"Serena Thompson, so what if you were the biological daughter of the Thompsons? Your mom raised me since I was a kid. To her, I’ve always been the real daughter! All her love, everything in this house—it's all mine!"

"Serena, sweetheart, Mom promises you… as long as you take the fall for Chloe and serve seven years in prison, I’ll make sure your dad gets into the best hospital room right away. I’ll bring in the top doctors in the entire country for his surgery. Please… I’m begging you, okay?"

"You’re a monster, Serena! Why aren’t you the one lying half-dead in that hospital bed?! Why weren’t you the one hit?! Why aren’t you the one in a coma?!"

…

Her dream lit up with a sharp white flash, followed by all those eyes—mocking, hateful, stabbing into her like icy blades.

A few seconds later, Serena opened her eyes, breathing hard. Her forehead was drenched with cold sweat.

Another nightmare.

She took a few deep breaths, turning her head toward the window.

Bars lined the prison cell’s tiny window, cutting off what little outside world she could see. In the deep night, the wind had that bleak autumn bite, chilly and lonely.

It had been a full five years since she’d taken the fall for Chloe in that hit-and-run case.

Five years ago, on the day Ava Reynolds, fiancée of the infamous Tanner Brooks, was supposed to get engaged, she was hit in a car accident and ended up in a coma.

The driver ran off.

Tanner completely lost it—went on a manhunt to get to the bottom of it.

And somehow? All signs ended up pointing straight to her, the nobody adopted daughter from who-knows-where who had just made it to the capital.

She tried explaining that day.

He didn’t believe her.

Nobody did.

Everyone knew that chick from the countryside had spent years shamelessly chasing after Tanner Brooks despite all the mocking and the rolled eyes. The man practically broke off an engagement just to be rid of her and only settled when he made it official with someone else.

Cheap. Desperate. Pitiful.

She was always the most obvious suspect.

Back then, he had grabbed her by the neck, veins bulging in his arm, eyes darker than the devil’s—like some demon crawling out of hell. He hissed, “How many lives do you have to pay for hers?!”

She shook in fear but said nothing more.

And then he personally threw her in prison.

Five years blurred by.

Right then, the silence in the cell was shattered by vulgar noises coming from the other side of the bars.

Life in prison wasn't quiet.

People served long sentences here. Got lonely. They’d do anything to feel something.

Serena had been terrified at first, plugging her ears, trying to shut it all out.

Now? She barely noticed.

Soon, she was getting out.

…

Two months later. Early morning.

With a loud clank, the gate swung open. The guard spoke with a dead-serious tone—

“Inmate 113031, move forward. No looking back. Live right when you walk out of here.”

The sunlight outside was almost too bright.

Serena didn’t look behind her. She waited by the roadside forever before getting into a cab.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

“Capital First Hospital.”The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror and held out a QR code. “Fifty.”

Serena Thompson blinked at it, a little lost.

After a moment, she pulled out a crumpled fifty-yuan bill from her clenched fist and handed it over.

Forty minutes later, she got out of the car.

The towering Empire City First Hospital stood imposingly under the urban sky. Five years had passed, and somehow it looked even more grand and high-end than before.

Serena dropped her gaze and slowly walked in.

Relying on memory, she found herself in front of the director’s office. She knocked.

A voice from inside replied, “Come in.”

She stepped inside.

Samuel McCain looked up and, upon seeing her, blinked in surprise. “You?”

He studied her closely.

The woman before him looked frail and thin, her lips almost colorless. What was once a soft, round face had become more angular with a sharper chin.

Five years—more than 1,800 days and nights.

That span had clearly worn down her edges. The gentleness and spark she used to carry were gone.

Only her eyes were the same.

Still clear, still tinged with charm; those slightly upturned corners gave her gaze an alluring glow.

Even in those old, worn clothes, her eyes still stood out—they couldn't be hidden.

Serena walked up to him.

“You’re not supposed to be out yet,” McCain said, then hesitated and changed tack. “Take a seat first.”

After all, when Tanner Brooks had her locked up back then, she was sentenced to seven years, and now it had barely been five.

Serena sat down and got straight to the point. “Director McCain, I want to know how my dad’s doing.”

McCain nodded, understanding her meaning.

Thompson wasn’t her real surname.

Word was, she’d been brought from the countryside to the Thompson family in Empire City when she was 13. They’d taken her in and raised her as their daughter. But she still had a birth father back in that rural town—Edward Graham.

After hearing about her hit-and-run incident back then, the man had suffered a stroke under the shock. McCain now recalled that he was still in their hospital.

He pulled up the computer and opened the medical records. “Mr. Graham had surgery here five years ago. He's been slowly recovering. Although he still spends most of his time unconscious, his condition has stabilized overall.”

The Thompsons really had gone above and beyond for her. After she brought all that shame and trouble onto the family, they still kept her father’s hospital fees covered for five years.

“I see.” Serena stood up. “Thanks.”

She walked out the door.

Took the elevator up to the twenty-sixth floor.

Outside the hospital room, she peeked in through the glass. Inside, the old man had white hair all over, lying motionless—completely lifeless.

He’d gotten old.

“Daddy’s little Serena grew a bit taller again, come here, let Daddy pick you up…”

“Daddy found a job today. My Serena dreams of going to Empire Music University, right? Then Daddy will work hard to save up and buy you that piano you love, okay?”

“Don’t cry, baby girl. Daddy’s not leaving you. Be good, alright? Once you’re at the Thompsons’ place, remember they’re your real parents now. They’ll love you a hundred, a thousand times more. So you have to grow up happy, my girl…”

Her eyes suddenly stung, and warm tears dripped silently into her palm.

What a shame.

She hadn’t become the daughter he had hoped she’d be.She was about to let him down.

The long corridor stretched endlessly, a slant of golden sunlight spilling through the window, hitting her pale, sickly face.

It was glaring hot outside, but her hands and feet were ice-cold.

She didn't know how long she'd been standing there.

Then, footsteps echoed from around the corner. "Mr. Brooks, the carnations are ready. Do you want to head out now?"

"Yeah." A deep, familiar voice rang out from just around the bend. Serena Thompson froze, her spine snapping straight as a wave of dread washed over her, trembling hands clenched at her sides.

She turned sharply and peeked toward the source of the voice.

Leading the group was a man in a black suit. His eyes, narrow and sharp, paired with a jawline like it was carved in stone — cold and stern. He stood tall and lean, every inch exuding control.

Five years hadn’t left a mark on him. If anything, he looked even more poised, more ruthless than she remembered.

Her body trembled violently. That instinctive fear rooted deep in her bones kicked in, and without thinking, she turned to bolt.

Too late—

"Stop right there!" he barked from behind, the command soaked in ice-cold pressure that came crashing down on her.

Serena’s whole body went still. Her heart thudded up into her throat, pounding like a drum.

Tanner Brooks clicked his tongue, the sound sharp in the air as he strode forward with long, unhurried steps.

His footsteps grew louder, each one hammering harder against her nerves.

She stood frozen, color draining quickly from her face.

He stopped about three meters away.

Lifting his chin slightly, he narrowed his eyes at her back and said, "You look kind of familiar, miss."

"...You must be mistaken." She didn't turn around, just gripped her palms tighter, forcing out a hoarse reply. "We’ve never met. So how could I be familiar?"

"That so?" he hummed, voice low, and took another step closer.

The tapping of his shoes on the floor sent shivers shooting up her spine.

Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She clenched her teeth, then suddenly turned and dashed off without hesitation, like a scared rabbit.

Tanner’s brows furrowed in irritation. He let out an annoyed snort, lunging forward to catch her wrist and yanked her back hard. "Where the hell do you think you’re going!"

Everything spun, and Serena slammed into the hospital wall with a dull thump.

Warm, soft light overhead cast a quiet glow, but most of it was blocked by the man looming over her.

His eyes held the same stormy intensity they used to—the same darkness and temper simmering just beneath the surface.

Tanner looked down at her face.

She was paper-white, obviously shaken, thinner than before. Even so, those eyes — so clear it hurt — were still heartbreakingly beautiful.

Too damn deceptive.

"Serena Thompson. Knew it was you."

"Tanner Brooks." Her voice trembled as she faced those menacing eyes. "What do you want?"

He gave a cold, joyless laugh, looking her up and down like she was some stain on his day. "Who let you out?"

"None of your business." Serena gritted her teeth, voice low and tense. "Let go."

His grip only tightened, eyes sharp as razors. "I’ll ask one more time — your sentence’s not done. Who the hell gave you the pass?""Let go!" Serena Thompson's face turned pale from the pain. She gritted her teeth and hissed, "You have a fiancée, do you really think it's okay to manhandle someone like this in public? Not worried about becoming a joke?"

With narrowed eyes, Tanner Brooks' expression turned sharp. "Five years behind bars and still no lesson learned, huh?"

"Exactly." She snapped, "What, you hoping a so-called murderer like me would see the light?"

His features darkened instantly.

A beat later, he glanced at his assistant, voice icy as ever. "Find out exactly who authorized her release. I didn’t give the word."

The assistant nodded quickly. "Yes, sir."

Serena's face went ghostly white in an instant.

"What’s wrong?" Tanner sneered, looking her up and down, "Scared now?"

"Scared?" Serena locked eyes with that cold, terrifying gaze. "If I was scared of you, I wouldn’t have come back."

Back to where? The most elite private hospital in Di Du. The same place Ava Reynolds was lying in. And the same place where five years ago… he nearly strangled her to death.

"Good," Tanner’s lips curved into a chilling smile. "It’s too early to be scared."

Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her off without a word.

"Let go! What are you doing? Where are you taking me?! Let go of me!"

Serena struggled as he pulled her along.

Just around the corner, Samuel McCain caught a glimpse of the scene. He frowned, looking pained, but said nothing and let them pass.

Tanner didn’t stop until they reached the elevator, still gripping her wrist tightly.

He dragged her all the way to the 28th floor, right outside the most exclusive VIP ward, and then shoved her hard.

Serena stumbled forward, landing hard on her knees by a hospital bed.

She forced herself to look up.

A woman lay motionless on the bed, peaceful.

"Serena, it’s my birthday today. This piano—Tanner gave it to me. Wanna give it a try?"

"Serena, I know you like Tanner, but he just proposed out of the blue—it’s not like I can say no. You get it, right? You’ll be happy for us, won’t you?"

"This car’s yours. When you get into college, you’ll be able to drive yourself."

A flood of memories hit her like a wave, but she clenched her jaw and stayed silent.

Tanner looked down at her like she was nothing. "Five years in prison. Did you repent?"

Her fingers twitched weakly.

She used to be terrified of him, never daring to even speak his name. But now, it rolled off her tongue like second nature.

"Tanner Brooks."

Her lips were bleeding from how hard she bit them, a twisted smile creeping up on her face. "Still daydreaming, huh? Trying to get an apology from a killer?"

"You’ve got a death wish!" his rage exploded, and he lunged forward, grabbing her throat with both hands.

"Do it. Come on—go ahead and kill me…" she rasped, mocking him.

Those eyes—there was nothing left in them but utter despair.

His grip tightened.

Her chest burned from lack of air, and still… a faint smile appeared on her lips. Her eyes slowly closed, peaceful.

The smile was barely there, like smoke vanishing into thin air.

Something in his chest twisted for no reason at all.He suddenly let go and gave her face a couple of light slaps. “Serena Thompson.”

No response.

He called her name again.

She just lay there like some broken doll, limp and lifeless.

“Serena!” he shouted, voice rising. “Serena! Don’t you dare play dead on me!”

Bang!

The door burst open. Samuel McCain rushed in, crouched beside her and quickly checked her.

“She’s passed out! We need to get her into emergency now!”

Tanner Brooks’ eyes narrowed sharply.

Only then did he notice her already pale face had turned completely ashen—like the light had gone out of her.

Samuel waved over a team, and people rushed in instantly.

He scooped her off the floor and placed her on the trolley, not sparing Tanner a glance as they whisked her out.

……

An hour later.

Serena had been moved to a regular ward.

After running another set of checks, Samuel finally stepped out of the room.

Tanner was sitting alone on the hallway bench, cigarette between two fingers, smoke curling around his chiseled face, casting shadows that made his expression unreadable.

Samuel hesitated, then sat down beside him.

The corridor was quiet.

“How is she?” Tanner asked after a long silence, voice calm but cold.

Samuel pressed his lips together. His tone stiff. “She’s covered in injection marks. Hasn’t eaten properly for god knows how long. Honestly, what you did just now… nearly killed her.”

But he didn’t say the worst part.

The exams revealed something else—she’d given birth to a child four years ago.

No postpartum care, and her body was left with permanent damage.

Four years ago… she was what, barely more than a kid?

Samuel shut his eyes tightly for a second.

His hands were visibly shaking.

Who the hell did this to her?

After a deep breath, he forced his voice to steady. “Tanner, that girl used to have nothing but love for you. Devoted years of her life to you. Don’t you think… this is a bit much?”

“She committed a crime and deserves the consequences.” Tanner stubbed out his cigarette. “She brought this on herself.”

Samuel didn’t reply.

All he could think of was that girl from years ago—the way she used to look over her shoulder at Tanner, eyes soft and shy, full of stars.

Now… that girl was gone.

Totally gone.

Turns out, five years is all it takes to break someone.

His eyes shifted to Tanner’s profile.

That sharp jawline, flawless lines, cool and detached like always.

Like some god from above—untouchable, emotionless.

Suddenly, Samuel really wanted to tell him, “Tanner, if you’ve got any shred of doubt left, don’t wait till it’s too late.”

Because once this game is set, there’s no turning back.

Right then, a phone started ringing.

Tanner answered.

Someone on the other end shouted urgently, “Sir! We’ve got a problem! The young master’s throwing a fit—crying nonstop! No matter what we try to console him, he just keeps screaming! The old man said you need to come back ASAP!”

……