Chapter 1

Baxter Johnston sat on the sofa and looked up at Vanessa Shaw. His eyebrows arched up, looking as if he did nothing wrong. "I'm not trying to kill Sonya. You're the one who started all this by being unreasonable. All you have to do is apologize to Tabitha, and this will be all over." Vanessa was being unreasonable? Baxter was the one who indulged Tabitha, letting her turn explicit images of Vanessa into artwork just to please her. But now, it was somehow Vanessa's fault? Vanessa stared him down. At that moment, the relationship they had built over the years began to crack. Another five minutes of silence passed. "If I still refuse to apologize, will you really show it to my mom?" she asked hoarsely. "Why don't you try and find out?" Baxter said, calm as ever. But his eyes were sharp, like a dealer at the table. "It's up to you whether you want to take that risk or not." A bet? She couldn't afford to gamble with her mother's life! Vanessa closed her eyes, and a single tear slid down her cheeks. She couldn't stop shivering due to the cold. She hadn't expected this. In the end, she still lost to Tabitha. Back then, the three of them attended the same college. Baxter and Tabitha were both in the art department. As a talented and attractive couple, they were well-known on campus. Vanessa, on the other hand, was just one of the many women in the music department who had a secret crush on Baxter. She often hid in the shadows, quietly watching the couple. But in their junior year, Tabitha suddenly broke up with Baxter and left the country to study abroad. Baxter changed after that. He threw himself into painting with obsessive intensity, and even actively recruited models. Women all over the campus scrambled to sign up, and Vanessa was among them. In the end, she was selected. And just like that, the two of them started talking. Vanessa once asked why he picked her, to which Baxter replied there was a softness about her. On top of that, the way she played the guitar and sang in that gentle, lilting voice reminded him of something out of a dream. When she heard that, her cheeks and ears turned red with embarrassment. But deep down, she felt warm and fuzzy. From then on, they met every day. Vanessa never dared to hope for more. She only wished to stay by his side for as long as possible. Until one day, Baxter suddenly got drunk and cornered her in the studio. "Tell me, is it true you have feelings for me?" he asked with glazed eyes. "Yes!" Vanessa's heart pounded hard from nervousness. She shut her eyes tightly as redness crept up her face. The next second, she felt the warm, wet touch of his lips. Baxter kissed her hungrily. Passion flared between them. They made love again and again in the studio, until dawn broke in a soft glow. Sunlight spilled over Vanessa's smooth skin. Feeling inspired, Baxter painted her on the spot. That painting would later win him a major award. Vanessa, on the other hand, became the target of gossip. Word got back to her hometown. When Sonya Shaw, her mother, caught wind of it and heard the neighbors talking, she was so furious that her body gave out and was rushed to the hospital. At the time, Vanessa was overwhelmed with sadness as she sobbed in the hospital. It felt like she could barely breathe. Baxter held her in his arms and said, "I'm sorry, Ness. I didn't know it would come to this. I'll take responsibility. From now on, let me take care of you both." And true to his word, he really did. That one award launched his career in the art world. In just five years, he rose from a struggling artist to a billionaire CEO. And Vanessa became the Mrs. Johnston everyone envied. Over the years, he doted on her, fulfilling her every request. He was also devoted to caring for Sonya, arranging the best medical team for her care. Vanessa thought their future would always be happy and stable. But the moment Tabitha reappeared, everything changed. Claiming Tabitha had nowhere to go, Baxter let her stay in their home. Using "artistic collaboration" as a pretext, he took her to all kinds of events. And now, for the sake of an apology, Baxter had no qualms with using Sonya to threaten Vanessa. "Fine, I'll apologize," Vanessa said, biting her lip. Her hand trembled as she pulled out her phone and called Tabitha. "What happened today was my fault. I'm sorry." As the words left her mouth, the men who were sent to the nursing home walked in. It turned out that Baxter had made a call to summon them back. Feeling satisfied, he stood up and walked over to her. "Good girl, Ness. I only did what I did because I had no other choice. Don't be so stubborn next time." With that, he turned and left to pick Tabitha up. Vanessa clenched her fists. All at once, shame and disappointment churned inside her. It hurt to even breathe. Baxter had no other choice? She let out a bitter smile. It was laughable. Suddenly, the phone in her hand rang. Her heart tightened when she saw it was the nursing home calling. She answered immediately, only to hear a panicked voice on the other end. "Mrs. Johnston, bad news! Your mother's condition isn't looking good!"