Chapter 1

The wedding ring hit the side of Charles Moretti's shoe and rolled under the car.

Charles’ face hardened. He looked up and glared at me.

"Pick it up, Selena."

"Let’s get a divorce. I don't need this ring anymore."

Susie Graham clutched her chest, her eyes red as she coughed twice. "Don Moretti, forget it. Selena was scared earlier, so it’s normal for her to lose control of her emotions."

The more reasonable she acted, the angrier Charles became.

"Apologize!" He took a step toward me. "You know how much Susie has done for the family! She risked getting hurt to treat you, and you physically attacked her?"

I looked at him, tears sliding down my cheeks.

Six months ago, my elbows were scraped raw, and my voice was hoarse from screaming when a gang from a rival family dragged me into an abandoned wine cellar.

When Charles found me, he held me and said, "I will protect you forever. No one will ever get close enough to hurt you again."

I guessed his idea of protection was letting Susie wrap her hands around my throat, and then forcing me to apologize for defending myself.

"I won't apologize!" I wiped away my tears and looked straight into his eyes. "She attacked me, and I fought back. What did I do wrong?!"

Charles' jaw tightened in anger.

Susie sighed softly and picked up the rose petals scattered on the ground. "Don Moretti handpicked every single one of these roses himself and made the necklace. Selena, he loves you so much. How can you treat him like this?"

Charles grabbed the velvet box hidden in the bouquet and shoved it into Susie’s arms.

"If she doesn't want it, then it's yours!"

Susie froze. She immediately said it was "inappropriate", but her hands tightly gripped the box.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Charles bent down and picked her up into his arms, his voice icy. "I’m taking you home to treat your injuries."

He carried Susie right past me without giving me a single glance.

I stood there, the red marks on my neck throbbing with pain. After a long time, I stepped over the ruined rose petals and went upstairs alone.

Light shone through the crack of the master bedroom door. Susie’s coat was scattered on the floor.

A member of the household staff at the end of the hallway murmured to me, "Donna, Don Moretti said you should stay in the guest room tonight."

I laughed softly. I didn't expect to have to give up even my own room to Susie.

Passing by the study, Charles' laptop screen was on. It was playing the surveillance video from the garage earlier, zooming in repeatedly on my terrified, struggling face.

In the chat window, the psychiatrist had just sent a message. [The patient exhibits acute feigned fear tendency. High-pressure desensitization is recommended.]

Charles replied, [Give me the complete plan.]

My hands shook so hard I couldn't control the mouse. It turned out today’s anniversary surprise was just a test.

Furious, I took a screenshot of the conversation and rushed to the master bedroom to confront Charles.

As soon as I reached the door, I saw a scene that filled me with despair.

Susie was leaning against the headboard, wearing my silk nightgown. Charles, on the other hand, sat on the edge of the bed, carefully applying medicine to the swollen red marks on her chest.

"Does it hurt? I'll be gentler..." He frowned, his voice softer than I had ever heard before.

Susie shifted against him, a gleam in her voice. "Next time, let the hounds chase her. After all, that's what she's terrified of most."

Charles agreed, but not before excusing himself. "Sure. After all, it's for her mental health, right?"

I wanted to rush in and drag her off my bed, but Charles' words froze me in place.

For my mental health? Setting the hounds I feared most to bite me was for my mental health?

I instantly lost all strength to rush in. Instead, I dialed the number of my father's old right-hand man, Marco Ricci.

"Marco, I want to leave Ironvale."

He was silent for a moment. "Charles won't let you go."

"So we need to make him think I'm dead."

Marco paused, dropping his voice. "It'll take seven days at the earliest to prepare the route and a body double. But are you sure?"

I looked at the two inside the room and nodded.

"I'm sure."

The next day, as I was packing my bags, Charles pushed the door open and walked in.

He had changed into a dark suit and held a new bouquet of roses.

"I was rude yesterday." He set the flowers down. "I booked a table at the restaurant where we first met. Will you give me a chance to apologize to you properly?"

I stared at him for a long time. His eyes were very gentle, and it almost made me forget his attitude yesterday.

"Okay," I said.

At the restaurant, he cut my steak, reminisced about how embarrassed I’d been when I spilled red wine on our first date, and promised me the world.

Just as my tense nerves relaxed, his tone shifted. "Selena, to have that kind of future, you need to learn to be brave first."

The kitchen door was pushed open. Several hounds rushed out, drool dripping on the floor as they growled at me.

The glass door of the restaurant slammed shut and locked. Charles had already stepped outside long ago.

I rushed over and pounded on the door. "Charles, open the door! Please!"

He stood behind the glass, his expression terrifyingly cold. "Stop acting. I won't help you this time. Be brave, you can fight them off yourself!"

Susie threw raw meat at my feet. Smelling it, the hounds lunged at me. I screamed, trying to break the glass door.

Even as my back was soaked by the hounds' foul drool, I didn't care. Finally, with a loud bang, the glass was broken.

I was dizzy from the shock, but my mind was still calmly calculating: 'Six days left until I leave.'

Before my eyes went completely dark, I only saw Charles standing where he was, not moving a single step.