Christian said his feelings for his wife were merely affection and responsibility.

But over all these years, Assistant Gu saw clearly that the way Christian treated his wife was entirely different from how he treated Miss Natalia.

When Christian was busy with work, he would have maids or caregivers look after Miss Natalia, yet in the midst of his hectic schedule, he would specifically carve out time to browse through his wife's newly published photography work, often staring at a casual street scene she took for a very long time.

When Christian accompanied Miss Natalia to the mall, if he saw jewelry or accessories that his wife would like, he would buy them and have them sent back home.

As a fellow man, Assistant Gu could easily distinguish between what was responsibility and what was love.

...

After returning home, Caspian rushed back to the villa at absolute top speed.

When he reached out to press the fingerprint lock, the door handle released a cold automated prompt: "Fingerprint recognition failed. This user has been removed."

He pressed his tongue against his teeth, letting out a sharp, frustrated laugh.

He never expected Seraphina to go this far.

Unable to suppress the raging fury inside his chest any longer, he brought his foot down and kicked the door violently, delivering a dull crash.

His chest heaving, he was just about to call someone to break down the door when the villa door suddenly swung open from the inside.

The fierce, dark hostility on Caspian's face vanished instantly. As if driven by muscle memory, he put on a gentle expression identical to Christian's.

"Sera, how did you..."

His words caught dead in his throat the moment he caught sight of an unfamiliar middle-aged woman.

The sudden drop was replaced by sheer shock, and Caspian's face darkened completely.

He had flown to Berlin and rushed all the way back almost entirely without sleep.

His face bore the exhaustion and irritability of consecutive nights of travel, which, paired with his bloodshot eyes swirling with hostility, made him look exceptionally menacing and frightening.

Mrs. Higgins, who opened the door, felt a cold shiver run down her spine from his terrifying appearance. But remembering the instructions left by her employer, Miss Seraphina, she steeled herself to welcome him inside.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, Miss Seraphina said all your belongings have already been packed up."

Mrs. Higgins pointed toward a dozen cardboard boxes piled up in the corner of the living room, her voice laced with caution, "She also said... for you to move out as soon as possible."

Caspian's gaze followed the direction Mrs. Higgins pointed.

Compared to the boxes that previously held his clothes, there were several more now.

His chest tightened. He took a massive stride forward, ripped off the top box lid, and began tearing through the contents.

With every single item he pulled out, Caspian's breathing turned a fraction heavier.

Inside lay the matching couple's pajamas he shared with Seraphina, and their couple's throw pillows.

The ceramic cups they had personally crafted together last year.

There was also the custom watch Seraphina had gifted him on his birthday.

Even his favorite car models had been packed away neatly inside the boxes.

Caspian couldn't bear to look any further. He brought his foot down and violently kicked over all the cardboard boxes in front of him.

With a loud clatter, the boxes overturned, sending their contents scattering all over the floor.

Caspian stood amidst the wreckage, his eyes bloodshot, the fury and agitation churning wildly inside his chest.

What was there left to understand?

Seraphina was throwing him out of the house completely!

How dare she!

Chapter 11

"Sera!"

Caspian roared toward the second floor, his voice carrying an unprecedented edge of panic.

Yet the only response he received was the hollow echo ringing through the empty villa.

His chest heaved violently, the fury and agitation burning hot enough to strip him of his sanity. He lifted his foot to storm up the stairs to demand an explanation from her.

Mrs. Higgins quickly stepped forward to block him, opening the gift box in her hands.

The dark red divorce decree struck Caspian's eyes.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, Miss Seraphina said you are already divorced. This villa belongs entirely to her now."

...

Berlin.

Inside the hospital suite.

While Christian was busy working, the door was violently pushed open.

Caspian strode inside and slammed a dark red divorce decree right onto Christian's office desk.

"Seraphina used who knows what kind of methods to push the divorce through. She's already fled to the UK."

"Are you going to file a lawsuit for remarriage, or am I going to go over and drag her back myself?"

Christian lifted his eyes to glance at the divorce decree on the desk, his fingers pausing on his documents without offering an immediate response.

Long accustomed to his calm and self-controlled demeanor, Caspian sat down on the sofa on his own accord and lit a cigarette.

The smoke drifted slowly upward, obscuring the emotions on Caspian's face as he spoke in a low voice, "If you ask me, when we get remarried, we might as well use my identity to tie the knot with her to save you the trouble."

"Or maybe I should just go bring her back, it's more convenient..."

Before he could finish, Christian's cold, low voice cut him off.

"Sera knows."

The fingers Caspian used to hold his cigarette trembled slightly, sending ash fluttering downward.

With that single sentence, he understood completely.

Seraphina knew about the identity swap between him and Christian.

Caspian was stunned for a split second, then quickly flashed a careless smile.

"So what if Seraphina knows? For the past three years, I stayed by her side under your identity, treating her well and keeping her happy. Even a lie should have become real by now."

"I haven't even had enough of sleeping with her yet. Who gave her permission to leave? I'm going to bring her back."

"Cas!" Christian's voice turned freezing cold.

His eyes narrowed sharply, carrying an absolute weight of authority, "The identity swap was a result of my poor judgment, which caused Sera to suffer. From now on, there is no need for you to assume my identity ever again."

Caspian's eyes narrowed into slits as he locked gazes with him. "What do you mean by that?"

"The game ends here," Christian stared back at him, his voice flat yet perfectly clear. "From this day forward, whatever happens between Sera and me has nothing to do with you, and there is no need for you to interfere."

Caspian bolted to his feet, a careless, mocking smile playing on his face, though his eyes held no warmth whatsoever.

"Brother, you were indeed the one who started the game, but when it ends is no longer up to you to decide."

He took a step closer, his tone laced with unvarnished lewdness and possessive desire, "Seraphina has a soft waist and a sweet voice. I've slept with her very comfortably for three years. After feasting on rich meat for three years, switching to a vegetarian diet won't work for me."

With that, he turned around to walk out, but his wrist was suddenly violently seized by a large hand.

The usual cold detachment vanished from Christian's face, his eyes swirling with suppressed fury as he dropped his voice dangerously low, "Just try it."

Instantly, the atmosphere inside the room turned completely volatile, the air turning utterly stagnant.

Right at that moment, a nurse's frantic voice drifted in from outside the door, "Mr. Vanderbilt, Miss Natalia is refusing to take her medicine. She says she must see you right now."

Hearing the commotion, a mocking sneer curved Caspian's lips. "Brother, your girlfriend is calling for you."

Christian's piercing gaze locked onto Caspian as he delivered a flat warning:

"Without the legal marriage binding us, if you dare to do anything to Sera, let alone the Shen family, Grandfather will be the first one to ruin you."

"Even if you like Sera, it's useless. You know perfectly well that she has never liked you since childhood."

"Who the hell said I like Seraphina?" Caspian's pupils constricted as he immediately shot back.

Christian let out a cold sneer. "Since you don't like her, stop disrupting her life. If you're interested in Natalia, you can go pursue her once her surgery is over."

With that, he released his grip on Caspian and walked out the door.

The door clicked shut, but Christian's words kept echoing repeatedly inside Caspian's mind.

Sera had never liked him since childhood.

Seraphina did not like him.

A sharp, burning sensation from his fingertips snapped his thoughts back to reality.

Caspian lowered his eyes and violently crushed the cigarette in his hand right into the ashtray, the porcelain dish emitting a sharp scraping sound.

Seraphina didn't like him.

He had known that long ago.

Did he really need Christian to remind him?!

Chapter 12

After returning home, Caspian reverted to his previous lifestyle of mindless indulgence and reckless spending.