I was the mistaken daughter of the Hartwell family, the fake heiress who never should have belonged there. In Harborfell City, everyone mocked me as the "Little Stutter." Yet somehow, a woman no one wanted became the secret lover of the Prince of Harborfell for five years.   We kissed at the summit of Frostpeak Range, chased thrills in the Harborfell Oceanarium, and lost ourselves beneath the stars in the Harborfell Astral Observatory. Every private property Adrian owned carried traces of our love. Just moments ago, at the welcome banquet for Adrian's long-awaited first love, we had finished another reckless encounter.   "Mr. Cross, I'm curious. What does the Little Stutter sound like in bed?"   "I know. Probably like this—ah… ah… ah…"   The man's exaggerated performance sent the entire room into laughter.   "Damn, now I'm getting excited too. Mr. Cross, since Vivian is back and you don't want the Little Stutter anymore, how about letting me have a turn?"   Adrian slowly rotated the ring on his thumb, a piece of jewelry that seemed completely out of place with his elegant temperament. He exhaled a stream of smoke, his tone calm and indifferent. "Vivian will be here soon. Don't say things that ruin the mood."   The others quickly agreed. "Right, right. Vivian is the first love in Mr. Cross's heart. Pure and untouchable, like the sacred snow lotus blooming atop Frostpeak Range. We can't let filthy words pollute her ears." As they spoke, they tidied their clothes and carefully wiped down the seat reserved for Vivian until it was spotless, afraid of offending her in the slightest.   Outside the decorative screen that separated us, I stubbornly tugged at the broken zipper Adrian had just torn open, as if pulling it up again might restore the dignity scattered all over the floor. After trying again and again without success, the tears finally burst from my eyes. I crouched down, biting my nails so hard they hurt, refusing to let myself cry out.   Fifteen years ago, I endured inhuman torture to help Adrian escape a kidnapper's den. The ordeal left my body weakened and my speech broken into a stutter. After we were rescued, my defect slowly became something the Hartwell family disliked. Then five years ago, when the real Hartwell heiress was found, they removed my name from the family register without hesitation.   Adrian was the one who kept me. "You've got nowhere else to go anyway. Why not stay with me?" I knew he only needed someone to fill the emptiness left by Vivian's departure, but years of secret love made me accept without hesitation. I believed that one day Adrian might come to love me.   But what he said tonight made me realize that for five years, I had only been fooling myself. "Vivian is back," he told me. "You know I can't marry you. There are plenty of outstanding men around me. If you're willing, I can find you a new patron… or even arrange a marriage." He spoke without the slightest emotion, as if negotiating a deal he was certain would succeed. He was sure I would refuse. Sure I would beg to stay by his side, continuing to live as a hidden canary in a gilded cage.   "Miss, are you alright?"   The voice belonged to Vivian.