Chapter 1

Outside, snow blanketed the world as bitter winds howled.

Sophie Scott stood at the top of the second-floor staircase, surrounded by warmth yet feeling an icy chill penetrate to her bones.

The scene before her unfolded like a recurring nightmare—Olivia Sanders lay on the floor, blood rapidly soaking through her clothes, staining the expensive marble beneath her.

"My baby! Sophie, why did you push me?" Olivia screamed in agony, her hands protectively clutching her abdomen.

Sophie's face turned ashen. Before she could defend herself, Benjamin Brown had already rushed to the scene. His eyes locked on Sophie with undisguised hatred. "Sophie, do you have a death wish?"

Those few words cut through Sophie's heart like countless knives.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. "I didn't push her. There are security cameras here—you can check the footage." She couldn't believe Olivia would use her own child to frame her.

"If you don't believe me, I'll find someone to check right now."

"Enough! Do you think I'd still fall for your pathetic lies? I've seen what you truly are—a viciously cruel woman," Benjamin said, his eyes cold and menacing.

He advanced toward Sophie step by step. The chilling aura emanating from him was terrifying, but even more frightening was the murderous intent in his eyes. Sophie instinctively backed away.

"If you hadn't tried to frame Olivia for arson years ago, my sister's wouldn't have been disfigured. And now you've killed my child. Sophie, you deserve every punishment coming to you."

Sophie's body swayed, her fists clenched tightly. "What happened back then wasn't my doing. Why won't you just investigate and find out the truth?"

With Benjamin's vast power and connections, he could easily uncover the truth if he wanted to.

For years, she had carried the label of a malicious woman, enduring Benjamin's cruelty. She couldn't take it anymore!

"I trust what I've seen with my own eyes!" Benjamin thundered.

Sophie's pupils constricted. She couldn't utter a single word in her defense.

Her heart ached as if it were bleeding. The truth was right in front of him—if only he would look for it.

Yet he wouldn't even give her a chance to prove her innocence.

"I won't try to explain all your misconceptions about me right now. First, I need to prove that today's incident wasn't my fault. She's clearly framing me!" Sophie said through gritted teeth.

If she could just get the security footage proving Olivia wasn't as innocent as she appeared, Benjamin might start questioning his previous assumptions.

Sophie turned to go find the security records, but suddenly stumbled, her abdomen hitting the floor hard. Sharp, intense pain immediately engulfed her entire body.

"My belly hurts so badly!" Sophie's eyes filled with panic as she saw blood pooling beneath her.

Terrified, she pleaded, "Benjamin, please take me to the hospital; our babies..."

Benjamin looked down at Sophie with contempt. "It's nothing but the bastard child from your affair with some random man! That child doesn't deserve to come into this world!"

Despair filled Sophie's eyes as she trembled. "Benjamin, I can explain everything. Please, just save our child first."

This was the baby she had carried for eight months—just a little longer and the child would have entered the world!

With her last ounce of strength, she reached out toward Benjamin, clinging to the faintest hope. What if he would take her to the hospital?

But her outstretched hand grasped only air. She couldn't even touch the hem of his pants.

Olivia concealed her satisfaction and cried out in pain. "Benjamin, please take me to the hospital quickly. I'm in so much pain!"

Without hesitation, Benjamin walked to Olivia, lifted her in his arms, and strode toward the exit.

From beginning to end, he never spared Sophie another glance, never saw the last spark of light in her eyes shatter.

She lay on the floor as despair washed over her. She could almost hear the sound of her heart breaking.

Nevertheless, looking down at her abdomen, she knew she would risk her life to keep her children alive.

Sophie painfully crawled forward, found her phone, and called an ambulance.

After what seemed like an eternity, medical personnel finally arrived, immediately providing emergency treatment before rushing her to the hospital.

Sophie lay pale and exhausted on the hospital bed, receiving IV fluids. Her gaze was unfocused, her mind in a fog.

Just then, two security guards burst through the door, yanked the IV from her arm, and forcibly removed her from the bed.

Sophie lacked even the strength to struggle. "Where are you taking me?" she asked weakly.

"Mr. Brown says people like you need to be punished. You can reflect on all your life's mistakes in prison!" The guards forcibly transported Sophie to the police station.

In that moment, Sophie's mind went completely blank.

She begged them desperately to save her children. It was bad enough that Benjamin had abandoned her, but now he was sending her to prison.

One guard produced legal documents. "Mr. Brown has ordered that you receive the maximum sentence possible! You will spend at least five years in prison!"

Hearing those words, the last shred of feeling Sophie had for Benjamin completely disintegrated.

No—their relationship had entered the abyss the moment Benjamin repeatedly chose Olivia over her.

Sophie had been deceiving herself, desperately hoping that if she just held on a little longer, she might somehow melt his frozen heart.

Reality had delivered Sophie a stinging slap. In Benjamin's eyes, she wasn't worth even a single strand of Olivia's hair.

Sophie sat in a daze, listening to police officers discuss her various charges.

She had nothing left in this world except concern for her missing older brother, Simon Scott, and her second brother, Steve Scott, who was in prison.

A few years ago, the Scott family had been among Luminous City's top ten enterprises. Now, they had vanished without a trace.

After the Scott family declared bankruptcy, Benjamin had vengefully targeted all their relatives.

He was convinced Sophie was the culprit. No matter how she pleaded or tried to explain, it was useless.

Benjamin wanted her to suffer a fate worse than death.

Sophie's sharp nails dug deeply into her palms. If Benjamin ever discovered the truth about what happened years ago, even if he knelt at her grave, she would never forgive him!

She regretted ever meeting Benjamin—it had cost her entire life!

The charges were quickly finalized. Sophie was arrested for assault and battery. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit with handcuffs and shackles, she resolutely boarded the police vehicle.

In this lifetime, she and Benjamin would never meet again.