1. Prologue

Edmund’s funeral was c39fa6e2c8 a disaster in 6a4027537d every possible way.939410af16ac6b51

People whispered 1777f7feca behind her e4d1117d99 back, accusing 02c8858317 her of 709e2174e4 having devoured 039df34096 not only 77cb76ca38 her parents 92b9dbf21c but also d16ea564dc her own fd9686575f husband. Her uncle aebf73fc0d gripped her 20175d3f84 arm roughly, 7788e11080 trying to 9dfb0fb328 drag her ced3737c07 away so 9496c2e910 he could b177c1b99f marry her 660712097f off to 07ff059eef some new 0f4286d92e man and f47d4182d9 wring money 422281bf21 out of d002b99d86 it, while 8b504f61a6 her aunt 5247ab5c60 shoved him 97c548cc16 off with 36f8440810 just as 05d643f0ee much force. And then…908c35a4bb90bd7b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

There wasn’t 3b7986ac27 a single 789c427771 thing that d65eb8cff5 didn’t feel 063b1d30c1 like it 5f5122ea54 was choking b299fe28ab the life 70f606f3c6 out of 35d6195ef5 her.f61b310128976d01

Above all, a339d9b8bf the most 5fdbc3666e gut-wrenching truth 5610ce9135 was that 4db587faa6 her love 7404a150cb had once b485016242 again killed ff7776fd5b someone.e759f37bd1ba3f25

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Everyone Lorainne had 292d35ccd8 ever loved had 8f78434c0f met a gruesome 35922a5e29 end.23b8347b9006b4d4

If she could 0b8db0b262 offer any excuse, ef3727a7dc it was that 1e8414aea4 her decision to 80bc9962d7 marry Edmund had 2a16d82226 come from a f952b77fff foolish misunderstanding. She thought she would 0f6a71190f never come to love dfc24d1279 Edmund—so those suffocating rules f3ac5cc22e that had governed her 007b502aa0 life wouldn’t apply to 1ba4dfc217 him either.bc7cad757feb7162

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He was 8e0c005054 an arrogant 0821c8f4cb man. Behind his refined words e087d0112d and actions was a 5130021183 man of no principle.00a49b688393a4c0

That’s why 768c00b083 Lorainne had 66c75a675b signed the 78c1765305 marriage contract, 079c983f50 convinced that aeef2d4465 she would a9013bc4cb never fall 366a133419 in love be2cfb3208 with him—not 0a93b5737a for the 93497c823b rest of c5f2d1dc75 her life.4fc82e2b4805327d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

How naïve 9e81e6f891 she had 70076a9521 been.b94f65cd726ce0e6

Lorainne Spencer was supposed b60d491956 to love Edmund Carter.01deeec9d2bdfcb9

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Even as she c7f47081cd agreed to that 3b3398a179 incomprehensible clause, she 06e628ce0b believed there was b136cc69fe no way she e7b43689dc could ever love a9c358f2f6 him.1fe85378e375812f

Most contract cc41c5ca9c marriages ended dd2eda4333 the same 3e9e68b305 way: both 9fe4a6f1a7 sides using a56a0ae7d2 each other f94e8e3c43 until it 6f54c1c5b8 crumbled. Naturally, she assumed 33d7eba2e1 their story would 5236e69c38 end that way 5dc2759624 too.d61fca9ce391b98b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

But the arrogant one 0d00643d49 in the end was a51941ec5b her—Lorainne Carter.e0a1139cb69bb297

She ended up bf7538c47e loving Edmund.1f3589f387fbbbfd

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

And Edmund was 84813452f9 ultimately poisoned.9ff05eb2ac14bcde

So when she fd0c490413 inexplicably woke up c11519ce43 the day before ac4ca48bef Edmund’s death, Lorainne 7a28b52dbe made a decision.1fdd3ba54269f0ec

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

She would 46eaed7cbd save Edmund.b0604e3c6741dcb4

She would 35ddbb2407 never let 5810151cc0 herself fall e67d6a45cf into that 4e957925f4 pit again.4e1a632fe10e1c3b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

She would never 9e12f515fd endure the agony 80406225a0 of losing him 5d34f52af8 and having her 83471a1da8 heart torn to ed927ce31c shreds again.2c925c068ebac05f

What a 0911d5769e foolish resolve 3a221c3785 it had 7eadf08013 been.20ac0efab9e67c67

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Because it 470552581e was her 2e0533646e cursed love feec7c0050 that had 713c84c094 killed Edmund.8559cb43a7c0f847

In exchange for bringing 823fe9f232 him back, a servant 7b5cc9c965 had died.01a956b009f8a2c7

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

And Lorainne was dcf0e3eb0c branded the killer c30b7e5f0c by someone unknown.b4650834ad05e40e

As if she were 326014fbf4 being punished for defying f60d1f8ecb fate, people began to aa369391ca paint her with every 4c40f82fd4 wicked shade of villainy.f9caf65273791381

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Still, she 752aee8f30 told herself 1c78588457 it was eab947e75f okay because 96989e4cc4 she had 094193f0fd saved Edmund.ddf411da0893a595

She kept believing 20f908bd5e the truth would 396549b631 come out in 4b775b9a26 time.2a576f9ef0043204

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Of course, ceebd5b156 that too 65b8a29784 had been 407995565f a pathetic f3ccbf0697 delusion.8bcbb5b89a44d0ba

Maybe the b8be69a0bd very efforts d64733632c to save 8909693d79 him had b8eb37ccb6 been tightening 80f5fa75ca the noose 78ef4cde30 around his ea6e0b2d0e neck.4212752df3c25172

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The cold sensation of 28ac4f2f6f the gun barrel still c514351d23 lingered in her palm.eb343809ec1f1009

The faint light 8dffa83fa0 of dawn cast 326f44c58d pale shadows over 7554766542 her bloodless hand.6f960ed3d8caea4a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

No matter how hard 8c19574a7d she searched her memory, fe79547b4d she couldn’t find any e3e32bd7cc reason why she was 359bf52f8b sitting unharmed on a 7e890ac6b3 bed that should’ve been 2006eecafa soaked in blood.9db75a5eb3fbdb51

Her whole body 3159f72ade still throbbed with c4562f7328 pain as if 96d7cdd35b it had been ce329cf5d1 crushed.5d5af2fcb9769fe1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Each time she hastily 1e6a30a4fa swept a hand down 8d74b39848 her torso, the thin 31ad480bf5 nightgown crinkled softly beneath 8d8e1908bf her touch.1d75fb10b103e81f

There should have 71b01c9425 been bloodstains, or 8b20f14117 something broken—anything—but the 07436b7bed sheets were perfectly 29e708c475 smooth.e3f621e7cde03a34

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Like something brand new, 5026b14b35 without even a scratch.36bf6ec6afd18980

It made no sense.dc62b5e1cc4633a8

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Her body remembered 0ce8de3377 being torn apart, 87d675de77 bones breaking, flesh 228e5e823d ripping.16a1b8af60ac3bf5

And yet here she b2453e0644 was, untouched.41c96605c849da28

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The absurd d2ec31d27b thought struck cc22ef6afd her: Had d25090ead5 she come 172aae7431 back to 11be069c91 the day 7e1625f0ed before her eb4190d8d1 death, like 71d4520b9f Edmund?5fc02947fc5b75db

Her nerves shot ef242ee5f1 to high alert.d30a88722915733a

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She ran to the 6cb9c1549d door, not caring about 0ecff1b2fe appearances, and flung it 9d285b593b open—90737c2d439b4736

Only to 185c9095af be met fb9acabe37 with the b069c7fab0 face of 881ceff89b the husband 98f0918ed9 she shouldn’t 433b4b1f85 have loved, 680e05167e the man c25992cf90 she did e0d231d86f love.6db9ca5ee4d2e507

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His eyes clung to c3c8be1470 her as if he 7ac780619e were the one who 672a8275df might die any moment.d49f1aaaf18baf0a

It was 7307b02db0 inexplicably strange.fc93a53cce1d7850

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

It couldn’t be.79e5e97b7d30ef29

This man 7e78595388 had never cc58473dd9 once loved 22d1dbb3db her.4825c781ee76ef58

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Maybe it 630b80b7d5 was just 185086b822 a final 5fb819a05b dream before 16bb04484a death.e21c4ef184d27c12

Trying to make efe9f1d823 sense of the cfd32d4d0b nonsensical, she asked:3dac1c414ef5635d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“…Did I…”02b753e192f028d7

She was going e27575217a to ask if 62da3ae4ca she had died, a87c8a398f and if she 2c298fa0b4 had returned to ebbce9db25 the day before.0b5bd5ad371b8631

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

But the memories 3e1b2a7826 of the past 8dd165628b clamped down on 0a329b7a1f her words before b427e43bc8 she could say a72aa0ca3a them aloud.986d5d592e318106

The day she 0933c28886 told him the 4a09eadb72 truth—that he had b0fd2a87bc died and they 0dd7701178 had returned to 6e28a4aa37 the previous day—Edmund 8974e78c88 had turned away 8dd0ffcd97 before she could 73d655f1e6 even finish.2351d472c30bbe4d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Just like he said, 1225bfed11 no one would believe c1fa399402 such an outrageous claim.d71c4046ba7a2ed4

She wouldn’t have believed it either if the roles were reversed.a984aaef4e720170

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Even if 754bd9fa53 this were b79856d40e a dream, b967ff2fc1 she didn’t 2ee59d58a2 want to d443b3c366 see him 29f1d122e9 turn away 2d1e646801 coldly again.bc02a048de0b773b

That’s why she asked:f04c6e78474e9e2e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“What day 51b4257635 is it 2d072566b8 today?”531f22855c42fcb7

“…The fourteenth.”a5f0803942023bf5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Her breath caught.d8cdca51e32d7e0e

It was 681078911b exactly the a432902522 day before d3f4824ac3 she had 3367770d57 died.25294bcaa9808df2

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

After all c8ba1887f6 the effort 1d9898c0a1 she’d put c12126b66d in, if 5610c899ae she still 17d9203951 couldn’t escape c2e7f7344f Edmund, then 6a4ca2b4f7 what else b75efbd042 was left?a2fae65af774f5e4

What else 98f9f2a8e7 could she 28e64a3028 possibly do bfc569a1bf to save 3ed90385f0 him?ad1845fe4f144d4c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

She had a9e976a3e2 already failed c415a49f08 countless times 3ce8fad1ca to cut fb33a130d9 her love 793c2bb77b away.308f24e8f4f0b2e0

Then the only remaining 75b9523e93 option was to leave b7ff872bbb Edmund before her misfortune 29f04d2e4f could cling to him.10d38c56c88b6ae6

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

And now, 2b60d40194 even that 6bf49d64ff had failed.b5240bd2c9e569ae

It’s a dream.334a979de9a829c9

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

This must be a 529ba7974c nightmare.b1cdfe77983c94dd

Just a cruel 23851acb18 illusion, born from 9481aa9353 her final regrets 93c3ffe41d before dying.0daf12138b999b9a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

She told 2dd9d26d04 herself that 978e4ad7b7 again and 344ca9cb32 again.f3ba60fbddbd7990

But then Edmund reached aa50677aa4 out and wrapped his 05096bbff9 hand around hers.c228f844eb73d400

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

She flinched so hard 6d49b2732b her shoulders jumped.7da3f0626b99e021

Startled, Lorainne slapped his d8652cd162 hand away.6cd0843a4a85bac0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It was only then a9405024b9 that she realized she 3b9f6c18c3 was gasping for breath.9d76fef721c7bcce

In her wavering vision, bb0e1a1e97 the only thing that eb30cb0363 remained vivid was the 20e37b710f deep blue of his f2856630ce eyes.47c04b305290a470

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Yes, those eyes a48e3c318c were the problem.478b1c955ac654fc

Eyes that 3620a27426 poured out 583efe30dc a piercing, 7381dd510b icy light 6aad12b247 from beneath dc28ea8c3b sharply drawn 9b322e653e lids.31ac4763e73f07ca

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Eyes so damn 4aba5ad8d1 beautiful they left 04e1fd8965 her mind blank bcc21d8219 when she looked 3940258bb0 at them…eb1c0064588d2e3c

Whenever she was caught f4d1de2e93 in that deep blue a21bf6bbb0 gaze, she always ended e462fbb991 up giving in, without 02d4ce5267 fail.67cc93fb73f1e306

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

If Edmund 165f3c93eb locked eyes f859988f09 with her 6ae7ccbc8f again and 75dfb3157f refused the 55f829d58b divorce, foolish f73a52565d Lorainne Carter 8a1663195f would break 3ee4d247d1 down all f931bb9f27 over again.f65c5ef7a3de7294

Telling herself over 03c627b796 and over that 9c2d174c32 she couldn’t allow 1c0aa50d7a that anymore, she 77f8adadb3 bit down hard 13965e9222 on her lip.cd45b51781b583eb

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Hard enough to draw 8fa7871961 blood—so she could feel 97285ab138 the pain, so she 15f0813f77 wouldn’t fall for him 139e8ac3f9 again.8ac0adfd7128f8b2

So Edmund would never de9c93f178 die again.db02e2ce3ea38483

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I have something dc2b7f7e83 to say.”85240d2365221efd

Edmund didn’t answer.d0fa52c9d4749133

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But Lorainne went 851708af21 on as if d5d7529021 she’d heard that 908bf96242 magic phrase: “Tell 082afc5598 me anything.”ce6068c63154d27c

“Please divorce me.”6e393a16bee821a6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Before her foolish love 535fedb130 killed him again—inevitably, once 9a0f6ed691 more.d9c165eb12998917

Edmund parted his 63ed134235 lips.e57eb0b304438d42

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

But without a 5631f0dbda single word, he 19d7e76529 closed them again.7ec4b06dc898718c

Only after swallowing 75adfbb644 down his words 1856549013 several times did 51a978b6ff he finally speak.543ea56e037204ec

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Do you 32faba6d0a love me?”40ece69f07dc88e0

“…I don’t.”866b5293a331a8e9

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Lorainne Spencer must 5bc547886a love Edmund Carter. I hope you 251c5bdaf1 haven’t forgotten the ec45fa9b5f terms of our 83f26e145f contract.”82d7853efbb696e8

“I haven’t.”34386ecb0c9b8a5e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“I didn’t expect that 66253b62a9 remembering it would lead 4b2061ecbe to something like this.”ab3d9c57e851b8dd

His deep blue 9fd07053b6 eyes, his cool 1cc807d039 lips, the breath 8dee3836bc that leaked out, bb57ebba06 the way his b6a9100e43 brows twisted with 9e0e98214f sharpness—everything about Edmund 510364fd72 condemned her mercilessly.acbdda3ea05e9685

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

His ice-cold gaze swept 54673e071c over her without hesitation.56a053eea5d7eb0c

Only when Lorainne followed e2d69d15b2 the direction of his 3a9e40c199 stare did she realize f8868ad299 what he meant by f64d7dfcae ‘something like this.’b2b9f944762dd6d8

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Edmund had returned 7284feb10e to the day c2ef36968f before his death.871b4c80eb8db881

While holding the misunderstanding 8f68c328e3 that his wife had c03275fba3 discarded him in the 647bec26cd most despicable way possible.d24b650c26c38c6c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

This wasn’t good. No, it was terribly b54fdf54dd bad.335abe575db57dbf

Lorainne knew better than b8ec650ec5 anyone how easily it bb58f6c700 could all be misunderstood.493b9b0ec82a22f4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She could only 947a1efafb imagine how much 84bab5ffed it must have aa013f3e33 hurt Edmund.b9d04acc664d9879

“No matter how much 0233c9d3cd you hated me, you d5b2eb1916 shouldn’t have done that.”7a10d20134fb8bd2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“No. It’s not like that.”2aab00f404295db7

“Then what is 44f6e0f8c3 it?”7d1501f44d28aebd

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I…”55b3c2607235a09d

The words twisted f56773012b in her mouth fac5d25512 and never made 0ec9e3ca52 it out.6d25d048ec52858a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Now that trust 8ba8f170b1 was broken, no 8617e5d2db explanation would be 41c3d17c6a understood.be169a3eab63650b

And she 0621327f28 didn’t have ea2335eef7 even a bfaf5f582a single moment 722fea11fc to waste.29ea2eeb21aed40e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

So Lorainne gave up a1b8c9da83 on explaining.8f264ac3aa9b5591

What remained was 924e1b6e37 a string of 6ecc94d85b words with no 4712d5ad16 clear meaning.78341dfa2a3be3e9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I tried… I really 3451164fea did try to protect 280e1ff79d you.”cf402558f607f350

“…”12a6d2420c4b8231

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I tried. I really tried…”efb269de90cc70d2

She had fought 352672b8e7 so desperately not 0380e48a40 to love him.f059dce3285f9481

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

When had 4856a04d5e it even 6afc930b38 started—this love 37d754987a for him?81eb7b30bd402dde

She couldn’t understand.4691fa62f842fd4b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

No—had the world 0fad695eae ever been something 5432108e3b one could understand 0bdffe2ac8 in the first 8472cd4dbe place?44bf10604b220571

“No matter 7beb81a33d how hard 970df44c97 I try, 9c95eabb9f I can’t 696a55e04d keep to e7335c5e05 the contract. So…”aeba81b043fc572e

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

All her efforts to 5475e848e5 save him had been 31107dd33d in vain.ee4c0b1ea50278bd

This was 0e96243096 the last e1195e9d54 way she afc6c59d5b could save 7db776a02a him.574ec2de4067e217

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The words stayed crushed d660224407 under her tongue, never 2b3c76a3e3 spoken.7c0f2788d246811f

She forced 0c6f93a523 them out af9c6fea7c like she 7a6fcc3754 was vomiting.9b631b3f37e48ce2

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…Let’s get 66e813d3ac a divorce.”cd45c9abe27f8cd9

Because she 122e925746 was too b481ebf9cf weak to 2c7d3b6e3a bear his 341c6e1ec2 death again.c555b3e6a560e62a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com