Rachel watched helplessly as the car vanished in a cloud of dust. Sharp gravel bit into her flesh, and blood loss soon had her shivering uncontrollably in the pitch–black night.
She couldn’t hold the kneeling position any longer, collapsing awkwardly sideways. But the bodyguard immediately yanked her upright. “Miss Hall, stay kneeling!
Mr. Jones hasn’t permitted you to rise. Don’t make this hard for us—or yourself.”
Rachel could only clamp her jaw shut, enduring each agonizing second.
Near dawn, her phone buzzed with a video from Amy. Trembling fingers tapped the screen.
The footage showed Amy nestled against Aaron’s chest, barely covered, cheeks flushed as she traced circles on his bare skin. “Aaron, if you ever remember my sister… would me?”
“Never. If I’d truly loved her, how could I forget?
you leave
Those two years were just passing lonely hours. My body knows better than I do who deserves real love.”
Aaron rolled over, pinning Amy beneath him.
“Mmm… Aaron! Teasing me again!”
Amy’s face flushed crimson.
Rachel clenched her phone, watching their bodies entwined as passionate moans filled the
air. The agony in her heart eclipsed her physical pain a thousandfold.
11
…Why are you still kneeling here?
Rachel, who are you trying to defy!”
Aaron and the others returned from the hospital only the next morning. Donna found Rachel still kneeling and immediately scolded, seemingly oblivious to the bodyguards glaring at her daughter. She roughly grabbed Rachel’s arm, worsening the injuries on her knees.
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“Sis, you’re not still mad at me, are you?”
Amy approached Rachel with her signature phony fragility, deliberately tilting her chin to proudly display the love bites on her neck and chest.
Rachel expressionlessly shook off her mother’s grip, ignoring Amy’s question. She struggled to stand, only to collapse back onto her knees after two steps.
Defeated, she crawled on hands and knees toward her room, leaving two long trails of blood behind.
Aaron silently watched the bloodstains, his eyes flickering. He’d just motioned for bodyguards to take Rachel to the hospital when-
“Aaron, I’m starving.”
Amy was just whispering coyly in his ear when Aaron’s attention snapped back to her. He reached up to affectionately ruffle her hair. “What are you craving? I’ll take you anywhere.”
Rachel dragged herself back to her room and immediately contacted Mr. Elijah Flores. Having founded a thriving tech company in Europe, Elijah Flores had repeatedly offered Rachel lucrative partnership opportunities. She’d always declined, unable to bear leaving Alex behind–clinging to the hope that Aaron would someday remember their past.
Now she finally realized how delusional she’d been. Even if Aaron ever recalled those two years, his heart belonged only to Amy. Why humiliate herself further?
“Rachel, I’m thrilled you’ve accepted! I’ll handle all the paperwork within a week,” Elijah’s voice brimmed with elation. “Thank you for joining me. I promise you won’t regret this.”
Rachel planned to tell no one about leaving.
Donna cared too much about reputation to tolerate society ladies accusing her of mistreating her ex–husband’s daughter; she’d never let Rachel go easily.
As for Aaron… He wouldn’t care, but their engagement was arranged by Ryan Jones. The stubborn old man believed Rachel’s life–saving favor to Aaron could only be repaid through marriage. Rachel refused to stir more trouble,
Her leg throbbed painfully, yet she’d merely bandaged it before rushing to the office.
After months of work, her major project was signing today. But upon arriving at the venue, Rachel found Aaron and Amy already there.
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“From now on, Project Manager Amy will oversee this initiative.”
Aaron gestured toward Amy while smiling at the client.
The client paused briefly before nodding at Aaron.
Savvy businesspeople wouldn’t cross Aaron for Rachel’s sake. “Certainly. We look forward to working with you, Manager Amy.”
11
Why!”
Rachel couldn’t accept this.
She’d dedicated half a year to this project–all that effort wasn’t meant to do all the hard work only for someone else to reap the rewards.
Aaron coolly dismissed her: “It’s merely a deal worth tens of millions. Hardly worth fussing over.”
Aaron flung a black card at Rachel with disdain. “Compensation. Buy whatever you want.
“Rachel, remember you’re my fiancée. Future Mrs. Jones. In this position, you must be tolerant, magnanimous, and…”
“Obedient.”
His fingers unconsciously brushed her earlobe–a gesture he couldn’t explain.
Rachel shuddered violently. Alex used to do that during their private moments.
“…Alex? Is that you?”
Her voice trembled uncontrollably.
Aaron froze, his face twisting in disgust. “How many times? Alex doesn’t exist!”
Watching him storm off, Rachel shook her head bitterly. “True. My Alex would never treat me so coldly.”
As she reached for the card, stiletto heels crushed her fingers. Amy stood above her.
“See clearly now, Rachel? Aaron gives me anything I want.
She ground her heel into Rachel’s hand. “You’re nothing to him. What makes you think you
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can compete with me?”
Amy shed all her gentle pretense in front of Rachel, radiating pure arrogance.
Rachel snatched her hand away without even glancing at Amy, stepping around her toward
the exit.
This cold dismissal ignited Amy’s fury. She grabbed Rachel’s hand and dragged it across her own face, then clutched her cheek with a piercing scream.
Before Rachel could process what happened, Aaron’s bodyguards seized her. Aaron now shielded a sobbing Amy in his arms, his expression darkening dangerously as he saw the faint scratch on her cheek.
“Aaron, she never learns!” Aaron spat through gritted teeth.
“I didn’t do it. Amy dragged my hand across her face herself,” Rachel stated calmly.
“Rachel said she’d destroy me if I kept pursuing you… but I just can’t help it!” Amy’s pitiful sobs intensified, though a smirk tugged at her lips.
“Don’t worry,” Aaron murmured, kissing her tears away. “No one will hurt you while I’m
here.”
Rachel turned away, refusing to witness their unabashed intimacy.
“Since she hurt you, why don’t we destroy what she used to hurt you?”
Aaron comforted softly, yet his words rang in Rachel’s ears like a death knell.
Amy feigned confusion, “Aaron, what do you mean by that?”
“Pull out Rachel’s nails. Every single one.”
Aaron stated coldly.
