LOGINWhen Navia opened her eyes again, morning sunlight was already pouring through the windows.
Her forehead was damp with sweat.Her breathing was uneven.Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs.Another nightmare.In the dream, Leonel had finally regained all of his memories.He wasn't cold anymore.Wasn't distant.And just as Navia had run toward him in relief—He had ripped away his smile like a mask.Then calmly told her that the cWhen Navia opened her eyes again, morning sunlight was already pouring through the windows.Her forehead was damp with sweat.Her breathing was uneven.Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs.Another nightmare.In the dream, Leonel had finally regained all of his memories.He wasn't cold anymore.Wasn't distant.And just as Navia had run toward him in relief—He had ripped away his smile like a mask.Then calmly told her that the cruel man she feared now was his true self.Everything before had merely been a lie.A disguise.The memory of it sent another shudder through her.Outside the window, the sky was bright blue.Sunlight spilled across the room.Branches swayed gently in the breeze.Everything looked peaceful.Yet the tension in Navia's body refused to fade.Slowly, she turned her head.The other side of the bed was empty.Leonel was already gone.Lately,
Navia shuddered instinctively.For some reason, those two simple words filled her with dread.She turned her head toward the balcony door.Through the glass, she could see Leonel standing inside the room.Only a single lamp was lit.The dim glow cast deep shadows across his face, making his expression appear darker and more intimidating than ever."Navia."His voice was calm.Too calm."Don't make me repeat myself."The threat hidden beneath those words sent a chill through her.Earlier, she had locked the balcony door from the inside.But she knew perfectly well that a sheet of glass couldn't stop Leonel if he truly wanted to come through it.Fear tightened in her chest.Yet at the same time, another voice inside her kept insisting that she shouldn't be afraid of him.This was Leonel.The man she loved.The man who had once loved her more than anything.Something was wrong.Something had
Turning away from her, he strode toward the doorway.Several bodyguards dressed in black were already waiting outside.With a frustrated tug, Leonel ripped off his tie and shrugged out of his suit jacket, tossing both onto the sofa.His broad back faced Navia.Once, that familiar figure had made her feel safer than anywhere else in the world.Now, it only filled her with dread.Without looking back, Leonel gave his order."Take her upstairs."His voice was cold and emotionless."From this moment on, she is not to leave her room without my permission."The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances.The chill radiating from Leonel was enough to make anyone nervous.They immediately understood what he meant.He was placing Navia under house arrest.Navia stared at him in disbelief.Surely she had misheard.But then one of the bodyguards stepped forward."Mrs. Crawford," he said politely. "Please come with us
Navia got out of the car carefully and walked toward the estate alone, although her steps still felt unsteady.But when she entered the Crawford Estate, she immediately noticed something strange.Most of the servants were gone.The mansion felt unusually empty.Only a few familiar faces remained.One of them was Claire Walker.Navia greeted her softly.“Claire, where is everyone?”Claire had been packing things up.The moment she saw Navia, she froze.“Mrs. Crawford? Why are you back already? Did you forget something?”Navia blinked in confusion.“…What do you mean?”She’d been gone for quite a while already.Claire looked puzzled too.“Tonight is the Crawford family dinner. Didn’t you go to the tea house for the banquet?”The words hit Navia instantly.Right.The Crawford family hosted formal dinners twice every month.Onc
Liam’s face twisted violently.But seeing the growing crowd nearby, he knew they couldn’t stay any longer.He immediately dragged Linda away.Still unwilling to accept defeat, Linda muttered bitterly,“Are we really just letting her go? After everything we suffered because of her?”“She’s only pretending to be strong now. Leonel already forgot her completely. Why are you still scared of her?”“You don’t understand anything,” Liam snapped. “Even if Uncle Leonel forgot her, they’re still legally married.”His eyes darkened viciously.“Just wait. The moment they divorce… Navia Harrison will truly be finished.”Linda still looked unwilling.But after hearing that, she could only reluctantly give up for now.Navia watched Liam Crawford and Linda Vale leave before finally exhaling shakily against the wall.Her legs were barely support
After their conversation ended, Ethan left first.Navia stayed behind at the tea house a little longer.Instead of tea, she quietly ate some of the desserts.They were sweet.Very sweet.The kind Leonel used to love.Because despite his cold personality, he had always secretly liked sugary things.After thinking for a moment, Navia called over a server.“I’d like the check.”“And… could you package one extra dessert for me?”As she stepped outside carrying the dessert box, a nearby car suddenly caught her attention.She looked over instinctively—Then froze.Jason Cole had just stepped out from the driver’s seat.And a second later, Leonel emerged from the back.He wore a casual dark shirt today.Apparently his meeting had already ended, and he’d come here to relax afterward.Navia froze where she stood, suddenly unsure whether she should approa
Something about this felt deeply wrong.This wasn’t how the scene was supposed to go.In his imagination, Vivian would fail to find a ride, realize she’d gone too far, and finally soften toward him.Maybe even apologize with teary eyes while sweetly asking for hel
Adrian Hayes wanted to slap himself.Repeatedly.“So,” he said stiffly, forcing a smile, “this tea’s actually pretty good tonight. Want me to ask them to pack some up for you?”Vivian Lawson frowned immediately.“What, is this person
Vivian gazed quietly out the window.Even in a wheelchair, she carried herself with effortless elegance.“I’m tired of living by other people’s rules,” she said softly. “Back then, I starved myself to stay camera-ready, worked until I could barely stand
Adrian nearly choked on the accusation.Flirt with Navia Harrison?Not a chance.Sure, during their first meeting, he’d noticed she was beautiful. Any man with functioning eyesight would have.But the moment he realized she belonged to Leonel Crawford, every inap







