Chapter 5: To Be Mrs. Hawthorne?

Four years ago, Claire had manipulated the Prescott family, forcing Frederick to agree to their engagement. “So why does he want to marry me?” she thought.

It wasn't until an hour later, when Frederick brought her to Kingstown's most famous bridal shop, that she found herself in a white dress beside the impeccably dressed Frederick. It all felt like a dream—familiar yet unexpectedly different. She couldn't muster a smile, questioning the reality of the situation.

“Aren’t you happy? Isn’t this what you’ve always dreamed of? Becoming Mrs. Hawthorne?” Frederick's gaze darkened as he grabbed her arm and looked at her in the mirror.

Claire stared at her reflection, unable to speak. This was the moment she'd fantasized about since childhood, yet she felt utterly confused. Her body trembled violently.

Chapter 5: To Be Mrs. Hawthorne?

“Being the one to die for Caroline is an honor, isn’t it? You wanted to be Mrs. Hawthorne, didn’t you?” he gritted his teeth. “Fine, stay by my side… you’ll be Mrs. Hawthorne in life… and in death,” he whispered coldly, his gaze sinister.

A chill froze Claire as she understood: he wanted to marry her to protect Caroline. Four years ago, when she was imprisoned, Frederick was a major general facing constant danger. Now, as a general commanding the security regiment and a presidential candidate, the threats were even greater. He wouldn't expose Caroline to such risks.

Even worse, Frederick's older brother, Arthur Hawthorne, was the biggest threat. Claire, the former Prescott heiress, knew Arthur's ruthlessness firsthand—witnessing a brutal act at the age of six that left her traumatized for months.

Chapter 5: To Be Mrs. Hawthorne?

Just thinking about it made her tremble uncontrollably.

“No! Frederick… please! Don’t be so cruel! I am begging you!” she pleaded, her face paling as she fell to her knees. A smacking sound echoed as her face hit the ground.

A shock went through Frederick as he watched Claire, her head bloodied. The image of the formerly prissy Prescott heiress flashed before his eyes: Frederick, this is my gift to you. Don’t you dare throw it away! Frederick, I’ll do all of your birthday planning, because I’m in charge. Frederick, you belong to me. If anyone tries to take you from me, they’ll regret it!

He wondered how the woman before him, crumpled and desperate, could be the same woman who had once possessed such arrogance. He almost thought her identity had been switched again, but this time it wasn't a rich girl, but a broken soul from prison.

Her begging devolved into thrashing as she beat her head against the concrete. The memories flooded back to him in horror.

Chapter 5: To Be Mrs. Hawthorne?

The once arrogant Claire had never spoken a soft word. Even when falling for him, it was always with an air of superiority: "You belong to me, Frederick."

“Enough!” Frederick demanded, breaking through his inner turmoil. “Claire! Stop kneeling and playing the victim! You will be Mrs. Hawthorne whether you like it or not!”

Frederick's face darkened as he recalled Claire kneeling before his car a month ago, shivering in the snow. “The old Claire was just bossy. But after a few years in prison, she’s learned how to play tricks,” he thought.

Frustrated, he ordered a driver to take her back to the Halfmoon Manor. Weakly climbing into the car, her mind raced with terrifying possibilities.

During those four years in prison, she had lived in constant fear, dreading the transition from day to night, always paranoid that death was near. She hadn't expected death to still be waiting for her in the free world.

Chapter 5: To Be Mrs. Hawthorne?

She clung to herself tightly, pressed against the back of the seat, trembling. “No!” she thought, “I’ve fought so hard to escape that hellish place, to have a chance at survival. I want to live. I can’t just stay by Frederick’s side and wait to die. I have to escape!”