"I'm back."

In the bedroom, Sevyn Malone stared at the message on her phone, her thoughts drifting.

It was sent from an unfamiliar number. She should've treated it like a spam message and ignored it, yet for reasons she couldn't name, she found herself caring more than she should have.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Ma'am."

It was Delia Rowan, the housekeeper.

Sevyn put her phone aside and said, "Come in."

Delia pushed the door open and walked in, carrying a tray with a glass of apple juice.

Sevyn immediately understood her intention. Micah Malone's throat often bothered him, and apple juice was always prepared for him.

She lowered her gaze slightly to hide the emotions welling in her eyes as she heard Delia speak.

"Is he in the guest room again? Ma'am, don't blame me for being nosy, but as his wife, there are certain things you should take the initiative on. You can't let those shameless women tie his heart down. This juice was prepared on Mrs. Malone Senior's instructions. You should bring it to him later."

Sevyn clenched the blanket beneath her fingers, a wave of humiliation washing over her.

She knew very well that the apple juice was only an excuse. What Beatrice Whitaker truly wanted was for her to seduce Micah.

She was to seduce her own husband like a prostitute.

Alas, Sevyn couldn't resist.

She was an orphan taken in by the Malone family.

They had raised her, paid for her education, arranged for her to work at Malone Group after graduation, and ultimately, even married her to the current head of the family, Micah.

Everything she had was given to her by the Malone family. Thus, she had no right to defy Beatrice.

"I understand," Sevyn said quietly. "Leave the apple juice here. I'll bring it over later."

Delia was clearly satisfied. She set the glass down and left.

Sevyn stared at the apple juice for a long time before finally picking it up and knocking on Micah's door. "Micah, are you asleep?"

"Come in." His voice came from inside not long after.

Sevyn pushed the door open and walked in.

As he glanced at the apple juice in her hands, a trace of mockery flickered in Micah's eyes. "What, did you come here so we could sleep together?"

Sevyn felt deeply embarrassed.

She wanted to turn around and leave, but when she remembered what Beatrice had said, she forced herself to endure it.

She bit down hard on the inside of her lip until the taste of blood spread through her mouth. When she spoke again, her tone had turned numb.

"Since you already know why I'm here, please fulfill your duty as my husband. Grandma has always hoped that we'd have a child. I'm sure you're aware of that as well."

As she spoke, she set the apple juice down, stepped forward, and began undressing.

She usually wrapped herself up in stiff, conservative clothing, making herself look dull and old-fashioned.

Only Micah knew how alluring she truly was.

He knew that beneath her rigid exterior was a beauty revealed only to him, and the thought alone made it hard to restrain his desire for her again and again.

A dark glint flickered across his eyes.

Sevyn paused, her entire body feeling as though it had been scorched. Memories of "that night" instinctively surfaced in her mind.

That night had been the only time they had ever been intimate. Micah's warm body and strong arms still made her heart race whenever she thought about them.

Lost in those memories, Sevyn suddenly felt herself lifted. Micah swept her up and flung her onto the bed, his body coming down after her in one swift motion.

A flicker of nervousness passed through her, along with anticipation.

She loved this man deeply. She had always wanted his warmth and affection, but after that night, he'd never touched her again.

She wondered if he would that night.

"Sevyn, have you forgotten who you are?" The mockery in Micah's voice hit Sevyn like a bucket of ice water.

The color drained from her face at once. "I haven't."

"Haven't what?"

Micah grabbed her by the throat. He snarled, "Are you trying to say that you didn't scheme against me three years ago, or that you didn't force me to marry you?"

His gaze flicked toward the apple juice she had brought in. "It's been years, but your methods are still just as disgraceful."

Back then, she had also brought him apple juice, and everything had spiraled out of control.

Disgust flashed across Micah's eyes as he flung her aside. Sevyn fell off the bed, and her knee slammed hard into the floor.

"Ah!" she cried out in pain.

Micah's brows furrowed. He instinctively stepped forward, but a sudden thought stopped him, forcing him back.

Sevyn knelt awkwardly on the floor. Her collar, half undone from what she had begun, hung open. From his angle, everything was laid bare.

Micah's Adam's apple bobbed, and the disgust in his eyes deepened. "Get out!"

Sevyn's heart seized. Seeing the undisguised loathing in his eyes, she wondered whether holding on had ever meant anything.

She was exhausted.

"Micah," she said, "let's get a divorce."

Chapter 2

Micah's expression didn't change, and his tone was filled with mockery as he asked, "What, is this your new trick? Are you trying to play hard to get?"

Sevyn firmly said, "No. I'm being serious."

The words had come out in a moment of impulse, but she didn't regret them.

When she first learned she would marry Micah, she had been overjoyed. She believed her life would be bound to his from then on and that she would spend all the years ahead by his side.

Who could've imagined that in just three short years, she would already be thinking about divorce?

Perhaps she never should've dared to hope in the first place.

"You're serious?" Micah's gaze swept over her with open contempt, mixed with lewd disdain.

"You were willing to give up your virginity back then just to force me into marrying you, and now you're tired of it and want someone else? If there's going to be a divorce, I'll be the one to bring it up. You don't have that right."

"Fine then," Sevyn said. "I'll wait for you to bring it up."

She slowly got up from the floor, put her clothes back on, and walked out.

But when she got to the door, she couldn't stop herself from turning back. "Am I really that unworthy of your trust?"

She knew that he had always been bothered about what happened that night.

He believed she had schemed against him—engineering their intimacy and letting Beatrice catch them, forcing his hand into marriage.

Because of that, he had lost the woman he loved most, and he hated her from then on.

But the truth was, Sevyn had her reasons.

Micah snapped, "Trust? I trusted you once. And how did you repay me?"

A vicious, oppressive aura clung to him, and the fury in his eyes was terrifying.

Sevyn's lips parted as bitterness filled her heart.

Indeed, he had once been everything to her.

She remembered when she first arrived at the Malone residence. She had been young, frightened, and unfamiliar with everything.

Micah was the first to accept her.

He had grown up with her. Despite his perpetually cold expression, he celebrated her birthdays, took her out, and stood up for her whenever she was mistreated.

He was the first person to show her kindness.

Being young and foolish, she had fallen for him completely, sinking deeper and deeper until there was no way for her to back out.

It was she who had let him down and destroyed everything.

"I…" Sevyn wanted to tell him everything about what had happened back then, but the moment she remembered what that person had once said to her, the words caught in her throat.

Ultimately, she said, "One day, you'll understand."

There was actually something else she wanted to ask. She wanted to know if he remembered what day it was.

But she already knew the answer.

That day marked their third wedding anniversary. To him, though, it probably wasn't an anniversary at all. It was more like a day he wished had never happened.

Sevyn smiled bitterly to herself. She glanced at the glass of apple juice on the table and still couldn't stop herself from offering a reminder. "Your throat hasn't been great lately. Don't forget to drink the apple juice."

After that, she turned and left the guest room.

Inside, Micah's expression darkened completely.

After a long moment, he glanced at the glass on the table. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes before he finally reached out and picked it up.

Late that night, while Sevyn was asleep, she suddenly felt her body sink under a heavy weight. The heat was unmistakable, and so was the strange, familiar sensation that came with it.

She snapped her eyes open and met a pair of bloodshot eyes.

Micah? Why was he here?

"Sevyn, how dare you do this to me, time after time! Fine. Since you want it so badly, I'll give it to you."

Micah glared at her viciously, the veins in his neck protruding as he reached down and tore her clothes open in one rough motion.

Chapter 3

Sevyn hadn't even figured out what was happening, let alone understood what Micah had just said, before she was pulled into a rush that left her completely overwhelmed.

It hurt, and yet, beneath the pain, there was a sense of happiness that she couldn't suppress.

She slowly reached up and wrapped her arms around Micah.

Did this mean that he was finally willing to touch her? Did it mean that he'd forgiven her?

She didn't have the energy to hold onto those thoughts for long.

…

When Sevyn woke up again, it was already the next day.

The memory of the night before came back to her all at once, and a faint flush crept up her face. She hadn't even had time to feel embarrassed when a cold voice cut in, "Since you're awake, take this."

She turned and saw that Micah was already up and fully dressed. As he spoke, he tossed a box toward her.

"What's this?"

She picked it up without much thought, then froze when she saw the label. It was the morning-after pill.

"Why?" she asked.

Hadn't he already forgiven her? Why was he still making her take something like this?

"You know why." His gaze was cold as it landed on her, his tone filled with ridicule.

What should she have known?

Only then did Sevyn remember what he'd said—she wasn't fit to be the mother of his child.

A wave of bitterness spread through her chest. Thinking back on it now, everything that had happened the night before felt unreal, like some absurd, cruel dream.

"I understand."

Sevyn tightened her grip on the box, then slowly let go. She opened it, took out a pill, tilted her head back, and swallowed it.

"Are you happy now? Or do you want to stay and watch until it's fully absorbed before you leave?"

She looked at him with a detached expression, as though she had swallowed candy instead of medicine.

That indifference only deepened the darkness in his expression. "Good. I'm very happy. Since you're so self-aware, you've saved me the trouble."

He turned and left without looking back.

Just before stepping out, Micah suddenly stopped and added, "Last night was the last time. If you ever dare to set me up again, you won't want to know what happens when you cross me."

It felt like something had exploded in Sevyn's mind.

Set him up? Could it be…

Almost immediately, her thoughts went to the apple juice.

At the same time, everything about his behavior the night before suddenly made sense. Once she put it all together, Sevyn smiled self-deprecatingly.

Delia had served the Malones for years. If she had been given an order, it could only have come from Beatrice.

Sevyn knew Beatrice had always wanted a great-grandchild. But when she did this, had she ever stopped to think about Sevyn?

Three years ago, it had been the same thing. Sevyn had brought Micah apple juice, and everything had changed after that.

Later, she learned that two liquors had been mixed into the drink—enough to make someone lose control. To avoid detection, even the scent of alcohol had been removed.

That was why Micah had seen her as calculating and manipulative.

Now, Beatrice had used Sevyn again, and she'd even chosen the same tactic. How was Sevyn supposed to face Micah after this?

This time, his hatred for her would only run deeper.

Sevyn bit down on her lip, hard. Blood slowly spilled from the corner of her mouth and dripped onto the bedsheet, blooming into a dark stain.

Just then, her phone rang.

She pulled herself together and answered it. "What is it, Corinne?"

Corinne Langford's anxious voice came through immediately. "Sevyn, something's gone wrong at the company!"

Sevyn's expression tightened. She threw back the covers and got out of bed. But the moment she stood up, her legs gave out, and she nearly dropped to her knees.

She let out a muffled groan before she could stop herself.

"Sevyn, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Corinne asked.

"I'm fine. I just bumped my knee," Sevyn replied, ignoring the discomfort in her body as she quickly got dressed. "Tell me what happened."

"There was an accident with the excavation team. The victims' families showed up at the company, and they brought many reporters with them," Corinne said urgently. "It's a mess right now. You need to get here as soon as possible."

Jewelry was one of Malone Group's core businesses. From excavation to cutting, design, and sales, they controlled the entire chain. The Malones were a true jewelry dynasty.

Now, a problem had arisen with the excavation team.

Sevyn felt a sense of unease rise in her chest, but her voice remained calm as she said, "Keep them under control. I'll be right there."

She hung up and headed straight to the company.

When she reached the entrance, she immediately spotted Micah standing at the center of the crowd, surrounded by people and reporters.

His expression was dark, impatience etched clearly in his expression. It was obvious that he was already at the edge of his restraint.

Sevyn took a deep breath, steadied herself, and walked toward them.

Suddenly, a sharp glint caught her eye. She turned instinctively and saw someone in the crowd gripping a knife, staring viciously at Micah.

Her pupils shrank. She didn't have time to think before she lunged toward him.

"Watch out!"

Chapter 4

There was a dull, wet sound as the blade drove into flesh.

Sevyn felt a sharp pain tear through her, and her body went limp as she collapsed.

"Zora!"

Micah instinctively caught her, his arms closing around her before she hit the ground. For the first time in years, panic broke through the cold, controlled expression he always wore.

"Chester!" he demanded.

When he looked at the attacker, the murderous chill in his eyes made the man freeze in place, too terrified even to run.

Chester Hale immediately reacted. He moved in with his people and restrained the attacker on the spot.

The scene had already fallen into chaos, yet no one dared approach the man at the center of it.

Micah held the unconscious Sevyn in his arms, his expression grim. The hostility radiating off him forced the crowd to part without him having to utter a single word.

He carried her toward the exit. "Get the emergency room ready, now!"

As Sevyn drifted in and out of consciousness, she thought that she had heard a tremor in Micah's voice and the name she hadn't heard in a very long time—Zora.

Her heart clenched. She tried to see his face, but all she could make out was the hard line of his jaw before everything went dark.

When Sevyn woke again, she was already in the hospital.

The memory of that voice surfaced immediately. She turned her head toward the side of the bed, only to see an empty chair, as hollow as the space in her chest.

She let out a mocking laugh. She didn't know why she was still expecting him to stay.

"Sevyn, are you awake?" Corinne's voice came from the doorway, bright with relief. She hurried in with a thermos in her hands.

Seeing Sevyn conscious, Corinne was visibly excited. "You scared me to death earlier. Why did you rush over like that? If that knife had gone any deeper, you might not have made it."

She spoke as she gestured, carefully helping Sevyn sit up before opening the thermos and pouring out a bowl of chowder.

"It's blackfish chowder. Apparently, it helps with recovery," she added. "Drink it while it's still hot."

Before Sevyn could respond, a spoon was already at her lips.

The rich, familiar scent reached her, and some of the emptiness in her chest eased without her realizing it. She smiled and said, "Thanks. I can manage by myself."

The injury was on her left shoulder blade, so she could still move her right hand.

Corinne handed her the spoon and set the bowl within reach. Sevyn took a sip. It tasted nice, though something about it felt oddly familiar.

Lost in thought, a commotion suddenly stirred outside the room. Amid the noise, she caught a familiar name, and her grip tightened slightly around the bowl.

Corinne didn't notice this. She leaned in and lowered her voice. "Guess who I ran into earlier? Vivian Talbot. Everyone's been talking about her lately."

She pulled out her phone and tapped open a news feed. "They're livestreaming it right now. Wait, isn't that Mr. Malone?"

Sevyn recognized them immediately.

One of the people on screen was her husband, and the other was his most recent lover, Vivian Talbot.

The moment Sevyn saw Vivian's familiar eyes, an ache spread through her chest.

Throughout their marriage, Micah had never been short of company. One woman after another appeared at his side, each bearing some resemblance to that one person, serving as a constant reminder to Sevyn.

Sevyn had cried the first time she heard the rumors. Later, she learned to endure them. By now, she had grown almost numb to it all.

On the screen, Micah, who should have been at his wife's bedside, stood just a wall away, accompanying another woman instead.

Vivian clung to his arm, her smile faint.

"Ms. Talbot, why are you here at the hospital with Mr. Malone? There are rumors that the two of you are dating. Is that true?"

"Someone just saw you coming out of the OB-GYN department. Does that mean there's good news coming soon?"

The words struck Sevyn like a bolt of lightning. The questions blurred together, but she couldn't hear them anymore.

One phrase kept echoing in her mind—the OB-GYN department.

Was Vivian pregnant?

Her hand tightened around the blanket over her abdomen. Micah knew better than anyone that Beatrice had been pressing her to have a child, yet he refused to touch her. He had said it plainly, telling her that he found her dirty.

He would rather be with other women than ever touch her again.

For three years, that was precisely what he had done. He had cycled through different lovers, and now, he had allowed Vivian to get pregnant.

The memory of that morning resurfaced—of him forcing her to take the morning-after pill. Then her gaze shifted to the screen, where Vivian clung to Micah's arm, smiling shyly.

It felt like a blade had been driven straight into her chest, the pain sharp and unrelenting.

She coughed suddenly, blood spilling from her mouth as she toppled over.

Chapter 5

When Sevyn woke up again, it was already evening.

She turned her head and saw Corinne slumped over beside the hospital bed, fast asleep. There was no one else in the room.

A bitter smile tugged at Sevyn's lips. She had known how this would end, yet she still couldn't stop herself from hoping.

Perhaps after finishing his time with Vivian, Micah would come to see her. Maybe that soft call of "Zora" hadn't been her imagination after all.

Only he had ever called her that.

Back then, she had been very young and had barely settled into the Malone family. Everyone mocked her for being an orphan. She hadn't even had a proper name.

In truth, Sevyn wasn't really her name. She had been called "Sevyn" simply because the day the Malone family adopted her happened to fall on the 17th.

After getting bullied and mocked at school, she had hidden in the attic and cried by herself. Micah had been the one to find her.

He had told her, "If you don't have a name, I'll give you one. My name is Micah. Since you're starting a new life with us, why don't I call you Zora? It symbolizes new beginnings."

From that day on, he had always called her that, his tone gentle and indulgent.

Back then, he had been the older brother who protected her and never lost patience with her. But somewhere along the way, everything had changed.

"Hm?"

Corinne stirred and blinked groggily before her eyes landed on Sevyn. "Sevyn, you're awake. How are you feeling? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

Her voice was laced with concern.

She had been terrified earlier. Sevyn had been talking one moment, and the next, she'd coughed up blood. The doctor had said that it wasn't anything serious and that she'd only been overly stimulated for a moment, but Corinne still couldn't shake the fear.

And when she thought back to what had happened after that, her expression turned complicated.

Corinne had never seen Micah lose control like that. He had burst in from outside, scooping up Sevyn with blood still staining the corner of her mouth. The instant he looked over, his gaze was so cold that it felt as though he might kill her.

He had barked, "What did you do to her?"

Corinne still remembered his low, chilling question.

She had been so terrified that she hadn't even known how to respond. It wasn't until Chester arrived and called for the doctor that she finally managed to breathe again, the crushing pressure easing as if she had just stared death in the face.

She wanted to know what was going on between Sevyn and Micah.

Corinne opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't ask.

Sevyn thought Corinne wanted to talk about Vivian. She didn't want to go there, so she ignored how Corinne had hesitated and said, "I'm fine. How did things go with the families that were making a scene?"

Corinne tried to reassure her. "It's fine. With Mr. Malone and the PR department there, nothing's going to happen. You're injured, so you shouldn't worry about work right now."

Sevyn nodded and didn't ask anything else. After all, she wasn't the only employee on the team. She said, "I'm fine here. You should go home."

"But… are you really okay on your own?"

"I'm fine. You still have to work tomorrow, so go back and get some rest."

"Alright, then. I'll head back first."

Only after she was sure that Sevyn truly needed nothing did Corinne stand to leave. At the door, she paused, as if remembering something. She said, "Oh, right. While you were out, someone called you several times."

Then, she left.

The ward fell quiet again, leaving Sevyn alone.

The moment she was by herself, the toughness she had been holding onto slipped away, and emptiness crept into her expression, as though all the world's noise and warmth had nothing to do with her.

After a long time, she remembered Corinne's words and reached for her phone.

Her brows furrowed when she saw the missed calls on the screen. That familiar number belonged to Beatrice.

Sevyn immediately called her back. "Grandma—"

Before she could say anything else, Beatrice's scolding came through the line. "What are you doing? I've been calling you, and you didn't pick up."

"I… had something to deal with," Sevyn said quietly. She didn't mention being injured or hospitalized.

Beatrice clearly didn't care about that either. She went straight to the point, her tone harsh. "Something to deal with? What could you possibly have to deal with? That woman is already pregnant with Micah's child. What have you been doing?

"Enough. I'll take care of it this time. I'm giving you one last chance. Tomorrow at 8:00 pm, Sunspire Hotel, Room 1088. I'll have Micah find you. If you can't seize this opportunity, you won't have a choice anymore."

With that, she hung up.

Sevyn sat there gripping the phone, her face pale. She knew Beatrice had just delivered her an ultimatum. When she recalled the way Beatrice handled things, it sent a chill straight down her spine.

…

Somewhere in a hidden basement, a middle-aged man hung suspended in the air by ropes, his body covered in blood. He was the one who had stabbed Sevyn earlier.

He stared at Micah across from him, shrouded in darkness, his voice trembling with fear. "I-I'll talk. I'll tell you everything…"

From the shadows came a calm, cool voice. "Go on."

"It was… M-Mr. Jackson Malone," the man stammered. "He gave me money and told me to cause a scene at Malone Group…"

A soft, cold laugh echoed through the air.

So it really was Jackson.

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Micah straightened, rose to his feet, and walked away, leaving behind nothing more than a casual instruction. "Make it clean."

The middle-aged man's pupils shrank. "Y-You can't go back on your word. You said you'd let me go if I confessed. You—"

Micah didn't respond.

He walked out of the basement, and under the moonlight, his refined, indifferent face finally came into view. His eyes brimmed with murderous intent.

They could go after him if they wanted, but if anyone dared lay a finger on Sevyn, they were going to die.