The next morning, Aria Snow was awakened by urgent doorbell ringing.
Kane Rivers was no longer beside her. She put on a robe and went downstairs, finding a strange middle-aged woman at the door.
"Are you Aria Snow?" The woman looked her up and down, her gaze full of disdain, "I'm Kane Rivers' mother."
Aria Snow's heart skipped a beat. Grace Rivers—the woman who had most opposed their relationship five years ago.
"Mrs. Rivers." Aria Snow nodded politely.
"Don't call me that." Grace Rivers pushed directly through the door, "I'm not that close to you."
Aria Snow stepped aside, watching this woman who had once filled her with fear stride into the living room.
"I didn't expect you'd have the nerve to come back." Grace Rivers sat on the sofa, her gaze sharp as a knife, "Leaving without a word back then, and now coming back to seduce my son. Aria Snow, what exactly do you want?"
"I just want to save my brother." Aria Snow answered honestly.
"Save your brother?" Grace Rivers laughed coldly, "Using your body to save him? Aria Snow, you're even more shameless than five years ago."
Every word was like a whip striking Aria Snow's heart, but she had grown accustomed to this kind of humiliation.
"You're right." She calmly admitted, "I am indeed shameless."
This response stunned Grace Rivers. She had expected to see Aria Snow's anger or defense, but this calm acknowledgment made her feel uneasy.
"Do you know how much pain Kane has endured these five years looking for you?" Grace Rivers' voice became sharper, "He rejected all women, all marriages, just to wait for a slut who abandoned him to come back!"
"I know." Aria Snow's voice remained calm, "So now I'm back, letting him torment me. Isn't that fair?"
"Torment you?" Grace Rivers stood up and walked to Aria Snow, "You think this is torment? Aria Snow, you're enjoying his affection, living in his house, spending his money—is this torment?"
"If you had seen how he treated me last night, you wouldn't say that." Aria Snow raised her head, meeting Grace Rivers' eyes directly, "He made me humiliate myself in front of everyone, made me please his clients like a prostitute, made me give up all dignity. Isn't this torment?"
Grace Rivers was shocked by her words, but quickly regained her coldness: "That's the retribution you deserve."
Just then, Kane Rivers pushed through the door. Seeing the scene in the living room, his expression instantly darkened.
"Mom, what are you doing here?" His voice was cold.
"I came to see what kind of spell this woman has cast on you." Grace Rivers pointed at Aria Snow, "Kane, wake up—she's not worth this."
"This is my business." Kane Rivers walked to Aria Snow's side, "Please leave."
"I won't leave." Grace Rivers was resolute, "Unless you promise me to cut ties with this woman."
"Impossible." Kane Rivers answered without hesitation.
"Then I'll let everyone know that the dignified young master of the Rivers family is keeping a second-hand woman!" Grace Rivers' words became increasingly harsh, "I'll let the entire high society see how degraded your woman is!"
Aria Snow listened to these insults, feeling no waves in her heart. She had grown accustomed to being defined this way.
But Kane Rivers was furious.
"Enough!" His voice thundered, "She's my woman, and no one has the right to point fingers!"
"Woman?" Grace Rivers laughed coldly, "Does she deserve it? A woman who abandoned you for money back then, and now returns to your side for money again. Kane, are you really this stupid?"
"For money?" Kane Rivers suddenly turned to Aria Snow, dangerous light flashing in his eyes, "Is that so, Aria Snow?"
Aria Snow looked at him, knowing this was another test. No matter how she answered, it would become a reason for him to torment her.
"If you think so, then yes." She chose the simplest answer.
This response made Kane Rivers' gaze even colder. He suddenly grabbed Aria Snow's wrist and pulled her toward him.
"Since it's for money." His voice was low and dangerous, "Then earn this money properly."
With that, he kissed Aria Snow roughly in front of Grace Rivers. It wasn't a kiss of love, but one of possession and humiliation.
Grace Rivers was shocked by this scene, but Kane Rivers didn't stop. His hands began roaming over Aria Snow's body, his movements rough and brazen.
"Kane!" Grace Rivers tried to intervene, but Kane Rivers' gaze made her afraid to approach.
"Didn't you want to see how degraded she is?" Kane Rivers released Aria Snow but kept his arm around her waist, "Now you can see clearly—this is exactly that kind of woman. For money, she can endure anything."
Aria Snow was held in his arms, feeling his body trembling. She knew he was in pain too, but this pain made him even more cruel.
"Mom, you see now." Kane Rivers' voice carried a hint of madness, "This is the woman I chose. A plaything I can manipulate at will."
Every word cut into Aria Snow's heart like a knife, but she didn't resist, even cooperatively leaning into his embrace.
Grace Rivers watched all this, finally realizing her son had gone mad.
"Kane, you're tormenting her like this, but you're also tormenting yourself." Her voice carried a tremor.
"Yes." Kane Rivers admitted, "We're tormenting each other. But this is our love."
"This isn't love, this is pathological!"
"So what?" Kane Rivers looked down at Aria Snow in his arms, "We're both sick, incurably sick."
Grace Rivers finally understood that she couldn't stop anything. These two people had fallen deep into an abyss that only they could understand.
"I'm leaving." She walked toward the door, "But I hope you remember, you'll regret this someday."
After the door closed, only the two of them remained in the living room.
Kane Rivers released Aria Snow and walked to the bar to pour himself a whiskey.
"For money?" He didn't turn around, "Aria Snow, did you really come back for money?"
"Of course, what else?" Aria Snow asked back.