LOGINSince Caspian couldn't bring himself to agree to a divorce right away, I decided to leave and sever every thread of attachment he still held.I had barely stepped away when a cold gleam of metal flashed from the nearby bushes. A sharp blade slashed past my arm.When I saw who the attacker was, I frowned tightly and called out, "Erin."She let out a cold laugh, grabbed me by the throat, and slammed me against the wall, pressing the tip of the blade against my chest."You didn't see this coming, did you, Astrid? Filthy bitch! You still ended up in my hands."Her eyes were full of lethal hatred.I hadn't recovered yet, so I was too weak and defenseless to fight her off.The tip of the blade pressed harder against my chest with a sharp, stinging pain. As it became harder and harder to breathe, a thought suddenly surfaced—maybe dying just like this wasn't too bad, after all.If my body perished, Caspian would finally let go of his obsession, and my mission would be a complete succes
Caspian's hand jerked, nearly spilling the soup. He frantically set the bowl aside and turned to look at me, visibly unsettled."Why are you suddenly talking about a divorce? Is it because of Erin?"I know the truth about what happened, and though she's currently on the run, I've dispatched my men to track her down. Sooner or later, she'll pay for what she did."I shook my head. "It's not just about that."He stared at me. "In that case, is it because I stopped taking you to galas? That was my fault, and I'll have someone tailor the most beautiful evening gown for you right away, okay?"Still, I shook my head. "I don't need that. Caspian, do you really think Erin's the only reason I've been suffering? Can you honestly swear that you still love me the same way you used to? "Can you promise that if I keep trying to keep you in line, you won't grow sick of me again? Can you promise there'll never be another Erin?"Caspian froze. For a moment, he wasn't sure how to respond.Five y
Erin's sobbing abruptly cut off. The man who had forced me to swallow a glass-filled cake for her sake just moments ago now declared that he never loved her.A few police officers marched down the hallway and pulled out their badges as they approached the crowd."Who called in the report?"Noah, who had been standing silently in the corner the whole time, suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Erin. "I did. I want to report her for threatening someone and hurting my mom."The police officers marched up to Erin. Under her eyes full of pure despair, one of them coldly said, "Please come with us to answer a few questions."…By the time I regained consciousness, the agonizing, bone-shattering pain had completely vanished.I forced my eyes open and struggled to sit up, shocked to find myself back in my familiar little apartment.A wave of overwhelming relief washed over me as the mechanical voice of the System chimed in my mind. "Congratulations on completing your mission, Astri
Greta continued, "This morning, I was the one Mr. Noah saw delivering the cake. Ms. Winslow told me to wear Mrs. Hayes' clothes and cover my face with a mask and hat. She threatened to stop paying for my mom's medical bills if I refused."B-But I had no idea there was glass hidden in the cake, and I never thought someone would die because of what I did. I can't live with this guilt anymore, so I decided to come forward and tell you both the entire truth."Mr. Hayes, I'll accept whatever punishment you give me. I just can't spend the rest of my life carrying this guilt."Greta's face was deathly pale as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a voice recording pen. "This is the recording of Ms. Winslow giving me her orders. I've failed Mrs. Hayes."She closed her eyes in shame as Erin's arrogant, sharp voice began to play from the recorder. "Frame her? I'm the one who grew up as Caspian's childhood sweetheart, and I should be his wife!"Astrid stole my happiness, so why does she
Down below, the yard erupted into chaos.Screams and frantic shouts rang out one after another.Shuddering, Caspian dragged his legs toward the window in sheer disbelief. When he saw the pool of bright red blood beneath me, he violently jolted and instinctively staggered back several steps, his mind going completely blank.From behind him came Noah's shaking voice. "Dad, Mom is bleeding so much."The words struck Caspian's heart like a physical blow. Only then did he snap out of his stupor and stumble blindly toward the door, rushing downstairs.Desperately suppressing the smirk at the corner of her lips, Erin scrambled out of bed and grabbed Caspian tightly."Don't go down there, Caspian. It's bad luck to see so much blood, and security will deal with her body soon anyway."Honestly, I think it's for the best that she's dead. Now, at least she can't cling to you and refuse a divorce anymore."Caspian violently shook her off and shoved her away as his expression darkened. "What
Since when did I become petty, jealous, and vicious?I couldn't remember either. Maybe it was the first time Erin framed me, and when Caspian and Noah chose to trust her without a second thought, leaving me crying all night.Or maybe it was when Caspian started finding me boring. He refused to take me to social events and replaced me with Erin as his date, while I threw a three-day tantrum over it.Or perhaps, it was the day I woke up at 5:00 am to brew him chicken soup, only for him to turn around and give it to Erin to nourish her body. I had hurt in silence for a long time.There were too many such moments that I didn't even know where to start.Caspian's expression hardened as he coldly demanded, "Apologize to Erin right now, and we'll let this slide."I smirked and forced three words through my teeth. "In your dreams."Caspian's expression immediately darkened, and there was a flash of pure rage in his eyes. "Say that again, Astrid Winslow! Do you honestly think I wouldn't
I went into the study, retrieved the necklace, and handed it to Caspian. The tight frown on his brow relaxed slightly as he took the velvet box."Noah and I will be back as soon as possible. If there's anything you want to eat, just order it yourself using my card."I smiled and quietly said okay
Seeing the shock in Caspian Hayes' eyes, I hung up and calmly said, "I was just joking. Even if I do have a family to go home to, they won't welcome me."Only then did Caspian finally relax."I'm celebrating Erin's birthday tonight, and Noah is coming too.""Do you want me to come along?" I asked
When Caspian turned around, his eyes were clouded with a dark, gloomy shadow."To the hospital. Noah fell ill after eating the cake you made."In the ward, our son, Noah, held a glass of water and stood on tiptoes to lift it against Erin's lips, feeding her one sip at a time.I had never received







