Luna's heart pounded wildly. She tried to calm herself and glanced down at the turbulent sea beneath the yacht.

There was no sign of anyone, as if nothing had ever happened.

After a long moment, she slowly turned around.

"Goodbye, Quinley. You had this coming."

Under the cover of darkness, she curled her lips into a cold smile tinged with malice.

Up on the second deck, Gary was holding a six-inch chiffon cake. When he saw Luna coming back, he lit the candle on top.

"Have a taste. I didn't use any milk, and the raspberries were flown in from Eurania this morning. It's lightly sweetened, perfect for a low-fat diet. You'll probably like it," he said.

Luna smiled as she blew out the candle. Her eyes lit up with anticipation. "Then feed me."

"Oh, come on, did this couple invite us just to show off?"

"Gary, when are you planning to divorce that housekeeper of yours? It's about time yo

In the early morning, a cool sensation brushed across his chest like a faint, lingering kiss.

Gary was still half-asleep. He instinctively pulled the person in his arms closer, catching her fingertips with his own. His voice was hoarse and full of affection. "Quinn, stop teasing."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze.

That hand…

Quinley had worked as a housekeeper and caregiver. Life had never been easy for her, and over the years, a thin layer of calluses formed on her hands. 

Even after Gary showered her with love and had someone formulate a custom hand cream just for her, those rough patches held on, like a mark time refused to erase.

On countless quiet nights, he would slowly run his fingers over hers, his touch filled with aching affection.

But the skin under his touch now was far too soft and smooth.

A sudden rush of memories exploded in his mind. He jolted upr

Quinley sensed the malice in the other person's voice and rejected it outright, "I'm not playing this game!"

But just as Quinley took two steps back, the man who had just spoken up suddenly stood up and slapped her across the face before she could react.

Loud laughter erupted all around. "Serves her right. That's what she gets for hitting Luna!"

Luna smiled innocently. "Quinn, don't take it to heart. We're just playing a game."

Next to Luna, Gary simply watched with cold eyes. He reached out and spun the bottle again, spitting out, "Keep going."

At that moment, Quinley understood why she'd been invited tonight.

Kneeling in the rain wasn't enough. She had slapped Luna once, and Gary wanted her to pay it back in full in front of everyone.

Hence, the spinning bottle kept pointing at her again and again.

When the tenth and final slap landed squarely on her cheek, the bodyguards finally let her go.

Quinley felt a ringing in her ears. She slowly reached up and touched the swelling on her face.

"Gary, you promised me you'd make my birthday cake yourself tonight," Luna uttered coquettishly.

Gary smiled faintly and stood up. "Wait here. I'll go to the kitchen."

Before leaving, he stared at Quinley for a long moment but said nothing.

Once Gary was out of sight, Luna shed her earlier gentle and fragile demeanor.

"Well, how does it feel to be slapped like that, Quinley?"

Ignoring Luna's provocation, Quinley smiled nonchalantly before standing up to leave.

She knew that Luna, flushed with her first taste of victory, would definitely follow her.

Sure enough, as Luna stepped onto the top deck of the yacht, the sharp click of high heels sounded behind her.

"Luna, do you really think… You've won?" Quinley asked, stopping in front of the railing with a smile.

"Did you know? Gary said once you've recovered and repaid his debt to you, he'll kick you out of my house."

"Shut up!" Luna roared. She had never endured such provocation before. "You're just a filthy maid, and you think you're worthy to compete with me?"

Luna took a step forward, but Quinley suddenly turned around and grabbed the lace collar of Luna's custom dress.

"Did this happen to my mom that night? She just touched your precious custom dress, and you…"

The rest of Quinley's words were drowned in choked, painful sobs, which only fueled Luna's twisted delight. "Yeah, you're right. She accidentally touched my dress and refused to get on her knees to apologize to me. And since she was your mother, I had to teach her a lesson.

"You have no idea how pathetic she looked. Her arms were broken, her mouth was gagged, and she couldn't even make a sound. She bled right here, on the deck beneath your feet. Her blood flowed into the sea.

"Oh, and I almost broke her right leg, too. But she struggled to stay alive and ended up falling into the sea. That's what really killed her."

Luna's arrogant tone made Quinley's eyes burn with hatred. "You're a murderer!"

But Luna only laughed smugly. "So what? Gary believes me. He even protected me in court!"

Quinley's grip on Luna's collar tightened. "Don't forget that I'm still Gary's wife. He's not going to divorce me. As long as I'm alive, I'll always be his wife!"

Every word struck like a spark, igniting Luna's rage. In that instant, she lost control and wrapped her hands around Quinley's neck.

The pressure on her throat grew tighter. Quinley's face turned red as she gasped out, "Let… go! Are you trying… to kill me? You know, as long as… I live, you'll never—"

Before Quinley could finish her sentence, Luna slammed her against the railing. The force numbed Quinley's back, and the wedding ring on her fourth finger slipped off.

As Quinley struggled, her upper body leaned past the railing. She lost her footing in an instant and fell straight from the third floor.

The second-floor party was lively and loud. Her plunge into the sea was masked by laughter and music.

As the freezing seawater rushed into her lungs, Quinley strangely felt warm.

Her mother had once existed in this sea.

So, she didn't cry, and she wasn't afraid.

As her eyes slowly closed, the second button of her dress gave off a faint red glint. Inside was a hidden camera.

The truth, drowned in the sea tonight, would one day come to light.












Luna's heart pounded wildly. She tried to calm herself and glanced down at the turbulent sea beneath the yacht.

There was no sign of anyone, as if nothing had ever happened.

After a long moment, she slowly turned around.

"Goodbye, Quinley. You had this coming."

Under the cover of darkness, she curled her lips into a cold smile tinged with malice.

Up on the second deck, Gary was holding a six-inch chiffon cake. When he saw Luna coming back, he lit the candle on top.

"Have a taste. I didn't use any milk, and the raspberries were flown in from Eurania this morning. It's lightly sweetened, perfect for a low-fat diet. You'll probably like it," he said.

Luna smiled as she blew out the candle. Her eyes lit up with anticipation. "Then feed me."

"Oh, come on, did this couple invite us just to show off?"

"Gary, when are you planning to divorce that housekeeper of yours? It's about time you married Luna!"

"If you ask me, they should just get married right here. Didn't Gary already give 

Chapter 9