Caleb was sent to the hospital, where he died three weeks later, all alone in the VIP ward. Before passing away, he signed an agreement to donate his body.

One month later, Talia sent me a voice message. "The asylum called to say that Aria killed herself this morning."

In the second year of my marriage to Shawn, I gave birth to a beautiful and adorable little girl.

Outside the window, dusk settled over the city while neon lights slowly flickered to life.

With one arm carrying our daughter, Shawn linked the fingers of his other hand with mine. The wedding band on our ring fingers gleamed like molten gold in the twilight.

Those who had once hurt me had now become nothing more than insignificant ink blots in the story of my life. As I turned the page, a new beginning awaited me, born from the warmth spreading from my hand.

On the powdery sands of the Balthian Islands, 300 crystal lamps lit up the private beach so brightly that it looked like daytime.

Dressed in the latest wedding dress from a luxury brand designer, I stared at myself in the mirror. I appeared a lot calmer and more poised than I did three years ago.

"Ms. Summer," my makeup artist reminded lowly, "there's a gentleman outside—"

However, Talia cut her off. "Tell him the bride won't see him."

My hands paused in the middle of tidying my wedding veil. "Caleb is still outside?"

"He's been kneeling at the beach entrance since last night." Talia rolled her eyes. "Claims he won't get up unless he sees you. Security has tried to chase him away three times, all to no avail."

Through the floor to ceiling windows, I could see a man, utterly drenched from the pouring rain. His expensive suit pants was torn from the rough coral, and blood was seeping

Chapter 10