The warmth in Howard's eyes faded, replaced by a hint of coldness.

"Vanessa, we're about to get married. Can you please stop mentioning him?"


His inner thoughts synchronized:

[Bitch, even at this point you're still thinking about Blake? After I'm done with you, I'll hand you over to those thugs underground. You'll beg for death but won't find it.]

My stomach churned violently.


This was the man I had loved for ten years, the one I was willing to marry even at the cost of breaking ties with Blake.

In my previous life, I was truly blind.


Fighting back my nausea, I took out my phone from my bag.

Right in front of Howard, I found that all-too-familiar number in my blacklist and dialed it.

Howard's expression completely changed as he reached out to grab my phone.

"Vanessa, what the hell are you doing!"

I dodged to the side as the call connected.

A cold, deep male voice came through the receiver, carrying that familiar sense of authority.

"Vanessa, you still remember to call me?"

After a lifetime apart, hearing Blake's voice again, my tears instantly surged forth.

I cried so hard I could barely breathe, my voice trembling.

"Blake..."

"I don't want to get married anymore. Will you come get me?"

There was a full half-minute of silence on the other end of the line.

So long that I thought he would hang up coldly like he had countless times before.

But instead, he spoke in a tone that was almost a sigh: "Don't move. Wait for me."

After hanging up, I met Howard's sinister gaze.

He stared at me intently, as if trying to bore holes through me with his eyes.

"You're playing me?"

I wiped away my tears and looked at him calmly:

"Howard, I just realized that rather than marrying you, I'd prefer not to upset my brother."

"Let's end this here."

Howard laughed, his voice tight with rage:

"Vanessa, you think Blake is any better? He's just a control freak who wants to keep you locked in a cage!"

"If you dare leave with him today, I swear you'll regret it!"

His inner thoughts were even more venomous:

[Want to leave? Too late! Blake, I won't let you win. If I can't have her, neither can you!]

A chill ran through me, an ominous feeling settling in my gut.