The Vast Milky Way, the Endless Night

As the sole heir to the prestigious Mary family, Mary had broken two cardinal rules.

First, she should never have fallen for the man in her marriage of convenience.

Second, she should never have handed her heart to Kevin, time and again, only for him to trample it underfoot.

The first time, a sudden attack of acute gastroenteritis left her in too much pain to move. Enduring the agony, she called Kevin. His response was dismissive: "If you're sick, see a doctor. I'm busy."

The thirty-sixth time, she was in a car accident. Dazed and disoriented, she managed to dial his number. She'd barely gasped, "I've been in an accident," before he cut her off impatiently. "Mary, these pathetic cries for attention are beneath you." Then he hung up.

On the fifty-second occasion, she discovered she was pregnant. Elated, she went to tell him—only to overhear him confiding to a friend: "Mary and I? It's just a transaction. You know my heart only has room for Shirley."

Five years of marriage, reduced to a transaction. She'd thought that even in a marriage of convenience, if she poured enough of herself into it, some sincerity might reach him. In that moment, her last illusion shattered.

Without hesitation, Mary had her assistant book the earliest available appointment for a termination.

Her first act after the procedure was to go to the office and reclaim the Northgate Project—the billion-dollar deal she'd just handed over to Kevin.

She'd barely begun when he stormed in.

"Mary, you can't touch this project!"

He strode into her office, ignoring any pretense of courtesy.

Leaning back in her executive chair, Mary gave him a cool, dismissive glance. For the first time, she addressed him from a position of power. "Oh? And why is that? This project belonged to my family. I'd like to know why I'm suddenly forbidden from reclaiming what's mine."

Just then, his phone chimed. He frowned at the screen, his voice laced with threat. "If you insist on interfering, I'll make sure you regret it."

Before she could reply, he spun on his heel. The office door slammed shut with a violent bang, rattling the glass.

Mary couldn't help herself—she followed him.

His car eventually stopped outside a secluded villa in the suburbs. From a distance, she watched as a slender, pale-skinned woman emerged. She looked familiar, but Mary couldn't place her.

Then she saw her face clearly. Her hand flew to her mouth, teeth biting into her lip hard enough to draw blood, stifling a gasp.

It was Shirley—the woman the Kevin family had taken in and raised as their own.

The legendary Shirley—the woman who held his heart.

Eight years ago, he had cut ties with his family for her. He'd taken menial jobs—delivering takeout, hawking trinkets at flea markets—a staggering fall for a Kevin heir. But for reasons unknown, he'd returned to the family fold alone after just two years. Some said Shirley had died. Others whispered she'd betrayed him...

Since then,