For 20 years, Harriet Foley was the pampered daughter of the Foley family. It ended when Aurora Foley showed up with a DNA report.

That's when Harriet learned she wasn't their real daughter but had been mixed up at the hospital.

She couldn't face the Foleys and packed up to leave. But Darin Foley stopped her and carried her into his car by force.

Darin was cold to her since they were young, though they were siblings at that time. But that night, Darin pinned her to the couch and forced Harriet to orgasm three times.

Harriet's voice was hoarse from crying. Darin gripped her waist and whispered in her ear, "I've been longing for this for a long time."

Finally, Harriet understood.

Darin kept his distance from her was just because he had to hide his wild desire toward her.

In no time, Darin announced their engagement regardless of everyone's objections.

Their parents, Troy and Selena Foley, tried to stop Darin, resulting in a power grab and leaving Darin the only person in charge of the Foley family.

Aurora caused a big scene. So Darin suspended all of her cards and threatened to send her back to her former family.

Meanwhile, Harriet couldn't accept Darin as she only saw him as her brother. She tried to escape time after time. But every time, Darin found her and brought her home.

She felt like she couldn't leave this wide dragnet.

Her chance came half a month ago. Darin left home at midnight to buy Harriet desserts and had a car accident.

When he woke up...he had amnesia.

The Foleys were overjoyed. They told Darin that Harriet was just a maid in the house, not a word about how madly in love he was.

The Foleys only wanted to send Harriet away before Darin regained his memory.

"We give you 15 million dollars."

Troy and Selena eagerly slid the check over. "Now it's the best timing. Darin doesn't remember you. You'd better take the money and go. We raised you. If you're grateful, please never show up in Darin's life again. And don't let him find you."

After a long silence, Harriet spoke.

"OK. I'll leave the country in two weeks and never return."

Although she was holding the thin check in her hand, the past year felt like an unreal and absurd dream to her.

The Foleys wanted her gone. She wanted to leave, too.

Darin had treated her like a princess this year, giving her everything she wanted but freedom. But Harriet couldn't stand this kind of suffocating love.

As Darin had forgotten about her, this was her only chance to escape.

"What are you doing?"

The door opened, and Darin was standing there. Aurora was behind him.

He looked handsome in his pressed suit. His presence brought a silent pressure to everyone in the room. The air stilled.

Both Troy and Selena paused a second before smiling, flattering, "Nothing. We're telling the maid what to do."

Selena nudged Troy and forced a smile. "We're going upstairs for a nap now."

Before she left, she shot Harriet a warning glare.

Harriet kept her eyes low and clenched the check in her hand. When she turned to return to the servant's room...

"Stop."

Darin's voice was as cold as ice.

Harriet stopped dead. She didn't dare to raise her head. Her heart nearly jumped out of her throat.

His footsteps were getting closer. One second later, Darin gripped Harriet's chin, forcing her to make eye contact. His eyes were dark like two bottomless abysses.

Harriet's breath caught. Scenes of Darin pressing her to the window, the bed, even the kitchen counter flashed through her head.

Darin's thumb caressed her chin, his gaze cold. "What's the perfume you're wearing?"

Harriet opened her mouth, but Darin didn't let her answer.

"Don't wear it again." He dropped his hand, his tone filled with disdain. "You're just a maid. Do your job. Stop thinking about seducing others."

Harriet balled her fists.

Darin used to love to bury his nose in her neck. He asked with a low laugh, "What's your perfume? It smells great."

Harriet shook her head. "I'm not wearing any perfume."

Darin bit her earlobe and chuckled, his voice husky. "You smell great then. Harriet, every part of you attracts me. Don't you dare leave me. I'll follow you and bring you home wherever you go. Understand?"

Harriet thought she could never escape Darin. But fate had given her a chance...

Certainly, Harriet wouldn't argue with Darin or try to explain. She merely nodded. "Yes, Mr. Foley."

When Darin left and headed to his study, Harriet heaved a sigh of relief. She planned to return to her room and start packing. But Aurora strode over and slapped her.

"Harriet! Do you have no shame?!" Aurora shrieked. "Darin had been tricked by you once. But he has no memories of you now. How could you still get his attention?!

"Listen. Darin has found a fiancée!" Aurora smirked. "The engagement will be announced soon. She's a hundred times better than you!"

Harriet's body stiffened.

A fiancée?

Of course. Darin didn't remember her. With the Foley family's wealth and position, women would die to marry him.

But it was not her concern.

Aurora was determined to punish her. She yelled, "Guards. Take this woman to the freezer! She needs to learn to keep her hands off Darin!"

The bodyguards exchanged looks. None of them dared to move.

They all had seen how protective of Harriet Darin was.

Once, a business partner touched Harriet. Just one touch, and his hand was on Darin's desk the next day.

Aurora was shaking in anger. "Darin doesn't remember her anymore! She's not Ms. Foley or the future Mrs. Foley anymore! What are you afraid of?!"

She pointed at the guards. "Take her or you're all fired!"

The bodyguards still looked reluctant.

The door of the study opened with a loud noise.

With a frown, Darin asked, "What's the ruckus?"

Aurora flashed him a flattering smile. "Darin, Harriet couldn't do her job. So, I want to lock her in the freezer as punishment. But the guards wouldn't do it!"

Darin glanced at the guards, his voice dark. "What did she promise you guys? How dare you disobey your employer?"

When he looked at Harriet, his gaze was full of distaste. "Drag her away. She's an eye sore."

Then, he closed the door forcefully.

Darin's order cleared the guards' doubt.

Harriet closed her eyes and let the guards haul her out without a fight.

Since she was little, she wasn't good with colds. So, Darin had made sure the mansion stayed warm at all times.

At night, her hands and legs would feel like ice. And Darin would lower himself to hold her feet to his chest to warm them.

But this time, he had ordered the guards to lock Harriet in the freezer.

The cold pierced Harriet to the bone. She squatted down at a corner and hugged her legs tightly. Soon, she started to lose consciousness.

She thought, "It's alright. Just bear with it.

"I'm going to leave here soon."

Soon, she could be...Harriet Foley again, not Darin's property anymore.

As Harriet was about to black out, she heard someone shouting her name frantically.

"Harriet!"

A man ran into the freezer and collected Harriet into his trembling arms.

When Harriet opened her eyes again, all she saw was the blinding white of the hospital.

"Harriet, how do you feel? Are you still in pain anywhere?"

A familiar voice reached her ears, followed by a gentle face in front of her.

Vincent was sitting beside her bed. All the red veins in his eyes showed that he must have been keeping watch for a long time.

"...Vincent?"

Memories before she fainted started to flood into her head. "You saved me?" she asked while forcing herself to sit up.

Vincent nodded. His voice was still shaking with fear, "I kept calling you, but couldn't get through. When I rushed to the Foley's villa, I heard you'd been locked in the walk-in freezer..."

Before he could finish, live news suddenly popped up on TV.

"The Foley family and the Cobb Group have officially announced their union. Mr. Darin Foley and Ms. Lenore Cobb will hold their wedding next month..."

On the screen, Darin stood tall in a crisp suit, his face cold and distant. At his side, Lenore clung to his arm, radiant with a dazzling smile.

It was a perfect match.

Vincent immediately grabbed the remote and switched the TV off.

Silence hung heavy in the room.

After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and looked at her. "Harriet, I know what happened."

"You couldn't escape before. But now... Darin has lost his memory." His voice was soft, but firm. "Come with me. Let's leave, shall we?"

Harriet lowered her eyes. "Thank you, Vincent. I've already started the paperwork to go abroad."

"The Foley family has been in politics for generations. He can't leave the country," she paused. "But if I go, he'll never see me again."

Joy flickered in Vincent's gaze. Without any thinking, he reached for her hand. "That's wonderful! I'll go with you to get it done."

Harriet's body stiffened. She soon pulled her hand away.

Only then did he realize he was overreacting. "I'm sorry. I was just... too excited," he explained.

"But I hope you understand how I feel about you." He looked at her with earnest gentleness.

"You've noticed it all this time, haven't you?"

Harriet remained silent.

Of course she knew.

From the very first day Darin had forced her, Vincent had been helping her from the shadows.

He'd once offered to help her escape, but she knew better than anyone the kind of man Darin was.

She had tried to run at least ten times. Not once had she succeeded. The longest lasted ten minutes before she was dragged back.

Once, a man had only chatted her up at a bar, and by the next day, he had vanished from the city without a trace.

Darin could reach everywhere. She could never escape, and she couldn't drag Vincent down with her.

That was why she never responded to him.

She closed her eyes, fingertips trembling. "Vincent, I..."

Vincent seemed to know what she wanted to say and quickly interrupted, "I'm not asking you to say anything now!"

"I just want you to know..." With a deep breath, his tone was soft but resolute. "Once you leave here, you'll finally be free to live your own life."

"To do the work you love, go to the places you like, and... fall in love with someone who makes your heart race."

His smile was bittersweet. "Even if that person isn't me, I'll still be happy for you."

"I just want you to have a normal life again, not be chained down by this past year."

Harriet blinked. She could feel her eyes were burning.

After a long moment, she whispered, "Thank you."

"When I leave here, I'll start over. Travel, work, and... fall in love again." She gazed out the window at the bright sunshine. Her voice was light.

Vincent finally exhaled in relief and no longer frowned. "I'll go with you to finish the paperwork."

That afternoon, Vincent accompanied her to file for expedited travel documents.

"The visa can be ready in as fast as two weeks," the clerk said, handing back her ID. "Safe travels."

As Harriet stepped out of the embassy, sunlight spilled across her face. For the first time in so long, she felt a rush of relief.

On the way to drop Harriet off at home, Vincent chatted about her future plans abroad.

He said once her paperwork was ready, she could go first. His family also had businesses overseas, and he would apply for a transfer there.

"Don't feel pressured, Harriet." Afraid she might refuse, he quickly added, "We were planning overseas expansion anyway. I'm not doing this just for you."

The car stopped at the villa. Harriet was about to get out when Vincent suddenly called, "Wait."

He reached out and gently smoothed the strands of hair the wind had blown across her face, treating her like something fragile and precious.

Harriet instinctively lifted her gaze—then froze.

On the steps nearby, someone was staring at her coldly.

Darin stood there in his tailored suit. Without a word, his steely gaze filled the air with dominance and oppression.

Her fingers started to tremble. She quickly turned to Vincent. "You should go."

But Vincent hadn't noticed anything strange. He was still talking, "When your papers come through, you..."

"Just go!" Her voice tightened, almost pleading as her eyes begged him.

He hesitated, then finally nodded. "Alright. Be careful."

After his car disappeared down the drive, she finally gathered all the courage to turn around and walk toward the stairs, step by step.

Darin was standing still and staring at her. His expression was unreadable.

Harriet's body started to shake. She could almost hear her heart pounding.

"Will he be angry?

"Or will he break another man's arm just for a slight touch?" Her mind couldn't stop.

Instead, she heard his cold voice.

"We have guests. Go make coffee."

Without another glance, he turned and walked away. His footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Harriet stood frozen for a long time before she dared look up.

He seemed to feel nothing.

"Looks like he really lost his memory," Harriet thought to herself.

She let out a quiet breath of relief and went to the kitchen to make coffee.

When she carried the drinks into the living room, she realized someone new was there.

Immediately, she recognized that it was Lenore Cobb, the same woman who had just been announced as Darin's fiancée on the news.

At that moment, Troy, Selena, and Aurora were all around Lenore, smiling warmly as they discussed wedding arrangements.

Darin sat on their side and simply kept listening.

Harriet lowered her head, placed the cup down, and spoke softly, "Ms. Cobb, your coffee."

Lenore looked up and saw Harriet. A faint, mocking smile appeared on her face.

She reached out to take the cup, and then suddenly "slipped."

Within a second, all the hot coffee splashed all over her.

Before Harriet could even react, Aurora's hand flew across her face with a sharp slap.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?!"

Harriet opened her mouth, trying to explain.

"It wasn't me..."

Before she could finish, Aurora shrieked over her and cried out.

"Darin! I've been meaning to tell you this maid is trying to seduce you!"

Her voice dripped with disgust as she pointed at Harriet. "She's been secretly collecting your things! She's definitely into you! And now that she knows you're engaged to Lenore, she's all jealous and even tried to burn her!"

Harriet stood cold. She couldn't believe how easily Aurora twisted the truth.

"I didn't..." Her voice was shaking. But before she could say something for herself, Lenore spoke up.

Her eyes shimmered with tears as she looked at Darin. "Darin, a person like you will always be surrounded by people who try to approach you. If you don't do anything this time, others might as well follow her example." Her voice was soft.

Troy and Selena immediately agreed, "Yes! You have to do something harsh!"

Harriet froze.

It was at this moment that she realized it was all an act.

A trap they had carefully staged.

And Darin hated nothing more than women who tried to seduce him.

Without any surprise, Darin's icy voice fell.

"Take her away and punish her right now."

Then he bent down and held Lenore in his arms, carrying her upstairs. "I'll have the private doctor come." He didn't even look back.

Before Harriet could defend herself, two guards seized her arms and dragged her out roughly.

Outside the villa, night pressed down heavily.

Aurora gripped a barbed whip. Her face was all twisted with excitement and malice.

"Harriet, you finally fell into my hands."

She raised the whip and lashed it down hard.

Crack!

The first strike split her skin.

"This one's for stealing my place!"

Crack!

Blood went everywhere.

"This one's for seducing my brother!"

Crack!

"This one's for never knowing your place!"

On and on it went.

"Why don't you scream now? My brother won't protect you anymore!"

Harriet bit down hard on her lip, refusing to make any sound.

But each lash of the barbed whip tore deeper into her flesh. She felt like she was going to be ripped apart alive.

Blood trickled down her back, arms, and legs, dripping onto the ground.

It was ninety-nine lashes.

Aurora poured years of resentment into every strike. She hit harder and harder until Harriet almost blacked out.

All she could hear was Aurora's scream and curses, along with the cracks of the whip against her body.

When the last lash fell, Harriet finally collapsed into the blood on the ground.

When Harriet woke again, she was locked inside a storage room.

The wounds on her back had already begun to scab, which hurt her with every slight movement. She forced herself to stand up and knocked on the door.

A guard's cold voice came through, "Ms. Aurora said you still haven't learned your lesson. You have to be locked up for three more days in here. No food or water."

He paused, then added, "Mr. Foley also agreed."

Harriet slid down against the door. All of a sudden, she laughed.

She knew better than anyone how much Aurora hated her.

Years ago, she was mistakenly believed to be the daughter of the Foley family. During all this time, Aurora suffered a lot outside.

When Aurora finally returned home as the real daughter, Darin refused to let Harriet, the fake one, leave the family. He kept spoiling her, and no one, even Aurora, could kick her out.

But now, Darin had lost his memory. He couldn't remember her, nor his obsessive feelings towards her.

Now would be the best chance for Aurora to get back at her.

Leaning against the cold wall, Harriet didn't struggle or knock again.

Soon, she'd be leaving anyway.

There was no need to cause any trouble at this stage.

She had accepted it.

There were no windows in the storage room. Days and nights all blurred into one.

Curled in the corner, Harriet couldn't sleep from the pain, so she counted her breaths to pass the hours.

Each day, Aurora had a pile of photos thrown inside.

All those photos were the intimate moments between Darin and Lenore.

There were photos of him whispering into her ear with his arm around her at a gala.

There were photos of him smoothing down her dress in a gentle gesture.

There were also photos of him putting a diamond ring on Lenore's finger and kissing her in front of all the guests.

And on the back of each photo, Aurora had scrawled in red ink.

"This is the fiancée my brother deserves."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Stop dreaming. He'll never remember you."

Three days later, the door finally opened.

Harriet could hardly open her eyes under the blinding lights. She squinted at the door and saw Aurora standing there, looking down at her.

"My brother threw Lenore the grandest birthday party," she sneered. "What are you waiting for? Go play waitress."

Harriet tried to pull herself up against the wall. She couldn't stand without trembling, but there was no room for her to negotiate.

She quickly put on some ointment and forced down a little food and water before she was sent straight to the banquet.

Just as Aurora had said, Darin spared no expense.

The ballroom glittered like a starry sky. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead. A tower of champagne rose higher than a man.

And the highlight was Darin's gift to Lenore.

It was a rare blue diamond necklace worth millions.

He placed it around her neck himself when the room erupted in applause.

Still, there were some whispers.

"Has Darin really lost his memory? He used to be crazy about Harriet..."

"Keep your voice down! The Foleys were bold enough to push this engagement while he's like this. If he ever remembers, won't he destroy the whole family..."

"They say it's permanent. The doctors confirmed..."

Harriet kept her head down, quietly working on the waitress stuff as though none of this concerned her.

And her calm was interrupted.

A pair of heels stopped in front of her.

She looked up, meeting Lenore's smiling gaze.

"Harriet." Lenore swirled her champagne, lips curving. "Did you like the little gift I gave you last time we met?"

Harriet met her eyes calmly. "You don't need to do this."

Softly, she added, "Darin lost his memory. He has no feelings for me now. I won't come between you two."

Lenore gave her a mocking smile.

"Easy for you to say. Do you know how long I've loved him? You can't imagine how happy I was when I finally got this engagement."

She grabbed Harriet so hard that her nails dug into her arm. Her eyes cannot hide all the hatred anymore.

"And what happened? He ignored me and said you were the only one! I loved him so much that I begged him, offering my family's fortune as dowry, but he threw me out without a second thought."

Her voice shook. "That day, I went to find him again in the pouring rain. And I saw it! I saw it with my own eyes—him pressing you against the window with the biggest tenderness. I saw him swearing the whole world could burn as long as he had you."

"Do you know how hopeless I felt that day? And now you think I can let this all go just because you said you won't come between us?!"

She stepped back and smoothed down her skirt. The smile on her face was sweet yet vicious.

"Harriet, remember, I'll make you suffer more than you could ever imagine."

Then she turned and walked away.

Cold sweat broke across Harriet's back. A sense of impending doom gripped her.

Just as she set down her tray to leave, Lenore's cry split the air.

"My necklace! It's gone!"

The ballroom erupted.

"That's the blue diamond Mr. Foley just gave her!"

"Who would dare steal it?"

In the middle of the chaos, Lenore looked around pitifully and then pointed straight at Harriet. "I was just talking to her..."

In an instant, every eye in the room fixed on Harriet.

And Darin's gaze was the coldest of them all, like a blade of ice.

Before Harriet could react, Aurora had already rushed in with bodyguards.

"Search her!" Aurora ordered.

Harriet struggled to step back, trying to explain, "I didn't steal..."

But the bodyguards had already pinned her to the ground and forcibly stripped her clothes off.

"Found it!" Aurora said loudly, raising the blue diamond necklace high.

Then, she gave Harriet a slap, causing blood to ooze out of Harriet's mouth.

"Haven't you learned your lesson from last time?" Aurora snapped at Harriet in a sharp voice.

Harriet's vision went black, but she still tried to explain, "I didn't steal it... They've got surveillance here. You can check it..."

However, before she could finish her words, another slap landed on her face.

Aurora turned to Darin and said, "Darin, looks like she's still not willing to give up. Last time, she deliberately scalded Lenore, and this time, she even stole Lenore's necklace. We must teach her a good lesson and let her know her place!"

With that, she revealed an evil smile and continued, "I happened to see a beggar outside the hotel just now. How about we let the two of them sleep together tonight?"

Aurora's cruel words sent a chill down Harriet's spine.

And the next second, Harriet heard Darin agree to that vicious idea, and his eyes were filled with disgust towards Harriet.

Harriet couldn't believe what she had just heard.

She immediately pounced over, trying to grab Darin's sleeve. "I really didn't steal this necklace! And I don't have any thoughts towards you either! Darin, just check the surveillance! I..."

But Aurora's expression changed instantly, and she quickly cut Harriet off, instructing the bodyguards, "Take her away!"

The bodyguards grabbed Harriet by her hair with no mercy.

But Harriet tightly held onto Darin's sleeve, not letting it go, her fingertips turning pale.

Darin coldly pried open her grip.

The cold touch spread from Harriet's fingertips to her heart.

When her last finger was pried off Darin's sleeve, she heard him say, "It's disgusting."

Harriet clenched her teeth, but tears fell down uncontrollably.

At that moment, past memories flooded back into her mind. She remembered those days when Darin cherished her like she was the apple of his eye. Even when she just got a little scratch, he would still feel so worried...

A year ago, when she had a fever, he flew back from abroad overnight and stayed by her bedside for three days, taking care of her with all his heart.

Six months ago, a wealthy young man approached her and flirted with her at a banquet, and just the next day, his family business declared bankruptcy.

Three months ago, because she wanted to eat the cake from the shop in the west of the city in the middle of the night, he personally drove there to buy it for her. But that night, he had a car accident.

Over the last year, they had sex countless times, as if he were so obsessed with her.

But now, he stood under the dazzling crystal chandelier in the banquet hall, allowing others to send her to sleep with a dirty beggar.

He even slowly wiped his fingers with a handkerchief, looking as if touching her was something disgusting.

Soon, the bodyguards locked Harriet in a dark guest room.

She curled up in the corner, the wound on her back hurting with burning pain.

Not long after, the door was opened, and a smelly, dirty beggar walked in.

His clothes were tattered, and the strands of his hair stuck together on his head. He grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and his eyes gleamed nauseatingly.

"Hey, baby..." He rubbed his hands lewdly and walked towards Harriet.

Harriet screamed and dodged him, grabbing the desk lamp and smashing it over. The beggar cursed in pain and slapped her in the face.

"Bitch! Be good, or you'll get hurt. Ms. Foley told me, I can have you however I want tonight..."

With that, he pressed Harriet on the bed and tore off her clothes with her dirty hands.

Harriet cried and struggled so desperately, scratching the beggar's face and leaving bloody marks on it. But soon, her hands were tied up with his belt.

Luckily, before he could get what he wanted, Harriet reached the vase on the bedside table.

The next second, she smashed it on his head with a thud.

The vase broke, and the beggar groaned and fell.

Harriet quickly broke free and stumbled out of the room.

There was no one in the hallway. She ran as fast as she could barefoot, afraid that the beggar would catch up.

In a panic, she pushed open a half-closed door and went inside to hide.

The room was pitch black. She held her breath and cautiously curled up in a corner.

She thought she was safe now.

However, just as she was about to heave a sigh of relief, the bathroom door was suddenly opened.

"Who's there?" Darin's deep, drunken voice sounded.

Instantly, Harriet's face turned pale with extreme nervousness.