Chapter 1

The prestigious Sullivan family in Pluville had two successors. The elder son, Zack Sullivan, was disciplined and exercised propriety. The younger son, Connor Sullivan, was a cynic who lived as he pleased. Both of them were dream marriage partners that countless heiresses flocked to. Winona Lowe, who possessed extraordinary beauty and talent, caught the eye of the Sullivan family, who decided that she would be Zack's fiancee. However, an unexpected incident from three years ago caused Winona to be knocked off her pedestal, sending her plummeting to earth. Her brother, Scott Lowe, was falsely accused of sexual assault and ended up falling off a tall building to his death. After her mother, Alice Dillman, took her own life, her father, Gerard Lowe, openly brought his mistress and illegitimate child into the family. As for Winona, she was humiliated when there was a paternity test that claimed that she wasn't Gerard's biological daughter, implying that Alice had an affair while married to Gerard. When the news broke, the Sullivan family immediately called off Winona's and Zack's engagement and kicked Winona to the curb. There had been a blizzard that day. Winona was dressed in thin clothes while she waited outside Sullivan Group for the entire day. However, Zack never showed his face even once. That night, she visited a bar to drink her sorrows away, but someone suddenly snatched her glass out of her hand. When she turned around, she saw Connor's smiling face. "Winona, why don't you be my girlfriend instead of my sister-in-law?" Winona stared at Connor, who resembled Zack. Her lips curled up into a playful smile. She nodded and replied, "Sure!" She wanted to take revenge on Zack. She wanted to see his mask of calm shatter. She wanted to get back at him for abandoning her when she needed him. However, the next day, Winona was suddenly dragged into a black car while she was on the way home. The abductors had been discussing among themselves where to sell her off to when Connor suddenly showed up, alone. He seemed totally unconcerned for his own well-being as he distracted the abductors and created an opportunity for Winona to escape. Connor had suffered multiple stab wounds by the time Winona returned with the Sullivan family's bodyguards to save him. He was lying in a pool of blood, clutching a puppy-patterned scrunchie to his chest—the very same one that Winona had lost during a private gathering some time ago. When he saw her after opening his eyes, he pushed her weakly and murmured, "Winnie… Run… Don't look back…" Winona could hear her heart hammering in her chest at that moment, feeling utterly moved. It was the first time in her life that someone had chosen her without any hesitation. After getting together with Connor, she fell head over heels in love with his meticulous and gentle nature. He would always tilt the umbrella more toward her whenever it rained, prepare soup that was always at the perfect temperature when she was having her period, and patiently and gently hold her whenever she jolted awake in the middle of the night because of a nightmare. Connor stopped hanging out at bars and stopped racing. He gave up on all his old hobbies to stand up against the Sullivan family. After being together with Winona for half a year, he went against his parents, Frank Sullivan and Lucy Vermona, and asked to be whipped 99 times. He was a bloody mess when he stumbled into the Sullivan residence's hall, asking for Frank's and Lucy's blessings. According to the Sullivan family's traditions, as long as a union received the parents' blessings, it would be a happy and fortuitous marriage. In the end, Connor managed to convince Frank and Lucy to give them their blessings. However, the preparations for the engagement banquet dragged on for three years. The first year, Winona got into a car accident and was bedridden in the hospital for a month. The accident also ended her dance career. The second year, Connor was diagnosed with acute renal injury. When Winona found out that she was a suitable donor match for him, she didn't hesitate for even a second and donated her kidney to him. Unfortunately, the surgery pushed the engagement banquet back once again. In the third year, Frank was diagnosed with leukemia. Winona was once again a suitable bone marrow donor for him. Winona ignored her own well-being when she saw Connor's slightly bloodshot eyes and tightly clenched fists and secretly donated her bone marrow to Frank. When she was wheeled out of the operating room, Lucy grasped her hand tightly. Her eyes were reddened when she declared, "From today onward, you're the only daughter-in-law that the Sullivan family acknowledges, Winnie." Winona felt that everything she had done was worth it when she heard Lucy's words. She eagerly looked for Connor, wanting to share the good news with him. However, a conversation she overheard as she stood outside the private room caused the blood in her veins to freeze. "You really have everything planned out, Connor. You orchestrated the car accident two years ago and pretended to suffer from acute renal injury last year. How did you come up with Frank being diagnosed with leukemia and needing a bone marrow donor this year? "Winona's such a fool. She even stupidly went behind your back to secretly donate her bone marrow," someone said while cackling. Winona stood rooted to the spot. A few seconds later, she heard Connor respond in a flat tone. "I didn't lie this year. Dad is actually ill." "Doesn't that make Winona your dad's savior? Sadie's already back in the country. Are you going to carry out your final act of revenge against Winona?" someone asked. "Maybe you should forget about it, Connor. Winona has suffered a lot of hardship in the last few years. Even if we disregard how she was in an accident and had to donate her kidney, she was abducted several times. "Didn't the police release an official statement about Scott's innocence three years ago? Do you trust Sadie that much?" another person questioned. "An official statement?" Winona saw Connor glare at the man who had just spoken through the gap between the door and the doorframe. His voice was laced with threats when he said, "I only believe in Sadie's words. She was nearly assaulted and has nightmares every day. She even tried to take her life many times while abroad. "Scott's and his mother's lives aren't enough to compensate her. I'm going to make Winona pay for all the hardship that Sadie was forced to endure in the last few years." It turned out that the person whom Connor actually loved was Sadie Jordan. He had only gotten close to Winona to take revenge for her, which also meant the happiness Winona had experienced for the last three years was a farce—a scheme that Connor had set into motion for Sadie, who had falsely accused Scott. Every hardship that Winona had been forced to endure in the last three years was meticulously orchestrated by Connor. "You're such a romantic guy, Connor. Speaking of which, Winona was with Zack for three years. Didn't you feel disgusted when you slept with her for the first time? Weren't you grossed out?" A mocking smile stretched across Connor's lips as a cold glint flickered in his eyes. "Zack was never interested in her. There was an incident where both she and Zack were drugged during a party. She was in a precarious situation, but Zack wasn't willing to touch her, so I slept with her in his place. "He ended up soaking in an ice-cold bath for an entire night just because he wanted to protect his virtue for his first love. In the end, he fell sick for a whole month. "Zack never touched Winona even once during those three years. I was always the one who slept with her. Besides, Zack would have found a way to break off the engagement even if the paternity test didn't come out." Winona felt like she had been struck by lightning with every word that left Connor's lips. There was a loud buzzing in her head as she struggled to process the information that she had just heard. She felt as if she had been plunged into an icy pool of water. Her blood had frozen in her veins, and her fingertips were quivering. It was no wonder Zack seemed like a completely different person every time they shared a bed. It was no wonder Winona always felt a sense of familiarity with Connor whenever they were together. They had been toying with her in the palm of their hands even when she was still Zack's fiancee. Winona bit her lips hard, and the metallic taste of blood permeated her mouth. Although she was digging her nails into her palms, she didn't feel any pain. Connor's friends let out loud gasps. "Doesn't that mean you slept with Winona for six years? You didn't develop any feelings for her at all? Furthermore, she did so many things for you in the last three years. Are you actually willing to treat her so ruthlessly?" "Do you really have no interest in her?" Winona subconsciously held her breath. Her eyes were bloodshot when she lifted her gaze to look at Connor, who was sitting in the center of the group of men. His eyes, which were usually overflowing with gentleness, were filled with indifference and disdain. "Would you develop feelings for a toy whose only purpose is to warm your bed? Everything I've done is for Sadie's sake. I want to shove Winona into the pits of hell when she's one step away from happiness. I need to help Sadie take her revenge. "Since Sadie's back in the country, it's also time to plan the engagement banquet," Connor said as he pulled out his phone and sent a message. Winona's phone chimed a few seconds later. It turned out that Connor's message had been meant for her. "We'll host our engagement banquet in two weeks. I can't wait to give you a grand surprise, Winnie." Winona let out a bitter laugh as tears splattered onto her phone screen. She retreated a few steps. She looked at Connor one last time before wiping her tears. Then, she turned around and left. At the entrance of the club, she dialed a number that had been saved in her phone for three years. "Tristan, is your promise from three years ago still valid?" Tristan York didn't hesitate for even a second before asking, "Are you sure about this? I won't accept it if you change your mind." "I've made up my mind," Winona replied resolutely. "I'll leave with you in half a month. But for now, I want you to find out the truth behind Scott's death. I want Connor and Sadie to pay for what they did!" "Don't worry. I won't let my wife suffer even the tiniest hardship," Tristan assured.