It was a cold night.

On the balcony, Edward Hartman stood against the railing. He wore a solid-color shirt with a classic neckline that revealed hickeys on his neck.

"Mr. Hartman, we didn't do it on purpose... We just thought that Mrs. Hartman had stayed in this house for too long, so we took her out... We didn't expect that it would bring you so much trouble..."

Edward looked so strict. The butler, John Carter, trembled and spoke incoherently, and his words became unconvincing and powerless.

"John." The man suddenly interrupted in a clear and cold voice, "How long have you been in the Hartman family?"

John lowered his head guiltily and replied, "One year."

Edward suddenly laughed. His smile was so arrogant that it made people shudder.

"Very good." Edward snorted and continued, "How dare you cause me so much trouble?"

John was so scared that he knelt.

Everyone kept silent. They dared not speak.

"You know my rules." Edward turned around and knocked on the marble railing. Then he said with a threatening tone, "Before I change my mind, get out of here with your men!"

...

In the master bedroom.

As a private doctor, Andrew Blake felt that the best years of his life had been mostly dedicated to the Hartman family. If the underworld forces could be counted on specific numbers, then the Hartman family undoubtedly had 70 percent of it. With such a huge background, it was normal that many people wanted to kill the Hartmans.

However, today's patient was very special. She was not a capable subordinate of the Hartman family, but a girl who looked anything but threatening.

She was not particularly beautiful. She looked even more ordinary compared with Edward's handsome look.

However, she was not that ordinary.

"Dr. Blake?"

"Yes. It's me." Andrew showed a comforting smile and stroked her forehead. "You have a fever, but you'll be fine. You believe me, right?"

She smiled. She was tired, but there was no grievance in her smile.

"Thank you."

Andrew smiled reassuringly and turned to give a few instructions to the person who was taking care of her at the side before walking out of the master bedroom.

Before Andrew left, he could not help but look back at the person lying on the bed. She frowned tightly under the soft moonlight. He could see that she didn't sleep well. But she insisted on not telling anyone.

How did such a pretty girl end up with Edward? Andrew knew Edward well and was certain that he would trap her and break her wrings one day.

Edward's most capable assistant, Ben Sharp, was outside the bedroom. Seeing Andrew coming out, he handed Andrew a glass of water.

Andrew could not help but sigh, "What did he do tonight? How could he make this innocent girl suffer?"

"You know Mr. Hartman." Ben smiled bitterly.

"Although he rarely looks serious, once he gets angry, all of us will suffer."

Edward raged just then, and it seemed that he wanted to punish everyone in this house.

Andrew raised his hand and drank a mouthful of water. He asked doubtfully, "What happened?"

Andrew said coolly, "There was a threat. Some people in the underworld dislike the Hartman family and try to attack Mrs. Hartman. However, before they succeeded, Mr. Hartman shot them in the head."

"Well..." Andrew, a pacifist, let out a meaningful sigh.

After a pause, Ben continued, "The problem is that yesterday Mr. Hartman reminded Mrs. Hartman not to go out as usual. Unfortunately, she did not listen..."

"You can't blame her."

Andrew expressed his sympathy. "Edward is a madman. We never know what's on his mind."

"I'm the one who has suffered the most!" Ben raised his hand and waved the document in his hand. "There are still so many documents that need to be presented to him. But who dares to approach him now?"

Andrew nodded. Then he saw Ben looking at him with a look of anticipation. Andrew was shocked. "Are you asking me to do it?"

Ben tossed the document back to him and smiled maliciously. "Dr. Blake, it is a doctor's duty to save lives and heal injuries."

Andrew couldn't believe it was his profession that put him at this disadvantage.

Andrew walked slowly behind Edward. Andrew could not help but stand still for a while, looking at Edward's back thoughtfully.

Edward was not a normal person.

Edward had too much power in his hands that could easily change the world if he wanted.

Edward rarely got angry. As the heir of the Hartman family, he had been trained to live under a mask since he was a child. The last time Edward got angry was two years ago when his father was persecuted to death. As the heir of the Hartman family, Edward had to deal with all the restless forces and avenge his father at the same time.

Every time Andrew thought of Edward during that time, one word would pop up in his mind and that was "unfathomable".

Edward was so young, but he was also ruthless.

As expected, the final result was Edward won. His territory expanded to the other side of the ocean. The method was simple: massacre.

And today, two years later, Edward once again lost his temper. The difference was that this time was because of a woman. And this woman had only met him for three months.

Andrew cleared his throat.

"Well, I know that you are very angry now, but please listen to me first."

Andrew had a good temper. He didn't care about the fact that he had been completely ignored by Edward. Andrew was dedicated to his work.

"Can't you be more careful? See what you've done to such a good girl..." Andrew added, "Do you think all the girls in this world can be as tolerant as your wife? Barry will never do this to his wife! If he does, his wife will make him regret..."

Edward suddenly interrupted, "Is she okay?"

"What do you think?" Andrew answered coldly, "It was her first time having sex and you were so rude."

"Treat her."

Edward said forcefully.

Andrew sighed.

Andrew almost fell for Edward's honey trap again. Edward was probably the most unlikely man in the world who would be regretful or sad.

"To be honest, I can't read your mind. There are so many women in the world, but you never take a glance at them. However, you hide the girl at home to vent your anger out on her... What's wrong with you?" Andrew said with a somewhat fearful voice.

Edward suddenly called out Andrew's name. There was an obscure hint of warning in his voice.

"Andrew Blake."

"Alright, got it." Andrew showed a polite smile and ignored Edward's eccentric face.

"Go and see her yourself. When you brought her back three months ago, she was badly injured. She had almost recovered before tonight. You've made it all bad again."

Andrew raised his hand and looked at his watch. It was past two in the morning. He asked Edward to take good care of the patient in the tone of a good patient. Then Andrew shuffled out tiredly.

...

Everything returned to silence.

Edward stood on the balcony and did not move. His sight fell on the pretty blooming roses in the garden in front of him. They had been well attended by her over the past few months. These flowers of different colors had become a source of warmth in this house.

Edward turned the knob to open the door. Two or three maids were in the bedroom. When they saw Edward, they immediately greeted him with respect, "Mr. Hartman."

Edward raised his finger and made a gesture of silence.

He said slowly, "Get out."

The women immediately left the room and closed the door.

Edward walked near the bed and sat by the bedside. He raised his hand and caressed her face.

Edward's heart hurt. He was to blame for the injuries on her body.

A few hours ago, she saw Edward shoot someone to death. She knew clearly that the victim wanted to harm her wife, but the utmost malice in his eyes made her shudder. Edward was merciless, so he was used to this kind of scene. But it was the first time she saw a person die in front of her. The idea that first sprang to her mind was to escape.

So, she made the first mistake in front of him. When Edward reached out to her, she instinctively retreated backward.

It was such a small movement, revealing that she wanted to escape from him. It irritated Edward. Ignoring the fear in her eyes, he forcefully dragged her back home, threw her onto the bed, and tore her dress apart.

Why her?

This was a good question.

Andrew, Barry Hartman, and even himself had asked the same question.

Why would he force her to be his wife?

Edward stared at her for a while.

He suddenly wanted to smoke. But he remembered that she didn't like the smell of smoke, so he gave up.

There was only the sound of liquid dripping from the infusion tube.

It seemed that the sound was reminding him of what horrible things he had just done. Edward knew clearly that she had always been afraid of him. Since they got married, he had never gotten intimate with her because she was injured. But he still forced himself onto her and took her virginity.

The moment he smashed into her, Edward was attracted by her fragility.

He thought she was beautiful. She could not defend or resist. He could own her easily.

The sheets had not been changed in time, and he could faintly see the redness under the quilt. He remembered the sentence she had inadvertently shouted when he entered her body from behind the second time. She said, "I don't feel well..." At that time, he ignored it. He brushed a kiss on her neck and only replied, "I will make you feel well."

However, it turned out that what she said was true.

"Why do you want to leave me?"

He suddenly asked in a low voice.

"I have decided that you're my wife, so I won't let you go. Don't you know that?"

He stopped talking and suddenly lowered his head to bite her lips.

He got his tongue in her mouth and kissed her wildly, even if she was not awake.

She was finally awakened.

The sight of him getting angry a few hours ago immediately appeared in her mind. She was frightened and awake.

"I'm sorry."

He suddenly apologized and caressed her face. His look seemed to be soft. "I'm sorry that I hurt you..."

She lowered her head to avoid his oppressive gaze. "It doesn't matter..."

"Jenna."

Edward suddenly called her by her name. His voice was so gentle. However, Jenna Kent froze. Edward added, "Stay by my side. Don't ever leave me, okay?"

She was not a fool. She understood what he meant.

Jenna had no way out and could only compromise. She lowered her head and said, "Okay."

He smiled brightly and put his hands on both sides of her body. He kissed her lips and comforted her softly. "Good girl..."

He was a monster. He had no plan to let her go ever since he met her. This was his obsession.

A year had passed.

In the morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone through the curtains into the bedroom, the entire room was instantly filled with warmth.

Jenna kept a biological clock and she woke up on time at 6:30. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw the crystal chandelier above the center of the bedroom. She heard that it was decorated with diamonds. It was extremely luxurious. It was the first thing she saw every morning. So she would start her day, feeling unreal.

Her life had been as luxurious as this crystal chandelier with diamonds, and it was just as unreal.

This was her home, the only place she could stay in her life. Even though her marriage still looked like an illusion, when she woke up, she would find herself in it, so solid and real.

She was twenty-five.

She no longer remembered how it felt like to laugh heartily.

Jenna got up from the bed after a moment of fuzziness.

She picked up the clothes on the side and put them on.

Although the central air conditioning had kept the villa at a constant temperature all year round, she did not have the habit of walking around at home in her pajamas. She used to do it, but not anymore. She no longer needed to go out, so there was no need to take it off once she put on her pajamas.

Therefore, she gradually changed her habit of wearing pajamas. She began to wear ordinary clothes like ordinary people. After wearing them for a few more days, she would wash them and hang them to dry. Sometimes, when she looked at the coats hanging on the balcony, she had the illusion that she had gone out.

She couldn't remember how long it had been since she had walked out of this house.

Of course, it did not mean that she had no connection with the outside world. In fact, every time she went out, she was accompanied by her husband. If he did not ask her out, she would not go out. She knew that he did not like it and he would not allow her to go out alone.

She would not resist him, because she said "okay" to this kind of life. Sometimes she would think, "If time returns to the day I met him, will I make the same decision?"

The answer would be no.

When she met him, there was already no escape for her.

"Mrs. Hartman."

When she went downstairs, the servants greeted her respectfully.

Even now, she felt a bit nervous. How could she be the dignified Mrs. Hartman?

However, Edward had forced her to accept the title ever since they met. He was suggestive and Jenna could not see through him.

"Why me?"

She once asked him.

He saved her from a fire. After a full week of sleep, she woke up and saw a marriage certificate. She was completely shocked when Edward forced her to sign it.

"Marry me. I will clear your father's 30 million debt."

He said it seriously.

Jenna tried to struggle. She said, "I can work for you..."

He coldly interrupted her, "Many people work for me."

He raised his exceptionally handsome face and said casually.

"I have no interest in keeping a mistress. There is only one choice if you want to be my woman..."

He raised his hand and tapped his fingers on the table. His expression went extremely flirtatious in an instant. He added, "That is to become Mrs. Hartman."

...

Every time Jenna thought about it, she would shiver.

She walked downstairs and tried hard to shake off the bad memories in her mind.

"You have already compromised."

She always persuaded herself like this.

...

To be honest, except for taking her freedom, he had shown her mercy.

He would give her everything, even the most private items. But his meticulous mind made her fear as well. One day, when they were out, they passed by a razor counter in the mall. She shivered and it was barely visible, and yet he took notice.

So, the next day he arranged a memorial.

The memorial was for her mother. After Jenna's father had an accident, her mother committed suicide by slitting her wrist with a thin blade and died in the fire. She was twenty-three years old when she saw a pool of blood in the bathroom and that unspoken loneliness on her mother's face. For the first and last time, she knew what unspeakable pain felt like.

Oh, life.

Clearly, her mother had a lot to say, but she chose to hold it in forever.

Jenna never expected that two years later, it would be Edward who stood by her side and built her mother a grave.

When she walked down the marble cemetery, she said, "Edward, thank you."

He smiled faintly and leaned to kiss her lips. The charming face gleamed under the sun, making her head spin.

Then she heard his flat voice.

"You're welcome."