Chapter 1

I was a famous diviner in Yentaria scene.

To save my kidnapped family, I set aside all my dignity and desperately pleaded with Alan Row, the most powerful man in the business world.

His eyes were cold as Alan tossed me a contract. "Be my mistress, and I'll get them out," he said.

For three months, every night, Alan pulled me into his arms again and again, never giving me a break.

But the day I was in labor, I caught wind that my family had been executed.

I lost it and rushed at him, but Alan threw me to the floor.

He said coldly, "Twelve years ago, your dad got our fate all wrong. We trusted him, moved to dodge bad luck, but ended up right in the path of a mudslide. Everyone died but me.

"You dad used lives as chips in his fortune-telling games. Now, you get to pay the price."

I was crushed by grief, and gave birth to a stillborn baby.

Alan still wouldn't let me go. He even forced me to be the wet nurse for the child I had with him.

It wasn't until he scattered my family's ashes into the wind right before my eyes that I finally snapped. I couldn't take it anymore and jumped off the bridge.

But Alan lost it, dashing over, his voice shaking as he pleaded with me not to jump.

*****

I fixed my clothes and sat up, and the baby next to me coughed softly twice.

Alan grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me off the small bed. "Celestine, are you doing this on purpose? Can't even feed the baby right?"

My scalp stung, but I bit back the pain and stayed silent.

I looked up and saw Lizzie walk in, sympathy in her eyes as she gently patted the baby's back.

Her voice was deliberately gentle. "Alan, just let it be. Celestine probably didn't do it on purpose."

Alan still didn't let go, his face stormy as he fixed his cold gaze on me. "I've told you over and over.

"Don't resent Lizzie's baby just because you had a stillborn."

I bowed my head, my knees slamming into the floor. My voice was dead and emotionless. "I'm sorry, Mr. Row. It was my fault."

I turned in Lizzie's direction. "I'm sorry, Miss Green."

Finally, I turned to the sleeping baby. "I'm sorry, Mr. Row," I whispered.

Alan seemed to notice how hunched I was, and suddenly let go of my hair. "Celestine, you think this will wash away your guilt?"

I shook my head, not bothering to defend myself.

In the Row family, I knew the only way to calm Alan down was to keep apologizing.

Alan's eyes locked onto my wet shirt clinging to my chest, his gaze suddenly turning bloodshot.

"You slut!" Alan snarled, hurling his coat at my face. "Quit your filthy games."

I clutched my clothes around me, trembling, my voice choked with apology. "I'm sorry. I was being improper."

Everything went quiet. Lizzie didn't say a word to forgive me.

"I'm sorry, Miss Green," I hurriedly apologized, bowing to her. "It's all my fault."

"I'm sorry," I choked out again. "I'm so disgraceful."

Day after day, for over four hundred days locked up by Alan, I had to apologize again and again, every single day.

Last time Lizzie lost money playing cards, she pointed at me and said I'd ruined the feng shui just by standing in the wrong spot.

I was a second too slow to apologize, and Lizzie ended up in tears because of me.

Alan tossed me into a water cell and left me soaking there all night, even though it was only three days since I'd lost the baby.

Suddenly, Lizzie's syrupy moans started up from the bed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I bit my lip till I tasted blood, choking back the pain stabbing through my heart.