Ethan said nothing. He knelt down, using a gloved hand to pinch her chin and force her to look at the tools on the tray. His voice was devoid of warmth, like an icicle stabbing into her heart.

"I forgot to tell you—the evidence of your father’s embezzlement was sent in. He’s been arrested; he won’t be out for ten years. The current Vance family isn't even fit to carry Seraphina’s shoes."

Eva’s face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling. "How did it happen? Who set up my father!"

Ethan sneered. "I did."

Eva’s eyes snapped wide, staring at him in disbelief. "Why? Why would you do that? My father didn't know anything about what I did. He’s innocent!"

"And when you pushed my grandfather, did you think about the fact that he didn't know anything either? Was he not innocent?"

Ethan stared at her coldly, leaving her speechless. He released his grip and signaled the bodyguards to step forward.

"Didn't you love mimicking Seraphina?" He picked up a scalpel, spinning it between his fingers. "Starting today, I’ll carve one scar a day into you, until you can no longer remember what she looks like."

As the bodyguards pinned the struggling Eva down and the cold blade touched her cheek, she finally broke down and shrieked.

"Ethan Cross! Are you insane? I’m carrying your child!"

Ethan acted as if he had just remembered. He snapped his fingers and looked at her with a pleasant smile. "Don't worry, I won't let that abomination go. Drink this."

A bodyguard stepped forward holding a cup of brown liquid. Seeing the fluid, Eva’s expression shattered. "What is this? I won't drink it!"

"It’s an abortifacient," Ethan said, his voice flat and unmoving. "This wretched thing shouldn't come into this world. If you don't drink it yourself, I’ll have the guards pour it down your throat."

Eva recoiled in terror, only to be held down by a bodyguard.

"Ethan Cross! You executioner! You’ll regret this!"

She screamed and struggled with all her might, but the medicine was forced down her throat anyway. As the warm liquid slid down, it brought a searing sensation. Eva sprawled on the ground, frantically shoving her fingers down her throat to induce vomiting.

She continued until she had purged most of the liquid. Weak and gasping for breath, she lay on the floor, clutching her stomach and whispering to herself.

"Baby, Mommy will protect you..."

She dragged herself into a kneeling position and began kowtowing toward Ethan.

"Ethan, I was wrong. Please let me go. I promise to disappear from your sight forever. Just please, don't hurt my child."

Chapter 22

Looking at Eva’s miserable state, Ethan was reminded of how Seraphina had fought with everything she had to protect their child. His heart throbbed with pain once more.

"You’re right, I shouldn't let you off so easily. Every bit of pain Seraphina endured, you will pay back a thousandfold."

Eva watched in horror as Ethan raised a silver iron rod high into the air. Before she could even make a sound, the heavy blows began to fall, one after another, until she was on the verge of fainting.

Soon after, a series of sharp, agonizing pains radiated from her abdomen, as if a thousand knives were churning inside her. Curled on the ground, she watched the blood seep out between her legs, her eyes filled with despair and madness.

"Aaaah!!! Seraphina Thorne... Ethan Cross... I will never forgive you!" she shrieked, her voice raspy. "I will make you pay in blood!"

Ethan’s expression didn't change as he listened to her screams. He continued with increased force until he was certain the pregnancy had been terminated. Only then did he stop.

He took out his phone and sent a message to Seraphina: "Eva Vance’s child is gone. You don't have to worry anymore."

A glaring red exclamation mark appeared on the screen. Ethan gave a bitter laugh, a flash of disappointment in his eyes. This was the eighteenth phone number he had used that had been blocked since learning her new contact information.

He knew that even if he dealt with Eva, Seraphina would not forgive him. But he still refused to give up. He owed her a debt he could never repay in this lifetime; he could only use the time he had left to make amends bit by bit.

He tossed the phone into the trash without a second thought and reached out to the bodyguard beside him. The guard respectfully handed him a brand-new phone. Ethan happily entered Seraphina’s number again, labeling it "My Only Love."

During this time, Ethan tried to go to the hospital to care for her, but the facility had blacklisted him completely. Even getting through the main gate was a struggle. His secretary called him incessantly, asking what to do about the company's affairs.

Ethan didn't care at all. He had always loathed the Cross family; he had only agreed to take over the group to get revenge on Seraphina. Now that the truth was out, the Cross Group was useless to him. Why bother wading through that mud?

After hanging up on the secretary yet again, Ethan managed to sneak into the hospital.

In the ward, Seraphina had mostly recovered. Arthur was busy packing her luggage, preparing for her discharge. As Ethan approached the door, he happened to hear Arthur praising a blind date candidate he had found.

"The boy from the Sun family is tall, sturdy, and smart. Their company is doing quite well, and most importantly, their headquarters is overseas. It just so happens he’s in the country today inspecting a subsidiary. Find a time to meet him. Once things here are settled, you can leave this place of sorrow behind."

Seraphina felt a bit of a headache. She had only just recovered, and her plan for revenge had only just begun; she truly didn't have the energy for a blind date. Yet Arthur was already eager to find her a new partner. To avoid dampening his spirits, she could only nod perfunctorily.

"Fine. I’ll meet him tonight."

Arthur gave a hearty laugh, about to praise his daughter's maturity, when Ethan burst in like a mad bull.

"No! I won't allow it! Sera, you are not allowed to see other men!"

Ethan’s roar exploded in the ward like a thunderclap. Arthur’s suitcase hit the floor with a heavy thud. He spun around, shielding Seraphina behind him, and glared at the intruder.

"Ethan Cross! How did you get in here? Where is security!"

Chapter 23

Ethan’s gaze was locked deathly onto Seraphina’s face. He ignored Arthur’s fury entirely, his chest heaving violently.

"Sera, you can't go see him! You clearly know that I—"

"I know what about you?"

Seraphina threw back the covers and got out of bed. Her bare feet stepped onto the icy floor; every step felt as if she were treading directly on Ethan’s heart. She walked up to him and looked up into his bloodshot eyes, her tone as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Know that you secretly set a trap to turn my father into a destitute stray? Or know that you killed my child? Or perhaps know that you auctioned me off like a piece of merchandise? Ethan Cross, you can't even save your own company now, yet you still want to manage my affairs?"

Every word was like an icicle, stabbing ruthlessly into Ethan’s heart. He stumbled back a step, his lips trembling as he tried to defend himself, only to find every word stuck in his throat. Everything Seraphina said was an irrefutable fact.

Arthur stepped forward, pushed Ethan away with force, and raised his hand to deliver a heavy slap to his face.

"Get out! My daughter’s business is not for you to stick your nose into!"

Ethan’s face swelled instantly. He was pushed back against the doorframe, a sharp pain radiating from his lower back. Yet he seemed not to feel it, staring obstinately at Seraphina.

"Sera, I know I was wrong. Give me one more chance, I will make it up to you, I—"

"Make it up?"

Seraphina suddenly laughed, a sound filled with mockery.

"Ethan, do you know what I want to make up for most right now? I want to go back to the day you handed me over to Zheng and stab you to death."

She wiped away a tear that escaped from the corner of her eye and said with absolute finality:

"Actually, I’d rather go back to the day I found out I was pregnant and abort that child immediately, just to save him from suffering alongside me!"

Those last words were like a sledgehammer, smashing into Ethan’s soul. His legs gave out and he fell heavily to his knees, the sound of his knees hitting the floor terrifyingly loud.

Ethan looked up, his face covered in tears.

"Sera, I know I deserve ten thousand deaths, but I truly cannot live without you. I’ll do anything you want, as long as it lets you vent your anger..."