I replayed Isabella’s voice.

“When he comes in, you just need to get him to see the blood. That’s enough. Adrián will do the rest for me.”

The recording continued.

A man answered.

“And if Claire gets seriously hurt?”

Isabella laughed softly.

“That’s the point.”

Dr. Ethan Zhou reached forward and stopped the recording.

“That’s enough for now.”

I stared at the recorder.

Suddenly, Isabella’s scratch made sense.

The tears.

The timing.

Even the way she had looked at me from Adrian’s arms.

None of it had been spontaneous.

She had known exactly how Adrian would react.

But that didn’t excuse him.

Isabella had prepared the trap.

Adrian had willingly stepped into it.

“Make three copies,” I told Ethan. “One for my attorney. One for the police. Keep the original somewhere Adrian can’t reach.”

Ethan nodded.

That evening, Adrian began investigating.

By midnight, Isabella’s story was already collapsing.

Security footage from our house showed she had arrived twenty-seven minutes before Adrian saw her. Another camera captured her sitting calmly in her car, making a phone call.

No panic.

No visible distress.

Then Adrian found something worse.

Isabella had transferred money to one of our former housekeepers two days before the incident.

The payment description simply read:

Consulting.

Adrian called me seventeen times.

I ignored every call.

On the eighteenth, he sent a message.

Claire, I know she lied. Please let me explain.

I replied:

You have two days left.

The following afternoon, Isabella came to the hospital herself.

She entered wearing sunglasses and carrying flowers.

“I came to apologize.”

I almost admired her confidence.

“You’re being recorded,” I said.

She immediately stopped.

Then she smiled.

“Good.”

She placed the flowers down.

“You think Adrian is investigating me?”

“He is.”

“No, Claire. He’s investigating exactly what I wanted him to investigate.”

That caught my attention.

Isabella leaned closer.

“Do you really think this was about making Adrian hurt you?”

“What was it about?”

“Making him lose everything.”

She turned toward the window.

“His marriage. His reputation. His company.”

Then she looked back at me.

“And eventually, his freedom.”

My expression didn’t change.

But something inside me did.

This wasn’t jealousy.

It was revenge.

“Why?”

For the first time, Isabella’s smile disappeared.

“Ask your husband what happened to my brother seven years ago.”

Then she walked out.

I immediately called Ethan.

“Find Adrian.”

But Adrian was already on his way.

Twenty minutes later, he entered my room looking like he hadn’t slept.

He placed a folder beside me.

“I know why Isabella did this.”

I said nothing.

“Seven years ago, Gu Group acquired a smaller technology company. Her brother was one of the founders.”

“And?”

Adrian looked down.

“I destroyed him.”

There was no pride in his voice.

Only shame.

“He accused our executives of falsifying financial reports. I thought he was trying to sabotage the acquisition. I used my influence to discredit him.”

“What happened?”

“He lost everything.”

Adrian swallowed.

“And Isabella blamed me.”

I looked at him for several seconds.

“So she wanted revenge.”

“Yes.”

“And you gave it to her.”

His eyes filled with regret.

“Claire—”

“No.”

I raised my hand.

“Don’t turn yourself into her victim.”

He froze.

“She manipulated you,” I continued. “But she didn’t put the weapon in your hand. She didn’t force you to ignore me. She didn’t make you choose her before asking me a single question.”

Adrian lowered his head.

“I know.”

“No. You’re beginning to know.”

Then I handed him my attorney’s card.

“Tomorrow morning, my lawyer files for divorce.”

He stared at it.

“You said three days.”

“I changed my mind.”

His face went pale.

Before he could answer, Ethan rushed into the room.

He was holding his phone.

“Claire, we have a problem.”

He showed me the screen.

Security footage from the hospital parking garage.

Isabella was standing beside a black sedan.

Talking to a man.

Adrian leaned closer.

Then his entire body went rigid.

“You know him?” I asked.

Adrian didn’t answer.

The man turned toward the camera.

And Adrian whispered:

“That’s impossible.”

“Who is he?”

Adrian slowly sat down.

“Isabella’s brother.”

I stared at him.

“The brother whose life you destroyed?”

Adrian shook his head.

“No.”

His voice was barely audible.

“The brother who supposedly died six years ago.”

Ethan and I exchanged a look.

Then Adrian’s phone buzzed.

A message had arrived from an unknown number.

He opened it.

There was only one photograph.

Samuel Xu standing outside Gu Group headquarters.

Underneath were six words:

You took everything. Now I will.

But what frightened Adrian wasn’t the message.

It was the document Samuel was holding in the photograph.

A confidential Gu Group contract bearing Adrian’s signature.

Adrian stared at it for several seconds before whispering:

“If Samuel has that document…”

He looked at me.

“…then Isabella was never the real threat.”