A week before the wedding, my mother was suddenly tricked into going abroad for work.

The next time I heard from her, it was news of her death—her body returned with her organs missing and a bloodstained suicide note.

I lost my mind and insisted on going to the police.

But Nathan Cole only stared at me with a cold, dissatisfied expression.

“Shakira just started an international recruitment agency. That naive girl was fooled by foreigners—she’s a victim too. And besides, your mother signed a contract when she left. Her death has nothing to do with Shakira’s company.”

“If your mother hadn’t been so greedy, insisting on going abroad to make money, none of this would’ve happened. Kristine, you’re an adult now. You should understand that.”

With that, he threw a blank check at me.

“Write down whatever amount you want and let’s end this here. The wedding is coming up—I won’t let others laugh at us.”

I looked at the man before me, his face so familiar, yet now so foreign. His expression was so cold, it sent chills down my spine.

I let out a laugh.

If this is how things are… is there even a point in holding the wedding?

——

He grew impatient at my silence, tapping his fingers on the table.

All the resentment I had buried inside erupted in that moment. I looked at him with tearful, red eyes.

“Let it go? Why should I let it go? My mother’s death was a life lost! You know she was all I had. Why should I just swallow my anger?”

“Shakira and her mother already took everything that belonged to us. Now I’m just asking for justice for my mother. And I’m not even allowed that?”

If it hadn’t been for saving up for my dowry and wedding, my mother would never have been so desperate to go abroad to earn money.

But the moment those words left my mouth, Nathan’s expression darkened.

“I’ve heard enough. Shakira is your sister. You’ve been calling her a bastard for six years, forcing her to live in shame. She’s just a young girl. Now she’s finally become independent, started her own company and got scammed. Can’t you show her some compassion?”

“Your mother went mad over money, completely obsessed. Even if it hadn’t been Shakira’s company, she would’ve gone to another agency. This has nothing to do with Shakira. And I won’t let you hurt her.”

Tears streamed down my face, hitting the floor one by one.

“Feel sorry for her? Who’s going to feel sorry for me?”

“Nathan, do you even remember what you said six years ago? What promises did you make back then?”

His brow furrowed deeply, his expression cold and terrifying.

“Who remembers what happened six years ago? What does that have to do with anything today?”

“That’s enough. You just want money, don’t you? Is ten million enough? Here’s the check—fill in the number yourself. I’ve got work to do and no time to waste on you.”

The check fluttered down and landed on my face. My voice trembled as I spoke.

“What if I say I don’t want the money? What if I want Shakira to face legal consequences?”

“You can try. But let’s see if your evidence is better than my lawyer’s.”

“The wedding is around the corner and I don’t want to marry a madwoman. Calm down and think things through.”

Just then, his phone rang—the special ringtone he had set just for her. His face immediately softened.

“Oh? A new client? Shakira, you’re amazing. I have high hopes for you.”

“Dinner tonight? I’ve got a meeting, but I’ll cancel it and come pick you up. Be good.”

Without even sparing me a glance, he slammed the door and walked out.

I collapsed, sobbing like a madwoman.

Six years ago, after my father had an affair, my mother and I were thrown out of our home.

At seventeen, I didn’t even have a hundred dollar.

On the brink of starvation, it was Nathan who took us in.

He had promised to take care of my family.

I had quietly loved him for years… and I had never doubted his words.

There were times when I even felt lucky that I hadn’t fallen into the abyss of my original family.

At first, Nathan had shared my pain. He despised Shakira and her mother.

But everything changed when Shakira turned eighteen and enrolled in the same university as me.

From that moment on, Nathan no longer monitored Shakira’s whereabouts. Even the way he spoke to her became gentler.

“This girl is a bit like you—stubborn,” he once said casually. “I heard she overturned some rich kid’s lunch and demanded an apology.”

“Kristine, maybe there was just a misunderstanding in the past. I think Shakira has a good personality. You two should try to get along. After all, we’re family now. There’s no need to make things so tense.”

All I had done was mention to my roommate that Shakira’s mother used to be a mistress.

The very next morning, a video of my mother being harassed while working part-time at a restaurant went viral on the school forum.

But still, I never doubted him.

Six years later, we successfully registered our marriage and were preparing for the wedding.

I had always believed that I held a special place in Nathan’s heart. I thought the bond we had as childhood sweethearts could overcome any challenge.

But now, the young man who once protected and cherished me without hesitation...

He had already died in my memory.

There was no longer any reason to go through with the wedding.

As I was packing my bags, the police station called.

“Ms. Raymond, your mother’s case has been dropped. Please come to collect the body.”

I froze, stunned.

By the time I arrived at the station, the case files had already been destroyed.

I dropped to my knees in front of everyone, bowing frantically.

“Please... Please don’t close the case! My mother was murdered. The truth hasn’t come to light yet. You can’t just give up!”

My hands trembled as I clutched the hem of a nearby officer’s uniform.

The man sighed and gently helped me up.

“Miss Raymond, I’m sorry... but there’s nothing more we can do. The person who ordered the case closed was your husband. We have to respect the family’s wishes.”

“Mr. Cole made it very clear. Anyone who tries to reopen this case will lose their job. We all have families to feed. We really can’t help you…”

With that, he turned and walked away.

My fingernails were torn and bleeding, but I felt nothing—no pain, no strength left to cry.

Right then, a message from Nathan came in.

[Did the police call you? I’ve already arranged everything with the funeral home. Just send Auntie there—I’ll cover all the costs.]

[I’ve said everything I need to. Don’t test my patience.]

The phone slipped from my hands, tears dripping onto the screen.

Before I could respond, he called again, this time sounding cold and demanding.

“Didn’t you see the message? Also, the waiver is in the study. I’m at the hotel—come now and have Shakira sign it.”

My chest tightened with rage. I could no longer hold back the storm inside me.

“What if I refuse to sign? Are you going to cut off my fingers?”

The call disconnected instantly.

An email notification appeared on my screen.

It was a copy of the agreement my mother had signed with Shakira’s company before going abroad.

One clause was bolded and highlighted in red.

[In the event of any danger encountered abroad, the guest voluntarily assumes all responsibility and the company reserves all rights of interpretation.]

The threat was clear.

He wasn’t giving me a choice.

The Cole Family's influence was far too strong—I had no way of fighting them.

The only option left... was to walk away.

In the end, I took the waiver and went to the hotel.

Just as I arrived at the entrance, I saw Shakira stepping out of a car.

She wore a custom-made evening gown, the fabric flowing like silk, making her look as elegant as a princess.

When she noticed me, she smiled ever so slightly.

“Sister? Oh wow, it’s you? What a coincidence.”

“By the way, have you arranged Auntie’s funeral yet? Since we’re family now, I’ve been thinking of starting a funeral services business. If you need help... feel free to reach out.”

I suppressed the overwhelming urge to strangle her and demanded through gritted teeth,

“Before my mother signed the contract, you already knew who she was, didn’t you? You deliberately assigned her to the most dangerous job, didn’t you?”

Shakira smiled sweetly and shook her head with feigned innocence.

“Sister, what are you talking about? I have no idea. Customer information is confidential, you know. If I had known Auntie was struggling financially, I would’ve just given her the money myself.”

She tilted her head and sighed dramatically.

“But I doubt she would’ve taken it, right? You both… have so much pride.”

My nails dug so deep into my palms that I could feel warm blood rising to the surface. The pain nearly made me faint.

Shakira stepped closer in her designer heels, her voice soft and deliberate.

“No, if we’re talking about pride, you’re definitely worse. The last time I saw Auntie, she was washing dishes in the kitchen. I accidentally broke more than ten plates. The manager was going to deduct a month’s wages from her and do you know what she did?”

“She knelt in front of me—on the filthy kitchen floor—and begged. You should’ve seen your mother like that. It was almost pathetic.”

“I even told her to lick the soup off my shoes and she did it. Without hesitation. Later I found out she was doing all that to save money for your wedding.”

But Mom never told me any of this. Not a single word.

A white-hot fury scorched through my veins, burning away all sense of reason. Something inside me snapped.

I lunged at her, yanking her hair with both hands and slapping her across the face with everything I had.

Shakira stumbled, landing hard on the marble floor. She turned back with wide, tearful eyes, as if she were the victim.

“Sister, why would you hit me?” she whimpered. “I’ve already apologized. Isn’t it enough that I offered to compensate you with money?”

“Please… Dad misses you so much. He’s been hoping you’d come home…”

Before I could even respond, a powerful force struck me from behind.

My body slammed into the wall and a sharp pain shot through my head as warm blood trickled down my forehead.

Nathan’s voice rang out cold and sharp behind me.

“Kristine, have you gone insane?”

“Apologize to Shakira. Now!”

Shakira clutched his sleeve, tears falling as she trembled in mock sympathy.

“Forget it, Nathan. I don’t blame Sister. After all, this was my company’s mistake… I understand why she hit me.”

But his expression only grew colder.

“No, it’s her mother’s fault for not reading the contract carefully. This has nothing to do with you.”

“You want to make money and stay safe? The world doesn’t work like that. You can’t have both.”

“Greed has no limits. Kristine, are you here to extort money from Shakira? I’ve already paid you!”

I clutched the wound on my forehead, staring up at him in disbelief.

“Extort?” I whispered. “Do you really think I would trade my mother’s life for money?”

“If that’s how you see me, then why did you marry me?”

His face twitched, stunned by my question. An odd flicker passed through his eyes.

“I only believe what I see,” he said coldly. “And from what I saw today, this was entirely your fault.”

“Apologize, Kristine. This is your last chance.”

The warmth he once had for me was gone. Completely gone.

All that remained was bitter indifference.

A wave of despair swept over me. I let out a broken laugh.

“What if I refuse?”

“A murderer’s daughter. The child of a mistress. Do you think you deserve anything more?”

“You’re ungrateful. You don’t know when you’re being blessed.”

Before Shakira could say another word, Nathan’s voice cut through the room like a blade.

“Someone, make her kneel. Keep her there until she knocks her head ten times!”

“To be the wife of the Cole Family, you clearly need to be taught some manners.”

My knees refused to bend.

So the bodyguard kicked me hard.

Pain exploded through my body as an old injury flared up again.

But still, my neck stiffened in defiance. I would not bow.

“Nathan,” Shakira said softly, “maybe we should let it go. Sister didn’t mean to humiliate me...”

“Don’t speak for her!” he snapped.

“Keep going. Do I have to teach you how to punish someone properly?”