As Ariana hobbled back to the villa and walked past the second-floor room, she overheard the intense sex between Eric and Mandy Moore inside.

Eric's suppressed growls and gasps echoed as he pushed forcefully.

Mandy's excited whispers and shivers accompanied her grip on the bed sheets.

Every sound pointed to the fervor of their encounter.

Ariana stopped abruptly, as if a knife were dragging across her heart.

Everyone knew Eric was deeply in love with Ariana.

He had taken a knife for her, wept for her, and knelt before her. He would have willingly sacrificed his life for Ariana.

However, Ariana had caught Eric with other women on three occasions.

Each time, there was an unavoidable reason.

Each time, he knelt to apologize and make promises to her.

Yet each time, he also fought passionately and intensely, satisfying his own desires.

This was now the third time.

She finally decided she couldn't hold on any longer.

With her body shaking, she slowly walked to her room and shut the door.

As soon as she was inside, she couldn't hold back her tears.

It was unmistakably her third wedding anniversary with Eric today.

However, a single phone call from Mandy was enough to make Eric abandon her and hurry away.

All because it was Mandy's ovulation day.

For three generations, the Gibson family had only one heir, and both Eric's grandmother and mother had passed away during childbirth.

This left Eric profoundly traumatized.

On their wedding day, Eric embraced Ariana tightly, his face nestled against her chest, his voice laden with worry and fear.

"Sweetheart, we won't have children in this lifetime. I can't bear the thought of losing you."

True to his promise after they married, Eric remained vigilant.

He was terrified that Ariana might suffer the same fate as the previous two generations of women in the Gibson family.

Whenever they were close, regardless of the intensity of their passion, he always ensured they took every precaution.

Three months ago, Howard Gibson unexpectedly became seriously ill, with just a few months left to live.

On his deathbed, Howard's sole wish was to have a grandson.

Eric was deeply in love with Ariana and terrified of the thought of losing her.

His love was so profound that he sought someone to bear the risks of childbirth on Ariana's behalf.

Consequently, the Gibson family chose Mandy, an unassuming and naive girl, much like a blank slate, from the financially disadvantaged students they supported, to have a child for Ariana.

Over the course of three months, Eric had shared a room with Mandy on three separate occasions.

The first instance occurred when Mandy had just returned.

Mandy stood there with wide, innocent eyes, looking fragile and unsure.

When Eric curtly told her to "Get out," tears welled up in Mandy's eyes, making her resemble a frightened fawn.

That evening, Eric was administered a strong aphrodisiac and confined in a room alone with Mandy.

Meanwhile, Ariana was locked in the adjacent room.

Every sound from Eric and Mandy's room reached Ariana's ears without missing a beat.

Ariana's eyes blazed with fury. She pounded on the door in desperation, covered her ears, and even banged her head against the wall in agony. But nothing could drown out the persistent noises of fervent passion emanating from the adjacent room.

Eric's deep growls and thrusts, Mandy's cries and shivers.

Each sound sliced through her ears, hitting her heart directly.

Mandy left the following morning, her legs shaky.

Once Eric regained his composure, he hurried to Ariana. He knelt down, repeatedly slapped himself, and vowed there would be no repeat of his mistake.

They embraced tightly, and Ariana decided to trust him.

However, a month later, Eric and Mandy ended up sharing a room again.

During that time, Ariana suddenly suffered from appendicitis and needed emergency surgery.

Before she was taken into the operating room, Eric held Ariana's hand, his eyes full of concern.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll be right outside waiting for you!"

The doctor jested that he had never encountered a husband as devoted to his wife as Eric was.

Ariana was the one scheduled for surgery, yet it was Eric who shed tears out of concern for her.

However, when Ariana was brought out of the operating room, Eric was absent.

All she found was a single WhatsApp message from Eric on her phone.

"Sweetheart, something urgent came up at home. I have to hurry back. Stay at the hospital, and I'll come pick you up!"

She waited a long time, but Eric never appeared.

When Ariana returned home alone after her surgery, she discovered that the supposed "urgent matter at the Gibson family" was actually related to Mandy.

Howard had his men hold Mandy captive and used her to threaten Eric.

For each day Eric refused to sleep with Mandy, Mr. Gibson vowed to go on a hunger strike.

As a result, Eric was compelled to be with Mandy for the second time.

This time, there were no drugs or alcohol involved.

Eric and Mandy were together the whole night.

The sound of them showering after each encounter kept coming from the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Ariana was in the next room, awake the entire night.

She began with excruciating pain and a sense of falling apart, desperately wishing to go deaf and blind immediately—unable to see or hear, with all her senses obliterated!

She felt as though she was teetering on the edge of insanity!

Eventually, she became numb.

She repeatedly counted, feeling numb all the while.

They showered five times in total.

This indicated that Eric and Mandy had been together intimately five times that night.

Ariana felt utterly heartbroken.

Today marked the third time, coinciding with their third wedding anniversary.

Just thirty minutes ago, Eric had reserved the entire city center building, organizing a celebration for her with fireworks and drones.

"Sweetheart, I promise, you'll be the only one I love in this life."

It was at this moment that Mandy's call came through.

"Mr. Gibson, I just got back from the hospital. Today is my ovulation day."

Eric's affectionate confession came to an abrupt halt.

He glanced at Ariana, his face filled with hesitation.

"Sweetheart, I'll be right back. Wait for me!"

Eric pressed a kiss on Ariana's forehead, then hurried off.

This time, just like the last, he never returned.

Ariana came back on her own.

That night, Ariana was surprisingly quiet.

She was no longer in the pain and collapse she had felt during the previous two times. She just sat quietly in the corridor with her knees hugged to her chest.

The next room went on all night.

And she sat there all night.

It wasn't until the middle of the night that Eric emerged from the next room.

Right behind him was Mandy.

Mandy's legs trembled, and visible marks covered her neck and chest from their recent encounter.

Ariana felt a sharp pang at the sight.

Noticing Ariana's discomfort, Eric glanced up with a cold expression and barked at Mandy.

"Leave."

Mandy stood still.

She seemed unable to comprehend how the man who had just been so passionately involved with her could suddenly become so distant.

Her eyes were red, on the verge of tears, as she bit her lip and dashed out.

Eric moved closer, wrapping Ariana in a hug. The sincerity of his distress and love was clear in his eyes.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I just want Mandy to conceive quickly to honor Sir Gibson's last wish."

Eric held Ariana in his arms, but her gaze was empty.

In the past, Eric's hugs always brought her comfort and warmth, making her heart flutter.

But now, she felt indifferent.

"Eric, do you remember the promise you made when you proposed?"

"Yes. To never betray you. Sweetheart, have you misunderstood something?"

Eric, looking flustered, gently held Ariana's face and quickly said, "Mandy and I are just trying to complete the task as soon as we can! I swear, if I, Eric, ever betray you, Ariana, may I get hit by a car and die when I step outside."

Ariana abruptly placed her hand over Eric's mouth.

She thought to herself, just one more time, just one more time to trust Eric.

Noticing that Ariana was no longer pressing the issue, Eric finally felt relieved and embraced her even more tightly.

"Sweetheart, I can't live without you!"

As dawn neared, Eric was nowhere to be found.

Ariana quietly made her way downstairs and, just as she suspected, discovered Eric in the first-floor guest room.

Inside, Eric was kneeling and tenderly holding Mandy's foot, a frown on his face.

"You're injured and didn't say anything?"

Mandy's knees were marked with bruises from their passionate encounter.

Feeling bashful, Mandy averted her gaze, her nightgown slipping off her shoulder without intention.

"Mr. Gibson, you were quite intense."

Eric paused while applying the ointment, a look of desire flickering in his eyes.

He stood, gently lifting Mandy's chin to meet her eyes.

"Don't let Ariana see you again. She's my boundary!"

In the following moment, Eric bent down to kiss her, his other hand expertly moving toward the edge of Mandy's dress, his fingers playful.

Mandy's breath caught abruptly, her cheeks reddening as she lifted her head to respond to his kiss.

"Mr. Gibson, Ms. Harlan is still upstairs."

"She took sleeping pills. She won't wake up."

They fell onto the bed together.

Ariana froze in the doorway, her pupils constricting and her mind going blank.

Her body shook uncontrollably.

Eric had given her sleeping pills.

Yet he had just promised he would never betray her.

Ariana drifted back to the second-floor bedroom in a daze, sitting with her eyes wide open until dawn.

Early in the morning, Eric returned and spoke to a friend outside the door.

"Once Mandy confirms her pregnancy in a month, I'll marry her.

"She stayed with me despite having no title or status, and now she's carrying my child. It's only fair to give her a wedding as compensation, right?

"I've given you the title of Mrs. Gibson and all my love. Isn't that enough?"

Ariana stood inside the door, biting her lip hard, her fingers clenching tighter and tighter.

She could taste blood spreading across her lips.

Just then, her phone rang.

"Ms. Harlan, Mr. Harlan has fully recovered. Are you certain you want to keep the child a secret from Mr. Gibson and erase all traces of you and the child?"

"I'm certain."

"Okay, the arrangements will be finalized in a month, and we will organize your and the child's departure."

A month was all she needed to set everything in order.

After that, Ariana and Oliver Harlan would cease to exist in this world.

She thought, "Eric, you always feared losing me. Now you truly have—for good!"

"You'll never find out that you once had a child."

Yet, Ariana never imagined that a month later, Mandy would become a persistent obstacle, lodged between her and Eric.

Now, she and Oliver were stuck here, unable to ever leave.

For the next two weeks, every night before bed, Eric ensured Ariana took sleeping pills.

Then he would vanish into the night.

Ariana was aware that he had gone to Mandy's bedroom on the lower floor.

Several times, Ariana quietly made her way downstairs, barefoot in the dead of night, and stood outside the bedroom door, listening to the fervent sounds emanating from within.

In a self-punishing manner, she wondered, "Would Eric trail kisses along Mandy's body from collarbone to waist, just as he had done with her?

"Would Eric, as he always did with her, continuously whisper 'I love you' with each deep movement?

"And after it was all finished, would Eric lift Mandy and carry her to the bathroom, tenderly washing every inch of her himself?"

The mere thought of these scenarios nearly pushed Ariana to insanity.

Over time, the agony dulled her senses.

The madness gradually transformed into tranquility.

Two weeks passed, and Mandy realized her period was late.

A hospital blood test confirmed that Mandy was expecting a baby.

When Eric learned about Mandy's pregnancy, he got down on one knee in front of Ariana and gently reassured her.

"Sweetheart, once Mandy has the baby, I'll provide her with a significant amount of money to move on, and the Gibson family will take care of raising the child. After that, nothing will stand in the way of us being together!"

Eric continued to dream about the future he and Ariana would share.

Meanwhile, Ariana was secretly counting the days until she would leave in just two weeks.

Despite Mandy's pregnancy, Eric remained indifferent toward her.

Mandy, on the other hand, stayed quietly in the background, never seeking attention.

The day finally came for Mandy's initial prenatal appointment.

She faced Eric, her cheeks red, anxiously fidgeting with the edge of her outfit.

"Mr. Gibson, I have a prenatal appointment tomorrow and need a family member to accompany me."

"I'll arrange for someone to join you," Eric replied, his gaze stern and caution evident in his eyes.

"Remember not to desire what doesn't belong to you. Know your place."

Eric turned and whispered quietly into Ariana's ear, acting as if Mandy wasn't even there.

Mandy's eyes filled with tears, and she left with her eyes rimmed red.

A few minutes passed before Eric stood up.

"Little crybaby, I need to use the restroom."

Eric was gone for quite a while and didn't come back.

Ariana got up to look for him in the restroom, but froze at the corner.

Outside the bathroom, Eric pressed Mandy against the wall, softly stroking her lower abdomen.

"Is it because I didn't go with you to the prenatal appointment? Stop being a crybaby. I don't want our child to be a crybaby, too, when it's born."

Mandy bit her lip, tears threatening to spill.

"Mr. Gibson, you can go and be with Ms. Harlan. I'll be okay."

"Are you jealous?"

Eric's hand gently moved from Mandy's lower abdomen to the hem of her dress.

"Ariana is still here. I can't spoil you too much," he remarked.

Mandy weakly protested, her cheeks turning a deep red as she involuntarily released a moan mixed with a sob.

"Mr. Gibson, please... Ms. Harlan might notice us."

"We'll be married soon. You're carrying my child, still calling me 'Mr. Gibson'?"

"Eric."

Mandy's eyes became unfocused as she collapsed gently into Eric's embrace.

As he supported her, Eric's fingers moved gently under her dress, murmuring softly, "Behave... The baby wants to meet me first, too."

Their breathing intensified, and their bodies slowly melded together.

Outside the door, Ariana felt frozen, as though trapped in an icy cavern, unable to move for what seemed like ages.

It felt like a hammer was pounding her heart over and over.

The agony caused her to tremble.

Oh, Eric, how could you betray me?

Ariana retreated, wandering without direction back to her room.

Once there, she pulled out her phone, accessed the hidden album, and tapped on a picture of Oliver.

Four years earlier, she had also borne a child for Eric.

Aware of Eric's fear of having children, she had left him for an entire year to prioritize their child's well-being.

Surprisingly, after the child's birth, he became sick.

Ariana placed the child under the care of a leading medical team, and it took three years to bring him back to health.

Her initial plan was to return the child to the Gibson family after his recovery.

However, Eric found her within a year.

While Ariana was gone, Eric nearly lost his mind.

He scoured every part of New York, journeyed across the nation, and overseas. At even the smallest rumor of her whereabouts, he would immediately dash off to find her.

Ariana would always remember the moment Eric finally discovered her.

The typically proud and dignified Eric was on his knees before her, crying without restraint.

"Sweetheart, I can't continue living without you."

Ariana decided to reunite with Eric.

However, she hadn't found the right moment to tell him about the child.

This secret lingered for three years.

As the child neared full recovery, Ariana intended to reveal the truth to Eric on their third wedding anniversary as a surprise.

Unexpectedly, Eric surprised her first.

There's no longer any reason to be honest with Eric.

From that point on, Ariana feigned ignorance, "taking" the sleeping pills Eric provided her each evening.

And every night, she observed Eric's secret meetings with Mandy.

A few days passed before Ariana experienced an allergic reaction and ended up in the hospital.

It was Mandy who, either by accident or on purpose, mixed up their meals.

Upon discovering this, Eric became furious with Mandy.

"If this ever happens again, you're out of the Gibson family."

Mandy, with tears in her eyes, continuously cried and apologized to Ariana.

A few days later, Mandy disappeared.

When Mandy was discovered, she was completely wrapped up. The moment she spotted Eric, she fled.

Eric caught up with Mandy, and after some questioning, he learned that her skin was covered in red, allergic rashes.

With hesitation, Mandy admitted, "I triggered an allergic reaction in Ms. Harlan. I should be punished."

Despite Ariana's attempts to clarify that she hadn't been aware of it.

Eric spoke to Ariana gently.

"Sweetheart, everything you do is understandable."

With that single line, he had effectively labeled the situation as Ariana's responsibility.

However, as Ariana turned away, she caught a snippet of Eric's hushed conversation with the doctor.

"Switch Ariana's medication. Let her experience the same agony as Mandy. Administer the true treatment in a week."

Ariana froze completely.

She thought, "Oh, Eric, Eric... Outwardly, he seemed to adore her completely."

But in truth, he was ready to harm her, just to release his frustration over Mandy.

Ariana's heart felt like it had been slammed to the ground and dragged—agonizingly painful.

A week later, Ariana and Mandy both overcame their allergies and were released from the hospital at the same time.

That evening, when they returned home, the crystal chandelier in the living room came loose and dropped.

In a crucial moment, Mandy quickly moved to shield Ariana.

The chandelier narrowly missed them, crashing to the floor with a loud bang.

Hearing the commotion, Eric hurried to the scene and found Mandy shielding Ariana beneath her.

Eric dashed over, stopping abruptly in front of Mandy before turning to Ariana and enveloping her in a tight embrace.

"You frightened me so much!"

Eric paid no attention to Mandy.

Later, in a quiet corner, Eric pinned Mandy against the wall, his eyes burning with rage.

"Who told you to step forward and block it? Don't you realize you're pregnant?"

Mandy nestled into Eric's embrace, her eyes beginning to redden.

"Ms. Harlan is dear to you. It would break your heart if anything happened to her. I just didn't want to see you upset."

Eric's expression softened abruptly.

A flash of emotion appeared in his eyes as he spoke with intensity, "Must you keep pushing yourself to the brink to feel content?"

In response, Eric kissed her passionately.

Ariana, feeling emotionally drained, quietly stepped back and walked away.

Eric didn't return to the room that night.

The following morning, Eric entered the room and stared at Ariana, disappointment written all over his face.

"I looked into it. The chandelier didn't just drop by itself. Someone intentionally loosened the screws."

Ariana stared back in shock.

"You think it was me?

"Since Mandy got pregnant, first there was that allergy incident, and now the chandelier."

Eric sighed.

"I explained already, after Mandy has the baby, I'll make sure she leaves. She's been incredibly modest, trying to win your favor, and even protected you from the falling chandelier. Why can't you just put up with her?"

Though it was the coldest day of winter, Ariana felt an even deeper chill in her bones.

Eric didn't believe her.

Eric started giving Ariana the silent treatment.

Mandy stood humbly before Ariana, her eyes swollen and red.

"Ms. Harlan, please stop targeting me. Mr. Gibson is deeply in love with you. I promise to leave once I have the baby."

Eric stood nearby, maintaining a calm demeanor, though his eyes betrayed a storm of emotions.

Ariana was aware of Eric's indecision.

She was also aware of Mandy's ambitions.

Ever since everyone else referred to her as Mrs. Gibson while Mandy stuck with calling her Ms. Harlan, she had realized that Mandy was far more complex than she seemed.

But Ariana didn't care anymore.

In just three days, she planned to leave entirely with Oliver.

Yet, the day before she was set to leave, Mandy vanished.

Eric searched frantically throughout New York for Mandy, but she was nowhere to be found.

In a fit of rage, he shattered his phone.

The people around him were terrified by his outburst.

Then, Eric turned and encountered Ariana's serene gaze.

He looked at her, stunned and incredulous.

Doubt, disappointment, and anxiety were written all over his face.

"Sweetheart, tell me, where is Mandy?"

Ariana shook her head.

"I don't know."

She really didn't know.

Eric held back his frustration.

"Behave yourself, now isn't the time for games. Mandy is still expecting."

"I really don't know."

This wasn't the first instance he'd questioned her because of Mandy, but Ariana's heart still felt wounded and sore.

Someone handed over Mandy's phone from before she disappeared.

The last call was to Ariana.

Eric massaged his forehead, feeling the pounding in his temples.

"Ariana, the proof is right before us. Are you still denying it? Where could Mandy possibly be?"

Ariana chuckled icily.

"You think I arranged for Mandy to be kidnapped just because of a single phone call?"

She remembered the call Mandy had made to her before vanishing.

"I faked the allergy myself.

"I even messed with the chandelier. I knew it wouldn't actually hit me—I just made sure to fall on you.

"A man's heartache and guilt are the most enduring expressions of love. I plan to make Eric feel a bit more tender, a bit more remorseful, gradually compensating me until I completely take your place."

Mandy's ambitious intentions were unmistakable in her voice during the call.

"Ariana, since you and Eric share a child, why don't we make a wager? Let's see who holds a more significant place in Eric's heart. You and your child, or me and the baby I'm carrying?"

Mandy's abduction and disappearance had been nothing more than a performance orchestrated by her!

Yet, Eric didn't believe anything Ariana told him.

He gazed at her with disappointment.

"A life is in jeopardy, Ariana. When did you change so much?"

Ariana felt utterly frustrated as well.

"I never did anything to Mandy. She's orchestrating this entire drama on her own."

As night fell, Eric's search party still hadn't found Mandy.

Eric's patience wore thin.

"Did Mandy mention you adopted a child from an orphanage?"

Ariana's posture instantly became rigid.

Eric lifted his hand, and someone hauled in a burlap sack, inside of which a living being was struggling incessantly.

He picked up a metal rod, his face hard with resolve.

"Ariana, this is your final opportunity. If you refuse to speak, this child won't make it!"

"Oliver..."

Ariana's eyes immediately flushed crimson. She surged forward, but was abruptly yanked back.

Eric lifted the iron rod high and smashed it down.

"No!"

Ariana's pupils dilated, her eyes turning bloodshot, as if the rod had hit her own back.

A soft cry emerged from the sack. The person inside was jarred by the impact and then abruptly went limp and quiet.

Bright red blood began to spread out from the sack.

"Ah!"

Ariana felt as though she was losing her mind. Everything around her seemed to turn a dark shade of red.

The second strike was lifted high once more.

"No, please! That's your child. He's your son!"

Ariana was being pulled back and forth, shouting desperately. Tears mingled with blood on her face, and her eyes were filled with overwhelming despair and devastation.

Eric paused with his raised hand.

"Sweetheart, quit playing games. We've never had a child all these years. Why would you deceive me with such claims?"

Ariana's clothes were rumpled, and her hair was a mess.

Ignoring everything else, she desperately crawled over to Eric, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"He truly is your child. Oliver is really your son. I beg you, please, release him now, call a doctor immediately, save him."

Eric crouched and gently raised Ariana's chin.

"Sweetheart, please cooperate. If you tell me where Mandy is, I'll release him."

Ariana shook her head, tears scattering.

"I truly don't know, I swear. Please, let Oliver go."

Eric's eyes turned icy, and he slammed the rod down once more.

From the burlap sack, a stifled groan emerged, then everything went quiet.

"Oliver, don't..."

Ariana suddenly coughed up blood, her body shaking uncontrollably. Tears poured from her eyes like a breached dam, cascading down and mixing with the blood.

The third blow, the fourth...

Ten blows in total!

There was no sound from inside the sack.

"Oliver..."

As the activity within the sack came to a halt and the earth was dyed a bright crimson, Ariana fell to her knees.

It was as if she had been struck by lightning; her body went rigid in an instant. She attempted to reach out to touch it, but then began to tremble uncontrollably, vomiting more blood.

Eric watched Ariana's condition, her utter devastation bringing a moment of hesitation to his eyes.

Her bloodshot eyes and cries of breakdown and despair cut into his heart repeatedly, like a knife.

However, as soon as Eric thought of Mandy, who was pregnant and whose fate was uncertain, any hesitation he felt disappeared completely.

After all, the sack didn't contain an actual child. It was just a stray dog with its mouth tied shut.

How could Eric stoop to using a child as leverage?

At the very least, once he located Mandy, he planned to personally apologize to Ariana and reveal the truth.

With that in mind, Eric moved ahead, his black leather shoes sinking into the pool of blood, as he pressed down forcefully on the sack.

"Ariana, you're still not going to speak?"

The pressure from his shoe must have shattered the stray dog's limbs, as Eric distinctly heard the crack of bones.

The dog inside the sack appeared to jolt awake from the pain, trembling slightly.

"Daddy..."

A soft voice seemed to emanate from within the ragged sack.

Eric stopped in his tracks.