Chapter 1
After serving five years in San Quentin State prison, the first thing Aurelia Thorne did was arrange for a sky burial in Tibet .
"Miss Thorne, this is the sky burial service you requested. After your death, your body will be transported to Celestial Mountain for the ceremony. You'll need to pay a deposit now, with the remaining balance due within two weeks."
Aurelia nodded, pulling out a plastic bag from her faded jeans. She meticulously counted the bills and coins she had saved during her time in prison, finally scraping together enough for the deposit.
She had been diagnosed with cancer while incarcerated. Now in the terminal stage, doctors estimated she had only a month left to live.
Years ago, she and Nolan Creed had made a promise to marry in Tibet, letting the sacred peaks of Celestial Mountain bear witness to their undying love.
Now that their wedding vows could never be fulfilled, at least she could rest eternally in that sacred land—a small consolation.
The sky burial wasn't cheap. After leaving the funeral service office, she applied for a waitressing position at Nightshade Lounge to pay the remaining balance.
With her criminal record, finding legitimate employment was impossible. Nightshade was notorious as the most extravagant nightclub in North Kingston, but the waitstaff earned decent wages.
After briefing her on the basics, the manager handed her a uniform and told her to start that very evening.
Following a brief training session, she entered one of the VIP rooms carrying bottles of liquor. The room was dimly lit, filled with wealthy heirs and socialites playing games. She kept her head down, crouching beside the coffee table to place the bottles down. Just as she was about to leave, that painfully familiar cold voice reached her from across the room.
Her entire body going rigid!
Sure enough, Nolan sat on the elevated sofa, surrounded by admirers, his sharp features appearing particularly noble and aloof in the shifting light.
Five years had passed, but his appearance hadn't changed at all, though he now carried an unapproachable coldness.
She couldn't help stealing another glance, only then noticing he had his arm around a woman—her former best friend, Evangeline Winters.
They appeared to be discussing wedding plans.
"We'll have the ceremony just as you like, in the seaside chapel with pink roses spread along the shore."
"If you don't like the wedding dress the designer created last time, I'll have someone make a new one. Everything will be tailored to your preferences."
Hearing that familiar voice, Aurelia's thoughts drifted involuntarily. Five years ago, she had been so close to becoming Nolan's bride.
They had grown up together, childhood sweethearts.
After Aurelia's parents died in an accident, it was Nolan who helped her through those unbearable times.
He would take her to school on his bicycle, fight for her when she was period, and even bought her sanitary products, blushing with embarrassment, the first time she got her period.
Their love developed naturally, progressing step by step toward marriage—until the eve of their wedding, when she ran over Nolan's mother with her car!
She would never forget that night, Nolan's eyes bloodshot with fury.
He cornered her against the wall like a madman, demanding to know why she'd done it, if she had some hidden reason.
Aurelia had never felt so desperate. She looked up and smiled "No hidden reason. She caught me in bed with another man and threatened to tell you. In a fit of rage, I had no choice but to run her over."
She would never forget the look in Nolan's eyes at that moment.A web of anger, hatred, and disappointment so thick it trapped her completely, suffocating her.
In the end, Nolan personally handed her over to the police.
During those five years in prison, she had often wondered if she had told the truth, would things have turned out differently for them?
But reason reminded her that she couldn't.
Nolan's mother had suffered from severe depression. On the eve of their wedding, during an episode, she had mistaken a security guard for Nolan's father and had sex with him.
Aurelia had wanted to discuss wedding details with Nolan when she accidentally witnessed the scene.
When Nolan's mother regained clarity, she was overwhelmed with regret, begging Aurelia not to tell anyone.
Though conflicted, Aurelia ultimately agreed to her plea.
But after Aurelia started her car to leave, Nolan's mother, unable to live with herself, deliberately crashed into Aurelia's vehicle.
Nolan had been the golden child since birth. If his mother's scandal got out, it would have devastated both him and the Creed family.
People in their social circle would look at him differently, perhaps even questioning his parentage.
So for Nolan's sake, she swallowed the bitter truth alone, taking all the blame.Now, Aurelia,with a terminal illness, there was even less reason to reveal the truth .
Since he hated her, she would let him continue hating. That way, when she departed, she could do so cleanly, with no lingering attachments.
Trembling, she was about to leave when someone called her name from behind.
"Aurelia Thorne? You're out of prison!"
She shuddered, not daring to meet the piercing gaze from the elevated seat. As she tried to leave, someone tripped her.
Caught off guard, she crashed into the coffee table and fell hard to the floor.
Several bottles shattered, and her hands were sliced open in multiple places, blood flowing freely.The room erupted in laughter as everyone stood to scrutinize her pitiful state.
"Aurelia, it really is you! Fresh out of prison and already working—how ambitious!"
She kept her head down in silence, pressing her hands against the bleeding wounds.
The person continued. "What are you waiting for? You've spilled alcohol everywhere. Clean it up immediately."
"And remember, clean it on your knees."
More laughter followed. She could only pull out a cloth from her apron and kneel on the floor, wiping the spilled alcohol over and over.
Though she didn't look up, she could feel Nolan's hateful gaze fixed on her.
Like a dagger suspended above her head, waiting to deliver the fatal blow.
He hated her so much—seeing her humiliated probably gave him more satisfaction than anyone else.
After hastily cleaning up, she tried to rise and leave, but her tormentor wasn't finished with her.
"Leaving already? Those bottles you broke are priceless. How do you plan to pay for them?"
Aurelia clutched her hands helplessly, not daring to raise her head. "I'm sorry, I truly didn't mean to."
"You think 'sorry' is enough? We all know you can't afford to pay. Tell you what—I'll give you a chance. Crawl between my legs, and we'll call it even."
With that, the man smirked and propped one leg on a stool, looking at her with contempt.
The crowd laughed again, chanting in unison "Crawl through! Crawl through!"
She bit her lip until it nearly bled, her face burning with shame. The mocking gazes stabbed her back like knives, there was no escape.
She couldn't afford to pay, and this person was clearly out to punish her on Nolan's behalf. If she refused, they would find other ways to torment her.
During those five years in prison, dignity had become worthless to her.
Her vision blurred. She bit her lip so hard it almost bled. Finally, before everyone, she fell to her knees in front of the man.
Just as she was about to bend down and crawl under, the table was violently kicked over, and an ice-cold voice cut through the room.
"Enough!"
Before she could react, a sharp pain shot through her arm as she was dragged out of the room.
In the dim hallway, Nolan pinned her against the wall, his eyes cold with hatred.
"Aurelia, is this how you degrade yourself?"
Her back touched the cold marble, making her shiver. She turned her head away. "You shouldn't have intervened. How can your mother rest in peace if you do this?"
Her words enraged him. He shoved her away. "Intervene? Don't flatter yourself. I brought you out here to make a deal!"
"Since you need money so badly, tonight you'll stand guard outside my room, and I'll pay you. From now on, you'll stay by my side. I promise the money will be more than you'd earn serving drinks."
Without waiting for her response, he took out a stack of bills and threw them hard at her face.
Aurelia's face jerked to the side, her cheek immediately bleeding.
She knew his proposition was merely for revenge.
And he delivered on that promise.
That night, standing guard outside his door, she heard the crazy sex sounds of him and Evangeline in bed together.
Chapter 2
The muffled groans of the man and the woman's prolonged moans penetrated the silence, while Aurelia stood outside like a hollow shell, so numb she couldn't even feel the tears streaming down her face.
The sounds of intimacy persisted throughout the night. At dawn, Nolan finally opened the door and fixed her with an icy stare.
"Clean this room."
She surveyed the "battlefield" littered with discarded condoms, her heart constricting painfully, but she remained silent, merely nodding in acquiescence.
Evangeline emerged from the bathroom bearing visible evidence of the night's passion across her skin.
Noticing the scene, she hesitated momentarily before taking Nolan's arm and pleading, "Nolan, it's ancient history now. Just let Aurelia go."
Nolan's lips curled into a smile that never warmed his eyes. "She wants money. I pay her to work for me. It's a straightforward transaction—how is that not letting her go?"
He then turned and embraced Evangeline, his tone softening noticeably.
"Don't worry. Before our wedding, I'll ensure she vanishes completely."
In the days that followed, wherever Nolan and Evangeline went, Aurelia was forced to accompany them.
When drinks were offered, he made her consume them in his place until she was disoriented, repeatedly vomiting in the restroom, yet he refused to let her stop.
During meals, he commanded her to serve Evangeline as though she were household staff—peeling prawns, deboning fish, wiping Evangeline's hands, even escorting her to the ladies' room.
Meanwhile, he lavished affection on Evangeline in full view of everyone present.
After each social engagement, he would impassively extract a stack of bills from the car and hurl them forcefully at Aurelia.
"Your compensation for today."
In the face of such deliberate humiliation, she never betrayed any reaction. She would wordlessly bend down to collect the sullied money, carefully tucking it into her handbag.
Indeed, she needed the funds. Once she had accumulated enough, she could disappear entirely from his world.
The sky burial would leave no trace behind—not a fragment of bone, not a scrap of flesh.It would be as if Aurelia Thorne had never existed in this world at all.
For Evangeline's birthday, Nolan orchestrated an extravagant celebration.His devotion to Evangeline was evident to even casual observers.
Every decorative element had been selected according to Evangeline's preferences. Word had spread that the roses alone—one million blooms adorning the entire venue—had cost a small fortune.
The gown Evangeline wore that evening had been designed by Nolan's mother herself, intended for her future daughter-in-law.
They made their entrance arm in arm, immediately commanding the attention of every guest.
Nolan remained as strikingly handsome and distinguished as ever, though the woman at his side was no longer Aurelia.
She couldn't help but recall their own engagement ceremony.
It had been equally magnificent and grand. Their friends and family had witnessed his profound love for her as they walked hand in hand happly.
He had placed his ancestral ring upon her finger, declaring that wearing his ring meant she was his, from that moment forward, and they would never be separated.
The sound of hushed conversations interrupted her reminiscence.
"What could have possibly been going through Aurelia Thorne's mind? She and Nolan were childhood sweethearts, and he cherished her beyond measure, treating her like the most precious thing on earth. Yet she deliberately killed his mother with her car."
"I know! Everyone in the city witnessed how deeply Nolan loved her. It's incomprehensible what drove her to such an act."
"If not for that tragedy, they'd likely have a child by now."
"It's pointless to talk about it. How could anyone understand the mindset of such a venomous woman? Her current circumstances are nothing less than she deserves."
”Absolutely. A woman like that deserves whatever punishment she gets! ”
Aurelia absorbed the malicious remarks surrounding her without the slightest change in expression.
As they wished, she would soon be dead.
After the celebration concluded, Nolan lingered to bid farewell to the guests while Aurelia and Evangeline waited by the lakeside near the entrance.
This marked their first moment alone together since Aurelia's release. Following a protracted silence, Evangeline finally spoke.
"Aurelia, there's something you should know. I've always been deeply in love with Nolan. My feelings for him began even before you two became involved."
"Back then, when your relationship blossomed, I resigned myself to losing him and prepared to wish you both well. But why did you betray him so cruelly?"
"Can you even comprehend how profoundly Nolan has suffered these past years? I've worked tirelessly to restore his peace of mind—so why must you reappear now, disturbing the equilibrium we've established?"
Aurelia regarded the woman before her, stunned by the revelation that her closest friend had harbored secret feelings for her fiancé throughout those years.
Yet she hadn't reappeared in their lives with any intention of causing disruption.
A person bearing the guilt of "killing" his mother—a dying person, no less—was in no position to fight for anything.
"Evangeline, I'll be gone soon enough."
Evangeline assessed her coldly, the gleam in her eyes clearly betraying her disbelief.
Without warning, she removed the ring from her finger and hurled it forcefully into the lake's depths.
"Aurelia, you just threw my ring into the water. You should retrieve it for me, shouldn't you?"
Chapter 3
As those words hung in the air, Nolan suddenly appeared beside them.
He grabbed Aurelia's arm furiously, his eyes blazing.
"Aurelia, can't you behave yourself for one moment? What right do you have to throw away the ring I gave Evangeline?"
Aurelia looked directly into his eyes and noticed something unexpected amid his anger—a glimmer of hope.
Could it be that he wished she had thrown away Evangeline's ring out of jealousy?
A wave of bitterness washed over her heart, but she forced herself to smile.
"Why would I throw away a meaningless ring? To me, it's worth less than the cash you throw at me."
Nolan's eyes instantly turned cold and merciless. He shoved her violently into the lake with a loud splash, followed by her startled cry, but he had already turned away without a second glance.
"I don't care how you do it—just bring that ring back！"
With that, he took Evangeline's hand and hurried away without hesitation.It was the dead of winter, shortly after a snowfall, and brutally cold.
Ice floes dotted the lake's surface—the mere sight of them was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
Submerged in the water, Aurelia felt her body nearly seize up from the bone-chilling cold. The muddy bottom concealed sharp fragments that sliced into her feet, drawing blood.
She bit her lip, diving down repeatedly, then surfacing for air, only to dive again.
She searched mechanically throughout the night until blood stained large patches of the water's surface. Finally, she found the ring at the bottom of the lake.
When she appeared before Nolan, wounded and bedraggled, he furrowed his brow, coldly pulled out a stack of bills from his pocket, and tossed them at her feet without emotion.
As always, she took the money and left in silence.
In the days that followed, Nolan surprisingly didn't give her any trouble.
Until one day, as she returned from an errand, she stepped out of her car to see the entire Creed mansion engulfed in rolling clouds of smoke.
A terrible premonition seized her—Nolan was in danger!The thought had barely registered before she was rushing toward the flames.
Nolan valued his privacy, so the household staff only came to clean when he was away.
He had been home for days, which meant he was the only person in the entire house!
Familiar with the layout, she quickly found Nolan unconscious in his bedroom.
The fire had spread with alarming speed. He must have taken sleeping pills to rest, leaving him trapped and overcome by smoke before he could react.
She struggled to lift his entire weight onto her shoulders, inching painfully toward the exit.
The fire grew more intense, virtually cutting off their escape route.
Without warning, a burning beam crashed down from above. With no time to think, she threw herself over Nolan to shield him.
The scalding timber slammed into her back, nearly causing her to black out from the pain.
But seeing him slumped against her shoulder, brow furrowed, she felt a determination unlike any she had known before.She had to save Nolan, even at the cost of her own life.
With this resolve and a reckless disregard for her safety, she somehow managed to drag his six-foot-tall frame out of the inferno.
They collapsed onto the lawn where she gasped desperately for fresh air, her body covered in wounds.
When she saw Evangeline running frantically toward them, she summoned her last reserves of strength to push Nolan into Evangeline's arms.
"If he wakes up, tell him you saved him."
Evangeline stared at her, bewildered by her actions. She called out to Aurelia as she tried to leave, asking once more
"Tell me the truth—did you deliberately kill Nolan's mother?"
She rose unsteadily, freezing at the question. After a long silence, she finally answered.
"Yes."With that, she hurried away without looking back.
In the days that followed, Evangeline devoted herself to caring for Nolan.
When he learned that Evangeline had risked her life to save him, his treatment of her became even more enviable, granting her every wish.
Their intimate encounters grew more frequent. Standing guard outside their room, Aurelia clearly heard their passionate moments and the sweet words he whispered to her.
She thought perhaps Nolan had genuinely fallen in love with Evangeline.That was for the best. He deserved to find true happiness.
As for herself, she was like a sewer rat, lurking in the darkness, watching others' happiness from afar.
The wounds on her back still throbbed with pain. She could only tend to them herself when no one was looking.
One day, as usual, she hid in her small room, removing her coat to apply medicine to her wounds when the door suddenly opened.
It was Nolan.
His gaze fell on the grotesque burns covering her back, and his eyes instantly reddened.
He approached her step by step, his voice trembling.
"How did you get these burns?"
"Was it you who saved me that day?"
