Seeing his boss's face grow colder and colder, Xavier broke into a sweat. He truly couldn't understand what Luna was thinking. Before, she couldn't wait to be glued to the master, and now she looked as if she held a deep grudge.

Gideon’s thin lips pressed together. Just as he was about to speak, the phone on the desk vibrated a few times. After he picked up, his expression softened slightly, and he spoke softly, "Okay, I understand."

Hanging up the phone, he looked at Xavier. "Serena is back. Go to the airport to pick her up."

On her way back, Luna first called Annie. After berating her for selling out her friend last night, she asked her to organize a gathering and invite some single friends out tonight so they could socialize.

Regarding her 180-degree turn, Annie was a bit unaccustomed to it. Where was the Luna whose heart, soul, and mouth were entirely full of Gideon?

With this thought, she tentatively asked, "Lulu, what happened between you and Gideon?"

Luna replied casually, "Nothing happened between us. What could there be between us? There was never anything between us."

Regarding her repetitive and emphasized answer, Annie didn't press further and simply said, "Alright then, I’ll arrange it for tonight and send you the address later."

Curled up in a corner, Luna looked at the rag doll on the bedside table and felt a momentary urge to laugh at herself.

That was from a long, long time ago. The first time she met Gideon in the garden of Grandpa Arthur’s house, he had given it to her. Later, she lost it and searched many places before finding one that looked almost identical.

Chapter 6: You Are So Vile

He had said, "This doll is as ugly as you are. Here, it’s yours."

And so, she had kept it for many years.

Perhaps her obsession started from that moment.

In the past three years, she had worked hard to play the role of a good wife, making the home very cozy every day. she never asked him about anything and reheated the dinner she made over and over every night.

But from beginning to end, he never gave her a kind look.

She thought that as long as she loved him enough, she could eventually move him. But the saddest thing in the world is: my love moved myself, but it couldn't move you.

Her previous life had indeed been lived like a joke.

Looking at it now, Gideon had a reason to hate her. A woman who lived only by relying on a man’s love was so pathetic; she wasn't worth any sympathy at all.

Luna stood up briskly from the floor and found the most beautiful dress to put on.

Tonight, she was going to open a new chapter in her life.

Gideon was just the past.

At eight sharp in the evening, at a private club.

Luna arrived at the second floor following the address Annie gave her. Just as she was about to find them, she ran into two people head-on.

The woman beside Gideon... she had seen her once when she went to his office to find him after their marriage in her previous life. Her name seemed to be Serena. If she wasn't mistaken, this woman was the one Gideon truly loved.

She was afraid that looking too much would give her styes, so she lowered her head, pretending not to recognize them as she tried to brush past.

But unexpectedly, the man grabbed her wrist, and his mocking voice came through. "Luna, what do you think you're doing here dressed like this?"

She answered without hesitation, "I’m looking to see if there’s a suitable one-night stand partner. Why are you holding onto me, Mr. Gideon? My apologies, this partner can be anyone—anyone but you."

The force in Gideon’s hand increased, and a chill touched his lips. "You are so vile."

"When have I ever been anything but vile in your eyes? You and the lady beside you are the ones truly made for each other, a perfect match in status." With that, she took a deep breath. "Mr. Gideon, aren't you going to let go? I’m afraid that since I'm so vile, I might contaminate your noble body."

"You want me to let go?" There was a hint of anger mixed in his usual cold voice.

The last time Luna had seen him angry was shortly after their marriage—it was probably around these few days. She had prepared a meal at home and sat at the table, waiting willingly for him to return.

But when he came back, he had choked her, saying some nonsense about making her pay. She had almost run out of oxygen then and hadn't looked closely into the meaning of his words.

Anyway, Gideon hated her to begin with, so it was normal for him to act out in different ways.

Before Luna could answer, Gideon had already yanked her and strode forward. After stuffing her into the car, his voice was mocking: "Don't you just want to get into my bed? Why bother with the excuse of a one-night stand? I’ll satisfy you today."

Chapter 7: Life is Short, Just Live it Your Way

Luna’s head slammed against the seat, leaving her dazed. She scrambled to open the door as fast as she could, but it had already been locked. Gritting her teeth, she turned and glared fuming at the man beside her. "Gideon!"

The man’s expression was cold and somber. He ignored her, but just as he was about to step on the gas, a soft, low, and delicate voice sounded from outside the window: "Gideon..."

Gideon’s handsome brow knit slightly. All his logic returned in an instant.

"Get out." His voice was utterly impatient, bone-chillingly cold.

Luna let out a dry laugh. Just as she was about to open the car door, she noticed the woman outside looking at her with a complex expression—as if a thousand words were on the tip of her tongue but couldn't be spoken.

She suddenly sat back down, rolled up the window, and leaned toward Gideon. With a half-smile, she said, "Mr. Gideon, going back on your word like this... you aren't afraid your girlfriend will be angry, are you?"

Facing her sudden proximity, Gideon’s frown deepened. He raised his hand to push her away, but she took the opportunity to grab both of his hands.

Luna looked at him earnestly. "I’ve read your palm, and I think the two of you are a match made in heaven. I beg you, get together quickly and stop coming out to plague other people. Oh, by the way, the share transfer agreement I gave you this morning was very clear: if you appear in front of me again, all those shares will be transferred to charity. If you think I’m joking, feel free to keep making trouble for me."

After finishing, she mimicked the way he had shoved her away so many times before and threw his hands back with force. As if she had touched something filthy, she wiped her hands on her dress in disgust.

Then, she slammed the car door shut with a deafening thud.

A layer of frost covered Gideon’s eyes, and he suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Fine. He wanted to see exactly what this woman was trying to do.

...

After that ordeal with Gideon, Luna’s mood for a romantic encounter vanished. She called Annie, then went straight home and buried herself under the covers to sleep.

Life is short; she might as well just live it her own damn way.

However, to her surprise, some people were not satisfied with her "seeking inner peace" lifestyle and insisted on showing up at her door to drag her back into the messy world.

Just like three years ago, she worked at a small company. The job was light—mostly checking design drafts or organizing proposals. If she hadn't married Gideon later on, she would have lived out her life in this peaceful, ordinary way.

She had just come out of the breakroom with a cup of coffee when a colleague told her someone was looking for her outside.

Before last night, Luna posed absolutely no threat in Serena’s eyes. Serena thought that by bringing up the past, Gideon would only hate Luna more.

But things seemed to have deviated from her expectations. If she hadn't chased after them last night, she really didn't know how things would have ended.

Therefore, she had to find Luna—partly as a warning, partly to mark her territory.

The café downstairs was always quiet, with only two or three couples seated.

Luna watched the woman across from her, who was stirring her coffee with a composed expression. Luna wasn't in a hurry; she could wait her out. She had plenty of time to waste.

Ultimately, Serena lost her patience first. She set down the stirring spoon and looked at her with a frown. "What will it take for you to leave Gideon?"