A Surprise Gift for My Ex-husband-Divorce certificate!

The car sped away into the night. Hillary felt a bone-chilling cold seep into her body as she struggled to stay calm. She reached for her phone, only to realize it was missing.

Inside the car, Charles smirked and called Willow. "Willow, I've done as you asked."

Willow was already at the villa. A smile slowly appeared on her lips as she stood at the window. "Thanks, Charles."

She threw out a bitter laugh after hanging up, her eyes full of hatred. "Do you actually think you can go against me? Not a chance."

Julian entered the room with a cup of hot water and frowned when he saw her standing by the window. Without a word, he scooped her up and placed her on the bed. "You'll catch a cold."

Willow looked at him with gratitude, her eyes glistening with tears. "Julian, you're so good to me. I almost thought I was going to die."

Julian gently reassured her. "That won't happen." He then dialed Hillary's number, but no one picked up.

Willow feigned concern. "Julian, do you think Hillary is in danger? Or maybe she's just mad at us?"

Julian's expression darkened as he recalled how Hillary had hit someone. He placed his phone down and his demeanor turned cold. "Someone like her? There's no way she'd be in danger. Even if she died, she'd have deserved it."

Meanwhile, Hillary struggled to stay conscious. She walked until her legs ached, finally reaching an area with people. She borrowed a phone from a passerby to call for help, but before she could escape, a group of thugs cornered her in an alley.

The leader, a scar-faced man, twirled a knife in his hand and sneered. "She looks even better than in the photos."

"What a shame," another thug jeered. "You should've known better than to offend the wrong people."

Their eyes gleamed with cruelty. Hillary's heart pounded, cold sweat dripping down her back as pain shot through her foot. Forcing herself to stay calm, she lowered her voice. "Who sent you? I'll pay triple whatever they're offering. Just don't touch me."

"Triple the price is tempting, but we don't break our promises," the leader replied, pulling out his phone. "Since you're so pretty, I'll let you die knowing why." He showed her the screen.

Hillary caught a glimpse of the contact name, Willow. Her fingers clenched into fists. How could someone be this ruthless? She had already promised to walk away once the contract expired. Why was Willow still targeting her?

Shortly after turning to run, a knife swung directly at her. Hillary's pupils shrank as a sharp pain flared across her face. The blade had grazed her cheek before embedding itself in the wall behind her.

Her mind went blank. Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground. The scar-faced man grabbed her by the collar, but she dug her nails into her palms, forcing herself to remain composed. "If you hurt me, the Joneses won't let you off."

The man sneered. He was about to speak when one of his men came running up, looking terrified. "Boss, someone's coming!"

The leader's expression changed. "Bitch, did you call the cops?"

Hillary's heart pounded wildly. Just as she thought she was about to die, the man took out his phone and snapped a picture of her face. A moment later, sirens blared in the distance. As the gang swiftly scattered and vanished into the night, Hillary sat there trembling with her heart beating uncontrollably.

A pair of hands lifted her. "Why are you here alone? Where's Julian?"

She looked up to see her best friend, Anna. Hillary opened her mouth to speak, but darkness swallowed her whole as she lost consciousness.

In her nightmare, knives hovered over her throat. She curled into a ball, arms wrapped tightly around herself, but no matter how much she tried to escape, the blades still came down. Then, the scene shifted—Julian stood before her. His gaze filled with cold contempt. "Hillary, if anything happens to Willow, you'll pay the price."

Hillary's eyes snapped open. Anna was there, her face filled with worry. "Don't be afraid, Hillary. It's okay now. I'm here with you."

Hillary was awake, but her heart was still heavy with fear. She couldn't forget the photo they had taken of her. She knew they were up to no good. Clutching Anna's hand, she asked anxiously, "Anna, did they catch those men?"

Anna's expression darkened. "Not yet. They vanished without a trace."

Hillary shut her eyes briefly. "They took photos of me before they ran."

Anna's face hardened as she immediately took out her phone. "I'll tell your father."

Half an hour later, the Joneses arrived at the hospital. Her parents were livid. Hillary told them everything, including the three-year marriage contract. Her mother's eyes brimmed with tears. "You foolish child! What were you thinking?"

Her father's face was thunderous, his chest rising and falling with fury. "The Cooks dares to treat my daughter like this, yet they still want to negotiate a business deal with me? What a joke."

They wanted to retaliate immediately, but Hillary stopped them. "Not yet. The contract has its terms."

She looked at them steadily, her voice firm. "Dad, Mom, I want to handle this myself."

Her parents were helpless. Behind her back, they launched their own investigation, but they couldn't find the men who had kidnapped Hillary. Then, scandalous photos of Hillary surfaced online—edited to make her look like she had been kidnapped naked. The Joneses worked quickly to take them down before they could gain traction, reporting the culprits in the process.

Hillary's heart sank as she stared at the naked images of herself being kidnapped and Photoshopped in the hospital. It was Willow and Charles' doing. Although she knew they were to blame, she couldn't accuse them directly because there was no clear evidence of the kidnapping.

Not long after, Hillary asked to be discharged from the hospital. Anna was worried about letting her recuperate in the hospital, but Hillary shook her head and gently refused.

By the time she returned to the villa, it was already deep into the night. Rage boiled within her, but her blood ran cold the moment she opened the door.

Willow was sitting at the kitchen table, wrapped in Julian's arms. They were kissing passionately.