Chapter 1

Nadia Young was once the most dazzling person in all of Bayfort. She was unbound and unpredictable like the wind, loving passionately and living wildly with unrestrained exuberance. Yet, she ended up marrying Clive Gibson, who was the complete opposite of her—strict, disciplined, and meticulous. He was also a wealthy tycoon in the business industry. Clive was like a very precise machine that left no margin for error. He demanded perfection from both himself and his lifetime partner. Nadia loved going where the excitement was. She often went clubbing and went out with male escorts. Hence, Clive forced every entertainment hub in the city to blacklist her and prevent her from ever entering their premises. Nadia loved freedom, travelling to the ends of the earth to enjoy bathing in the sun, watching the aurora borealis in the night, and going racecar driving or cliff diving wherever she wanted. So, Clive took away her passport and restricted her movements. Nadia loved taking photographs and landscape painting, but Clive regarded them as a waste of time and energy. So, he confiscated her beloved cameras and paintbrushes, sealing them away for good. Nadia was on the verge of losing it. With no other choice, she was forced to mold herself into his perfect wife, obeying every single rule Clive imposed on her. Still, no matter how hard she tried, some people would still poke fun at her and call her a wild woman. Once, at an event, Nadia finally lost her temper and got into a petty catfight with the other women who poked fun at her. Clive heard of the commotion and appeared at the scene. However, with everyone's eyes on him, whispering and gossiping amongst each other, he never defended Nadia at all. Instead, he apologized to the perpetrators and calmly said, "I apologize for her behavior. It was my fault for not training her properly. Indeed, she doesn't know how to behave in public." At that moment, Nadia felt as though she'd just been struck by lightning. Her blood froze completely. She'd sacrificed most of her life only to prove that Clive Gibson didn't love her. After that, she got into an accident that brought her short yet repressed life to an end. … When Nadia opened her eyes again, she realized that she'd been given a second chance at life. It was now a few more days before her wedding to Clive. Nadia looked at her bright, vibrant, and still hopeful face in the mirror and felt her heart beating wildly in her chest that still longed for freedom. She took a deep breath. This time, she didn't want Clive or his so-called suffocating love anymore. She wanted to be herself again. She wanted to be the old Nadia who was a wild, vibrant, and free once again. The first thing she did was to rush downstairs and look for her father, Hector Young, who was having his breakfast. "I want to call off my engagement to Clive Gibson!" Hector's hand trembled, nearly dropping his spoon. He quickly looked up and flew into a temper. "What nonsense are you talking about again? I've always ignored it when you behaved so wilfully in the past, but don't you know how many people would die for the chance to marry into the Gibson family? "Don't you know just how brilliant Clive is? He has the power, wealth, status, and looks. Everything about him is extremely hard to come by!" Nadia looked at Hector, who looked ready to stuff her into a box and hand-deliver her to the Gibson family at once. She scoffed secretly and said, "Since he's all that, why don't you let that dear bastard daughter of yours marry him instead? I'll give up and let her get engaged to him." Hector froze at once when he heard Nadia's words. Then, his facial expression eventually turned to that of glee. "What… What did you just say? You're really willing to give the chance to your sister?" "Yeah. You've always liked your bastard daughter and the woman you brought in to wreck our home anyway. You brought Celia up to be so well-mannered and well-behaved, even spending so much money on her to turn her into a classy lady. She'd be perfect to marry into the Gibson family to be Clive's wife." "You!" Hector's face turned livid with rage. He chided, "Don't call her my bastard daughter! She is your sister! "We can't call off the wedding because the engagement between both our families has been set for generations. But since you insist on giving up your place… Then I guess this is the best outcome for now. I'll head over to the Gibsons immediately to discuss the bride swap!" With that, Hector eagerly got up, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the mansion without even finishing his breakfast. Nadia found it simply ironic while watching her father pretend to care for her when he was secretly rejoicing as he left. She didn't say another word and went back upstairs. She grabbed her ID cards and bags, then left the mansion as well. The first thing she did was to apply for an expedited international visa. Then, she called up her best friend, Kenzie Sanders, and headed straight for the hottest club in the city. The music was electrifying, the lights were hypnotizing, and the dancing bodies on the floor were mesmerizing. Nadia hadn't felt so free and at home for a very long time. She pulled Kenzie onto the dance floor and danced to her heart's delight. They also drank as much as they wanted and even got a few top male escorts to accompany them. Kenzie stared disbelievingly at Nadia, who seemed even more dazzling and unrestrained tonight than she'd ever seen before. "Naddie, aren't you about to marry into the Gibson family real soon? Clive is known for being very strict and rigid, and his household has hundreds of rules for the family to follow. If he ever finds out that you came out clubbing at a place like this, even getting male escorts and all… "We can't afford to offend them like this, Naddie! If you're going to get yourself killed, please don't drag me down with you as well!" Nadia threw her head back and took a large swig of alcohol. The ice-cold liquid burned down her throat and made her feel even more ecstatic than ever. She grinned and said lazily, "Don't worry. I've already given up my spot to Celia." "You gave it up?" Kenzie echoed, her eyes widening in shock. "But… But I thought that you'd always liked Clive! Don't you remember how many suitors tried to pursue you in the past, and yet, you turned them all down? "And then, you said that you fell in love with Clive at first sight after seeing him at the charity event the other night. You even told us that someone as outstanding as him would be worthy of taking your hand in marriage…" Nadia grinned, but her smile never reached her eyes. Instead, her eyes were frosty as she said, "Liking someone and being suitable for someone are two different matters altogether. Clive and I aren't meant for each other. I won't like him anymore either. "Love may be precious, but I value my freedom more. I'm a pretty woman, and I come from a pretty decent family. I believe I can find someone else who is truly meant for me. "For example…" Nadia swept her gaze across the male escort next to her and reached out with her finger to lift his chin. Then, she teased, "I mean, these people here look quite delicious to me." Just as the words were out of her mouth, a cold, deep voice suddenly sounded behind her, obviously very out of place in an environment like this. "Who did you just say looked delicious to you?"