When Leandro sent Catherine the 99th video, in the video, their son Nash affectionately called Nina "Mom", and Leandro kissed Nina passionately - in the video, it seemed as if they were a real family, and Catherine was more like an outsider.
Catherine couldn't help but think of the other 98 videos Leandro sent over the years.
The first time - was on their wedding night.
Leandro left Catherine alone at home to celebrate Nina's successful graduation.
In the video, Nina threw herself into Leandro's arms and left a kiss on his cheek.
The second time - was on their first wedding anniversary.
Leandro left on the pretext of work, and just five minutes later, Catherine received a video. In the video, Nina knelt in front of Leandro, her head shaking back and forth, and Leandro looked extra enjoyment.
In this way, the video was sent to her mobile phone countless times.
And this time, on their wedding anniversary, it was the 99th time Leandro betrayed her.
But it never crossed her mind that the man who loved her so deeply would keep his feelings hidden—and even go so far as to involve their son in the deception.
When Leandro left Nina for the 100th time, Catherine watched his hurried figure leaving. When he was out of sight, she wiped her face and called the number she hadn’t dialed in years.
“Brother, I’ve made up my mind—I’m getting a divorce.”
However, the moment she left completely, when Leandro and their son Nash received the signed divorce agreement she sent them, they suddenly regretted it?
——
“Listen, Nina, this is the birthday gift I prepared for you.”
Leandro’s gentle, doting voice floated from inside the villa, breaking Catherine’s memories.
She looked through the crack of the door and her pupils shrank sharply.
The layout inside was an exact replica of the Kennedy residence—down to the servants and butlers.
Suddenly, the bionic robots inside received a command and bowed respectfully to Nina.
“Good day, Madam!”
That single word, “Madam,” pierced Catherine’s heart like a sharp dagger, squeezing the breath out of her.
Her eyes reddened as she instinctively placed a trembling hand over her pounding heart.
It turned out that a lifetime of vows was only worth five fleeting years.
Inside the villa, Nina excitedly kissed Leandro’s cheek.
“Thank you, Leandro. You specially created this bionic robot to fulfill my wish. Honestly, as long as I can be with you and Nash, I’m satisfied.”
Nina’s shy gesture only made Nash frown.
He stormed between them, his little face scrunched in frustration.
“Aunt Nina! Dad’s gift is great, but I made my doll with my own hands—my fingers even bled!”
Catherine watched the little boy’s face, so much like Leandro’s, pout as he shyly offered his injured finger, his voice childish and full of affection.
Nina bent down and blew gently on the tiny puncture, and Nash's face lit up again.
“Aunt Nina, you’re so nice! Unlike my mom, who’s always messing with copper coins and bamboo sticks—things that make the kids at kindergarten laugh at me. I hate her so much. She’s not fit to be my mom! I wish you were my mom instead.”
Even though she had braced herself, Catherine’s heart still twisted painfully.
All these years, she had used her divination skills to predict Leandro’s company fortunes—yet she never saw how much Nash despised her.
Suppressing the bitterness in her chest, Catherine took out her phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.
“Leandro, where are you? I miss you so much. Can you come back and be with me?”
Her grip tightened involuntarily as she watched Leandro holding both Nina and Nash's hands, cutting the cake, while softly lying to her.
“Sweetheart, the company has some urgent matters and I can’t leave now. I’ll come back to you later.”
Without waiting for her reply, he ended the call.
Inside the villa, the three of them laughed and smeared cake on each other’s faces, their joy echoing through the house.
Meanwhile, Catherine stood frozen, eyes red, filled with disappointment.
Leandro was still lying to her.
She once told him that if one day he stopped loving her, he should be honest and tell her—she’d never trouble him again. But if he chose to deceive her, she vowed she would vanish forever.
Now, her words had come true. In ten days, she will move to California for good—and disappear from their lives completely.
Chapter 2
After Leandro left with Nash, Nina curled her lips into a sly smile and gave commands to the bionic robots.
“Go bring the peeping intruder at the door inside.”
“Yes, Madam!”
In the villa’s grand hall, Catherine was held firmly by the servants. Their long nails dug into her skin, sending sharp stings through her shoulders.
She gritted her teeth against the burning pain and raised her eyes to Nina.
“Did you send me that anonymous letter this morning?”
Even though she phrased it as a question, her voice was full of certainty.
At ten that morning, her phone received an anonymous message. It was a short clip.
In the video, Leandro was naked, moving slightly, his low, muffled groans mixed with the gasps of a woman.
Beneath the photos were the address: Ever Crest Villa.
With bloodshot eyes, Catherine stared unblinkingly at the man in the picture.
“Indeed, Catherine, you saw it for yourself today. Leandro and Nash both like me very much. Nash even wants me to be his mother. If you’re smart, Catherine, you’d better step aside. After all, what man doesn’t love a young, beautiful body?”
Hah! Like?
“You mean ‘like’ as in playing the role of a fox spirit to seduce a married man? Then yes, I admit—I can’t compete with you.”
Catherine’s words enraged Nina. Her lips twitched, and her expression darkened instantly.
She raised her hand high—but just as it was about to fall, she paused, a teasing glint flashing in her eyes.
“Jason, give her a slap. Don’t stop until I say so.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The butler obeyed, raising his palm and slapping Catherine’s face hard.
Held down tightly, unable to break free, she endured every sting.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Her face quickly reddened and swelled, fresh blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
“You dare insult Madam? I’ll slap you to death.”
The fiery pain made Catherine’s eyes water. She looked up at the butler, who had always treated her like a daughter, and a sharp ache hit her heart.
Even though she knew this was just a bionic robot, it still hurt.
After countless slaps and when her vision began to blur, Nina finally showed mercy.
With a cruel smile, she slowly began unbuttoning her clothes in front of Catherine.
Her skin, marked with faint red bruises, was exposed to the air, revealing a raw, seductive allure.
She grabbed Catherine’s chin hard, pushing her face close.
“Even if you’re going to be a fox spirit, you should at least have the skills. What do you think, Catherine?”
“Leandro loves this body of mine—he can’t get enough, making me do it multiple times in all sorts of positions. He never gets tired of trying.”
The suggestive marks—from her neck to her chest, down to the inner thighs—were burned into Catherine’s eyes, stabbing at her heart.
A dull ache settled in her chest as she helplessly watched Nina erase all the surveillance footage inside the villa, then order the servants to throw her out at the front door.
Her phone slipped from her pocket, shattering on the ground.
“See yourself out, Catherine.”
The heavy door slammed shut in front of her.
Despite the sharp pain in her cheek, Catherine got up slowly from the ground.
With her phone broken, she had no choice but to walk back on her own.
The journey took a full five hours. The tender soles of her feet were blistered, raw, and itching.
Suddenly, a heavy rainstorm poured down. Raindrops pelted her body, cold seeping into every pore, making her shiver uncontrollably.
When she finally returned to Kennedy residence, her entire body was drenched and exhausted. Her foggy mind slipped into unconsciousness.
“Sweetheart!”
“Mom!”
Chapter 3
When Catherine regained consciousness again, all she saw was a wash of white.
She opened her eyes and found Leandro standing by her bedside. Dark circles hung under his eyes, and a light stubble had grown on his chin—he looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
Seeing her awake, his eyes were filled with pain and worry. He gently pulled her into his arms, his voice tinged with anxiety and fear.
“Sweetheart, didn’t I tell you to stay home and wait for me? Where did you go off to? And you come back all hurt like this. Tell me—did someone bully you? I swear, I’ll make that person pay.”
Their son stood nearby, pulling at her hand with a pout.
“Yeah, Mom, why did you run off like that? You made Dad and me so worried.”
Catherine met their anxious, and caring gazes. Bitterness welled up inside her. She pressed her lips together and spoke softly.
“Yesterday, you two...”
Suddenly, her words were cut off by a sharp ringtone breaking the silence.
Leandro’s expression tightened as he glanced at the caller ID. Hastily, he hung up.
But the caller was persistent, immediately dialing again.
Nash noticed the incoming call and his eyes lit up. He anxiously shook Leandro’s hand.
“Dad, the phone.”
Reluctantly, Leandro answered.
“What’s going on? Why call at this hour?”
But instead of English, he spoke in Italian.
The sudden switch caught Catherine off guard. She instinctively looked at Leandro, only to see him exchange a knowing glance with their son.
The three then smoothly conversed in Italian.
“Leandro, can you come keep me company tonight? The thunder is so loud—I’m really scared of being alone.”
The trembling voice of a woman echoed softly through the receiver.
Leandro glanced at Catherine, realizing she didn’t understand Italian. His tense expression softened.
Recalling how Catherine had suddenly collapsed the day before, his heart tightened and he declined Nina’s request.
“I can’t make it tonight. Catherine is sick, I have to stay with her.”
Silence hung heavily in the room, the other side spoke, but Catherine couldn't hear it clearly.
Leandro’s gaze was fixed on the phone screen. His expression suddenly darkened, and his voice turned raspy.
“Be good and wait for me at the villa. No matter what, you have to hold on.”
After hanging up, Nash furrowed his brows and quickly said in Italian, “Dad, I want to go too! Aunt Nina is scared of the thunder, and I can protect her!”
Leandro agreed, feeling the slight tremble beside him. He carefully tucked the blanket around Catherine again and raised the air conditioning temperature.
“Sweetheart, are you cold? Do you feel better now?”
The familiar scent of perfume drifted to her, but it couldn’t soothe her aching heart.
Catherine raised her eyes to meet the man’s gentle, tender gaze. Her voice trembled unconsciously.
“What were you just talking about?”
Leandro smiled faintly and affectionately stroked her hair.
“Nash’s Italian teacher was updating me on his progress. He even praised how smart our son is.”
“Yeah, Mom, the call was from my Italian teacher. She’s really nice.”
Looking at their warm, familiar faces, Catherine felt a chill running through her body.
They didn’t know she had already learned Italian a long time ago.
She understood every word of their conversation. But they still chose to lie to her.
Her heart twisted painfully, overwhelmed by helplessness and exhaustion.
“I... I want to rest now.”
With that, she turned over and curled under the covers, showing them only her back.
“Sweetheart, rest well.”
After planting a gentle kiss on her hair, Leandro took Nash and left the room.
But Catherine lay awake in bed, tears soaking into the pillowcase, dampening one corner.
Chapter 4
In the middle of the night, Catherine suddenly developed a high fever.
Her head felt heavy and muddled, sweat soaked through her cotton pajamas, and her entire body was cold and trembling.
3:00 AM.
Enduring the unbearable discomfort, she reached out with trembling fingers and dialed Leandro’s number.
The call was answered in less than a second, but no one spoke on the other end—only the sound of rustling clothes came through.
“Leandro... I really... can’t take it anymore...”
A coquettish voice, soft and flirtatious, came clearly through the receiver, stabbing into Catherine’s ears. Then came a man’s familiar voice, husky and laced with teasing.
“Be good. Didn’t you just say you could?”
The breathless groans of desire laced with flirtation scraped at Catherine’s nerves like knives, stabbing straight into her chest.
Three full hours of torment.
Every second felt like being fried in oil, swallowed by flames—an excruciating torture that tore at her soul.
Ding.
The call ended abruptly, and a message popped up a second later.
It was a screenshot of a chat.
In the image, Nina straddled a bed in black lace bunny lingerie, her delicate figure posing seductively as she stared into the camera with sultry eyes.
[Your little bunny is waiting obediently for her master~]
Beneath the photo, Leandro’s plain black profile responded with just three curt words.
[Wait for me.]
A crushing pain spread through Catherine’s chest like a thousand tiny needles.
So that was it. He had changed his mind after seeing this photo.
Curled up under the blanket, she began to cry softly. A dull ache throbbed at her temples.
She had thought that after seeing the ambiguous marks Nina bore before, she would have gotten used to it and become numb.
But the agony still came, overwhelming and deep, seeping into her bones.
Only after the tears had dried did she force herself to close her eyes and switch off the screen.
But the relentless fever kept her awake the entire night.
—
The next morning, Leandro returned with their son—and a woman.
“Sweetheart, this is Nash's new Italian teacher. She’ll be staying with us temporarily, but she’ll move out in a few days.”
“Good morning, Madam. I’m Nash's Italian teacher. Sorry for the sudden intrusion.”
Catherine looked at Nina, whose eyes brimmed with undisguised provocation.
She didn’t take the outstretched hand.
The room fell into a brief, tense silence.
Nina lowered her eyes and let her voice tremble with apparent hurt.
“Madam, am I... not welcome here?”
Leandro paused, then spoke with a heavier tone. “Sweetheart?”
When she still didn’t respond, their son Nash scowled and stomped up to grab Catherine’s hand.
“This is my favorite teacher! Mommy, you’re a grown-up! Don’t you know how to be polite?”
The rebuke hit her square in the chest.
Catherine stared at their forcibly joined hands, then finally took Nina’s hand in hers.
“Madam, I’ll be in your care for the next few days.”
Nina’s voice was sweet and sincere—but her grip was cruel.
Her sharp nails dug deep into Catherine’s palm, drawing blood.
The sudden pain made Catherine instinctively shake her hand free, but Nina took the chance to stumble backward and crash to the floor.
“Ah! That hurts!”
Tears spilled from her eyes in an instant, her reddened gaze brimming with sorrow.
“If Madam didn’t want me to stay, you could’ve just told me. I wouldn’t have imposed. I never thought you’d dislike me this much...”
Her voice was a blend of heartbreak and grievance—three parts sadness, seven parts accusations.
Leandro’s eyes flashed with concern as he stepped forward to help her up.
He swept his gaze at Catherine and intoned coldly, “Catherine, that was too harsh.”
“Yeah, Mommy! That was way out of line. How could you push someone like that? What if she got hurt?”
Nash shielded Nina like a little lion cub guarding his own, checking her anxiously for injuries.
Their accusatory words crushed down on Catherine’s heart.
She stared blankly at the three of them, united on the same side, as the stinging pain in her palm spread through her chest.
Nash quickly brought over the first-aid kit, his small face twisted in anger.
“Aunt Nina, Mommy didn’t mean it. Don’t blame her. She’s always acting weird, fiddling with those broken things. Even the kids at kindergarten say she’s gone crazy from it.”
A wave of pressure surged in her chest. Catherine turned and walked away, forcing herself not to hear another word.
Soon... she would be gone.
She clenched her injured hand, stood up, and headed toward the backyard.
But a voice called after her from behind.
“Miss Flores.”
Chapter 5
Catherine froze in her tracks.
She turned around to see Nina standing behind her, a smug expression on her face.
“Miss Flores, I wonder... did you enjoy the little performance just now? Your husband and son both trust me completely. That must’ve stung, didn’t it?”
She leaned in, her voice dripping with mock sympathy.
“It was actually my idea to move in. I just acted a little spoiled with Leandro, and told him my mother’s death anniversary was coming up and how scared I was to be alone in the villa, and he couldn’t bear to refuse me. So he agreed to let me stay here for a while.”
Each word was like a dagger, and Catherine trembled from head to toe.
Smack!
A loud, crisp slap echoed through the hallway.
Nina’s cheek instantly turned red and swollen.
“That’s enough! Enough! Enough!”
Catherine’s eyes were bloodshot. Her body swayed before she collapsed to the floor, sharp pain shooting up from her ankle.
Clutching her ears, she fled into the room and slammed the door behind her.
Behind her, Nina gently touched her stinging cheek, fury darkening her eyes.
"Just you wait Catherine," she whispered through gritted teeth.
—
That night, Catherine curled up in bed, a storm of emotions crashing through her chest—rage, grief, helplessness.
She couldn’t sleep. After tossing and turning, she finally got out of bed and went downstairs to get some water.
The villa was eerily quiet, almost too quiet. A strange unease began to swell in her chest.
The door to the backyard was ajar.
Something urged her forward—an instinct she couldn’t explain.
And then she heard it. The unmistakable sound of water sloshing, mixed with soft groans and wind.
Her whole body froze. It was as if her blood had started to run backward.
Through the crack in the door, she could clearly see two figures locked in a passionate kiss.
She didn’t know how long it lasted, but eventually, Leandro shoved Nina away. His eyes were still burning with lust, but his face was gloomy.
“Are you insane? This is the Kennedy residence. Catherine is still here. Didn’t I tell you—my bottom line is to keep this away from her? Have I spoiled you so much lately that you think you can do whatever you want? First, you insist on staying here, and now you’re seducing me here?”
But Nina didn’t answer.
Instead, she dropped to her knees and leaned in, rubbing her face against him with unrelenting determination.
Leandro’s low grunt of pleasure only encouraged her further. She let out soft, coquettish gasps as she continued.
His breathing grew heavier, voice laced with strained desire.
“You little vixen...”
Nina just smiled, unbothered.
“Do you like it, Leandro? I wore this just for you.”
Her answer was met with his ragged breath—his restraint vanishing.
“Tighten your legs. I’m going to give you what you want.”
The next moment, the two of them were entangled, skin against skin, consumed by lust and desire.
Catherine couldn't take it any longer.
She bit down on her lip, hard enough to draw blood, and turned to leave—only to collide with someone at the corner.
It was Nash, rubbing his sleepy eyes, looking groggy and confused.
His pupils shrank. His gaze darted around nervously, trying to avoid her eyes.
Panicked, he grabbed her wrist, his voice soft and pleading.
“Mommy, I’m so sleepy... can you read me a bedtime story?”
He clung tightly to her hand and pulled her away, only releasing her when they reached the living room.
'Thank God. Mommy didn’t see anything.' He thought.
But Catherine felt like her heart was being sliced open, one cut at a time.
Her beloved husband had his mistress hidden away. And now even her precious son was helping cover for them.
Perfect. Just perfect!
She bit her lip harder, the taste of blood spreading in her mouth.
Nash dragged her back to the bedroom, pulled a book at random from the bookshelf, and asked her to read to him.
As she opened it, a folded drawing slipped out and landed on the floor.
Her eyes caught on it instantly.
It was Nash's school art assignment—a family portrait.
But in the picture... were Leandro, Nash, and Nina.
No mother.
Just the three of them.
Catherine stood there frozen, her hand trembling as she reached for the paper.
But Nash was faster. He snatched it away before she could touch it.
A sharp pain pierced her heart.
She forced herself to smile, but her voice shook despite her best efforts.
“Nash... who did you draw in that picture?”
Chapter 6
Nash hurriedly hid the drawing behind his back, his small voice tinged with guilt and unease.
“N-No, it’s nothing...just a regular school assignment.”
Catherine looked at her son, catching the guilty flicker in his eyes. Disappointment welled up inside her.
Even now, he was still lying to her.
She took a deep breath and held out her hand toward him, her tone firmer than intended.
“Let Mommy have a look.”
But Nash shook his head hard and stepped back, keeping the drawing hidden behind him.
His resistance stabbed at Catherine’s heart.
She got up and reached for the paper, but Nash grew impatient and shoved her—hard.
“Ahh!”
She had been sitting on the edge of the bed, and the sudden push sent her crashing to the floor.
The vase on the nearby nightstand toppled over and smashed against her temple, leaving a terrifying gash.
Blood streamed from her brow, dripping into her eyes, burning them with pain.
“Nash! What are you doing?!”
Leandro had entered the room at some point. His face twisted with panic as he rushed to help her up, pulling her into his arms.
But when he saw the blood pooling at her temple, his voice turned sharp with anger.
“Nash, why did you push your mother?”
Nash’s eyes welled up with tears. But he stubbornly raised his chin and said stiffly, “She tried to take my drawing! I didn’t mean to hurt her...”
“What drawing?”
After a moment of hesitation, Nash reluctantly pulled out the hidden picture and handed it to Leandro.
“It’s just the family portrait assignment from school... Daddy and Teacher Nina helped me with it...”
Catherine could clearly feel the moment Leandro saw the drawing.
His body stiffened, and the arm wrapped around her tightened instinctively.
He quickly shoved the drawing back at Nash, urging him to put it away as if he were afraid she'd see it.
Only when Nash carefully tucked the picture into his backpack did Leandro finally relax a little.
“You still can’t push your mother,” he scolded. “Now apologize to her.”
“...I’m sorry, Mommy.”
Catherine stood frozen, watching the whole scene play out like a carefully rehearsed drama. Her heart turned cold.
So the “family portrait” was a group project completed by the three of them.
And she, the mother, the wife, had been kept in the dark like a complete fool.
When she didn’t respond to Nash’s apology, Leandro assumed she was simply in pain.
He leaned closer and gently blew on her wound with concern.
“Does it hurt? Let me take you to get it dressed.”
As he bent over, his collar slipped open, revealing faint traces of lipstick and love bites. The scent of perfume mixed with sweat hit her sharply in the nose.
Catherine clenched her fists at her sides and turned her face away, pushing him off.
“No need. I’ll stay in the study tonight. Didn’t you say the company’s facing a major decision and needs my divination?”
Without waiting for a reply, she lowered her gaze and walked out of the room.
She didn’t want to see the marks another woman had left on her husband—not the scent, not the evidence, nothing.
It only made her sick.
Leandro watched her retreating back, an unfamiliar unease stirring in his chest.
He suppressed the feeling, pressing his fingers to his brow with a heavy sigh.
“Nash,” he said, his tone low. “You have to be more careful around Mommy. She must never find out about this, understand?”
“...I understand, Daddy.”
—
Catherine stayed in the study all night, performing a full divination session.
It wasn’t until morning light streamed through the windows that she finally stopped, exhausted.
She stared at the result on the table. Her heart gave a violent jolt.
“Great misfortune.”
Her brows furrowed.
Even if they were no longer truly husband and wife, she didn’t want to see Leandro make a costly mistake. She resolved to warn him before she left—if only for the sake of caution.
But before she could even open the study door, she saw Leandro and Nash rushing toward her in a panic.
“Catherine! Come quick!”
They pulled her into a guest room. Her face turned pale the moment she saw the unconscious figure lying in bed.
Nina.
“She suddenly collapsed this morning,” Leandro said, his face filled with worry. “The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong. Can you divine what’s causing it—and how to treat it?”
Catherine heard the urgency in his voice.
And without thinking, she immediately refused.
“No. I can’t.”
Chapter 7
As Catherine's words fell, the guest room was swallowed by a heavy silence. Leandro frowned, his gaze filled with disbelief and displeasure.
“Catherine, when did you become so selfish?”
Even Nash suddenly rushed over, grabbing her wrist with a force that made her wince.
“Bad Mommy! Bad Mommy! Aunt Nina is unconscious! If you don’t save her today, I won’t call you my mommy anymore!”
Catherine was yanked so hard her vision blurred, dizziness washing over her. Her chest felt like it had been hollowed out, even breathing was hard.
That time, to confirm whether Leandro had betrayed her, she had performed 9,999 divinations in a row—until she coughed up blood from the strain.
Her body had yet to recover, and just last night, she spent another entire evening divining the company’s future for him.
If she pushed her luck now with another reading, she would be gambling not only with her fortune—but with her lifespan.
Taking a slow breath, Catherine answered calmly, “Leandro, if I perform another divination now, it could cost me years of my life.”
She thought he would understand after hearing this.
But instead, he scoffed and looked at her with cold disappointment.
“You’ve performed dozens of readings for the company and you were fine. Why is it suddenly a life-threatening risk now? If you don’t want to do it, just say so—don’t make up excuses.”
Her body swayed, barely holding her weight.
What did that mean?
Did he... not believe her?
But she was telling the truth!
Before she could defend herself, Leandro cut in with a commanding tone, “She’s lying there unconscious. It’s just a reading—you’re not even lifting a finger. Don’t be so selfish, Catherine.”
She heard the ease in his voice, how he dismissed the price of her pain—and it made her want to laugh.
All those times she performed readings for his company, her health would deteriorate afterward. She had kept it from him so he wouldn’t feel guilty.
But it only led him to believe it cost her nothing.
A bitter ache rose in her chest as she looked at him in the eyes.
“Leandro... what if I’m telling the truth?”
Her words made him pause for a moment. A strange look flickered across his face.
But when his eyes shifted back to the unconscious Nina, whatever doubt he had vanished. A flicker of hesitation passed—but he still chose not to believe her.
“Saving a life is more important. Catherine, don’t joke around.”
After all those readings hadn’t harmed her before—why would this one be different?
That’s what he kept telling himself.
He had admittedly neglected her lately, so if she was throwing a little tantrum, that was understandable.
Once Nina woke up, he would send her away.
“Catherine. Please. Saving her matters more.”
His urging drained the last of her strength.
She knew his mind was made up. No matter what she said, he wouldn’t believe her.
Then so be it.
She forced herself to ignore the sharp pain in her body and began the divination.
The ritual lasted three excruciating hours. Her lips turned pale, sweat poured from her brow, and her entire body trembled.
Finally, on the verge of collapse, she spoke. “She’s been poisoned. The antidote is a snow lotus that only grows in extreme cold.”
Leandro’s face lit up. He grabbed her shoulders, oblivious to the weakness in her voice.
“I’ll go find it now. Catherine, wait for me.”
As Leandro and Nash rushed off, Catherine could no longer suppress the pain. Violent coughing shook her frame, and blood poured from her lips, splattering the floor.
She slowly uncurled her fingers, revealing a divination result crumpled in her palm.
“Great Misfortune.”
With trembling hands, she tore it apart and threw the pieces into the trash.
Along with it, she discarded the last piece of her illusions—and the final shred of affection she held for the two of them.
She would not wait for them to come back.
Today, everything was finally settled. The paperwork was done. She stood up, walked out of the villa, and made a call.
“Book me the earliest flight to California.”
After hanging up, she stopped by a printing shop and a law office.
Once everything was in order, she calmly headed for the airport—alone.
—
When the father and son returned triumphantly with the snow lotus, they searched every corner of the villa—but Catherine was nowhere to be found.
She had already checked in at the airport. Clenching the boarding pass in her hand, she coughed as she climbed onto the plane bound for California.
Just before takeoff, a message came in from Leandro.
[Catherine, where did you go? Nina is awake now. I’ve already sent her away. Just tell me where you are, and I’ll come get you.]
