Chapter 1

Knox Rivera was the only son of the infamous crime lord Dominic Rivera.

Notorious for his womanizing ways, Knox's greatest pleasure came from winning someone's heart only to crush it beneath his heel.

Yet at the age of twenty-four, this notorious playboy unexpectedly settled down, marrying Aria Winters—a mere waitress at the time.

Everyone said he loved her more than life itself. Even Aria believed it.

To gain his father's approval, she risked her life repeatedly for the Rivera family business, dancing on the edge of death time after time.

She thought this would ensure they'd be together forever.

Until two months ago, when Knox's dying childhood sweetheart, Mila Montgomery, returned to his life.

Only then did Aria realize their eight years of marriage had been nothing but an illusion.

She was merely a replacement—a stand-in for the woman he truly loved.

But Aria refused to accept defeat.

Until she saw her mother's mutilated body, torn apart by wild beasts.

Only then did she realize she had lost everything.

---

In a damp, dark warehouse, the metallic scent of blood hung heavy in the air as Aria's mother was brought in with a hood covering her head.

Behind her stood three massive cages, each containing a different beast.

A tiger, a vicious dog, and a massive python—all staring hungrily, waiting for their cages to open so they could devour their prey.

"Choose one, darling," Knox said, his long fingers holding three wooden sticks. His voice carried a hint of amusement.

A few steps away, the frail, elderly figure trembled violently but couldn't make a sound due to the gag in her mouth.

Aria instantly realized what Knox intended to do. Her heart raced wildly, blood rushing in her ears as she stared at him in disbelief, her voice shaking.

"She's my mother—my only family left in this world. Please don't hurt her... I'm begging you..."

Knox Rivera was the only son of a notorious crime lord. From an early age, he learned his father's brutal ways, becoming known for his ruthless methods and merciless tactics.

Aria had witnessed it before, which is why she knew he wasn't bluffing now.

"What if I insist on hurting her?" Knox lifted her chin, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips, though his eyes held something dangerous.

"Aria, I've told you repeatedly that Mila is dying. She has less than a month left. Why do you insist on antagonizing her?"

Aria looked at him, overcome with grief.

Fighting back the lump in her throat, she rasped, "It won't happen again. My mother's in critical condition—I had no choice..."

"Hmph!" Knox scoffed. "Yet Mila still collapsed because of you. Since you've made a mistake, you must face the consequences."

He held the sticks out to Aria again, impatience flashing in his eyes.

"Choose one, Aria. Don't make me repeat myself."

"I'll give you three seconds. If you still refuse, I won't give you another chance. Three—"

"Two—"

"One!"

Aria's heart leapt into her throat. She fell to her knees. "No, please!"

But it was too late. Knox had already made the choice for her.

The cage door swung open, and her mother was thrown inside like a rag doll.

The beasts lunged forward eagerly—the tiger and dog growling as they opened their massive jaws. In an instant, one tore off her arm while the other went straight for her throat!

Blood erupted everywhere, staining Aria's vision red.

"No—!"

She screamed in agony, lunging forward, but Knox's bodyguard pinned her to the ground, rendering her immobile.

Three hours earlier, she had returned home after a near-death experience to learn from the housekeeper that her mother had suffered a heart attack and was fighting for her life.

Ignoring the gunshot wound in her shoulder, Aria had rushed her mother to the hospital, only to be told by a nurse that Mila had accidentally cut her cat's nail too short, got scratched, and was now receiving treatment.

All the hospital's specialists had been called to attend to Mila instead.

Hearing this, Aria had pressed a gun to the nurse's head.

Mila had fainted on the spot.

Her mother received timely treatment and survived.

But word of the incident quickly reached Knox's ears. He'd smiled cryptically before driving Aria to the family's underground torture chamber.

Never in her wildest nightmares had she imagined things would escalate to this point.

Tears blurred her vision as she struggled to understand how eight years of love could lead Knox to treat her this way.

When they first met, she was just a struggling student working as a waitress at a high-end lounge. After accidentally spilling a drink on an important guest who threatened to cut off her hand, Knox had appeared like a guardian angel, shooting the man in the hand. Later, Knox was targeted in retaliation and spent a month bedridden.

The second time, her mother fell ill. Fearing Aria couldn't afford the surgery, her mother climbed to the hospital's roof, intending to jump. Knox caught her just in time, his wrist bloodied by the rough concrete, yet he refused to let go.

The third time, when Aria had first started working for the Rivera family, she was ambushed during a shipment run due to her inexperience. As she waited to die, Knox appeared out of nowhere and rescued her, taking a bullet to the chest that nearly killed him.

Throughout their eight-year marriage, Knox always hid a love letter under her pillow each month.

But one day, when she accidentally spilled water on the envelopes, she discovered another name hidden beneath her own on every single one—ninety-six love letters, without exception.

She was nothing but a pathetic replacement.

Despite this revelation, Aria didn't believe Knox was entirely without genuine feelings for her. She still wanted to give him a chance.

She believed if she tried hard enough, she could replace Mila in his heart.

But two months ago, Mila returned.

Knox seemed to transform into a different person, especially after learning she was terminally ill.

He began doting on Mila obsessively, doing everything to make her happy.

His body increasingly carried Mila's scent; he spent more nights away from home, and mysterious love bites appeared on his neck.

He'd held Aria countless times, explaining: "Baby, she doesn't have much time left. Once I help her through these final days, I'll be with you forever. Just wait a little longer, okay?"

She believed him.

Aria had always been somewhat self-assured, convinced that she held some special place in Knox's heart.

Only now did she realize how catastrophically wrong she'd been.

Her arrogance had cost her an unbearable price.

Her mother, who just days ago had reminded her to eat properly, was now being torn apart before her eyes.

Aria broke down sobbing. With all her strength, she broke free from the bodyguard's grip and stumbled toward the cage. She pulled out her gun, shot the snarling beast, and collapsed beside her mother.

By now, the fabric covering the corpse's face had been completely torn away.

But when she looked at the body, she froze.

This wasn't her mother—it was the female doctor who had operated on her mother the day before.

Knox seemed satisfied with her reaction. After watching her long enough, he crouched before her, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb before pressing it against his lips.

"So bitter," he murmured.

"Next time, Aria, I won't be bluffing. Remember that."

Aria stared at him, stunned into silence.

Knox pulled her tightly against him.

"Baby, I told you Mila doesn't have much time left. I just want her to enjoy every day she has left. You know I care about you. So please, can you just let her have this? Don't make things difficult for me."

Aria remained silent and unresponsive. Even after Knox left, she didn't spare him a glance.

She had lost this battle with Mila.

With trembling hands, Aria dialed Knox's father's number.

"I've made my decision. I'll leave your son."

The voice on the other end chuckled softly.

"Smart girl. I'll arrange your departure in one month."

Chapter 2

The gunshot wound in Aria's shoulder hadn't been treated properly, so by nightfall, she was burning with fever.

Her throat felt parched and raw, the taste of rust making her wince.

As she struggled out of bed for water, laughter drifted in through the window.

Two weeks earlier, worried that Mila couldn't take care of herself, Knox had invited her to stay with them.

Since then, the two had been staying up talking until the early hours every night.

Aria thought she'd grown accustomed to it, but for some reason, her hand trembled, causing the glass to shatter.

Water spilled across the floor, glass fragments scattering like her shattered heart, impossible to piece back together.

Struggling to her feet, Aria glanced outside to see Knox teaching Mila how to shoot.

He stood behind her, his eyes filled with unconcealed tenderness.

They stood so close, their bodies nearly pressed together.

Aria's heart ached. Years ago, Knox had taught her to shoot the same way—his eyes tender, though tinged with melancholy.

Back then, Aria hadn't understood the meaning behind that melancholy.

But now she knew: he had been seeing someone else's shadow through her all along.

Despite Knox's patient teaching, Mila repeatedly missed the target.

For a moment, her expression dimmed with disappointment.

Seeing this, Knox disappeared into the house, returning moments later with a slingshot in his hand.

"Try this instead. It's lighter. You need to practice your aim first."

Mila hesitantly accepted it.

"Will this really work?"

Knox smiled indulgently. "Don't underestimate this slingshot. I used it for practice when I was young. I'll teach you."

"Okay." The gloom instantly vanished from Mila's face.

But after searching for a while, they couldn't find suitable stones to use.

Knox frowned slightly, then removed the ring from his right hand.

"Try this."

Mila's eyes lit up, though she replied hesitantly: "But Knox, isn't this your wedding ring? Using it doesn't seem right."

Mila was correct—the ring on Knox's finger was indeed his wedding band, personally designed by Aria when they married.

To create that ring, Aria had spent three months locked in the study, going through thousands of sketches before finally producing one she was satisfied with.

Though small, the ring carried the weight of her love.

But to Aria's shock, Knox merely laughed dismissively at Mila's concern.

"It's just a ring—nothing but a fancy rock when it comes down to it. Try it—might work better than a stone."

Hearing this, Aria felt her blood run cold.

Mila, however, smiled with satisfaction.

She eagerly placed the diamond ring in the slingshot—aimed, fired, in one fluid motion.

The shining diamond hit the bullseye with a sharp crack. The diamond and band instantly separated into two pieces, rolling across the ground.

Just then, Aria emerged from the house, her expression unreadable as she stared at the broken ring on the ground.

Seeing her, Mila's face turned ashen.

"A-Aria, please don't blame Knox. I pestered him to teach me. If you're upset, be angry with me, not him."

Aria remained silent.

Mila's frightened demeanor clearly triggered Knox's protective instincts.

His expression darkened as he glared at Aria with undisguised reproach.

"Aria, you know Mila's easily frightened. Why intimidate her? Have you already forgotten what I said yesterday?"

Aria stared at him silently for a long moment before finally smiling.

She walked over and picked up the broken ring, examining it carefully in her palm.

"I wouldn't dare," she said, her voice low.

Seeing her like this, Knox felt a strange discomfort rise within him.

He opened his mouth to speak but seemed at a loss for words.

Finally, he managed to say, "I'll have it repaired."

He meant the ring.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Aria casually tossed the broken pieces into the lake without warning.

"Don't bother," she said.

Knox's expression froze, anger rising within him. But before he could explode, Aria suddenly collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

As consciousness slipped away, the last thing Aria saw was Knox's panic-stricken face as he rushed toward her.

Chapter 3

The sharp smell of antiseptic was the first thing that reached Aria's nostrils.

She didn't need to open her eyes to know she was in a hospital.

Since arriving in Chicago eight years ago and joining the Rivera family, she had pushed herself to the limit learning to shoot, living constantly in the line of fire to gain Knox's father's approval and help Knox secure his position within the family. She had become a frequent visitor to this hospital.

Her assistant, Riley, was keeping watch by her bedside. From her, Aria learned what had happened after she passed out.

Knox had rushed her to the hospital, but shortly after, he received a call from Mila and hurriedly left.

"Aria, I swear that woman's doing this on purpose! You should see her smug face—she doesn't look like she's dying at all. I bet she's faking her illness!"

"I'm so tempted to put a bullet in her head!"

Compared to Riley's outrage, Aria seemed remarkably calm.

"How are the arrangements for going back home coming along?" she asked.

Riley finally stopped cursing and replied, "Almost done. Dominic's people are moving faster than expected. It shouldn't take a month."

"Good," Aria responded simply.

"Tell everyone who wants to leave with us to prepare early."

Just then, the hospital door swung open.

Knox stood in the doorway, his expression complex. Beside him stood Mila.

"Leave? Aria, where are you planning to go?" he asked.

Aria remained composed. She just gave Knox a fleeting glance and said, "Nothing important. We were discussing our next delivery location."

Knox didn't press further.

He approached Aria, sighing softly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were injured? The doctor says if your shoulder wound had been left untreated any longer, it could have caused permanent damage."

With that, he leaned down and gently embraced her.

"Baby, why do you always make me worry? Hmm?"

Empty words. Aria found them nauseating.

Her shoulder injury had been obvious. The only reason Knox hadn't noticed for so long was simple: He didn't care. He simply didn't care if she was hurt.

So why put on this loving facade now?

Aria coldly pushed him away.

"I'm fine."

Just then, Mila opened her thermos, offering it to Aria with a timid voice: "Aria, I was wrong yesterday. I didn't mean to upset you."

"This is chicken soup I made myself. I hope you don't mind."

Aria couldn't be bothered with Mila's performance, so she neither spoke nor accepted.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew tense.

Knox broke the silence.

"Aria, don't reject someone's goodwill."

Though his tone was calm, there was an unmistakable warning beneath it.

Thinking of her mother in the hospital bed, Aria had no choice but to reach out.

But just as her fingers were about to touch the thermos, Mila unexpectedly let go.

The scalding soup spilled completely over Aria's injured shoulder. Cold sweat instantly broke out across her body as Aria bit back a cry of pain.

Yet Mila put on the most victimized expression imaginable. Her face turned pale as she stared at Aria, clearly outraged but too intimidated to speak her mind.

"Aria... I truly wanted to apologize. Please don't be angry."

Before Aria could respond, Knox's face darkened. He stepped forward and grabbed Aria's hand in a vice-like grip.

"Do you know how hard Mila worked to make this soup for you? She was in the kitchen since dawn. Is this how you treat her kindness?"

His face was stormy, his eyes like ice when he looked at Aria.

Being fixed with such a look, Aria even forgot the pain in her shoulder. She stammered, "I didn't—she suddenly let go."

But Knox merely laughed coldly.

"First you reject her kindness, now you're blaming her? Aria, I'm truly disappointed in you."

With that, he harshly released her hand.

"Apologize," he demanded.