"Ms. Lancaster, you sure you wanna take that fake-death shot?"

It was the tenth year working as Nathaniel Hawke's private killer, and Celeste Lancaster had decided to leave him.

She walked into a shabby underground clinic in the south of the city and traded all her savings for a fake-death shot.

The doctor in a white coat told her that after the shot, her pulse would slowly weaken, her heart would stop on the seventh day, and she'd wake up after seventy-two hours.

Celeste pushed the liquid into her vein and headed for the Hawke's villa.

Raindrops hit her shoulders, and the cold seeped into her bones.

She suddenly remembered that rainy night ten years ago, in the leaky shack in the slum, when she traded herself for the contract Nathaniel handed her, just to buy medicine for her sister, Serena Lancaster.

Back then, Nathaniel was only eighteen, but he already had the whole underground network of a state under his control.

He stood in front of the rundown shack, his black suit pristine.

"Wanna live?"

His voice was colder than the rain.

She nodded hard.

"From now on, your life is mine."

He gave her a piece of bread, a dry set of clothes, and a gun.

For ten years, he turned her into the deadliest weapon, a shadow that could kill without anyone noticing.

Celeste didn't know when her feelings for Nathaniel started to change.

Maybe it was when she got shot and was dying, and he rushed her to the hospital.

Maybe it was the warmth of his chest against her back when he taught her how to shoot.

Or maybe it was last year at that business dinner, when he got drugged and they ended up on that crazy night together on the couch in the lounge.

After that, he never talked about it, and she pretended like nothing had happened.

But every few days, he'd show up in her room. Sometimes he was all sweet and cuddly, and other times he was rough like a beast.

He never promised her anything, and she never asked for anything. He was who he was, cold-blooded, ruthless, and decisive.

He didn't give her a title, but he also never showed interest in anyone else.

Then one day, he brought a girl home.

Celeste stood in the shadows of the hallway. The moment she saw that girl's face, her blood seemed to freeze.

It was Serena, who she thought had died from sickness a long time ago.

It turned out that money back then helped Serena survive, and she got adopted by some rich guy. But a few days ago, his whole family got kidnapped, and only she made it out alive.

Nathaniel saved her.

That scrawny little girl from back then had grown up to be a pretty and charming young lady. She threw herself into Celeste's arms and cried her eyes out, shaking all over. "Celi, I missed you so much..."

For a second, Celeste thought that maybe things were finally looking up.

But then she saw how Nathaniel looked at Serena, and it was different.

He kept Serena away from the underworld. Instead, he got her the best teachers to teach her piano and painting.

She was scared of the dark, so he filled her room with night lights.

She loved roses, so he had whole fields of flowers flown in from Bulgaria.

Later, Serena got poisoned by a rival gang.

They sent a message saying they'd give the antidote if Nathaniel handed over his most trusted killer to them for a month to do whatever they wanted.

Everyone knew they loved to torture people.

None of the bodies they dragged out of their basement were in one piece.

Celeste looked at Nathaniel, hoping he'd say, "No way."

But all he said was, "I'll come get you in a month."

That month was the darkest stretch in Celeste's life.

Those people zapped her with high-voltage electricity, then called in doctors to patch her up, just to hear her scream.

They locked her in a freezer for three days straight, watching her struggle like a dying fish.

The worst day, they brought in a box of venomous ants, dipped her hands in honey, and shoved them into the box. Millions of ants gnawed at her flesh. The pain was so bad that she bit her own teeth to pieces.

The night before she was sent back, the gang leader grabbed her chin and sneered, "Nathaniel was willing to send his best weapon for a chick. Tell me, how much does he love that chick?"

Celeste didn't say a word.

All she knew was that whatever she'd felt for Nathaniel—ten years of devotion—had begun to wither away during that month.

She had signed a contract, and now she was his tool for life. She had no say over her own life unless she was dead.

So faking her death was the only way she could leave him.

When Celeste dragged her broken body back to the Hawke's villa, it was almost sunset. She had barely stepped through the door when Serena blocked her way with a few bodyguards. She was wearing a dazzling Chanel suit that made her look stunning.

"You've had a tough time," she said with a sweet smile.

"After being tortured by those people for so long for my antidote, you must be dirty."

She clapped her hands. "Come on, give Celi a good cleaning!"

Before Serena could finish, one of the bodyguards splashed a bucket of disinfectant alcohol all over Celeste.

The liquid hit her skin, and it stung her wounds. But she just stood there, not even flinching or grimacing.

Did it hurt?

Of course. But compared to the torture those people put her through, this was nothing.

Seeing her shiver but stay quiet, Serena sneered, "Clean enough. You can go in now."

Celeste dragged herself back to her secluded room. She was starting to take off her clothes to treat her wounds when the door suddenly swung open.

Nathaniel stood there with the light behind him, looking even more imposing in his black suit.

It had been ten years, and seeing his face still made her heart race, even though she had stopped loving him.

"Back already?" He strode over. "Let me check your wounds."

Celeste quietly turned around, showing her back marred with scars.

Nathaniel's fingers gently traced a nasty knife wound. "How did you get this?"

"Their hunting knife," she replied, her voice calm.

He then pointed to a burn mark. "And this one?"

"A red-hot branding iron."

With every scar he saw, his brow furrowed a little more.

Then he saw the burn from the alcohol. "What's this one?"

"Rena had someone splash alcohol on me, saying I was dirty."

His eyes darkened. "What did you just say?"

"Rena had someone splash alcohol on me."

Celeste stared right into his eyes. "She said I was dirty."

He looked grim. "Rena is the nicest girl ever. After hearing that you risked your life to save her, she cried all the time, wishing she could take your pain instead. How could she do something like this?

"Celeste, since when did you learn to lie?"

"I'm not lying," she said, still looking him in the eye.

"Still trying to talk your way out of it!"

Nathaniel suddenly pushed her away. "Guards! Give her the punishment!"

The bodyguards looked at each other, but nobody dared to say no.

Celeste was pinned down on a bench in the yard. When the first whip hit, it tore her skin apart.

Nathaniel stood there, watching coldly.

"This is just a little warning. If anyone dares to say bad things about Rena again, this is what'll happen!"

The second whip, the third whip...

Celeste bit her lips so hard she tasted blood.

She remembered the first time she got hurt on a mission and was shaking like a leaf. Nathaniel held her close and whispered softly, "Don't be scared. I'm right here."

And now, he hurt her the most.

After the twentieth lash, she was soaked in blood.

She tried to lift her head, wanting to see Nathaniel one more time, but she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and blacked out.

In her haze, she heard the doctor's scared voice. "Ms. Lancaster's pulse is really weak. I'm afraid...she doesn't have much time left..."

The wine glass in Nathaniel's hand shattered on the floor with a loud crack.

"What did you say?!" he barked.

The doctor was trembling on the ground, too scared to look up. "I wouldn't dare speak out of turn. Ms. Lancaster really..."

"Get out!"

The doctor scurried out in a panic. Celeste lay there, knowing the fake-death shot was starting to kick in.

Once the room was quiet again, Nathaniel yanked the blanket off. Celeste's pale face was there, and her hands, always steady on a gun, now hung limply on the bedsheet.

"Those people swore to me with their blood."

His voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. "If they dared to hurt you, I'd make sure they wished they were never born. Celeste, when did you learn to team up with the doctor to fake your own death?"

Celeste slowly closed her eyes and didn't say a word.

Seeing that she wasn't explaining herself, Nathaniel was even more sure she was lying. He ordered with a stern face, "Get rid of all her medicine! If she likes pretending so much, let her rot!"

He slammed the door behind him, the sound piercing the silence of the room.

Celeste lay still on the bed, the whip wounds on her back searing with pain.

She had gotten used to dealing with the pain, just like she had gotten used to the way Nathaniel kept hurting her over and over.

As the night got deeper, the pain in her wounds got worse. She bit the corner of the blanket, her cold sweat soaking through her clothes.

In her haze, she remembered the first time she got shot. Nathaniel stayed by her bed for three days and nights, taking out the bullet with his own hands. The look of worry in his eyes back then had made her think he loved her.

When it started to get light outside, the pain finally got a little better. Just as Celeste closed her eyes, the butler knocked on the door.

"Ms. Lancaster, Mr. Hawke says you gotta get to the front hall now and go with him to the church for a prayer of thanks."

She struggled to sit up, every move feeling like a million needles were poking her. She quickly wrapped up her wounds and changed into a black suit.

In the front hall, Nathaniel stood in a bespoke black suit, gently draping a coat over Serena's shoulders.

Serena was in a white dress, looking pure and clean. It made Celeste, who was all bruised and hurt, look even worse.

"Here you are," Nathaniel said without looking back. "You're protecting Rena today. If anything happens to her, you'll answer with your life!"

Celeste bowed her head and said yes.

They left the house. Nathaniel helped Serena into the car, while Celeste followed on her motorcycle. The wheels splashed cold water as they rolled over the wet road.

Halfway there, a sudden downpour began. The rain soaked Celeste's clothes, and the water washed over the cuts on her back, mixing with blood that dripped down her motorcycle.

"Nat." Serena rolled down the car window and looked at Celeste, who was drenched and miserable, with a little smirk on her face.

"Celi is all hurt. Maybe let her get in the car to get out of the rain. Or at least give her a raincoat."

Nathaniel didn't even glance at Celeste. "She's just a killer. No need to worry about her."

Serena's lips curved into a faint smile. Celeste gripped the handlebars tighter.

Yeah, she was always just a killer, a gun that could be tossed away anytime.

Maybe even if she died, Nathaniel wouldn't care at all.

The church sat halfway up the mountain.

Down at the bottom of the mountain, Nathaniel suddenly got out of the car. Everyone was looking on in surprise as he rolled up his pants and knelt down.

"Mr. Hawke!" the bodyguards exclaimed in shock.

"What are you doing?"

"Paying the promise I made," he replied calmly.

"When Rena got poisoned, I prayed right here. Now that she's all better, I should kneel and bow my way up, step by step, to show how thankful I am."

Serena's eyes welled up. "You don't have to do this..."

But Nathaniel had bowed down, his forehead hitting the stone steps hard.

With every step and every bow, blood started to stain his forehead.

Celeste stood in the rain, watching the guy who used to seem so untouchable, now humbling himself for a girl.

The believers around them were all saying, "He really loves his fiancée."

Fiancée?

Celeste felt a sharp pain in her heart.

Yeah, to everyone else, Serena was the one Nathaniel loved the most.

Finally, they got to the church.

The cuts on Nathaniel's knees had scabbed over, but he still wanted to take Serena to pray first.

Inside the chapel, the candles were flickering. He held Serena's hand and knelt piously before the statue.

"May Rena have a life full of peace and joy."

Celeste stood outside the church, rain dripping off the ends of her hair.

After the prayer, the bishop came over.

"Mr. Hawke, you've given us so much over the years. We have nothing to properly thank you with, so we're giving you this statue of the Virgin Mary. It'll keep your family safe and sound."

But Serena had her eye on another piece of art. "Can we trade it for this painting instead?"

The bishop looked a bit awkward. "'The Tears of an Angel' has been promised to Mr. Lockwood."

Nathaniel turned to the young guy. "I'll trade you the shipment at the dock for this painting. What do you say?"

Xavier Lockwood was surprised. "That's worth way more than this painting!"

"Anything for Rena is worth it."

Nathaniel's voice was calm, but it made Celeste's heart skip a beat.

In only one day, she saw how much he spoiled Serena.

So it wasn't that he didn't know how to love; he just didn't love her.

Xavier smiled, bowing slightly with his hands clasped. "Since you ask, it should definitely go to Ms. Serena."

A servant carefully brought over the painting, and Serena happily reached out to take it.

Just as her fingertips touched the frame, she suddenly screamed and pulled her hand back. There were two little blood holes on her pale wrist.

Everyone then noticed a scorpion hidden on the back of the frame, which had stung her wrist.

Nathaniel's face changed. He grabbed Serena's wrist and, without hesitation, bent down to suck the poison out.

Celeste stood by, watching him worry over Serena. She suddenly remembered when she got poisoned, he said indifferently, "Deal with it yourself," and walked away.

The doctor came over quickly. After checking Serena out, he said, "This poison can only be cured with a special serum. But it only shows up in the black market, and it's really tough to find."

"I'll go get it."

As Nathaniel was about to get up, Serena clung to his sleeve.

"Don't leave, Nat. I'm scared." Her eyes were filled with tears.

His brow furrowed. He glanced around at everyone, and finally, his eyes fell on Celeste in the corner. "You go get it."

"Okay."

Celeste nodded and headed out.

In the black market, the night rain poured down in sheets.

Celeste weaved through the dim alleyways, her wounds throbbing faintly in the rain.

She burst into one underground clinic after another, asking about that rare serum at each stop.

"That serum has been out of stock for ages."

A scar-faced doctor scoffed, "You might try your luck with Viper, but his place isn't somewhere for a woman."

Without hesitation, Celeste turned toward the city's most dangerous district.

In a dilapidated warehouse, she found the black market dealer known as Viper.

He stared at her battered body and flashed a lecherous grin.

"I got the serum, but you gotta trade yourself for it."

Celeste's eyes turned icy. Her gun was pressed against his forehead before he could blink. "I won't ask twice."

A brutal fight was inevitable.

Though severely injured, Celeste's ten years of assassin instincts kicked in. In the final moments, she seized the serum.

By the time she stumbled out of the warehouse covered in fresh wounds, the sky was starting to lighten.

On her way back, she fainted several times from blood loss. Each time, she forced herself up, driven by sheer will, and dragged herself back to the church.

Covered in blood, she held out the serum to Nathaniel, but he didn't even glance at her. He snatched the vial and handed it to the doctor. "Inject it now!"

Celeste stumbled, grabbing the doorframe to keep from falling.

The doctor prepared the syringe, but Serena refused to cooperate.

Nathaniel strode into the medical room. "Be good," he coaxed, his voice low. "This will make you better."

"It'll hurt..."

Serena shook her head, tears welling.

Nathaniel stared at her for a moment. Then, abruptly, he rolled up his own sleeve. "Watch. They'll give it to me first. See? It doesn't hurt."

When the needle pricked Nathaniel's arm, Serena finally relented and agreed to the injection.

Celeste stood frozen outside the door, watching the scene unfold. A sharp, hollow pain tore through her chest.

She quietly turned and walked away. The wound on her back seemed to split open again, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the heartache.

Because of Serena's poisoning, Nathaniel decided to head back to the villa immediately, even though it was the middle of the night.

The mountain roads were treacherous in the dark. He ordered dozens of cars to turn on their high beams, lighting up the mountain road like daylight—all to ensure Serena's safety.

Suddenly, gunfire erupted!

"Ambush!"

Bullets flew like rain. Nathaniel pulled Serena into his arms without hesitation, shouting coldly over his shoulder, "Celeste, cover us!"

Celeste drew her gun and fired back. A faint, acrid plume rose from the heated barrel.

Due to severe injuries, her movements grew sluggish.

A moment's lapse was all it took. A bullet struck her straight in the chest.

Blood gushed out. Her knees buckled, sending her crashing to the ground.

Her vision blurred as she watched Nathaniel's retreating figure, holding Serena in his arms. He didn't even look back once.

"Mr. Hawke..." She opened her mouth, but only more blood spilled out.

When she woke up again, the strong smell of antiseptic made her cough uncontrollably.

She heard the doctor's trembling voice, "Mr. Hawke, Ms. Lancaster lost too much blood. Even with a transfusion, I don't think she'll live much longer."

"Bullshit!" Nathaniel kicked over the coffee table violently. "How much did she pay you to keep this charade with her?"

Celeste forced her eyes open and saw Nathaniel's dark, grim profile.

He glared at the doctor, his eyes filled with a rage she had never seen before.

"Do everything you can to save her! If she dies, all of you will join her in the grave!"

In the days that followed, Celeste's room was filled with medical equipment and constant activity.

Celeste drifted in and out of consciousness. One moment she'd hear the doctors' murmurs, the next, the searing pain of her wounds would jolt her back.

Then one early morning, she finally woke up fully, and the first thing she saw was the familiar black ceiling above her.

"Mr. Hawke, Ms. Lancaster's awake."

Hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door. Nathaniel stepped into the room in a sharp black suit, the platinum cufflinks at his wrists glinting with cold flashes in the morning light.

He stood by the bed, looking down at her. "Awake?"

Celeste tried to sit up, but a wave of excruciating pain forced her back against the pillow.

"Stay down."

Nathaniel's voice was flat. "I'm dealing with a group of traitors tomorrow."

She gritted her teeth and propped herself up, pulling at the wound on her chest. Her vision blurred with pain. "I can come with you..."

"No need."

He cut her off sharply. "Stay here and protect Rena."

Celeste's fingers tightened around the sheets without her noticing. "Understood."

Nathaniel turned to leave, but paused halfway. "Remember—if anything happens to her..."

The unspoken threat hung heavy in the air.

"I swear on my life to keep her safe."

Celeste stared at his retreating figure, a sharp ache in her chest that cut deeper than her wounds.

While recovering, she followed Nathaniel's orders to protect Serena.

But Serena only upped her game in tormenting her.

She made her stand in pouring rain for two hours, forced her to wipe the already spotless garage over and over, and even deliberately spilled coffee to burn her hand.

"Celi," Serena smiled sweetly.

"Did you know that Nat promised we'll get engaged when he returns from this trip?"

Celeste's hand trembled slightly. Hot coffee sloshed over her skin, but she barely felt the burn.

That evening, she'd just brought Serena's dinner from the kitchen when a commotion erupted in the front yard.

"What's going on?" she asked a bodyguard rushing past.

"Mr. Hawke got ambushed while dealing with the traitors! He changed his route to get back early for Ms. Serena's birthday, and they attacked him. He's been shot!"

The tray in Celeste's hands clattered to the floor.

She didn't spare a glance at the shards scattered everywhere. She stumbled toward the front yard as fast as she could.

The yard was chaos. She pushed through the crowd and saw Nathaniel lying on a stretcher, a dark, wet stain spreading across the chest of his suit.

Serena threw herself on him, sobbing dramatically.

The villa stayed brightly lit all night.

Celeste stood outside the small lounge, watching the doctors rush in and out.

The bullet had been removed from Nathaniel's chest, but he'd lost too much blood. He needed a transfusion of a rare blood type.

"We need a massive blood transfusion."

The doctor wiped sweat from his brow.

"But at this volume, the donor's life will be at risk."

Serena's face turned pale instantly. "I have that blood type, but I've been weak since I was a kid. If I give that much blood..."

She suddenly turned to Celeste. "Celi, you have the same blood type, too. Nat's been good to you. Now's the time to repay him."

Celeste stood rooted to the spot.

The wound on her back was still oozing blood, and her chest ached faintly from the fake death serum she'd taken earlier.

"What's your problem, Celi?"

Serena said in a shrill, spoiled tone, "You're just a killer, and I'm going to be the mistress of this place. Can't I even order you around? Guys! Hold her down!"

Several bodyguards stepped forward and roughly pinned Celeste to the medical bed.

"My apologies."

The doctor held up a blood collection needle, and the cold metal pierced her arm.

The moment the needle went in, Celeste bit down on her lip. She could feel the blood draining from her body rapidly, the warm liquid flowing slowly through the tube into the waiting bag.

They didn't stop after three bags were filled.

Her vision started to blur, and all she could hear was the sound of blood flowing.

By the time they'd filled the fourth bag, Celeste couldn't hold on any longer. She passed out cold.

When she woke up again, she'd been tossed back into her own room.

No one had tended to the puncture wound on her arm. Dried blood had glued her sleeve to the skin. The slightest movement sent a sharp, ripping agony through her.

Celeste gritted her teeth and slowly peeled the fabric away from her wound. Each tug brought a jolt of sharp, piercing pain.

Cold sweat soaked through the sheets, but she didn't even have the strength to whimper.

After taking care of the wound, Celeste drifted off into a fitful sleep.

In her dream, she was back on that rainy night ten years ago, in the slum shack, holding her little sister's hand as they stumbled through the rain...

The door was kicked open violently, and Nathaniel stormed in with a menacing look.

"Celeste!"

He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her roughly off the bed. "I warned you before I left—protect Rena at all costs! How dare you let her donate blood to me?"

The movement tore at her wounds, sending a searing pain through her body, but she only stared at him in silence.

"Speak!" Nathaniel grabbed her chin tightly. "How dare you?"

"I ... was wrong," Celeste whispered, her voice hoarse and broken.

Celeste knew Serena had stolen the credit and framed her, but she also understood that even if she explained it, Nathaniel wouldn't believe her.

Nathaniel's face darkened further as he said, "In that case, go get your punishment in the underground execution room."

Celeste's pupils contracted slightly at his words.

The underground execution room—the very name sent chills down the spines of all assassins.

It had nine zones, each with its own form of torture. Rarely had people who entered survived them.

But still, she struggled off the bed and took his order. "Yes."

It was cold and damp in the underground execution room. The electric punishment in the first zone made her convulse all over.

The soldering iron in the second zone left a permanent mark on her back.

The third subjected her to needle torture, injecting tranquilizers one by one into her veins...

In the seventh zone, the executer broke her fingers one by one.

Her vision went black due to the excruciating pain. In a daze, she somehow remembered how her fingers were deformed by those special torture tools at the rival gang.

At that time, she pulled through by thinking of Nathaniel.

But now, she didn't have the strength to do it anymore.

After a full day and night, she was dragged out of the execution room.

Harsh light fell on her battered, bloody body. In the blur, she glimpsed Nathaniel standing with his hands behind his back.

"Have you learned your lesson?" he asked coldly.

"Yes... I have." She lay prone on the ground, not a single patch of unbroken skin left on her body.

"Let there be no next time."

Nathaniel tossed down a vial. "It's a special medicine. Inject it and go recover."

"Thanks, Mr. Hawke."

Celeste bowed down with immense effort and trembled as she injected the drug.

The medicine burned, but the pain was nothing compared to the anguish in her heart.

Getting back to her room, she began to deal with her wounds.

The effects of the fake-death drug grew stronger by the day, and her pulse grew increasingly faint.

That person had said her heart would stop on the seventh day after the injection.

She counted the days, waiting for the day of release.

Soon, Serena's birthday came.

They held a grand banquet in the villa, with a lot of guests invited.

As a bodyguard, Celeste stood in the corner silently.

Serena was wearing a custom-made dress, beaming as she received gifts from others. Dazzling diamonds, brand watches, and all sorts.

The gift from Nathaniel was a pink Lamborghini, limited edition worldwide, and was worth millions.

Serena took the car keys with joy and showed off among those guests, stopping in front of Celeste in the end.

"Celi," she smiled sweetly, "what gift did you prepare for me?"

Celeste fell silent.

As an assassin, she had nothing.

"You got nothing?"

Serena feigned disappointment. But then, she smiled again, "Then what about a performance from you? I heard you fought your way to become Nat's top assassin from among thousands. It's a pity I didn't get to see it myself."

She then blinked, adding, "Isn't there an underground dog-fighting ring? Why don't you battle some hounds? It would be quite a spectacle."

Celeste suddenly looked up at Nathaniel, who had a slight frown between his brows, looking a bit hesitant.

"Nat, if you don't want Celi to do it, then forget it," Serena pouted in injured tones.

Nathaniel immediately denied it, "Not at all.

"I'm just worried that those bloody scenes will scare you."

"Nothing can scare me with you by my side."

Serena nestled against his chest.

Then, Nathaniel looked at Celeste. "Go."

With this one simple word, her fate was sealed.

Inside the iron cage, more than ten Dogo Argentino dogs bared their fangs, their scarlet eyes fixed on Celeste.

Her wounds had not yet healed, slowing her movements considerably.

The dogs barked.

When the first dog lunged, Celeste sidestepped, driving a blade into its belly in one fluid motion. Warm blood sprayed across her face, further enraging the rest of the pack.

The second dog attacked, and then the third one. Gradually, her strength began to falter. A moment's lapse, and sharp teeth tore a chunk of flesh from her right leg.

She gave a muffled grunt of pain and staggered backward.

In her daze, Celeste seemed to see Nathaniel suddenly rising from the stands.

But the next second, Serena tugged at his sleeve and said something. Nathaniel hesitated for a moment. Then, he actually bent a little to scoop her up and left the dog-fighting ring without looking back.

Celeste's heart sank completely.

Without Nathaniel's permission, no one dares to open the iron cage. So, she had to grit her teeth and slaughter these dogs one by one.

When the last dog fell, the iron cage was already filled with dog corpses, and she herself was drenched in blood.

Then, she dragged her broken body out of the cage, each step leaving a bloody footprint.

As she passed by Serena's room, she heard laughter coming from inside.

Through the crack of the door, she saw Nathaniel gently putting a necklace around Serena's neck.

"Celi's still fighting those dogs," Serena suddenly spoke up. "Nat, don't you go and watch it? What if something happens to her..."

"She's an assassin, highly skilled. She'll be fine."

Nathaniel's tone was flat, and he gently brushed Serena's hair with his slender fingers. "Don't worry, Rena."

Celeste stood outside the door, looking at her bloody and mangled arm. Suddenly, she smiled, which looked sadder than a cry, but with no tears came out.

Slowly, she turned and limped step by painful step back to her room.

In the following days, she stayed behind closed doors to heal.

The effects of the fake-death drug grew stronger. She often fell unconscious, and her pulse grew fainter and fainter.

One day, she struggled and made it out of her room, only to find that the villa was decorated with colorful lights and decorations, looking very festive.

"What's this all about?" she asked a maid passing by.

"Mr. Hawke's gonna propose to Ms. Serena!" the maid replied with excitement. "Their engagement will be held the day after tomorrow!"

Celeste was stunned, and surprisingly, she didn't feel heartbroken.

"So this is what it feels like when the heart's dead," she thought.

"Celeste."

Nathaniel suddenly appeared behind her.

"I'll go abroad to get my engagement ring. You must protect Rena while I'm away. Don't let her get hurt."

"Even at the cost of my life?" Celeste asked lightly.

"Yes," Nathaniel answered without the least hesitation.

"Yes, Mr. Hawke." She bowed her head, swallowing back those unspoken questions.

Because there was no need to ask.

To ask if he had ever held even a shred of genuine feeling for her over the years?

To ask if that night of passion in the lounge was merely the effect of drugs?

To ask how he could so easily discard her like worthless trash?

The answers were meaningless now.

For the following days, she followed Serena closely, watching her strut arrogantly through the villa, listening to her boast again and again.

"Celi, you know what? Nat said that I was the only one he wanted to marry in his life.

"Celi, look at this diamond on the ring. Nat specially bought it from an auction in South Africa.

"Celi, you've been by Nat's side for so many years, but why couldn't you make him look at you more?"

Celeste remained silent all the time, like a soulless puppet.

On the seventh day, the death-fake drug finally came into effect.

Celeste's face paled, and she could clearly feel her body weakening. She knew that she didn't have much time left.

In the evening, she excused herself by saying she didn't feel well and returned to her room, ready to welcome her "death".

But right after she lay down, she heard screams coming from Serena's room. "There are assassins!"

Celeste's body reacted faster than her mind.

She grabbed the gun and dashed out, shielding Serena behind her.

The assassin's gun fired, but she had no time to dodge. The next second, an intense pain hit her in her chest.

The bullet pierced through her chest, and blood gushed out. She gritted her teeth and fired a backhand shot, finishing an assassin.

Then the second one, and the third one...

After dealing with the final assassin, she finally couldn't hold on anymore. Spewing out a mouthful of blood, she collapsed to her knees.

Under normal circumstances, this gunshot wouldn't have been fatal. But at this very moment, the fake-death drug fully took effect. Her vision blurred, and her breathing grew weaker and weaker.

In a daze, she seemed to have gone back to that rainy night ten years ago, when the young Nathaniel came against the light and reached out his hand to the dying her.

If a second chance were given, would she still choose to leave with him?

Celeste didn't know.

But she at least knew that she had paid off his favor by protecting his lover with her own life.

And when she opened her eyes again three days later, she would be Celeste, belonging only to herself, with no ties to anyone else.

She closed her eyes with a smile, welcoming her rebirth.