Chapter 4

In my past life, for the sake of the Thorne-Davies alliance, I swallowed my anger.

I thought if I just conceded, Ethan would settle down.

After we married, he was indeed attentive and sweet to me. He'd freak out if I even frowned.

Until that deliberately caused car accident.

My wedding car caught fire, the door jammed shut.

I was pinned under the twisted seat, my face covered in blood, reaching out to him. "Ethan, save me..."

But he turned and smashed the window on the other side, pulling out Serena, who only had a minor scrape.

The fire grew, the thick smoke choking me.

I pounded desperately on the car window, staring at him in despair.

He stood in the safe zone, watching me struggle in the flames, his eyes devoid of any former warmth.

"Scarlett, Serena is pregnant and suffers from claustrophobia; she can't stand the smoke. You're strong; just hold on. The fire department will be here any minute."

He just stood there, holding Serena, watching as the flames consumed the entire car.

Before I died, through the inferno, I saw Serena, nestled against his shoulder, flash me a triumphant, chilling smirk.

It turned out, all his kindness to me was just to keep the Davies family on their side, to make me willingly become Serena's human shield.

Snapping out of my memories, I looked at Ethan, still kneeling, my eyes utterly cold.

"You expect me to accept your secret baby with your adopted sister? You expect me to walk into your family as the city's laughingstock?" I took a step forward, looking down at him. "Ethan Thorne, who do you think you are, to expect me to cover up your mess?"

Ethan's face changed instantly. "Scarlett! I'm on my knees, begging you! What more do you want?!"

"What do I want?"

I turned, snatched the microphone from the nearby emcee, and cranked the volume to max.

"Everyone here today is a witness!"

My voice echoed through the cruise ship's broadcast, across the entire sea.

"The Thorne family knew full well that Ethan Thorne and his adopted sister, Serena, were secretly carrying on an affair and getting pregnant, yet they still went through with the alliance with the Davies family! When the truth came out, their first reaction wasn't to admit fault, but to force me to swallow this insult, to force me to raise his secret baby!"

"In their eyes, my only purpose, Scarlett Davies, was to cover up for this disgusting pair!"