After I left, his empire fell

Anita held her swollen face in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at Stefan in front of her. Smack. The impact still echoed in her head more than in her skin. Her palms flew to her right cheek, clutching it tightly as she looked up at him in shock. “You b***h! You won’t even save your own sister’s life. Are you even human?” he yelled. But she wasn’t listening anymore. He had slapped her. He actually slapped her. Even now, after everything, she had still held on to hope for this relationship. But in that moment, ten years of effort, ten years of one-sided love, suddenly felt pathetic. Her eyes glistened as she looked up at him. “You… want me to save Cece?” she asked softly. “Do you even know she needs a kidney?” She searched his face, hoping—just hoping—that he would come back to his senses. Seven years ago, Stefan had been on his deathbed, in need of a kidney. She had given him hers. And because of that, their lives became tied together by family and obligation. She had known he didn’t love her. But she thought, at the very least, he would feel indebted to her. “So what?” Stefan said coldly. And something inside her finally broke. Ten years. Almost her entire youth. Wasted on this man. “Cece is a famous actress,” he continued. “She’s the most beautiful woman in Hiddenville. Do you really think you can compare yourself to even a strand of her hair? You should be grateful you’re getting the chance to do her this favor.” Anita’s pupils shrank. It felt as though her blood had started running backward. Her mind went completely blank. She had used her fashion design skills to build Stefan up step by step—helping him rise to the top like a man destined for greatness. She had poured everything into him. And just when she thought she would finally have him, the Wilson family received news that Cece—her half-sister—had collapsed on set and needed a kidney. If Cece wanted to live, she would need Anita’s other kidney. She couldn’t survive with none left. Anita had believed Stefan would never allow something so cruel. But she was wrong. He had tricked her into coming to the hospital. Forced her into a room. And tried to make her sign a consent form for organ donation. He wanted to send her to an early grave. A laugh escaped her throat. Not soft. Not gentle. Hysterical. Her eyes burned, but no tears fell. How ridiculous she was. After ten years of chasing him… she had only just realized she had fallen in love with the prince of hell. She looked at him again, her gaze now mirroring the disgust in his own eyes. Does he hate her this much? Stefan grabbed her hand and forced the pen into her fingers. “Sign it.” But Anita did what any trapped person would do. She ran. She struggled, twisting free with desperate strength. But Stefan was a man—strong, unrelenting—and she could not overpower him. He cursed under his breath as she broke free, stumbling back. Stefan inhaled sharply, grabbed the document, handed it to a nearby nurse, and immediately chased after her. At the same time, Anita had already slipped into the corridor. She grabbed a lab coat, threw it over herself, and in seconds, blended into the hospital chaos—moving like she belonged there. Then she was gone. She ran until her lungs burned. Until her legs felt numb. Until she finally burst out of the hospital doors. And only when she reached an alley far away from the building did she stop. That was when she broke. She collapsed against the wall and sobbed violently, her whole body shaking. Ten years of memories crashed into her all at once. Her parents were still in the countryside. She had earned enough to bring them to the city and give them a better life—but she never did. Every resource, every sacrifice, every breath had gone into Stefan. A leech. A parasite. At that moment, something inside her changed. She decided it. She would live for herself. And for her parents. Nothing else. Wiping her face, she stood and began walking down the sidewalk—empty, detached, lost in thought. She didn’t see the road. She didn’t hear the car. A voice cut through the air. “Young girl!” A horn blared. Tires screeched. And then— A loud impact. The world shattered into silence. Everything went black.