Chapter 1 A Twist of Fate

• “I now pronounce the verdict that the defendant Kay Stratford is found guilty of murder and fraud and is now sentenced to a two-year death sentence with reprieve in accordance with the law!”
• Clang! In the courtroom, the judge hammered down a verdict for Kay Stratford’s fate.
• Hearing this, Thea Stratford fiercely stood up from the audience seat, her amber eyes misting over with tears that she stubbornly held back and refused to let them fall as she looked nervously at her father.
• “Dad…” Choking, she went forward, wanting to say a few words to Kay.
• Garbed in white prisoner’s clothing, Kay was being held tightly by a few prison officers. There was no longer any hint of his past glorious self right now; his face was pale and haggard, and his hair was graying at the sides, making him look like he had aged a few decades.
• “Thea, trust me. I’m not a murderer, and those are false accusations! I’ve been framed!”
• Like sharp knives, his words pierced right into his daughter’s heart, hurting her. Of course, she believed that her father, who had been such a friendly and harmless soul, could never be a murderer!
• Holding back her tears, she said in a hoarse voice, “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll find a way to overturn the case for you to save you—”
• “It’s not visiting hours now—time for the prisoner to go back to his cell.” When the prison guard saw Thea blocking the way ahead, he looked really impatient and pulled her away.
• Thea, who was exhausted and was already struggling to keep upright, now stumbled and fell to the ground after being shoved. Although she bruised her wrist and it hurt, she couldn’t cry. After all, she still had to find a way to save her father…
• Oh. Sebastian Jennings. He is my fiancé, so he must have a way, right? As if grasping a lifeline, she hurriedly called Sebastian and cried to him about the situation.
• “Are you honestly begging me to save your father? Thea, don’t be naïve. At first, I planned to marry you because of your father’s wealth. Now that the Stratford Family is bankrupt and Kay is in jail, why should I save him?”
• Through the earpiece, Sebastian’s words were akin to razor-sharp blades, viciously stabbing into Thea’s heart!
• Her lower lip was almost bitten to the point of bleeding as she spoke in a trembling voice. “The business world knows that the Stratford and the Jennings Family will soon be joined in marriage. Even if you’re regretting it now, you still have to put on an act. Aren’t you afraid of affecting the reputation of the Jennings Family?”
• “Well, I suppose you’re right.” Sebastian’s voice came slowly.
• “Since you’ve begged so sincerely, I’ll grant you this opportunity. Come to the Four Seasons Hotel at 9 tonight. If you satisfy me, I will consider your proposal.”
• Thea clenched her teeth as her blood rushed straight to her head. “You’re rubbing salt on my wound!”
• However, the man showed no mercy, disdainfully sneering. “It’s up to you if you want to come or not.”
• At this, the tears she had been holding all day gushed down from her eyes uncontrollably. Sebastian had clearly said that he would not marry her, but he wanted her to go to the hotel to accompany him… In other words, he wanted her to be his side chick! Will he still save Dad if I don’t show up? What if...
• When her superficial friends saw that her father had landed in trouble, all of them acted as if they never knew her. In her grief and anger, Thea made a solemn decision: she had no choice but to dance with the devil.
• Arriving at the Four Seasons Hotel, Thea came to the door of the agreed private room and knocked on the door. However, the door was not locked. Therefore, she trembled before pushing the door in, feeling herself surrounded by darkness. Her lips were taut, and her long eyelashes trembled minutely as she called out, “Sebastian? I’ve come as you asked, you—ah!”
• Before she could finish, a black shadow suddenly flashed in front of her eyes. With it came hot breathing and the fragrance of cologne that was starkly different from the one Sebastian usually used. It was mixed with the smell of wine and gave off a pungent, thick scent.
• Not waiting for Thea to react, the man grabbed her wrists and brutally fixed them on either side of her head. Then, he shoved her against the door panel and pressed himself against her like a snarling lion…
• Buzz… Buzz… Thea didn’t know exactly how long it took, but she was suddenly awakened by the vibrating sound of her phone.
• She struggled to move her body, which felt as if it had been split in two from the middle. Her limbs were all sore, and as her fingers slowly tightened into fists, she stared angrily at the man sleeping with his back to her.
• At this moment, she really wanted to kill him, even if she had to die with him. However, she then thought of her father still waiting for her to save him in prison...
• In grief, she took her phone over to check the incoming message.
• ‘Thea, you need to come back quickly. Your father was in a car accident on the way to the penitentiary! No one has any idea what’s going on!’
• The moment Thea saw the text message, all the blood in her body seemed to have frozen. Sitting up violently from the bed, she accidentally hurt the wound on her lower body, its pain causing her face to blanch. But she couldn’t care less as she haphazardly put on her clothes and stumbled outside...
• How could there be a sudden car accident? Everything was just fine before!
• When Thea left, a breeze gently blew by, causing the curtains to sway in the wind. As the clear and bright moonlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains and sprinkled on the bed, it also illuminated the man’s face. He had a high nose bridge as well as thin and sexy lips, and the cold contours of his features were exquisitely carved. Even when he was sleeping, his eyebrows were furrowed.
• It was a face that had a few similarities with Sebastian’s, only… he was not Sebastian!