Chapter 7

In the darkness, Crystal could see a crying baby in the distance. A pang of sadness welled up within her. She tried to reach the child, but no matter how she chased, she couldn't get near it. When she finally took the child into her arms, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Oh… my baby!" Crystal woke up from the nightmare with a start. While she had been unconscious those few days, she kept having the same strange dream. When she woke, her hands went to her flat abdomen without thinking. To her surprise, there was a fresh scar. Seeing Crystal stare blankly at her stomach, Stephen knew he couldn't keep things secret for long. As he told her the truth, he squeezed her hands and made her a promise. "I'm sorry, Crystal. It's true that our child is gone, but we'll have more after we get married…" A tear slipped past her eyelashes and fell onto her lap. So she had been pregnant, after all. There had been a tiny life growing inside her. And in the dream, her unborn child was saying a final goodbye to her. She had always loved children. But due to an accident while saving Stephen's life, she had suffered a severe injury to her uterus. The doctors had declared that she would likely never be able to ever bear children. And yet, in this cruel twist of fate, this tiny little life had arrived in her womb at the worst possible time—and died because she had lost too much blood. One could even say its father had practically killed it himself. "Don't be like that, Crystal. In just half a month's time, we're going to be married. I promise we'll have more children…" Stephen had never seen Crystal look so terrified and distraught before, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of panic himself. Just then, Crystal's phone buzzed with a text message. Only then did she remember that Andrew had arranged for her and her mother to leave that day. But she and her mother hadn't yet recovered, and they wouldn't be able to manage long-distance travel. Besides, how could she leave when she hadn't made those two bastards pay for what they'd done? Having made up her mind, Crystal sent a text postponing her departure by half a month. She planned to leave on the day of the wedding—and give them a lesson they would never forget. In the days that followed, perhaps out of guilt, Stephen stayed by her side every day, tending to her. Today was the day they were going to try on Crystal's wedding dress. Stephen had commissioned the dress from a world-famous designer, complete with dazzling pearls and diamonds. He had promised that Crystal would look exactly like a princess out of a fairytale. But as they entered the store, Amy was there, grinning and wearing the wedding dress that had been custom-made for Crystal. "Ms. Hoffman, we're terribly sorry," a staff member hurriedly explained. "We told this lady that this was your wedding dress, but she insisted on trying it on—or else she'd tear the whole place down!" Blithely unaware of Stephen's scowling face, Amy continued to play coy. "Stephen promised me I could oversee his wedding, so I thought I'd try on your wedding dress on your behalf first. Come on, Crystal. Surely a person as generous as yourself wouldn't mind, would you?" Before this, Crystal might have made a fuss. But now, she was as calm as ice. The woman in front of her even seemed as silly as a circus clown. Crystal glanced at her dispassionately and said, "Suit yourself." But Stephen wasn't having it. Unexpectedly, he flew into a terrible rage. "Amy, stop your nonsense! When did I ever promise you that? That's Crystal's wedding dress! You'd better take it off right this instant! That dress is for my wife—and her only. What do you think you're doing wearing it?" This was the first time Stephen had ever shouted at Amy. Incredulous, she removed the wedding dress in tears and rushed out. Stephen didn't chase her. Instead, he turned to grasp Crystal's hands and comfort her. "It's all my fault that you had to go through that. But don't worry. The wedding dress she wore is dirty anyway! We won't take it. I'll have the designer make you another one overnight. I guarantee you'll be the most beautiful bride ever!" Crystal scoffed at the irony. All that overdue affection meant nothing to her. And besides, who gave him the confidence that she would marry him? Stephen invited countless friends, relatives, and media reporters to the wedding. He wanted everyone to witness the grandest wedding of the century—to witness their happily ever after. As he stood excitedly on the stage, everyone's eyes were fixed on the doors as the emcee announced the bride's entrance. But just as the doors slowly opened—and before anyone could catch a glimpse—a series of deafening explosions shook the room. The entire wedding venue had been planted with time bombs. Stephen immediately realized this was premeditated revenge. In an instant, the idyllic wedding venue was engulfed in flames, with everyone scrambling toward the exits. Having stood at the epicenter of the explosion, Stephen suffered severe burns all over his body and was in unbearable pain. Nonetheless, he charged into the flames once more. There was only one thought on his mind—Crystal was in danger. He had to find her. But there was no sign of her in the midst of the fire. Stephen ran through the list of all his enemies in his mind. He couldn't figure out who would seek revenge against him. His anxiety mounted, and he had a strong feeling he was about to lose Crystal. Just as he was in total panic, the explosives ignited the fireworks that had been prepared for the wedding. A dazzling display of neon lights soared into the sky, making everyone stop and stare. Stephen clearly noticed the massive commotion as well. Frowning, he turned his gaze upward, and the color drained from his face.