But Xavier only replied coldly, enunciating every word. "I never wanted this child in the first place! Who knows whose bastard you’re actually carrying!"

Those words were like a jagged blade plunging straight into my heart.

I looked at his indifferent face with a mixture of rage and hopelessness, my heart bleeding out in the silence...

Chapter 6

The three men began to close in.

"Brother!"

I thought I heard Celine’s voice through the heavy breathing of the men surrounding me.

In an instant, I summoned every ounce of strength I had left, attempting to crawl toward the exit.

I saw Celine, breathless, grabbing hold of Xavier.

Xavier’s eyes widened in surprise at his sister’s sudden intrusion.

He walked over to her.

Almost forcing her out of the basement, he said, "Celine, go back to your room and rest. This has nothing to do with you."

"Brother, what are you doing? How can you treat my sister-in-law like this? She..."

I was about to call out to her when one of the men blocked my path.

Yet, a sliver of hope ignited in my chest. If only Celine would tell him the truth.

But before she could finish, Xavier cut her off.

His tone was frigid. "She is not your sister-in-law! She nearly killed you back then, and now that she knows you’re awake, she’s trying to do it again. I will not tolerate it!"

"Brother, what on earth are you talking about? I don't understand..."

"Celine, I know you’re kind, but some people don't deserve forgiveness."

Xavier gave Celine a firm nudge toward the stairs, preventing her from speaking further.

Then he turned back, re-entered the basement, and locked the door behind him.

My hand, which I had been reaching out in desperation, fell limp.

The sound of frantic pounding came from the other side of the door, but Xavier remained unmoved.

My eyes stayed fixed on Xavier, staring at the face I once loved so dearly.

Clara, remember this. Remember this pain. Remember the blood debt of your parents.

Even as a ghost, you must never forget!

After what felt like an eternity, Xavier finally barked an order. "Stop!"

The three men instantly backed off, not daring to push further.

I finally managed to catch my breath, but then a sharp, agonizing pain shot through my abdomen. A warm rush of fluid began to flow uncontrollably. I began to shake with a terrifying panic.

The baby... my baby...

Xavier pressed his lips together, turning to leave. The moment he swung the door open, a resounding slap caught him squarely across the face—

Slap!

Celine stood there, her eyes bloodshot and her face drenched in tears.

"Celine, you..."

Celine’s voice broke into a harrowing sob as she screamed:

"Xavier, you’ve been wrong from the very beginning! The one who wanted to hurt me wasn't Clara—it was Chloe!"

Chapter 7

Xavier’s face was a mask of pure disbelief.

"What did you say? Say that again!" He seized Celine by the arms, demanding confirmation.

Celine winced in pain and looked at her older brother, stamping her foot in frustration. "Every word I said is true!"

"Do you remember why I got into that car accident? It was because I overheard Chloe on the phone. She wanted to kill me to keep me quiet!"

Xavier shook his head instinctively.

"Impossible. Why would she do that?"

"Because the whole thing about her being violated... she planned it all herself!" Celine roared through gritted teeth.

"Explain yourself!"

"I remember the day it happened. I went to the hospital to see her. I heard her on the phone saying that she was the one who hired men to kidnap Clara—she wanted Clara to be humiliated!"

Celine was shaking all over. "That way, Clara wouldn't be able to stay by your side, and Chloe could take her place! But something went wrong. They couldn't catch Clara, and they couldn't agree on the price. That’s why the kidnappers turned on Chloe and... they did that to her instead!"

"I was horrified when I heard it. I wanted to tell you right away, but Chloe caught me. She sent people after me and even tried to run me over with a car!"

I knew it then. The accident wasn't an accident at all; it was cold-blooded murder.

"Brother, don't you see? Chloe was behind everything. You’ve wronged her!" Celine screamed at Xavier, her voice thick with anger and self-reproach.

Xavier stood frozen in place, looking at his sobbing sister and shaking his head in denial.

Seeing him like that, a laugh finally escaped me—a sound that turned into a hacking cough amidst the searing pain.

But with every cough, more blood spilled out.

The pain in my stomach became unbearable. Finally, I couldn't hold on any longer and slipped into the darkness. The last thing I heard was his frantic roar: "Ambulance! Quick, call an ambulance!"

I felt weightless. In the hazy distance, I could hear voices, as if I were floating high above the ground.

"Prepare for surgery."

Surgery...

Broken fragments of memory began to resurface, reminding me of everything that had happened.

This world was no longer worth holding onto.

My parents were gone, my husband treated me like his mortal enemy, and waking up meant nothing but endless torment.

I didn't want to face it anymore. Just let me die like this.

"The patient's blood pressure is dropping rapidly. The heart rate is slowing down. She has no will to live!"

"Adrenaline, now..."

The doctor’s anxious voice faded into the distance. I couldn't hear what came next.

My consciousness drifted into a deep sleep, refusing to wake up.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed, and I thought I heard a voice—

"Clara, you can't die! Open your eyes and look at me! I won't let you die! I won't!"

Chapter 8

I heard someone calling my name. It sounded like Xavier.

But...

My heart was in a constant state of agony, as if my entire body were being torn apart piece by piece.

Why was it even so hard to die?

In the blur of my mind, I found myself drifting back to the first time I met Xavier.

Back then, Xavier’s mother was gravely ill, her health failing by the day.

When Xavier came to the hospital to visit her, I was sitting by her bedside, talking to her. She seemed so happy.

"Xavier, you’re here. Let me introduce you. This is Clara."

I stood up, shyly looking down and stealing a glance at him. I was nervous, my hands twisting the hem of my dress as I whispered a soft "hello."

Xavier glanced at me and gave a cold, detached nod—a mere formality.

I knew he didn't know me, but he could clearly sense something from his mother’s attitude, which is why he was so cold.

His mother feigned anger and glared at him before taking my hand. "Don't mind him; he’s just like that. But if you ever become my daughter-in-law and he dares to treat you like this, I’ll be the one to back you up."

My face flushed a deep red. "Please don't tease me, ma'am. I have things to do. I’ll come visit you another day."

And just like that, after a brief, bashful encounter, I hurried away.

He never gave it a second thought.

However, Celine told me later that he and his mother often argued because of me.

At that time, his mother had a deep-seated prejudice against Chloe and was very fond of me.

Xavier wanted to fulfill his mother’s final wish—to see her son married.

So he had asked Chloe to set aside her work and spend more time with his mother to win her over.

But Chloe, receiving the call, refused.

She was preparing for a major modeling competition. Winning would catapult her into the ranks of supermodels—a dream she had chased for years.

The next day, Chloe boarded a plane for Paris.

And on that same day, his mother’s condition took a turn for the worse.

Young and impulsive, Xavier decided to honor his mother’s wish while simultaneously being infuriated by Chloe’s choice.

He accepted his mother’s plea and married me in a hurried ceremony.

On our wedding night, I still felt like I was in a dream.

I never imagined I would actually marry Xavier.

As I waited in a state of anxious joy, a heavily intoxicated Xavier walked in.

While I stood there, lost for words, he tossed a set of documents in front of me. "You should know this marriage isn't what I wanted," he said, his face void of emotion. "You want to be the mistress of the house? Fine. But only for three years. Sign this, and I’ll set you free in three years."

I was stunned.

I never thought the marriage I had longed for would result in nothing but a piece of paper.

My voice trembled. "Why? If you don't like me, you didn't have to marry me!"