Three years later...
A man sat in a wheelchair beside the window, staring down at the photograph in his hands.
It was a photograph of Elowen and Seraphina.
His thumb brushed over Elowen’s face gently. ’If only you were alive,’ he thought, sadness crushing his chest.
Three years had passed. But he had never forgotten them.
If he had known they would die soon after leaving him, he would have never let them walk out of his life. He wouldn’t have brought up the divorce.
His pride had destroyed the family he had. He regretted every moment.
When he had signed those divorce papers, he had believed he would finally live the life he wanted. He had thought he would be happy.
But the news of Elowen and Seraphina’s demise had shattered him.
"Elowen, I was wrong."
He had never loved Elowen, but he had never wanted her dead.
And now, he was crippled, confined to a wheelchair, and living at the mercy of the people around him.
His once powerful life was gone. The man who had once been feared throughout the business world was now broken.
"Soren, I am back."
The bedroom door opened, and Tahlia walked in.
Soren quickly slipped the photograph into his pocket.
"I was away for seven days. How have you been?" Tahlia approached him with a smile.
Soren looked up at her. "How was the trip?"
"Oh..." Tahlia smiled thoughtfully as she brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "It was a success. I signed another business deal."
He watched her quietly. Something about her felt different. But he pushed away that thought.
"I’ve been thinking about going back to the company."
The smile on her face froze.
"You should rest. You haven’t recovered yet."
"I’ve rested for six months." Soren turned his wheelchair. "I want the latest financial report tomorrow morning. Contact the board. Tell them I am returning."
Tahlia hesitated. Her fingers clasped the sides of her dress.
Ever since that accident, Soren had not stepped outside the house. He had confined himself inside his room, too ashamed and humiliated to face anyone. His legs had been ruined, and with that, his confidence was gone.
He was no longer the same cold, untouchable, intimidating chairperson of the Vale Empire.
Tahlia had worked quietly to gain control of the company, manipulated shareholders, and moved money. Soren’s disability had made everything easier.
Over the six months, she had strengthened her influence over the board, placing people loyal to her in important positions. She had believed she would finally take over the company and transfer all the family fortune into her name.
And now, he suddenly wanted to return to work. If that happened, her plans would fall apart. And Tahlia couldn’t allow that.
She faked a smile. "Yes, you should start working. Don’t keep yourself locked inside the house. You should go out more. It will make you feel better."
She turned the wheelchair. "Let’s go out and have some fresh air."
She pushed the wheelchair out of the room.
Once they came out to the backyard, Soren looked around at the garden. The air was fresh, carrying the faint scent of roses, peonies, and lilies.
"I have something to tell you." Tahlia stopped pushing the wheelchair. She stepped forward and stood in front of him, her hand gently resting on her abdomen.
"I am pregnant."
Soren’s expression stiffened. His eyes dropped to her stomach.
He had not touched her for six months. And she was pregnant.
He couldn’t process what he had just heard.
There was no way this child could be his.
"What? Pregnant? You have been cheating on me?"
"Come on, Soren. You are crippled. And there is no chance of your recovery. I don’t want to live like a widow."
She shrugged. "Besides, the Vale family needs an heir. And I am giving you one. You should be thankful."
"You..." Soren clasped the armrests. Fury surged through him like fire.
She had cheated on him. Yet, she was standing in front of him without the slightest trace of regret or guilt. It was as if she had done something worthy of praise.
"I thought you loved me. I gave you everything. But in the end, you betrayed me." He felt as if his chest was about to burst open. "And you are standing in front of me shamelessly. How dare you? Get out of my house. Now..."
"Your house?" she scoffed. "This is no longer your house. It’s mine."
Soren’s face paled. "What?"
"I am taking everything—your cars, properties, and shares. Everything will soon be under my control."
A cold smile touched her lips.
Soren tightened the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His restraint snapped.
"I trusted you, made you the CEO of the company, and gave you the responsibility for my business. But you backstabbed me."
"Trusted me?" Her smile vanished, her expression turning ugly in resentment.
"If you trusted me, you would have married me."
Soren froze.
"I waited for three years," she continued bitterly. "But you never gave me your name. Your mind is still stuck to the woman who is already dead."
She looked at his crippled legs with undisguised contempt.
"And look at you now. You are crippled and useless. What do you expect me to do?"
He stared at her in disbelief, anger and hurt twisting together inside him.
"If you had married me and made me a part of the Vale family, I wouldn’t have conspired like this. I would have naturally become the legal nominee to everything you owned."
Soren’s eyes blazed as he finally realized she had always been after his wealth. She had never loved him.
A bitter realization struck him.
He had spent years hating Elowen as he believed she had trapped him in a marriage for money. But she had never been after his money. She had proven it by refusing everything he had offered her.
The real gold digger was Tahlia. He had been too blind to see it.
’I pushed away the only woman who loved me.’ The regret slammed hard against his chest. ’I trusted the wrong person. That’s why fate punished me like this. I deserve it.’
He laughed sarcastically.
"I foolishly trusted you, believed you were different from Elowen. But you are the real gold digger. You only wanted my money since the beginning."
"Yes," she exclaimed in a frenzy. "I never loved you. I always wanted your money. All these years, I tried hard to get close to you, to become a part of this family, so I could take everything under my control."
Her voice rose several octaves higher. "But you... you kept delaying the marriage. I am your fiancée for three years. But you rarely touched me. I was desperate."
There was something frightening in her eyes.
"I decided I would take everything, even if it meant destroying you completely."
Soren felt a chill crawl through him. For the first time, he was afraid of the woman standing in front of him.
"You—you are a psycho."
He turned his wheelchair, intending to leave.
But Tahlia grabbed the handles. "Where do you think you are going?"
She flashed a malicious smile as she tightened her grip. "You can’t walk away from me."
She suddenly shoved the wheelchair forward with all her strength.
Soren’s eyes widened. His heart rate increased suddenly. His hands desperately grabbed the armrests.
The wheelchair rolled faster. One of the front wheels struck the uneven edge of the walkway.
The wheelchair lurched sideways and lost its balance. The next moment, it tipped over and crashed onto its side, throwing him hard onto the ground.
Pain exploded through his body. He lay there helplessly, unable to move. He looked up at Tahlia’s smug face.
"Why? I never treated you badly? Why are you doing this to me?"
"Why?" Tahlia smiled as though she found the question amusing. She crouched down in front of him, looking at him with pure disgust.
"Because you are no longer useful, Soren. And I am pregnant now. My boyfriend wants to marry me. So I am getting rid of you."
She pulled out a vial from her pocket.
"Do you know what it is?" She held it up in front of his face. "It’s a drug that causes the heart rate to spike until the person suffers a heart attack. And the best part is it won’t leave any trace in the blood."
Soren stared at the vial in Tahlia’s hand. His instinct screamed at him to get away.
’She is planning to kill me.’
"When my boyfriend gave me this, I wasn’t sure whether to use it," she continued. "You are already crippled. What is the point of hurting you further? But I changed my mind. I won’t let you return to work."
Her eyes shone with murderous instinct. "You have to die, Soren."