Because my twin sister had caught a chill, a fortune teller said only the fetal amber could protect her from misfortune.

My husband, a ruthless gangster, didn't even hesitate. When I was five months pregnant, he tied me to an operating table.

He wiped away my tears but spoke coldly, "If you hadn't stolen all the nutrients from Noella before birth, she wouldn't be this frail."

My five-month-old fetus was cut from my body while still alive, a tiny bundle curled in a pool of blood.

Before he could even cry, they sealed him inside the burning resin.

I cried and begged my husband to stop, but he stayed emotionless.

"We can always have another child. But Noella only has one life. You owe her this."

***

"Xavier! You've lost your mind! This is illegal!"

I screamed when I was tied down to the operating table. My belly was already starting to show.

Xavier Zeller looked gloomy as he placed his hand on my belly.

"Be good, Estella. It's just a clump of flesh. Stop making things difficult for me."

Tears streamed down my face. I felt like a helpless animal about to be cut open.

Xavier was a powerful figure who held sway over both the criminal underworld and the legal world.

Only now did I realize the kind of monster he was.

Suddenly, I felt a movement in my belly.

It was like the baby could sense the danger and was begging for help.

"Xavier, look! The baby is kicking—it's also your child!"

I called his name, the same name I once said with love, hoping it would wake something in him.

Xavier was stunned for a moment. I could tell he was shaken for a moment.

But the moment passed instantly.

The next second, he grabbed my belly hard.

"If you hadn't drained all the nutrients from Noella before birth, she wouldn't be this fragile."

Pain shot through me, but it was nothing compared to what I felt in my heart.

I had heard those words so many times growing up.

Just because Noella was born one minute after me and was weaker, everyone treated her like a fragile treasure.

If she cried for over toys, I had to give them up.

When I was 14, she pointed at my long hair and told our parents that she didn't like it. That same night, they shaved my head bald.

If my test scores were better than hers, I'd be beaten for it.

Now, even my husband put her first.

She just had a common cold, but he didn't hesitate to sacrifice our child.

Still, I clung to life and begged him to stop.

Even with my tears blurring everything, I could still see the cruelty in his eyes.

"Xavier, please don't hurt the baby! I swear I'll leave and never come back."

My voice was shaking, nearly breaking apart. "Don't make me hate you. Please!"

His fingers froze, and I saw a flicker of conflict in his eyes.

Right then, his phone rang.

"Hello," he answered, sounding respectful.

I could hear my mother on the other end, her voice anxious.

"Xavier, Noella is getting worse again! Is the fetal amber ready? If we wait any longer, she won't make it!"

Xavier instantly turned cold. He made his decision without hesitation.

"Don't worry. It'll be done soon."

Then, he looked at me like I was nothing and said, "Start the procedure."

I widened my eyes in horror and struggled desperately.

"No! Xavier! Don't do this—it's murder! He's your child!"

He ignored me and gave the doctor a sharp command.

"Do it."

Then, I heard my mother's sharp voice on the phone.

"The fortune teller said no anesthesia! She has to stay awake!"

Xavier didn't even hesitate and nodded. "Do as she says. No anesthesia."

The doctor hesitated. "It's too cruel to do it without anesthesia."

Xavier's men immediately raised their guns to the doctor's head.

"Follow orders or die."

The doctor tremblingly nodded.

I couldn't stop trembling, drowning in fear and despair. "Xavier, you'll pay for this!"

My voice was hoarse, filled with hatred.

He sneered and leaned over to wipe my tears. His tone was soft, but his words were horrifying.

"Estella, don't try to leave me. I'll make it up to you later. Don't be afraid. It'll be over soon."

Then, he turned and walked out, not looking back.

My curses, full of hatred, filled the operating room.

"Xavier! I hate you! Loving you was the worst mistake of my life!"

They followed Xavier's instructions and didn't give me anesthesia.

Every time I passed out from the pain, they dumped ice water on me.

I could only scream in agony as they cut me open.

When the tiny baby was pulled from my body, I didn't even get to see it.

They threw it straight into the hot resin.

Then, Xavier walked away, holding the newly solidified fetal amber in his arms.

He didn't glance at me, who was left bleeding on the table.

I finally lost all strength and sank into complete darkness.

When I came to, I realized I was strapped to a freezing cold table in a lab.

Cold metal cuffs held my wrists and ankles tightly.

I was lying on a hard table, and the bright light overhead was so intense I could barely keep my eyes open.

Voices murmured nearby.

"Estella, you're finally awake."

I knew that voice very well. It was Noella, my twin sister.

She was supposed to be seriously ill and dying, but she sounded cheerful and full of life now.

We had never gotten along. I snapped at her, my tone full of anger. "What do you want from me?"

Right away, one of Xavier's men stepped forward and slapped me hard.

"Shut up! Don't think you're something just because we showed you some respect before. How dare you talk to Ms. Noella like this! She's Boss' true love!

"The only reason Boss married you was to get you pregnant and create a fetal amber for Ms. Noella.

"She can stay healthy and be with him longer this way."

So that was the truth.

His promises to protect me forever had been fake from the beginning.

Every sweet word he whispered at night was just part of a hidden scheme.

Even the care he gave me during my pregnancy had been part of the scam.

Once the bloody truth came out, everything I thought was warm and loving turned cold and painful.

It had all been a trap from the start.

Noella stood there with a smug smile curling her lips. "Since you're useless now, we might as well get something out of you."

I felt a chill run down my spine and lifted my head with effort.

"You know Xavier runs a big business, right? One of those deals with selling organs."

I felt weak and numb. "Do you hate me that much?"

Her reaction was wild like something inside her snapped.

"I hate you more than anyone! Why did you even have to be born and share everything with me?

"My parents and Xavier should all be mine!"

She grabbed my chin hard, her nails digging into my skin. "What I hate most is your face."

Then, she ordered coldly, "Ruin her face. Then take her kidneys, her womb, and her eyes."

The doctor reminded her, "But Ms. Noella, she's in poor condition. She's still Boss' wife. What if—"

Noella slapped him sharply and stepped closer. "Don't lecture me. What I say is what Xavier wants. If you argue again, you'll be the next one strapped to this table!"

She turned back to me with a twisted expression.

"But if you get on your knees, beg, and admit your mistake, maybe I won't go so far."

She looked at me lying numbly on the bed, clearly unhappy with how I reacted.

She leaned over and gently stroked my cheek. Her voice was soft but full of venom.

"Want to know something? I arranged that so-called fortune teller. The whole fetal amber story? It was all fake.

"I only wanted to see how far Xavier would go for me and whether he would kill your child if I asked.

"Oh, and don't worry about the child. I already threw it into the furnace and burned him into ashes."

My pupils shrank, and it felt like a knife had pierced straight through my chest.

She had planned everything.

My baby, my pain, and my despair were all part of her twisted scheme.

"Noella!"

I screamed and fought against the chains, which cut into my wrists and made them bleed.

"You'll pay for this!"

With all the strength I had left, I slammed my forehead into her. She fell hard to the ground.

Just then, the door burst open.

"Estella! What are you doing?"

Xavier showed up at the door.

When he saw Noella lying on the ground, his expression shifted.

He rushed over and picked her up, glaring at me with a sinister expression.

"Estella!"

Noella rested in his arms, her eyes red and watery as she weakly held onto his shirt.

"Xavier, don't blame Estella. She just lost her baby and is very upset. It's all my fault."

Tears began to fall, making her look deeply remorseful.

"I only wanted to see her and atone for my sins, but she..."

Xavier wiped away her tears with heartache. When he turned to look at me, his expression turned cold.

"Estella, what are you crazy about? Noella came here to show kindness, and you treat her like this?"

I stared at them and sneered. "Atonement? Does she deserve it?"

"You!"

Xavier's eyes turned fierce. He abruptly stood up, walked over, and grabbed my chin.

"Do you dare say that again?"

I met his eyes without fear and spoke clearly.

"I said—she doesn't deserve it!"

He slapped me hard. My head hit the bed frame, and I blacked out.

"Don't push your luck, Estella!" Xavier said coldly. "You owe her everything!"

"I owe her?"

Blood trickled from my mouth, but I smiled bitterly.

"What do I owe her? My life? My child? Xavier, listen carefully!"

I lifted my head and looked straight into his eyes, my voice rough but steady.

"I curse both of you to suffer and die!"

"You!"

Xavier was furious. He grabbed my hair and slammed me against the bed's edge.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

My forehead hit the metal hard. Blood ran down my face, and my vision blurred.

But I didn't feel pain—only burning hatred in my heart.

Then, he threw me on the operating table like trash.

Xavier held Noella and left. She gave me a smug and provocative look.

***

At the hospital, Xavier gently laid Noella on the bed. A doctor came right away to check her.

"Xavier, I'm fine."

She leaned weakly on him, her voice shaky. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone to see Estella."

Xavier stroked her hair with heartache. "Don't blame yourself. She's crazy."

Noella looked up with tears. "Xavier, you're the best."

His eyes softened as he said, "When I was hunted that year, I would have died if you hadn't saved me."

She tensed for a moment. But soon, she acted weak again and gently held his hand.

"That's what I'm supposed to do."

Suddenly, the door flew open. Noella's parents, Benjamin Lopez and Faye Coleman, hurried inside.

"Noella!"

Faye rushed to the bed, looking worried.

"Why are you in the hospital again? Are you feeling sick?"

Benjamin frowned and looked at Xavier. "Xavier, what happened to Noella?"

Xavier answered seriously, "She went to see Estella and got pushed. I was worried she wasn't feeling well, so I brought her here for a check."

"That jinx Estella again!"

When Faye heard that, her face showed anger. She started checking Noella's body nervously.

"Noella! Why is this part of your skin red? Let me take a look. You didn't have this before!"

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Faye went on, "Estella is indeed a trouble. If she hadn't been around, Noella would be perfectly fine!"

Xavier frowned at her words but stayed silent.

Noella interrupted in time, "Mom! Don't say that!"

Xavier swallowed hard and quietly tucked the blanket around Noella.

"Rest well. Don't let your mind wander."

As he turned away, Noella continued calling his name weakly.

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled the corridor. Xavier had barely taken a few steps when a sudden chill ran down his neck.

The red birthmark on Noella's back kept flashing in his mind.

Faye had just asked why that mark was red.

Her question struck him like a heavy blow, waking up doubts he had been pushing aside.

How could a concerned mother not even know her daughter had a birthmark?

As if possessed, he spun around. Just as he reached the door, he heard a suppressed chuckle from inside.

"Noella, what's going on? Why do you have the same birthmark as that jinx Estella?"

Faye's voice was sharp and curious. "When did you get that? It looks awful!"

The soft sound of fabric moving came next, and Noella teased, "Mom, lower your voice. It's fake! I did it to trick Xavier."

Xavier's head throbbed, and his ears buzzed.

On that rainy night seven years ago, he was running from his enemies, and Noella saved him.

Before losing consciousness, he clearly saw the red birthmark on her back.

That image was etched deep in his memory and gave him strength through countless nights of vengeance.

If Noella's birthmark was fake, then whose mark was real?

Suddenly, Xavier remembered something from his wedding night. Estella pointed to her back and said, "I used to have an ugly birthmark there, but I had surgery to remove it."

A strange panic filled him.

He pulled out his phone and called his most trusted subordinate.

"Hey! Where's Estella? I need to confirm something—I want to see her right now!"

The subordinate answered eagerly, "Boss, we just took her organs out according to Ms. Noella's orders.

"She's lying like dead now!"