Rowan's expression hardened. Without warning, he grabbed Vanessa by the wrist and flung her toward the opposite sofa. She landed with a startled cry, the impact knocking the breath from her chest. The sudden violence stunned her the warmth she'd glimpsed earlier in Rowan's eyes was gone, replaced by icy indifference.
Before she could react, three throwing knives hovered before her face, their steel edges glinting coldly under the room's light. The killing intent radiating from them froze her in place. She dared not move.
"Leon really knows how to sacrifice his pawns," Rowan said, floating effortlessly into the air. His tone was flat, detached. "All just to strike at Ryan's family… and he sends you straight into the fire. You really are just a tool, aren't you?"
Every word cut like a blade, piercing straight into Vanessa's chest.
She had once loved Leon deeply enough to give everything for him, enough to bear humiliation and pain, just to prove her devotion. For his ambitions, she'd agreed to every demand, even those that tore her heart apart.
But in return, what did she gain? Coldness. Disdain. Every morning she woke to find the bed beside her empty. Every time she tried to meet his eyes, all she saw was disgust. Those sharp, contemptuous glances stabbed into her heart like needles.
Rowan's cruel words struck where she was weakest. The tears she'd been fighting to hold back finally spilled over, rolling down her cheeks.
Rowan slowly withdrew his knives. Using a flicker of psychic energy, he caught a single teardrop midair and floated it before him. The transparent droplet shimmered under the light. He gazed at it for a long moment, then sighed softly. His expression softened as he pulled a tissue from the table and handed it to her.
Vanessa blinked in confusion. His sudden change in attitude made it impossible to read him. Still trembling, she accepted the tissue and dabbed at her tears.
"Tell me," Rowan said quietly, eyes still fixed on that suspended tear. "Do you really believe Leon loves you? Don't you see it, Vanessa? Your marriage exists because of power and the HR Alliance's interests. You love him, yes but does he love you back?"
He paused, voice dropping to a murmur. "Honestly, I think you're wasting yourself on him."
Vanessa bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "No… Leon loves me."
"Does he?" Rowan asked gently. "Do you really believe that?"
Her breath caught. She wanted to argue, to shout back. But the moment she met Rowan's steady gaze, her resolve crumbled. Her shoulders sagged like a deflated balloon.
Once, she had believed it. But after their son's death, the truth began to unravel. The man she once thought she knew now felt like a stranger. His touch was gone. His warmth had faded. Even his voice had become cold and sharp.
Rowan studied her quietly, extending his psychic senses around her. Her mental state was unstable flickering, fragile, on the verge of collapse. The energy surrounding her soul was chaotic, fragmented.
He didn't need to be a telepath to see it. Her eyes, her trembling hands, her broken posture all told the same story. She was a woman abandoned by love.
He could almost picture Leon's arrogance a proud man who couldn't stand seeing his wife defiled by another, no matter the reason. That kind of pride curdled into resentment. It was only a matter of time before Leon began rejecting her completely.
From her emotional pulse alone, Rowan could confirm it: Leon had pushed her away. Their marriage was crumbling, the bond severed beyond repair.
A slow, knowing smile curved Rowan's lips. So that's how it is. Perfect.
Vanessa might be poisonous like a scorpion, but she was still a woman of rare quality beautiful, intelligent, and now broken enough to be remade. If he played this right, she would be his. With the right conditioning… and perhaps a small explosive nanocollar for assurance… she could become a valuable asset.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, his tone shifting to something almost tender. "To love someone is to forgive them. You've sacrificed so much for him, yet he doesn't appreciate it. That alone tells you how little you mean to him."
He met her eyes, voice steady. "To ruin yourself for a man who doesn't deserve you that's true foolishness. Go home, Vanessa. For now, because of public pressure, none of you can touch Ryan's family. But one year from now… do whatever you want. I won't stop you."
Vanessa's eyes widened in disbelief.
She had come here expecting humiliation, ready to trade her dignity for revenge. But Rowan hadn't touched her. Instead, he comforted her and even promised to give her what she wanted, later.
It was the last thing she expected.
Rowan rose slowly. "One more thing," he said. "Don't tell Leon about this arrangement. If you want to see his true heart, watch how he treats you once you're no longer useful to him. Then you'll know."
He gestured, and the door opened soundlessly with a wave of psychic energy.
Vanessa hesitated, mouth opening as if to speak but no words came. Her thoughts were a tangled mess. Finally, she turned and walked out into the night.
When she was gone, Rowan returned to his sofa and lifted his glass of red wine. He swirled it thoughtfully, the liquid catching the lamplight like blood.
He sighed. "In a world like this, who still believes in love?"
He had already taken control of Vanessa's heart. If only he had mastered higher-level telepathic control, it would have been effortless to reshape her mind completely. But he was still just an apprentice, and his psychic strength wasn't enough to rewrite another's soul.
"Too bad I'm broke," he muttered.
On Earth, true psychic cultivation methods were rare. To obtain one, he needed Babata's help and that required finding him first.
Should I go to Mist Island now? Rowan tapped his chin, thinking. But he quickly dismissed the idea.
In the original timeline, Ryan found Babata only because of a chain of perfect coincidences arranged by the AI itself. For Rowan to seek him out prematurely would be too suspicious. A superintelligent being like Babata would immediately sense something off and might even deny him the inheritance of Yun Mo Star.
Without that inheritance, he'd lose everything the startup funds in Hu Yanbo's virtual bank accounts, the treasures vital to mastering cosmic laws, even the coordinates of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire. Without those, he'd be trapped in this single star system forever.
No, patience was key. He would wait for Babata to reveal himself naturally, just as history intended.
Hours later, in the HR Alliance headquarters of Jiangnan Base City, Vanessa returned home. The moment she opened the door, her heart sank the place was a wreck. The reinforced metal door was pocked with fresh dents, and shards of broken glass littered the floor.
Leon sat on the living room floor surrounded by half-empty bottles of liquor. His eyes were bloodshot, his hands trembling. When he saw her step through the door, his expression froze in disbelief.
"You're… back already?" he slurred.
Last time, Rowan had kept her the entire night. This time, barely an hour had passed.
"You didn't go?" Leon's tone darkened instantly.
Vanessa flinched. "I went," she said quietly.
"Really? Then why are you back so soon?"
Her heart clenched at his suspicious glare. "If you don't believe me, check the jet's flight log yourself."
Leon hesitated. If she was willing to let him check, she must be telling the truth. But confusion still twisted inside him. "So? Did he agree?"
Vanessa took a deep breath. "No. He said he was done with me. He just sent me away. And he told me that for now, no one is allowed to touch Ryan's family."
She was gambling gambling that there was still some trace of love left in him. But instead of softening, Leon's face twisted in rage.
"What? You failed?!" he roared.
"Leon, please, I tried"
"Shut up!" he snapped, shoving her hand away when she reached for him. "You useless woman! You can't even handle one simple task. What good are you to me now?"
Vanessa froze. "What… did you just say?"
"I said you're worthless!" His voice rose to a hysterical pitch. "Every time I look at you, I feel sick!"
Her body trembled violently. She stumbled back, eyes wide, heart shattering into pieces.
He went on, crueler by the second. "You've lost everything. Your son, your dignity, your worth. You disgust me."
The words cut deeper than any blade.
Leon's pride, his possessiveness all of it had curdled into madness. In one night, he'd lost his son, his resources, his allies. Even her family had disowned them after Rowan's warning call. Stripped of everything, all he had left was rage.
And Vanessa, standing there broken and trembling, became his last scapegoat.
She stared at him, eyes hollow. In that moment, something inside her snapped. The love that once bound her to him turned to ash.
Without another word, she turned and walked out the door.
Leon called after her, guilt flickering across his face, but pride chained his tongue. He couldn't bring himself to stop her.
And just like that, he was alone his world reduced to silence and shattered glass. He threw himself into training with desperate fury, hoping power would fill the emptiness she left behind.
Meanwhile, Rowan, ever the patient predator, became the true victor.
That same night, Vanessa returned to his doorstep, tears still drying on her cheeks. Her family had abandoned her. Leon had destroyed what was left of her heart. She had nowhere else to go.
The door opened before she could knock. A soft wave of psychic energy lifted her gently inside.
Rowan sat at his dining table, surrounded by half-eaten dishes a late-night meal interrupted by fate's perfect timing.
He looked up and smiled faintly. "Since you're here, join me."
He floated a pair of chopsticks toward her with his mind. Vanessa accepted them but barely touched her food.
"Stay here tonight," Rowan said casually. "You've lost much, but at least you've seen Leon's true face. In a way, that's a blessing in disguise."
That simple remark broke her last defense. Tears streamed down her face once more.
Rowan sighed inwardly. I really shouldn't have mentioned her son.
He passed her a tissue and gently drew her into his arms. She didn't resist. She just cried quietly, helplessly against his chest.
And as he held her, she found warmth where she least expected it: in the embrace of the man who had once destroyed her.
When she finally looked up, their eyes met. His gaze burned, intense and unyielding. She froze, breath catching in her throat. Memories of that night the passion, the fear, the forbidden thrill came rushing back.
Rowan didn't speak. He didn't need to.
He had laid every step of the path. Now the time had come to claim his prize.
Vanessa closed her eyes, and this time, she didn't resist as he lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs.
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