---- You don't need to worry about anything anymore." His fingers closed around my wrist-softly, but with unyielding strength. 'Come home with me, Joy." As he led me down the corridor, a piercing cold climbed from the soles of my feet to the base of my skull. He was like an intricate spiderweb, and I was just a helpless little creature caught within it, never meant to escape. Time passed. My father's surgery was a success. My mother's condition steadily improved. On the day she was discharged, Ethan arrived cradling a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl in his arms. He wore a soft and gentle smile I had never seen on him before. "Joy, meet our little angel. From now on, she's your daughter." The girl beamed at me and chirped, "Mommy!" ---- Her voice was as light as silver bells. I forced a smile, biting down the bitterness inside me. But behind that expression, I was already planning every detail of my escape. Opportunity always favors those who are prepared. When Ethan had to travel to Europe for a major merger, I finally saw my chance. I called his private number, layering my voice with longing and affection. "Ethan, I miss your scent so much. Let me come to you, okay?" There was a pause-then a soft chuckle on the other end. "Of course, Joy. I'll send the jet for you." On the way to the airport, I watched the numbers on the dashboard climb higher and higher. My veins thrummed with adrenaline. And then- The wheel jerked. The car smashed through the guardrail. ---- Gasoline filled the air, thick and acrid. As the flames swallowed everything, I saw it- that flicker of freedom I had longed for. By the time the local news ran headlines about the horrific crash, my scorched and unidentifiable body lay in the morgue. Across the ocean, Ethan shattered a sapphire goblet against the carpet the moment he got the news. The glint of broken crystal danced across his twisted expression. On his private jet, he stared at the headline of the car crash glowing on his phone screen. It was as if the words had torn his heart open with a blade. The second the plane touched down, he charged into the morgue like a rabid beast. The sharp scent of preservatives hung heavy in the air. When the sheet was lifted, the sight of the blackened, unrecognizable corpse made the