The items in Lydia’s hands hit the floor. she had no idea what he was talking about.

“What are you talking about?”

Lydia’s cold demeanor only fueled Julian’s anger. He hurled a stack of photos into her lap.

“Stop acting!”

“Just because of what happened a few days ago—just out of petty jealousy—you’d use such disgusting, low-life tactics? I really have to wonder when you became someone with no moral compass!”

Bewildered, Lydia picked up the photos. One look was all it took to understand his rage.

So, the reason he had vanished was because something had happened to Sienna.

She had been taken away by the most lecherous and repulsive man in their circle, Mr. Reynolds. He had kept her for three days and nights, branding her with the mark of a common escort and taking explicit photos.

No doubt these photos were already circulating throughout the city’s elite.

Julian suspected she was the one who sent her there. No—he was certain of it.

Lydia let out a cold laugh and tossed the photos aside, meeting Julian’s gaze directly. “Julian, are you accusing me?”

A flash of disappointment crossed Julian’s eyes. “Who else could it be? Sienna only worked that job in the past because she was desperate to survive. She went clean three years ago, and for three years, no one dared to touch her.”

“But now she’s been taken so brazenly. I can’t imagine whose orders those were if not yours.”

Julian’s certainty left Lydia feeling powerless.

He admitted she had gone clean three years ago, but he seemed to forget that Lydia had only returned three years ago as well.

If she hadn't overheard his conversation with his friend, she wouldn't even have known Sienna used to be an escort!

Now, without a single shred of evidence, he was pinning the crime on her.

Lydia’s eyes welled up. The endurance she had maintained during this time finally snapped.

Slap! A crisp sound echoed as her palm met Julian’s face.

The recoil left her palm stinging and her heart numb. She clenched her fists, taking a moment to steady herself before speaking.

“Julian, you are despicable, do you know that? Whether you believe it or not, I had nothing to do with this.”

With that, she knelt to pick up her things to leave, only to be grabbed with even more force.

“Lydia!”

Lydia had never seen Julian like this. His face was dark, his eyes harboring a gathering storm filled with murderous intent.

“Then let me ask you this: why didn't you go straight home after being discharged today? Why did you go to the Capital Gardens apartments—a place you've never visited? Do you know that’s exactly where Sienna was abducted?”

Julian roared, his eyes red with fury.

“Sienna was unconscious when she was brought to the hospital, but she was still mumbling, begging you to let her go. Lydia, you know exactly what kind of man Mr. Reynolds is. Even if you hate Sienna, you shouldn't have done this to her! You must apologize to her. You owe her an explanation.”

As he spoke, he dragged Lydia toward the door, his grip so tight it felt like her bones might shatter.

Lydia cried out in pain, struggling with all her might. “Julian, I’m telling you one last time—I didn’t do it! Has it never occurred to you that she might have staged the whole thing herself?”

Julian froze, stopping in his tracks. The look he gave her was one of utter disappointment.

His lips parted, and after a long silence, he finally spat out the words he had been holding back.

“Lydia, you came from the bottom yourself. How can you think of others like that? Have you been a billionaire's wife for three years and already forgotten that you were once an orphan?”

He grew more agitated, his voice rising uncontrollably, his hands shaking as he held her.

“I’m starting to think that fortuneteller was right. You really are a cursed star—you’ll bring death to everyone around you!”

Chapter 7

Julian’s words struck Lydia like a physical blow. Her eyes widened in utter disbelief.

That trauma was the shadow of her entire childhood.

Because of a fortuneteller’s words, she had been abandoned by relatives and bullied by classmates after her parents died. She had nearly died on a rainy night.

Just when she was about to give up on life, it was Julian who told her that everyone has their own fate and they don't affect each other.

It was he who told her that her parents went to heaven to watch over her better. It was he who promised to spend his whole life proving those rumors wrong!

And now, he was using that very wound as a blade to stab her.

Tears streamed down Lydia’s face, but her smile only grew wider.

It turned out that no matter how deep the love, it couldn't withstand the test of time.

In his heart, she was someone so vile and malicious that she would use another woman's virtue as a tool for revenge!

She no longer had the strength to explain. She simply held her head high, defiant and stubborn.

“Julian, I will not apologize for something I didn't do! Whether she lives or dies is none of my business. From now on, the same goes for you.”

With a final burst of strength, she wrenched her hand free. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, tilted her head up, and pulled open the door.

But just as she reached the main entrance, the door was slammed shut from the outside.

From behind her came Julian’s voice, cold as a judge from hell:

“Lydia, since you refuse to apologize, don’t blame me for being heartless.”

“Men! Take her to the Scarlet Club! Bring her back only when she’s ready to apologize!”

Lydia froze, thinking she had misheard. “Julian, what did you say?”

The Scarlet Club was the most notorious playground in the capital. It was a heaven for men and a living hell for the women trapped there.

And Julian wanted to send her there.

Lydia stared at him in disbelief, only to be met with his unyielding command.

“Lydia, you’ve gone too far this time. Since you look down on Sienna’s former profession so much, why don't you go and experience how she fought to survive back then? Maybe then you’ll learn some sense.”

Julian was cold and indifferent. The frost in his eyes suggested he was looking at a total stranger, not the wife he had once moved heaven and earth to find.

Despair washed over Lydia. She turned to run but was pinned down by bodyguards.

No matter how she struggled, it was like an ant trying to shake a giant tree.

As she was tied up and forced into the car, Lydia’s heart finally went numb.

She slumped against the seat, her gaze shattered like a soulless doll as she stared at Julian.

“Julian, let me go. Don’t force me to hate you, okay?”

Julian remained unmoved, his expression one of confusion and blame.

“Lydia, when you do something wrong, there are consequences. You can’t expect me to ignore right and wrong just because I love you. This is for your own good—to prevent you from making an even bigger mistake later.”

With that, he stepped back, not sparing her another glance. “Driver, go.”

The next few days were a nightmare that would haunt Lydia for the rest of her life.

The Scarlet Club operated under a hierarchy as rigid as a feudal society.

The people there were twisted, and the arrival of a newcomer was a cause for celebration.

On her first day, they forced her to drink hard liquor until she vomited blood and whipped her until her body was covered in welts.

They called it a 'welcome ceremony' and, as a sign of 'friendship,' pressed a lit cigarette into her collarbone, leaving a permanent scar.

Some guests recognized her as Julian’s wife and paid a high price just to see her.

They didn't come to save her or buy her a drink; they came to put a dog collar on her, force her to kneel, and lead her around the lobby like an animal.

Lydia refused, which only earned her a brutal beating. The metallic taste of blood repeatedly filled her throat.

Just as she thought she might be beaten to death, someone finally intervened.

“Oh, calm down, sir. Mr. Julian specifically asked us to 'look after' her. We can't have her dying on us; it would be hard to explain.”

“Hmph, everyone knows Julian’s orders: as long as she stays alive, we can play with her however we want. I know what I’m doing, back off!”

Once that sentiment was voiced, all restraint vanished. Even a passing stray could take a bite out of her.

She tried to escape twice, but each time she stepped out the door, Julian’s bodyguards were there to hand her back.