I'm uncertain how much of what transpired in the hospital room Darius came to know.
But from that day forward, he vanished from my sight.
Perhaps he didn't know how to face me, or maybe he could never accept that the apple of his eye had long gone bad.
Avoiding me, Darius left me to my own devices, seeking my own end.
Attempts at jumping from a building, biting my tongue, slitting my wrists, and drowning in the bathtub all failed; there were simply too many eyes on me in the house.
In desperation, the housekeeper called Darius, tearfully pleading, "Sir, please come back and see the madam. She is determined to die."
Still, Darius never showed up. Instead, everything in the house that could potentially harm me was removed, even the windows were sealed shut.
When idle, I resorted to banging my head against the wall, cursing Darius's ancestors in frustration.
Darius wasn't angered. Instead, he subtly hinted through the household staff that he hadn't been seeing Serena these days.
He also started sending me flowers: lilies, roses, daisies. Different bouquets appeared by my bedside daily.
As persistently as I discarded them, he kept sending more.
Sometimes, waking early, I could catch a glimpse of his retreating figure from my room.
This stalemate between me and Darius continued, with the system reminding me that time was running out.
I assured it that someone would eventually become impatient.
The first to grow restless was Ash. He visited Darius's home multiple times, attempting to take me away, even going so far as to alarm the elders of the Vale family.
He threatened them with his own demise unless they intervened to rescue me from Darius's grasp.
With Darius at the helm of the Vale family, stubbornness prevailed, and neither side would yield, leading to an ugly standoff.
Finally, in front of Darius, Ash issued a bold declaration: "Had I not missed out on the best moments of her life, Luna would never have been yours. You're nothing but a thief who stumbled upon fortune and fails to cherish it."
These words enraged Darius.
That night, as I drifted between sleep and wakefulness, I suddenly felt the heat of a body enveloping me...
