Chapter 1

The titan of the industry, Arthur Thorne, head of the Thorne Group, had vanished overnight with billions in stolen funds.

Countless families were shattered in his wake; some collapsed under the weight of ruin, while others descended into madness. All fingers pointed at the one person left behind to face the wreckage: the heiress who remained to clean up her father's mess, Seraphina Thorne.

Just as a vengeful mob was about to strip Seraphina bare and cast her into the public square to appease their fury, Ethan Cross appeared.

He staked tens of millions of his own assets as collateral, vowing to track down the elder Thorne within a year and bring justice to the victims. Only then was he allowed to take away the battered and broken Seraphina.

To the outside world, it looked as though Ethan was desperately in love with her—willing to gamble a fortune built over generations just to save her life.

But Seraphina knew the truth. Ethan didn't love her.

He loathed her.

In the dim light of the room, twenty-four-year-old Seraphina watched the man on the sofa. Ethan had grown mature, elegant, and dangerously sophisticated. Her mind couldn't help but flicker back to the boy of five years ago—the one who couldn't look at her without a crimson blush creeping up his face.

"Ethan Cross, I heard you like me?"

Eighteen-year-old Seraphina had stood in his path, her voice cutting and cold.

The boy’s flushed face had said more than words ever could.

Slap!

A sharp blow shattered the boy’s shyness and nervous hope. As the whispers of onlookers drifted through the air, every drop of blood drained from Ethan’s face.

"A person like you thinks they’re worthy of liking me? Don't say things that make me want to gag. You’re nothing but a stray with no one to claim you. Never show your face in front of me again."

Seraphina had taken a silk handkerchief from her driver, meticulously wiping each finger before tossing the stained fabric onto Ethan's face with utter disgust.

The cruel curse she had leveled at him in her youth had finally returned like a boomerang, striking her right between the eyes. Now, Seraphina was the one left unwanted.

"Strip."

The emotionless command pierced her chest, dragging her back from the past.

She furrowed her brow, fighting to ignore the hollow ache in her heart. Several cameras were mounted around the room, lenses trained directly on her, leaving her nowhere to hide.

Seraphina clutched her collar, her face burning with shame and indignation. Her doe-like eyes glared with fury at the man sitting calmly on the sofa.

"Ethan Cross, if you hate me this much, why not just kill me? Why go through all this effort just to humiliate me?"

Her voice trembled, laced with a flicker of suicidal resolve.

Ethan let out a soft, dry laugh. He tapped his knuckles against the table and lifted his gaze, his eyes chillingly detached.

"Don't bother trying to provoke me. I bought you. Unless I give you permission to die, you won't be leaving this world."

Seraphina lowered her eyes, hiding the sudden flash of desolation. She gave a self-deprecating smile. "Don't say things like that, Ethan. Or I might start to think you still love me."

It was as if she had stepped on a landmine. The calm on Ethan’s face vanished, replaced instantly by a brewing storm.

He lunged from the sofa, his hand snapping around Seraphina’s throat as he pinned her down onto the bed. The veins in his temples pulsed with rage.

"Seraphina, do you think I'm still that pathetic fool who lives for romance and poetry? Wake up. You killed my grandfather. If you weren't still useful to me, I would have torn you limb from limb years ago as an offering at his grave."

Seraphina’s face turned a deep scarlet, the oxygen in her lungs rapidly vanishing. Yet, she didn't struggle. She stared into Ethan’s eyes, her own bloodshot and unwavering. She let him tighten his grip, forcing a broken sentence past her lips.

"If I told you... that I loved you once... would you believe me?"

Chapter 2

A flash of shock crossed Ethan’s eyes and his body stiffened for a fraction of a second. Then, as if he had touched something revolting, he wrenched his hand away from her neck. He stood by the bed, his voice dripping with calculated spite.

"Seraphina, don't say things that make me want to gag."

Seraphina clutched her throat, coughing violently until tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Hearing those familiar words thrown back at her made her heart ache with a bitter, metallic taste.

Yes, she had once mocked his heart with those exact words. Ethan was simply returning the favor. What right did she have to be sad?

She wiped the tears away and forced a smile. "What a shame. I couldn't even fool you."

Ethan’s brow knotted tightly, his dark pupils boring into her as if trying to see through her very soul. Suddenly, like an enraged lion, he pinned her back to the mattress. He tore through her clothes and took her with a brutal, clinical force, devoid of any tenderness or heat.

The sudden pain turned her world black. Refusing to yield, Seraphina twisted her head and sank her teeth into Ethan’s arm. She didn't let go until the pain began to blur into a hollow pleasure and the taste of salt and iron filled her mouth.

She endured everything he threw at her. At the final moment, Ethan withdrew abruptly, leaving her cold and humiliated as he finished.

Seraphina felt as though a car had crushed her bones; every inch of her body screamed in pain. She bit the inside of her cheek and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could simply cease to exist.

She could feel Ethan’s gaze on her—a cold, heavy weight. He was already dressing, his composure restored, his eyes free of any lingering lust. It was as if the man who had just been inside her didn't exist.

"You are nothing but a low-tier bedwarmer," he said, adjusting his cuffs. "Don't even dream of carrying my child."

The last spark of light in Seraphina’s eyes died. Her hand instinctively moved toward her flat stomach, but she pulled it back before Ethan could notice, her expression returning to a mask of stone.

Ethan walked over to the monitors, leisurely reviewing the footage of Seraphina. His eyes lingered on her exposed form with blatant disdain.

"A moment ago, you acted like a martyr who would rather die than be filmed. And yet, you were the one screaming the loudest. You might not be a high-society princess anymore, but these videos should fetch a decent price. Consider it a little emergency fund for yourself."

The words felt like a plunge into a frozen lake. Seraphina snapped her eyes open, staring at him in disbelief.

The man she had adored throughout her youth—the boy who used to blush at the mere sight of her—had become a complete stranger. The pain in her chest was like a thousand slow cuts, making it impossible to breathe.

Fresh tears welled up.

On the first day of university, Seraphina had fallen for Ethan at first sight. He was the top-tier scholar who had entered with a perfect entrance exam score. She had heard of his past: abandoned at birth, rescued by an old man who collected scrap metal, and raised on the meager earnings of a scavenger.

Later, she noticed that Ethan always seemed to be near her. When she realized he liked her too, she had been too excited to sleep. But just as she was preparing to confess, Arthur Thorne had found her, his face like ice.

"I heard you like that charity case, Ethan Cross? We are not of the same world. I won't allow it. I've already arranged your marriage; you’ll wed the moment you graduate."

Chapter 3

Seraphina tried to protest with a hunger strike. Her father didn't even look up from his mountain of paperwork; he simply dropped a bomb.

"That boy has an old grandfather who picks through trash, doesn't he? If you see him again, I promise you, that old man won't live to see another sunrise."

That single sentence killed Seraphina’s hope.

That was why she had slapped Ethan in public and insulted him, hoping to drive him away for his own safety. But the next day, Ethan had stood before her with a determined gaze and a gentle voice.

"Seraphina, I love you. I know you love me too. You must be doing this because your father pressured you. Trust me, I will make something of myself. I’ll give you one day to give me your answer."

Seraphina’s heart hammered against her ribs. The seed of love began to sprout, and she resolved to be brave. But not yet. Not until she had the power to stand against her father and ensure Ethan’s safety.