Chapter 2

In the dead of night, Serena stumbled out of the abandoned factory.

Her phone was filled with more than 99 messages from Marvin, sent before he'd been reborn.

Every message was full of concern. He'd sounded desperate to rush to her side and protect her.

But the messages had stopped abruptly eight days ago.

Judging by the timing, Marvin must have been reborn at almost the exact same moment she had.

Serena tightened her grip on her phone and was about to flag down a taxi when a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Her legs gave way, and she collapsed.

When she opened her eyes again, a kind stranger had already brought her to the hospital.

A nurse was inserting an IV catheter into her hand while the stranger stood nearby, speaking into Serena's phone.

“Why would I lie to you? The woman whose phone I'm using is seriously injured! If you don't believe me, come to the hospital and see for yourself!”

The nurse couldn't help speaking up.

“Sir, she's suffered multiple soft tissue injuries, several deep cuts that go all the way to the bone, and some fractured ribs. You really should...”

Before she could finish, an impatient sigh came through the phone.

Marvin cut her off.

“How much did Serena pay you?”

Both women froze.

“I'll pay you ten times that amount,” Marvin said with a mocking laugh. “Tell her I'm busy. I don't have time to play along with her little act.”

He hung up without another word.

The stranger stared at the phone in disbelief.

“What kind of husband acts like that? Doesn't he care about his own wife?”

“Tell me about it!” the nurse agreed. “What a jerk! Especially compared to another patient we just admitted.”

She shook her head.

“A young woman came into the ER earlier. They said she was badly hurt, but it turned out she'd only scraped her pinky. Her boyfriend was beside himself with worry. He even demanded the very best medical care our hospital could provide!”

The nurse sighed admiringly.

“You really have to choose your partner carefully. That girl's boyfriend is thoughtful, caring, and apparently a rising star in the business world. You know, the CEO of Grant Corporation who was on the front page of the news just a few days ago. Marvin Grant!”

Serena's hand jerked.

A bead of blood seeped from the tiny puncture wound on the back of her hand.

The nurse quickly caught her wrist.

“Oh, you're awake?”

Serena said nothing.

She yanked out the IV catheter she'd just had inserted and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor.

Then she asked a single question.

“Which room are they in?”

Grace was staying in a luxurious private suite in the hospital's VIP wing.

Through the partially open door, Serena finally got a clear look at her face.

In her previous life, Grace had never returned to the country.

Yet Serena had seen her often enough.

Every holiday, Grace would video call Marvin.

They would barely exchange a few words before Marvin hurriedly ended the call.

And on those nights, he was always especially rough with Serena in bed, holding her so tightly it felt as though he wanted to press her into his very bones.

One memory after another flashed through her mind.

All the little things that had never made sense before suddenly fell into place.

Serena finally understood what Marvin had been hiding from her all those years.

Grace noticed her first.

“Serena! Oh my God, you're really okay?”

“Are you all right?”

Serena pushed open the door.

Barefoot and still wearing bandages on her face, she slowly stepped inside.

She looked utterly battered.

Marvin lifted his head.

The moment their eyes met, his pupils contracted.

“Serena, you...”

His gaze fell on her injuries, and uncertainty flickered across his face.

But Grace quickly dispelled his doubts.

“Serena, you scared me half to death! I really thought you'd been kidnapped and something terrible had happened to you. So you were just putting on an act after all!”

Grace hurried over and took Serena's wrist, her face full of concern.

“I was so worried about you! I even booked the earliest flight home because of it!”

Serena's expression remained blank.

“I really was kidnapped.”

Grace stiffened, looking confused.

“B-but if you were actually kidnapped, why would the kidnappers let you go without getting any ransom money?”

The last trace of uncertainty vanished from Marvin's eyes.

As though he'd finally figured everything out, his expression turned cold.

“Serena Spencer, you're standing here perfectly fine, and you're still going to keep up this act?”

“Exactly, Serena,” Grace added softly, pressing her lips together. “You really didn't need to go this far just to test Marvin's love for you. Your relationship has always been so stable. He was going to marry you no matter what.”

Now there was nothing but irritation and disgust in Marvin's eyes.

He frowned, his voice icy.

“Serena Spencer, did you ever stop to think about the consequences of staging something like this?”

He drew a deep breath, barely containing his anger.

“Did it ever occur to you that someone might get hurt because of your little stunt? That someone might end up permanently disabled, rejected and despised by everyone around him, forced to spend the rest of his life enduring their pity and judgment?”

Serena watched his chest rise and fall with anger.

And suddenly, she understood.

He'd regretted sacrificing his legs to save her all along.

And she'd been foolish enough to think those injuries were proof of how deeply he'd loved her.

The realization drained away her last desire to explain herself.

Serena closed her eyes and let out a long, weary breath.

“Forget it.

“Marvin Grant, I didn't come here to convince you to believe me anyway.”

She opened her eyes and looked straight at him.

“I only came to tell you one thing.

“There's no reason to go through with our engagement anymore. We're done.”