In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, garbage was piled up everywhere, filling the air with a foul stench. Sabrina Wright had been kidnapped and held here for three days. The dull pain in her lower abdomen kept her nerves on edge, and she couldn’t stop glancing toward the door.
“Damn it, you fucking bitch! What are you looking at?”
Sabrina hadn’t expected the kidnapper to be so alert. She licked her cracked lips and weakly asked, “When can I leave…?”
In the dim light, the kidnapper sneered, but before he could respond, a phone suddenly rang. The kidnapper glanced at the caller ID and answered the call.
“Mr. Adams, have you finally realized your wife is missing?”
Hearing this, Sabrina’s pale face shot up. The call was on speakerphone, and the kidnapper, with a casual air, lit a cigarette as he sat down.
“Where is she?”
The man's voice was utterly calm, carrying its usual cold detachment. Sabrina held her breath at the sound of the familiar voice.
“Do you have what I want? Did you prepare it?”
The kidnapper didn’t answer his question but instead asked eagerly. Sabrina had no idea what terms the kidnapper was referring to, and cold sweat began to bead on her forehead.
The kidnapper was too focused on the call to notice her. Sabrina gritted her teeth, straining to listen to their conversation, her eyes filled with hope.
“Let me speak to her.”
The kidnapper clicked his tongue in annoyance, kicked aside the trash at his feet, and thrust the phone toward Sabrina.
Sabrina stumbled forward in desperation, her eyes locked onto the phone screen. She cried out to the other end, “Jonah, save me…”
But before she could finish, his voice, cold and devoid of any warmth, echoed clearly through the small warehouse, hitting her like a thunderbolt. “So she’s still alive.”
The clarity of his voice in the confined space was striking, and Sabrina stood frozen, unable to believe what she had just heard from Jonah Adams. “Jonah, you—”
“A staged performance. Are you enjoying this?”
“I didn’t…” Sabrina realized what he was insinuating, and though he couldn’t see her, she instinctively shook her head frantically. Tears began to pour down her face like a broken dam.
“Lillian hasn’t even left the hospital room, and you bitch just can’t stand to see her doing well, huh? This fucking pathetic stunt won't work. I’ll never get out of the hospital! Damn!”
“No… I didn’t lie to you…” Sabrina’s voice cracked as she denied his accusations, unable to say anything else. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart and repeatedly stomped on.
“If you like this fucking game so much, why don’t you play it a little longer?”
Sabrina stood there, her heart sinking into a desolate wasteland. The conversation between them wasn’t going the way she had hoped. The kidnapper quickly pulled back the phone, about to speak, but the person on the other end had already hung up without any hesitation.
“Son of a bitch!”
The kidnapper exploded with rage, redialing the number, but was met with a message saying the phone had been turned off. Enraged by this unexpected turn of events, he turned around and slapped Sabrina across the face.
Still reeling from her earlier shock, Sabrina hadn’t fully recovered. Unprepared, she was knocked to the ground by the blow. The acrid smell of garbage filled her nostrils, making it difficult to breathe. The sharp pain in her throat triggered a coughing fit that only worsened.
Sabrina closed her eyes weakly, letting the tears fall as her consciousness began to fade. For a brief moment, she couldn’t tell if this was a nightmare or reality. It was only now that she realized how utterly miserable her life had become…
On the hospital bed, Lillian Wright’s face was pale. As Jonah ended the call, a dark glint flashed in her eyes before she looked up at him. “Jonah, I’m fine now, but what about my sister? I think I just heard…”
“Don’t worry about her.”
Jonah walked to the bedside, took Lillian’s hand, and the lingering disgust on his face hadn’t yet faded.
Lillian coughed softly a couple of times. “I know my sister never liked me, but I really didn’t want to replace her as your wife. This time, it was an accident. It has nothing to do with her…”
“Don’t defend her. This isn’t the first time she’s pulled a stunt like this.”
Two years ago, Sabrina had disappeared for two days. He had abandoned Lillian, who had suddenly fallen ill, and frantically ordered his men to search the entire city for her, going two days and nights without rest. But in the end, he found out that it was all just a ploy on her part, a way to test her place in his heart.
He had been angry, but still, he patiently brought her back home, only for her to laugh and say she had just gone to Japan with Colin for a couple of days. She knew full well that the place was Lillian’s worst nightmare, yet she had still stabbed at Lillian’s heart without mercy.
Jonah bent down, tenderly tucking Lillian in before sitting down beside her. “If it weren’t for her reckless behavior, how could you have fallen ill and ended up in the hospital?”
Remembering how Sabrina’s neurotic threats had caused Lillian to become so agitated that her heart condition relapsed, Jonah’s voice grew colder.
Lillian wanted to say something, but the phone under her pillow suddenly vibrated. Without showing any emotion, she reached out to silence it, then spoke in a soft, aggrieved tone, “I’m fine now, Jonah. Please don’t be angry. I’m just a little hungry.”
Jonah nodded. “I’ll have the assistant bring something over.”
Lillian, however, pouted and said, “But I want you to get it. From that steakhouse we used to love.”
Jonah looked at Lillian, who had just been wheeled out of the emergency room. Her face was still pale, and the way she was looking at him reminded him inexplicably of Sabrina in the past. He suddenly felt a surge of irritation.
Shaking off the unwelcome thoughts, Jonah nodded, gave her a few more instructions, and then left the room.
Once he was gone, Lillian slowly retrieved the phone from under her pillow…
As Jonah reached the hospital entrance, a notification sounded on his phone. He opened the message and immediately, his face darkened.
On the screen was a picture of Sabrina, disheveled and filthy, her clothes torn, and bruises covering her entire body. Her expression was blank, devoid of any life.
Jonah scrolled down and responded expressionlessly: Enjoying your Photoshop skills?
After sending the message, he shut off his phone. He refused to believe that the cunning and deceitful Sabrina would really let herself end up in such a dire situation.
Jonah got into his car, the black Cayenne roaring to life as it sped into the traffic. But within minutes, the man’s inner turmoil couldn’t be suppressed. He slammed on the brakes, ignoring the curses from the driver behind him, and opened his phone. Seeing that there was no reply, he immediately called his assistant, Viggo.
“Find Sabrina.”
Viggo was baffled by the sudden order from his boss, but before he could respond, the call was abruptly cut off.
…
Back at the abandoned warehouse, the kidnapper looked at the latest text message on his phone and the half-depleted account balance. He spat out a curse, then turned his gaze toward the woman lying motionless in the pile of garbage.
Kicking away a stool, he took a few steps toward Sabrina, grabbed her by the arm, and lifted her up. “I gave you a chance, but your fucking man doesn’t want you. Since he won’t answer my calls, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
With that, he threw her roughly back to the ground.
Nearly unconscious, Sabrina forced her swollen eyes open, just in time to see the kidnapper pulling his belt from his waist. Realizing his intentions, she jolted awake and began to struggle.
“No… you can’t…”
“I’ve wasted days on this, and now that the money’s not worth it, you’re not going to stop me from having a little fun, huh?”
The kidnapper undid his belt and tied Sabrina’s hands again. Despite her desperate struggle, she was no match for his strength. After days of mistreatment, her body had long since been drained of any energy.
“Please… let me go. I’ll give you money. I’ll give you money, okay? I have money. Just let me go…”
Sabrina’s voice was hoarse as she cried out, using the last of her strength to resist.
But the next moment, the sound of tearing fabric made her body go rigid, and she began to tremble uncontrollably.
The kidnapper clamped a hand over her mouth and pressed down on her.
“No!”
“I’m pregnant…”
The early October morning in Seattle carried a bone-chilling cold. Sabrina wrapped her tattered clothes tightly around her as she staggered toward the Adams Villa.
Jonah lay on his soft bed, his mind a chaotic mess, recalling the location update his assistant had sent yesterday. Sabrina had been tracked to a seaside villa in Seattle. He nearly smashed his phone in anger—he had been fooled by that woman with the same trick yet again.
Frowning deeply, Jonah got up and poured himself a glass of water, trying to calm the agitation stirring within him. Suddenly, he heard some unusual sounds coming from downstairs, making his heart jolt.
Jonah, still holding the glass, walked over to the window. There, outside the gate, he saw Sabrina, in a disheveled state, lying on the steps, struggling to knock on the door.
What act is she putting on now?
Jonah furrowed his brows and walked downstairs, step by step, until he reached the front door. He pulled it open.
“Can’t keep up the fucking act anymore, so you’ve decided to come back?”
Hearing the man’s voice, Sabrina slowly lifted her head. Jonah was startled by her appearance.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her face pale with an unhealthy flush, and her lips were bruised and discolored.
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Jonah stared at her directly. Sabrina clutched the doorframe, struggling to stand. Slowly, she opened her mouth and asked hoarsely, “Why?”
Why did you treat me like this?
She had dragged herself back, step by step, just to ask the man before her—why could he be so heartless? Did he hate her so much that he wished her dead?
Her voice, once clear and beautiful, was now rough and harsh, as if cut by tiny blades. Jonah instinctively stepped back, a look of disgust flashing in his eyes.
Seeing his blatant reaction, Sabrina suddenly grabbed his arm and shouted, “Jonah, why are you doing this? Do you even care about me…?”
With her desperate movement, her already torn clothes shifted, revealing the bruises on her arms and the ugly marks on her chest.
Jonah shook her off, and she fell heavily to the ground.
The gravel dug into her skin, causing blood to bloom like plum blossoms, but she seemed oblivious to the pain, only staring in despair at the man she had loved for nearly ten years.
Seeing the marks on her body, Jonah suddenly knelt down and hastily pulled open Sabrina’s collar. When he saw the scattered bruises and injuries, he froze.
Sabrina, however, grinned at him. “Are you satisfied now, Jonah?”
Then, she began to laugh and cry at the same time, pointing at her abdomen. “Do you see it? Do you see my child? The child is gone too. Are you satisfied?”
Jonah instinctively followed her gaze and saw that blood had soaked through her dress, gathering into a dark stain.
The madness in Sabrina's voice echoed around the silent villa entrance.
Jonah snapped out of it, shoved Sabrina aside, and stood up abruptly.
He doesn’t believe it! This must be another one of her tricks, another act she’s putting on.
“Are you satisfied now? Are you finally satisfied…?” Sabrina’s laughter was piercing, chilling him to the bone.
“Jonah, I regret it…”
Jonah didn’t know what she regretted. The sight of the bright red blood on the ground sent a cold, bitter feeling crawling up from his heart, making it impossible for him to stay another minute.
Agitated, he turned away, harsh words spilling from his lips. “Shameless! You’ll go to any lengths to avoid a divorce! Damn it, stay here! Come in when you’ve finally thought it through.”
With that, he turned and left.
The butler, who had been standing at a distance, hurried after him, anxious. “Sir…”
“Shut up! No one is to help her! Let her keep acting!” Jonah barked as he stormed up the stairs. Knowing he couldn’t change his mind, the butler stopped at the bottom of the stairs, glancing back at Sabrina outside the door, who was on the brink of madness. Unable to bear the sight, he turned away.
He had watched these two grow up. They had been so good together once—how had things fallen apart like this?
Sabrina felt her body growing colder, the air around her so still that she couldn’t hear a sound. She stared up at the sky, slowly closing her eyes.
…
When Colin arrived after hearing the news, he was met with a heartbreaking sight.
The woman who had always been so dazzling and vibrant now lay abandoned at the villa entrance, her body a chaotic mess, motionless. The villa doors were tightly shut, with no one caring whether she lived or died.
Colin's eyes turned bloodshot in an instant. He gently lifted Sabrina into his arms, carefully laying her on the back seat of his car. Then, he sped toward the hospital, finally arriving half an hour later with Sabrina, still covered in blood.
“Doctor, doctor, please help! Hurry!”
His urgent footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Sabrina was unconscious, only vaguely aware of Colin’s voice. She tried to open her eyes.
Colin, who had been watching her intently, noticed her eyelashes fluttering and his heart leaped.
He caressed her face repeatedly, filled with love, urging her to hold on, to keep fighting.
A warm tear fell on Sabrina’s pale cheek. Sensing the sorrow of the person beside her, her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
She wanted to tell Colin that she regretted it—she regretted falling in love with Jonah…
But she was so tired now. She didn’t think she could hold on…
Colin leaned closer, straining to hear what she was trying to say, but he couldn’t make out a word.
Just then, the doctors and nurses arrived, swiftly wheeling a gurney toward them. Colin carefully placed Sabrina on the bed, his eyes inadvertently falling on her abdomen.
It was at this moment that he noticed the large, abnormal bloodstain on her lower abdomen.
Colin froze, his hands trembling uncontrollably. He gently moved Sabrina’s hand away from her belly and lifted the torn fabric, revealing the knife wound that made him stagger back in shock.
At Adams Group, Jonah sat rigidly at the head of the conference table, swiftly flipping through the planning document in his hand. The more he read, the deeper his frown grew. Before reaching the end, he threw the document onto the desk, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
The office was deathly silent, with everyone lowering their heads, too afraid to meet the boss's eyes. Viggo, standing behind Jonah, tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, staring at the back of Jonah’s head.
Jonah’s face was cold and taut, his thin lips parting as he spoke, “Is this the plan you spent three weeks on?”
His voice was neither loud nor soft, but the words sent a chill through everyone present.
The office remained silent.
After a couple of seconds, the head of the planning department hurriedly picked up the document from the table, wiping the sweat from his brow as he nervously explained, “Mr. Adams, our original plan was for the villa area on the southern coast, but the police went there this morning. We heard someone died there, so we had to reconsider…”
Hearing the mention of a coastal villa and a fatality, Jonah momentarily lost focus, then let out a cold laugh, forcing his attention back to the present.
The head of planning fell silent immediately, seeing the boss’s expression turn even more severe. He stood there, trembling, unsure whether to continue speaking.
At that moment, the office door suddenly burst open with a loud bang.
“He’s too busy to see his own mother?” a voice called from outside. Jonah looked up.
An older woman, her face full of anger, pushed past the secretary blocking her way and stormed into the office. Jonah instinctively frowned and waved his hand, signaling the end of the meeting.
The executives respectfully greeted the woman before leaving. Viggo, sensing the tension, tried to slip away as well, but the woman, Molly, Jonah's mother, stopped him, “You stay.”
Viggo was a bit surprised and quickly reviewed all his actions from the past year in his mind.
Jonah was equally puzzled and frowned as he asked, “Mom, what brings you here?”
Molly angrily poked Jonah in the chest with her finger, her well-maintained face showing nothing but fury, “Do you even care that I’m your mother?”
Jonah remained silent.
“Sabrina was kidnapped, and you didn’t tell me? What did she ever do to deserve this from you?”
“Have you been bewitched by that vixen? Ignoring your good wife to stay at the hospital with that seductive woman!”
Jonah’s temples throbbed. He was about to speak, but Molly gave him no chance.
“Sabrina won’t even answer my calls now. Where is she?” Molly’s eyes were red as she looked at her son.
Jonah remained silent for a moment.
He thought about Sabrina and Colin, then sneered, “She’s fine. She’s probably with Colin right now, doing who knows what dirty business…”
Before he could finish, Molly slapped him across the face.
The slap echoed loudly in the empty office.
Molly had put all her strength into it.
Jonah stood there, stunned, his ears ringing.
Viggo watched the scene unfold, filled with dread.
Molly looked at Jonah with bitter disappointment, saying, “Sabrina must have been blind to choose you. She’s your wife, and not only do you never care about her, but you also—”
Molly’s hands trembled with anger. She turned to Viggo and asked, “Where is she now?”
Viggo instinctively looked to Jonah for guidance.
Jonah turned his bruised face away, his voice irritated, “Find her!”
“Yes, sir.”
Viggo quickly opened his laptop to track Sabrina’s phone. After a few moments, he reported, “Madam’s phone is currently moving along Southbank Street.”
Southbank Street, the most famous shopping street in South City.
Jonah glanced at Molly with a sarcastic smile, “See? She’s fine. Probably too busy having fun to answer your calls.”
Sabrina, after putting on such a show, still had the heart to go out and have fun with him.
Jonah gritted his teeth, feeling utterly foolish for even worrying that she might have been hurt.
Molly didn’t believe it. She pushed past Jonah and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, she warned, “You’d better forget about marrying Lillian. Once I find Sabrina, we’ll settle this.”
With that, she walked out.
Jonah slumped onto the sofa in frustration. After a while, he couldn’t help himself and pulled out his phone to call Sabrina.
The phone rang twice, and Jonah straightened up, feeling inexplicably tense.
But then the call was abruptly cut off.
Jonah’s anger flared. He hurled the phone against the table, smashing it to pieces.
“Mr. Adams…”
“Get out!”
Viggo carefully circled around the sofa and quietly closed the door behind him.
He glanced at the laptop, noticing that Sabrina’s location was still moving south. Something didn’t seem right, but given Jonah’s current state, he decided it was best to leave.
…
The night was quiet, with a slight chill lingering in the air after the light rain earlier in the day.
Jonah, looking weary, pushed open the door to the villa. The yard was littered with flower petals knocked down by the rain.
He was about to reprimand someone, but then remembered that the butler had left that afternoon, and now the house was completely empty.
That woman really hadn’t come back!
He closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples before opening them again, his vision tinged with red.
A cold breeze passed through, and Jonah found himself walking to the corridor and turning on the courtyard light.
This was the light she had chosen in their second year of marriage. She had said that the yard was too dark and that the light, shaped like a chubby little pig, would make it feel cozy.
What had he said back then? He had called it ugly.
He still remembered how she had glared at him after he said that, calling him tasteless.
She had refused to let anyone else help and had insisted on climbing the ladder herself to install it, wobbling all the while. He had stood below, helplessly watching her, eventually holding the ladder for her out of concern.
She had pretended to fall, only to land in his arms and burst out laughing, playfully kissing him in surprise.
He had pretended to be annoyed, but only he knew how much joy it had brought him.
Back then, she was so full of energy and life.
No matter how tired he was when he came home from work, she always managed to lift his spirits.
But when had she changed? Was it when Lillian first asked her for help? Or when Lillian got sick, and Sabrina just watched coldly from the sidelines?
He had scolded her for being insensitive. Or was it when the conflict between him and Colin started, and she chose not to trust him?
She started coming home late, staying out all night without a word, and his patience with her wore thin.
Until this time, when she had threatened Lillian to leave Seattle, nearly costing Lillian her life—he couldn’t tolerate her anymore.
The light she had chosen now cast a cold glow in the dark, projecting his somber figure across the long, silent corridor.
The night was slightly chilly, the light dim, and the warmth between them had completely dissipated…
Jonah’s heart suddenly throbbed with pain.
Raindrops fell on his face, snapping him back to reality. He coldly stepped over the scattered petals and entered the house without a backward glance.
All that remained was the dim light and the gently swaying red roses in the garden.
…
A week later, Jonah woke up with a pounding headache. His insomnia had gotten worse, and the tension in his body had reached its limit. His pale face and dark circles were more prominent than ever. Irritated, he got out of bed and swallowed the painkillers that had been prepared in advance.
He looked at himself in the mirror and suddenly felt as if he was staring at a stranger.
Was that haggard, ten-years-older-looking man really him?
For some reason, he couldn’t stand to see himself like this. In a fit of frustration, he smashed the mirror, shards embedding themselves in his palm. He didn’t seem to feel the pain, his expression blank as he walked downstairs.
That woman had been gone for seven days without a single word to him.
This was their longest separation yet.
Molly cursed him every day.
He gave himself a deadline. If she didn’t show up in another seven days, they would get divorced for good!
Jonah felt as if he was truly ill. The thought of divorce made something deep inside him ache as if an arrow had pierced his heart, the sharp pain making it hard to breathe.
The feeling grew stronger, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Jonah clutched his chest, letting out a pained groan as he sank to the floor, feeling as though the world had shrunk down to just him.
Until he felt a warm touch on his shoulder, pulling him out of the darkness. He gasped for breath and slowly opened his eyes.
Sabrina?
She’s back!
As his vision cleared, Jonah realized the woman standing before him wasn’t Sabrina. He frowned slightly but then relaxed as his nerves calmed down.
“What are you doing here?” he asked softly.
Lillian looked worried, helping him straighten his collar. “Jonah, you haven’t come to see me in a week. I was really worried about you, so I came to find you. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Jonah said absentmindedly, getting to his feet. “You has just recovered; you shouldn’t be out in this cold.”
Lillian nodded obediently. She noticed how exhausted Jonah looked and the blood and glass in his palm.
Frowning, Lillian carefully led him to the dining table, where she took out the first aid kit from under the TV cabinet and began treating his wounds.
Jonah let her tend to him, staring blankly at the three dishes and a soup on the table, identical to the ones Sabrina used to prepare for him.
Lillian didn’t say much as she treated him. Seeing his distracted state, she felt a surge of bitterness but concealed it well.
Pretending to be concerned, she asked, “Jonah, has my sister not come back yet…”
When Jonah’s expression suddenly turned cold, Lillian couldn’t hide the smirk that crept into her heart. But she quickly adopted a cautious tone, “I heard she’s been spending time with Colin…”
Jonah slammed his forks onto the table, silencing her immediately.
Jonah spoke coldly, “Lillian, you should go…”
But before he could finish, his phone suddenly rang.
He answered, and Viggo’s panicked voice came through, “Mr. Adams, it’s about Miss Lillian—she’s been implicated…”
The front door of the villa burst open before Viggo could finish. Jonah hung up, his sense of unease growing stronger.
“Lillian, you’re under arrest for your involvement in a kidnapping case. Please come with us,” the police officer announced as they entered.
Jonah froze, unable to process what he was hearing.
He watched as the police restrained Lillian. He stood up abruptly, but his vision went black, and he collapsed.
“Mr. Adams, Mr. Adams,” the police officers called out to him, snapping him back to reality.
He looked at Lillian, who was eerily calm.
“What… what the hell did you do?” Jonah croaked, his throat dry.
“Jonah, take care of yourself. I was the one who had my sister kidnapped. Now you’re free. You’ll never have to see us again,” Lillian said with a crazed smile, her eyes slowly filling with madness.
She had finally done it—Jonah was truly free!
Ever since she was a child, she had always followed in her sister’s shadow, watching her get the best of everything. Even though she had fallen in love with Jonah first, it was her sister who married him in the end. Why?
Jonah clearly didn’t love her, yet she clung to him desperately. Only by dying could she truly set him free.
The hatred in Lillian’s eyes was no longer hidden.
Jonah felt as if he had been struck by lightning, too afraid to think about her words in detail.
In a panic, he locked eyes with the police officer, who patiently repeated, "A week ago, we received a report… When we arrived at the scene, we found that the hostage had already left, and the kidnapper was lying in a pool of blood, missing an ear. We took him for treatment, and when he woke up, he confessed that he had kidnapped Sabrina, and the person who instructed him to do all of this was Lillian."
Jonah felt as if his heart had stopped beating.
His eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at Lillian, who only laughed hysterically.
The police officer continued, though he found it difficult, “The kidnapper also admitted to rape and torture Miss Sabrina…”
What?
Jonah stood frozen in place.
Lillian muttered to herself, “Didn’t you hate her? Isn’t this better? She was involved with Jonah and flirting with Colin at the same time. I solved the problem for you, Jonah. Now you’ll never have to be troubled by her again. A whore like her deserved to die so miserably, ha ha ha…”
“Where is she?”
Jonah suddenly rushed forward, demanding answers.
Lillian lovingly caressed his cheek and whispered, “I guess she’s probably dead by now. That day, she had two gaping wounds in her belly that couldn’t be stopped. How could she still be alive, ha ha ha…”
“And that bastard child is dead too. I took care of two problems for you, Jonah…”
