Chapter 3

“Get in!”

Adrian Foster threw me into the basement of the villa.

The heavy iron door slammed shut behind me.

Everything around me was pitch black, and only a faint thread of light seeped in through the palm-sized ventilation window high above.

I slid down against the cold wall and sat on the floor.

The wound on my knee had already scabbed over and stuck to the fabric of my pants, and every movement brought a piercing pain.

But what did this bit of pain count for?

In the third lifetime, he broke one of my legs to vent Chloe Bennett’s anger.

In the seventh lifetime, he locked me outside for an entire night during a heavy snowstorm, leaving me with a lifelong illness.

The memories of every lifetime were clearly carved into my mind.

I curled up and closed my eyes.

After who knew how long, the sound of high heels came from outside the iron door.

With a click, the lock was opened.

Harsh light poured in, and I instinctively raised my hand to block my eyes.

Chloe Bennett stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.

Behind her stood two burly bodyguards.

“Lily Carter, does this basement feel nice?”

Chloe Bennett walked in on her high heels and covered her nose in disgust.

“It smells moldy, which really suits you.”

I ignored her and only looked at her calmly.

“Have you gone mute?” Chloe Bennett immediately found it boring when I did not speak.

She looked around, and her gaze suddenly landed on an art tube in the corner.

That was mine, and it was also the only tiny piece of myself I had kept in this villa.

Inside was a painting of the starry sky that had taken me three full months to create.

In the previous nine lifetimes, I gave up painting to please Adrian Foster and turned into a bitter woman obsessed with money.

In this lifetime, I secretly picked up the paintbrush again.

Chloe Bennett walked over and kicked the art tube over.

The painting rolled out and spread across the dusty floor.

“Oh, you’re still painting?” Chloe Bennett crouched down and roughly yanked open the paper.

“What is this mess supposed to be? It’s just a dark lump.”

She stood up, and her high heel stepped directly into the center of the painting.

“Don’t touch it.” I finally spoke, my voice hoarse.

“What, does it hurt?” Chloe Bennett not only refused to move her foot, but ground down twice with more force.

The once brilliant starry sky was instantly dirtied beyond recognition by black shoe prints.

“Adrian hates your fake artsy pretensions the most. He said the things you paint aren’t even good enough to wipe his shoes.”

I stared hard at that painting.

It was not just a painting, but the only proof in my despair that I was still alive.

“I told you not to touch it!” I suddenly rushed up from the ground and shoved Chloe Bennett away.

Chloe Bennett lost her balance, stumbled back a few steps, and fell hard onto the floor.

“Ah!” she let out an exaggerated scream.

“Lily Carter, are you insane?”

The two bodyguards immediately stepped forward and pinned me down from the left and right.

I struggled desperately, but my eyes stayed fixed on the painting on the floor.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded at the doorway, and Adrian Foster strode in.

“Adrian!”

The moment Chloe Bennett saw him, her eyes instantly reddened.

She sat on the floor and reached out to him pitifully.

“I only came to check on her because I was afraid she’d be scared alone in the basement. Who knew she’d suddenly go crazy and push me to the ground?”

“I think I twisted my ankle, and it hurts so much…”

Adrian Foster’s face instantly darkened to the extreme.

He did not even look at me and went straight to Chloe Bennett’s side, carefully helping her up.

“Are you okay?” His voice was extremely gentle.

He was simply a completely different person from the cold and ruthless man on the rooftop earlier.

“I’m okay, it just hurts a little.”

Chloe Bennett leaned into his arms and cast me a provocative glance.

Adrian Foster turned his head to look at me.

“Lily Carter, you really never learn. Chloe came to see you out of kindness, and this is how you repay her?”

I looked at him, at the disgust and anger in his eyes.

“She stepped on my painting.” I calmly stated the facts.

“It’s just a worthless painting.” Adrian Foster sneered.

He raised his foot and stepped onto the already ruined painting.

With a ripping sound, the paper was completely torn apart.

“Now it isn’t even a worthless painting anymore.” Adrian Foster looked at me with cold eyes.

“Apologize to Chloe.”

I looked at the pile of torn paper on the ground, and the last spark in my heart went out completely.

“And if I don’t?” I raised my head and looked straight into his eyes.

Adrian Foster’s gaze darkened.

“Lock her in here, and without my permission, no one is allowed to bring her food.”

After dropping those words, he turned and left with his arm around Chloe Bennett.

“Adrian Foster.”

I looked at his back and suddenly spoke.

“You’re truly pathetic.”