"Fine."

Seraphina interrupted him, her eyes as cold as winter ice.

"Go right now. Jump off this building. Maybe then I’ll remember that you once had a shred of sincerity for me."

Ethan froze. Looking into her emotionless eyes, he realized she truly wished for him to die. He opened his mouth, but not a single word could come out. He could only watch as Arthur supported Seraphina and carried the suitcase past him, without sparing him even a single glance.

The moment the ward door closed, Ethan’s world completely collapsed. He slumped on the floor, letting his tears fall freely. It wasn't until the sound of a nurse's footsteps echoed in the hallway that he lunged to his feet and stumbled out of the hospital.

That evening, following Arthur’s arrangements, Seraphina went to a Western restaurant in the city center to meet Sun Mingyu. Sun was gentler than she had imagined, dressed in a well-tailored suit. He spoke with perfect politeness, showing no excessive flattery or prying into her past.

Just as they finished ordering, the restaurant door was suddenly shoved open.

Ethan burst in. His hair was a mess and his eyes were webbed with blood vessels; it was clear he hadn't rested since leaving the hospital. He walked straight to Seraphina’s table and grabbed her wrist.

"Sera, come with me!"

Seraphina struggled with force, several red marks appearing instantly on her wrist.

"Ethan Cross, let go of me!"

Chapter 24

Sun Mingyu stood up and blocked Ethan, his tone calm but carrying an indisputable hardness.

"Sir, please let go, or I will call the police."

Ethan glared at Sun like a provoked wild beast.

"This is between her and me. It has nothing to do with you!"

"She is my date right now, so it has everything to do with me." Sun shifted slightly, shielding Seraphina more closely. "Mr. Cross, I know about your past with Sera, but the past is the past. Acting like this will only make her feel more repulsed."

"Repulsed?"

Ethan suddenly laughed. He laughed until tears came out—a hysterical, deranged sound.

"She’s repulsed by everything I do anyway! But I can't watch her be with another man! She’s mine! She can only be mine!"

As he spoke, he tried to pull Seraphina away by force. Sun was quick, grabbing Ethan’s arm, and the two immediately fell into a scuffle.

The restaurant patrons screamed in fright. Waiters rushed over to pull them apart, but Ethan acted like a madman, refusing to let go for anything.

Watching the chaotic scene, Seraphina felt a wave of nausea. She picked up a water glass from the table and splashed the water directly into Ethan’s face.

"Ethan Cross! Wake up! This only makes me hate you more!"

The icy water caused Ethan to sober up instantly. He looked at the disgust in Seraphina’s eyes and then at his own pathetic state. He suddenly let go and stumbled back a few steps. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he only managed a "sorry" before turning and running out of the restaurant.

Seraphina watched his disappearing back. She felt no satisfaction, only a sense of numbness. Sun handed her a tissue and said softly, "Are you okay?"

Seraphina took the tissue, wiped the droplets from her face, and shook her head.

"I’m sorry for making a scene."

"It's alright." Sun sat back down, his tone still gentle. "If you don't want to continue, we can leave."

Seraphina was silent for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

They left the restaurant, and Sun drove her home. Before she got out of the car, Sun suddenly spoke.

"Miss Thorne, I know you're hurting right now, and I know you're not ready for a new relationship. If you need help, whether it's regarding matters here or arrangements for going abroad, you can come to me."

Looking into Sun’s sincere eyes, Seraphina felt a flicker of warmth. She nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Sun."

Back home, Arthur saw Seraphina looked unwell and quickly asked what happened. Seraphina told him about the incident at the restaurant. Arthur slammed his hand on the table in rage.

"That Ethan Cross! He’s a total lunatic! Sera, don't delay any longer. Go abroad with me immediately. I’ll handle the rest."

Seraphina was silent for a moment before saying, "Dad, I still want to wait until Eva Vance’s matter is over before I leave. I want to see her pay for everything she’s done with my own eyes."

Arthur sighed. Knowing his daughter's temperament, he could only nod. "Fine, I’ll stay with you. But promise me, no more involvement with Ethan Cross."

Seraphina nodded, but in her heart, she knew that as long as Ethan didn't give up, their entanglement would not end easily.

On the other side, after running out of the restaurant, Ethan walked aimlessly through the streets. He didn't know where to go or what to do. His bodyguards called repeatedly, and he answered numbly.

"Mr. Cross, someone drugged us. Eva Vance is gone."

Chapter 25

Ethan hung up without a word, staring blankly at the river. His company was seized, Eva was gone, and Seraphina hated him to the bone. It seemed everything he did was wrong. His life felt like nothing but a pile of ruins.

Ethan went into a bar and drank until he was dead drunk. It wasn't until the bar closed that he stumbled out, only to be blocked by several men in black. The leader pulled out a photo and asked, "Are you Ethan Cross?"

Ethan nodded. Before he could react, he was knocked unconscious and stuffed into a car.

When Ethan woke up, he found himself locked in an abandoned warehouse. The air was thick with the smell of rust and heavy dust. He struggled to stand but found his hands and feet were bound.

"Awake?" A familiar voice drifted over.

Ethan looked up. It was actually the missing Eva Vance. Out of the shadows, Eva walked forward. All her former fragility was gone. She wore a black leather jacket, and her face was covered in scars from the scalpel—each one crawling hideously over her cheekbones. Her eyes were filled with venom, and her words were cold enough to cause shivers.

"Ethan Cross, I bet you didn't expect us to meet again like this?"

Ethan struggled against the ropes, his wrists becoming raw and red.

"You kidnapped me? How did you escape? What do you want?"

Eva was in a good mood and patiently answered his questions.

"Ethan, you didn't expect it, did you? My father left me a way out before he went in, which is how I escaped that terrifying basement."

"As for what I want?" Eva chuckled and knelt down to pinch his chin. Her nails dug deep into his skin, her smile becoming increasingly malicious. "I want you to taste the suffering I’ve endured. You destroyed my face, killed my child, and framed my father. We’re going to settle these accounts one by one."

She waved her hand, and two masked men dragged in a steel cage. The woman curled up inside, unconscious, was Seraphina Thorne.

Ethan’s pupils constricted. He roared, "Eva Vance, you're crazy! Come at me if you have a problem, don't hurt Sera!"

Eva threw her head back and laughed until tears came. She casually wiped them away and slapped Ethan across the face.

"Come at you? I begged you so much to spare my child—what did you do? You beat him to death! Now you beg me to spare Seraphina? Puh!"

Eva turned and kicked the cage hard, patting the cold spine of a knife against Seraphina’s cheek.

"Miss Thorne, don't sleep anymore. Wake up. This isn't your backyard where you can sleep as long as you want."

Seraphina opened her eyes. Before her vision could clear, her heart nearly stopped at the sight of the scarred face outside the cage. Eva’s smile was like a poisoned dagger; every scar glinted hideously under the light.

"Sera, long time no see. What? Scared by my face?"

Seraphina looked at Eva warily. Eva used the hilt of the knife to lift Seraphina’s chin, her tone sickeningly intimate.

"Do you know why my face ended up like this? Because Ethan Cross said I didn't deserve to look so much like you. So he carved up my face, stroke by stroke. Look, I brought him here too. Let's have a good catch-up today."

Seraphina’s gaze moved past Eva to Ethan, who was tied to a steel frame. His clothes were torn to shreds and blood hung from the corner of his mouth, yet he still struggled desperately, letting out muffled roars from his throat.

When their eyes met, Seraphina saw the remorse and anxiety in the depths of his gaze. But so what?

Chapter 26

The child she lost and the dignity that had been trampled could never be compensated for by a mere "I'm sorry."

"Eva Vance, what exactly do you want?"

Seraphina forced herself to remain calm, her fingertips gripping the bars of the steel cage tightly as she struggled to maintain her last shred of clarity.