Under the glow of the city’s largest digital billboard, a glamorous woman adorned in flawless makeup beamed, her radiant eyes curving into a smile as she turned toward the man beside her. Their fingers intertwined, presenting the picture-perfect image of a fairy-tale romance.
Couples standing in the square lifted their heads, watching the spectacle unfold on the massive screen. Their smiles held a touch of admiration—and envy.
Robert Yorke and Selene Simmons were the epitome of a power couple. The second son of the influential Yorke family and the beloved daughter of the Simmons', they had been childhood friends and were now married, bound together by both history and status. Their families had poured immense resources into crafting their exclusive luxury brand, “Verdant.”
For their wedding, the city’s largest billboards and screens had been taken over to broadcast the event in real-time, turning their love story into a public spectacle that most could only dream of.
As the ceremony concluded, the couple held hands and disappeared into a cascade of white rose petals, vanishing into the opulence of the evening’s red carpet celebrations.
Behind the scenes, however, the illusion of perfection quickly shattered.
Robert led his wife into a secluded lounge, his grip firm. As soon as the door shut behind them, a mild-mannered man stepped forward—his resemblance to Robert unmistakable.
“Are you okay?” Adrian, Robert’s younger brother, asked, his concern evident as he reached for Selene’s hand.
Robert’s gaze turned ice-cold. In an instant, he tightened his hold on Selene’s wrist.
She winced in pain. “Rob—”
“Stay out of this, Adrian.” Robert’s voice was calm, but the warning was clear. “Or are you planning to steal my wife, your sister-in-law?”
Adrian’s jaw clenched as his eyes darted to Selene’s reddening wrist. He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to take a step back.
With a triumphant smirk, Robert pulled Selene into his arms, holding her tightly as though staking a claim.
“Robert, stop,” Selene protested, pushing against his chest. “I did what was asked of me—I played my part!”
“And now, you’ll see it through.” His expression darkened. “Or have you forgotten what you owe my family?”
Robert took advantage of her frantic movements and shoved her harshly to the floor.
Selene’s breath hitched as she landed with a dull thud. Guilt and frustration warred within her, her eyes reddened as the pain from her bruised knees seared through her.
“That’s enough, brother!” said Adrian as he stepped forward again, his gaze fiercely fastened on Robert. He helped Selene to her feet. “She has fulfilled her obligations. What more do you want from her?”
Robert didn’t spare a glance in his direction. Instead, he turned to Selene. He towered over her, a faint sneer on his lips.
"Thea Simmons,” he began, suddenly addressing her by a different first name. “Just because you and Selene are identical twins, do you think you can completely take her place? Whatever she's owed, I'll make sure you repay every bit of it!"
Thea lifted her head, her striking eyes burning crimson. "I never owed her anything!"
"What did you just say? If it weren’t for the car accident, her congenital heart condition wouldn’t have worsened! And if you had signed the surgery consent form in time, she wouldn’t have fallen into a coma! You dare say this isn’t your fault? Or are you saying it’s Selene’s fault instead?"
"I…" Thea opened her mouth as if to argue but fell silent.
Robert, his eyes rimmed with red, stepped forward, grabbed Jiang Bei with one hand, and dragged her toward the door.
Adrian reacted quickly, stepping in to shield Thea and blocking Robert. "Brother, Thea is a victim too! She has already completed the wedding ceremony in her sister’s place—what more do you want from her?"
Robert’s gaze flicked toward his brother, sharp and unreadable. His voice was like ice from the depths of winter. “Adrian, shut your mouth. Don’t forget who’s in charge here, Adrian.”
Adrian hesitated, fists clenched, before reluctantly stepping aside.
Satisfied, Robert turned on his heel, dragging Thea along with him. He led her down the corridor and into another private suite, locking the door behind them.
Thea yanked her wrist free, rubbing at the tender skin. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Robert leaned against the door, arms crossed. “What’s wrong with me?” His lips curled into a bitter smile. “What’s wrong, Thea, is that you think you can walk away from all this.”
She shook her head, frustrated. “I never asked for any of this, Robert. You know that.”
His gaze softened for a fleeting moment before hardening again. “Maybe not. But you’re here now. What I need right now is to take the edge off and I know just the thing we should do.”
She swallowed, forcing herself to hold his stare. “And what if I don’t want to do it?”
Robert pushed off the door and stepped toward her, slow and deliberate. “Then I suggest you remember what’s at stake.”
Thea’s heart pounded. She wasn’t sure if it was from fear, frustration, or something else entirely. The lines between past, present, duty, and desire blurred into something dangerously uncertain.
And then, Robert took another step closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
“You can hate me all you want, Thea,” he said. “But this is only just the beginning.”
His words carried an unmistakable promise—a dangerous game that had only just begun.
And she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to win.
Without hesitation, he lifted her and threw her onto the bed, looming over her like a predator closing in on its prey.
Thea was paralyzed with fear as Robert's actions became increasingly menacing. "Don't do this!" she begged, desperate to escape. "Selene will find out, and she'll be furious!"
Robert sneered, his eyes scanning Thea's face. "Why worry about Selene? She's still recovering in the ICU. You're the one who's here with me now."
Thea struggled to free herself, but Robert's grip was too strong. He leaned in close, his voice taking on a menacing tone. "Tell me, how does it feel to have a face, a body so similar to Selene's?"
Despite her fear, Thea tried to reason with him. "Please, stop this! You're hurting me!"
Robert tightened his grip, his presence suffocating as he loomed over her. With a forceful tug, he pulled at her clothing, his fingers pressing into her shoulders, holding her in place. Without any further ado, he forced himself into her.
Thea’s breath hitched, her body trembling under the overwhelming pressure. A sharp pain shot through her as she struggled against him, her fingers curling into the sheets. Tears welled in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks like shattered pearls.
But Robert’s expression remained impassive, his gaze dark and unreadable. If anything, the sight of her helplessness only fueled the storm in his eyes. He grabbed a handful of her hair, forcing her to look at him.
Thea winced, her lips pressing together to stifle any sound. The torment was unbearable, but she refused to break—refused to let Adrian hear anything from the other side of the door.
Robert leaned closer, his breath ghosting over her ear. His voice was low, laced with chilling intent. “Don’t cry with Selene’s face. The only thing I want to see is her happiness in my arms.”
Thea clenched her fists, enduring the pain in silence. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to react, not to give him the satisfaction he sought.
“Cry out! Scream for me!” Robert’s voice sharpened, thick with barely restrained madness. “Selene suffers in that hospital bed because of you! You don’t deserve happiness!”
The tension in the room was unbearable, a storm brewing with no escape. Robert’s movements grew desperate, a frenzied search for something he could not grasp. His breathing turned ragged, uneven, his body tightening as if trying to hold on—to what, even he did not know.
And then—release.
A shudder ran through him, the fire in his veins reaching its peak before slowly, finally, extinguishing. His grip loosened. The storm in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a hollow exhaustion.
Silence filled the room.
Thea lay still, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. The sting of tears remained on her cheeks, but she refused to let them fall any further.
Robert exhaled, his body tense, his mind still clouded with emotions he refused to name. He lifted his gaze to her face—no longer twisted in pain, no longer defiant.
For a moment, he almost called her name.
“…Selene?”
Then, before he could stop himself, he reached out, fingers brushing against her cheek. The warmth of her skin against his palm sent a jolt through him—one that made him recoil.
His expression twisted. Disgust? Regret? He didn’t know.
With a low curse, he pulled away. Rising from the bed, he turned his back to her, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
