After staying in the hospital for a few days, Night decided to discharge himself early.

The day after he discovered Clara had left, he had initiated the divorce proceedings with Selene. Now that the thirty-day "cooling-off" period had passed, he needed to obtain the divorce certificate as quickly as possible.

That day, although Selene had been tearful, she ultimately said nothing and obediently went with him to register the divorce. Her misty eyes had stayed fixed on him, telling him that he "must be happy."

He had originally been full of resentment toward her, but seeing her act so sensibly, he found himself unable to blame her. He even agreed to temporarily keep their divorce a secret from the public.

He drove to Selene's home. Just as he reached the door and was about to let himself in, he heard voices coming from inside.

"That bitch Clara Jiang... when she saw those texts, why didn't she just go die? What's with this disappearing act? It's been a month—why hasn't Night let go yet?"

"What's so good about that bitch anyway? But luckily, I’ve been pregnant for three months now, and the pregnancy is stable. Once I tell the Knightley family, Night won't be able to divorce me even if he raises hell."

"Oh, don't be jealous! You're the one I love, of course. Even though I’m carrying his child this time, the next one will definitely be yours, okay?"

The words drifted out in fragments, each one like a sharp blade stabbing mercilessly into Night’s heart. His breathing became rapid, and his eyes flushed a violent crimson.

The heavy sound of the door swinging open startled Selene. She instinctively hung up the phone, her face pale with panic as she forced an unnatural smile.

"Brother Night? Your body hasn't fully recovered yet—why did you leave the hospital?"

"Who were you talking to?"

His thin lips parted, his gaze cold to the point of freezing.

At his words, Selene’s pupils contracted. She tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear, struggling to maintain her composure.

"Brother Night, I was just on the phone with a friend. She was asking if I liked any of the new King House arrivals. I was just feeling sad about our separation, so I just gave her some half-hearted answers."

"Is something wrong?"

The man let out a cold laugh, closing the distance between them step by step.

"Who were you calling a bitch? And who is jealous of you?"

Selene’s face turned deathly pale. She grabbed Night’s sleeve, her eyes filled with desperation.

"No, Brother Night, you misheard! My friend was jealous because I've been spending all my time with you instead of going shopping with her. There was no 'bitch'..."

Night wrenched his arm away, his eyes clouding with a dark, sinister emotion.

"What exactly have you been doing behind my back?"

"Don't force me to investigate. You must have said or done something to drive Clara away!"

Once again, she reverted to her old tricks. Large tears began to roll down as she sniffled, her voice breaking into sobs.

"I didn't! I only found out when you told me! I didn't do anything, Brother Night!"

But this time, her tears did not earn her his sympathy. He grabbed her wrist with a terrifying strength, his expression turning predatory as his grip tightened, as if he intended to crush her slender bones.

"Selene Young, I don't have the patience to watch you act. You’d better tell me the truth and everything you know right now, or else..."

"You know I’ve never been a soft-hearted man."

——————————

Selene’s tears stopped flowing. Her hands hung limply at her sides as she stared at the man before her in utter confusion. She couldn't understand why his attitude toward her had changed so drastically.

In the past, the moment she cried, he would be more anxious than anyone. But now, his eyes held nothing but cold indifference. It was as if she could cry her eyes dry and it wouldn't move him in the slightest.

Selene didn't dare admit to her provocations or the traps she had set for Clara. She kept her mouth shut, praying desperately for a way out.

"Brother Night, I really didn't do anything. Please believe me. Miss Jiang is such a good person, and you've helped me so much—I’m more than grateful! Why would I ever treat her badly?"

"I know she never liked me, and she's been throwing this tantrum for quite a while now... but Brother Night, don't treat me like this just because she left."

As she spoke, she squeezed out a few more tears. Night had always been easy to talk to; she could only hope he would soften and let the matter slide. After all, he might not have heard everything. Even if he did, she could just blame it on her friend and say she was trying to keep the peace.

As long as he didn't hold it against her, she could reveal her pregnancy. Combined with their history and the time they would spend together, she was sure she could find a way to make him hers alone again.

But the man before her shed his usual indulgence, letting out a cold, mocking sneer.

"You really won't repent until you're at death's door. After all these years, do you still not understand my character?"

"Selene, my patience has its limits."

With a sudden

thud

, he slammed Selene’s head onto the table, his hand tightening around her throat.

"Fine. Since you won't talk, I’ll just inform your family. I’m sure they’d be delighted to take you back."

The agony of suffocation was nothing compared to the terror of his threat. Her mind flooded with images of her father's hideous face when he threatened to marry her off to that old man. Selene’s heart hammered with a frantic, paralyzing fear.

"No! Don't tell them! I’ll talk, Brother Night! I’ll tell you everything!"

Only then did Night slowly loosen his grip.

"Speak."

"Cough... cough..." The sudden rush of cold air into her lungs triggered a violent coughing fit. She didn't dare stop, gasping for breath as she sobbed. "You... you can check my phone!"

With trembling hands, she scrambled to unlock the phone and hand it over. "I didn't do anything... you've misunderstood."

Inwardly, she was congratulating herself, relieved that she had deleted all the messages she sent to provoke Clara.

Night took one look at her and knew she was still trying to play him. He snatched the phone and prepared to send it to a specialist to have all the data recovered.

Hearing Night make the call, Selene felt as if her world were collapsing. She clung to his arm, begging piteously.

"Brother Night, believe me, please believe me just this once... don't have the data recovered..."

However, Night was finished giving her chances. He had given her more than enough, and she had squandered them all.

Looking down at the slumped Selene, he spoke into the phone, ordering his assistant to uncover every single thing Selene had ever done to Clara Jiang.