No family, no friends, and... no husband.

Would her end be the same this time? Developing depression, talking to the air every day, and finally finding release by jumping off a building?

Luna slumped to the floor, tears flowing silently. Her face was full of grief, and her eyes lost their focus.

Was this the ending she wanted?

Luna’s fists clenched at her sides. No, this time she would absolutely not sit and wait for death!

Since heaven gave her a chance at rebirth, she couldn't let it go to waste!

Screech—

The door was pushed open. Although the light from the garden lamps was faint, Luna still found it piercing as it projected into the room. She instinctively shielded her eyes with her hand.

"What are you doing?" A cold, emotionless male voice rang from above.

Luna lowered her hand and stared at him blankly.

After a moment of shock, she stood up abruptly, wiped the tears from her face, and spoke through gritted teeth. "Gideon, I want a divorce!"

Gideon gave her a fleeting look, turned on the hallway light, and walked straight to the sofa to sit down, giving her no reaction at all.

Luna frowned. Not discouraged in the least, she followed him and sat opposite him. She tried to calm her emotions before attempting a serious discussion.

"Look, you hate me so much, and I don't like you either. Why should we torture each other to death? If you’re worried about asset division or the other shareholders coming after you for shares if we divorce, we can sign a divorce agreement first. We can keep it private until the company is stable. For now, we can just have a marriage of convenience. But I need to move out of here. We each go our own way, okay?"

She had made the biggest possible concession, speaking reasonably and sincerely. Gideon surely had no reason to refuse now.

Yet, after she finished her last sentence, the man who had been resting with his eyes closed on the sofa slowly opened them. A thin layer of frost seemed to cover his dark eyes. "Each go our own way?"

"Exactly. No interference. Don't worry, I’ll be as discreet as possible and won't give anyone an excuse to gossip."

"And how do you plan to 'go your own way,' Mrs. Gideon?"

Chapter 15: I'm Game

The words Luna wanted to say caught in her throat. What did he just call her... Mrs. Gideon?

Was he insane?

She dropped her fake smile and looked at him steadily, her frown deepening. "Gideon, what exactly do you mean? Can you at least consider my suggestion?"

Gideon didn't answer. He simply loosened his tie, stood up without warning, took two steps forward, and leaned down to look at her. "I mean, tonight is our wedding night. Doesn't Mrs. Gideon know what she’s supposed to be doing?"

Luna’s eyes widened. Just as she tried to stand up, a hand pressed down on her shoulder. His voice was flat. "Thought about how you want to play? I'm game."

"Gideon, calm down. When I said 'go our own way,' I wasn't trying to provoke you or play some new game. I was sincerely exchanging opinions with you. If you won't even agree to that, then fine—I won't 'go my own way.' I’ll just go to work and come home and go nowhere else, as long as I can move out. Is that okay?"

His handsome brow knit slightly. "Why do you want to move out so badly?"

"Because..." The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't say them.

Because she was afraid she would be driven mad if she didn't die first.

Marrying someone who doesn't love you is a gamble in itself.

In her previous life, she had lost everything. In this life, she didn't want to bet anymore.

"Luna, I am your husband. I won't leave you to live like a widow, and I certainly won't let you fall into depression and jump off a building. Even if we die, I’ll be there with you. What are you afraid of?"

Luna forgot what she was going to say. She just stared at him blankly. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if the person in front of her was a total stranger.

Gideon withdrew his hand and put it in his pocket, saying calmly, "I have to go out for a while. Your room is on the second floor."

It wasn't until the sound of the door closing echoed that she snapped out of her shock. Did Gideon hit his head today?

Luna shivered, picked up her luggage, and nervously headed to the study on the second floor.

Lying on the small bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Didn't he loathe her to the core? How could he say something as insane as staying with her even in death? Was he planning to change to a more subtle method of torture and revenge in this life?

Yes, that would fit his vengeful personality.

The more Luna thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She eventually pulled the covers over her head and went to sleep.

She would find a way to escape one day.

...

In the hospital, the smell of disinfectant filled the room.

Serena lay on the hospital bed, the smile on her lips widening bit by bit. Gideon was willing to cancel the wedding for her; she must be very important to him.

As long as she was willing to wait, he would fall in love with her one day.

At that moment, the door to the ward was pushed open.

Serena looked at the visitor and struggled to sit up a bit. Aside from her surprise, there was a hint of joy. "Gideon, it’s so late. Why are you here?"

Gideon gave her a fleeting, cold look. His voice was hollow and sharp. "You should know which type of person I hate the most."

"Which... which type?" she asked, confused.

"Before you set someone up, don't you check if there are security cameras around?" His expression didn't change, as if he were merely stating a common fact.

But this simple sentence made Serena turn pale with shock. "Gideon, let me explain. I just didn't want Luna to marry you. I didn't mean anything else. I..."

"I don't care what your motive was. If there’s a next time, bear the consequences yourself." After speaking coldly, he turned to leave, but she called out to him.

Chapter 16: I Won't Love You Anymore

"Gideon, have you really forgotten how the Ugly Duckling died? Yes, I framed Luna this time, but the Ugly Duckling's death was caused by her! We had already escaped from that place back then. If it weren't for her stubbornness, refusing to listen to anyone and insisting on going back for something, the Ugly Duckling wouldn't have been hit by a car and died trying to save her... Gideon, she’s a selfish woman. Why must you marry her?"

Gideon glanced at her sideways. "Do you know why I’ve kept you by my side for so long?"

After saying this, he left without waiting for her answer.

As the ward door closed, Serena clenched her fists, her body trembling uncontrollably.

In the accident years ago, everyone who escaped had scattered. Only the three of them were together. Aside from her, one died and one went missing.

She knew this was the family’s way of compensating her.

Gideon could tolerate her making a mistake once, but there would absolutely not be a second time.

However, she would not give up because of this. She would never accept it!

The city seemed to have fallen asleep. There were few pedestrians on the streets, and the autumn wind was desolate.

The black sedan sped along the highway. Gideon rested his hand casually on the steering wheel, lost in thought.

His mind was filled with the words he had heard Luna say on the surveillance footage earlier.

Waking up alone every day in a cold house? Falling ill with a fever until unconscious and only being found by the cleaning lady? Having a husband but living like a widow? Finally jumping off a building in depression?

Every one of those tearful accusations was like a thorn in his heart, making his chest ache inexplicably.

When had he ever treated her like that?

Gideon had almost forgotten when exactly he had started to loathe her.

Was it when she cautiously approached him with his grandfather's shares and softly asked him to marry her? Or was it when he heard Serena say that the person who caused the Ugly Duckling’s death was Luna...

Or perhaps, he didn't even know why he disliked her.

Gideon frowned, a sudden surge of irritability rising within him.

He returned to the villa, only to find the second-floor bedroom empty. Only a sliver of light peeked through the gap of the study door.

All the lights in the study were on, bright as day, almost piercingly so.