabbed his arm, choking back sobs, "Alexander, it's not her fault... I shouldn't have dreamed of staying by your side. I'll leave right now..."

She had just taken a step when Alexander yanked her back.

"I went through so much trouble to find you, and now you're trying to leave me again?

Are you trying to kill me?"

He held her tightly, like a long-lost treasure he had just found again.

Then, he looked at Isabella, his gaze terrifyingly cold.

"I will get you justice for this."

Isabella was locked in the cold storage.

As the bodyguards dragged and pushed her inside, she struggled desperately, "Alexander!

Check the cameras!

I didn't do it!"

He didn't even glance at her, just said coldly, "No need to check. I only believe her."

The door to the cold storage slammed shut.

Darkness and cold instantly consumed Isabella.

She curled up in a corner, trembling all over, but her heart felt colder than the room itself.

This was what he meant when he said she was the one he loved most?

Tears streamed down Isabella's face.

She had always been sensitive to the cold.

After they got married, Alexander had spent a fortune installing a climate control system in their house, keeping even the outdoor courtyard pleasant all year round.

In the winter, he would warm her icy hands and feet in his arms, smiling as he said, "I'll keep you warm like this for the rest of our lives."

Thinking about it now...

Promises, perhaps, are only real in the moment they are spoken.

The next day, just as Isabella was about to lose consciousness from the cold, the door to the cold storage finally opened.

A bodyguard stood expressionlessly at the door. "Alexander said if there's a next time, the punishment won't be this easy."

She leaned on the wall, stumbling out, her whole body shaking, even her teeth were chattering.

There won't be a next time.

Soon, she would make him get out of her world for good.

That evening, Alexander's assistant delivered a gown and jewelry, saying she was required to attend a charity auction dinner.

Isabella went.

Then, at the entrance of the banquet hall, she saw Olivia.

Olivia was wearing a couture gown, and the diamond necklace around her neck was the one Alexander had bought at an auction last month for an eight-figure sum.

Isabella stopped and looked at Alexander. "She's here too. Why did you even ask me to come?"

His expression was indifferent. "I wasn't planning on bringing her, but she's never been to an event like this and wanted to come, so I brought her."

He paused, his tone casual, "Isabella, don't be so petty."

Isabella's body trembled slightly.

She wasn't being petty.

It was that he hadn't even considered how much gossip and ridicule she would face when his wife and his mistress appeared at the same time.

Alexander walked straight in with Olivia, who was holding his arm intimately, a sweet smile on her face.

People around them started whispering.

"Mr. Reynolds and his wife seem so close, they're a perfect match."

"You've got the wrong person. That one is Mrs. Reynolds. The one next to him... is just his mistress."

The person glanced at Isabella awkwardly and muttered, "But Mr. Reynolds treats that one so well, giving her the real deal while his wife gets a freebie... no wonder I got them mixed up."

Isabella clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

After the auction began, Isabella casually bid on a few items.

But no matter what she bid on, Olivia would always add just one dollar to her price.

Low laughter spread through the crowd.

"The wife getting bullied by the mistress, that's a first..."

Isabella, expressionless, made the gesture for an "unlimited bidding".

Unlimited bidding meant that no matter how high the price went, she would take the item, with no upper limit.

Olivia's face turned pale. She tugged at Alexander's sleeve pitifully, "Alexander, I really like this one..."

Alexander frowned and looked at Isabella. "Isabella, let her have it."

"No."

"She can't do an unlimited bid, but I can, because I'm your wife, and our assets are shared."

She looked at Olivia and said sarcastically, "No matter how much you give her, she'll never measure up to me."

Olivia's eyes instantly turned red. She shot up from her seat, "You..."

The next second, she suddenly covered her face and cried, "Yes, you're his wife... I'm just a mistress who can't be seen in public, I shouldn't have been so delusional... Alexander... we should just end this!"

With that, she turned and ran off.

Alexander's expression changed drastically. He grabbed Isabella's wrist, his grip so tight it felt like it could crush her bones. "I told you I'd get tired of her after a while, did you have to force her away?!"

Isabella looked at him calmly. "Whether she leaves or not, what does that have to do with me?"

His eyes were dark as he threw her hand aside and strode out after her.

Isabella stood there, surrounded by gazes of mockery and pity.

But she didn't care.

After all, she was leaving soon.

But the next morning, Isabella was jolted awake by a news alert on her phone.

[BREAKING NEWS!

999 Private Photos of the Reynolds Group CEO's Wife to Be Auctioned at Sotheby's!]

Her blood ran cold.

Those photos... only Alexander had them.

Isabella's hands trembled as she dialed his number, her voice hoarse. "The photos... was it you who released them?"

On the other end of the line, Alexander sneered, "Don't you just love unlimited bidding?"

"If you don't want anyone else to see those photos..." His tone was cruel. "You'd better get over there right now and bid on every single one of them for me!"

In the background, Olivia's delicate voice chimed in, "Alexander... is that Isabella on the phone?

I... I should probably go. I shouldn't be here with you..."

"Don't be ridiculous."

His voice instantly softened, and then, the sound of an intimate kiss came through the phone. "I've already stood up for you. Don't you dare try to leave."

The line went dead at some point.

Isabella felt as if she'd been plunged into an ice cellar, and she rushed to the auction house immediately.

The moment she pushed the door open, her whole body was shaking.

The room was filled with men, and on the large screen, her private photos were scrolling by.

There was a side profile of her sleeping, which he once said was cute and saved specially;

There was a shot of her back in the shower, which he had coaxed her into taking, saying he could look at it when he missed her;

And there were bed photos of her naked body covered in hickeys, which he had claimed were proof of his love for her.

At the auction, the lustful gazes of the men stuck to Isabella, and their whispers stabbed into her ears like knives.

"That body... tsk tsk, Alexander is a lucky man."

"I heard Alexander used to love Mrs. Reynolds a lot, so why is he selling his wife's private photos now?"

"He probably got tired of her. These wives from the wealthy aristocracy, they look glamorous on the surface, but behind the scenes..."

Every sentence stabbed into Isabella's heart like a knife.

She suddenly remembered how possessive Alexander used to be.

That year on a trip to a tropical island, she wore a backless dress, and when another man glanced at her a couple of times, Alexander dragged her back to the hotel on the spot, pinning her against the floor-to-ceiling window, taking her while coaxing her to cry out: "Isabella belongs to Alexander."

But now, to stand up for another woman, he had personally sold her private photos for these men to gaze at!

She bought them one by one, and with every press of the bidding device, her heart grew a little colder.

By the time she bought the last photo, her love for him was completely gone.

As she walked out of the auction house, her phone rang.

"Unlimited bidding, did you have your fill?"

Alexander's voice was laced with sarcasm.

Isabella gripped her phone, her nails digging into her palm. "Aren't you afraid I'll divorce you for doing this?"

His tone was very calm, as if speaking to a clueless child. "You can't, Isabella. If I don't sign, the divorce won't happen."

She remained silent.

He had indeed forgotten that she had a copy of the divorce agreement he had already signed.

Seeing her silence, Alexander's tone softened. "Today was just a lesson."

He paused. "I've told you, as long as you don't go after Olivia, I'll naturally come back to the family after some time."

"Your birthday is in a few days. I'll throw a party to make it up to you."

Isabella was about to say "Don't bother," but the line was already dead.

After that, she saw Olivia's social media posts almost every day.

The latest one was a photo of Alexander holding her on a yacht, with the caption: "He said I wanted to see the sea, so he bought me an island."

Scrolling further down:

"He's allergic to cat fur, but he got a Ragdoll cat for me~"

"His phone's photo album is all me, hehe."

If this were in the past, Isabella would have been crushed.

But now, she felt nothing.

Alexander has been staying at Olivia's place lately, and when he comes back once in a while, he doesn't even notice things are missing.

He probably wouldn't even notice if she disappeared.

On the day of her birthday party, Alexander came to pick her up himself.

He was alone in the car.

"Not bringing Olivia?"

Isabella asked lightly.

Alexander frowned. "I'll keep you two apart from now on, so you won't always be getting angry."

Isabella gave a humorless smile.

He wasn't afraid of her getting angry, but of her bullying Olivia.

In his mind, Isabella had long been a vicious woman.

The party was grand. Alexander held Isabella's hand the entire time, giving her jewelry and famous paintings, and even coaxed in a low voice, "I've finally made you happy this time, right?"

Isabella looked at him, and was reminded of the past.

When he made her angry, he would also humble himself like this to coax her, and Isabella would always cave and forgive him.

But this time was different.

He had used her parents' lives as a bargaining chip, trampled her dignity, and publicly auctioned her private photos...

Even if he laid the world at her feet, it wouldn't make up for it.

Just as Isabella was about to speak, the ballroom doors were pushed open—

Olivia stood timidly at the entrance, wearing a white dress.

Alexander's expression changed. "Didn't I tell you to stay at the villa?"

Her eyes were red-rimmed. "I... I wanted to celebrate Isabella's birthday, and I even brought a gift..."

"I don't want to see you."

Isabella said coldly.

But Alexander had already waved a waiter over to find Olivia a seat, and said to Isabella in a low voice, "She was kind enough to come celebrate your birthday. Let bygones be bygones. Don't mention what happened last time."

At the party, even though it was to celebrate Isabella's birthday, Alexander's attention was entirely on Olivia.

When the band started a dance number, he had initially taken Isabella's hand, but after a glimpse of Olivia's teary-eyed face, he turned and walked towards her.

Isabella stood in the corner, watching them dance in each other's arms, feeling completely numb.

When the dance ended, Olivia whined that her high heels were hurting her feet.

Alexander immediately went downstairs himself to buy her a pair of flat shoes.

She took the opportunity to walk up to Isabella and waved her phone. "Isabella, you probably don't know this, but the gifts Alexander gave you are all things I rejected."

"He even had to check in with me to come to your birthday party, and he's been texting me every minute..." She proudly showed off the chat history. "Look, he says, 'Baby, just hang in there, I'll be back with you soon.'"

Isabella was already dead inside. "What do you really want?"

"I want you to divorce with Alexander."

"Soon."

Isabella looked at her calmly. "I will divorce quickly."

Olivia narrowed her eyes, her thoughts unreadable. Just as Isabella thought she believed her, the next moment, she grabbed Isabella's hand and used it to slap herself hard across the face!

"Smack—" A crisp slapping sound echoed.

When Alexander rushed over, he saw Olivia clutching her face, tears streaming down.

"Isabella!"

He roared, "You're bullying her again?!

"

"I didn't."

"I saw the whole thing!"

He grabbed Isabella's wrist, his grip so tight it felt like it could crush her bones. "Wasn't last time's lesson enough?

I told you, however you treat Olivia, I'll pay you back tenfold!"

Olivia shook her head, sobbing. "It's alright... it doesn't matter..."

"I'm here. What are you afraid of?"

Alexander tenderly wiped away her tears, "I've told you, you can do whatever you want. It doesn't matter if you tear down the sky."

"Don't always be so timid. You'll just get bullied."

With that, he had the bodyguards hold Isabella down and said to Olivia, "However she hit you, you hit her back ten times harder now."

Olivia pretended to be scared, "I... I can't..."

"I'll teach you."

He grabbed her hand and viciously slapped Isabella!

"Slap!"

"This one is to teach you to fight back."

"Slap!"

"This one is to teach you not to be so timid."

"Slap!"

The third time, the fourth...

Isabella's vision went black from the pain, blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, and her ears were ringing, but she clenched her jaw tightly, not making a sound.

Alexander only stopped after the tenth slap.

The surrounding guests whispered, "Poor Mrs. Reynolds, it's her birthday today..."

"She deserved it. She shouldn't have bullied people..."

Alexander gently took Olivia's hand, "Does it hurt?

I'll take you to get it treated."

With that, he swept Olivia up into his arms and left without a backward glance.

The bodyguards released Isabella. She collapsed to the floor, her cheeks burning with a fiery pain.

But the pain in her heart was a thousand, a million times worse.

Alexander, I regret it. I regret falling in love with you.

I regret it so much.

Isabella stumbled out of the banquet hall, her cheek stinging painfully, the blood on the corner of her mouth already dry.

She didn't call her driver; she drove herself to the hospital.

As the doctor applied medicine, she stared at herself in the mirror.

Half of her face was red and swollen, the corner of her mouth was broken, and her eyes were full of bloodshot veins.

What a mess.

She tried to pull at the corner of her mouth, but it tugged at the wound, making her gasp in pain.

After her wound was treated, she was about to drive back when two people blocked her in the parking lot—

Olivia's parents.

They blocked her car doors from both sides, their tone pleading, "Ms Harrison, please, stop holding onto the title of Mrs. Reynolds. Even if it's just to pity us, please step aside for our Olivia..."

Isabella looked at them coldly. "Move."

"Olivia truly loves Alexander, just let them be together..."

"I said, move."

She didn't want to argue anymore, so she pushed them aside and pulled open the car door.

But just as she stepped on the gas, James Johnson suddenly rushed towards the front of the car—

"Thud!"

With a dull thud, before Isabella could even process what had happened, she saw James fall to the ground, clutching his leg and wailing.

Emily Johnson screamed and rushed over, crying, "Honey?

!"

Isabella froze, her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly.

He ran into the car himself.

He did it on purpose.

But she didn't have time to think, she could only get out of the car immediately and take him to the emergency room.

In the hospital corridor, Olivia rushed over. The moment she saw Isabella, without a word, she raised her hand and slapped her!

"Slap!"

Isabella's head snapped to the side, her ears ringing.

"Isabella!"

Olivia, with tears streaming down her face, cried, "You can do whatever you want to me, but why would you bully my parents like this?

!"

The newly bandaged wound on Isabella's cheek split open again, blood seeping out, but she couldn't feel the pain.

"Your dad rushed out on his own."

She said coldly.

"If you're going to lie, at least make it believable!"

Alexander's harsh voice came from behind her, "How could Olivia's father possibly throw himself at your car?"

"Isabella, when did you become so vicious?"

Isabella looked at him, her heart already a mangled, bloody mess.

Now, he didn't even bother to investigate, just assuming she had hit him on purpose.

He seemed to have long forgotten how deeply he had once loved her.

The doctor hurried out. "The patient has lost too much blood and needs an urgent transfusion. He's type A. Who here can donate?"

Olivia sobbed and shook her head, "I'm his biological daughter, I can't donate blood..."

Alexander's gaze fell on Isabella. He said coldly, "She's type A. Make her donate."

Isabella snapped her head up. "I won't."

"You hit him, so you're responsible."

His eyes were grim. "If anything happens to the man in there, I won't let you off."

Isabella felt a chill run through her, her voice trembling. "Are you going to force me to my death, just like you did with my parents?"

His pupils contracted, as if stung by her words.

But the next second, he hardened his heart and ordered the bodyguards, "Drag her over there. Draw her blood."

Isabella was forcibly held down in the donation chair. As the needle pierced her vein, her fingertips trembled in pain.

The blood bag filled up bit by bit, and her consciousness started to fade.

She remembered how she was anemic, and Alexander would be heartbroken if she even got a little scrape.

But now, he had people holding her down, drawing her blood to save someone who staged an accident.

Her vision kept blacking out, and she finally couldn't take it anymore and fainted.

It was already dark when she woke up again.

Isabella dragged her weak body out of bed, ready to leave the hospital.

As she passed a certain room, she heard Olivia's sickly sweet voice from inside.

"Dad, Mom, this is Alexander, my boyfriend."

Isabella froze.

Through the half-open door, she saw Alexander with his arm around Olivia's waist, his tone gentle: "Don't worry, Mr. Harrison and Mrs. Harrison, I won't let Olivia be wronged from now on."

Emily was beaming. "Wonderful, wonderful. For Olivia to find a boyfriend like you, she's truly lucky..."

Standing outside the door, Isabella remembered something from many years ago.

Alexander had been just like that, holding her waist, solemnly telling her parents, "Don't worry, Mr. Harrison and Mrs. Harrison, I will never let Isabella be wronged."

The same words, he was now saying to another woman.

Alexander, so your promises have such a short shelf life.

Isabella bit her lip hard, until she tasted blood, before turning to leave.

After leaving, Isabella checked the time. There were three days left until the official death certificate was finalized.

In three days, she and her parents could leave this place for good.

No matter how hard Alexander searched, he would only find that she no longer existed.

Back home, she quickly started packing the things she would take with her: a few changes of clothes, her ID, her passport...

She didn't want to take anything else.

The door was pushed open just as she was stuffing her passport into her bag.

Alexander stood in the doorway, and behind him was Olivia, crying her eyes out.

"Even though Dad is out of danger, he's old and frail, and he really suffered this time..." Olivia said between sobs, tears falling like broken strings of pearls.

Alexander raised a hand to wipe her tears, his tone gentle. "Don't cry. I'm here to get justice for you, aren't I?"

He paused. "How do you want her to apologize? As long as it's not too much, I'll agree to it."

Olivia glanced timidly at Isabella and said quietly, "I... I want her to be locked up in jail for a few days."

Alexander frowned immediately. "Olivia, that's a bit too much."

"I know you can't bear to do it." Olivia grabbed his sleeve, her eyes red. "But my dad was so badly hurt. If we don't teach her a lesson, she'll just bully us again in the future..."

She bit her lip, her voice even lower. "It's just for a few days, to make her not dare to do it again... Alexander, I know Mrs. Reynolds is the one you truly love, and I'm just a distraction. If you really can't bring yourself to do it, then... maybe we should just break up."

Alexander was silent for a few seconds, then finally pulled her into his arms with a sigh of resignation. "Don't say that. I'll do whatever you say."

And just like that, Isabella was sent to a holding cell.

Before Alexander left, he didn't even give her a second glance.

As for Olivia, after making sure he was gone, she turned back to Isabella with a cold smile, whispered something to the officer beside her, and slipped him a stack of cash.

The next three days were the longest nightmare of Isabella's life.

She was pushed, cursed at, and even intentionally tripped, leaving her knees bloody.

No one treated her wounds, no one gave her a sip of clean water.

She curled up in a corner, gritting her teeth and counting the time.

In three days, she would be free.

On the evening of the third day, the iron door finally opened.

Alexander stood in the doorway, backlit, so Isabella couldn't see his expression.

It wasn't until he got closer that his heart skipped a beat. "What happened?"

Isabella's clothes were so dirty you couldn't tell their original color. Her arms and knees were covered in bruises and scrapes, and there was dried blood at the corner of her mouth.

Olivia immediately linked her arm with his and said softly, "She must have hurt herself on purpose to look pitiful."

She pouted, "It's just a few days in lockup. What could possibly happen?"

Alexander stared at Isabella for a few seconds, then said with a cold face, "Isabella, are you ever going to stop?"

Isabella managed a weak smile, not even having the strength to explain.

Back at the villa, Alexander, for once, didn't leave immediately.

He sat on the sofa and announced calmly, "From now on, I'll be with you on Mondays and Tuesdays. The rest of the time, I'll be with Olivia."

Isabella stood at the top of the stairs, saying nothing.

"Today is Wednesday, so I should go be with her." He stood up and grabbed his coat. "Don't bother me for the next few days."

He walked to the door and added, "I'll be back next Monday."

Isabella looked at him and said flatly, "Okay. Goodbye."

How ridiculous. Did he think she would still be waiting for him?

Alexander frowned, seemingly surprised by her attitude, but in the end, he said nothing and turned to leave.

The moment the main door closed, Isabella's phone buzzed.

[Ms. Harrison, your official death certificate has been fully processed.]

Isabella stared at the message, her eyes welling up with tears. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest.

She was free.

She immediately grabbed her already-packed luggage and walked out of the villa without a backward glance.

The airport.

Her parents were already waiting for her at the gate. Seeing her arrive, Grace Harrison, with red-rimmed eyes, hugged her tightly.

"Sweetheart, it's all over."

Isabella, her own eyes red, nodded.

Yes, it was all over.

Six years ago, on a snowy night, Alexander knelt before her door and said he would carve her into his life.

And now, she had personally carved his name out of hers.

As she was about to board, she took out her phone, removed the SIM card, and with a snap, broke it in two between her fingers.

"Here is your boarding pass." A staff member said respectfully.

Isabella casually tossed the broken card into a trash can, took the boarding pass, and holding her parents' hands, strode toward the gate.

Her back was straight, her steps unwavering.

From now on, there would be no Alexander in her world