Chapter 1

This was the fifth year of Ethan's torment.

The heiress of River City's most prominent family had chosen him, a chauffeur's son, as her fake boyfriend to avoid an arranged marriage.

Rather than being her boyfriend, he was more like a toy she had casually picked up.

She deliberately made him wait outside in the pouring rain all night, forced him to buy alcohol for her and her lover, and mocked him mercilessly when he was nearly in tears with worry.

But because of love, he never thought of leaving her.

Until the day the young miss used his sister's life as a bargaining chip in her games.

That day, he made up his mind to disappear from her world. Soon, rumors spread throughout River City that the once-proud heiress had gone completely mad trying to find him.

Summer rain nights are always humid and sticky.

Ethan had been standing in front of Olivia's door for nearly three hours. The rain had long since soaked through his clothes and hair, but the items in his arms remained clean, in stark contrast to his disheveled appearance.

For the first time, Ethan felt that summer could be this cold, chilling him to the bone and making his heart ache with bitterness.

Two hours earlier, Ethan had suddenly received a message from Olivia, the cold words like frost.

"I want cake. Bring it to me within thirty minutes."

Nothing but a command, without any other words.

Ethan wasn't angry; instead, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes as he immediately set off for South Street to fulfill her order.

After buying the strawberry cake, Ethan even bought a bouquet of jasmine flowers. Although it wasn't cheap for a poor boy saving money for his sister's medical treatment, it was worth it for Olivia.

"Olivia, I'm already at your door."

Ethan's voice message was full of anticipation. He waited nervously at the door for a while, but the door before him never opened.

Ethan thought Olivia might be asleep; she often slept at odd hours. So he stood at the door, waiting patiently.

As dark clouds covered the quiet night sky, threatening to bring a downpour, the flowers in his hands gradually lost their vitality. Yet he still couldn't get any response from Olivia or hear the crisp sound of the door opening.

Wait a little longer, Ethan consoled himself.

Raindrops began to fall steadily, creating beautiful ripples on the ground. Ethan couldn't help but call Olivia, and after a long while, she finally answered.

"What are you doing? Don't you know you're disturbing my movie?"

Her tone was full of impatience.

Seeing her unfriendly attitude, Ethan cautiously asked, "Didn't you say you wanted strawberry cake? I've already bought it and I'm at your door, but I haven't heard from you... Is there something urgent?"

Olivia was silent for a few seconds, and there seemed to be some giggling from the other end of the line.

"Nothing urgent, I was just having fun and forgot about you. Since you've already bought the cake, go buy a bottle of wine and bring it over."

Ethan was about to speak, but the call was disconnected.

Olivia loved to drink, especially the special cocktail from that restaurant in the north of the city, which wasn't easy to buy without connections.

Ethan hardly hesitated and didn't think much of it, immediately setting off to buy wine for Olivia, even though his clothes were soaked by the heavy rain. He had no complaints.

The journey wasn't easy. He stumbled into the restaurant, dripping wet, and was mocked by the wealthy diners for a long time.

Fortunately, Ethan arrived just in time and managed to buy the last bottle of special cocktail before closing time, using Olivia's name.

By the time he rushed back to Olivia's house in the pouring rain, it was almost midnight, and he was soaked to the bone. But the cake, wine, and even the flowers didn't have a single drop of rain on them.

Ethan had just put on a pleasing smile and was about to step in when he saw that the person opening the door wasn't Olivia, but a face he despised.

Nathan.

"He's really obedient, isn't he? Olivia, you've trained your dog well."

Instantly, laughter erupted from the living room.

"Miss, we've heard that this little pet of yours is very well-trained, and seeing it today, it's indeed true."

"That's right, remember our deal? That club of yours is mine now."

The group laughed together, looking very pleased with themselves.

"Ethan, are you a dog? You're so obedient. We left you outside for so long and you didn't even get angry. You even went all the way to buy wine and bring it back. You're really worthless, aren't you? And you made me lose my favorite sports car to someone else. How embarrassing!"

Olivia slowly walked into Ethan's line of sight, her proud expression mixed with a hint of anger.

This wasn't the first time such a scene had occurred, but Ethan still handed her the items with a bitter smile, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Eat it quickly, before it's not fresh anymore."

Olivia snorted coldly, with a sarcastic smile at the corner of her eye, and knocked over the cake with one sweep.

"Useless thing, it's been hours, how am I supposed to eat it now?"

The cake and flowers were mixed together, now all smeared on Ethan's face, wet and sticky.

"Don't be angry, Olivia. This kind of trash isn't worth your attention."

Olivia's slender waist was held in Nathan's arms as he patiently coaxed her.

"A chauffeur's son is indeed a lowly creature. I really don't know what Olivia saw in you."

Olivia's lips curled slightly, looking at Ethan with a half-smile.

"He can't even compare to your little toe. You don't need to lower yourself to his level."

Ethan had long known that Olivia didn't like him that much, but seeing this scene and hearing her cold words, his heart ached intensely.

Ethan was seventeen when he came to the Thompson family. His mother had passed away then, and his father, in poor health, could only work as a driver to make ends meet. He also had a younger sister with leukemia, and life was very difficult.

He could never forget the first time he saw Olivia at seventeen. Such a bright and charming girl appeared before his eyes, as beautiful as an oil painting, making him fall hopelessly in love. Due to the difference in their status, he only dared to bury this feeling deep in his heart, letting it grow wildly.

Until the year his father also passed away, which was also the year Olivia was forced by her family to marry Nathan. To rebel against her parents, she deliberately confessed to him. For Ethan, who had just lost his family, this was like a warm ray of sunshine, making him deeply immersed in it, craving this warmth.

Even though Ethan knew from the beginning that this was just Olivia's means to defy her family and avoid the arranged marriage, he was still as happy as a child receiving a beloved gift.

During their five years of dating, Ethan gave his heart and soul to her, wanting to melt her icy exterior and enter her heart, making her fall in love with him.

But he never expected Nathan to appear at this time. He was Olivia's legitimate fiancé, an arrogant and disrespectful young master.

Whenever attending important banquets, Olivia always brought Nathan by her side. When many people inquired about their relationship, Olivia's answer was always the same.

"Nathan is my fiancé, we have a very good relationship."

Olivia's eyes sparkled with laughter, looking at Ethan with a challenging gaze.

Faced with such situations, Ethan could only swallow his grievances, his heart sinking into an endless sea, feeling extremely bitter.

But he loved Olivia too much. As long as she kept him by her side for one more day, he would wholeheartedly be good to her.

Ethan let out a long sigh, enduring the pain in his heart, and mustered up the courage to try and pull Olivia back.

"Olivia, your stomach isn't feeling well. Don't drink alcohol. Let me make you some porridge."

As soon as he finished speaking, jeers erupted from the crowd.

"What porridge? You're just a chauffeur's son. Olivia only keeps you as a boyfriend to play with, like a pet. Don't try to act all high and mighty here!"

"You don't really think you're the master, do you? Her real fiancé is right here. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Olivia didn't refute. Her beautiful eyes flashed with coldness as she shook off Ethan's hand.

"Who do you think you are to tell me what to do? Get out of here, don't ruin the mood between me and Nathan."

Ethan pressed his lips together, unable to say anything.

He turned around silently and left.

After returning home, he was about to eat something to fill his stomach and warm up his rain-soaked body when he found that the chicken soup he had prepared for his sister in the afternoon had long since gone cold. Ethan's eyes welled up with tears, his nose stinging. For Olivia's sake, he had forgotten to visit his sister today.

Emily suffered from severe leukemia. Her greatest wish was to see her brother and Olivia finally together, happy and content.

But Olivia disliked him, and by extension, didn't care for Emily.

Ethan absent-mindedly reheated the soup.

He understood that he was just a stopgap measure, a joke.

Ethan could endure the torment and pain Olivia gave him, but he didn't want Olivia to despise his sister or do anything to harm her. After all, she was his only family left.

So he decided to tell his sister that he and Olivia wouldn't have a future together.

Ethan rode his bike to the hospital, only to find the room empty.

He thought the medical staff might have taken his sister to the bathroom, so he turned to look for her.

Little did he know, his sister had already been dragged into the abyss by a group of demons.

"Olivia, it's boring with just us drinking. We've played the same games over and over."

"Yeah, don't you often go to that club? The games there must be exciting. Teach us how to play."

Olivia and Nathan often threw parties at the villa, usually lasting from morning till night. After playing for so long, they naturally felt bored.

A few playful young masters started looking for more exciting entertainment.

"Are you sure? Don't be sore losers when the time comes," Olivia glanced at those who spoke, with a half-smile curling her lips.

Hearing this, Nathan revealed a faint smile: "Olivia, don't underestimate them. They might play even more intensely than us!"

Olivia nodded and led everyone to a secret room filled with divine statues, as solemn and sacred as a church.

"This is a secret base that I begged our family's old man to build for a long time. You guys are in for a treat today."

Olivia held a wine glass, her red lips alluring, proudly introducing the place to everyone.

"This is contraband, Olivia. You're really daring."

"What's the big deal? Name one young master from a rich family who doesn't touch this stuff nowadays?"

Several people gathered around the table, carefully examining the tools on it - syringes, surrounded by "magical elixirs" that would let them experience an extreme high.

"Don't worry, these doses won't get you addicted, but......" Olivia picked up a syringe from the table and scanned the room: "If anyone dares to talk, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Relax, Olivia. With me here, they wouldn't dare," Nathan put his arm around Olivia's shoulders, his expression carrying a warning as he looked at everyone present. Everyone immediately understood, and for a moment, no one dared to speak.

"Miss, Mr. Ethan's sister is here. She says she has something to give you."

The butler knocked on the door, and everyone felt their fun was being spoiled.

"These siblings are really like ghosts that won't go away. They're both such pests!"

"Just send her away. Don't let her ruin our fun."

Nathan's eyes held a playful glint: "Sending her away is no fun. Since Ethan treasures his sister so much, he probably wouldn't mind letting her join our game."

The crowd egged them on, and Olivia just slightly tilted her head, resting it on her hand, silently agreeing to his idea.

"Bring her in."

Emily passed through the dark staircase, timidly hugging the doll in her arms, her eyes full of fear.

"Little Emily, do you like feeling happy? Light and floating, like flying in the sky."

Olivia pretended to be gentle, stroking Emily's hair.

"I like it!"

"Then let's play a game together."

Olivia led her to a chair and pressed a mechanism.

Soon, Emily's hands were locked to the chair, unable to move.

"How long do you think this little girl can last? Ten minutes?"

"That's too little! Kids have good bodies, it should be at least half an hour!"

Everyone laughed, carelessly joking about it.

"Since that's the case, why don't we make a bet? Let's see how long she can hold out."

The one who said this was Nathan.

Everyone placed their bets, taking out checkbooks and writing numbers. Whoever guessed closest would get all the checks on the table!

Emily was trembling, cautiously opening her mouth.

"Sister, what game do you want me to play? My brother is waiting for me to go home."

Olivia frowned slightly, curled her lips, and deliberately coaxed her: "Don't you want me and your brother to take you to the amusement park together? If you complete this game, I'll agree to it."

Emily's eyes lit up. How could she distinguish between true and false intentions? She nodded resolutely.

Olivia sneered, beckoning Nathan to take the syringe and mercilessly inject it into Emily's body.

"Sister! It hurts, it's so cold!" Emily cried out, struggling constantly.

"You little bitch, don't give up so easily. This is just the beginning."

Nathan held her down tightly, letting the drug enter Emily's body, watching her tear-filled eyes with great satisfaction.

"Sister......" Emily looked to Olivia for help, but she just silently played with her soft hair.

Gradually, Emily's consciousness became more and more blurred, and her limbs stopped struggling. There wasn't the excitement everyone had expected, so they found it boring and left in droves with their favorite drugs and syringes, without anyone checking Emily's condition.

Shortly after everyone left, Emily kept coughing, her lips turning whiter and whiter, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.

She weakly called for help in the empty secret room: "Help... save me... Sister... Brother..."

There was no response. Finally, Emily's hand slowly fell, and she stopped breathing.