His panic lasted only a second before his face hardened back into its usual cold mask.

"I'll get you a birthday gift later," he said dismissively. "Right now, come with me and apologize to Aurora. You shouldn't have missed her party."

He stepped forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of bed.

The sudden, sharp pain made me instinctively yank my arm away from him. Fine beads of sweat instantly formed on my forehead.

Julian's eyes narrowed. His face showed nothing but irritation.

"Olivia, how long are you going to keep this up? When did you become so unreasonable?"

I thought he was hilarious. I actually started laughing.

"I learned a lot during those days at Blackwood Manor," I said.

Julian's face stiffened. He stared at me, his eyes filling with dark annoyance.

"That's over," he said, his voice tight. "Why bring it up? Besides, you're clearly fine, aren't you?"

Yes, I was alive. By some miracle, I'd survived.

But did he really not know what kind of place Blackwood Manor was?

His enemy, Silas Blackwood, was known in our social circle as a sadist. He enjoyed hurting women. Even his phone ringtone was said to be recordings of screams.

He was obsessed with cleanliness, viewing bodies as impure. He devised countless ways to torture people's minds instead of their bodies.

Mental torment is far worse than physical pain.

Just thinking about it made me break out in a cold sweat and tremble uncontrollably.

In just seven days, I'd become like a dried-up flower, my body gaunt, my eyes sunken, my face deathly pale. I looked worse than a ghost.

Did he really not see that?

Or did my life simply not matter as much as Aurora Reed's safety?

He must have seen the answer in my eyes. He exploded.

"Why do you always target Aurora?" he yelled. "She's always been delicate. Do you think she would have survived in a place like that?"

"Do you want to see her die to finally be happy?"

"Olivia, enough is enough! You've been acting out one too many times. My patience is running thin."

"You're my fiancée. What else do you want?"

I closed my eyes. My heart ached, but the situation felt increasingly ridiculous.

My throat was tight. I should have realized the truth the first time Aurora Reed manipulated things and Julian chose to believe her.

Rain started falling outside, hitting the windowpane and leaving blurred streaks.

Weakly, I leaned back against the pillows. My voice was faint. "Julian," I said.

"Let's call off the engagement."

Julian grabbed my shoulders tightly. His grip was hard, making me flinch in pain.

A sneer played on his lips. He looked like he saw right through me.

"Enough with the games! Stop playing these tricks! Didn't you beg me to marry you?"

"What is this act now?"

He was right. I was the one who had pushed for marriage.

We had been together for three years when Aurora Reed started appearing in our lives constantly.