Chapter 3
Lena sniffled tearfully, “Since Wendy doesn’t want me here, I’ll leave!” But as she took a step, Ethan pulled her back forcefully. “Where are you going? Do you want to kill me?” His eagerness to protect her seemed born of terror that she might vanish again.
At this sight, Wendy couldn’t hold back a roar, “Ethan, do you know what was in that cup? It was your-
“Shut up!” Ethan cut her off viciously. “I don’t care what it was. Even if it were poison, you’d drink it, because it’s Lena’s good will.”
Wendy stood frozen, laughing bitterly. Of course–he’d already poisoned her once. Why would he care what she drank now? She watched as he scooped Lena into his arms, leaving only a cold command, “This isn’t over. Go to the sauna and reflect, warm that icy heart of yours.”
Before she could explain, he ordered bodyguards to drag her into the satina without a backward glance. In the sweltering summer, the sauna was cranked to 60°C by Ethan’s command. Wendy, weak from two days of starvation, was consumed by dehydration and suffocation.
Her heart pounded wildly, as if about to burst from her chest. Tears and sweat merged, evaporating into white salt stains on her skin.
How ironic! Ethan had built this sauna to treat her cold constitution. Now it was a torture chamber for his mistress’s vengeance. With her last strength,
Wendy fumbled the pill box from her pocket and swallowed the first pill without hesitation, determined to forget it all.
으로 로
As consciousness blurred, she seemed to return to the past–after childbirth, when she suffered from constant cold, the usually proud Ethan had humbled himself to design blueprints and lay bricks alongside workers, saying, “Wendy, I’ll never let you feel cold again.”
All illusions melted into mist under the searing heat. The door banged open. “What are you taking?” Ethan demanded.
Wendy turned her head, clutching the pill box so tightly her palm ached. “Nothing… I’m just hungry.”
4
Despite his suspicion at her pallor, Ethan’s voice softened slightly. “Wendy, be good. Save your temper until after the baby is born.” He stepped closer, pinching her chin to force her to meet his gaze. “If there’s a next time, it won’t be this easy.”
Wendy smiled bitterly in her heart. There would’t be a next time.
Soon she would take her son’s ashes and vanish completely from his world.
The next day was Wendy’s birthday. The villa was lavishly decorated for the banquet.
In the living room, Lena twirled happily in the gown Ethan had prepared. “Ethan, is this dress too eye–catching for Wendy’s birthday party?” Ethan leared on the sofa, fingers casually propped against his forehead, smiling and shaking his head.
Wendy’s gaze suddenly fell on the hair tie on his wrist. It was the one he’d stolen during their dating days, saying wearing her hair tie meant he belonged to her.
For six years of marriage, he’d spurned expensive watches, keeping only this cheap hair tie close.
ཋ ཇ་ཇ ༤ཇ་ རྒྱུུ་རྫ་ ༸ཇ ཤ ཋཋ
He was still wearing it…
Before Wendy could react, Ethan rose leisurely, walked behind Lena, and used the hair tie to sweep her hair into an elegant low ponytail. Lena’s cheeks flushed, her fingers brushing her empty neck meaningfully, “I feel like something’s missing.”
After a moment’s thought, Ethan turned to Wendy without hesitation, “Wendy, fetch the ‘Eternal Heart‘ necklace for Lena.”
Wendy’s heart ached sharply. That was the Caldwell family’s heirloom, traditionally worn only by daughters–in–law. On their wedding day, Ethan had placed it around her neck, declaring her the mistress of the Caldwell family. Now he wanted to give it to Lena.
Wendy clenched her skirt tightly, finally nodding, “Okay.”
After all, these things would end up with Lena once she left. She retrieved the necklace from her room and handed it to Ethan, who slowly fastened it around Lena’s neck, his eyes full of doting.
“Much better. It suits you perfectly.”
