After the substitute left the scene, the former investor went crazy

To love her so much I would've thrown everything away to chase her. To love her so much it made my very existence feel like a joke from start to finish.

I saw Victoria again on a private yacht a week later.

I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

That face—the one that used to have nothing to do with me—now looked nearly identical to mine.

She'd had plastic surgery.

Or rather, she'd become herself again.

When Adrian first saw her, his steps faltered. He just stood there, frozen, for a few seconds.

That brief moment of shock—I saw it with my own eyes.

And right then, my phone flashed with a cold reminder.

"Your manual abortion procedure is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Please arrive at the hospital on time."

Guilty as a thief, I hid my phone.

"Adrian!"

The instant she spotted us, Victoria stumbled forward and dropped to her knees in front of Adrian with a thud.

She grabbed his pant leg. "Save me—the Graves family has their sights on me! He's crazy, he said he wants me!"

I'd heard rumors about the Graves family. They were another untouchable power in the Capital.

Adrian's expression darkened, his tone unusually tense. "Get up first. Explain clearly."

"I can't explain! He's right here—on this ship!"

Victoria was sobbing, tears streaming down her face. "He called me out by name and said he wants me to keep him company tonight! Adrian, for the sake of what we had—are you really going to stand by and watch me die? I'm still your woman, at least in name!"

The looks from everyone around us grew even stranger.

Adrian's brows furrowed tight, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as if searching for something.

Then his eyes landed on me.

I sensed danger and instinctively stepped back.

I watched Adrian help Victoria to her feet—and look at me.

"Serena, you go."

I didn't process it at first. "What do you mean?"

Adrian's voice was flat. "Go over there and keep Mr. Graves company for a drink. Deal with it for a bit. He knows who you are—he won't do anything to you."

The world seemed to freeze.

Adrian actually wanted me to go in her place?

Knowing full well what kind of invitation this was, how could he say it out loud?

I'd thought the pain in my chest had already gone numb.

But it still hurt.

I didn't fight it, though. I was just tired.

Anyway, they were all sugar daddies—what difference did it make whose company I kept? I didn't believe Mr. Graves would actually lay a hand on a pregnant woman.

"Adrian, you'll regret this."

In the end, I only gave him one long look, turned around, and walked in the direction he'd pointed.

On the other side, Adrian brought the trembling Victoria back to the room, hostility radiating off him.

"What are you all standing around for? Take some people and stand guard outside Graves's room. The moment you hear anything, intercept her immediately!"

The assistant followed, bewildered. "What reason do we give?"

Adrian rubbed between his brows. "We're retrieving my wife who got lost and wandered into the wrong room. Do I need a reason?"

The assistant froze at those words. Even Victoria looked stunned.

Just then, a phone on the nightstand buzzed with a notification. The assistant said stiffly, "It seems to be Miss Jenner's."

Adrian gestured for someone to hand it over.

But after he saw the text on the screen, his body swayed.

"Miss Jenner, your scheduled abortion procedure has been rescheduled to tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Would you like us to handle hospital admission for you tonight?"