Chapter 6

Vincent gave him a half-smile. "Do you think I am going to believe you? Let me show you how much she cares about me."

The moment he finished speaking, Vincent threw himself backward and fell straight into the small pond in the yard.

"Help. Bianca. Lucian pushed me."

Before long, the neighbors who came to watch the commotion surrounded Lucian.

"Lucian, how could you deliberately hurt someone? Vincent worked himself ragged helping with your wedding banquet these past few days. How could you repay his kindness like this?"

"Exactly. There have been rumors that you deliberately peeked at Bianca while she was taking a shower, ruined her reputation, and forced her to marry you. I did not believe them before, but now I can see how narrow-minded and vicious you are. How could someone as shameless as you live in our neighborhood?"

"Right. Throw him out. Throw his crippled father out too. The whole family is an embarrassment."

Lucian hurried to defend himself. "That is not what happened. I never touched him. Vincent fell in by himself."

"You are saying he deliberately threw himself into the pond?"

The moment Lucian heard the complete lack of emotion in Bianca’s voice, a chill settled in his heart.

Bianca did not believe him.

He recalled how she smashed a brick over his head without hesitation simply because he slapped Vincent once.

Lucian was left powerless.

There was nothing she would not do.

Lucian let out a cold laugh, walked over, and shoved Vincent, still wrapped in his padded coat, straight into the pond in full view of everyone.

"Look carefully. This is me pushing him. You do not need to throw me out. With neighbors like you who cannot tell right from wrong, I am disgusted to stay here anyway. I will be moving out soon."

Lucian turned and walked away without hesitation. The next second, the secretary standing behind Bianca seized his wrist and yanked him back.

Crack.

Bianca instructed her secretary to snap the bone in his wrist.

Then, with a brutal shoulder throw, Lucian was sent flying straight into the pond.

Above him came Bianca’s cold, commanding voice.

"Lucian was in the wrong today, but I, Bianca Rose, will never show favoritism just because he is my husband. Throw him into the pond a hundred times. He can come out when he admits his mistake."

Thunderous applause erupted around them. Everyone praised her for being fair and impartial.

Bianca did not spare Lucian a glance.

Before long, Lucian was forcibly held beneath the water in a humiliating position, choking on mouthful after mouthful until his consciousness began to fade.

At that moment, the only thing left in his mind was Bianca’s cold, retreating figure.

They grew up together. She knew he was afraid of water, and she knew he would never use despicable methods to bully someone.

Yet she still chose to punish him in front of everyone.

A low laugh escaped Lucian’s throat, his eyes gradually losing their light.

Across two lifetimes, his greatest regret had been meeting Bianca.

Fortunately, he would be leaving soon.

When Lucian woke up, his throat felt so dry it was as though it burned. Then he realized, to his horror, that he could not speak.

He sprang out of bed, only to be caught and steadied by Bianca as she walked in.

"Uh... uh..."

Only a few broken sounds escaped his throat.

Bianca tightened her grip slightly around his arm. "Lucian, to make sure you do not say anything inappropriate at the wedding banquet, I had someone give you a drug that took away your voice.

"As for what happened with Vincent, I am sorry. I thought it through. From now on, the child Vincent and I have will be our child. He will call you Dad. That should be enough."

Lucian finally understood. She was not bothering to pretend anymore.

He wanted to tell her he would never accept it. He wanted to fight back with everything he had.

The moment he moved, Bianca sealed his pressure points, leaving him unable to move.

After a long while, she locked the doors and windows before turning to leave.

"Do not think about running, Lucian. I will try to love you in this life. You should be grateful for that. Once Vincent goes with me to finish the prenatal checkup, we will hold the wedding. This time, I will treat you well."

Lucian watched her walk away, a muffled, anguished sob tearing from his throat as the veins on the back of his hands bulged with tension.

His father had been perfectly healthy, yet they ruined him and left him paralyzed in bed.

He had been given a chance at a new life, only to be forced into marrying his enemy.

Twenty years of hard-earned reputation had been destroyed overnight.

Yet Bianca still told him to be grateful. How ridiculous.

All night long, Lucian gnawed at the ropes binding him. His mouth was soon stained with blood, but he endured the pain and kept going.

Finally, just as dawn broke, the ropes snapped.

Without hesitation, Lucian kicked over the gasoline canister in the corner. Then he turned and walked away.

Amid the blazing flames, he tightened his grip on the report he wrote to expose them. With every step, his resolve grew stronger.

He would make Bianca and Vincent pay for what they had done.