Chapter 4

The babies' weak whimpers echoed through the dark night, like ghostly wails.

“Skylar! What are you doing!”

My pupils constricted, and I lunged forward, snatching the pillow from Skylar’s hands, my heart surging with furious anger. “No matter how much you want to rise to the top, you can’t be so cruel as to harm children!”

Discovering that both babies had been smothered to death, a wave of rage consumed me. I slapped Skylar across the face twice like a madwoman.

But the next moment, Skylar collapsed to the floor, clutching her stomach in terror, screaming for mercy. “Ah—!”

“Mrs. Thorne, I didn’t mean to see you smother the babies! Please, spare my life!”

My head buzzed as I saw the sudden gush of thick blood beneath Skylar. Just then, the bedroom door was kicked open, and Damian rushed in.

“What happened?!”

“Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne is too jealous! She tried to smother the babies with a pillow! When I caught her, she tried to kill me to silence me! Mr. Thorne, please save me and my baby!” Her voice was shrill, almost piercing the air. Then she frantically cowered at Damian’s feet, begging for help, a triumphant smirk in her peripheral vision as she looked at me.

“Jealous?”

Hearing Skylar’s words, Damian looked at me, his eyes unreadable. I met his suspicious gaze without flinching. “I didn’t—”

But the next second, Damian smiled. He seemed to have heard something that genuinely delighted him, and his laughter grew louder and louder.

“Chloe, I knew you still cared about me! You’re jealous of the babies, you even wanted to kill them, so you love me!”

Damian pulled me into his arms, his voice overjoyed. “I’m so happy… Chloe Reed, I’m so happy!” His eyes burned with an intense heat, seemingly uncaring of the two babies’ lives, or even Skylar, who was covered in blood on the floor.

Skylar was shocked by his reaction, her head snapping up to look at Damian, her eyes full of disbelief.

“Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne pushed me… my stomach hurts so much…”

Skylar seemed to try one last desperate plea, but Damian merely gave her a cold glance and had Alfred send her to the hospital. As she was being carried away on the stretcher, her eyes burned with resentment as she looked at me. But I didn’t care. After we finalized the divorce tomorrow, those two lunatics could be locked together forever.

The next day, I sent Damian to the divorce registry office. On the way, I received a text from Skylar, asking to meet. Thinking the hospital was on the way, and that she had barely saved her baby last night and probably wasn’t strong enough to cause trouble, I went. After all, we had been college roommates for four years; it was a farewell of sorts.

But as I pushed open the hospital room door, I saw Skylar’s sinister grin, a terrifying, twisted smile. “Chloe Reed, this isn’t over!”

I frowned, realizing her words held a hidden meaning. Just as I was about to ask what she meant, a hand clamped over my mouth and nose, and my vision went black.

When I regained consciousness, I felt a violent collision in my lower body, a tearing, agonizing pain. Opening my eyes, I saw a strange man, pressing down on me, biting and tearing at my body. I was completely naked.

“Get away—! Don’t touch me!”

My mind instantly cleared. I frantically shoved the man off me, screaming in horror. Then, the door was kicked open again, and Damian burst in, his eyes bloodshot, with a feigning Skylar right behind him.

“Mrs. Thorne, I’m so sorry! I was stupid, I couldn’t stop Mr. Thorne. He found out about you eloping with your first love!”

Skylar knelt before me, putting on a dramatic show, but Damian had already pounced on the man, raining furious punches. He roared like a completely enraged lion.

“Bastard! How dare you touch her! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

“Chloe is mine! She’s mine! She’s the one I cherished, how dare you!”

Skylar frantically tried to intervene. “Mr. Thorne, stop! Please, just let them be! If you kill him, Mrs. Thorne will be heartbroken!”

But her words seemed designed to provoke Damian even further. He hit harder, blood splattering across his face. The man on the floor was already a limp mess. Any more, and he would die.

“…Damian… stop hitting him…”

Shrinking under the covers, my voice was hoarse and trembling. Hearing me, Damian’s veins-popping hand finally let go of the man. He pulled me tightly into his embrace, breathing heavily.

After a long silence, I waited for his accusations, but Damian asked nothing. He picked me up, still wrapped in the blanket, and strode out.

“Chloe, let’s go home…”

As he spoke, Skylar, her hands clenched into fists, tried to say something, but Damian’s icy glare silenced her instantly. The car was dead silent, the ride wordless.

At home, Damian ignored Skylar, carrying me directly into the bathroom. He meticulously washed every stain from my body himself, with endless patience. It seemed he hadn’t believed Skylar’s words at all. My heart quietly relaxed; I just worried Damian would make a scene and affect my divorce proceedings.

After changing, I was about to go find Skylar for my revenge. But Damian gripped my hand tightly again, his voice soft.

“Chloe, I have a gift for you. Come with me.”

I didn’t think much of it and obediently stepped into the elevator, following him deep underground. Then, we walked into a giant, deep-sea aquarium.

But the moment I saw the golden chains, my temples throbbed, and I instinctively wanted to run. However, the heavy door behind us instantly shut, and Damian scooped me up, carrying me to a bed.

He started to shackle my leg with the golden chain.