Julian fell silent for a few seconds, his gaze shifting to Serena as a playful, mocking smile curved his lips.

"Alright, wait for us."

Hanging up the phone, he walked over and wrapped his arm around Serena’s waist, speaking softly, "A few of my friends want to get to know you. They'll have to be groomsmen when we get married later anyway, why don't you come with me?"

A bitter smile appeared at the edge of Serena’s lips.

She thought to herself that they would never get married.

He had no genuine intention to wed, and she had no desire to marry a man full of hidden malice.

But without waiting for her answer, Julian half-guided, half-forced her out the door.

All the way to the bar, before she could even react to the private room's door opening, a bucket of cold water suddenly drenched her from head to toe.

Splash.

The biting chill instantly soaked through her entire body, making Serena shiver uncontrollably.

The white shirt she wore was completely drenched, clinging tightly to her skin and outlining every curve of her figure.

The room erupted into roaring laughter as several men let their eyes wander shamelessly over her.

"Jules is a lucky man! What a body!"

Someone slammed the table in a frenzy.

Julian kept a smirk on his face as he took off his black jacket and draped it over her shoulders, casually gathering the collar. "Don't be mad, they're just playing around."

Serena clenched her fists, the bridge of her nose growing sore.

That water just now had been freezing cold. If her period had truly come, she would be curled up on the floor in agony right now, yet Julian had completely forgotten what she said, not caring about her well-being in the slightest.

Right at that moment, Mandy walked over to the two of them, deliberately wrapping her arm around Julian's. "Sister Serena, surprised? Julian and I have been close friends for years."

Her gaze then turned to Julian, her tone intimate yet provoking. "I suppose I'll have to start calling you brother-in-law soon."

Hearing the title, Julian's face darkened.

He instinctively tightened his grip on Serena’s shoulder, using so much force that she couldn't help but let out a low whimper.

"Ah..."

Julian acted as if he hadn't heard, his eyes fixed entirely on Mandy.

"Come out with me."

Mandy pouted, reluctantly following him out to the balcony.

Leaning against the corner of the room, Serena could faintly hear her raised voice. "You haven't actually developed real feelings for her, have you!"

Julian’s tone was impatient. "Stop making a scene, she's just a toy to keep you entertained."

Later, the two of them argued about something else, and Julian stopped speaking, leaning against the railing to smoke irritably.

Not long after, Mandy slammed the door open, marching straight up to Serena.

Holding two glasses of liquor, she offered one over. "Sister Serena, don't just sit here in silence when we're out having fun. Have a drink with us, don't spoil the mood."

Serena’s face remained cold. "I don't drink."

Mandy raised an eyebrow, a vicious smile flashing in her eyes.

"If you don't drink, you have to accept a punishment."

The moment the words left her mouth, she pulled a stack of Serena's widely circulated private photos from her purse and waved them around.

"Sister Serena, you're quite famous now; your photos are everywhere online. What a shame your dead mother doesn't know how famous her daughter has become. Why don't I burn these photos today and send them to her, so she can share the joy?"

Chapter 3

"Shut up!"

Serena's eyes flared red with anger.

Her mother was her final, sacred vulnerability; she would not allow anyone to insult her.

She reached out, snatched the stack of photos, tore them into shreds, and immediately swung her hand, slapping Mandy hard across the face.

Slap.

The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the room.

Mandy’s head snapped to the side, her hair falling into disarray. Coming to her senses, she shrieked and lunged forward. "You dare hit me!"

She clawed at Serena's face, and seeing the commotion, the men in the room instantly crowded around to take sides.

They pinned Serena down firmly, leaving her completely unable to move.

Mandy took the opportunity to strike her face repeatedly, cursing relentlessly, "You bitch! Just as cheap as your mother, why don't you both just go die!"

Her cheeks burned with sharp pain, and a trickle of blood soon seeped from the corner of her mouth. Pinned to the couch, Serena looked at the twisted faces before her and felt entirely frozen.

Hearing the noise, Julian walked back inside, his eyes landing instantly on Mandy's swollen face.

His tone was full of worry. "Mandy, are you alright? Does it hurt?"

Mandy immediately threw herself into his arms and began to cry. "It hurts, it hurts so much!"

"Don't cry, I'll take you to the hospital."

Without even glancing at Serena or asking what had happened, he led Mandy away to the hospital.

Serena collapsed onto the floor, slowly raising her hand to wipe the blood from her lip, the last flicker of light in her eyes thoroughly dying out.

It wasn't until the room was entirely empty that she stumbled to her feet and went to the hospital alone to treat her facial injuries.

While picking up her medication, she happened to run into Julian supporting Mandy, with Arthur walking right alongside them.

Catching sight of Serena, Arthur rushed over and pointed a finger directly at her nose to scold her.

"You actually raised your hand against your own sister! Have all the manners and books you were taught been completely thrown out the window!"

To think that even her own biological father refused to believe her.

Serena swallowed her grievance, her voice choked.

"You don't even ask why I struck her, you just decide it's my fault? She was the one who insulted my mother first."

Arthur looked at Mandy.

Mandy immediately began to weep tearfully. "Sister Serena attacked me without rhyme or reason, and she even called me a bitch. Julian can bear witness."

Julian looked at Serena, falling silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Serena started it."

His words were like a poisoned blade, driving deep into Serena's heart.

Her eyes widened, her clenched fists trembling uncontrollably.

"Julian, you're lying! You know that's not what happened!"

"Silence!"

Arthur was thoroughly enraged, pointing at her with fierce anger. "The evidence is undeniable, yet you still dare to make excuses! Today, family discipline will be enforced to ensure you remember your place."

He grabbed Serena by the arm, dragging her forcefully into the car and taking her all the way back to the estate's private study.

"Kneel! Admit your wrongdoing!"

Serena stood in place, her spine perfectly straight, her gaze completely devoid of fear. "I did nothing wrong, I will not kneel."

"Rebellion! Utter rebellion!"

Arthur's face turned livid with rage as he signaled the servant holding the whip nearby. "Hold her down! Whip her until she admits her fault!"

Two servants stepped forward, forcing Serena's shoulders down and slamming her to her knees.

The whip fell time and time again across her back and arms, the searing pain nearly causing her to lose consciousness.

But Serena bit her lip hard, refusing to utter a single soft word, keeping her tears trapped in her eyes rather than letting them fall.

After an unknown number of lashes, the skin on her back was completely torn open.

Arthur signaled for them to stop. "Get back to your room and pack your things. When the time comes to leave the country, get out without a second's delay."

She said nothing, leaning against the wall as she returned to her bedroom to pack the items she needed to take.

Aside from her essential documents, she threw every single gift Julian had given her over the past weeks directly into the trash.

Then she walked into her study, threw all the books he had used as excuses to get close to her onto the floor, struck a match, and burned them to absolute ash.

For two consecutive days, she stayed in her room nursing her wounds, making no attempt to contact Julian. He sent messages, but she ignored every single one.

It wasn't until the third day that Julian entered her study out of habit.

The moment he opened the door, he froze, seeing the usually orderly bookshelves completely empty, with nothing but piles of ashes left on the floor.

Chapter 4

"Serena, what are you doing?"

Serena’s voice was calm. "Nothing. These things are just useless now."

She was leaving the country next week anyway, likely never to return in this lifetime. Keeping these things tainted with his essence would only add to her disgust.

Julian, thinking she was still angry about the bar incident, stepped forward to wrap his arm around her waist, softening his tone slightly.