Today was the wedding of Qin Anan, one of A City’s most well-known socialites. But at her wedding, there was no groom. Her husband-to-be, Fu Shiting, had been in a car accident six months prior that left him in a vegetative state. The doctors had declared he wouldn’t live to see the end of the year. Overcome with grief, Old Mrs. Fu decided to arrange a marriage for her son before he passed. The Fu family was one of the wealthiest and most powerful in A City, but no socialite was willing to marry a dying man. … Before the vanity mirror, Qin Anan was ready. The white wedding gown clung to her graceful figure. Her skin was as white as snow, and the delicate makeup on her face made her breathtakingly beautiful, like a red rose on the verge of blooming. But her almond-shaped eyes betrayed a flickering anxiety. With twenty minutes until the ceremony, she anxiously scrolled through her phone, desperate for a reply. Before being forced to marry Fu Shiting, she’d had a boyfriend. And that boyfriend, as fate would have it, was none other than Fu Shiting’s nephew, Fu Yechen. They had always kept their relationship a secret. Last night, she had sent Fu Yechen a message, begging him to run away with her, to escape A City. But a whole night had passed without a word, and she couldn't wait any longer. She rose from her chair, phone clutched in her hand, and slipped out of the room with a quick excuse. As she walked down the long corridor, a sound from a nearby lounge made her freeze. The door was ajar, and from within drifted the syrupy laughter of her sister, Qin Keke. “Yechen, my foolish sister is probably still waiting for you to come and save her! Why don’t you go and sweet-talk her a little later? What if she changes her mind and refuses to marry him?” Fu Yechen held Qin Keke, his lips pressing greedily against her neck. “She thinks she can back out of this today? If she tries, our Fu family bodyguards will hold her down and force her through it.” Qin Keke’s laughter, now even more grating, echoed from the room. “If Qin Anan ever found out you’ve been with me every night, she’d lose her mind! Hahaha!” A roar filled her head. The world tilted, and Qin Anan stumbled back, her body suddenly weightless. Her hands clenched the fabric of her wedding dress, a desperate attempt to hold back the tears stinging her eyes. Her father’s company was on the brink of collapse after its funding dried up, and he had recently been hospitalized with a sudden illness. Seizing the opportunity, her stepmother, Wang Wanzhi, had married her off to the Fu family in exchange for a handsome bride price. She’d claimed it was for the good of the Qin family, but Anan knew the truth: it was a convenient way to cast her out for good. What she hadn't expected was that the boyfriend who had sworn he loved her had betrayed her long ago. No wonder Fu Yechen had encouraged her to go through with the marriage, promising to marry her himself once Fu Shiting was dead. It had all been a lie. The fragile peace of her world shattered, leaving her suffocating in the ruins. The sounds from the room grew more intense. Qin Anan’s fists tightened, a cold light glinting in her eyes. She had been a fool. To avoid troubling her father, she had endured her stepmother and sister’s abuse. For the sake of the family’s reputation, she had swallowed every injustice. But they would not play her for a fool any longer. She would take back everything that was hers. Soon, the ceremony began. Veil drawn and bouquet in hand, Qin Anan walked down the aisle to the strains of romantic music. She spoke her vows alone. She placed the wedding band on her own finger. She paid no mind to the strange looks from the other guests. From this moment on, she was Mrs. Fu. No one would dare to bully her again. Her new husband, however—the man who once held A City in the palm of his hand—did not have long to live. … That evening, Qin Anan was brought to Fu Shiting’s mansion. The estate, located in the city’s most affluent central district, was valued at a billion dollars. Before Qin Anan could take in the villa’s layout, the housekeeper, Mrs. Zhang, led her to the master bedroom. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the man lying on the large bed. She approached step by step, his face coming into focus. His features were sharp and well-defined, his brow carrying an air of innate nobility. His skin was unnaturally pale from being bedridden for so long, but even so, he was so handsome it was impossible to look away. If he weren’t ill, a woman like her could never have become his wife. Before the accident that left him comatose, he had been a titan of industry. The ST Group, which he controlled, was one of the top ten conglomerates in A Country. Rumor had it he was ruthless, violent, and moved freely in every circle, both legitimate and illicit. Anyone who crossed him met a tragic end. She had never imagined she would marry such a man. As she stood lost in thought, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open. It was Fu Yechen. “Anan, I’m so sorry! I was so busy today, this is the first chance I’ve had to see you.” He strode toward her, his voice dripping with false affection as he apologized. Qin Anan watched him with cold eyes. “I’m married to your uncle now,” she said, her voice laced with mockery. “What should you be calling me? Do I need to teach you?” “Anan, I know you’re angry with me. I didn’t run away with you because I couldn’t bear to see you live a hard life. My uncle is a living corpse. You won’t have to do a thing. As soon as he dies, I’ll find you the best lawyer to help you secure his massive inheritance!” He grabbed her hands, his voice feverish with excitement. “Then everything that was my uncle’s will be ours!” The image of him with Qin Keke flashed in her mind, and a wave of nausea washed over her. “Let go!” She sneered, wrenching her hands from his grasp. The sharp command stunned Fu Yechen. Was this the same Qin Anan he knew? The old Qin Anan was meek and obedient; she would never have yelled at him like that. Could she know something? A flicker of guilt crossed Fu Yechen’s face. He stepped toward her, intending to explain, but in the next second, his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at something behind her. His face went pale, as if he’d seen a ghost. “He… he…” On the bed, Fu Shiting’s eyes had just opened.