Chapter 1

Aurora Evans had secretly sent Adrian Thorne's sugar baby out of the country.

That very night, he retaliated by kidnapping her parents, demanding the sugar baby's whereabouts in exchange for their lives.

Adrian shoved his phone in front of her. On the screen, her parents were tied to chairs, a ticking time bomb strapped to their chests, the digital countdown relentlessly dwindling.

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He sat across from her, impeccably dressed in a suit, his long fingers lightly tapping the table, as if waiting for a mundane contract to be signed.

"Aurora, you have fifty-nine minutes." His voice was calm, almost tender. "Tell me, where did you send Seraphina?"

A cold dread seeped into Aurora, her throat constricting, unable to utter a single word.

This was his third time asking.

The first time, he asked where Seraphina Reed had gone. She remained silent.

The second time, he gripped her chin, his thumb caressing her lips, his voice low and dangerous: "Aurora, stop being childish."

Now, the third time.

He was using her parents' lives to force her.

"Adrian…" Her voice trembled. "Those are my parents. They're the most important people to me…"

He let out a soft laugh, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold. "Oh really? Then when you sent Seraphina away, why didn't you consider how important she is to *me*?"

Aurora stared at him, a sudden, bitter laugh catching in her throat.

Important?

He had told her those other women were just for fun, easy to discard once he tired of them.

He had sworn she was the only one he truly loved.

But now, for Seraphina Reed, he was willing to kill her parents.

"Adrian," her voice was hoarse, unrecognizable. "If I don't tell you, will you really let them die?"

He leaned slightly forward, his dark eyes reflecting her pale face. "You can try me."

Aurora trembled uncontrollably, tears splashing onto the table.

She couldn't fathom how things had spiraled to this point.

Adrian Thorne, who had once loved her so genuinely.

Years ago, she was just a girl from an ordinary family, while Adrian was the heir to one of the most powerful families in the city’s elite circles, privileged from birth, entitled and arrogant, never one to bow down to anyone.

Yet, he fell in love with her at first sight.

His pursuit of her became a grand campaign of declarations of love, each one a sensation that swept through the city.

Giant rose displays lowered by helicopter, LED confessions plastered across the entire financial district, even a city-wide fireworks display just for her on her birthday.

She was moved, but her parents vehemently opposed the match.

They knew too well what elite circles were like—powerful men always had their wives at home, but plenty of flings on the side. The love of the privileged was never a fairytale.

They wanted her to marry someone from a similar background, but Adrian knelt at her family's doorstep for an entire day and night, shedding all his pride, just for a chance to marry her.

Her parents eventually softened.

After their marriage, he pampered her beyond measure, accommodating her every whim.

When she had painful periods, he'd fly back overnight from abroad just to make her special comfort tea.

She casually mentioned wanting that specific pastry from the old bakery on the other side of town, and he'd drive halfway across the city to get it for her.

She thought she had married the right man.

Until, she first heard the name "Seraphina Reed."

It was Adrian's assistant who mentioned it in casual conversation, talking about a college student who had staged a fall during Adrian's speech to get his attention, a trick as old as time.

Aurora smiled, dismissing it. After all, countless women tried to snag him, but he had always been devoted to her.

But the second time she heard it, it was in bed.

He was above her, and in the throes of passion, he whispered, "Seraphina."

In that moment, she felt as if she'd been plunged into an icy abyss.

She confronted him, but he held her, explaining that he *had* considered taking Seraphina as a sugar baby, but it was just a casual fling to keep on the side.

"Everyone in our circle does this, Aurora. You're still the one I love most, that will never change."

But then, he became increasingly blatant.

He bought Seraphina jewelry, gifted her luxury homes, and even took her to private parties. The rumors spiraled, becoming the talk of the town.

She cried, she argued, but he no longer soothed her as he once did. He’d just coldly say, "Stop being unreasonable."

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and sent Seraphina out of the country.

But she never expected his reaction to be so extreme. He kidnapped her parents, strapped bombs to them, all to force her to reveal Seraphina's whereabouts.

"She's in Switzerland." Her voice trembled. "Zurich, in that villa under my name."

He stared at her for a few seconds, as if judging the truthfulness of her words, then pulled out his phone and made a call.

Once confirmed, he grabbed his suit jacket, his steps urgent, ready to retrieve Seraphina.

"What about my parents?" She lunged, grabbing his sleeve. "You promised you'd let them go if I told you!"

He turned back to her, his gaze indifferent. "The abandoned factory in the South End. Go find them yourself."

Aurora stumbled out the door, driving frantically towards the South End.

When she found them, there were only ten minutes left on the bomb's timer.

Her parents were tied to chairs, their mouths gagged. The moment they saw her, they shook their heads wildly, urging her to leave.

She rushed over, her hands trembling as she fumbled with the ropes, but the bomb's countdown ticked like a death knell.

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