The second year after marrying Damien Knight, the notorious mob boss, I ran into Julian Vance again.
He was on the same island, having splurged on buying out a pearl shop for his wife.
The moment he saw me, his expression froze.
There was a reason for what happened back then.
You know, if I didn’t save your stepsister, she would have died…
He was talking about that life-or-death moment years ago when the kidnappers forced him to choose between me and Amelia Sterling.
He’d chosen Amelia without a moment’s hesitation.
And I? I was taken by those kidnappers and, well, defiled.
I simply smiled faintly.
“It’s all in the past.”
I turned to leave, but he grabbed my hand, his eyes suddenly red.
“Did those men… do anything to you back then? I’m so sorry. I won’t judge you. I’m willing to take care of you from now on…”
I pulled my hand free and flashed the massive diamond ring on my ring finger.
“You’re overthinking things. My husband and I are very happy.”
Julian froze.
The pity in his eyes deepened.
“Summer, you don’t have to pretend to be strong in front of me.”
“So many media outlets captured it all back then, how you were… humiliated like that. I know you even suffered from depression.”
Julian’s eyes were red at the corners, his lips trembling slightly.
“It’s my fault these past two years. I was so focused on taking care of Amelia that I didn’t get a chance to find you—”
“But it’s not too late now!”
“If you don’t mind, I can keep you close, take care of you just like I take care of Amelia…”
Amelia.
The very same stepsister, Amelia Sterling, who mixed my mother’s ashes into flour and baked them into a pizza.
A sarcastic smile touched my lips.
“No thanks. I’m doing perfectly fine.”
After three years apart, Julian probably felt awkward too, trying hard to find a topic of conversation.
Just then, the waitress called my number.
I went in, picked up my steak, and sat at a table outside the restaurant to eat.
So many years had passed, but I still only loved this flavor.
It was all because the owner of this restaurant made food that tasted almost exactly like my mom’s.
Maybe he added a little too much seasoning; it made my eyes water.
“Summer—”
Julian called out my name.
Only then did I notice he hadn’t left, standing there like a statue, staring at me.
He approached, his gaze falling on the bowl in front of me.
The pity in his eyes was overflowing.
“You’re eating *this*? Such a pathetic, cheap meal?”
He then looked at my clothes with the same pity, and I finally realized he thought I was living a terrible life.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have betrayed you back then.”
His eyes were filled with guilt.
“But it’s no use saying anything now… I know you’ve had a bad couple of years. From now on, I’ll take responsibility for you. Will you come back with me?”
Julian even excitedly reached out to grab my hand.
I stiffly avoided him.
“No need. You know Amelia Sterling and I have too much animosity between us. There’s no way we could live under the same roof.”
Julian froze, his hand suspended in mid-air.
He knew better than anyone the deep-seated hatred between Amelia Sterling and me.
Without Amelia and her mother meddling, my mom wouldn’t have died in that engineered car accident.
Without Amelia’s repeated false accusations, I wouldn’t have been kicked out of my own home.
Even now, my back bears jagged scars.
Those were from the glass shards Amelia deliberately hid in my bedding.
“Summer, I…”
Just then, his phone rang.
Amelia Sterling’s saccharine voice came through the phone.
“Honey, why aren’t you back yet? Did you manage to buy out that pearl shop for me?”
“I’ll be there in 5 minutes, come pick me up quickly.”
Julian hung up, wanting to say something, but then silently looked at me.
Before he left, he slipped a business card into my hand.
“Summer, I truly wronged you three years ago.”
“If you change your mind, you can call me. I have an apartment in the suburbs that I can let you—”
“Without Amelia knowing.”
I was about to speak, but he vanished.
How interesting.
Was he trying to make me his mistress?
Daring to suggest that Damien Knight’s wife be his mistress? Julian has a death wish, doesn’t he?
I shook my head, casually tossed the business card into the trash, and continued eating.
The restaurant owner came out, smiling as he took off his apron.
“Mrs. Knight, do you know that young man who was just here?”
I smiled, pondering how to answer.
The owner suddenly leaned in and whispered a warning.
“Don’t get too close to him, you know. I saw it earlier—he has the slave mark from ‘The Abyss’ on him.”
“What does that mean? It means he was born a slave. To have survived this long, he must be ruthlessly cunning.”
I put down my forks and chuckled, looking down.
“Yes.”
“He used to be my slave for five years.”
I had saved him time and time again.
He’d promised to only be good to me his whole life, to even give me his life.
Yet, when forced to choose, he’d chosen my enemy without hesitation.
And left *me* to the kidnappers.
The restaurant owner’s interest was immediately piqued.
He even ignored his business, grabbed a small stool and sat down by the door to chat with me.
“Mrs. Knight, you were only 18 five years ago, weren’t you? You were so brave back then, daring to go to ‘The Abyss’?”
“That’s the most famous and terrifying black market in the city. How did you dare go there at such a young age? Weren’t you afraid?”
Of course, I was scared.
But apart from that path, I had no other choice.
Five years ago, to find the murderer who killed my mother, I went to the black market.
I heard that 100,000 dollars could buy a single lead.
More valuable information would, of course, cost more.
I wanted to investigate if there was anything suspicious about the car accident that my father had so quickly covered up.
I didn’t find any leads, but I found Julian Vance.
Back then, he was an unwanted orphan.
A small slave, shoved around by everyone.
The chains in the basement had chafed his ankles raw, and the arrogant buyers laughed as they watched him fight three wild dogs to the death.
He was covered in bite marks, yet his gaze was still like that of a wolf.
It instantly captivated me.
That day, I spent 100,000 dollars and bought him.
The dealer took the money and handed him to me, still holding the chain.
“He’s stubborn and vicious. Give him a few months before you take off the chains, or he might just bite.”
After we left “The Abyss,” Julian stared at me warily.
Seeing the fear and distrust in his eyes, I felt a pang of sympathy, remembering my own predicament. I immediately unfastened his chains.
“What’s your name?”
“Ju… Julian Vance.”
His voice was hoarse, his Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Master.”
“Don’t call me Master. My name is Summer Hayes.”
I threw him a piece of bread.
“From today on, you follow me. I’ll ensure your survival and help you live a decent life.”
He devoured the bread, a spark slowly igniting in his eyes.
For the next three years, I bought him a gold watch.
Sent him to business school.
I even handed over half the assets my grandfather had entrusted to me for him to manage.
And like all cliché novel stories, we fell in love.
I watched him display an astonishing business acumen, every investment yielding tenfold, even hundredfold profits.
I saw my assets multiply, branch companies opening one after another.
By day, we were the perfect partners, dominating the business world.
By night, he transformed into a hungry wolf, devouring me whole, passionately.
Countless times, he held me tight, whispering in my ear.
“Summer, once I’m stable, I’ll marry you.”
I believed him.
Until the kidnappers threw me into an abandoned warehouse, a cold gun pressed against my temple.
They demanded Julian pay 10 million to ransom me.
Julian arrived, panicked, carrying a briefcase full of money.
“Let her go!”
The kidnappers laughed, pointing to Amelia Sterling, who was cowering in a corner.
She wore a white dress similar to mine, tears streaming down her face.
“Julian, please save me…”
“Mr. Vance, choose one.”
A kidnapper patted my face.
“Choose her, and this little beauty, Amelia Sterling, goes to ‘The Abyss.’ The big shots there love innocent types!”
“But if you choose Amelia Sterling, your little girlfriend here belongs to us!”
Julian’s gaze flickered between Amelia and me.
Amelia suddenly cried out, “Julian, save me! Sister is so strong, she can definitely escape on her own!”
I looked at Julian.
He had once said my eyes were like stars, and he would never let those stars extinguish.
I thought the answer was obvious.
But Julian hesitated for only a moment before blurting out,
“I choose Amelia Sterling.”
The kidnappers whistled, then untied Amelia Sterling.
She lunged into Julian’s arms, then turned back and made a triumphant face at me.
He held Amelia Sterling by the waist, ready to leave. I stood rigid, unable to even comprehend when he and Amelia had started their affair.
“Julian, don’t go…”
I tugged at his pants, begging him.
Julian’s steps faltered. He looked back at me, his eyes filled with sorrow.
“Summer, I’m sorry, I have to choose this way.”
“Amelia, she’s so innocent and kind. Going to a place like ‘The Abyss’ would be her death.”
“Wait for me. I’ll arrange for her and then come back to save you!”
But he wouldn’t get the chance.
Just after he left, Damien Knight, the terrifying mob boss, arrived. He lifted my chin.
“Still haven’t figured it out?”
“Summer, I told you he wasn’t a reliable choice.”
He simply waved his hand, and his bodyguards handed him a stack of photos.
“If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. These are all proof of his betrayal.”
The photos flashed before my eyes, stabbing fiercely at my heart.
Damien Knight’s voice continued, relentless.
“While he was swearing to be devoted to you, he was already sleeping with your enemy, Amelia Sterling.”
“He said he loved you, that he could spend millions on a necklace for you, but he never spent two months writing a hundred love letters for you.”
“But Amelia Sterling got them.”
“Not just a hundred love letters, but birthday gifts for every year from age 1 to 23. She has them all.”
“Even when you were asleep, he would get up in the middle of the night and sneak into your sister’s room.”
“And now, in a moment of danger, he decisively chose Amelia Sterling and abandoned you.”
“Summer, can’t you see it?”
I remained unresponsive, tears streaming down my face.
Damien Knight gently kissed away my tears.
“You should choose me.”
By the time the story reached this point, my meal was finished.
The restaurant owner stared at me, utterly shocked.
“That Julian Vance is a business prodigy in the city, but he’s so heartless? What happened next?”
I looked up at him, a half-smile playing on my lips.
“If you ask any more questions, Damien Knight will shut down your shop and kick you off this island.”
As I spoke, I glanced behind him.
A tall, well-dressed man, in a sharp suit, was walking toward us, extending a hand to me.
“Gossiping about my wife’s business, are we?”
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