The Billionaire’s Angel Lost

Three years ago, I wore my sexiest dress. I handed billionaire tech mogul Victor a spiked bourbon. I lit an aphrodisiac candle. After that wild night, he didn't push me away. He claimed me over and over. I shook from the climax. He whispered in my ear, "My Angel. You're mine." I was ready to propose to him. Then his fragile first love, Chloe, came back. To win her smile, Victor shoved me into the path of a collapsing stage light. Just to protect her. He let her stomp on my dead mother's vintage couture jewelry. She even used it as a dog collar. He used his lawyers and wealth to throw me into a freezing jail cell. But when my love finally died, I flew to LA to marry a man in a wheelchair. That was when Victor completely lost his mind. He tore the entire city apart just to find me. Chapter 1 To the outside world, I was Serena Vance. The rebellious Vance Media heiress. A top supermodel ruling the global runways. Victor was the CEO of the Sterling tech empire. Cold and ruthless. Nobody knew this Wall Street titan pinned me to the bed every night. He sent me to heaven over and over. He didn't know I was about to marry someone else. Our heavy breathing settled. Victor pulled out. The heat of his release and the afterglow still throbbed deep inside me. "Angel," he rasped. He pressed me against the messy velvet sheets. He gently kissed the sweat off my eyelashes. He got up and went to the bathroom. The water started running. He came out. He picked up his flawless tailored suit. "You're not staying the night?" I asked. I pulled my robe tighter. I still felt the lingering heat of his body. Victor paused. He buttoned his shirt. His eyes swept over the hickeys on my chest. A smirk played on his lips. "I have a board meeting for an acquisition." He walked over. He tilted my chin up and kissed me deeply again. "I really have to go. Be a good girl." The door clicked shut. My face went blank. I wiped the kiss off my lips. I got out of bed and dialed my father, Richard. "Dad, I accept the arranged marriage. I'll fly to LA in two weeks. I'll marry the paralyzed Hayes heir. But I have one condition." Richard sounded ecstatic. "Great! Name it!" "We'll talk in person." I turned around. Victor's spare tablet lit up on the couch. An unread message popped up. [From: Chloe] [Victor, thank you for canceling your meetings. Thank you for coming to the rehab center with me today. The doctor said I'm recovering so well. It's all thanks to you. I want to catch a movie with you tomorrow. Just like old times.] I stared at the screen. My fingertips went ice cold. Victor never went to a doctor's appointment with me. Not once. I passed out from exhaustion during fashion week once. He never sent a single text. Half an hour later, my car parked outside the most exclusive private club on the Upper East Side. Through the tinted windows, I watched Victor. He strode toward a fragile girl in a white dress. Chloe. She looked like a delicate lily swaying in the wind. Victor took off his jacket. He draped it gently over her shoulders. It looked so natural. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. He touched her carefully. Like she was a fragile crystal statue. Like she would break at any moment. I never saw him this gentle. Except when we were at our most passionate in bed. How pathetic. Three years ago, Richard needed cash. He traded me to Victor like a business asset. He called it an "internship." I was nineteen. I just walked the runways in Milan. I was full of pride and attitude. I thought Victor was just another man trying to tame me. I decided I would tame him first. The first time we met, I wore a daring cut-out couture dress. I barged right into his office. He was on a holographic video call with Wall Street investors. I shamelessly crossed my long legs. The same legs the whole world obsessed over. I sat right on his million-dollar smart desk. I blocked all the data projections. Sitting behind his massive chair, Victor didn't even blink at the camera. He calmly cut the connection to Wall Street. "Get off my desk, Serena." "Why?" "Your PR value doesn't cover the three percent drop in my stock price. You just caused it by sitting there." I purposely pulled my dress up a little higher. My toe teasingly brushed against his suit pants. "And now?" Victor finally looked up. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes were ice cold. "Get out." Over the next few months, I tried everything to piss him off. I slipped dirty doodles into his billion-dollar contracts. I ruined the magazine covers he set up. I spilled red wine all over his chest at a charity gala. I forced him to change his clothes. Victor always cleaned up my messes with maddening calmness. Then he talked down to me. "Serena, you're a smart girl. You should use that brain of yours for something useful." Until that night. I handed him a spiked drink. I lit an aphrodisiac candle in the room. I wanted to see Victor's iron control shatter. I just didn't expect to still be in the room when it kicked in. Victor pinned my wrists down hard. His breathing was heavy and ragged. "What did you do?" "Haven't you guessed?" I met his burning gaze. "Wanna taste me?" That night changed everything. I woke up the next morning. Victor was already fully dressed. I thought he would be furious. I thought he would pack me up and send me back to my father. "Victor, I—" "Angel," he whispered. He gently stroked my cheek. "This will be our secret." Angel. That one word made me fall for him completely. For the next two years, we kept up this weird, secret relationship. During the day, he was the same calm, rational Victor. But at night, he whispered "Angel" in my ear. He wrecked me until my whole body went soft. I thought I won. I thought I was the only exception in his cold world. Until my birthday. I wore a carefully chosen dress. I booked a table at the restaurant where we first met. I wanted to tell him I loved him. I wanted to be with him, no matter the cost. But I waited for him all night. The food went cold. It got reheated. The candles burned down. He never showed up. The next morning, his face was all over the headlines. With another woman. [Sterling Tech Billionaire Shares Passionate Embrace with Retired Ballet Prodigy Chloe on Private Helipad!] My love died completely in that moment. I let out a bitter laugh. I drank myself into a blackout. I wanted to confront him. I wanted to ask him what the hell I meant to him. Was I just a fuck buddy? A business tool? I didn't have the guts. I was too lonely. I was too addicted to the tiny bit of warmth he gave me. That night, Victor came back to the penthouse. He found it trashed. I took a priceless custom crystal piece from his desk. I smashed every single ballet trophy of Chloe's in his study to pieces. He didn't even blink. He just told the butler to clean it up and take care of me. Then he walked right past me. It finally hit me. Victor was the CEO of a tech empire. Aloof, cold, and proud. He didn't indulge me because he loved me. He was just too lazy to argue with me. After that, he still called me Angel in bed. He acted like nothing changed. But my heart was already dead. Outside the club, Victor opened the car door for Chloe. They laughed about something. I looked away and drove back to the Vance family estate. Richard and my stepmother, Eleanor, sat on the couch. Their loving act made me sick. I threw a freshly drafted legal document on the coffee table. "I'll go to LA. I'll marry the Hayes heir. My condition: we cut all ties. You kick me out of the family." Richard's face froze. "What did you say?" Eleanor's eyes practically lit up. "I said, ever since you staged that yacht accident and killed my mother, I haven't wanted to be a Vance," I said. I spaced out every word. "Richard, haven't you always wanted to move your mistress and her daughter in here officially? Now's your chance." Richard's face instantly turned red. "I told you the yacht was an accident! It had nothing to do with me! After all these years I spent raising you—" "Raising me?" I sneered. "You traded me to Victor for cash. Now you're shipping me off to LA. That's what you call raising me?" "Enough!" Richard roared. "If you're going to be this heartless, fine! Have it your way! Starting tomorrow, you are no longer Richard Vance's daughter!" "Deal," I said. I turned toward the stairs. "Don't forget to tell the Hayes family. Their bride isn't a Vance heiress anymore. She's just an orphan with no parents. Ask them if they're still willing to pay the same price." Back in my room, I closed the door. The mask I wore finally shattered. Tears slid down my cheeks. I curled up on my bed. I licked my wounds like an injured animal. Did you know, Victor? Just to finally leave you, I had to give up the only things I had left. The next morning, I heard things being moved downstairs. I got up. I walked to the top of the stairs. A familiar figure stood at the bottom. My mind went completely blank. Chapter 2 Chloe Davis stood there. She saw me and flashed an innocent, angelic smile. "You must be Serena. I'm Chloe." Her voice was soft and sweet. "Finally nice to meet the legendary supermodel." I didn't answer. I just glared at her. Richard practically sprinted out of the living room. He saw Chloe. His harsh face instantly softened into a loving father. "Chloe, sweetheart, you must be exhausted," he fawned. "I already had them clear out Serena's custom closet for you. It has the best light for your rehab." "My closet?" My fingers tightened around the handle of my suitcase. "It's Chloe's now," Richard announced without even looking up. "You can move to the guest room upstairs. You're getting married soon anyway. You don't need that much space." Eleanor glided out of the living room gracefully. She linked arms with Richard. The mother and daughter exchanged a knowing smile. A cold laugh escaped my lips. "No need." I turned and went upstairs. Thirty minutes later, I dragged two massive suitcases down the stairs. Richard frowned at the sight of me. "Where are you going?" "Leaving." I didn't look back. "I'm no longer a Vance. I have no reason to stay." "Serena!" he roared behind me. "Your wedding is in two weeks! Stop throwing a tantrum!" I pulled open the heavy solid wood door. I took one last look at the place I lived for twenty-two years. "I'll be in LA," I said flatly. "I'll hold up my end of the deal." The door slammed shut behind me. I never looked back. An hour later, I stood in the luxurious lobby of the Waldorf Astoria. "I want your most expensive presidential suite." I slapped the black card Richard gave me on the front desk. "For two weeks." The receptionist saw the legendary black card. It had a five-million-dollar limit. She instantly became subservient. "Of course, Miss Vance. Right this way." The first thing I did in the suite was pick up the phone. I went on a crazy revenge spending spree. I called the top couture designers in Paris. I ordered three custom wedding dresses. Two hundred thousand dollars each. Then came custom Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry. Limited-edition Cartier watches. A full set of Hermès luggage. In just four hours, I blew nearly four million dollars. Richard's furious call came quickly. "Are you insane?! Four million in one day! Who do you think you are?" I lounged on the velvet sofa. I sipped Dom Pérignon. "What's wrong, Richard? Oh, wait. I should call you Mr. Vance now. I'm about to marry the Hayes heir. I can't look cheap, can I?" "Do you need that much money to keep up appearances?!" "Of course." I chuckled softly. "The Hayes family is investing half a billion in your company for this wedding. My few million is just pocket change." "You ungrateful brat!" "Mr. Vance, you kicked me out of the family. It's really not appropriate for me to spend your money," I feigned consideration. "Tell you what. Once the marriage funds hit your account, I'll pay you back every cent with interest." I hung up. I continued my shopping spree. My plan was simple. Drain Richard's cash flow before the half billion arrived. Let him taste desperation. When he needed that money, he'd have to beg me. Let's see if he'd still favor that manipulative mother and daughter then. I was about to make my last round of purchases. My phone screen lit up. A text from Victor: [Your agency said you haven't shown up in three days. What happened?] I stared at the message. My heart started pounding wildly for no reason. I forced myself to calm down. Victor was just used to controlling everything. He gave me too many fashion resources. He didn't want to see me rebel. I gave a brush-off reply: [Family stuff to deal with. I'll be back soon.] Victor didn't reply again. The next morning, I was heading out to shop. The hotel manager stopped me with an awkward look. "I'm so sorry, Miss Vance. Your black card has been frozen. You need to settle your bill immediately. Or else..." He paused politely. "Or else what?" "Or else we'll have to ask you to leave." An hour later, I was standing on the sidewalk outside the Waldorf Astoria. I had my suitcases. Penniless and nowhere to go. I thought about selling the luxury goods I just bought. But they were my only weapons for LA. Without the Vance family name, I needed the packaging to keep my dignity. I thought about calling my socialite "friends." I quickly realized they only wanted my Vance Media connections. I was disowned. Who would care about a fallen heiress? Night fell. A torrential downpour started. I wandered the streets of Manhattan aimlessly. I dragged my heavy suitcases. I was soaked to the bone. Finally, I found a broken bench on a deserted corner. I curled up on it. Rain dripped from my hair. It mixed with the tears I didn't even know I was shedding. Thirteen days until my flight to LA. I couldn't live on the streets. Several vans packed with paparazzi suddenly pulled up. Blinding camera flashes surrounded me like machine-gun fire. "Serena! Vance Media just disowned you! Is it true?!" "Your luxury brands dropped you! The internet is canceling you! Say something!" They closed in. Cameras practically shoved in my face. Haters tried to grab at my soaking wet clothes. I backed up. I hit a wall. There was nowhere to run. In that desperate moment, blinding high beams tore through the dark, rainy night. A black Maybach glided over silently like a phantom. The door opened. A tall figure stepped out. He held a black umbrella. Even in the dark, rainy night, I recognized that ruthless, god-like silhouette. Victor. His suit got wet. His hair was messy. His deep eyes burned with a furious fire I never saw before. "She's mine." "If even one photo leaks tomorrow morning, the Sterling Group's legal team will bankrupt your agencies. We will bankrupt every single one of you personally within 24 hours." The paparazzi instantly turned pale. They packed up their gear and scattered in terror. Victor strode toward me. His gaze swept over my soaked clothes. The broken bench. The two suitcases that screamed my pathetic state. His voice carried a complex emotion I couldn't read. "You'd rather sleep on the street than make one phone call to me?" Chapter 3 Victor brought me back to his penthouse on the Upper East Side. I sat in the passenger seat. I stared blankly at the neon lights blurring past the window. My heart felt hollow. Like a bucket with a hole in it. Why was it always like this? He didn't love me. But he claimed me. He was cold and distant. Yet he showed up at my most desperate moment. My throat felt blocked by something. "We're here." Victor parked. He came around to open my door. I knew this place too well. Every corner held memories of our tangled bodies. Victor reached for my suitcases. He headed toward the master bedroom. "Don't bother." I snatched the suitcase back. I walked straight to a guest room. "I'm only staying for ten days. This is fine." Victor stopped in his tracks. "You can stay as long as you want." "Ten days." I repeated. I put my luggage in the room. I shut the door. I sat on the edge of the unfamiliar bed. I stared at my phone. Ten days until my flight to LA. I'd be leaving this city forever. The next morning, I went downstairs. Victor was already in the dining room. He saw me. He pointed to the seat across from him. I sat down. The butler respectfully served milk and French toast. "Did you know Chloe is Eleanor's daughter?" I got straight to the point. Victor set his coffee cup down. His face didn't change. "Just found out." How convenient. His first love just happened to be my stepmother's daughter. I mocked him in my head. "Chloe and I went to high school together." Victor's voice was calm. "Years ago, we were in a tech lab. A massive server rack collapsed. She shoved me out of the way. It crushed her leg. It destroyed her ballet career. She's been getting treatment in Europe ever since." I looked at him. I waited for more. "She's fragile, Serena." Victor looked at me. A warning flashed in his eyes. "I don't want her getting hurt." I put my fork down. I let out a soft laugh. "Understood." I stood up. I walked toward the stairs without looking back. "I'll keep that in mind." I stayed in the guest room all day. The butler brought lunch and dinner to my door. I didn't touch a bite. That night, I lay in the unfamiliar bed. I couldn't sleep. Every other night, Victor would open the door around 10 PM. Without a word, he would pin me down. He would silence me with burning kisses. He would whisper "Angel" against my ear. But tonight, the hallway was dead silent. Of course. His first love was back. Why would he think of his stand-in? The next day was Saturday. At 10 AM, Victor knocked on my door. "There's a yacht party tonight. You're coming with me." His tone left no room for argument. "Not interested." "It wasn't a request, Serena." Victor pushed the door open. He walked in. "I'll be waiting downstairs at seven." At 7 PM, I put on a blood-red tight dress. I strapped on my heels. I walked down the stairs. Victor was waiting by the door in a black tuxedo. He looked dangerously handsome. "Let's go." He offered his arm. I didn't take it. I followed him coldly to the car. Half an hour later, we boarded a luxury yacht docked on the Hudson River. The deck was covered in white rose petals. The champagne tower sparkled under the lights. This was clearly a carefully planned celebration. I looked at Victor. I thought he found out something. I thought he wanted to keep me. To surprise me. But the next second, my blood ran cold. "Victor!" a crisp voice called out from the crowd. I turned around. Chloe wore a pure white dress. She fluttered toward Victor like a white butterfly. She threw herself into his arms. Victor instinctively reached out. He caught her by her slender waist. Right then, a massive digital display lit up the deck. The bold letters screamed: Welcome Home, Chloe! I instantly understood. This wasn't a surprise for me. This wasn't a normal social event. It was a welcome party. Victor threw it exclusively for Chloe. I was just a prop he brought along. I turned to leave. Chloe stopped me. "Serena, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?" she asked. Her voice dripped with concern. "I heard you moved out of your house. Is it because of me? I'm so sorry. I didn't know Richard would give me your custom closet." Her voice was soft and gentle. But it was just loud enough for the people around us to hear. "It's fine," I replied coldly. "It's just a room." "But Richard said you even cut ties with him." Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't come back..." "Chloe," I cut her off. "The reason I cut ties with him has nothing to do with an outsider like you." Chloe's tears spilled over. She looked pitifully at Victor. Victor walked over. He shot me a warning glare. He spoke gently to Chloe. "Don't cry. Your eyes will get puffy." He pulled out a silk handkerchief. He gently wiped her tears. Chloe smiled through her tears. She blinked her wet eyelashes. "Victor, you're so good to me." I stood on the side. I watched this tender scene. It felt like someone stabbed me hard in the chest. I suddenly realized I would never get that kind of tenderness from him. Luckily, in ten days, I'd be gone forever. I turned and walked to the bar. I snatched a whiskey from the bartender. I downed half the glass. The liquor burned my throat. But the pain was nothing compared to the agony twisting in my chest. Chapter 4 Once the party officially started, I truly saw how attentive Victor was to Chloe. He pulled out her chair. He brought her champagne. Her pearl earring almost slipped. He gently fixed it for her. His fingertips brushed her delicate earlobe. It looked so natural. Like he'd done it a million times. I never got that treatment. In the two years we were tangled together, Victor never did these trivial but tender things for me. I thought it was just his personality. Cold. Aloof. Above expressing affection like that. Now I understood. He just didn't want to do it for me. I sat alone in the corner. I sipped my hard liquor. I listened to Chloe talk elegantly with the guests. She talked about her rehab in Paris. Her longing for New York. Every word was captivating. "Look how Victor protects her. He's like a guardian angel," someone whispered nearby. "They're definitely getting back together." The hand holding my glass trembled. "Everyone! We will now begin our charity auction and product launch!" the host's voice cut through the air. "Tonight, our most honored guest, Victor Sterling, will unveil Sterling Tech's latest AI virtual companion. Meet Angel!" The massive digital display lit up again. My blood instantly froze. I always thought Victor called me Angel because it was my special nickname. He even had me do tons of motion capture and voice recording over the past few months. All eyes turned to Victor on the stage. A projection slowly appeared in the center of the deck. But it wasn't the avatar I recorded. The virtual AI girl wore a pure white ballet tutu. She spun elegantly on the screen like an angel on earth. "Good evening. I am Angel." The AI's greeting was innocent. Sweet. It carried that signature fragility. It was Chloe's voice. The entire yacht went dead silent. Then it erupted in thunderous applause. Chloe covered her mouth. She cried tears of joy. Victor looked at her from the stage. His voice echoed across the deck through the mic. "The core algorithm and personality settings of this AI were built entirely on Chloe's preferences and habits. This is her welcome-home gift." Cheers and applause exploded. I set down my shaking glass. I stumbled to the restroom. The woman in the mirror was pale. Her eyes were hollow. I gasped for air. I tried to calm the despair churning in my chest. I shouldn't have had any hope. Not from the very beginning. I forced myself to calm down. I walked out of the restroom. I headed back to the party. In the dim hallway, a few trust fund brats suddenly blocked my way. "Hey, superstar. All alone?" the lead guy slurred. He stumbled closer. "Come on, have a drink with us..." "Get lost," I warned coldly. My voice carried a dangerous edge. "Don't be so heartless," another one smirked. He reached out a filthy hand. "We just wanna get to 'know' you..." I stepped back. Over their shoulders, I saw Victor. He stood near the banquet hall doors. Our eyes locked in the air. I shot him a look for help. My eyes were full of a vulnerability and pleading I would never normally show. Victor noticed. His brows instantly knitted together. He put his drink down. He walked toward me without hesitation. My heart skipped a beat. A sliver of hope called out in the dark. He still cares about me, right? Right at that crucial second, a fragile gasp came from the hall. "Ah! My ankle..." Victor stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't even look back at me. He spun around and rushed into the hall. "What's wrong?" I heard his anxious voice. "I think I sprained my ankle..." Chloe clung to a chair. She looked pitiful. Tears pooled in her eyes. Victor immediately dropped to one knee. He frantically checked her injury. He completely forgot about me being cornered in the hallway. Through the crowd, I saw Chloe clutch his arm tightly. She whispered something. Then, I clearly heard Victor's cold, rational voice reply: "Leave her. Serena has claws. She can handle herself." I heard my own heart shatter into a million pieces. When I needed him the most, my cry for help couldn't compare to Chloe's slight gasp. I faced the trust fund brats. They were still smirking and closing in. I took a step forward. I drove my sharp stiletto into his expensive leather shoe. I ground my heel down hard. The man grunted in pain. Before he could react, I slowly poured the rest of my freezing whiskey down his expensive silk tie. "Touch me and try," I bluffed. I glared at him. "If I send tonight's security footage to Wall Street, will your dad cut off your trust fund to silence the scandal? Or will he just kick a useless troublemaker like you off the board entirely?" They saw the fearless, dangerous madness in my eyes. They cursed a few times. They fled like cowards. I watched their backs as they left. I stood frozen in place. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. After the party, I stood alone on the pier. I waited for my car. The early autumn sea breeze made me shiver. Victor carefully helped Chloe out. She limped. She played the fragile victim. "Serena," Chloe walked toward me. Her voice laced with fake concern. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I suddenly twisted my ankle. Victor couldn't go help you. But he was right. You've always been good at solving your own problems." She glanced at my dress. It was stained from pouring the drink. A flash of smugness crossed her eyes. "Yes," I sneered. "I never need to dirty my own hands to deal with trash." "That's good." Chloe smiled sweetly. She leaned into my ear. Her voice instantly turned venomous and cold like a snake. "Honestly, I was pretty surprised Victor brought you tonight. You didn't actually think he had real feelings for you, did you?" "What do you mean?" "My dear Serena," Chloe lowered her voice. Her eyes turned vicious and sharp. "Victor took you in out of pity. You saw it tonight. If I just cry out in pain, he won't even look back at you. That tough act you're so proud of is just an excuse for him not to love you. Not to protect you." She paused. A cruel smirk played on her lips. "I am the only one in his heart. From beginning to end. That will never change." Just then, a fierce gust of wind swept across the pier. The massive digital backdrop and heavy metal lighting frame groaned. They snapped. "Watch out!" someone screamed. The massive metal structure crashed down right toward us! In a split second, Victor's pupils shrank. His trauma took over. He couldn't watch her get crushed again. He lunged forward without hesitation. He shielded Chloe tightly beneath him. The cruelest part was the momentum. The moment he tackled Chloe to create a safe space for her, the massive momentum shoved me straight into the center of the danger zone. I was thrown backward by the irresistible force. I slammed hard onto the cold asphalt. A split second later, the massive metal frame crashed down. It scraped against my body. Before I lost consciousness, I held on to my last shred of sanity. I looked over. A few feet away, Victor shielded Chloe tightly in his arms. She was completely unharmed. Chapter 5 Pain tore through my entire body. But the deeper pain was the despair of being completely abandoned. Fragments of memories flashed through my mind. The first time I saw Victor, he sat behind his massive desk. His glasses reflected a cold light. I provoked him. He didn't care. The first time he pinned me down, he called me Angel. His voice was deep and raspy. I thought that was love. Countless nights, I lay in his arms. I listened to his steady heartbeat. I thought I finally found a home. The final image froze in my mind. Victor lunging to protect Chloe without hesitation. I was left behind to face the danger alone. Like a bystander he could just throw away. I opened my eyes again. I was lying in a VIP hospital bed. The room was quiet. I could hear Victor on the phone outside my door. "Chloe, does it still hurt?" His voice was so gentle. It felt foreign to me. "It's much better, thank you, Victor," Chloe's voice was weak. "If you hadn't grabbed me in time, I might have..." "Don't think about that," Victor comforted her. "The doctor said you were just in shock. No physical injuries." "Victor, if it happens again, you'd still save me first, right?" Victor didn't hesitate. "Of course." "But Serena got hurt..." "She has no reason to be mad," Victor's voice was calm and rational. "In an emergency, of course I'd save you first. You were severely injured before. Serena is tough. She's not fragile like you. She'll understand." I closed my eyes. It felt like someone just twisted a knife into my heart. In Victor's eyes, I didn't even have the right to be angry. Footsteps approached. My door opened. Victor stood there. He saw I was awake. There was no guilt on his face. "You're awake?" "Yeah," my voice was hoarse. "The doctor said you have a mild concussion and scrapes on your leg. Nothing serious," Victor said. "I've arranged the best medical team. I'll stay here and take care of you for the next few days." "Thanks," I said. I stared at the ceiling. "I'll pay you back for the medical bills in ten days." Victor frowned. "What are you talking about? What happens in ten days?" "I said I'll pay you back." I turned my head and looked at him. My eyes were flat. "And for my stay at your place. I'll settle it all at once." Victor's expression went rigid. "Serena, there's no need to be so calculating with me." "Why not?" My voice didn't have a single ripple of emotion. "We never meant anything to each other anyway, did we?" A long, dead silence filled the room. Victor looked like he wanted to say something. In the end, he just said, "Get some rest." Over the next few days, Victor stayed in the hospital. He took care of me. He checked on me regularly. He made sure the nurses gave me my meds on time. He even had a five-star hotel chef deliver my meals. But I stayed cold and distant. I didn't cry. I didn't throw a fit. I didn't demand his attention. I treated him like a kind stranger. Polite, but extremely cold. This new version of me made Victor very uncomfortable. On the afternoon of the third day, Victor sat in the chair by my bed. He watched me listlessly flip through a Vogue magazine. "Serena," he started. "Yeah?" I didn't look up. "About that night..." Victor paused. "I saved Chloe first. But it wasn't because I didn't want to save you." He continued. "Chloe is physically weak. She's been severely injured before. She couldn't handle that kind of impact. It was the only logical choice..." I put the magazine down. I cut him off. "I know." Victor looked at me. A strange, unreadable emotion flashed in his eyes. "Are you really not mad?" "Do you want me to be mad?" Just then, a commotion erupted in the hallway. "Hurry! Get her to the ER!" "What happened?" "Miss Chloe had a severe allergic reaction to a medication! She's in anaphylactic shock!" The color drained from Victor's face. He shot up from his chair. "I have to go handle something," he said urgently. He walked to the door. He looked back at me one last time. "I'll come see you later." I listened to his rushed footsteps fade down the hall. I closed my eyes. A deep wave of exhaustion washed over me. Chloe successfully snatched Victor away from me again. I had no energy left to fight for him. Besides, in a week, he'd be free to fly away with her anyway. Chapter 6 I woke up from a nap. I felt a sharp sting in my arm. I looked down. The IV was backing up. A red line of blood steadily climbed up the clear tube. I pressed the call button. A nurse hurried in. She frowned when she saw the tube. "Why was no one watching you? Where's your boyfriend?" "He's not my boyfriend," I said calmly. "He had an emergency and left." "How long ago?" the nurse asked while expertly changing the needle. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 2 AM. Victor left at 7 PM. Seven hours ago. "A long time ago." The nurse sighed. She shook her head. "That's how these rich guys are. They put on a good show. But when it really matters, they're nowhere to be found." After she left, I couldn't fall back asleep. Dawn broke. I decided to go for a walk. I dragged my IV pole into the hallway. I overheard two nurses whispering. "That girl on the top floor is so lucky. The Sterling CEO bought out the entire penthouse floor. He flew in a private Swiss medical team overnight. He turned it into a sterile ICU." "I know, right? I heard even the water sent in there is specially purified. He hasn't left her side since she was admitted." I stopped in my tracks. The penthouse floor was on the tenth floor. I was on the eighth floor. In a normal private room with basic nursing staff. I pressed the elevator button. I went up to the tenth floor. The entire floor really was locked down. Only one room had the lights on. I walked to the door. I looked through the sterile glass. Victor sat by the bed. He patiently fed Chloe soup, spoon by spoon. She leaned against the pillows. Pale but content. "Does it still hurt?" Victor asked softly. "Much better," Chloe said. She opened her mouth for another bite. "With you here, I'm not afraid of anything." Richard sat on the sofa. He peeled an apple for her. She finished the soup. He immediately handed her a slice. "Eat slowly. Don't choke," Richard's voice carried a fatherly love I hadn't heard in years. "Thank you, Richard," Chloe smiled sweetly. "You feel like a real father to me." "You are my daughter now," Richard said. He patted her hand. "This family is your family." Victor smiled gently. He reached out to smooth Chloe's hair. "Are you still dizzy?" "Not anymore. Just a little tired." "Then get some sleep," Victor said. He drew the curtains. He dimmed the lights. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here with you." This warm, family-like scene twisted like a knife in my heart. I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood. I forced myself not to make a sound. I turned around. I turned my back to that room. I went back to mine. Don't cry, Serena. You can't cry. Four days before my scheduled flight to LA for the wedding, I was discharged. I walked out of the hospital. I saw Victor waiting by his car. "Get in," he said. "I'll take a cab." "Get in." Victor's tone brooked no refusal. I looked at his cold, hard expression. I finally got into the car. "Where are we going?" I asked. "To get some air," Victor started the engine. "You've been cooped up in the hospital too long." Half an hour later, he pulled up in front of Sotheby's auction house. "An auction?" I looked at the posters by the entrance. "There's a jewelry auction today," Victor said. He got out. "I thought you'd like this sort of thing." I was about to refuse. He handed me the auction catalog. My eyes landed on a familiar item. Lot 47: A sapphire necklace. My hands started shaking. I knew that necklace. It was my mother's. It was the only piece of vintage couture she left me. "What's wrong?" Victor noticed my reaction. "Nothing," I clutched the catalog tightly. "Let's go in." In the restroom, I called my agent with trembling fingers. "Liquidate everything. My stocks, my properties. Empty my accounts. Right now." "Miss Serena, you said you were going to bring that money to LA..." "I changed my mind," I said urgently. "How much can you scrape together?" "About fifteen million dollars." "That's enough." I hung up. I took a deep breath. I had to buy my mother's necklace back. We walked into the auction hall. Victor found seats in the front row. I was about to sit down. A familiar voice rang out. "Victor!" Chloe walked over. She wore a light pink dress. She still had a neck brace on. But she looked as beautiful and fragile as ever. She hooked her arm through Victor's. "Oh, Serena is here too," Chloe smiled sweetly at me. "I told Victor I wanted to make peace with you in person today. I didn't expect him to actually bring you." Everything became cruelly clear. Victor didn't bring me here to make me happy. He didn't bring me here to "get some air." He brought me here because Chloe wanted to "make peace." I was just a prop he brought along for the ride. I looked at Chloe's victorious smile. The last shred of pain in my heart vanished. It was replaced by a cold, hard numbness. I couldn't feel anything anymore. Chapter 7 The auction started. I clutched my bidding paddle tightly. I stared dead at the stage. I waited for Lot 47. Finally, the auctioneer held up the sapphire necklace. "Lot 47. A stunning vintage sapphire. We'll start the bidding at half a million." I instantly raised my paddle. "Five hundred thousand." "One million," Chloe's voice rang out from beside me. I turned to look at her. Chloe smiled and held her paddle high. "One point five million," I countered. My voice was tight. "Two million," Chloe said without hesitation. The price started skyrocketing. Three million. Five million. Eight million... My palms were sweating. My agent said my assets were worth fifteen million. But the bidding was nearing twenty million. "Twenty million." Chloe casually raised her paddle. Like she just called out a trivial number. The auctioneer looked at me. "Miss, do you wish to continue?" My hands were shaking. I couldn't lift the paddle anymore. I was out of money. The entire room's eyes were on me. Including Victor's. I swallowed my pride. I turned to look at him. "Victor, lend me some money," my voice shook. "Please. That's my mother's necklace. It's the only thing she left me." Victor looked at me. A complex, hard-to-read emotion flashed in his eyes. He reached for his black card... Chloe turned to him too. Her voice was sweet and whiny. "Victor, I've never owned anything nice in my entire life. This is the first time I've loved a piece of jewelry this much. Can you make Serena let me have this one?" She tugged on his sleeve. She widened her pitiful eyes. Victor's gaze shifted between me and Chloe. Those few seconds felt like a century. "Let Chloe have it," Victor finally spoke. His voice was terrifyingly calm. My world collapsed. "Twenty million going once!" the auctioneer's loud voice rang out. "Twenty million going twice!" I wanted to scream. I wanted to beg Victor again. But the words stuck in my throat. Choked to death by the betrayal. "Twenty million, sold!" The gavel dropped. My heart died completely. Chloe clapped her hands in excitement. She turned to me. "Serena, thank you!" She didn't even try to hide the smugness on her face. After the auction, Victor went to get Chloe's meds. She suddenly claimed she had a headache. I sat alone on the plush sofa in the VIP lounge. I watched the staff pack up the remaining items. Ten minutes later, Chloe came backstage. She walked up to me. I stood up to face her. "Chloe, I'll trade you for the necklace. Anything." "Like what?" Chloe arched one perfectly groomed eyebrow. "I have a limited-edition Ferrari. Some couture accessories. It's not worth twenty million. But give me some time, I'll pay you the rest..." I tried to keep my voice steady. "Just give the necklace back." Chloe shook her head. "I don't need those." "Then what do you want?" Chloe pretended to think. A cruel smile spread across her face. "Get on your knees. Apologize to me. Then beg for it." "What did you say?" Vicious light danced in Chloe's eyes. "You were so mean to me before. Now it's your turn to beg." I glared at her. My hands balled into tight fists at my sides. But thinking of my mother's necklace. My last connection to her. I slowly, painfully, began to bend my knees. "Good girl. But before that, let me show you where the necklace is right now." Chloe smiled smugly. She pulled out her phone. She opened a video. She shoved it in my face. On the screen, Chloe's expensive newly bought purebred poodle was lying on a velvet cushion. Hanging around its neck, like a literal dog collar, was the sparkling sapphire necklace. My mother's necklace. "See that? Even my dog wears vintage couture," Chloe smiled sweetly. "I think it's a perfect match." My blood instantly ran cold. "What did you say?" "Your mother was a cheap gold-digger. This necklace belongs on a bitch. Don't you think?" Chloe put her phone away. Her smile unwavering. "Which hand did you use to put it on the dog?" My voice dropped to a whisper. So quiet even I could barely hear it. "My right hand. Why?" Chloe was still smiling. Drunk on her victory. The next second, the string of sanity in my brain snapped completely. I swung my arm back. I slapped Chloe's smug face with everything I had. "Ah!" Chloe shrieked. She lost her balance. She stumbled backward. She slammed hard into the antique glass display behind her. The expensive glass shattered. Sharp shards rained down. They slashed her dress. They stabbed into her arm. Blood spurted out. Chloe let out a blood-curdling scream of agony. Chapter 8 Chloe's screams echoed backstage. The staff froze in shock. Some started screaming in panic. Others scrambled for their phones to call an ambulance. I coldly flicked the glass dust off my fingers. I stood up straight. "Don't you ever disrespect my mother again." I looked down at Chloe. She was rolling on the floor. She clutched her bleeding arm and sobbed. "Remember that." I turned and walked away. The chaotic noise faded behind me. I walked toward the exit with steady steps. Like nothing happened. I reached the door. Victor blocked my path. He held Chloe's meds and a glass of warm water. He clearly just got back. Seeing me, Victor's face was as dark as stone. "What did you do?" he demanded. I glanced at the pills in his hand. I let out a bitter, humorless laugh. "You went to get her meds?" "I asked you what you did!" Victor's voice grew colder and harsher. "She put my mother's necklace on a dog like a collar. She insulted my mother. So I taught her a lesson. She smashed into the case, that's on her." I looked him dead in the eye. I didn't back down. Victor's expression froze. "What did you say?" "You heard me." I pointed at his ear. "I'm sure your people already reported it to you." Victor was indeed wearing a hidden earpiece. He already knew everything that happened. "Even if she used the necklace as a dog collar, you had no right to hurt her." Victor's voice was ice-cold. He delivered the fatal blow. That one short sentence completely shattered the last thing left in my heart. I looked at the man in front of me. Tears finally welled up in my eyes. In his world, even if Chloe desecrated my dead mother's memory, I still didn't have the right to fight back. "Victor," my voice trembled. "How are you going to 'discipline' me this time?" Victor saw my tears. For a split second, his resolve seemed to waver. But then he hardened his heart. Colder than ever before. "I can't control you anymore." Victor pulled out his phone. "Mark, call the police. Tell the legal department to sue her for intentional assault and violating her brand morality clauses. Freeze all her asset accounts. Make sure her career in the fashion industry is completely ruined." I listened to his cold commands. I felt the last piece of flesh in my heart being gouged out. Ten minutes later, two uniformed officers walked in. "Miss Serena Vance, you are under arrest for aggravated assault and destruction of property. Please come with us." I didn't fight back. I held out my hands. I let them cuff me. They led me away. I looked back one last time. Victor was holding Chloe. Her arm was hastily bandaged. He was gently comforting her. "It's okay. I'm here." He stroked her hair. "No one will ever hurt you again." Chloe sobbed in his arms like an injured dove. I was dragged away like a common criminal. The holding cell at the NYPD 19th Precinct. It was freezing and damp. Victor used his absolute power. He showed me the terrifying wrath of a billionaire. The cops confiscated my coat. They claimed it was "protocol." They left me to freeze in the near-zero AC for an entire night. The next day, a female cop intentionally threw spoiled food in front of me. She mocked me. "Heard you're a violent threat? Mr. Sterling's lawyers said you need 'special care.' No visitors allowed." On the third day, the legal team denied my initial bail. Citing "cooperation with the investigation." They threw me into a cramped cell. My cellmates were violent junkies and crazy drunks. Those women verbally abused and shoved me all night long. I was on the verge of breaking. My visiting lawyer coldly passed on a message through the iron bars: "Mr. Sterling says this is a reality check." All of this was Victor's arrangement. He didn't just want to ruin my reputation. He wanted to completely destroy my pride and dignity as a supermodel. Without even shedding a drop of blood. Three days later, my agent finally bailed me out at a massive price. It was my last day in New York. I walked out of the precinct. My body was covered in bruises and cuts. The sunlight stung my eyes. I reached the gate. A wave of dizziness hit me. The world spun. I collapsed on the sidewalk. I woke up. I was lying in a familiar hospital room again. Victor stood by my bed. Hands in his pockets. His voice cold and distant. "Did you learn your lesson this time?" Chapter 9 I gave absolutely no answer to Victor's question. He stood by the bed. He waited for me to reply. I just stared silently at the blank ceiling. Victor's phone rang. It shattered the suffocating silence. "Victor, my hand hurts so much..." Chloe's fragile, sobbing voice came through the speaker. I could hear it clearly from the bed. Victor's expression instantly softened. "I'll be right there." He hung up. He glanced back at me. "Reflect on what you've done." Then he left. Just like he always did. Abandoning me for Chloe. The room fell silent again. I was all alone. About an hour later, the door creaked open. Chloe walked in. Her right hand was wrapped in thick bandages. Her face was full of victorious smugness. "Serena, how are you feeling?" she asked with fake concern. I turned to look at her. My eyes flat and hollow. Chloe pulled up a chair and sat down. She wore a sweet but toxic smile. "Honey, I want to tell you a story." "I don't want to hear it." "But this story is about you," Chloe's eyes gleamed. "It's about why Victor agreed to your father's request and took it upon himself to discipline you." My grip on the thin bedsheets suddenly tightened. "In high school, Victor and I were dating," Chloe began. Her voice full of nostalgia. "We were so in love. He was so good to me. He remembered everything I liked. He even said he would marry me after graduation. But then, something terrible happened..." She paused to gauge my reaction. "Years ago, we were in a tech lab. A massive server rack collapsed. I shoved him out of the way. It crushed my leg." Chloe pointed at her left leg. "My ballet career was destroyed. I almost died." "Since then, Victor was filled with guilt. He said he would protect me. He would spend his whole life making it up to me." I stayed silent. My heart started beating wildly and painfully in my chest. "I went to Europe to recover. Victor promised to marry me the second I got back," Chloe leaned in closer. Her voice turned venomous. "We never lost touch. So I told him how my poor mother married into the Vance family. How cruelly you treated her. I told him how much it broke my heart." "Victor said he would avenge my mother. That's why he went to your father and offered the billion-dollar acquisition deal just to keep you by his side." Chloe's smile was radiant. "Did you think Richard forced him? You're wrong, Serena. Victor asked for the job." The blood in my veins turned to ice. "What did you say?" "Oh, there's a better part," Chloe pulled out her phone. "Did you know that every single time you two were together, it was recorded?" "What?" "Victor installed hidden cameras in the penthouse. He tracked your biometric data. Your heart rate. Your climaxes. He used your total surrender to train his AI companion," Chloe's smile grew more twisted. More malicious. My world started spinning. "Are you shocked, Serena?" Chloe stood up. Gloating. "Victor never loved you. He was just taking revenge for me. Finishing a corporate acquisition. Using you as an AI data test. Now the mission is over. He's going to marry me." She walked to the door. She looked back at me one last time. "By the way, I made copies of those videos. If you ever dare cross me again, I'll send them to the tabloids. I'll let the whole world see what a cheap fake the top supermodel really is." After Chloe left, I sat motionless on the bed for a long, long time. Her words echoed in my mind like a torturous endless loop. Victor asked to discipline me. To avenge Chloe. To complete a corporate acquisition. He didn't just record it. He used my feelings as an AI data test. I suddenly threw off the covers. I ripped the IV out of my arm. I bolted out of the hospital room. Nurses yelled behind me. I couldn't hear anything. I ran out of the hospital. I hailed a cab. "Upper East Side, as fast as you can!" I had to go to Victor's penthouse. I had to see for myself if Chloe was telling the truth. Twenty minutes later, the cab screeched to a halt in front of the mansion. I used my spare key. I walked in. I ran straight to Victor's study. There was a hidden security server room behind the bookshelf. I knew the code. I punched in the numbers. A section of the wall slid open. It revealed the server center inside. Multiple computers. Countless surveillance screens. All kinds of high-tech recording equipment. I sat at the main terminal. I browsed the directory. Inside a folder labeled "S", I found an encrypted subfolder. The folder name was: Project_Angel_Data. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. I clicked it open anyway. The screen filled with data analysis and video logs. All neatly sorted by date. I opened the first one. The screen showed me and Victor. Tangled in the sheets. Next to the video was a live data panel: my heart rate, my body temperature, my estimated dopamine release curve at climax. It included me, curled up in his arms, whispering passionately, "I love you." It included every vulnerable moment. My trust. My complete and total surrender. He wasn't just recording. He was exploiting my total devotion. Exploiting every passionate moment to collect data and train that virtual AI companion he gifted to Chloe! At the very bottom of the document was an evaluation report. Personally signed by Victor: "Subject: Serena. Emotional dependency: Peak. AI empathy module training: Complete. Proceed to Phase 2: Abandonment Test." My legs gave out. I collapsed onto the cold marble floor. It was all true. Chloe told the truth. Victor really recorded everything. I started laughing. Laughing at how stupid I was. How hopelessly naive I was. But my tears just wouldn't stop falling. Chapter 10 Kneeling in front of the computer. Staring at the files. I took out my phone and dialed Richard Vance. "Dad," I started. My voice was hoarse. I choked back tears. "What is it? I thought you were cutting ties with me," his voice was cold and surprised. "I just have one question. Three years ago, did Victor offer to teach me finance instead of you asking him?" The silence on the other end was telling enough. "How did you know?" I closed my eyes. "So it's true." "Victor gave me a billion-dollar tech patent just to own you," Richard's voice carried ruthless realism. "I don't know how you pissed him off. But I figured letting the Sterling Group break your arrogant pride would only benefit the family. So I agreed." I hung up the phone. I didn't even know I had any hope left until that moment. It finally shattered completely. Victor approached me. Slept with me. Controlled me. All for revenge. For Chloe. For his empire and his AI test. I was finally completely exhausted. I wiped my tears. I stood up. I walked to the master bedroom. I pulled out the suitcase I packed a long time ago. From the nightstand drawer, I took out my passport and my plane ticket to LA. I took one last look around this room. This place I stupidly thought was my home. In the living room, I looked at the smart home panel on the wall. That was the smart home system Victor was most proud of. I pulled out my Zippo lighter. I smashed the emergency glass. I manually triggered the main fire sprinklers. Ear-piercing sirens instantly echoed through the entire penthouse. The high-pressure ceiling sprinklers activated completely. Freezing water poured down like a waterfall. It flooded straight into that hidden security server room. I heard the harsh crackle of the servers short-circuiting. Amid the sparks, all the data carrying my humiliation and Victor's lies was destroyed. All the hard work he was so proud of was completely ruined. I dragged my suitcase to the door. I looked back one last time at the flooded room. Goodbye, Victor. Goodbye to the old me. Half an hour later, the sirens of firetrucks pierced the wealthy neighborhood. I sat on my suitcase on the sidewalk across the street. I watched it all happen. Soon, a black town car pulled up. Victor jumped out. He saw his former home turned into a flooded ruin. His face froze. He looked around frantically. His eyes searched. They finally landed on me. "Serena!" he yelled. He ran toward me. "Are you hurt?!" I just looked at him. Completely silent. "Why did you destroy the server room? Fine, let it be destroyed. Do you feel better now, Angel?" Victor's voice carried a tired sense of resignation. I stayed silent. I stood up. I grabbed my suitcase and started walking. Victor blocked my path. "Where are you going?" "Home." "I'll take you to a hotel." He pulled out his phone. "Mark, get the car ready." "No need," I said. I walked past him. Victor's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID. His face grew even darker. "I have an emergency acquisition meeting. Mark will take you home," he told me. His tone was short and commanding. "We'll talk about this later." I ignored him. I walked straight to a cab parked at the corner. "Serena," Victor called out from behind. He sounded a bit stern. I turned my head. I gave him one look. "Go to the hotel and wait for me. I have something to tell you." With that, he got in his car and sped away. I watched his taillights disappear into the night. I whispered to the empty air. "You will never see me again."