Chapter 2 : Past Life (2)

Anne smiled sarcastically. "I'm too dirty for this fancy car you're riding in, sir."

"Anne Beilynn!" Leonidas said, his voice rising. His gaze was dark.

His tone held a great threat and anger.

"Bring her in. Force her." Leonidas's words were cold, without any emotion.

It didn't take long. Two men dressed in black, his personal bodyguards, immediately approached and grabbed Anne's hands mercilessly.

Anne didn't fight back. Her tears hung, but they wouldn't fall. Why should she fight? Anne had no power. No one to turn to. Whatever Leonidas wanted... Anne would find out later.

Her body was pushed into a warm and luxurious car, a world that had once been hers, now felt foreign and suffocating.

The journey ended in silence. There was no room to breathe, only silence that embraced her tightly.

When Anne opened her eyes, her head felt heavy. She was sitting in an unfamiliar room, on a plush chair, her body tied up neatly. A dim light hung from the ceiling, quivering slightly from the breeze from the air conditioner.

Anne chuckled softly, as if numb. So this was the plan? she thought bitterly.

The almond eyes that once captivated millions now looked cloudy, clouded with tears.

Water droplets fell one by one from the corners of his eyes.

Test, test, test...

"Anne Beilynn."

The voice was soft, almost a whisper. But that's precisely why it sent shivers down anyone's spine.

Anne froze.

Her voice was too familiar, too hard to forget.

With hrr breath starting to hitch, she looked up.

"Inuella," Anne hissed coldly. Sharply. As if the name was hatred on the tip of her tongue.

"haha, Anne. Long time no see," Inuella greeted cheerfully, as if nothing had ever happened between them.

Anne lifted her face, staring at her blankly. "So... the mistress the media was referring to is you?" she asked dismissively with a raised eyebrow.

So this is Leonidas' taste now?

If Anne was once called the goddess of men's first love, a figure who captivated the screen and the hearts of the audience, how could Anne lose... to Inuella?

Inuella simply smiled triumphantly. "A mistress?" She chuckled softly, then leaned back gracefully. "Soon, I will be Lady Habsburg."

Anne snorted softly, indifferent. "Whatever." She didn't care about that status anymore.

All Anne wanted to know now was one thing, What did Inuella really want from her?

Inuella took out a knife from her bag—sharp, slender, and gleaming. She looked at Anne with a sweet smile.

"Anne... you have no idea how much I hate it every time the person I like chooses you," she whispered softly. Her gaze glinted with madness. "And now, I've managed to steal Leonidas, your first love. How does that feel, huh?"

Anne was silent. But her eyes spoke volumes of pain, betrayal, and sadness.

The knife flashed.

"Ugh!"

A mouthful of blood escaped her lips. Her breath hitched. A chill began to creep up from her stabbed stomach.

Inuella approached, swiping the tip of the knife across Anne's cheek. A long scratch appeared, leaving a red trail across her skin.

"This face..." she said softly. "This face has always made me jealous. But look at it now... your face will be destroyed."

"Anne," Inuella's voice came back, calm but cruel.

"I'll give you one last secret before you die."

she leaned in, whispering words that shattered Anne's world in an instant.

"Your child... didn't die," Inuella said sarcastically, "I traded him, then sold him to a remote village on the west coast."

Anne's eyes widened.

"Seeing him being tortured every day, it was the greatest satisfaction in my life. Not to mention seeing Leonidas blame you is my greatest happiness, Anne." Inuella smiled like a devil.

Anne closed her eyes. Her body trembled. The pain in her stomach was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

The child is alive...

The child she was carrying was almost nine months.

A child thought dead... turns out to have been sold! Tortured!

"No, no, no!!"

Anne shook her body as hard as she could, but the straps on the chair were too tight.

Tears and blood mixed on her cheeks.

"Cough!" Blood came out of her mouth again. Her breath hitched.

Anne regrets it ...

If only I wasn't so busy pursuing my career...

If only I didn't believe in this devil woman...

If only I could find out the truth about my son...