Three hours later, Clara’s legs were nearly paralyzed.

She forced herself to stand, staggering away from the hospital.

Just as she stepped off the main road, a sharp, blinding pain struck the back of her neck.

Clara’s vision went black, and her body went limp.

When she woke up again, she found herself in an unfamiliar warehouse, the air thick with the suffocating scent of dust.

Several men kicked her, their voices dripping with impatience. "Hey, we know you’re awake. Call your husband and ask for the money!"

"We’re not asking for much. Five million, and we’ll let you go."

"Otherwise..."

He scanned Clara from head to toe, the implication as clear as day.

Clara understood the situation immediately and gritted her teeth. "Sebastian won't care about me. Luna is the only one he cherishes now."

"Who are you trying to kid? Everyone knows you and your husband are a power couple!"

The kidnapper spat at her and dialed the number himself. "Sebastian? I have your wife! Wire eight million to my account within five minutes, or I’ll end her!"

On the other end of the line, Sebastian’s voice sounded hesitant. "You kidnapped Clara?"

Luna’s voice immediately followed in the background. "Kidnappers in this day and age? Sebastian, is it possible Clara is just putting on a show to extort more money from you?"

Sebastian’s tone turned instantly cold. "How boring. Tell Clara that one shouldn't be so greedy."

"If she dares to play these games again, I guarantee she won't get a single penny from me."

He hung up without another word.

The kidnapper froze, then hurled his phone down in a rage. "Damn it! Who the hell is acting!"

He turned to Clara, his teeth gnashed in fury. "You useless bitch! Isn't that your husband? How is he not willing to spend a dime on you?"

With that, he delivered a brutal kick to Clara’s ribs.

Blood welled up in Clara’s throat, and she let out a series of muffled groans.

The pain was agonizing...

The hatred was overwhelming...

Sebastian... could he truly be this heartless?

The kidnapper still held onto a sliver of hope. After beating and kicking her for a while, he tossed her aside, waiting to see if Sebastian would have a change of heart.

By nightfall, the men sat on the floor, drifting off into a fitful sleep.

Clara spat out the blood in her mouth and slowly began to rub the hemp rope against the corner of a wall.

Enduring the excruciating pain, she fumbled her way out of the warehouse in the dark, running as if her life depended on it.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally reached the front of the villa.

Pushing the door open, Clara saw Sebastian holding Luna in his arms, delicately helping her put on a pair of earrings.

Clara recognized those earrings—a royal collection from the last century, valued at approximately fifty million dollars.

Fifty million. Ten times the amount of her ransom.

Sebastian would casually drop fifty million on jewelry for Luna, but he wouldn't spend five million to save her life.

Clara let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Why did you make such a mess of yourself? Was it really worth it just for a performance?"

Noticing her entrance, Sebastian motioned for her to come closer.

"Fine, you’re just in time. Come here and film a video to clear Arthur’s name. We can't let the company's stock price keep falling."

Clara felt the blood rush to her head, and she blurted out instinctively, "Don't even dream about it. Never!"