In my fourth life imprisoned by Arthur Vance, I gave up. I stopped running away and docilely played the role of his pet canary. I even frequently mumbled to the System: Arthur loves me so much, I should try to love him back. Besides him, no one else can give me such a good life. As time passed, his grip on me loosened, and his gaze lingered on me less and less. Finally, a timid girl who feared him appeared by his side. I wept tears of joy and said to the System: "This method works! In my fourth life, I'm finally going to complete the mission!" 1 After saying that, I fell silent again. Because in my previous three lives, Arthur Vance had tested me countless times. An unguarded mansion, an unlocked door, a car parked on the side of the road... Without exception, I was caught and brought back every single time. His smile would be dark, his grip on my waist so tight it felt like he wanted to crush me in his fury: "Iris, you never learn to be good." And then I would be severely punished. This time couldn't be a test too, could it?! The System comforted me: [Although he has tested you many times, when has he ever used another woman? It's clear that your obedience has made him feel there's no challenge left, so he's bored!] I had a sudden realization. That's right! Thinking this, I felt a bit relieved. Then I hid behind a pillar on the second floor of the mansion, peeking down at the first floor. The girl in the white dress trembled slightly. Her voice shook too: "Everyone knows you locked up the eldest daughter of the Hayes family, tormenting her night after night! Mr. Vance, isn't having her enough for you?!" "Locked up?" Arthur's thin lips parted slightly. He leaned back on the sofa, his demeanor lazy. "Why don't you go ask her—if I were to let her go, would she be willing?" The girl froze in place, a mix of fear and contempt flashing across her face. After a long while, she exhaled and met Arthur's gaze firmly. "Even if she was tamed by you, I won't be!" Arthur let out a cold laugh, the pressure he exuded immense. The girl's face paled. She gripped the hem of her skirt, terrified yet stubbornly refusing to yield. Just like I had been in the beginning. Arthur raised his eyes slightly, scanning her carelessly. Then he gave an unreadable smirk. "You're very much like Iris, but she's learned to be much more obedient now." Arthur's voice was flat, as if he were just coldly stating a fact: "You have backbone, but what about your family's debts and your brother in prison?" The girl's frail body swayed, the light fading from her eyes. Arthur lifted his eyelids, the smile on his lips cold and thin. He instructed the housekeeper, "Prepare a room for her." 2 Seeing that Arthur was indeed interested in that girl, both the System and I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed completing the mission was just around the corner. No one knows how I survived my first three lives. To complete this mission, I had painstakingly racked my brains! In the plot, Arthur was a dark, cold, psychopathic obsessive, and I was the pitiful canary forced into his twisted love. My only main quest could be perfectly summarized in three words: Canary's Great Escape. I had to escape from Arthur. In the first three lives, the more he forced me, the more fiercely I resisted. In the first life, I was constantly imprisoned by his side. When I finally found an opportunity to jump into the ocean, he grabbed onto me tightly. In the struggle, we were both swept away by the waves, ultimately dying together. The ocean was turbulent. He whispered gently in my ear: "Dying with you is a kind of happiness." In the second life, I struck first, seizing an opportunity to poison him. Before he died, he stared at me obsessively and smiled: "I had it notarized. After I die, all my property goes to you. But if you dare use my money to keep other men, I won't let you go, even as a ghost." Arthur died. But the System judged the mission a failure. Because I had to escape him while he was alive for the mission to be considered complete. In the third life, I exhausted myself designing countless escape plans. Every single time, Arthur caught me. He would pinch my jaw, his expression ruthless, full of hostility. In his fury, my face crumpled in pain. He would eventually let go, stroking my cheek, his voice carrying a chill: "Iris, stay by my side like a good girl, and I can give you anything. Why not try... loving me?" Later, my wrists and ankles were entirely bound by chains. Like a ragdoll, I was confined to his side. With no freedom, I could only endure his moods. I hated him so much my teeth ached. In the end, unable to control myself, I found another chance to poison him, killing him again. And so, the fourth life began. Fine. Since the hard way didn't work, I'd try the soft way! In this life, as he wished, I obediently stayed by his side. I stopped thinking about running away and instead tried to 'love' him. And sure enough, Arthur got bored. He liked the bird that was caged but yearned for freedom, the bird that would stubbornly resist even if it meant smashing its head against the bars until it bled. Not a tamed, obedient pet. I sighed inwardly. If I had known it was this simple, I would have compromised in the first life! 3 I was in the kitchen making dessert with the chef. He smiled, "Mr. Vance will be very happy to know you put so much thought into this." I casually glanced at the camera in the corner from the corner of my eye and gave a docile smile. "I hope he likes it." Just then, the girl from yesterday came downstairs. She marched straight up to me and glared. "Iris Hayes, I look down on you." I paused, my hands still covered in flour. "Excuse me?" She gritted her teeth and glared at me: "Arthur forces you so much, and you actually fell in love with him? What's the difference between you and a dog that's been domesticated by its master?!" Seeing the situation turn hostile, the chef quickly slipped out of the kitchen. The girl looked down at the freshly made cupcakes resting on the counter. Furious, she swept them onto the floor. "You're actually trying to make food for him. You're a disgrace to women! Weak and utterly disgusting!" I lowered my eyes, suppressing the impatience bubbling up inside. Leaving aside the fact that I was putting on a show for Arthur. Even if I truly had fallen in love with him, the only person who had the right to despise me was the past version of myself. Arthur held immense power and his methods were ruthless and cruel. If I didn't have the System by my side, an unwavering belief in completing my mission, and an incredibly thick skin, I couldn't possibly have survived until now. I probably would have become a dazed, mentally broken mess long ago. Regardless, no outsider had the right to point fingers at me. I explained gently, "You misunderstand. Mr. Vance is very good to me." Enraged, she tried to push me, but I stepped aside to dodge. Unexpectedly, she twisted her ankle and fell to the floor. The next second, the sound of heavy footsteps rang out, getting closer and closer. I put on a helpless expression: "Mr. Vance..." Arthur stopped, and the assistant behind him quickly stepped forward to help her up. The girl bit her lower lip. "You and the women you keep are disgusting!" Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly, his dark gaze landing on me. "What's wrong?" The girl turned her head away, unwilling to speak further. Arthur's meaningful gaze remained fixed solely on me. I instinctively walked over and actively nestled into his embrace. Arthur lowered his eyes, his eyelashes hiding a moment of stagnation in his emotions. Then he wrapped his arm around my waist, the corners of his lips curling up slightly, though his eyes remained unreadable. "Iris, you're getting more and more obedient." I said in a muffled voice, "The cupcakes I made for you were knocked over by her." Arthur took out a tissue and carelessly wiped my fingers. "What a pity." He didn't blame the girl. "There's a banquet tonight. You're coming with me." Arthur looked at her. I froze in his arms. The girl forced a smile, her tone mocking: "Didn't Iris always accompany you before? Aren't you afraid she'll be angry?" Arthur stroked my cheek, saying casually, "She's very good now, she won't be angry." Yes, exactly. I'm very good now. You don't need me anymore. Just go on your date, okay? The disdain and disgust in the girl's eyes became even more apparent, as if living under the same roof as me was something very hard for her to accept. She said to me softly, "Watch closely. No matter how good Arthur is to me, I will never sink and degrade myself like you." Me: "..." I put on a humiliated expression, but internally, I was jumping for joy. That is truly wonderful! Arthur likes the stubborn ones. The more stubborn you are, the more interested he gets. Hopefully, when I run away later, Arthur won't bother catching me. ... Finally, I waited until they left. The mansion was completely silent, and I felt a wave of relief. I sat in the bedroom, opened my laptop, and seriously searched for routes out of the area, as well as international flights. Just then. Click. The door was pushed open. My fingertips, tapping on the keyboard, froze. I slowly turned my head. A tall figure leaned against the doorway, the shadows of the hallway obscuring his face. His deep voice echoed calmly in the hallway: "What are you looking up, Iris?" I snapped the laptop shut. "Just browsing." Arthur walked over. His cold fingertips traced my neck, and then, like petting an animal, he stroked the back of my neck. I shrank back instinctively. Surprisingly, he didn't ask anything else. He just said, "Let's go. I'm taking you to the banquet." A beautiful evening gown was brought to the room by a servant right on time. I replied, "Okay." I didn't ask him why he turned back, nor did I ask what happened to the other girl. I just quietly took off my nightgown in front of him and changed into the exquisite evening dress. Arthur didn't look away, and even tied the bow at my waist for me at the end. In this life, you could say my interactions with Arthur were very peaceful. Unlike the first three lives, where the moment he touched me, I would slap him. When he tied my hands, I kicked him. When he tied my feet too, I bit him. Until the very end, I could only be tightly bound in his arms, glaring at him fiercely. Under no circumstances would I have allowed Arthur to pick me up like I did now. I docilely wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned into his chest. I didn't ask for a reason. 4 At the banquet, Arthur kept his arm around my waist the entire time. Although other guests frequently looked our way, they were already used to it. In public, he never let me leave his side for a single step. Until he saw the girl being cornered by a few men not far away. His steps paused, and he looked sideways at me. "Be a good girl and wait for me here, Iris." Then, he walked toward that girl. This was the first time he had voluntarily left my side. I stood there, covering my mouth. I was so afraid the smile breaking out on my face would be seen. I heard a few young heirs and heiresses from prominent families whispering nearby: "Why did Arthur Vance ditch Iris Hayes today? What's going on?" "Oh, that girl is Chloe Bennett. Her family went bankrupt. Have to say, she's walking the same path Iris did back then." "And she's just as stubborn as Iris was. I heard she threw a fit the whole way here today, which is why Arthur brought Iris instead—maybe to set an example for her?" I listened quietly, putting on a heartbroken expression. Otherwise, with Arthur's suspicious nature, he would definitely suspect something. "Sigh, Iris is in love with Arthur now, but he has a new favorite." "Exactly. I bet she'll be kicked to the curb soon." "Look at her, eyes downcast. She must be feeling terrible right now." The chatter next to me suddenly stopped. Then someone patted my shoulder. A young heir handed me a business card and said with pity, "If Arthur dumps you, you can contact me." He carried the casual air of someone offering condescending charity while enjoying a good show. But I still took his business card, gave him a bright smile, and said gratefully: "Thank you! If that day really comes, will you help me leave?" He was taken aback, gave an awkward hum of agreement, and turned back around. Just then. A loud noise came from not far away. Chloe pushed Arthur away, her voice frantic: "Get away from me! Why are you trying to help me? Isn't Iris your woman?!" The entire banquet hall fell silent. Arthur looked down at her, his eyes dark and unreadable. In this life, because I didn't run away, Arthur's emotions were much more stable. He no longer acted like a lunatic. But I knew that deep down, he was still dark, obsessive, and violent. After a long while, Arthur pinched her chin, a half-smile on his face: "That's right. Iris is much more obedient than you." With that, he raised his chin in my direction. I submissively walked over to his side. Chloe's eyes reddened, and she turned to walk out. Arthur grabbed her wrist, his voice growing even colder: "Why can't you be a little more obedient, like her?" Chloe sneered: "I would rather die than become a woman like that!" Those young heirs and heiresses had just been discussing how Chloe was stubborn and hated people who yielded like I did. The end of her sentence trembled, her voice a little hoarse. Arthur picked up a glass of wine and held it to her lips. She turned her head away and suddenly said, "If you make Iris beg me, I'll drink it." An uproar went through the crowd. Me: "...?" Chloe flashed a provocative smile. Arthur's brows drew together tightly, a dark cloud settling over him. I felt a bit wistful. Since I wasn't fighting against him in this life, someone else had stepped up to cause trouble with him. But I didn't think Arthur would agree. No matter how interested he was in Chloe, he wouldn't put me in a position where I couldn't back down. Until, after a moment of silence, I heard him call my name: "Iris." His calm, dark eyes landed on me, carrying an undeniable command. The meaning was self-evident. I froze in place. Along with the shock, an unspeakable joy wrapped around my heart. I didn't expect Arthur had reached this level of interest in her! My escape plan could finally be put on the agenda! Looking humiliated, I said in a low voice, "...Miss Bennett, please drink a little." My voice was a bit shaky. To suppress my laughter. A look of disgust appeared between Chloe's brows again. "You've actually degraded yourself to this level." With that, she slapped the wine glass out of Arthur's hand. The wine splashed onto my crescent-white evening gown. She turned on her heels and left. I discreetly observed Arthur's expression. His eyelids lifted, his eyes as deep as a dark pool. I was very familiar with this; it was the state he was in when he was suppressing his violent urges. I helpfully suggested: "Miss Bennett seems very angry. Do you want to go after her and check? I can go back by myself later." I don't know if it was my illusion. But as those words left my mouth, Arthur's face darkened even further. Arthur stroked my cheek, his smile dark. "Iris, you're being so good, I'm almost not used to it." I covered his hand and gave a dry laugh. "What are you talking about..." Arthur didn't go after her. He casually kept his arm around me. He even had the leisure to take me to a lounge and keep me company while I changed my dress. I was a bit anxious and called out to the System in my mind: [Why didn't Arthur go after her? Is Chloe too out of line and he doesn't want to coax her? Please don't let anything go wrong.] The System comforted me: [He probably won't. This is exactly when the novelty is at its peak.] I thought so too, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. 5 Inside the massive, luxurious lounge. A new evening gown and matching jewelry were neatly laid out on one side. Arthur leaned back on the sofa, his arm resting on my waist. I sat in his lap, kissing him. He half-closed his eyes, looking lazy and satisfied. But my heart was pounding wildly. I was terrified he was getting interested in me again. It wasn't until his phone rang. As he was about to casually hang up, I, already out of breath from kissing, quickly pressed the answer button for him. "...What if it's an emergency?" The next second, a frantic voice came through the receiver: "Mr. Vance, Miss Bennett... she's been cornered by debt collectors!" Arthur paused and lifted his eyes. "Address." My heartbeat gradually calmed down. I was relieved. But as I watched Arthur stand up, I suddenly said, "My stomach hurts." His voice was low: "Stay here and be a good girl. I'll call a doctor." With that, he strode toward the door. I added another sentence: "I want you here. Stay with me." Arthur turned back, his pitch-black eyes landing on me. "Be good." He said. "Wait for me to come back, and I'll take you to pick out some jewelry." I watched his back quietly until the lounge door was completely shut. Then I pulled out my phone and took out the business card I had received at the banquet earlier. The call connected. I said with a bright smile: "You said earlier that when Arthur dumped me, I could contact you. Did you mean it?" The other end was silent for a long time. "I meant it." "Good," I said. "I want to leave tonight." After a moment of hesitation, the person on the other end didn't ask any more questions. "Fine. Where are you?" "The lounge furthest in." ... When that young heir came to find me, he brought lightweight clothes. "You got dumped this early?" he asked curiously. I nodded, not explaining further. "Then where do you want to go?" he asked. I was silent for a moment. "Are there any really remote little villages? The kind where you have to take dozens of turns to get in." My ID and passport weren't in my possession, so I couldn't leave the country at all. Although I didn't think Arthur would bother catching me now that he had Chloe. But the trauma from the past few lives was too deep. I still wanted to escape to the most hidden place possible. The young heir nodded, then curled his lip. "If I knew it was this much trouble, I wouldn't have slipped you my card." I said, "But you already did." A free helper delivered right to my door, it would be a waste not to use him. Saved me from having to plan the escape route myself. I don't know if Arthur saw what I was looking up on my laptop today. But even if he did, he wouldn't care. Maybe it was because he had a new pet he wanted to tame, or maybe in his eyes, I was already a bird content with its cage, occasionally fluttering about, but doing no real harm. 6 The vehicle sped through the dark night. I had swapped to a new phone and SIM card. The old phone was 100% being tracked by Arthur. The young heir beside me said his name was Oliver Reed. I offered a polite compliment: "Nice name." He suddenly became flustered and angry: "Do you really not remember me?! And you still asked me to help you?" Under my confused gaze, he ground his teeth: "You used to bully me all the time when we were little, and you even braided my hair." I was silent for a long time, then gave a soft laugh: "So it's you." I had almost forgotten. That was a matter from the first life. In the first life, I actually lived to be twenty-five, and then died together with Arthur in the ocean waves. The second life started straight from the point where my family went bankrupt and I was taken back by Arthur. So, after all these lives, I had almost forgotten the events of the first life. The only word left in my mind was "escape." The car was quiet for a long while. Oliver spoke again: "The drive will take close to ten hours. You can sleep first if you're tired. I'll give you some cash when we get there." I listened quietly. Indeed, I didn't dare swipe the card Arthur gave me; I would be tracked immediately. I didn't have to worry about material things; the System would pull strings for me. But since he offered me money, I gladly accepted. "Thank you, Oliver." If Oliver hadn't appeared, I would have had to plan this escape long-term, which would have taken another few months. But he was willing to help. And it was another dark, windy night. It would be a crime not to run! My heart was racing with excitement. In all these lives, this was the first time I felt so close to freedom. Oliver was scrolling on his phone, then suddenly handed it to me. It was a group chat. I glanced at the group name: Royal Relatives Chat Group. Me: "..." It was probably a chat group for the heirs and heiresses of prominent families. Until I noticed the content. [Hero saves the beauty! Arthur Vance took Chloe Bennett back, and then cleared all her family's debts.] [Oh my god, why does this sound so familiar?] [If I remember correctly, wasn't that exactly what he did with Iris Hayes back then?] [Looks like there's going to be drama later.] [What drama? Iris's temper has been ground down so much now. She'll only be bullied by Chloe, just like at the banquet today.] I read the chat log, sneering silently. Bet you didn't expect this, I've already escaped! What drama? Let's all wish Arthur and Chloe a long and happy life together. There was a photo attached below. Chloe stood beside Arthur, wearing a men's jacket over her shoulders, her face pale. Arthur looked down, gripping his phone. He did not look happy. The next second, the group chat exploded. [Arthur Vance is pulling the security footage from tonight's banquet!] [What does that mean? What happened?] [Seems like Iris is missing?] [Is she heartbroken and planning to jump into the ocean?] Can we not curse me, please? Besides, I tried jumping into the ocean in my first life, and it really wasn't a great experience. [Hmm... I think she's playing hard to get.] [I think so too.] I breathed a sigh of relief, glad I had told Oliver to handle the security footage before we left. Oliver glanced at the screen. "You know him pretty well." I gave a helpless smile. How could I not? Entangled for four lives, it was time for it to end! 7 The ten-hour drive ended with me half-asleep and half-awake. The final stretch of the road was so bumpy it jolted me completely awake. By the time we reached our destination, it was already early morning, the mist yet to clear. Stepping out of the car, I could feel the stone path beneath my feet was still damp. Oliver looked around the place with disgust. "I tried my best to find a place. You can stay here for now. If you need to buy anything, just go to the county town." I nodded. "Okay." It was only temporary anyway. I couldn't possibly stay here forever. I just needed to lay low for a while. Once things stabilized between Arthur and Chloe and they completely forgot about me, I could return to a normal life. Oliver let out a yawn and pushed open the door of the small, flat-roofed house. "I'll rest for a bit, and then I'll head back." The interior wasn't exactly well-decorated, but it was acceptable. There was also a simple bed. Oliver and I had a tacit understanding to place a pillow in the middle, and we each took half the bed. After all, sleeping in the car was really uncomfortable. 8 When I woke up again. I was still groggy. "Oliver, what time is it?" I nudged the person next to me, only to realize the pillow that had been between us was on the floor at some point. I didn't think much of it and called his name again: "...Oliver?" He rubbed his eyes, his voice raspy. "Let me check." Just then. The wooden door was kicked open with tremendous force. I instantly became wide awake. Oliver hadn't reacted yet: "...What the hell, scared me to death." My eyelashes fluttered as I suppressed an inexplicable panic, then slowly turned my head. The light from outside poured in. A man in a black trench coat walked in slowly, and our eyes locked. The air and time seemed to freeze. I only had one despairing thought. Looks like we're starting the fifth life. Oliver was fully awake now too, his face grim. "How did you find this place?" Arthur didn't speak. His long legs stepped forward, step by step, getting closer, and then he reached out his hand toward me. I let out a deep breath. "Go to hell," I said. In my first three lives, I had said those three words to him countless times. And he had died every time. Looks like they were still somewhat useful. The corner of Arthur's mouth twitched, revealing a cold, faint smile. "Finally couldn't keep up the act anymore?" My eyes snapped up. The words from the banquet! —Iris, you're being so good, I'm almost not used to it. In this life, I had clearly been docile and compliant the entire time. But he felt he wasn't used to it. ... Arthur had also been reborn! Before I could think deeper into it, Oliver clicked his tongue. "I say, she wanted to leave you herself, why did you chase her all the way here?" Arthur's gaze never once landed on him. Arthur only smiled as he looked at me. Then bodyguards appeared and directly dragged Oliver out. Oliver cursed loudly. My expression changed. "What are you doing?" Arthur tilted my chin up, studying me carefully. "Are you worried about him?" His voice was gentle to an almost eerie degree. I shivered inexplicably. The next moment. "Iris Hayes, how dare you worry about another man," an icy voice squeezed out of his throat. I stared at him: "How did you find this place so fast?" This time, he answered, his tone calm: "Someone at the banquet saw him approach you. I just had to track his vehicle." I felt a deep sense of powerlessness. It had been like this since the first life. I simply could not escape him. I couldn't do it alone, and relying on others made it even harder. "Iris." Arthur let out a soft sigh, stroking the back of my neck. "He slept in the same bed as you. I'm so jealous. Let's have him killed, okay?" A person who didn't value his own life wouldn't value the lives of others either. And this was an extremely remote place. Oliver had helped me, after all. I gritted my teeth and forced out: "I didn't... do anything with him." "Oh, it doesn't matter," Arthur smiled insincerely. "You know I hate it when other people get too close to you." As he finished speaking, I shoved him hard, unable to control my temper anymore: "Are you sick? Aren't you happy with Chloe? Why are you bothering me? "Even if I did have an affair with him, so what? Can't we just pursue our own true loves? "I finally waited until you were bored, why did you come looking for me again?" Arthur looked down at me condescendingly. "I wasn't bored." He smiled darkly again. "Such a familiar feeling, Iris." I was deeply exhausted: "We've tormented each other for so many lives, can't we just let each other go?" "Torment?" Arthur softly repeated the word, the corners of his lips curving up. "Aren't we in love? How can you call it torment?" I stood up and slapped him across the face. Arthur turned his face away. The next second, using the momentum, he pulled me into his embrace. The cold scent of cedarwood on him surrounded me, just like how he tightly wrapped up my life. He rubbed his cheek against mine. "It must have been hard running all the way here. I'm taking you home." With that, he leaned down and picked me up. I pressed close to his ear and said softly: "In these past few lives, I've regretted it every single night. If I could, I would never have appeared in front of you that day." Arthur's body stiffened.
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