When Grandma Shaw collapsed after eating the healthy meal I had prepared, Walter Shaw and his beloved Carmen Simmons happened to walk in.

I knelt beside Grandma to check her condition, only to realize the poison in her system was a rare herbal toxin known only in my family’s mountain town.

Walter panicked, scooped Grandma into his arms, and rushed her to the hospital. Only I knew there was an antidote—and it could only be found back home.

Not wanting to waste time, I didn’t even explain to Walter. I booked the soonest flight to my southern hometown.

But as soon as I landed and stepped out of the airport, I saw Walter leaning against his car, waiting for me.

“You ungrateful witch! I trusted you, and you poisoned Grandma with such a cruel toxin?”

Before I could reply, he motioned to his bodyguards, who knocked me unconscious and shoved me into the trunk.

When I woke again, I was tightly bound in the basement of the Shaw Family Mansion.

As my eyes slowly focused, Walter sat across from me, his brows furrowed, his eyes bloodshot and filled with hatred.

He didn’t speak. He just stared at me, his gaze sharp enough to cut through flesh, as though he wanted me to die with Grandma. I twisted against the chair, desperate to explain, but my mouth and limbs were bound with tape.

After a moment, one of the bodyguards handed Walter a glowing hot branding iron.

He stood, pulled off his tie, took the iron, and circled me like a predator.

“I can’t believe I kept a snake like you in my house! If I hadn’t come home early, Grandma would be dead by now because of you!”

“All I did was have dinner with Carmen, and you stooped so low as to poison Grandma just to drag me back home? I really underestimated how vicious you are!”

His eyes glinted with cruelty as he pressed the red-hot iron against my face without hesitation.

The pain was searing, ripping a scream from deep within me—but no sound escaped my gagged mouth.

“Grandma treated you so well. Do you know why my parents never made things hard for you? It was all for her sake. And you dared try to kill her? Then you can die first!”

I thrashed until the chair toppled, and Walter crouched beside me.

He ripped the tape from my mouth and grabbed my chin, forcing me to face him.

I ignored the pain on my face, tears streaming as I cried out,

“It wasn’t me! Walter, I didn’t poison her! I don’t know why my food was tainted—you have to believe me!”

But Walter’s hatred deafened him.

“Still denying it? Do you even know what kind of poison Grandma was given? Who else but your mountain town could have it?”

He was right—our family’s toxins were traditionally used for hunting, and few elders even made them anymore. They were never shared with outsiders.

But why would it appear in my food?

When the hot iron moved toward me again, I screamed and tried to turn my face away.

Walter ignored my plea and pressed it to my skin until he was satisfied.

Then he planted one foot hard on my chest, crushing me under his weight.

He knew my heart was weak, that even a shock could send me into painful spasms—and yet he pressed down mercilessly.

“Now you’re scared? Where was that fear when you poisoned Grandma?”

Without hesitation, he pressed the iron against my forehead. Smoke curled up as I lost consciousness, my body too weak to fight back any longer.

Just before I blacked out, I vaguely saw Carmen walk in. She rushed to Walter’s side, clutching his arm, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“I can’t believe Jada would poison Grandma. Maybe she just misunderstood us? Was this her way of… getting revenge?”

“Maybe when Grandma recovers, I should leave the country. I don’t want to come between you two.”

Walter rubbed his temples, tossed the iron aside, and touched Carmen’s forehead gently.

“This isn’t your fault, Carmen. That woman deceived me—I never saw her true face. The one who should leave is her, not you.”

“And you’re a doctor. Grandma’s life is in your hands. I promise you, once Grandma recovers, we’ll get married. Okay?”

Married?

He had once promised me—no matter what happened outside, he would never bring another woman into our lives. And now he was promising to marry someone else.

When I woke again, it was to a bucket of ice-cold water thrown over me.

Two bodyguards stood before me in suits, and between them sat Carmen, legs crossed, perched arrogantly on a chair.

“You’re awake? What a pity about that face. No wonder you managed to seduce Walter before.”

I stared up at her, my voice hoarse and pleading.

“Carmen, please call Walter. His grandmother’s poisoning wasn’t my doing. Let me out of here, please.”

The torture had nearly broken me earlier. All I wanted now was to clear my name.

Carmen looked at me like I was a dog begging its master.

“Give up. Even if you scream until your throat tears, Walter won’t let you out. I actually believe you didn’t poison Grandma—but Walter has already decided you did. Isn’t that pathetic?”

I crawled forward on my knees, clutching at her pant leg.

“I beg you! Let me see Walter. Please!”

Carmen stood and casually admired her manicure.

“Walter hates you now. If you confess to poisoning Grandma and bring me the antidote from your hometown, maybe I’ll put in a good word for you. Maybe he’ll even show you some mercy.”

“Because right now, his heart is completely with me. If I whisper one word against you, your next punishment will be worse than today’s.”

Confess? Why should I confess to something I didn’t do?

I was his fiancée. Why wouldn’t he believe me?

Tears blurred my vision as helpless rage swelled inside me.

I slammed my hand against the stool beside me.

“No! I didn’t do it! Tell Walter to investigate—or let me out, I’ll prove who the culprit is!”

Carmen laughed cruelly, dropping her mask of sweetness.

“You still think you’ll walk out of here? Even if you never confess, I’ll still marry Walter. The only one left by his side will be me. You’re just a mutt he’s grown tired of.”

She stepped back and gestured to the bodyguards.

“Have fun. Just don’t kill her—or Walter might be mad at me.”

The bodyguards obeyed instantly, raining blows on me until I could barely breathe.

Minutes later, they dragged my battered body to Carmen’s feet.

“Well, well. The great beauty, crawling like a dog before me.”

“You might be pretty, but a sparrow is still a sparrow—you’ll never be a phoenix. Walter’s family isn’t somewhere just anyone can marry into. Consider this a lesson.”

I could hardly believe this was the same woman Walter called his beloved.

Before she could taunt me further, one bodyguard spoke.

“Miss, Walter is coming down. Should we clear the room?”

Carmen sneered.

“Such bad timing—I was just getting started.”

Walter pushed the door open and froze at the scene.

“Who told you to come in here? Didn’t I say no one enters without my permission?”

I lay on the floor, too weak to speak.

Carmen put on a pitiful look and grabbed his hand.

“I only came to give her some water. But she accused me of framing her and said I should die with her.”

“Luckily my bodyguards were here—otherwise she might have attacked me.”

Walter glanced at me lying on the ground, expression cold.

“Didn’t I tell you? Don’t go soft on her. If she dies here, she deserves it.”

“Go now. I’ll come find you later.”

After sending Carmen away, Walter crouched in front of me, still icy.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you die before Grandma wakes up. You’ll apologize to her yourself.”

His words chilled me—Grandma was still unconscious in the hospital. The poison would destroy her cells slowly, and in a few days she might never wake again.

With all my remaining strength, I pointed at the bag in the corner.

“T—the antidote… take it… save her…”

Walter smirked, dumped the bag’s contents, and spotted the small vial that rolled to his feet.

“So many poisons. Were you planning to silence me too when you got caught?”

He crushed the vial under his heel, snuffing out Grandma’s last hope.

Even if I flew back to my hometown, she wouldn’t survive until I returned.

“Jada, pray Grandma wakes up soon.”

He left, locking the door behind him.

I stared at my bruised body and thought back to the day we met.

We were in college then—he was a student council leader under me.

By chance, we grew close. My family was poor, and I lived on the cheapest food.

He never handed me cash, afraid to hurt my pride. Instead, he brought an extra bowl of food every day and shared it with me.

Whenever Carmen sent people to bully me, Walter would stand up for me—even at the cost of cutting ties with her family.

Half the trouble I faced in college was solved by him.

After graduation, I started working. Each month, after sending money home, the rest was just enough to cover our shared expenses.