The maid fell to the ground, not daring to fight back.

Selene lifted her foot and kicked the maid twice, venting her rage:

"Who do you think you are! How dare you mock me! I am the mistress of this house; how dare you give me a dirty look?"

The maid curled up by the door, clutching her stomach.

Selene stopped, tired from kicking, and stood in the room with her hands on her hips, gasping for air while the butler took the opportunity to lead the maid away...

Just then, a commotion came from the entryway.

Selene’s heart skipped a beat as she looked over.

She quickly hid her arrogant expression, reverting to the fragile image she usually displayed in front of him.

"Julian, why didn't you come home all night?"

She walked over, wanting to throw herself into Julian’s arms and pour out her grievances.

"The servants in the house are gossiping, saying I’m just an ornament, and that even when serving me red wine, they intentionally spill it on the floor..."

However, this time, Julian did not respond to her.

His body was stiff, like an invisible barrier, isolating her.

"Why are you covered in so much dust? Go upstairs and take a bath?"

She didn't dare to ask about his whereabouts last night and tried to pull him upstairs.

However, Julian grabbed her wrist.

"Gently... it hurts..."

He dragged her to the floor-to-ceiling window without the slightest pity.

The bright morning sun spilled onto them.

Selene raised her other free hand, subconsciously shielding her eyes.

Julian pinched her chin, observing her eyes in the sunlight.

Under the warm sun, his voice was chilling:

"Selene, is your left eye really a prosthetic?"

Selene was horrified.

Then she heard him say: "Since it's a prosthetic, it wouldn't be a problem to take it out, would it?"

◇ Chapter 13

Selene Hart felt goosebumps crawling across her skin, one by one.

She subconsciously shrank back.

Her left eye was, of course, not donated; she was merely wearing a contact lens for occlusion.

After wearing that specific contact lens, her left eye truly could not see, much like a well-crafted prosthetic eye.

She had specifically kept long, side-swept bangs to cover her left eye.

Julian Sterling had never looked at her closely, so he had not discovered her lie.

Moreover, she knew all the details of Clara Vance's eye donation and had superimposed them onto herself, so her deception had not been exposed in these past days.

But what she had not expected was that Julian would ask this question at such a time.

Her only eye that could see was filled with panic and terror, staring fixedly at Julian.

His gaze was like a venomous snake watching its prey; that sinister chill was hair-raising.

Selene forced the corners of her lips, attempting to pull out a calm smile: "Of course... that is possible..."

Julian suddenly extended his hand, that hand seemingly carrying the chill of hell, reaching straight toward her:

"Then, it is also possible to take it out, right?"

Selene’s palms were full of sticky cold sweat, and her back was already soaked through.

She forced a smile, but her voice trembled involuntarily: "I don't want to be seen by you looking so ugly."

"Your left eye was donated to me, how could I think it's ugly?" On Julian’s handsome face hung a smile that appeared gentle yet exuded endless coldness.

His fingers lightly brushed over her left eye; the touch was like a cold blade: "You are my benefactor, after all. I could even gift you a marriage, so why would I care whether you look ugly after removing a prosthetic eye?"

As he spoke, his thumb exerted slight pressure...

"Ah!"

Selene trembled in pain.

It was a sharp, bone-deep agony. She no longer cared to maintain the charade and suddenly shoved Julian away.

Yet, Julian was like a crazed beast, grabbing her hair and yanking her entire body up fiercely: "Isn't it a prosthetic eye? Why can't it be taken out?"

At this point, even if Selene were foolish, she understood that her carefully woven lie had already been dismantled.

In an instant, her heart was enveloped by fear and panic.

She tightly covered her left eye, which felt as if it were about to burst: "It was that bitch Clara Vance who told you, right? She clearly promised me she wouldn't tell you! She clearly promised me she would yield you to me!"

Julian’s hand formed a fist, the veins in his forearm bulging as if suppressing endless rage:

"Selene Hart, who gave you the confidence to think that I, Julian Sterling, can be treated like a gift, passed back and forth between you two?"

"What do you think you are?"

He shoved her hard. Selene’s body flew backward uncontrollably, crashing heavily into the high side table at the corner of the wall.

With a loud "clack," that blue-and-white porcelain vase worth millions swayed a few times before falling ruthlessly to the ground, shattering into countless pieces.

That crisp, shattering sound seemed like the heartless mockery of fate, instantly breaking the beautiful dream Selene had refused to wake up from these past days.

She knelt on the ground, looking up at Julian with tear-filled eyes.

"She doesn't love you at all! Even if she married you, she never intended to be with you forever!"

"Why can't you just look at me properly? Julian, my feelings for you are sincere!"

Her wailing carried a heart-wrenching pain; looking into his eyes was like looking at a heartless, unfaithful man.

However, facing her desperate, shrill cries, Julian only laughed coldly.

Looking down at her from above, his expression carried the indifference and disdain of one in a superior position:

"Sincere?"

"Since it's sincere, why didn't you really donate your left eye to me back then?"

Selene’s crying stopped abruptly, as if her neck had been gripped by an invisible giant hand.

◇ Chapter 14

Julian stood like a statue wrapped in frost, leaning against the wall.

His slender fingers pinched a cigarette, lighting it with practiced ease.

He pulled at the corner of his lips, looking at Selene with contempt:

"I must have been out of my mind, actually being led in circles by your clumsy little act."

Selene’s body shuddered violently, as if struck by a heavy hammer:

"I... I didn't think of that at the time, but that doesn't mean my feelings for you aren't sincere!"

She staggered as she crawled to his feet, looking up at him, her gaze full of pleading.

Julian took a drag of the cigarette.

Amidst the swirling smoke, his voice carried fatigue: "Selene Hart, you don't love me. You love the identity of the richest man in Jiang City, with his mansions, luxury cars, and billions in assets; you don't love Julian Sterling as a person."

She shook her head: "You told her you didn't mind that she loved your money... You said it, you didn't min—"

"That was for her."

Julian interrupted her, his voice cold enough to freeze someone to death.

He lowered his head slightly, looking down at her from above:

"Do you know why I agreed to marry you?"

"I thought we were people of the same kind."

"The person I love cast me aside like worn-out shoes. So I thought, at least I shouldn't disappoint the person who loves me."

"But Selene Hart, you lied to me completely."

He paused, his thoughts drifting far away, speaking of the Clara Vance who haunted his dreams, his tone involuntarily turning tender.

"I don't mind her coveting my money because she is the treasure I hold in my palms. I wish I could pile all the beauty in the world before her just to win her smile. As a man, I feel this is a duty I should fulfill."

"Before knowing the truth, my heart was truly ashen. I thought that if I couldn't keep her with money, all my efforts were in vain. Since that was the case, what difference did it make who I married? If my marriage could give a little comfort to another person in the world who loves without return, I would accept it."

It was only until last night that he understood he wasn't the only one struggling for love.

He snapped back to reality, looking at Selene at his feet, his gaze returning to coldness.

"I will give you one more chance. Tell me, what happened back then?"

Selene shook her head, tears sliding down her face.

But there was not a trace of pity in Julian's eyes, as if she were merely an insignificant stranger.

Julian curled his lips and raised his hand, pressing the burning cigarette butt directly toward Selene’s left eye.

"Ah!!!"

Selene let out a heart-piercing scream!

She struggled in his grip, but his hand was like an iron clamp, holding her tightly, not allowing her the slightest room to dodge.

She collapsed to the ground in pain, wailing while clutching her eye.