AmberlynSonnet

She was once Du Yue, the dazzling jewel of Starlight City society—proud and fiery, loving Chen Ze with a passion that consumed her, until he became the very center of her universe.  
He, on the other hand, was Chen Ze, the unyielding emperor of the business world—cold, calculating, and willing to sacrifice her to safeguard his cherished ideal, Shen Ya, crushing her dignity beneath his heel without remorse.  
“Du Yue, if justice won’t punish you, I will.”  
For two years, she plummeted from the heights of bliss into the depths of despair, her spirit reduced to ash, yearning only for freedom from his suffocating grasp.  
“Wife, where do you think you’re going without me?” He closed in, his voice deceptively soft but edged with cruel intent.  
“To a place far from you…” she answered icily, her resolve unwavering, leaving no room for regret or return. When the truth finally came to light, he realized the magnitude of his mistake, his heart drowning in waves of unbearable regret.  
But she was no longer the woman who had once burned so brightly for him.  
In the meantime, her closest friend embarked on a mission to avenge her mother, allying with a shadowy CEO whose identity remained shrouded in mystery, setting off a tempest within the upper echelons of high society.  
Love and hatred intertwined, debts of vengeance and wounds of betrayal collided, redemption and retribution walked side by side. In this intricate game of power and wealth, who would emerge victorious when the final curtain fell?

Billionaire’s Toxic Affair

Chen Ze hesitated for a moment, dim memories surfacing. He recalled the first time he saw Du Yue at a banquet in the school hall. She had exuded elegance as she performed on the piano, her slender fingers dancing like butterflies—an image that remained etched in his mind.

But now, her hands were ravaged by chilblains, the flesh raw and peeling. How could he reconcile this sight with the graceful pianist he once knew?

A sudden constriction gripped his chest, leaving him breathless.

The sound of knocking jolted Chen Ze back to reality. His dark eyes refocused as he clenched his fists.

How could he be so foolish as to pity Du Yue? Everything she endured was self-inflicted! Had she not conspired with his father out of jealousy towards Shen Ya, Shen Ya would never have suffered such humiliation, and Du Yue wouldn't have ended up in this state!

She was born vile and deserved no mercy!

"Come in!" Chen Ze barked, his tone harsh. The person knocking hesitated for several seconds before entering—it was Shen Weiyi.

She carried a steaming bowl of medicinal broth and addressed Chen Ze, "Master, the kitchen has prepared a remedy to ward off the chill for Miss Du. Perhaps you could persuade her to take a few sips?"

With that, Shen Weiyi placed the bowl on the table and quietly withdrew.

Chen Ze stared at the broth for a long while, picked it up—it was still warm—and after gazing at Du Yue in silence, he finally spooned a small amount toward her lips.

Even in illness, Du Yue remained as obstinate as ever. Whatever entered her mouth was promptly rejected.

Fury surged within Chen Ze. He forced her jaw open and pressed the spoon against her cracked, bloodless lips, determined to make her swallow.

It had been an eternity since he'd been this close to a woman. Suppressing a primal urge, he pulled Du Yue into his arms.

"Du Yue, you are not allowed to die," he murmured, repeating the words like a mantra. As her breathing gradually steadied, his eyelids grew heavy.

In the middle of the night, Chen Ze awoke drenched in heat. Not only was the room stifling, but the woman beside him burned with fever, her skin scorching to the touch.

He pressed his hand to her forehead, then quickly rose to make a call.

Ten minutes later, his friend Jing Xinyi arrived, grumbling under his breath and carrying a medical kit. Upon seeing Chen Ze, he launched into a tirade: "Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what time it is? Calling me over for this—thank goodness I wasn't with anyone, or I'd have blocked you for sure!"

Jing Xinyi froze upon realizing they were in Chen Ze's master bedroom. When he caught sight of the woman lying there, his shock was palpable.

"Well, well... So even you has changed his ways?" Jing Xinyi teased, though his voice faltered when he recognized the face beneath the disheveled hair.

Looking at Chen Ze again, Jing Xinyi detected something new in his expression—something unreadable.

"How did she end up like this?" Jing Xinyi asked as he carefully inserted a thermometer into Du Yue's mouth. Her current state spoke volumes about the torment she had endured.

Chen Ze sneered. "She brought it upon herself."

Jing Xinyi fell silent, finishing his examination without another word. Once done, he stepped outside.

Chen Ze followed. "How about it? Will the person not die?"

Chapter 24 Will She Survive?