The men Xavier had sent to prevent her from escaping had long since been recalled. Without a word, Luna left a divorce agreement stating they would not interfere with each other for three years, and then she walked away with her luggage without looking back.

In this life, there was no ring.

It was laughable, really. In her previous life, she had bought the wedding ring herself.

She truly didn't know what she had been after back then.

Her old apartment already had a "for rent" sign on it. Luckily, Luna's key still worked. When Xavier sent people to pack her things before, they probably only took important items and left everything else behind.

Her ugly doll was currently lying in a pile of trash, as if it had been abandoned.

Luna sniffled, knelt down to pick up the doll, and held it in her arms as she walked out.

In this vast city, she suddenly didn't know where to go.

She had been an orphan since she was a child. Her adoptive parents had passed away two years ago. If Grandpa Arthur hadn't found her, she would have kept those past events buried deep in her heart forever.

Sixteen years ago, she was only seven years old.

She and several other children from the orphanage were sponsored by the family. Grandpa Arthur would occasionally invite them to play in his beautiful garden.

When she first met Gideon, she was shunned by her companions because of the scar on her face. No one wanted to play with her. She sat alone on a stone bench in the corner, and that was when he appeared.

Gideon had been fair and clean since he was a child, with eyes that were especially beautiful. Though he was only three years older than her, he possessed a maturity and stability beyond his years.

All the children from the orphanage liked him. They liked to surround him, calling him "Gideon" one after another.

Although he didn't speak much, he was extremely patient with the orphans.

However, all of that had nothing to do with her.

She didn't dare to approach. She would always hold the ugly doll he gave her in her arms, watching them from a distance—humble and insignificant.

Later, the orphanage suffered a major incident, and many children were kidnapped by traffickers.

Fortunately, more than half of them escaped. Even though they all eventually went their separate ways, at least they weren't stuck in that hellish place.

"Hey." A white car drove slowly beside her. Luke rolled down the window and looked at her with some helplessness. "You've been walking like this for over an hour. Where are you actually going? Shall I give you a lift?"

"No need."

"I was in the wrong the other day, but I didn't mean it the way you think. Regardless, I apologize. It's getting dark, can I buy you dinner?"

Luna paused her footsteps, glanced at him, and couldn't help but frown. "Can you stop following me?"

Luke grinned at her. "Sure, as long as you accept my apology."

...

There is a type of coincidence in this world called a chance encounter.

Luna never imagined that by simply picking a random restaurant for dinner, she would run into her "husband"—who hadn't been home for days—and his mistress.

The moment Gideon saw her, his brow furrowed. When he saw the person behind her, his face instantly darkened.

"Let's eat somewhere else." Luna turned around expressionlessly, gave a glance to the stunned Luke, and strode out the door.

Luke looked at Gideon and then in the direction she went. His face was full of conflict, but thinking that Luna was in a bad mood today, he gritted his teeth and chased after her.

Serena smiled slightly, appearing somewhat regretful, before speaking nonchalantly. "Gideon, you wanted to go back and see her as soon as you stepped off the plane. But in her eyes, you aren't important at all. How many days have you been on a business trip? She couldn't wait to step out on you."

Chapter 20: Are You Giving Up Now?

Gideon didn't answer and simply strode away.

Serena’s expression shifted, and she clenched her fists tightly at her sides.

Outside the restaurant, Luna had only taken a few steps before Luke called out to her, asking, "What’s going on with you two?"

"Nothing. Weren't you going to treat me to dinner? Let's go, I'm hungry."

Luke looked at her with suspicion. He couldn't make heads or tails of the relationship between these two. A few months ago, he had heard that a girl named Luna was using Grandpa Arthur’s shares to blackmail Gideon into marriage.

But a few months later, downstairs at the corporate office, the Luna he met was willing to walk away with any random man on the street just to avoid marrying Gideon.

His intellect didn't allow him to ponder such deep complexities.

Just as Luke was about to say more, Luna was snatched away by a dark-faced man and forcibly stuffed into a car.

At this point, Luna didn't want to argue or cause a scene. She simply spoke calmly, "Gideon, I’ve already signed the divorce papers and the non-disclosure agreement. They're on the coffee table in your living room. As soon as you sign, we can—"

Before she could finish, the car suddenly bolted forward.

Gideon remained silent the whole way, but the atmosphere inside the car was tense to the breaking point.

Luna glanced at him and smiled self-deprecatingly.

She had said that her fate in this life would be decided by her; she would absolutely never return to that cold, soulless house!

Perhaps because she had been too calm when entering the car, Gideon had let his guard down.

Halfway through the drive, while he wasn't paying attention, she pulled the door handle and jumped out without a moment’s hesitation.

Fortunately, Gideon had slammed on the brakes the second she opened the door, but the momentum still threw her over a dozen meters. She suffered numerous abrasions on her face and body; her hands and feet were immobile, likely fractured.

But Luna didn't regret it at all.

As she drifted into unconsciousness, she caught a glimpse of someone's panicked and furious expression; she heard someone's voice trembling, calling her name over and over again...

When she woke up again, the first thing she saw was Luke’s face twisted in concern. "Tell me, what was so bad that you had to jump out of a car? Is your phone not fun enough, or is the alcohol not strong enough?"

Luna pursed her lips, propped a pillow behind her, and sat up. "What do you know? Besides, when did I try to commit suicide? I call this a 'surprise victory.' Look, at least I woke up in a different place."

"..." What kind of twisted logic was that?

Luke didn't bother arguing with her. He told her not to move and went out to find a doctor.

The moment he left, an uninvited guest arrived.

Acting the part of someone visiting a patient, Serena brought some fruit and sat on the sofa by the bed with a thin smile. "Luna, how did you get yourself into this state? Even if Gideon doesn't like you, you shouldn't use such methods to win his sympathy."

Luna glanced at her but said nothing.

"I'll tell you the truth. After the wedding day, he took me to the UK. We had a very happy few days without you there. I told you long ago that no matter how hard you try, he will never have the slightest feeling for you. Are you giving up now?"

"Whether I give up or not doesn't matter. At least for now, I am still the legal wife. What you want is nothing more than this."

Serena’s expression changed instantly. She sneered, "How much longer do you think that title of yours will last?"

Chapter 21: A Sudden Realization

Luna didn't seem to care. "At least for now?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. The only reason Gideon is keeping you around is because of the company shares."

"Oh."

Seeing her looking so lifeless, Serena lost the urge to continue. With a disdainful huff, she left. Luna was a woman who was proving harder to deal with than usual.

During her hospitalization, Gideon didn't visit her once. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she was finally free, only for Xavier to respectfully escort her back.

"..."

This time, the number of people guarding her had doubled.

At two in the morning, Gideon returned.

He reeked of alcohol.

He loosened his tie and looked at the woman sitting on the sofa, his dark eyes cold and somber.

Luna pressed her hands firmly into the sofa, resisting the urge to go over and support him. She simply said, "Gideon, let's talk."

He approached, tossing his tie onto the floor. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing his throat. Suddenly, his lips curved, and without warning, he pinned her down.