Chapter 1

In the fifth year of her marriage, Natalie Shaw is taken to the police for the 199th time after being mistaken for a mistress.

Someone comes to bail her out. Her face is covered in scratches and blood. A chunk of her hair has been ripped out, exposing raw, bleeding skin. It's a horrifying sight.

She cries from the pain. But soon, she goes numb. She sits in the chair in silence, trying to untangle her hair, which has been clumped together by thick, sticky blood.

Only when a police officer hands her a document and tells her she is free to leave does she slowly lift her head.

And sure enough, the person who has come to bail her out is not her husband, Adrian Carter.

Chapter 1

In the fifth year of her marriage, Natalie Shaw was taken to the police station for the 199th time after being mistaken for a mistress. Her face was swollen and bruised on one side, and she was pinned down on a cold iron chair.

A woman was screaming in her ear, "You slut! How dare you seduce someone else's husband! You deserve a beating!"

Natalie stared through the door at her husband, Adrian Carter. He was leaning against the car outside with a cigarette between his fingers. Wisps of smoke accentuated his devastatingly handsome features. He was upstairs when she was dragged down the street by her hair.

Even when she was curled up in the police station, covered in injuries, he merely glanced at her indifferently, as if he were looking at a stranger. He coldly instructed his assistant, Ezra Smith, "You handle it."

By the time Natalie finished giving her statement, Adrian's car had already disappeared. With one eye swollen, she asked, "Where's Adrian?"

Ezra frowned and replied somewhat impatiently, "Mr. Carter is busy!"

"What could be more important than his wife getting beaten up and ending up in the police station?" she questioned.

Ezra hesitated for a moment, but he still explained, "Mr. Carter wants to accompany Ms. Hart…"

Upon hearing this, Natalie looked down and smiled bitterly. Ezra seemed to put Olivia Hart's interests above all else, making her the true lady of the Carter family while reducing Natalie to a nobody.

At that moment, Natalie truly regretted her choice five years ago.

She and Adrian were young lovers who had been so devoted to each other. Natalie was an orphan, and Adrian was from a single-parent family.

Since neither of them had a complete family, the children in the communal apartment disliked them. Therefore, they only had each other for company. This companionship lasted for ten years and blossomed from friendship to love.

But five years ago, the wife of the richest man in Galton died in a car accident. Adrian's mother had grabbed Adrian's hand and told him, "Adrian, you're Timothy Carter's son. You have to go back."

Just like that, Adrian became the sole heir of the Carter family. However, the Carter family would only take him back on one condition. He had to marry the heiress of Hart Group to strengthen their position in the business industry.

Adrian had refused for Natalie's sake. He stayed outside the Carter residence for three days and even developed severe pneumonia from the fever. Yet, he still refused the absurd marriage arrangement.

He said, "Nat, you're the only woman I'll ever marry. I will never be with her!"

He even endured 100 lashes on his back as punishment, leaving him covered in blood.

Timothy relented when he saw his only son injured. He agreed to let Adrian marry Natalie, but the marriage could only be held in secret.

On the surface, Olivia was Adrian's fiancee. Natalie could only openly stand by his side when he took control of Carter Group.

Adrian said, "Wait for me, Nat. I will never let you down."

Moved by his sincerity, Natalie nodded with tears in her eyes. But after they got married, she had become very miserable. Even holding hands with him became a luxury.

As Carter Group's carefully fabricated romance between Adrian and Olivia gained more public attention, Natalie was branded a homewrecker after she was caught secretly holding his hand while they were out together.

The abuse, slander, and vicious attacks came one after another.

But Adrian remained silent throughout. The words he said most often were, "Just wait a little longer, Nat. Once I take control of the company, I'll announce our marriage. I'll make up for all the grievances you've suffered."

Just like that, five years had passed. She always thought that as long as he still loved her, she could help him by silently enduring the hardships despite her powerlessness and lack of influence. She believed she would eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel.

But not long ago, she discovered a wedding invitation in Adrian's hidden drawer. The groom was Adrian, and the bride was Olivia. Underneath the invitation was a share inheritance agreement.

It turned out that he had already seized control of Carter Group, and Olivia was who he wanted to marry.

The last thread of hope holding Natalie together quietly snapped, completely breaking her heart. The heartache was so overwhelming that she could barely breathe.

After leaving Adrian's office in shock, she stood in front of the large screen on the street, looking up at the replay of his and Olivia's interview. Adrian was distinguished and handsome, while Olivia was gentle and radiant. They were a match made in heaven.

All Natalie could do was watch their perfect romance from the shadows in envy. She found the situation ridiculous.

But then, a passerby knocked her sunglasses off. Someone immediately recognized her as the shameless mistress who had gone to Adrian's company to see him.

"Why does she look so familiar? She looks like the shameless mistress who was exposed for harassing the CEO of Carter Group."

"How dare she show up here again! Is she causing trouble again? We should beat up this slut!"

Natalie was unexpectedly slapped in the face. She staggered back, clutching her bag tightly as she tried to explain herself, "No, I'm Adrian's real wife—"

"You delusional slut! Who do you think you are, trying to climb the social ladder?"

The furious women swarmed Natalie, knocking her to the ground and pinning her down. They yanked her hair and slapped her again and again. Their nails sank deep into her pale skin. The ground beneath her was cold, every inch of her body ached, and her heart felt as though it were being ripped apart. The pain was almost unbearable.

"You bitch! Call yourself Mr. Carter's wife again, and I'll rip your tongue out!"

As Natalie recalled the wedding invitation and the share inheritance agreement, she immediately gave up struggling. She lay resigned on the ground as she was beaten, tears streaming down her face.

She yelled, "Okay! I'm not Adrian's wife! I'm sorry! I swear!"

An hour later, they were taken to the police. When the officers saw Natalie, they looked at her with disdain.

"Her again? She's so desperate to become a rich man's wife. She always gets beaten up for being a homewrecker. I'm just speechless."

Chapter 2

Everyone thought Natalie was a crazy woman who was trying to climb the social ladder. A shameless woman.

Even her marriage certificate with Adrian had been locked away by the Carter family. She had no proof, and no one believed her. She was just a pawn.

The sunlight outside the villa was blinding. She quickly got into a subtle Maybach, shielded by Ezra.

Adrian sat with his legs crossed, glancing down at the documents without even lifting his head. He said irritably, "Nat, I'm very busy. Can you please behave yourself? I don't have the energy to bail you out anymore."

Yet, he was the reason for all of this.

Natalie laughed at his words. She was finally tired. She said, "Adrian, let's get a divorce!"

Upon hearing this, Adrian finally looked up at Natalie. She instinctively turned away, trying to hide her humiliation and disheveled appearance.

He put down the documents, his brows furrowing as his voice turned cold. "Got in trouble again? Didn't I tell you not to show your face in public?"

There was a hint of reproach in his eyes, but not a trace of concern for her.

Natalie's heart sank at his words. As she looked at the high and mighty Adrian, she felt utterly lost. Was this really the same Adrian who had once eaten food with her on the roadside, refusing to waste even a single bite?

She said again, "Adrian, I want a divorce!"

Adrian looked out the window, his expression unreadable. But when he snapped the file shut, it sounded unnaturally loud. He said, "Nat, you're just tired. Go home and get some rest. Don't be difficult."

Natalie's hands were covered in blood. He instinctively reached out to comfort her, but then he sighed and withdrew his hand. He was disgusted by the sight of her. How embarrassing.

He said, "Take a hot bath. You'll feel better, okay?"

She was already tired from compromising herself time and time again for his sake. She rested her fingers on the doorknob. "Adrian, you've changed. You're no longer the same man I knew. Even I can't figure out what you really want now."

Her words struck a nerve with Adrian. He instantly frowned and turned to glare at Natalie. "You always said that I've changed! But I did all of this for you! Do you want to go back to the miserable life we had before? Natalie, I'm the one who gave you everything you have now. Can't you endure some hardship? And you think you can be my wife?"

"Then I don't want to be your wife anymore!" Natalie yelled at the top of her lungs, the action nearly exhausting her. Her voice was thick with despair.

However, Adrian didn't understand. He only thought she was just being difficult. With a loud bang, he slammed the car door shut and walked away.

After Natalie got out of the car, she saw Olivia standing outside the villa. Adrian paused for a moment, and his gaze softened as he asked, "Why are you here? It's cold!"

Olivia said, "Did you and Ms. Shaw have a fight? Was it because of today's interview? I'm sorry, Ms. Shaw. That reporter was a bit shrewd. I had no choice but to hold Adrian's hand. Please don't be mad."

She stepped forward and squeezed Natalie's hand apologetically. She looked dignified, polite, and understanding.

Natalie felt ashamed and instinctively withdrew her hand, secretly wiping the blood from it behind her back. "Ms. Hart, this has nothing to do with you. You don't have to apologize!"

"Ms. Shaw, you can't say that. Adrian is your man. I already feel guilty for hogging him for so long. I'll be even more upset if you two fight again because of me," Olivia said.

Natalie smiled and shook her head bitterly. "Ms. Hart, you don't have to worry about that. We're getting a divorce!"

A trace of surprise appeared in Olivia's eyes.

Adrian, who had his back to her, immediately whipped around. His anger seemed to have reached its peak. His voice was as cold as ice as he spat, "Natalie, stop making a scene!"

Natalie stared at him intently, almost choking back her tears. "I'm not! I just want to—"

"Fine, Natalie! You're truly ungrateful! Fine, give me back what I gave you, and I'll divorce you!" Adrian said with a mocking smile before she could finish speaking.

Natalie was taken aback by his words. "What do you mean by that?"

"I told you, I'm the reason for everything you have. Give everything back, and I'll divorce you. Let's start with what's on you, one thing at a time."

Noticing her hesitation, Adrian smiled mockingly. "What's wrong? Can't bear to part with these things? Remember who's been supporting you all this time."

Olivia grabbed Natalie and stared at Adrian in disbelief. "Enough, Adrian! Don't say such awful things!"

Adrian retorted, "Stay out of it and let her strip! She's the one who wants to leave."

Natalie could no longer hold back her tears, and they finally spilled over. She dropped the luxury handbag she was holding to the ground. With trembling fingers, she slowly began unbuttoning her collar, one button at a time.

…

Finally, Natalie's last piece of clothing fell to the ground. She was left standing in the freezing winter in nothing but her underwear.

Adrian gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He said sternly, "Enough! Consider your underwear a handout! Olivia, let's go!"

Then, he grabbed Olivia and disappeared into the night.

Natalie slowly squatted down, tears streaming down her face. Since Adrian loved Olivia, she would let them be together.

Chapter 3

As dawn broke, Natalie had spent the entire night in the freezing cold. Yet, she still hadn't seen Olivia leave Adrian's villa.

Her heart finally broke. Feeling defeated, she wrapped her arms around her freezing body and walked away.

She was stubborn by nature, so she hadn't even put on the clothes she had taken off. Instead, she picked up a few discarded clothes from a nearby old clothes box and wore them. Then, she picked a random hotel to stay in.

However, when she tried to swipe her card, the POS machine repeatedly displayed a message saying that the card had been frozen.

And so, Natalie had no choice but to take out a worn-out bank card.

That money was what she and Adrian had saved from working part-time jobs during college. They had agreed to set it aside as their future wedding fund. Unexpectedly, a funeral turned Adrian's life upside down. And that measly ten thousand dollars had become insignificant in his eyes.

Natalie had never touched a single cent on the card. It was the last thing she had left to hold on to. However, she had no choice but to let go of that final illusion.

After paying for the room, she curled up in the shabby little hotel and drifted into a restless sleep.

For several days, Adrian and Natalie gave each other the silent treatment. The former also made no attempt to contact her.

Her social media was filled with photos and videos of Adrian and Olivia's sweet moments together. He would accompany her to the golf course, holding her hand as he taught her how to play.

He would even show up at late-night food stalls just to make her smile. He took her to lavish social gatherings, where they would dance together in a romantic waltz.

Meanwhile, Natalie was just someone who had never existed to them. Her disappearance had finally brought the perfect couple together. Everyone was happy with that.

But when she refreshed the page, Natalie saw some striking headlines.

"Breaking News! The Heir of the Carter Family and the Heiress of the Hart Family Were Spotted Entering and Leaving a Hotel Late at Night, Behaving Intimately. Their Wedding May Be Imminent."

"An Obsessed Woman Publicly Declares Her Love for the Heir of the Carter Family. After Being Rejected, She Goes Mad and Strips to Seduce Him. Her Shameless Behavior Enrages the Heir."

Below the headlines was a photo of Natalie mostly naked. It was both humiliating and degrading.

"Is this woman crazy? Does she have no moral compass? She's shameless!"

"I've seen plenty of people like this. She really thinks everyone from a wealthy family is some spoiled playboy who will lose all sense over a pretty face. She's just trying to latch onto one of them and marry into wealth. But in their eyes, someone like her is too much of a turn-off to even consider!"

"She's got a pretty good body. It explains why she'd stoop to such a shameless tactic. If he doesn't want her, I'll take her. I've got a bit of money myself. Give me her contact information…"

...

Each comment was filled with mockery and vicious insults.

Natalie's knuckles turned white from digging her fingers into her palms. She bit her lip so hard that it drew blood. She could taste the metallic taste of blood and feel her heart bleed. It hurt terribly.

Yet, Adrian was radio silent. He never bothered to explain himself.

She stared at her phone for a very long time, desperately trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. With trembling fingers, she typed a reply.

"You shouldn't comment without knowing the whole story. What if there's some misunderstanding? There are so many ways to seduce him. Why would she resort to this? Perhaps things aren't what they seem!"

She held her breath, having used the last of her strength to defend herself.

But the next second, countless harassing messages flooded into her DMs.

"You sure have a way with words. Seems like you've done this often. How about giving me a taste? Don't worry, I've got money!"

"You're defending such a woman? Don't tell me you're the woman herself. Holy crap! Let me see you, will you?"

"How much for one night? Is 100 dollars enough? How about a thousand? Tell me how much you want!"

As Natalie read through the vile messages, she broke down in tears. Hugging her knees, she felt utterly helpless and hopeless. She was Adrian's rightful wife, yet she was seen as a shameless slut.

After thinking for a long time, she wiped away her tears, stood up, and went straight to the news agency that had published the report.

Chapter 4

In the past, Natalie had swallowed her anger and endured it all, sacrificing her reputation and innocence for what she had believed was a precious love.

However, since Adrian didn't love her, she had no reason to trap herself in this mess.

As the cab stopped, Natalie opened the car door and bumped into Adrian.

When their eyes met, he noticed her weariness and said softly, "I'll deal with those photos."

Natalie scoffed. Presumably, his proposed solution was merely to keep the scandal under wraps and have everyone gradually forget about it as time passed.

Even if he did that, she would still be branded as a shameless mistress. Those mocking remarks and comments would still leave wounds that could never be erased.

And so, she said, "If you're just going to remove the trending posts and take them down, you don't have to. I'm going to explain that I'm not a slut or a shameless mistress. I must prove my innocence!"

As soon as she said that, Adrian lunged forward and grabbed her wrist. His soft gaze turned icy. "Natalie, our relationship can't be revealed yet. Can't you understand me? Stop making a scene!"

She looked back at him. "Making a scene? Do you still think I'm the one being unreasonable?" Her eyes held nothing but disbelief and bitter sorrow.

So, Adrian had never truly cared about her sadness and despair. Everything she had gone through was insignificant in the eyes of the aloof Adrian. Her scalp, which had been bandaged not long ago, was now throbbing with pain, and she trembled slightly.

However, Adrian simply frowned and coldly ordered, "It doesn't matter. You must keep waiting!"

Immediately, several bodyguards swarmed Natalie, grabbed her arms, and shoved her into the car. She tried to struggle, wanting to escape this increasingly difficult situation. But she was outnumbered and outmatched.

An hour later, she was thrown onto the bed. Adrian slammed the door shut and locked it. Natalie instinctively tried to escape, but she was grabbed and thrown back onto the bed.

Adrian's eyes were slightly red. He roughly trapped her in his arms before kissing her hard, forcefully prying her lips open with his tongue. But then, he hissed when Natalie bit him, and he tasted a hint of blood.

Instead of getting angry, he smiled, his eyes cold. "Natalie, you used to be so obedient. What's wrong with you lately? Are you trying to force my hand?"

Natalie stared straight into those cold and weary eyes, fighting back her tears. However, she didn't cry. She refused to show weakness. "Adrian, I've had enough. I'm sick of this whole charade of being your wife behind closed doors and your kept woman in public. I don't want to play this game anymore."

Adrian stared at her tearful eyes. And after a long silence, he sneered, "Natalie, I've given you so much. And now, you regret everything? You don't get to decide anymore."

He slowly lowered his head, silencing all of Natalie's protests with his tongue. Soon, he flipped her over and entered her. He gave her no chance to catch her breath.

After they finished their romp, Adrian emerged from the bathroom and donned his suit. Once again, he was the arrogant and cold man he had always been. It was as if the man who had just lost himself in her had never existed.

He said, "Be a good girl. You have to wait, even if you don't want to. Understood?"

The door then slammed shut, and the room was quiet again.

Natalie got up and began tidying her disheveled appearance, only to hear hushed voices conversing outside the door.

"Mr. Carter, are you really not going to help Ms. Shaw?"

Adrian flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone flippant. "Don't bother with her. The worse things get for her, the better. Release those photos. I want her trending again."

"I-Isn't that a bit too far? She's gone through a lot over the past five years!"

After a moment of silence, she heard Adrian sigh. "This is the only way to keep her completely safe. Just do as I say."

So that was it. Adrian was the reason for every misunderstanding, every mocking remark, and every humiliation she had endured.

Natalie slumped against the wall, clutching her aching chest as she struggled for breath. She had never once imagined that Adrian would go to such lengths to protect Olivia. He had been willing to sacrifice her, using her as a stepping stone and making her the center of countless scandals just to pave the way for Olivia.

The beautiful memories of their youth together were shattered beyond repair.

"Adrian, you're truly heartless!" she muttered.

Chapter 5

Natalie clenched her fists, thinking that she had to leave this place. Not only that, but she had to get the marriage certificate. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to prove her innocence. Then, she could divorce Adrian.

Fortunately, Adrian hadn't confined her. He had simply instructed the bodyguards to guard the door and make sure she didn't leave.

She sneaked into his study and saw the safe. She tried several passcodes, including her birthday, Adrian's birthday, or their anniversary. However, they were all wrong.

Finally, Natalie took out her phone and looked up Olivia's birthday. The safe opened with a click.

She stared at the open safe, her heart aching as she let out a bitter laugh. "So, you stopped loving me a long time ago. How ridiculous."

Then, she spotted the marriage certificate. But the instant she reached out for it, a piercing alarm blared throughout the villa, and all the lights suddenly went out.

She then heard chaotic footsteps and panicked voices outside the door. "Someone broke into Mr. Carter's study! Find the intruder!"

It turned out that opening the safe had triggered the security alarm. The safe could be opened, but the alarm would still go off if someone other than Adrian did.

Natalie shoved the marriage certificate into her pocket and stumbled away in the dark. She felt her way along the wall. Just as she reached the door, a large sack was thrown over her head. A heavy blow struck the back of her head, and she immediately passed out.

When she came to, she was still in the sack. She heard the voices of Adrian's bodyguards. "Mr. Carter said to break her arms and legs and leave her in front of the police station."

Natalie's heart stopped in her throat, and she said hoarsely, "I'm Natalie Shaw, Adrian's wife. Let me speak with him."

Suddenly, the sack was ripped off her head. The head bodyguard looked down at her and smiled mockingly. "His wife? Mr. Carter's wife is Ms. Hart. Who do you think you are? You broke into the Carter family's property to steal and still have the nerve to call yourself the wife of the heir?"

Natalie had never seen this person before. She figured that he must be one of the bodyguards Adrian had hired recently. The ones she knew were usually assigned to stay by Adrian's side, so it was only natural that this man didn't know her.

She lifted her head with some difficulty and said, "I'm Adrian's wife. You can call him if you don't believe me."

However, before she could finish speaking, the head bodyguard interrupted her, "Call him? Don't you know that Mr. Carter is with Ms. Hart at a concert today? Before he went in, he ordered us not to disturb them. Enough nonsense. Teach this thief a lesson!"

The next moment, the baseball bat swung down, striking Natalie across the back.

"Ah!" she screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

"Mr. Carter said to break her arms and legs. Keep going!"

Then came another blow on her lower back. Natalie didn't even have the strength to stand up.

The bodyguards stepped forward and stomped on her wrist.

"Ow! I'm really his wife. Oh, I have my marriage certificate in my pocket! Take a look, and you'll believe me!" she said desperately.

Finally, the brutal beatings temporarily stopped. The bodyguards pinned Natalie to the ground and searched through the pockets of her top. The marriage certificate fell to the floor.

The head bodyguard shoved the others aside, picked it up, and glanced at the names. However, he immediately frowned, and his face twisted with anger. He slapped Natalie across the face. Instantly, blood filled her nose and began gushing out.

He cursed, "You bitch, how dare you fool me! Take a good look at this! Do you even know what's written on this marriage certificate?"

He grabbed her hair and yanked her head up, forcing her to look up at him.

Blood drained from Natalie's face, and her blood ran cold. The name on the marriage certificate wasn't hers, but Olivia's. Even the woman in the photo commemorating the marriage was Olivia.

She asked in disbelief, "What? How's that possible? Adrian and I are legally married! This can't be!"

"It's right there in black and white! Enough fucking around! Beat her to a pulp!" the head bodyguard yelled.

Just like that, another blow came down. With it, the last of Natalie's determination crumbled, and she fell into despair. She endured more than a hundred blows before blood burst from her mouth. Her head slammed against the ground, and everything went black.

Chapter 6

When Natalie woke up again, she was lying in a modest hospital room. Her entire body was covered in bandages.

The nurse was rough when inserting the needle. However, Natalie was already numb to the pain. Her gaze was vacant as she lay helplessly in the hospital bed.

The nurse said, "You seem like such a decent person. Why would you go and steal from someone's home? You deserve to get beaten to a pulp. And you just had to steal from the Carter family. They have all the power here. Do you have a death wish?

"Once you're well enough to leave, you'll probably be held for a few days at least."

As the nurse continued to talk, Natalie parted her lips. Her cracked lips tugged painfully at the wounds. "Hey, can I make a phone call?"

The nurse was genuinely surprised to hear her question and instinctively placed a hand on Natalie's forehead.

She asked, "Are you actually insane? Do you even know where you are? This is the police station's medical ward. You were brought here for theft, remember? Your belongings have been confiscated. Once you recover, you'll still have to be detained."

Tears welled in Natalie's eyes. She asked, "What about Adrian? Can I see him?"

Before she had been knocked unconscious, she had managed to get her marriage certificate with Adrian. But the name on the marriage certificate wasn't hers. It was Olivia's. Even the woman in the photo commemorating the marriage was Olivia.

At that moment, all she wanted was to ask him what had happened. Why? How had she gone from his legitimate wife to his actual mistress overnight?

She had always thought that there would be a day when their marriage would be made public, and she could stand proudly by Adrian's side.

It didn't matter if she was insulted, misunderstood, and hated by everyone. She believed that she would no longer be the shameless woman everyone hated.

But the marriage certificate, the only thing that could prove her identity, had plunged her into despair. She had endured so much over the years, only to discover such a cruel truth. She couldn't accept it.

Natalie begged, "Could you please help me call Adrian? Just tell him that Natalie Shaw is looking for him. I really have something important to tell him."

The nurse looked at her as though she were a hopeless lunatic. "Mr. Carter is on vacation with his fiancee. Someone like you can't just contact him whenever you want. Have you lost your mind?"

Seeing the despair on Natalie's face, the nurse sighed. "Don't believe me? See for yourself. You're a thief now. Even if you want to beg Mr. Carter for help, there's no way he'd help you."

Natalie saw a photo of Adrian and Olivia on the nurse's phone. They were openly flaunting their relationship. The happiness and contentment on his face devastated her.

With tears in her eyes, she grabbed the nurse's wrist and pleaded, "I just want to make a call to him. Can you please help me? It's just one call."

The nurse looked helpless, but Natalie's emotional state made her feel uneasy. So, she tried to calm her down. "I can't decide this on my own. Get some rest. I'll speak to my supervisor."

Half an hour later, Natalie finally got her phone back and was allowed to make a call to Adrian. She clutched the phone tightly as the call connected, her heart pounding.

If he could prove her identity to the police, she could leave and see him. She could also ask him what had happened to their marriage certificate.

However, the call was declined, completely shattering her hopes.

The nurse said, "I told you. He's the heir of the Carter family. He doesn't have time for someone like you. Enough of this. Stop wasting our time."

A police officer took the phone away.

Natalie remained in a daze. Adrian had never ignored her calls before. But this time, he was with Olivia and had no time for anything else. He didn't even care that she had been wrongly accused and detained in the police station.

She was distraught, tears slowly welling in her eyes.

The police officer clicked his tongue impatiently. "Looks like you won't believe it until you see it for yourself. I'll call him for you."

This time, the call was answered almost immediately.

Adrian's cold, distant voice came through the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Carter. I'm sorry to bother you. We're from the First Division of the Galton Police Department. There's a woman named Natalie Shaw who says she needs to speak with you—"

Before he could finish talking, Adrian's voice turned colder as he cut him off. "I don't know her. This is my private number. Contact my assistant if you need anything."

Then, he hung up.

The officer put down his phone and snorted. "See? You really are crazy. You're just a troublemaker."

Natalie let her hand fall limply to her side and stared at the door for a long time. Then, a sorrowful smile slowly curved her lips.

A week later, she was transferred to a detention center. The iron gate swung open with a clang. Someone shoved her hard from behind, and she stumbled inside.

Chapter 7

"I know this woman," one of the inmates scoffed. "She's a crazy gold digger desperate to marry into money. I heard she's been throwing herself at the Carter family's heir. She even stripped to seduce him, but he wouldn't give her the time of day."

"Well, I've never seen anyone so shameless in my life!"

"Hey, newbie! Get your ass over here. You like sucking up to rich men so much? Come here so we can get a good look at you," another inmate taunted.

"Hey! We're talking to you! Are you deaf?" the other snapped.

One of the women shoved Natalie hard, sending her crashing into the wall. Her barely healed bones throbbed with pain, yet it was nothing compared to what she felt inside.

She never thought she would end up in such a pathetic state because of Adrian.

When Natalie didn't respond, her eyes showing neither fear nor hope, the ringleader's face darkened. She raised her hand and slapped the side of Natalie's head. "Hey, bitch, I'm talking to you! Are you mute?"

The blow left Natalie's head spinning. Her teeth caught her lip, tearing the flesh and filling her mouth with blood.

"Go ahead. Beat me to death," Natalie whispered as she looked up, her eyes filled with grim resolve and despair.

Her lack of resistance only egged the women on.

"Well, would you look at that? She's got some guts." The ringleader sneered, "Listen up, you pathetic whore. The Carters told us to take real good care of you the moment you walked in here. And here I've been wondering how to entertain myself!"

A kick caught Natalie before she could dodge, sending her sprawling across the floor. The others closed in, raining kicks and punches down on her.

Natalie could do nothing but curl into herself and wrap an arm around her body.

By the time they were done, Natalie lay sprawled on the floor like a lifeless doll, blood oozing from the corner of her lips.

A glittering gemstone bracelet lay broken in the dust before her.

It was Adrian's gift to her on her 20th birthday.

Back then, Adrian had only been brought back to the Carter family. He had no power or status, and his bank account was constantly being monitored.

He had secretly scraped together the money to buy that bracelet for her by taking on private tutoring jobs.

The bracelet had five small moonstones set into it.

When he placed it in her hands, he told her, "When I bought this, I thought of these five gemstones as a promise of our future. Each gemstone represents one wish. I'll make every one of them come true for you."

That year, the Carter family nearly beat him to death for refusing the arranged marriage.

She had used the first moonstone to wish that Adrian wouldn't worry about her and bravely pursue the life he wanted. As long as she could be with him, she could endure anything.

Three years later, Natalie found out she was pregnant, but the Carter family forced her to terminate it. Adrian had been furious. He nearly fell out with his own father and was ready to leave home with her.

She had used the second moonstone to make him stay, promising him that they could have another child someday.

She had seen too much of what he had endured. She had watched him stay up night after night studying finance until his eyes were strained, seen his palms blister as he learned the etiquette and golf expected of the elite, and watched his back get whipped for the slightest mistake.

Adrian had suffered too much, and she couldn't bear to let her presence ruin everything he had worked so hard for.

So she chose to sacrifice herself.

But in the end, he betrayed her, leaving her completely and utterly defeated.

Natalie's disappointed tears kept falling, leaving dark spots on the floor.

Suddenly, the iron door in front of her creaked open. A correctional officer peered inside before his gaze settled on Natalie. "Natalie Shaw? Come out," he ordered.

Natalie struggled to her feet and made her way outside one unsteady step at a time.

The officer led her outside, where the sunlight was painfully bright.

A tall figure stood silhouetted against the light.

"Someone came to bail you out," the officer said. "You're free to go."

Natalie raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glare. Through her swollen eyes, she could barely make out the man standing before her.

It wasn't Adrian. So who was it?