Chapter 1

Three years into Sylvia York's marriage, Weston Lowe's foster sister, Elaine Cole, fell into drug addiction. Sylvia sent her to a rehabilitation center in Helvetora without his knowledge, but a sudden plane crash left no trace of her behind. Since then, Weston has lost his sanity. He destroyed York Group, drove Sylvia's parents to their deaths, and drugged her in a back alley. She was assaulted and left for dead. As she closed her eyes, she saw him towering over her with madness in his eyes. "You took Elaine from me. I'll make sure your body is destroyed just like hers!" It was then that Sylvia finally understood the forbidden feelings he had for his adopted sister. When she opened her eyes again, she had been reborn. Sylvia stood frozen outside Elaine's bedroom in the Lowe residence. She rested her palm on the doorknob. A wave of dizziness clouded her mind until a breathy sound drifted from the room. "Wes… Wes…" The sultry voice jolted her back to reality. In her previous life, it was those same shameful words spilling from Elaine's lips that drove her to push open the door in fury. That step not only revealed Elaine's infatuation with Weston, but also her dependence on drugs. She told herself that Weston's affection for Elaine stemmed from gratitude. After all, Elaine had thrown herself in front of a speeding car to save him a year prior. She had nearly died as her organs had ruptured, spending seven nights in the ICU before pulling through. From then on, Weston insisted on keeping her at the Lowe residence. Sylvia had believed that Elaine's feelings were one-sided. To end her twisted affection for him, she had secretly sent her to Helvetora for rehabilitation after discovering her addiction. But now, she felt like a fool. Sylvia yanked her hand away from the door and staggered back to her room. She hugged herself as a shiver ran through her. Memories of her ruined family and her own tragic fate flooded her mind. She told herself that she wouldn't repeat the same mistakes. With newfound determination, she turned to leave. She planned to drive back to the York residence, but Weston came home. Instinctively, she hid. From the other side of the wall, she heard his assistant speaking. "Mr. Lowe, here's Ms. Cole's medical report. Thanks to the top surgeons you found, her recovery is going well." "Elaine suffered all that because of me," he said, taking the report. "I always treated her like a sister, but after the accident… I realized that she would risk her life for me. I can't return her feelings, so the least I can do is give her everything." The assistant adjusted his glasses. "Even so, to ensure there's no lasting damage, the doctors recommend a long-term program abroad. The hospitals in Helvetora are still the best. Shall I…" "No!" Weston cut him off. "She would break down without me. I can't let her go either. I wouldn't be there to care for her." Sylvia felt the words stab her chest like knives. She held back a scoff. She wasn't sure if Elaine would lose her mind without him, but she knew Weston definitely would. Her eyes blurred with tears, but her memories were crystal clear. She thought back to when she was 18. Weston had fallen for her at first sight and relentlessly chased after her. He had filled her campus with fresh gardenias flown in from around the globe just because she mentioned she liked them. Once, he flew overnight to Skydale, queued for hours, and returned the same day just so she could eat the ravioli she had craved. While she was training and didn't reply to his messages, he mobilized the Lowe family's entire network in Jarnheim just to locate her. He then silently waited for her outside the training venue. Once she was done, he hugged her so tightly that she could barely breathe. "Vivi, don't ever ignore my messages again. Not knowing where you are makes me lose my mind!" On the day he proposed, he lit up giant screens around the city. Drones followed him as he walked down the rose-carpeted streets from the Lowe's home to Sylvia's. "Vivi, you have no idea how much I love you. I love your stubbornness, and I love how gentle you are deep down inside. I love how pure your heart is. You've brought color to my world," he declared. "Every moment without you feels like agony. Sylvia, will you marry me?" The large screens and drones displayed the words, "Sylvia, I love you", once he dropped the question. Just three years had passed since that proposal. It still brought tears to her eyes whenever she recalled it, yet everything had changed beyond recognition. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she bit her lower lip. She refused to let out a single sound. The assistant hesitated. "Mr. Lowe, the doctors warned that Ms. Cole has been relying heavily on anesthetics to deal with the pain. They're afraid that…" "Elaine told me about it. She's just afraid of pain. It's nothing serious," he said, brushing it off. The assistant nodded. "I see." Sylvia slid down against the wall, curling into herself like a wounded animal. After a while, the assistant left. Weston stayed in the living room, idly checking his phone. "Wes?" a quiet voice sounded from the stairs. He turned. "Elaine, what is it?" "Wes!" Elaine rushed down the stairs barefoot and flung herself into his arms. Her skin was feverishly hot as her eyes glazed with desire. Weston felt something was off. "Elaine," he began. But before he could say more, her lips crashed against his. She kissed him hungrily and ran her hands all over him. "Wes, I love you so much," she whispered. "You used to love Sylvia so much. Do you know how much it hurt me? But now you finally love me too. I love you. Promise we'll always be together." Her repeated declarations of love shook him. "I'm sorry for not noticing it earlier, Elaine." He turned the tables and kissed her back passionately. Their bodies intertwined as gasps filled the air. Sylvia's face turned pale. It felt like her chest had been crushed. The noises made her sick to her stomach. The sounds slowly faded. She heard his footsteps moving upstairs. She opened the door. It was chaos. Torn shirts, pants, and underwear were littered across the floor and stairs. Her whole body shivered. Pain wrapped around her like chains. The image of the boy who once swore eternal love was shattered completely. Sylvia went down to the basement with her ID in hand. She set two things in motion.