Chapter 1

In the third year of my marriage to Adrian, I accidentally saw him having sex with my adopted sister on the home security footage.

Their voices came through the monitor loud and clear:

"When are you finally going to divorce that woman? I'm tired of sneaking around."

Adrian stroked her hair, his eyes carrying a coldness and calculation I had never seen before:

"Soon. Her sense of smell is already deteriorating. Once she can't smell a thing, can't write new formulas, and has no value left to exploit, I'll divorce her."

So the bowl of nutrient solution he personally handed me every night never held affection—it held chronic poison.

I let out a cold laugh and immediately activated "Project Abyss"—a top-secret program that would make my social identity completely dead.

Seven days left, and I would disappear forever.

But before I disappeared, I was going to take back everything they owed me.

Sophia POV

"Sophia, your application for the Abyss Project has been approved. It's a completely isolated twenty-year undersea research project. Once you enter, you'll be declared legally dead to the outside world. All contact will be cut. You have fifteen days to back out."

The director's voice was mechanical and cold.

My fingers gripping the phone went white, but my voice stayed calm. "I won't back out. I'll report on time in fifteen days."

I hung up, set the phone face-down on the table, and looked up at myself in the mirror. Pale face. Eyes heavy with exhaustion.

I was an internationally renowned perfumer. And the wife of billionaire Adrian Blackwell, CEO of Blackwell Corporation. We'd been married for three years.

In everyone's eyes, I was the luckiest woman alive. Adrian showered me with affection. No matter how busy, he always came home for dinner. He treated me like I was made of glass.

Click. The villa's front door opened.

Adrian walked in wearing a custom-tailored suit, carrying my favorite mousse cake from that boutique downtown, bringing in a wave of cold air. When he saw me standing in the living room, his sharp features instantly softened. He strode forward and pulled me into his embrace.

"Sophia, why are you standing here dressed so lightly? You'll catch cold." His voice was low and tender, filled with concern.

I didn't return his embrace as usual, but stood stiffly, letting him hold me.

Adrian noticed nothing wrong. He pulled me onto the sofa and opened the cake box like it was a gift. "Try it. I had Mary make you some herbal tonic. You've been having insomnia. Drink this and sleep well."

Mary, our maid, brought over a steaming bowl and set it on the table.

The tonic was dark and smelled faintly of herbs.

I stared at that bowl of tonic, my stomach suddenly churning. I shoved Adrian away and rushed to the bathroom, dry heaving.

Adrian hurried after me, patting my back while asking anxiously. "What's wrong? Is your stomach bothering you? I'll call the doctor right away!"

"No need." I turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on my face, using the sound to hide the tremor in my voice. "Probably just something I ate."

I raised my head, looking through the mirror at the man standing behind me.

The concern in his eyes seemed so genuine. So genuine that if I hadn't received that medical report today, I would have been kept in the dark forever.

This afternoon, I'd gone to the hospital for a comprehensive toxicology screening.

The report showed that a rare chronic neurotoxin had been accumulating in my body for an extended period. This toxin was colorless and odorless, slowly destroying one's olfactory nerves, eventually leading to complete loss of smell and even mental breakdown.

And the source of this toxin was precisely the "herbal tonic" that Adrian insisted I drink every single day without fail.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Adrian took a towel and gently wiped the water from my face. "You look terrible. I'll take you to the hospital for a checkup tomorrow."

"Okay." I lowered my eyes, hiding the despair and coldness in them.

Back in the living room, Adrian picked up the now-lukewarm bowl of tonic and held it to my lips, his eyes tender enough to drown in. "Be good, drink your tonic. You'll feel better after drinking it."

I looked at his long fingers, my heart twisting like a knife.

I'd loved Adrian for ten years, been married to him for three. I thought I was his salvation, never imagining I was just meat on his chopping block.

I took the bowl, tilted my head back, and in front of him, drained that bowl of poisoned tonic in one gulp.

The poison slid down my throat, burning my internal organs.

Adrian smiled with satisfaction, bowing his head to plant a light kiss on my forehead. "Good girl. Get some rest early. I need to handle some documents in the study."

Watching his retreating figure as he went upstairs, I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood.

Fifteen days.

Adrian, in fifteen days, I'll return this life to you, along with all your false affections.