Far Apart, Safe at Last

Serena's expression changed instantly.

She suddenly straightened up, let out a sharp scream, and threw herself toward the abandoned metal rack beside her.

"Ah! Stella, don't push me!"

With a dull thud, her forehead struck the edge of the metal rack, and blood immediately began to seep out.

At the same moment, the door was kicked open violently.

Julian rushed in with long strides and immediately saw Serena lying on the floor, bleeding.

"Serena!"

His eyes widened with fury as he pulled Serena into his arms.

Serena nestled against his chest, sobbing pitifully.

"Julian, please don't blame Stella. She just hates me too much… she thinks I stole your love. I'm fine. I just feel a little dizzy."

Julian suddenly turned toward me, his eyes dark and vicious.

He strode to my bed, grabbed my collar, and hauled half my body off the mattress.

"Stella! Are you looking for death? Serena came to see you out of kindness, and you dared to attack her?"

His grip nearly cut off my breathing, yet I looked at him with a cold smile.

"I can't even stand. What exactly did I use to push her? Julian, are you blind?"

A sharp slap rang out.

A brutal slap struck my face.

My head snapped to the side. My ears rang as blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

"You still dare to argue back!"

Julian's furious roar echoed through the basement.

"I completely misjudged you. You're nothing but a vicious woman! Since you love using your hands so much, you won't need them anymore!"

He turned and shouted toward the guards outside the door. "Break her hands."

Two burly bodyguards stepped in immediately and grabbed my arms from both sides.

Serena hurriedly tugged at Julian's sleeve, pretending to plead for mercy.

"Julian, don't! If Stella's hands are ruined, how will she take care of me later? She already gave me her stem cells. Her life will be difficult from now on, so I'm willing to keep her around. Let her stay by my side for the rest of her life and serve me as atonement, alright?"

Julian looked at Serena, his eyes instantly softening with tenderness.

"Serena, you're just too kind. Even after what she did to you, you still want to spare her."

When he turned back to me, the warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by cold indifference.

"Did you hear that? From today on, you are no longer Mrs. Crowe. You're leaving this marriage with nothing. From now on, you are Serena's personal caretaker. And her personal blood donor. If she tells you to kneel, you don't stand."

He pulled a divorce agreement from his suit pocket and threw it, along with a pen, in front of me.

"Sign it."

I looked at the divorce papers without crying or protesting.

After overwhelming despair, my heart had become eerily calm.

There was truly no sorrow greater than a heart that had died.

With trembling hands, I picked up the pen and slowly wrote my name on the signature line.

Stella Hart.

After finishing the last stroke, I tossed the papers back at him.

"Julian, just as you wished. A cheating bastard and a worthless bitch. Perfect match. Hope you stay together forever."

Julian's face turned livid as he raised his hand to strike me again.

I met his gaze without a hint of fear.

For some reason, when he saw the lifeless look in my eyes, his hand froze in midair and never came down.

He let out a cold snort, picked Serena up, and strode away.

The basement fell silent once again.

Supporting my battered body, I slowly pulled out an old backup phone hidden beneath the pillow.

I had hidden it inside the lining of my clothes before the avalanche.

I powered it on and dialed a hidden number.

The moment the call connected, an eerie smile slowly curled on my lips.