In the refugee camp of Country F, a figure curled up on the ground, so weakened by hunger she could barely move.

Half a piece of bread rolled to her feet, but before she could react, someone next to her snatched it away.

"That's mine!" The woman went mad, wrestling the bread back from the man's grasp. She didn’t care about the dirt clinging to the crust—she devoured it in greedy bites.

It wasn’t until a pair of polished leather shoes stopped in front of her.

Eva Snow looked up at the man and let out a cold laugh. "What? Are you scared of me? I’ll have you know, my family will find me soon. When they do, I’ll make sure they skin you alive!"

Ever since she'd come to Country F, there was nothing left of her former heiress self. Her face was smeared with grime; anyone would need a close look to recognize her.

After that day when she left the Lawrence family, someone abducted her. When she woke up, she found herself in this godforsaken place—nowhere, just a hellhole.

Once pampered and spoiled, she was now thrown into a slum, reduced to fighting refugees for scraps of food, sleeping under bridges at night. Living like this was worse than death, but Yancy Shaw would never let her off that easily.

No matter how many curses she spat, the man standing before her never showed any emotion; he just stared at her coldly.

"You'd better be sensible and take me back while you can. Maybe I'll even consider letting you off," she threatened.

The man remained silent, his gaze icy and unflinching.

The more Eva Snow talked, the less confident she grew.

Suddenly, the man let out a cold laugh. "You think I'm afraid of the Snow family?"

The fact that he dared go this far meant he was never afraid. Third Young Master’s only instruction was to keep her safe—everything else didn’t matter. She needed to be worn down; after all, she’d dared meddle with Third Young Madam, so she must really have a death wish.

It was the first time this man had spoken to her.

"Oh, you do know how to talk. I thought you were mute," Eva Snow mocked. She dared taunt him because she was convinced he wouldn’t actually do anything to her. Otherwise, how could she have survived this long?

Ignoring her taunts, Yuan Ran glanced at another woman standing nearby. Catching his look, the woman stormed over and slapped Eva Snow across the face, muttering something in a language Eva Snow didn’t understand.

Yuan Ran never hit women himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t find someone else for the job. Some people just had it coming.

The slap made Eva Snow’s head spin, sparks flashing before her eyes.

Yuan Ran then said something to the woman, after which she bowed and nodded to him repeatedly.

He cast Eva Snow one last indifferent look, then drove away.

—

"Big news! Huifeng Group just got acquired by Summit International." Mia May rushed up to Lauren Shaw, waving her phone.

The news really did surprise Lauren Shaw.

Suyuche probably never imagined that, in the end, his reckless actions would bankrupt his own family.

She’d heard her uncle say the Sung family was bound to go bankrupt eventually—it was just a matter of time. She hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

With a new brand about to launch, Lauren Shaw didn’t dwell on it any further. Suyuche’s fate had nothing to do with her—as long as she knew he wasn’t doing well, she felt at ease.

She worked all day, and it wasn’t until dusk that Yancy Shaw turned up at the studio.

She massaged her aching neck, and before she could speak, Yancy Shaw asked, "Did Yana Quinn visit today? She didn’t give you any trouble, did she?"

Lauren Shaw looked at the three women just leaving the studio. They stood outside, waving at her and mouthing, "Sister Sheng, we’re heading out!"

They sure knew when to take a hint.

Yancy Shaw’s fingers landed on her neck, cool and soothing.

He gently massaged her shoulders. "Don’t work yourself to the bone every day. Remember to take breaks and rest." His voice was soft, full of care—he couldn’t bear to see her so exhausted.

His hands were skilled, and Lauren Shaw felt completely relaxed in the spinning chair.

"The new products are about to go live. I need to hurry with the designs," she said. She’d wasted too much time; now she was scrambling to keep up.

Yancy Shaw massaged her for a long while before finally stopping.

"Mrs. Shen, are you ready to clock out yet?"

Lauren Shaw glanced at her watch, spun the chair around, and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him. "Hubby, tonight I want braised lion’s head meatballs."

Yancy Shaw looked at her with fondness, gently ruffling her hair. "Alright, let’s go grocery shopping now. I’ll cook them for you at home."

After picking up the groceries, Lauren Shaw also chose a few daily items for the house.

Just living their simple little life together was a blessing in itself—no workplace headaches, no major pressures. Now she understood why Yancy Shaw quit the company. Life was much better this way.

While picking out toiletries in the household aisle, they suddenly ran into an old acquaintance—Zoe Carter.

Zoe Carter froze on spotting her, quickly replaced by a look of resentment.

Lauren Shaw had no interest in talking to her. She grabbed her things and was about to find Yancy Shaw when Zoe Carter called out.

"Trying to pretend you don’t know me? Feeling guilty, are you?"

The Sung family was bankrupt, Suyuche was still bedridden, and even her husband wouldn’t give her the time of day. Now, she was a laughingstock among the society ladies—all thanks to Lauren Shaw.

Lauren Shaw felt there was nothing left to say. Was she supposed to smile and make small talk? Zoe Carter wasn’t even worthy of it.

"Are we close?" Lauren Shaw wasn’t the least bit guilty. If the Sung family collapsed, it wasn’t her doing. It was just that someone like Zoe Carter didn’t deserve her respect. She’d rather treat her like a stranger.

Zoe Carter laughed coldly. "Back then, you and Yuche were as good as engaged! Only when the Shen family came along, you dumped us for someone richer—isn’t that right?"

It had been ages, but Zoe Carter just couldn’t let it go.

The truth was, she was just bitter. Why should Lauren Shaw get everything, while the Sung family ended up like this?

"What are you talking about? You know exactly why I broke off the engagement. It's been ages—aren’t you tired of dragging this up? Regret it now? Well, it’s too late. My husband is way out of your son’s league," Lauren Shaw retorted.

She put it bluntly—just to rub salt in the wound and leave Zoe Carter speechless.

"You..." Zoe Carter stammered, furious, but there was nothing she could say.

Lauren Shaw turned around—and saw Yancy Shaw standing behind her, pushing the cart, a smile tugging at his lips.

Clearly, he’d overheard everything—and it put him in a surprisingly good mood.

Zoe Carter saw the affection between the two, and her resentment only grew deeper. Ever since finding out Yancy Shaw was the Shen family's third young master, she didn’t dare mouth off anymore.

Just as she turned to leave, Yancy Shaw called after her.

"Mrs. Su, my wife is gentle by nature. If you have anything to say, say it to me directly. Don’t trouble her."