"She broke her wrist! She didn't die!" She let out a hollow laugh, her voice thick with grief. "I'm at the abandoned pharmaceutical plant, 30 miles north of the city. Sebastian, come collect my corpse in the morning." The next second, the call was cut off without mercy. The kidnapper seethed, glaring down at her. "You're still tied up under me, and you dare play games with me?!" Anastasia let out a bitter laugh. "What's there to be afraid of? He's not coming." Who was Juliana? Back when Anastasia sponsored her, she never could have imagined she was raising a snake who would one day turn on her. Juliana Sage had come from poverty, though she excelled in school. Out of pity, Anastasia had arranged for her to be sponsored in Sebastian's name. Six months ago, the girl graduated and showed up on their doorstep, saying she had come to repay the debt. At first, she lingered at Sebastian's office building, insisting she'd do anything to repay him. For elites like the Kairoses, charity was nothing more than good publicity, never done with expectations of gratitude. Naturally, Sebastian didn't take her seriously. But from then on, Juliana began appearing more and more in his life. Maybe that helpless, doe-like innocence of hers really did have its own kind of charm. By the time Anastasia realized something was wrong, Sebastian had already stood her up three times for Juliana. The third time was at City Hall, where they were supposed to get their marriage license. Sebastian never showed. The license was never issued. And yet, three days later, Anastasia was still married to him. After all, everyone in their circle knew he loved her like his own life. They had grown up together, childhood sweethearts for over twenty years, while Juliana had only planted herself in their lives three months ago. Twenty years against three months-how could Anastasia possibly lose? But she had overestimated their love. She hadn't just lost. Now, even her life was about to be the price. Tears clung to her lashes, grief and disappointment twisting together across her striking features. Her eyes stared blankly into the distance, empty, her whole body shrouded in a haze of broken despair. The kidnapper swallowed lewdly, then grabbed a fistful of her dress. And just as he was about to rip it away -bang! A gunshot shattered the silence of the night. The sharp crack sent the birds scattering from the treetops, wings flapping in panic as they disappeared into the dark sky. The kidnapper, who had been boasting shamelessly just moments before, now lay flat on the damp ground, a lifeless corpse. One shot, straight through the head. Blood sprayed across Anastasia's cheek, the splash making her already pale face look all the more fragile and broken. 2/4 1:58 pm She barely had time to feel fear. Instinctively, she turned toward the direction of the shot. A man in a smoke-green military uniform stood tall, his figure almost melting into the shadows. Under the cold moonlight, the medals on his shoulder gleamed with a sharp, icy light. He walked toward her against the glow, each step deliberate, the crunch of dry leaves beneath his boots. drawing closer and closer-until suddenly, he stopped. A crisp, woody fragrance cut through the iron tang of blood clinging to her nose. Startled, Anastasia lifted her gaze, only to meet a pair of dark, refined eyes. He stood just two feet away, and his presence pressed down on her like a suffocating weight. The gun in his hand still smoked faintly. Noticing the lingering fear etched across her face, the man curved his lips into a faint smile and slid the weapon back into his belt. Their eyes met, and Winston Renard tilted his head, his voice falling from above her. "Anastasia, long time no see." By the time she returned to the marital home, it was 1 a.m. Anastasia changed out of her bloodstained dress, and only when the cold shower cascaded over her did her chilled body finally begin to warm. She wiped the water from her face. Almost... I almost didn't make it back... Before she was 16, Anastasia had been the pampered little princess of her family. But that year, her father and two brothers died, and her mother remarried. Blow after blow tore her once-happy home apart. It was Sebastian who had pulled her out of the wreckage. She still remembered his expression back then, the tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her. He had said, "Anna, why don't you come home with me?" It was like a sudden burst of light in the middle of the darkness. Sebastian's family became her family. His parents became hers. From then on, Anastasia moved into the Kairos Residence. At her coming-of-age ceremony, in front of everyone, Sebastian had knelt to give her the security she craved. "Anna, be my girlfriend. I'll treat you well for the rest of my life." His gaze under the spotlight had been steady and sincere. Anastasia loved flowers, so Sebastian had bought thousands of acres of flower fields, all so they would bloom for her alone. Everyone said they were a match made in heaven, but reality had slapped her hard across the face. In the end, a man's promises were nothing more than words fueled by hormones-meant to sound good in the moment, but never to be trusted. Now Sebastian's heart belonged to another woman-Juliana. Maybe he was bored. Maybe he was looking for something different. Either way, he had strayed. And a man who cheated was filthier than a toothbrush scrubbed on a toilet. Anastasia sat slumped by the vanity for an entire day and night. Sebastian still hadn't come home. The withdrawal hit her hard. After all, that man had been part of too many milestones in her life. 3/4 1:58 pm DDDD. Lost in thought, she was startled by the ring of her phone. She glanced at the screen before answering. "I'm planning to divorce Sebastian." There was silence on the other end for several seconds. "When did you two even get married?" Anastasia lowered her eyes. Their marriage had been a secret. Even on the day they registered at City Hall, Sebastian had left halfway through after a single call from Juliana. Then, he had gone on a week-long business trip. He hadn't returned until the day before, her birthday. They never held a wedding, but she had met his parents for dinner, enough for the world to see her as the Kairos family's daughter-in-law. Her eyes burned red. "Either way, I'm leaving him." Hearing the pain in Anastasia's voice, Rebecca Olson, her mother, spoke gently. "When will you go? I'll send a car for you." Anastasia's dark hair fell across her face, revealing only the curve of her pale chin. "Don't get involved in my business. I won't run to you. Please, just stay away from me." Rebecca's voice sank with disappointment. "Anna, back then I-" 4/4 1:58 pm D D D D. DD The Rose Who Chose His Rival Over Him