Chapter 1

To save my brother, I willingly became Ethan Thorne's mistress for three years.

I thought if I was good enough, I could eventually melt his cold heart.

That was until I overheard him at a star-studded charity gala, laughing with his friends: "Lily? Just a plaything I could buy off. Serena's pregnant. We're getting engaged next month."

In that moment, my heart turned to ash.

In front of everyone, I slammed the priceless pink diamond he had just bought onto his face, then turned and walked into the rainy night.

Later, I became a rising star in the business world, with countless admirers.

But the arrogant billionaire heir, Ethan Thorne, was the one who knelt at my door on a stormy night, his eyes bloodshot: "Lily, please, just look at me again..."

The deep autumn in Manhattan was bone-chilling.

But inside the Ritz Hotel's top-floor charity gala, it was a scene of dazzling elegance, warm as spring.

I sat in a corner of the lounge, staring at the balance on my phone.

Leo's medical bills were almost depleted again.

Ethan brought me tonight, saying he wanted to bid on something for me, a gift for our three-year anniversary.

A part of me actually felt a flicker of hope.

Three years. He had never brought me to a public event before. This was the first time.

Footsteps and hushed laughter drifted from outside the door.

"Ethan, you're really splashing out this time, huh? Thirty million for a pink diamond, didn't even bat an eye."

It was Ethan's childhood friend, Mr. Davis.

"Serena likes it. What's thirty million?" Ethan's voice was lazy, nonchalant.

My heart plummeted.

Serena? Serena Cross?

The heiress from the Cross family who just returned from abroad?

"But what about the one in your lounge? She's been with you for three years, she deserves some credit, or at least some consideration for her effort, right?" Mr. Davis lowered his voice, a hint of mockery in his tone.

Ethan chuckled.

That laugh, thin as the door separating us, pierced through my heart like a knife.

"Lily?" His voice was dismissive, as if he were discussing an unimportant item. "Just a plaything I could easily dismiss with money. Her brother needs saving; she wouldn't dare make a scene."

"Right. Serena's pregnant, and you're getting engaged next month. It's time to clean house, get rid of anyone who shouldn't be around."

I sat on the sofa, utterly frozen.

It was like falling into an ice pit.

Pregnant? Engaged?

Just three days ago, he held me close, whispering in my ear that after Leo's surgery, we'd go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights.

It was all a lie.

The deep affection I believed was real was just a handout after he weighed the pros and cons.

The door opened.

Ethan, dressed in a designer suit, walked in, holding the velvet box containing the pink diamond.

Seeing my pale face, he frowned slightly.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?"

He walked over, reaching out to caress my head, a familiar gesture.

I turned my head away, dodging his hand.

His hand froze in mid-air, and his eyes darkened.

"What's with the attitude?" His voice held a trace of impatience.

I stood up, looking him directly in the eyes.

"Are you getting engaged?" My voice was eerily calm.

Ethan paused.

Then, he tossed the box onto the coffee table and tugged at his tie.

"You heard?" He showed no sign of being caught off guard, instead, there was an air of casual frankness.

"Serena's pregnant. The Cross family can help me secure the Southside development project."

He looked at me, like he was reassuring an ignorant subordinate.

"Just be good. This pink diamond is yours, and the money I give you will double every month. You won't lack anything, except that title."

I looked at the pink diamond, sparkling with a dazzling, almost blinding light.

Suddenly, I felt utterly disgusted.

"Ethan Thorne." I called his full name.

"Do you really think my dignity, Lily's dignity, can be bought with money?"

He scoffed.

"What else? Have you paid for Leo's dialysis tomorrow? Without me, you two would have starved on the streets long ago."

He was certain I couldn't leave him.

Because I was poor, because I had a sick brother who was a burden.

I took a deep breath.

I picked up the velvet box from the table.

Ethan's lips curved into a mocking smile, thinking I had finally conceded.

The next second.

I raised my hand and slammed the box squarely onto his face.

"CRACK!"

The box hit his forehead, bounced to the floor, and the pink diamond rolled deep into the carpet.

Ethan's forehead immediately turned red.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Lily! Are you crazy?!"

"Yes, I am crazy." I stared at him coldly. "Consider these three years wasted on a dog. We're over."

With that, I turned without hesitation, pushed open the door, and walked into the cold hallway.