Chapter 2

A pale, frail-looking stranger was lying in my private hot spring.

Sofia, dressed in nothing but a bikini, was curled up in Mark's arms as he sketched her. Every page of his sketchbook captured her sultry, flirtatious poses.

When he grew tired of drawing, Sofia lifted a champagne glass to Mark's lips. "Baby, try this... Is it chilled enough?"

Mark drank lazily from her hand, then sprawled comfortably on my private lounge chair, pulling Sofia onto his lap.

"Mark... you brought my brother here for hydrotherapy without permission. Won't Via be mad if she finds out?" Sofia asked, feigning concern.

Mark scoffed. "Once she marries me, I'll be the Anderson family's son-in-law. Everything she owns becomes marital property. What's a hot spring? Does she even dare complain?"

Sofia giggled sweetly, tightening her arms around his neck. The two were seconds away from getting intimate right there on my lounge chair.

Kate's furious voice rang out. "You've gone too far!"

Mark jolted upright when he saw me. He shoved Sofia aside, his face twisting with disgust. "Who said you could come here?"

"This is my private wellness resort. Since when do I need anyone's permission to show up?" My gaze swept over the million-dollar hot spring I'd built with painstaking care, now desecrated by them. Rage burned in my chest.

"Security! Throw that stranger out of here!"

But none of the security guards moved. They stood there awkwardly, watching Mark for cues instead of me.

One veteran guard muttered under his breath, "It's always the same. Miss Anderson raises a fuss, but ends up apologizing to Mr. West anyway. No point sticking our necks out."

"Exactly. What rich guy doesn't have a few mistresses these days? Miss Anderson needs to grow up and stop being so petty."

Their words stabbed deeper than any knife.

In my previous life, it was true—I'd been like someone cursed, utterly enslaved by Mark. Every time we fought, I was the one who ended up crawling back to apologize, pathetic as a beggar. Now, even the staff dared look down on me.

Hearing their whispers, Mark pulled Sofia into his arms with a smug grin. "Quit acting like some spoiled little princess. Everyone in New York knows you chased me for the past three years. You're like gum stuck to my shoe. I just can't seem to shake you off."

He then swaggered over, attempting to cup my face as if bestowing charity, and leaned in to kiss me.

Disgusted, I shoved him away.

"Quit pretending to be pure," he sneered. "Isn't this exactly how you want me to treat you?"

Trembling with rage, I yanked out my phone and called the police. Then I turned to Kate. "Fire those two guards who disobeyed me. Now. Immediately."

The moment they realized I wasn't bluffing, other guards panicked. They scrambled forward, dragging Sofia's brother out of the hot spring.

The man flailed, trying to cover himself. "Touch me, and you'll regret it! I'm going to be Mark's brother-in-law!"

Sofia rushed to block them. "Don't touch him! Let go of my brother!"

Standing by the hot spring, I watched coldly. Then, Sofia suddenly dropped to her knees before me. "Miss Anderson, please... have mercy. Spare my brother."

Right after that, she threw herself backward on purpose, falling into the water. Her forehead struck the marble edge with a sickening crack—blood instantly trickled down her face.

"Via! Are you insane?!" Mark shouted, storming toward me. He shoved me hard when I wasn't looking.

I lost my balance, falling straight into the hot spring. Water rushed into my mouth. I coughed, choking, but my legs cramped, and my body sank deeper. Panic and suffocation seized me. I thrashed, fighting desperately to stay afloat.

Kate screamed and jumped in after me, dragging me back to the edge.

Meanwhile, Mark carefully scooped Sofia into his arms. As he passed me, he spat, "Via, if you keep being this jealous and cruel to Sofia, I swear—even if you wait till you're forty, I will never marry you!"

He ripped off the watch I once gave him and smashed it onto the ground. Then, carrying Sofia, he stormed out without looking back.

I sat on the floor, gasping for air.

Kate knelt beside me, her voice shaking. "Miss, you're the heir to the Anderson family. How can you let anyone humiliate you like this?"

I didn't answer. My eyes were glued to the shattered watch on the floor.

Ignoring the sharp shards, I picked it up, blood oozing from my palm. "This... This was my father's keepsake."

Kate gasped and frantically searched for the first aid kit. But before she could reach it, a strong hand suddenly grasped my wrist.

A man knelt before me, dressed in a dark suit, his face covered by a mask. His deep voice was steady and low. "I'm sorry... I came too late."

Robert.

With extraordinary care, he cleaned the wounds on my palm and applied medicine. His movements were gentle and precise. "I know... you only said you wanted to marry me to provoke Mark. Tomorrow, I'll speak to your mother and cancel this ridiculous engagement. I won't let you suffer for it."

As he pulled his hand away, I caught it tightly. "No. There's no one else. From the beginning, the only person I've ever wanted to marry... is you."

Robert stared at me for a long, long moment. Slowly... the tips of his ears turned red.