Chapter 2

Ethan POV

It was already three in the morning when I returned to the mansion.

The living room lights were off, everything was pitch black.

Normally, no matter how late it was, Lily would leave a warm yellow floor lamp on, curled up on the sofa waiting for me. She'd hand me a hot coffee the moment I walked in.

Today, there were no lights, no coffee, and no one.

I irritably yanked off my tie and tossed my jacket onto the sofa.

"Trying to attract my attention by pretending not to care," I scoffed coldly.

I assumed Lily was still sulking about me hanging up on her earlier. She was always like this, narrow-minded, easily jealous. The moment I showed Scarlett even a little kindness, she would turn the house upside down.

I went upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door.

Empty.

The bed was perfectly made, not a single crease, as if no one had ever slept in it.

My brow twitched.

I saw a document on the bedside table.

In the moonlight, five bolded, capitalized words on the cover stabbed at my eyes—"Divorce Agreement."

Was this woman insane?

I picked up the agreement and flipped it open.

Relinquishing all assets.

She wanted nothing but a few clothes. The house, the cars, the Reed Group shares, even the jewelry I’d given her over the years—all left behind.

And in the signature section, the handwriting was somewhat sloppy, with a few dried bloodstains.

Blood?

My heart inexplicably tightened, then was immediately drowned by a surge of anger.

Another one of her tricks!

Using red ink to fake blood, using divorce to force my hand. Lily, is this all you've got?

I pulled out my phone and dialed Lily's number.

"Sorry, the subscriber you dialed is currently unavailable."

"Fine, just fine." I laughed in anger, slamming the agreement onto the floor. "Lily, go ahead and hide your whole life. Don't come back begging me!"

I was woken up the next morning by Scarlett's call.

"Ethan, if I accidentally lost the cat you gave Lily... is Lily angry? My head feels so dizzy, do I have a concussion...?"

I rubbed my temples, suppressing the irritation bubbling inside me: "Stop overthinking. Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

"I'm at the hospital."

When I arrived, Scarlett was sitting in a wheelchair, her leg wrapped in bandages. It was just a scratch, but she was bandaged up like she'd broken her leg.

"Ethan!" Scarlett, her eyes red-rimmed, threw herself into my arms.

I instinctively flinched, the "bloodstains" I'd seen last night inexplicably flashing in my mind.

"What did the doctor say?" I asked.

"The doctor said I need bed rest... Oh, right, where's Lily? I want to apologize to her in person, I shouldn't have tried to catch her cat..."

My face darkened: "Don't bother with her."

Just then, a hospital bed was pushed down the corridor.

The person lying on it was extremely thin, wearing an oxygen mask, her hands covered in needle marks.

My gaze casually swept over her, and I froze, as if struck by lightning.

That pale, lifeless face was unmistakably Lily's.