Chapter 2

"Are you here to beg me to release those refugees too?"

He held my hand, his tone casual and disinterested.

I lowered my eyes submissively. "I wouldn't dare."

"My Aria would never say she doesn't dare."

I changed my words. "I won't."

He looked pleased, his expression softening.

Happy with my response, he waved his hand, ordering the staff outside to clean up his office. I saw the head butler breathe a sigh of relief, giving me a grateful look.

Adrian had renamed his office "Ava's Study," while my quarters were now called "Ava's Tower."

Back in my room, my father was already waiting.

"Mrs. Blackwood."

My father is the company's CFO. He used to dote on me, but since I became Adrian's wife, it had been a long time since he called me Aria.

"Father, have you come because something's happened at the company again?"

My father stared at me intently. In the few days since I'd last seen him, he seemed to have aged a decade. Silver strands sprouted at his temples, and his eyes held a pleading look. He knelt before me. "Please, ask your husband to help the people suffering from the layoffs."

I didn't move. This wasn't the first time my father had knelt before me for the sake of the employees. But I clearly remembered the first time he knelt before his own daughter - it was to persuade me to marry the cruel Adrian.

Just because my face was 80% similar to Ava's, he offered me to Adrian. Not for family honor, but so that I could use my resemblance to Ava to stop Adrian when he was about to do something cruel.

He wanted me to influence Adrian's decisions.

I admit he's a good executive, but he's not a good father. He used our family bond to bind me, sending me to this cold, loveless marriage.

Enduring the mix of adoration and torment that Adrian's unstable moods brought me.

Now, he doesn't even call me Aria anymore. It's always "Mrs. Blackwood" this and "Mrs. Blackwood" that.

I lowered my eyelids, hiding the hurt in my eyes. "What's happened?"

"There's unrest at the factory in Springfield. The leader's been arrested and is scheduled for execution tomorrow."

With Adrian imposing such heavy workloads and pay cuts across the company, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire workforce revolted.

Without looking up, I picked up my unfinished embroidery and continued stitching a plum blossom pattern, my tone flat. "Springfield is far from here. Even if Adrian ordered a stay of execution today, it would take two days for the order to reach Springfield. You can't save him."

"What if that person is Marcus?"

The familiar name struck my ears. My fingers slipped, and the needle pricked my fingertip. A drop of blood fell onto the plum blossom I had just embroidered.

"Marcus has already been brought to the city. If you don't persuade Adrian to stop, Marcus's head will be on display in the town square tomorrow!"

My heart clenched. I slowly put down the needle and stood up.

Marcus... was the boy I loved.

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