After three years of marriage, Natalie Wilson had finally made up her mind. She wanted a child with her husband, Isaac Reynolds. The sound of the shower drifted from the bathroom while she sat in the bedroom wondering how she was supposed to bring it up. Their marriage had never been a normal one. Years earlier, the Reynolds family had made Isaac end things with the woman he loved because of their business interests. Angry at being controlled, he had retaliated by marrying Natalie instead. She had no powerful family, no connections, and no real standing in Alyden. To him, choosing someone like her had been the perfect way to get back at his family. For the past three years, everyone around them had known their marriage was polite but distant. What no one knew was that Isaac had never touched her. That was why Natalie had never become pregnant. Eventually, Isaac's mother, Renee Reynolds, lost her patience. She approached Natalie in private and told her she needed to have a baby as soon as possible. Renee had never thought much of Natalie in the first place. Her ordinary background was one reason, and after three years without a child, her opinion had only gotten worse. But Natalie couldn't make a baby happen by herself. She lowered her eyes and rested a hand over her stomach, biting softly at her lip. Even if IVF was the only way, she still wanted a child with Isaac. The bathroom door opened, and warm steam drifted into the bedroom. Natalie turned toward her husband and gathered her courage. "Isaac, there's something I want to..." Isaac stepped out with nothing but a towel around his waist. He didn't even look at her. His attention stayed on the phone at his ear as he walked toward the balcony. "Why are you dizzy all of a sudden? Did you call a doctor? It's okay. Don't panic. I'm coming over right now." The concern in his voice was gentle and unmistakable. The moment the call ended, Isaac hurried back into the bedroom and started looking for clothes. He didn't even bother drying himself first. Natalie frowned and spoke before she could stop herself. "Isaac, are you going to see Ms. Mills?" Isaac paused but gave her no answer, and Natalie immediately understood what his silence meant. He was going to see Hannah Mills again. Hannah was the woman Isaac had never gotten over. Since she'd returned to the country, he had hardly spent a single night at home. Isaac frowned at her. "You know better than to ask me that." That was enough to silence her. Once he'd gotten dressed, he picked up his car keys and started toward the door. "Isaac, can you stay tonight?" In all three years of their marriage, Natalie had never once asked him for that. Isaac turned back and looked at her coldly. "You know what this marriage is. Just be Mrs. Reynolds and leave it at that. You'll have all the money you're supposed to get." Natalie wanted to tell him she had never cared about his money. She had loved him quietly for four years, starting in high school and continuing through college. All that time, she'd kept those feelings to herself. But she never got the chance to say any of it. The door had already shut behind him. His footsteps slowly disappeared down the hall. Natalie stood there for a while before a bitter laugh escaped her. Four years of loving him from a distance. Three more years as his wife. Seven years in total, and she had been alone in those feelings the entire time. Maybe she should finally stop holding on and let Hannah have the place Isaac had always wanted her to have. Her phone suddenly rang. Nicholas Wilson's name appeared on the screen. Natalie's first instinct was to ignore her younger brother's call. She turned the screen off, but after hesitating for a long moment, she finally answered. Nicholas was already crying before she could say anything. "Natalie! Those debt collectors came back! They wrecked the whole house! They said if we don't pay everything by next month, they're going to break Dad's legs and mine! You have to help us. They beat Dad so badly he's in the hospital!" Natalie's face went cold. "I sent Dad three million dollars just last month. How is all of that already gone?" There was a short silence on the other end. "Well... three million wasn't enough. Dad already owed people money, and we still have everyday expenses..." Natalie cut him off, "He's gambling again, isn't he? Otherwise, those people wouldn't be back this soon." Before Nicholas could answer, their father, Jeffrey Wilson, grabbed the phone from him. "What gambling? I was trying to make money! If things had gone my way, that three million could've become thirty million. I just got unlucky this time." He paused before adding, "And it's not like you don't have money." Natalie had no patience left for his excuses. "You're not getting anything else from me. If you need money, find your own way to get it." The second Jeffrey realized she meant it, panic took over. "Don't forget who's paying for your mother's care! If you refuse to help me, I can stop approving her treatment. Without my signature, they won't even give her oxygen!" That was the last straw. Natalie's voice turned cold. "Jeffrey Wilson, if anything happens to Mom because of you, I'll make sure you answer for it. If you don't believe me, then go ahead and try." Her anger caught Jeffrey off guard, and the line suddenly went quiet. For years, Natalie had given in whenever her family asked for something. Jeffrey had gotten so used to pushing her around that he had nearly forgotten how strong-willed she used to be before her mother became ill. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I panicked. I shouldn't have said that. Just help me figure something out, okay? Maybe you can talk to Isaac. The Reynolds family has plenty of money..." Jeffrey's tone softened immediately. Natalie ended the call before he could finish. Jeffrey kept trying to reach her, but she declined every call until she finally blocked his number. Then she opened her banking app and stared at the balance. Five hundred thousand dollars. That was everything she had managed to put aside from her side jobs during the three years she'd been married to Isaac. He had never been cheap with her. If anything, he had always been generous with money. Since there was no love in their marriage, he treated the arrangement almost like a deal between two people. All he expected was for Natalie to play the role of his wife and follow along without causing problems. She was the one who had refused to rely on his money. Natalie had never asked him for anything—she'd always hoped he'd understand that she hadn't married him for his wealth, and that one day, he might come to love her. She only kept enough for basic household expenses and sent the rest back to Isaac's account. Even when he told her more than once that she didn't have to return it, she still insisted. But the money she'd saved on her own wasn't nearly enough. Then she remembered the terms of their marriage agreement. Once the contract ended and the divorce went through, Isaac was supposed to pay her thirty million dollars. That would be enough to move her mother out of the care facility and make sure she was properly looked after. Once Natalie made up her mind, she started typing a message. Before she could send it, a notification appeared at the top of the screen. "Let's get divorced." Isaac had beaten her to it. For a moment, Natalie felt as though her heart had dropped straight to the bottom of the ocean. Strangely, though, she also felt calm. Another message came through. "Tomorrow, eight p.m. Meet me at Crestmont Hotel." Natalie pressed her lips together and typed back one word. "Alright."

The following day, Natalie reached Crestmont Hotel earlier than Isaac had asked. She reached the dining floor. Voices and laughter drifted from the private dining room before she even stepped inside. She had barely cracked the door open when she caught them talking about her. "Isaac really has people everywhere, doesn't he? He even used his connections in Alyden to get Hannah back into the country through that special program for top talent." "Now that Hannah's finally back, what are you waiting for, Isaac? Isn't it time you divorced Natalie?" Isaac spoke as if the subject didn't matter much to him. "Hannah came back because she wants to build her career. She's different from Natalie. Natalie is fine staying home and taking care of everything. I don't want Hannah giving all that up just to become someone's wife and deal with a family." Someone laughed. "Come on. You've been married to Natalie for three years. You seriously haven't grown even a little attached to her?" Isaac scoffed. "Would you fall for someone just because she cooks and takes care of your house?" That sent the whole room into another round of laughter. Natalie let out a bitter smile. So that was how he saw her. She'd spent four years loving Isaac from afar and another three as his wife, yet after all that time, he still saw her as nothing more than a housekeeper. She couldn't believe how long she'd refused to see the truth. Natalie stayed by the door and quietly started recording everything on her phone. She waited until the conversation inside began to settle before stopping the recording and putting her phone away. Then she opened the door and walked in with a cold expression. The laughter died immediately. Everyone at the table turned toward her. Natalie wasn't wearing the modest and refined clothes they were used to seeing on her. Instead, she had chosen a fitted black dress that showed off her waist. For years, she'd dressed conservatively because she thought that was how Isaac's wife was supposed to look. It hadn't stopped his friends from laughing at her behind her back and calling her boring and old-fashioned. None of that mattered today. She was here to talk about ending their marriage, and she was done dressing according to everyone else's expectations. Natalie was young and beautiful. Without those overly mature clothes hiding her, she carried the effortless charm of a wealthy young woman who had never needed anyone's approval. More than a few people openly admired her. Isaac noticed their attention almost at once, and a faint frown crossed his face. He clearly didn't like the way they were looking at her. Natalie couldn't have cared less. She didn't even look in Isaac's direction before walking to an empty seat nearby and sitting down. Isaac watched her with a frown. Natalie usually made a point of sitting next to him. If someone else had taken the seat, she would even ask them to move. So why had she gone off and sat somewhere else without saying anything today? He was about to call out to her when Hannah spoke from the seat beside him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. Reynolds. I think I took your seat. I'll move." Isaac reached over and stopped her. "Don't. Why should you have to move? We're all here for you today." He looked toward Natalie again, but she still didn't spare him a glance. His irritation grew, and he reached up to loosen his tie. She had never acted like this before. Natalie was usually careful about how she behaved around his friends, and she had never put him in an awkward position in front of them. So what was her problem today? Richard Weston sat close by and held out a glass of wine to Natalie. "Mrs. Reynolds, you're finally here. Come on, have a drink with us." Natalie didn't take it. "No, thanks. I can't drink. I'm allergic to alcohol." Hannah looked at her with mild surprise. "Really? I remember Isaac telling me you once finished an entire bottle just to close a business deal." Her voice remained soft. "So why not have one now? Or do you just not want to share a drink with Mr. Weston?" Natalie furrowed her brows. The last time she'd drunk for a Reynolds Group project, she'd ended up in the emergency room with a perforated stomach. Yet Isaac had apparently mentioned it to Hannah as though it had been nothing more than some amusing story. The thought made her sick. Natalie opened her mouth to answer, but Isaac spoke first. "If you're not going to drink, I can always give your project to someone else." Natalie had spent three months working on that project, and her team had finally brought it close to completion. Now he was threatening to take it away simply because she wouldn't drink. She couldn't let everyone's hard work go to waste. Natalie tightened her lips, took the glass from Richard, and emptied it in one shot. Then she set it down. "There. Is that good enough for you?" Hannah's eyes briefly gave away her satisfaction, though it disappeared almost immediately. Richard saw an opening and held up another glass. "Well, you've already had one. One more won't hurt, right, Mrs. Reynolds?" Isaac looked at Natalie without a trace of sympathy and made no attempt to step in. In his eyes, this was nothing more than another tantrum, and he blamed himself for letting her get away with too much for too long. If he didn't put her in her place now, she would keep forgetting that everything she had, including the respect people showed her, was because of him. "I'm done. I'm not drinking another glass!" Natalie said firmly. Richard picked up another glass and shoved it toward her mouth. "You don't get to decide that, Mrs. Reynolds!" Natalie caught his wrist before he could force the wine on her, then tipped the entire glass straight into his face. She looked at him as wine dripped down his face and gave him a cold, mocking smile. "Who the hell do you think you are? You really think you can force me to drink?" Without waiting for an answer, Natalie grabbed her purse, turned around, and walked out. Isaac started to get up, but Hannah suddenly let out a weak whimper. "Isaac, I don't feel so good. I'm getting dizzy," Hannah said softly. Isaac immediately put an arm around her to steady her. "Did you drink too much? Come on. I'll take you home." While Isaac helped her stand, Hannah glanced over at Richard and gave him a meaningful look. Richard understood immediately and gave her a small nod. He waited until they left the room before getting up and slipping out after them. Natalie went into the restroom and splashed cold water over her face, hoping it would help. It didn't. Her skin still felt unbearably hot, and everything around her seemed to sway. Something wasn't right. She hurried toward the exit while taking out her phone, intending to call a friend for help. She didn't even get the chance to make the call. Richard caught her by the wrist near the doorway. "Hold on, Mrs. Reynolds. You really thought you could throw wine in my face and just walk away without apologizing?" "Get your hands off me!" Natalie twisted against his grip, but her phone slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the floor. She struggled harder, and Richard only squeezed her arm tighter. His expression turned ugly as he snapped, "You should feel honored that I'd even sleep with someone as ordinary as you. Mr. Reynolds already agreed that you'd keep me company tonight. Show me a good time, and the deal is Miss Mills'. Though you're not in charge of the project, Reynolds Group is going to make a fortune from it. I'm sure Mr. Reynolds will make it worth your while!" Natalie went completely cold. She had never imagined Isaac would go this far. He had actually offered her to another man just so Hannah could secure a project. Natalie gathered what little strength she had left, bent down, and bit Richard's arm as hard as she could. She didn't stop until the taste of blood filled her mouth. "You bitch!" Richard shouted as he lifted his hand to hit her. Natalie reacted before he could. She drove her foot hard between his legs. Richard screamed in pain and crumpled to the floor. Natalie didn't look back. She ran straight into the nearest elevator and slammed the button for the top floor. Then she kept pressing the button to close the doors until they finally slid together and shut him out. Once the elevator started moving, Natalie leaned one hand against the wall for support. Her fingers wouldn't stop shaking. The rush that had kept her moving began to wear off, and whatever was in the alcohol hit her even harder. Her vision blurred until she could barely focus on what was in front of her. When the doors opened, Natalie stumbled into the hallway. At that point, she only cared about finding somewhere Richard couldn't reach her. She soon noticed a door that hadn't been shut all the way. The room beyond it was dark, and that was enough for her. She slipped inside and quietly closed the door behind her. Natalie moved carefully through the darkness. She remembered that hotel rooms usually had a landline near the bed, and she hoped she could use it to call for help. When she got to the bed, she reached out and searched blindly with one hand. Her fingertips suddenly touched something unusually warm. Natalie jerked her hand back. Someone was in the room. Panic shot through her, and she immediately turned toward the door. She barely moved before a large hand wrapped around her waist and dragged her backward. Natalie landed on the bed as darkness clouded her vision. A hand closed around her throat, and a man's cold voice came through the darkness. "Who sent you here?"

The man's raspy voice sent a wave of fear through Natalie. With his hand tightening around her throat, she struggled to break free. "I... I walked in here by mistake. I meant no harm..." Andrew Bennett didn't believe a word she said. He was furious that she'd drugged him—furious enough to want to snap her slender neck. Desperate for air, Natalie clawed frantically at his hand. "Please... let me go..." Andrew moved closer, ready to question her, but then the moonlight fell across her face. He recognized her immediately. Andrew was already fighting desperately to keep his growing desire under control. At the sight of the familiar face, what little restraint he had left began to crumble. Holding Natalie down, Andrew stared into her frightened eyes, then spoke in a deep, coaxing voice. "Help me." Natalie trembled from head to toe at the intense heat coming off his body. Tears gathered in her eyes as unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed her. Somewhere in her dazed state, she vaguely heard the man above her whispering reassuring words. Her thoughts were so muddled that she could barely understand what was happening, much less resist as he moved her however he wished. By the time Natalie woke up, morning had already come. She jerked into a sitting position, only to wince as a deep ache spread through her entire body. She slowly turned her stiff neck to look at the man lying beside her. As soon as she recognized his face, she froze in disbelief, unable to make another move. It was Andrew Bennett! He was the uncle of her best friend, Madison Bennett! He was the young head of the Bennett family, a man widely feared for his merciless nature. But wasn't he living abroad? When had he returned to the country? Once the initial shock wore off, Natalie quickly pulled herself together and rushed out of the room. As soon as the hotel room door shut behind her, Andrew opened his eyes, scowling. He massaged his forehead before spotting a bloodstain on the disheveled sheets, his eyes darkening. Reaching for his phone, he dialed his executive assistant. A short while after, Ryland Hayes arrived with a suit in his hands. "Sir, I was negligent yesterday. The Gordon family somehow learned that you'd returned to the country. They arranged for a woman with a disease to trap you in a compromising situation. I intercepted that woman, but I never imagined another woman would manage to get past us..." Andrew lifted a hand, cutting off his explanation. "I want you to identify the woman who was here last night." "I've already started investigating." Ryland passed him a phone. "She left this behind yesterday. Regarding the security footage..." The phone's screen came on, and Andrew squinted at the wallpaper. It was really Natalie! Andrew interrupted Ryland. "Locate her immediately." "Understood, sir!" After fleeing the hotel, Natalie swallowed an emergency contraceptive pill, but it triggered a serious allergic reaction. Luckily, Madison reached her in time and rushed her to the hospital. While they sat together on a bench in the hospital hallway, Madison angrily complained about Isaac. "What kind of husband is Isaac? After everything he's put you through, he can't even make the effort to come see you!" Natalie let out a humorless laugh. "I imagine he's occupied with Hannah right now." "That scumbag! Next time I see him, I'll give him a piece of my mind!" Once she'd finished ranting about Isaac, Madison asked more carefully, "Do you know who the man you were with last night was? I could get someone to make him pay for what he did!" Natalie's throat suddenly felt dry. How was she supposed to admit that the man she'd slept with was Madison's own uncle? Seeing Natalie stay silent, Madison tried to encourage her. "My uncle just returned from overseas for some business. I could get him to help you deal with this!" Madison wanted to ask the man involved to deal with himself? Natalie shivered at the thought. "No, I'd prefer not to." At that moment, a doctor stepped out of the examination room. "You're Mrs. Reynolds, right? You shouldn't take contraceptive medication without making sure it's safe for you. You're allergic to it." "I'll keep that in mind—thank you, Doctor," Natalie replied. After checking the IV connected to her arm, the doctor added, "You can leave once the infusion is complete." When the doctor had gone, Madison turned back to her friend. "Natalie, after everything Isaac has done to you, you still don't want to divorce him?" "I actually went to see him yesterday evening to discuss the divorce. But..." Natalie looked down. "I have to sort out my mother's situation first, because I simply can't afford everything at the moment..." "Then why not return to Bureau of Cultural Relics?" Madison suggested. "You have more than enough talent to support yourself. There's no reason for you to depend on Isaac!" Natalie gave a small shake of her head. "I don't have the courage to face my mentor after everything." Noticing how sad Natalie looked, Madison slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, don't dwell on that! As soon as you're out of here, I'll find ten handsome, accomplished men to help you celebrate your divorce. We deserve to have a little fun with men competing for our attention for a change!" Natalie burst out laughing at Madison's idea. She was just about to respond when a deep, commanding voice cut into their conversation. "I really didn't expect you to become this daring, Madison." Madison looked around and found herself staring into Andrew's cold, imposing eyes. A shiver ran through her, and she immediately jumped to her feet. "Uncle Andrew!" Andrew approached them. He merely glanced at a bodyguard standing nearby, and the man promptly came forward. "Miss Bennett, please come with me." As the bodyguard led Madison away, Natalie couldn't help glancing toward Andrew. Their eyes met briefly before she hurriedly looked down. Even after so many years, being in Andrew's presence still filled Natalie with nervousness. She had seen firsthand just how ruthless he could be when she was still in high school. During those years, Madison regularly brought Natalie to the Bennett residence, so Natalie had encountered Andrew quite often. Initially, she'd actually liked her friend's uncle. He was only five years her senior, and his warm smile and pleasant attitude had always made him appear approachable. Everything changed one day when she visited the Bennett estate and happened to stumble upon him in the garden. With a slight smile on his face, Andrew had been casually cleaning blood off his hands using a handkerchief. He then instructed someone to take care of the unconscious figure sprawled on the ground. Natalie had been so shaken by what she saw that she'd made every effort to stay away from him afterward. When Andrew eventually finished college and moved abroad, she'd assumed their paths would never cross again... "What are you thinking about?" Andrew's voice came unexpectedly close to her ear, pulling Natalie back to the present. Startled by how near he was, she leaned away. "Um, Mr. Bennett. I wasn't expecting to see you here. What a coincidence." "I wouldn't call it a coincidence." Andrew reached into his pocket and produced Natalie's phone. Her breathing faltered the instant she recognized it. Andrew lowered himself slightly to meet her eyes. "Would you like to explain this?" "Last night, I was at Crestmont Hotel having dinner with Isaac, and somewhere along the way, I misplaced my phone. I had no idea you were the one who picked it up, Mr. Bennett. I appreciate you returning it." With that, she extended her hand to take it. Andrew lifted the phone just enough to prevent her from reaching it. "An unidentified woman entered my hotel room yesterday evening. Then, this morning, your phone turned up right outside my door." Andrew stepped closer, his piercing gaze making her uneasy. "Now, you still think it's a coincidence that I'm here?"