Through the phone, Nathan did not catch the sound of the explosion, but the news of Joyce falling off a cliff made his breath hitch, his heart lurching wildly.

Bianca smoothed the frown between his brows. "What's wrong? Did Joyce throw another tantrum just to force you to go to her?"

She had heard every word the driver said earlier, but she just had no intention of letting him go.

Her remark instantly eased the unease in Nathan's chest. He exhaled quietly, convinced this was another ploy to make him yield.

"Tell her to stop playing these games. Even if she's a ghost, she's still going to that prison." 

Without waiting for the driver's reply, he hung up.

Turning back, he scooped his daughter from the crib, bouncing her gently until she squealed with laughter. But as he looked at her bright little face, he thought of the child he and Joyce never got to meet.

Joyce's features were de

Half an hour later, Nathan finally reached the scene. Even before his car rolled to a stop, he saw the long stretch of police tape snaking across the coastal highway.

The moment he stepped out, his driver came running toward him.

Nathan drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "What happened? Where's Joyce?"

At her name, the driver's eyes went red. "Ms. Campbell asked me to buy her two bouquets of white lilies. The moment I got out of the car, she drove straight off the cliff."

Nathan's gaze dropped to the driver's hand, still clutching the flowers. And in that instant, it all made sense.

Joyce always brought only one bouquet when she visited her mother's grave. One of the two bouquets was for herself.

She had planned this.

They had already hauled the car up from the water. After the explosion, it was little more than a mangled husk.

A rescue worker came over, shaking

Nathan's eyes welled with relieved tears as he stumbled toward Bianca's room.

Joyce watched his back disappear down the hall, her mind fixed on one thought—she had to get out of here. If it meant apologizing, even kneeling, so be it. Whatever it took to leave, she would do it.

It took her a long while before she could steady herself enough to stand. Dragging her weary body, she made her way to find Nathan, only to hear Bianca's voice through the doorway.

"It was just normal bleeding. You didn't have to worry. It's just that if Joyce finds out about it, she'll hate me even more."

He replied, "She owed you that in the first place."

Joyce's hand tightened on the doorknob. She took in a deep breath and pushed the door open. The moment Bianca saw her, she flinched and cradled the baby in her arms, as if shielding it.

Joyce hated her little acts, but she forced the disgust down and apologized. "About what happened before, I'm sorry. But you and I both know exactly how this time came about."

She turned to Nathan before Bianca could speak. "Will you finally let me go now that I've apologized?"

Nathan did not answer. Instead, he tossed a folder at her feet.

When she bent down and opened it, the first page was inked with the words "Admission of Guilt". The charge was attempted murder.

"I warned you. I told you it wouldn't be that easy if there's another time," Nathan said. "Don't worry. Once Bianca's anger passes, I'll have you out of prison."

He sounded almost casual as he handed her a pen, signalling her to sign it.

Joyce's face went paper-white. Standing there in a daze, her tears fell without warning. 

"Are you trying to ruin my life?" she asked.

"How could I bear to?" He brushed away her tears. "I just don't like who you are now. If a few years in there can bring back the obedient Joyce I knew, maybe it's worth it. Don't you think?"

She raised her hand and slapped him hard in his face, her whole body shaking.

Nathan licked the blood from his lip, irritated. "You won't sign? Then I'll help you."

He yanked her forward, stuffing the pen into her hand, and forced it across the page. Her signature came out jagged and broken.

He held up the document and smiled, satisfied. "Joyce, you'll always be mine. Only I can decide your fate!"

Stepping outside, he began calling the best lawyers. He was dead-set on sending her to prison.

Joyce collapsed to the floor, too numb to even cry. From the bed, Bianca noticed her desperate look and adjusted her bed upward.

"Seeing you like this, I'll be kind and tell you the truth. Nathan's always loved me. You were just my stand-in. The vitamins you've been taking? They were actually birth control pills. That's why you couldn't get pregnant.

"And the baby I'm carrying now—it's his."

Every word landed in Joyce's mind like thunder. 

So, that was why he had said she felt familiar the first time they met. That was why, after every time they slept together, he would ask if she had taken her vitamins.

That was why, nine months ago, when Julian was away on business, Nathan did not come home all night and returned the next day smelling of Bianca's perfume.

The signs had been there all along.

A metallic taste surged up her throat. She turned to the trash bin and spat a mouthful of blood. Sweat streamed from her forehead as emotions surged in her chest, but her expression was eerily calm.

Nathan walked back in, staring down at her. Joyce reached out, lightly grasping the hem of his pants, her voice low. "Before I lose my freedom, can I visit my mother's grave one last time?"

He shifted his gaze but did not answer.

"Let her," Bianca said softly. "Seeing her like this, even I feel sorry for her."

Nathan kissed Bianca's hand. "Alright. As you wish."

…

Joyce finally left the hospital. When they passed a flower shop, she asked the driver to stop. 

"I've got shackles on and no money. Could you buy me two bouquets of white lilies?"

The moment the driver stepped out, she crawled into the driver's seat, slammed her foot on the gas, and tore down the road toward a cliff. In the rearview mirror, she saw the driver's panicked face as he made a call. She knew exactly who he was dialing.

Seconds later, the car broke through the guardrails and soared toward the sea. The weightless plunge wrapped around her like a blanket, and for the first time in years, she smiled. 

She was free.

The impact with the water knocked her unconscious.

Onshore, the driver finally reached Nathan on the fifth try. "Mr. Gray, there's been an accident."

"What?"

"Ms. Campbell went off the cliff…"

Before he could finish, an explosion ripped across the water where the car had gone under.

Through the phone, Nathan did not catch the sound of the explosion, but the news of Joyce falling off a cliff made his breath hitch, his heart lurching wildly.

Bianca smoothed the frown between his brows. "What's wrong? Did Joyce throw another tantrum just to force you to go to her?"

She had heard every word the driver said earlier, but she just had no intention of letting him go.

Her remark instantly eased the unease in Nathan's chest. He exhaled quietly, convinced this was another ploy to make him yield.

"Tell her to stop playing these games. Even if she's a ghost, she's still going to that prison." 

Without waiting for the driver's reply, he hung up.

Turning back, he scooped his daughter from the crib, bouncing her gently until she squealed with laughter. But as he looked at her bright little face, he thought of the child he and Joyce never got to meet.

Joyce's features were delicate, her large eyes curling into crescents when she smiled, the tiny mole beneath them making her

Chapter 8