He Finally Gave Up His Childhood Sweetheart

The day sixty-year-old Lucian received the National Public Service Honor, he felt so overwhelmed with emotion that he could barely speak. Forty years earlier, his enemies had broken both of his legs and dumped him deep in the mountains, leaving him to survive on his own. At that time, he had tried to call for help. However, after the brutal beating, he lost the hearing in one ear and nearly lost his eyesight. When he reached the point of despair, a kind-hearted villager rescued him. From that moment, Lucian chose to settle in the mountains and dedicated himself to building roads and bridges for the villagers. Over the next forty years, he voluntarily helped countless young people from the mountains escape their desperate circumstances. In doing so, he fulfilled the dream he once had for himself. He never imagined that he would see the person who had sent him into the mountains at the award ceremony. Almost instinctively, he turned his wheelchair and followed her. Then he saw someone buried deep in his memories, Bianca, the childhood sweetheart he had grown up with. The human trafficker actually called her "Boss." "Was it really worth using the connections you had left to make sure Lucian received this award?" The woman’s frail body hunched for a moment. A trace of guilt appeared on her deeply wrinkled face. "Worth it." "Back then, Vincent told me that Lucian had maliciously reported him, which got him fired from his job. I was furious, and instead of asking Lucian for an explanation, I sent him into the mountains. It was not until recently that I learned what he had endured all these years. That was when I found out Vincent had lied to me. Lucian never reported him!" Chapter 1 "I wanted to blame Vincent, but he is my husband. We spent our whole lives together, through thick and thin. No matter how I looked at it, the only thing I could do was give this honor to Lucian. Let it make up for what I owed him." Lucian’s head began to buzz. His legs gave way, and he slowly slid down the wall. Make it up to him? The words made his eyes burn with pain. It was not fate that had dealt him a cruel hand, leaving him with broken legs and throwing him into the mountains. It was Bianca Rose, the woman he had loved for years, who had destroyed his entire life. It happened because of something Vincent said, and she sent him into the mountains without caring whether he lived or died. Even after learning that he had been innocent, she still could not bring herself to punish Vincent. "Heh..." The pain grew so intense that the veins on the back of Lucian’s hand stood out as he clenched his fist. He and Bianca had grown up together. Their families assumed they would marry one day. It lasted until Vincent Cabell, a young man from the city, appeared, and Bianca changed. She refused to go to an outdoor movie with Lucian, yet she used every connection she had to find him a job. She would not buy Lucian a cheap roll of black-and-white film, yet she found a tailor to rush out a fashionable suit for Vincent. She claimed she had no time to accompany Lucian to the clinic when he was sick, yet she stayed up all night taking care of Vincent when he caught a cold. Lucian felt uncomfortable, but Vincent was Bianca’s lifesaver, so he swallowed his feelings and let it go. When he thought about it now, Bianca must have fallen in love with Vincent back then. Lucian had become an obstacle in their way. In a haze of memories, Lucian remembered the day he was first taken into the mountains. Trapped in a cellar, he begged again and again for Bianca to find him. Even after countless failed attempts to escape left his body beaten bloody, even after he lost the hearing in one ear, he never gave up. It was because he believed Bianca was waiting for him. Even after waiting ten years without hearing from her, he found excuses for her. Perhaps the mountains were too high and too far for her to reach him, or her parents stopped her from searching. He never imagined that the person who sent him into hell was her. Devastated, Lucian turned and left. A figure stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "Lucian, if you were already rotting away in the mud, why did you bother coming back?" Lucian stared at Vincent’s twisted expression and forced himself to hold back the urge to strangle him. "Everything I suffered all these years was because of you two. What right do you have to say something like that?" He raised his fist and slammed it into Vincent. Anger burned in his eyes. Vincent did not dodge. A smug smile spread across his face. The next second, Lucian was shoved aside. His temple struck the hard floor with a sickening crack, and blood began to trickle down. Bianca froze for a moment. When she realized what happened, guilt flashed across her face, and she moved toward him. "You knew everything?" Lucian laughed bitterly. It was the first time he saw fear in Bianca’s eyes. Was she afraid that he, a crippled man, would come after her for revenge? "I know." Lucian clenched his fists. "I hate myself more than I hate either of you, for spending all these years believing you were innocent. Now get out of my way. I am going to find my parents." A complicated look flashed through Bianca’s eyes, but her lips pressed into a tight line. "Lucian, back then, I wanted to make sure you would never try to escape again, so I had people spread the word that your parents went abroad. The truth is, they spent more than thirty years looking for you. They passed away a long time ago. If you go looking for them now, all you will find are two old graves. "If you are angry, take it out on me. Leave Vincent out of this. He only messed up because he loves me too much." Lucian’s eyes widened in disbelief, and his entire body trembled. Twenty years earlier, after he finally got a wheelchair and left the mountains, he tried to find out what happened to his parents. When he learned that they supposedly went abroad and did not want to look for him, he felt heartbroken, but he accepted it. He believed he was nothing more than a disabled son who brought shame upon them. Now he discovered that his parents spent more than thirty years searching for him, and he learned of their deaths from the person responsible for destroying his life. Lucian tried to demand answers, but before he could speak, his body toppled from his wheelchair. When he opened his eyes again, Lucian found himself back at Chase’s residence, the place he called home for twenty years. He had been reborn. He threw his arms around his parents, with only one thought in his mind. This time, he would never let anyone destroy his life. Soon, everyone noticed that Lucian changed. He no longer chased after Bianca. He did not complain or insist on tagging along whenever she went out with Vincent. He did not get jealous whenever he saw Vincent holding Bianca. He asked his parents to apply for a transfer to the South City. In half a month, they would leave together. By then, he and Bianca would have nothing to do with each other. The day Lucian was about to leave, Bianca, whom he had not seen in a long time, stopped him. Her expression was dark and unreadable. "Lucian, you were reborn too, were you not?" Chapter 2 Suppressing the shock surging through him, Lucian shook his head. "What are you talking about? I am heading out." Bianca froze for two seconds before a confident smile spread across her face. "Lucian, I understand. You are angry and do not want to admit how you feel. Let us get married on the second day of next month. As for Vincent, I will send him away. You only need to give him the job opening at your father’s workplace." Lucian’s hands curled into fists. That position had been reserved for him by his father. In his previous life, he gave it away without hesitation just to please Bianca. Not this time. "No. The job is out of the question. Bianca, I am never marrying you in this lifetime." He walked away without another word, ignoring the dark look on Bianca’s face. The next day, word spread throughout the family compound that they were getting married. Bianca even showed up with Vincent and handed out the wedding candy. When the neighbors teased her, a perfectly timed blush crossed her face. "Everyone, Lucian and I are getting married on the second day of next month. You all have to come. Honestly, I did not want to get married this soon either, but Lucian accidentally saw me while I was taking a bath. He did not want me to be wronged, so he promised to marry me as soon as possible." Vincent chimed in beside her. "Bianca even went out of her way to buy the expensive wedding candy. Lucian, you really are a lucky man." It felt as though someone dumped a bucket of ice water over Lucian. After a long moment, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice. "I did not peek at you while you were bathing. Bianca, what gives you the right to smear my name like this?" The people around them exchanged knowing, suggestive smiles. Their eyes showed that they understood. "Lucian, we all know you care about your reputation. You saw Bianca taking a bath. If you refuse to marry her, that is wrong." "Exactly. Bianca is such a beautiful young woman, and she is going to be your wife. You ought to be grinning in your sleep." "If you refuse to take responsibility for Bianca, you would face serious consequences." The surrounding people looked at him with disgust. Lucian’s fists clenched so tightly they hurt. Just because he refused to marry her and refused to give up his father’s job opening to Vincent, Bianca was willing to fabricate something like this. A bone-deep chill threatened to swallow him whole. Bianca lowered her voice. "Lucian, do not blame me. Mr. Chase already agreed to give the position to Vincent. From now on, we will be family. Here. This is the candy you like." Lucian stared at the brightly wrapped wedding candy. His body remembered before his mind could stop it. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. It was this candy that he ate before passing out in his previous life. When he woke up, both of his legs had been broken, and he had been thrown into the mountains. Now he understood the quiet threat hidden beneath Bianca’s words. Lucian clenched his teeth and said nothing more. When Bianca noticed that he finally stopped resisting, she instructed her secretary to take him back to the Chase residence. When Lucian woke up again, his mother, Joanne, sat beside him and carefully wiped away her tears. "Lucian, we could not understand why you suddenly wanted to leave us before. Now we know. Bianca forced your father to give up the job opening. She is in love with that young man from the countryside, so why does she insist on marrying you?" Lucian squeezed his mother’s hand. "Mom, it is my fault. Do not worry. We will leave here safely." Before he could say another word, Bianca walked in carrying a bag of nutritional supplements. "Leave? What are you talking about?" Lucian’s expression did not change. "I meant that after we get married, we will move out and live on our own. We will leave Mom and Dad here." The suspicion on Bianca’s face vanished, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Lucian, if you miss your parents, we can come back and visit them often. I brought these for Mrs. Chase to help her regain her strength. Come on, let us go eat. The suit I had made for you should be finished soon too. All I want is for you to spend your life with me." Her gentle, considerate tone left Lucian momentarily lost in a haze of memories. For a second, Bianca seemed like the childhood sweetheart who devoted herself to him. When he saw Vincent getting ready to join them for dinner, Lucian came back to his senses. It had been exactly like this in his previous life. Vincent was always there, and Lucian was always the afterthought. He gave a bitter, mocking smile and said nothing. When it was time to order, Bianca instinctively rattled off several dishes. Only after she finished did she realize that the entire table was filled with Vincent’s favorite foods. Vincent grabbed Bianca’s hand in delight. "Bianca, how do you remember all my favorite things so well?" Bianca instinctively glanced at Lucian, watching for his reaction. His expression remained calm. His indifference made her more irritated. She deliberately piled food onto Vincent’s plate and poured tea for him. Lucian watched their intimate interaction, and for a moment, he was lost in the familiarity of Bianca’s every movement. Perhaps this was how they spent the rest of their lives in his previous life, happy and deeply in love. What about him? He spent decades eating wild greens and stale food, struggling to survive with broken legs. He had been separated from his parents for decades. Lost in thought, Lucian suddenly heard a deafening crash. The old ceiling fan above them came crashing down. "Lucian, get out of the way!" Bianca shouted the warning, but her body moved to shield Vincent first. That protective gesture said everything. Blood streamed down Lucian’s face where the ceiling fan struck him, and his heart sank. Of course, when danger struck, no matter how many times Bianca claimed she would marry him, her body’s instinctive reaction did not lie. The next second, darkness swallowed Lucian whole. Chapter 3 When Lucian woke again, the sound of an argument outside the door drifted into his ears. "Vincent, why did you have someone loosen the screws on the ceiling fan? Do you have any idea how much blood Lucian lost after it fell on him? "But Bianca, you were supposed to marry me. You do not love Lucian at all. I did nothing wrong." After a long silence, Bianca finally softened her tone as helplessness filled her eyes. "Enough. You were only jealous and went about it the wrong way. There will not be a next time. I will tell Lucian and his parents that it was an accident." Lucian’s heart clenched as he lay in the hospital bed, and he gave a bitter smile. It was just as in his previous life. Even though he was the victim, Bianca chose to protect Vincent. Back then, even when Lucian accidentally knocked over an elderly woman, Bianca sternly scolded him and ordered him to apologize and make amends. Yet when Vincent hurt him and actually did something wrong, she chose to cover for him instead. That was the difference between being loved and being unloved. After a long while, Bianca walked into the room. Her gaze fell upon Lucian’s head, wrapped in bandages, and a trace of heartache flashed across her eyes. "Lucian, I am glad you are awake. I was far away from you at the time, so I thought I should protect Vincent first and then come save you. What happened this time was an accident. Next time, I will not..." Lucian forced a stiff smile as he watched her pretend to show concern. "Bianca, do you really take me for a fool? It was Vincent who did it on purpose." "Lucian, how can you say that? He is jealous because I am marrying you. You are the only man I will ever marry. You do not have to make such a big deal out of something so small. I am doing this for your own good." Lucian let out a quiet laugh. He put on a bitter, self-mocking smile. Making a big deal out of it. Doing this for his own good. He was the one who had been wronged all along. He painfully turned his face away, no longer sparing Bianca even a glance. For the next three days, Bianca treated him with the utmost care. Even when she brought him the best patient meals from the state-run restaurant and bought him the latest fashionable color camera, he kept a cold expression on his face. On the fourth day, Bianca finally lost her patience and tossed aside the wrung-out towel in her hand. "Lucian, there is a limit to how angry you can be. I have been putting up with your cold attitude for days. Are you seriously going to keep throwing a tantrum?" Lucian paid no attention to Bianca’s expression and walked out of the hospital room alone. The first thing he did was hand the police the evidence that Vincent tampered with the ceiling fan. When he returned home, he learned that his father had been reported and dismissed from his position. "Lucian, apparently Vincent offended someone at work, and someone who already had a grudge against your father took the opportunity to report him for abusing his authority. How could this happen?" Lucian’s heart tightened when he saw his mother with tears in her eyes. When he rushed to the inspection office, he saw Bianca talking to the investigators. He instinctively stepped forward, wanting to ask why she was helping his family. Then he heard words that made the blood in his veins run cold. "You handled this beautifully. After all, Vincent can only have better opportunities if Mr. Chase loses his position." The investigator hesitated for a moment. "Ms. Rose, you are going to be his future daughter-in-law. Are you not afraid of that..." Bianca gave a soft scoff, her voice casual and unconcerned. "Lucian will not find out. Besides, Mr. Chase’s dismissal is a warning. Maybe after this, he will finally learn not to throw tantrums whenever he does not get his way." Hidden in the shadows, Lucian’s face went pale, and cold sweat broke out across his back. He never imagined that his father lost his job because of him. The next day, Lucian saw his father lying there, barely conscious after being tormented by everything that happened. He lowered his head in guilt. "Dad, I am sorry. This is my fault." His father forced a smile. "Lucian, I am fine. As long as you are okay, that is all that matters." Lucian nodded with difficulty. When he rushed his father to the clinic for treatment, he was told that the special medication needed to prevent permanent paralysis was no longer available. "Mr. Lucian, that medication is manufactured by the Rose family’s factory. We cannot get it without Ms. Rose’s authorization." Lucian’s heart sank. He immediately ran to Bianca’s office. No one was there. Even her house was empty. A crushing sense of helplessness washed over him. Vincent approached, holding the key to the factory warehouse. "I heard you are looking for some special medication, are you not? Too bad. Bianca went all the way to the capital to buy me a color TV. By the time she gets back, your father will probably already be permanently disabled." "You!" Lucian bit down so hard on his lip that it split and filled his mouth with blood. Bianca hated traveling far from home. Yet she was willing to make the long trip to the capital for Vincent. She truly did not care whether his father lived or died. Humiliated, Lucian lowered his head. "Please give me the medicine. I was wrong." Vincent gave him a contemptuous smile. "I never thought I would see the day you had to beg someone. You stole Bianca from me, and that still bothers me. "How about this? You help me find the watch I dropped into the pile of garbage in the boiler room, and I will give you the medicine." Chapter 4 Joanne’s eyes turned red instantly. "Vincent, you are bullying him. That boiler room is hot enough to kill someone. How can Lucian possibly go in there..." "Mom!" Lucian shook his head bitterly and agreed without hesitation. If this had been him in his previous life, he might have hesitated. After everything he endured, including the stench-filled cellar and the scorching heat of the summer fires, there was nothing left for him to fear. Minute by minute, the skin on Lucian’s body felt as though invisible hands were tearing it apart. The stench from the garbage and the swarms of flies made his head spin. He knew he could not stop. His father was still waiting for him. By nightfall, he finally found it. The moment he got a good look at the watch, his pupils contracted. It was one of the most expensive watches sold at the department store. In his previous life, even when he and Bianca were at their closest, she never gave him anything like this. She gave it to Vincent so easily. She loved him that much. Suppressing the bitterness rising in his chest, Lucian was about to take the warehouse key when Vincent’s voice came from behind him. "Idiot. There is no special medication in the warehouse. I was buying time. They cannot manufacture the medicine that quickly." Furious, Lucian slapped Vincent across the face and clamped a hand around his throat, squeezing hard. "You bastard. Why did you lie to me? You are the reason my father ended up like this." All the grievances he bottled up since being reborn, along with the resentment from his previous life, erupted at once. Amid the chaos, a sharp pain exploded through the back of Lucian’s head. He turned and saw Bianca standing there, gripping a brick. Pain exploded through his skull, stars flashing before his eyes. His mind had never been clearer. Bianca was exactly the same as she had been in his previous life. She always jumped to conclusions, and she always assumed Vincent was innocent. He once fell in love with a woman who could not tell right from wrong. … After lying unconscious for three days, Lucian finally woke up. His forehead was wrapped in thick bandages, and even breathing sent a deep, bone-aching pain through his body. He had no time to worry about his own injuries. He grabbed his mother’s hand tightly. "Dad? How is he?" His mother’s tears fell even harder. "Lucian, your father woke up, but he never got the special medication. He will be bedridden for the rest of his life." Lucian’s eyes widened. His lips moved, but no sound came out. He pounded his fist against the wall in fury. Bianca walked in with a complicated look on her face. "Lucian, I already hired someone to take care of your father. I only hit you because I was trying to help. I could not watch you make a mistake and do nothing. You need to stop torturing yourself over this..." Lucian almost laughed in disbelief. What a perfectly righteous excuse. "Why do you not ask me why I did it in the first place? Bianca, you are biased." "Lucian!" Embarrassment and anger crossed Bianca’s face. Then, as though remembering something, she lowered her voice. "Vincent was joking. If you had not reported the ceiling fan incident, none of this would have happened. Even though your father is paralyzed now, our wedding is still happening. If you do not have time, I can have Vincent stand in for you and try on the groom’s suit." Stand in for him. Lucian almost laughed, but he could not bring himself to. "Whatever. You might as well serve Vincent’s favorite dishes at the wedding banquet too. I would rather die than marry you." Before Bianca could respond, Vincent’s voice came from outside. "Bianca, I need to talk to you." Bianca instinctively looked at Lucian, as though hoping he would stop her. When she saw the cold expression on his face, something in her chest seemed to sting, leaving her irritated. "Fine. Stay here and rest." From where Lucian stood, all he could see were the two of them walking away together. Anyone looking at them would have thought they were a perfect match. The nurses whispered among themselves, every word grating on his ears. "I do not understand Bianca. She says she is going to marry Lucian, but she is always with Vincent. The moment Vincent’s face got swollen, she had one of her factories produce medicine to bring down the swelling. Meanwhile, her future father-in-law was beaten into paralysis..." "Keep your voice down. I heard Lucian shamelessly peek at Bianca while she was taking a bath. That is why he broke up Bianca and Vincent, those two poor lovers." Lucian’s heart grew colder and harder in the silence, the pressure in his chest making it difficult to breathe. So, in everyone else’s eyes, he was the one in the wrong, the man who came between them. 'Lucian, what a failure you are.' Chapter 5 As the wedding day drew closer, the entire residence was filled with a festive atmosphere. Colourful paper decorations and window cutouts adorned every corner of the house, but compared with the cheerful scene outside, the Chase residence fell into an unprecedented silence. During the day, Lucian took care of his father. At night, he endured the pain as he rubbed medicated oil over his own wounds. He lowered his eyes to the list of Bianca’s wedding gifts and remembered what Vincent smugly told him the day before. "Bianca said that since she cannot marry me in this life, she decided to take me as her younger brother instead. She wants to protect me as my elder sister. The things she gave me are worth far more than the dowry she is bringing into your family." Lucian glanced at the expensive coat Vincent wore and the property deed in his hand, then turned away expressionlessly. He truly did not care anymore. Even at the ceremony where Bianca formally acknowledged Vincent as her younger brother, when she openly scolded and mocked the people who dared criticize him, Lucian merely smiled and let it go. What he got in return was a furious lecture from Madeline. "Lucian, with everything that happened to your family, we opposed Bianca marrying you at first, but she was so determined that we agreed. Now she is carrying on with Vincent. As her future husband, are you not even a little worried?" Lucian barely lifted his eyes. "What she does is none of my concern. If that is all, I am leaving." He turned to leave, but a sudden pain shot through his back. When he looked back, he saw Madeline blocking his path with a bamboo switch in her hand. "Stop right there. Is this how you speak to your future mother-in-law? It is because of that self-righteous attitude of yours that Bianca got involved with another man. You are not going anywhere until she gets here." Before Lucian could explain, the Rose family members forced him to his knees. One red welt after another appeared across his back. Even after three bamboo switches snapped in Madeline’s hand, Bianca still did not come. After a long while, Madeline finally waved her hand with a complicated look on her face. "Forget it. Go home. I thought Bianca still had you in her heart, so I tried to force her to come here this way. I never imagined she would..." Lucian did not bother listening to the rest. He would be leaving in four days. Clenching his teeth against the pain, his forehead slick with cold sweat, he made his way back home. When he reached a corner, he suddenly saw a man and woman locked in an embrace. He was about to turn away when he heard a familiar voice. "Bianca, you are pregnant with my child. It happened that night a month ago when we got drunk, did it not? Please, let us keep the baby." Lucian’s heart lurched. The next second, that familiar voice answered. "I am getting married to Lucian soon. Vincent, I can only get rid of it..." "No. This is our child. It is the fruit of our love. How can you be so cruel to me and our baby?" As Vincent pleaded through his choked sobs, a dull ache settled over Lucian’s heart. In his previous life, when he lost both legs and struggled to survive, did Bianca and Vincent also look forward to bringing a new life into the world? Exhausted, Lucian turned and walked away. He returned to his room and added several more pages to the ten-thousand-word report he wrote to expose everything. He thought that before he left, he had to get justice, not only for himself, but for his father as well. Around midnight, Lucian stirred awake in a daze. To his surprise, Bianca was beside him, dressed in revealing sleepwear and reaching for her clothes as though she intended to undress. Lucian froze for a moment before instinctively pushing her away. "Do not touch me." Bianca went still. She was about to lose her temper when she turned on the light and saw the injuries covering Lucian’s body. After a long silence, she looked away uncomfortably. "What happened? Who did this to you?" Lucian almost laughed from sheer anger. "Bianca, I got these injuries because of you. Why pretend you do not know?" Something seemed to click in Bianca’s mind, and a flicker of guilt crossed her face. "I am sorry. I thought Mom was joking. I did not think she would actually hurt you. Do not worry. I will not let you get hurt again..." "Can you leave now?" Lucian’s expression turned cold. "I need to rest." Bianca looked as though she wanted to say something, but when she met the icy look in his eyes, she backed down. It was not until the next day that Lucian learned why Bianca tried to get close to him in the middle of the night. "Lucian, because you rejected Bianca last night, she clung to me all night. She planned to make you think the two of you slept together, so you would believe the baby was yours. You ruined everything. If you ask me, you deserve to wear that cuckold’s hat for the rest of your life." Lucian’s entire body jolted. Only then did he understand Bianca’s true intentions. She destroyed him once in his previous life. Now, in this life, she wanted him to raise his enemy’s child. 'Bianca, you really are heartless.' Forcing down the anger boiling inside him, Lucian took a deep breath. "Do not worry. I am not marrying her." Chapter 6 Vincent gave him a half-smile. "Do you think I am going to believe you? Let me show you how much she cares about me." The moment he finished speaking, Vincent threw himself backward and fell straight into the small pond in the yard. "Help. Bianca. Lucian pushed me." Before long, the neighbors who came to watch the commotion surrounded Lucian. "Lucian, how could you deliberately hurt someone? Vincent worked himself ragged helping with your wedding banquet these past few days. How could you repay his kindness like this?" "Exactly. There have been rumors that you deliberately peeked at Bianca while she was taking a shower, ruined her reputation, and forced her to marry you. I did not believe them before, but now I can see how narrow-minded and vicious you are. How could someone as shameless as you live in our neighborhood?" "Right. Throw him out. Throw his crippled father out too. The whole family is an embarrassment." Lucian hurried to defend himself. "That is not what happened. I never touched him. Vincent fell in by himself." "You are saying he deliberately threw himself into the pond?" The moment Lucian heard the complete lack of emotion in Bianca’s voice, a chill settled in his heart. Bianca did not believe him. He recalled how she smashed a brick over his head without hesitation simply because he slapped Vincent once. Lucian was left powerless. There was nothing she would not do. Lucian let out a cold laugh, walked over, and shoved Vincent, still wrapped in his padded coat, straight into the pond in full view of everyone. "Look carefully. This is me pushing him. You do not need to throw me out. With neighbors like you who cannot tell right from wrong, I am disgusted to stay here anyway. I will be moving out soon." Lucian turned and walked away without hesitation. The next second, the secretary standing behind Bianca seized his wrist and yanked him back. Crack. Bianca instructed her secretary to snap the bone in his wrist. Then, with a brutal shoulder throw, Lucian was sent flying straight into the pond. Above him came Bianca’s cold, commanding voice. "Lucian was in the wrong today, but I, Bianca Rose, will never show favoritism just because he is my husband. Throw him into the pond a hundred times. He can come out when he admits his mistake." Thunderous applause erupted around them. Everyone praised her for being fair and impartial. Bianca did not spare Lucian a glance. Before long, Lucian was forcibly held beneath the water in a humiliating position, choking on mouthful after mouthful until his consciousness began to fade. At that moment, the only thing left in his mind was Bianca’s cold, retreating figure. They grew up together. She knew he was afraid of water, and she knew he would never use despicable methods to bully someone. Yet she still chose to punish him in front of everyone. A low laugh escaped Lucian’s throat, his eyes gradually losing their light. Across two lifetimes, his greatest regret had been meeting Bianca. Fortunately, he would be leaving soon. When Lucian woke up, his throat felt so dry it was as though it burned. Then he realized, to his horror, that he could not speak. He sprang out of bed, only to be caught and steadied by Bianca as she walked in. "Uh... uh..." Only a few broken sounds escaped his throat. Bianca tightened her grip slightly around his arm. "Lucian, to make sure you do not say anything inappropriate at the wedding banquet, I had someone give you a drug that took away your voice. "As for what happened with Vincent, I am sorry. I thought it through. From now on, the child Vincent and I have will be our child. He will call you Dad. That should be enough." Lucian finally understood. She was not bothering to pretend anymore. He wanted to tell her he would never accept it. He wanted to fight back with everything he had. The moment he moved, Bianca sealed his pressure points, leaving him unable to move. After a long while, she locked the doors and windows before turning to leave. "Do not think about running, Lucian. I will try to love you in this life. You should be grateful for that. Once Vincent goes with me to finish the prenatal checkup, we will hold the wedding. This time, I will treat you well." Lucian watched her walk away, a muffled, anguished sob tearing from his throat as the veins on the back of his hands bulged with tension. His father had been perfectly healthy, yet they ruined him and left him paralyzed in bed. He had been given a chance at a new life, only to be forced into marrying his enemy. Twenty years of hard-earned reputation had been destroyed overnight. Yet Bianca still told him to be grateful. How ridiculous. All night long, Lucian gnawed at the ropes binding him. His mouth was soon stained with blood, but he endured the pain and kept going. Finally, just as dawn broke, the ropes snapped. Without hesitation, Lucian kicked over the gasoline canister in the corner. Then he turned and walked away. Amid the blazing flames, he tightened his grip on the report he wrote to expose them. With every step, his resolve grew stronger. He would make Bianca and Vincent pay for what they had done.