Four years ago, Claire had used the Prescott family, manipulated everyone, and forced him to agree to their engagement. She thought, “Now, Frederick hates me so much that he wished to tear me apart, yet he said he wanted to marry me?”

It wasn’t until an hour later, when Frederick brought Claire to the most famous bridal shop in Kingstown, that she found herself standing in a white dress beside the impeccably dressed Frederick. It all felt like a dream.

“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 stood there, staring at her reflection alongside Frederick, unable to utter a single word. It felt like a dream that had lasted a century, finally coming true. This was the moment she had fantasized about since she was a child, and no matter how much she tried to restrain herself, her heart still trembled violently.

But in the next moment, her dream turned into a nightmare.

“Being the one to die for Caroline is an honor, isn’t it? You wanted to be Mrs. Hawthorne, right? Fine, stay by my side and die in her place. I promise you’ll be Mrs. Hawthorne in life and in death.”

Frederick whispered coldly in her car, his gaze as sinister as a demon from hell. A chill seeped through Claire’s entire body, freezing her to the bone. So, the reason he wanted to marry her was to keep her by his side as a shield for Caroline.

Four years ago, when she was imprisoned, Frederick was only a major general, yet he was surrounded by countless dangers. Now, not only had he been promoted to general, commanding the security regiment, but he was also a presidential candidate. She understood better than anyone just how dangerous his position was. Let alone anything else, just Frederick’s elder brother alone could kill her a hundred times over. He wouldn’t let Caroline be exposed to such risks. No one knew better than Claire, the former heiress of the Prescott family, how ruthless Arthur Hawthorne was. When she was six, she had witnessed Arthur skin someone alive. The terror of that scene had kept her in the hospital for three whole months. Just thinking about it made her tremble uncontrollably even now.

“No! Frederick… please! Don’t be so cruel!” Claire’s face turned pale as she fell to her knees in front of Frederick, begging desperately. A shock went through Frederick as he watched Claire, her head bloodied from the impact. At that moment, the image of the haughty heiress of the Prescott family flashed before his eyes.

“Hey, Frederick, this is my gift to you. Don’t you dare to throw it away!”

“Frederick, your birthday must be celebrated by me, and I’m in charge. If anyone tries to take it from me, I’ll smash their house!”

“Frederick, you belong to me. If anyone tries to take you from me, I’ll make sure they regret it!”

He thought, “When had that proud heiress turned into this?” She was not just begging but smashing her head until it bled. The once arrogant Claire had never uttered a single soft word in her life.

Even when she had liked him so much, following him around, it was always with an air of superiority, as if saying, “You belong to me, Frederick.” But now…

“Enough! Claire, stop kneeling and playing the victim in front of me, seeking sympathy. You will be Mrs. Hawthorne!”

Frederick’s face darkened as he recalled the time Claire had knelt in front of his car. He thought, “The old Claire was just bossy, but after a few years in prison, she had learned to play tricks and put on an act.”

Frederick finished speaking and ordered someone to take her back to the Halfmoon Manor. She collapsed to the ground, her mind filled with what was about to happen. During those four years in prison, she lived in constant fear, dreading the transition from day to night, night to day, always scared that death would come for her at any time. She hadn’t expected that even after her release, death would still be waiting for her. She clung to herself tightly, pressing against the back of the sofa, trembling. She thought, “No! I have fought so hard to escape that hellish place, to have a chance at survival. I want to live. I couldn’t stay by Frederick’s side and wait to die. I had to escape! I must escape!”