Prologue

The night was thick, refusing to dissipate. The mountains stacked upon each other, with clusters of tree shadows concealed amidst the green waters and blue mountains, where a pure white building stood like a butterfly with spread wings, quietly nestled. The house had a particularly beautiful name: "Butterfly's Departure."

Emily stood by the window, her exquisite appearance contrasting with her pale, paper-like complexion. Her eyes were filled with lifelessness, like a stagnant pool devoid of even the slightest ripple. In half an hour, she would die, and her heart would beat in another woman's body.

And she...

How can a person live without a heart?

The wooden door creaked open, and amidst the passage of time, a man walked in. He possessed a tall and majestic figure, handsome and sharp-faced, as if crafted by God's most perfect art. Handsome, yet cold.

"Only half an hour left until the operation. Do you... have anything else to say?" Aaron's voice carried a strong weariness.

The glass window reflected the sharp irony at the corner of Emily's lips.

She laughed at her own foolishness. She loved this man so much, but she never knew he had a heart harder than a stone. No, it was a heart of a snake or a scorpion. Otherwise... how could he be so ruthless to her, so ruthless...

He designed a conspiracy for her, and she foolishly walked into it, believing she had a terminal illness. She willingly married him and even signed the organ donation consent form. She naively believed that even after death, her heart could continue beating in another woman's body, continuing to be with him.

They were all liars!

She wasn't sick at all. In fact, she carried his child in her womb.

The woman he truly cherished was lying in the next room, Sarah. She was an angel with a congenital heart disease, who should have died. Now... they were going to give her this perfect heart.

She was about to die.

Dying at the hands of the man she loved the most.

Emily's pale lips curved into a mocking smile. She uttered a single word, "Go!"

The man's imposing figure trembled, his fist tightened, and a complex shade of pain appeared in his eyes. He spoke, "I know it's hard for you, but Sarah... can't hold on much longer. The doctor said—"

"Aaron Brown!"

Emily slowly turned around, her face both stunningly pale and astonishingly beautiful, like a fading flower struggling to bloom its final brilliance. Aaron's eyes narrowed, a pang of pain arising within him. The curve of mockery appeared at the corner of Emily's lips.

"I'm pregnant."

As the words fell, the empty room grew even quieter. Emily, in the silence, could hear the sound of her own heartbeat, strong and powerful, pounding repeatedly. She stared at the handsome face in front of her, afraid to miss even the slightest reaction from him.

The pallid light stung her eyes, forcing her to close them tightly. Tears welled up and rolled down her face. Through teary eyes, she saw Aaron's tightly clenched fist gradually loosen.

He said, "You know... the child... cannot be kept. Sarah doesn't have much time left."

Emily finally despaired.

Sarah, it was Sarah again. Since you love her so much, why don't you give her your heart?

Emily wanted to question him loudly, but she knew deep down that it would be meaningless. If he gave his heart to Sarah, how could they watch the stars, the moon, and the sunrise together... right?

She wasn't afraid of death.

She just didn't want to die without understanding.

"Aaron, are you still refusing to tell me the truth?"

"What?"

The man responded with a bewildered expression on his face. He was always inscrutable, and Emily had never truly understood him. But she never expected that his acting skills had reached such a pinnacle. Look at his innocent face, so convincing.

She clapped her hands forcefully, her face filled with sorrow, as she shouted with a hoarse voice, "You're truly ridiculous, Aaron! If you want to give my heart to that person, just say it directly. After all, I'm just a parentless orphan. I can give away my heart. But why did you have to deceive me?"

Aaron furrowed his brow, his gaze quickly turning fierce. "Emily, have you caused enough trouble?"

Emily laughed bitterly, tears streaming down her face. Her soft and radiant black hair cascaded behind her like a ghostly figure. She weakly stared at Aaron's laughter and said, "Just go away, Aaron. You wanted my heart so badly, here it is, now leave!"

She stubbornly pursed her lips and turned around, leaving him with a resolute silhouette.

The window reflected the tall figure of the man, but Emily didn't want to look anymore. She closed her eyes tightly, soon hearing the gradually fading footsteps and the sound of the door closing with a bang. The spacious room returned to its quiet, unsettling state.

...

An empty corridor with dim and desolate wall lights.

Suddenly, Aaron seemed to lose all his strength as he heavily leaned against the wall. The pale light shone into his dark eyes, revealing a deep pain stirring within him. It was as complex and intense as the blurry night, and even he couldn't comprehend his own turmoil.

Was it for her or for Sarah?

Exchanging one heart for a marriage, it was a transaction she agreed to. But why was it him who couldn't bear to part now?

The wooden door creaked, and Melissa Garcia, Sarah's mother, a woman with an elegant and dignified temperament, walked out of the neighboring room. She carefully closed the door and approached Aaron, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks to you, Sarah's situation... I appreciate it, and I thank Emily as well."

After saying that, she sighed softly, appearing pained, yet a slight curve formed on the corners of her lips—a triumphant smile quickly vanished within her tightly pressed lips.

As time passed, Aaron suddenly straightened his posture, gazing at the closed wooden door, raising his hand, and attempting to push it open several times.

"Aaron," the door of the adjacent room opened, and Melissa glanced at him, a hint of curiosity fleeting in her eyes. She anxiously said, "Sarah is worried about the upcoming surgery. She's insisting on having you by her side. Can you come and accompany her?"

Aaron subconsciously looked at the door in front of him, his brow furrowed. Under Melissa's earnest gaze, he finally retracted his hand, turned around, and entered Sarah's room.

Inside the room, Emily sat on the cold operating table, her heart aching so much that she felt unable to shed a single tear.

...

Half an hour later, Emily lay on the cold operating table, the overhead surgical light shining brightly, illuminating the pristine and icy operating room. A few minutes ago, the nurse had administered anesthesia, and Emily felt her eyelids growing heavier. She seemed to see countless flickering lights before her eyes.

She knew that she was about to fall asleep, and once she did, she would never wake up again.

She was about to die.

A mobile bed was wheeled in, and she saw the pale and undeniably beautiful face of Sarah, the only daughter of the wealthy Shu family from Luman Real Estate. Sarah was an angel with clipped wings, the woman whom Aaron truly cherished and loved. Emily truly envied her.

Emily struggled to reach out and touch Sarah's hand.

But her hand fell weakly halfway...