When I was fifteen, she made a promise to spend my birthday with me. I had waited eagerly for that day, but instead, she ran off to face down our greatest rival.

I was furious and terrified and I didn’t say a word to her for a month.

Only when she came to me, tears streaming down her face and vowed to leave that dangerous world behind did I find it in my heart to forgive her?

I couldn’t believe it; after all these years, her subordinates were still tangled up in these shady dealings. To make it worse, they had gone as far as tying me up!

If it hadn’t been for her flashy, over-the-top appearance, I might not have even recognized her.

The thought left me both anxious and furious.

"Margaret, have you completely lost it? How dare you tie me up like this!" I shouted, my frustration boiling over.

Before I could say another word, one of the girls stepped forward and kicked me hard.

"Shut your mouth! Do you think you’re worthy to call our Maggie by name?" she snarled, her eyes blazing with contempt.

She raised a whip, poised to strike when Margaret suddenly stopped her. Her gaze locked on me, sharp and suspicious.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

Realizing I hadn’t mistaken her identity, I straightened up, summoning a shred of confidence.

"Because I’m Brenda’s brother!" I declared firmly.

"Let me go now, or if my sister finds out, you won’t get away with this!"

The moment Brenda’s name escaped my lips, Margaret’s demeanor shifted. Her tense posture eased, but her sneer deepened.

"You? Brenda’s brother?" she scoffed. "Do you have a death wish, impersonating someone like that?"

Panic surged through me.

"I’m serious! I’m her real brother, Orson Martin!" I insisted desperately. "I’m not lying!"

Margaret stepped closer, her fingers wrapping tightly around my neck. Her sneer was ice-cold as she said, "Brenda’s surname is different from yours. How does that make you her brother?"

"You must think we’re fools!"

I quickly explained, desperation tightening my throat.

"Brenda is really my sister. We just have different last names, one from our dad and one from our mom! If you don’t believe me, call her yourself!"

Margaret studied me for a moment, suspicion clouding her face. Finally, she pulled out her phone, her fingers hesitating over the screen.

"Arlene Jones, you’ve worked with President Miller the longest. Does she have a brother named Orson?"

A laugh came from the other end of the line.

"Margaret, have you lost your mind? Did some random boy trick you again?" Arlene replied, her tone dripping with amusement.

Margaret hung up abruptly, her expression darkening as she turned back to me. Without warning, she kicked me hard in the knee.

"You shameless liar! How dare you try to fool me? I’ll break your legs!" she snarled, her voice laced with fury.

I winced, the pain shooting through me as the truth suddenly hit me.

Brenda had always claimed to be an orphan to protect her family, even hiding it from her closest subordinates. I hadn’t realized that her secret would one day put me in danger.

Before I could process the thought, a man with a rugged face leaned in close to Margaret, whispering something in her ear.

"Maggie, I think I’ve seen this guy before," he murmured. "I’m pretty sure Brenda posted a photo with him on her private account. They looked close. Could he be her lover?"

The man quickly pulled out his phone, fingers swiping through the screen, desperate to find the photo.

Margaret’s gaze flickered with uncertainty. If the picture came to light, even if they mistook the nature of our relationship, at least she could save herself from the mess.

But just as the man was about to pull up the image, he shook his head in frustration. It had been deleted.

Margaret’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing into cold slits. She pressed a knife against my cheek, her voice dripping with venom.

"If you really are Brenda’s lover, then why did you order a princess?" she spat.

"The one thing I can’t stand is a man who’s as indecisive as you."

With a sneer, she threatened, "Pay up, or I’ll carve your pretty face open! Let’s see how charming you look then!"

Despair washed over me and I collapsed, my voice rising in desperation.

"I really am Brenda’s brother! If you harm me today, she’ll hunt you down and kill you!"

But my words fell flat, not even causing a flicker of doubt in Margaret’s eyes.

I felt a crushing hopelessness settle over me. I never imagined proving my identity would be this impossible.

Just as the blade was about to break through my skin, Margaret’s phone rang its sharp ring cutting through the tension.

With an impatient sigh, she slapped it on speakerphone.

"Maggie, President Miller’s here at the karaoke bar! She says she has something urgent to discuss and is already waiting at the door!"

Margaret’s face lit up with sudden excitement.

"Really? I’ll go greet her right away!"

With a dismissive glance at me, she barked, "Full of lies and nonsense!"

"Get rid of this scumbag. We can’t have President Miller walk in and spoil her mood!"

The only person Margaret ever referred to as "President Miller" was Brenda. Could it really be her?

A lump lodged in my throat, but there was no time for sentimental thoughts.

I had no idea what they intended to do with me, but I knew this was my one shot at freedom.

As the person who had tied me up dragged me toward the door, I seized the moment. In a flash, I slammed my nose into their face, my heart pounding.

The person let out a howl of pain, their grip loosening just enough.

I bolted, my feet pounding the floor as I ran for my life.

But the karaoke bar was dark, the dim lights casting long shadows that blurred my way. I wasn’t familiar with the layout and as I raced forward, my foot caught on a step.

I crashed to the floor with a thud; my body jarred from the fall.

My ankle twisted painfully and my forehead slammed against the stairs, leaving my mind in a haze.

But even in my foggy state, I saw her, Brenda, standing in the shadows, holding a wine glass.

A string of crystals dangled from her wrist, the very same birthday gift I had given her just last year.

I opened my mouth to shout, but before a sound could escape, someone clamped a hand over my mouth, silencing me in an instant.

Brenda glanced in my direction, a flicker of confusion in her eyes, but ultimately, she saw nothing.

The person dragged me back into the shadows and, in one swift motion, struck the back of my head with a brutal force.

"You bastard, how dare you run into me? Let’s see if you don’t regret that later!"

And with that, everything went black.

When I came to, I found myself tied up in a dark, cramped basement, tape sealing my mouth shut.

No one was around. Had they all gone to welcome Brenda?

I steadied my breathing, whispering to myself. As long as Brenda hadn’t left, there was still hope.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I struggled to sit up and inch my way to the corner, hoping to loosen the ropes that bound me.

Just then, I heard low voices drifting from outside the door.

I quietly moved closer, my heart skipping when I recognized James' voice.

A rush of relief flooded through me.

When I had been tied up, James had just stepped away to the bathroom and I'd been worried about him.

But now that I knew he was okay, my chances of escaping seemed much brighter.

However, as I listened to his conversation with the person outside, my hope shattered.

"Sis, did you get the money? Hurry up and give me my share!"

"You still have the nerve to say that? Didn’t you win five million? How come you can’t even come up with three million? Are you trying to scam me?"

"Sis, I swear I didn’t! I went with him to claim the prize. He’s just being stubborn. You’ll have to use stronger tactics!"

"Yeah, and earlier, he pretended to be President Miller’s brother. He’s really asking for it. But... he’s not bad-looking and he reminds me of my first love. It’d be a waste to just get rid of him! Hehe…"

The moment I heard those words, a chill ran down my spine.

For the longest time, I had believed James was completely unaware of what was happening. I had been counting on him noticing my absence and rushing to call the police to save me.

But to my horror, I now realized he was in on it all along.

I had treated him well and trusted him, so why would he betray me like this?

Was it really just for the five million?

I couldn’t bear to listen to their conversation anymore.

Instead, I threw all my energy into rubbing at the rope, desperate to break free. If I escaped, there was no way I’d let him get away with it.

Before long, I had managed to cut through one of the ropes.

A surge of joy rushed through me and I was just about to finish the last one when I heard keys turning in the door.

Panic gripped me. "This is bad!"

I grabbed the broken rope and quickly pulled myself back to my original position.

The door creaked open and in stepped a plump middle-aged woman who promptly yanked the tape from my mouth.

"Little handsome guy, if it weren't for me, your legs would’ve been broken by now and your face would be a mess. Aren’t you going to show some gratitude?"

I fought the urge to gag and asked, "How exactly should I show it?"

Without warning, her greasy, clammy hand brushed against my cheek.

"How about you come with me from now on? I’ll promise you a life of luxury and that three million? You’ll never have to worry about it again. What do you say?"

I was boiling with rage.

"Yuck! Why would I leave behind a gangster queen to follow you, an old hag? You should take a good look at yourself..."

Before I could finish, her hand shot up and clamped tightly around my throat.

"Think before you speak, pretty boy. It’d be such a shame if your handsome face were ruined..."

Panicked, I begged, "Please, let’s calm down and talk this through..."

Her grip loosened and a lecherous smile spread across her face.

"So, are you saying you’d be willing to be my lover?"

I choked, struggling to speak, when a thin, bald man quietly slipped into the room.

He looked like he might be her husband.

Seeing that she didn’t notice, I decided to play along, attempting to flatter her.

"Big sis, you must be married, right? If your husband knew I was your lover, do you think he’d beat us both to a pulp?"

The plump woman’s voice suddenly rose, "Don’t bring up that baldy. He’s all flash and no substance!"

"As long as you’re with me, I’ll give you whatever you want..."

Before she could press her filthy lips to my face, the bald man slapped her hard across the cheek.

"Bridget Taylor, you shameless woman! How dare you keep a young lover behind my back? Let’s see if I don’t end you today!"

A brawl erupted between them.

I wasted no time in egging them on, "Big sis, give it all you’ve got! If you beat your husband, I’ll do anything you ask!"

"You can’t even handle your own husband; how are you going to establish your authority in the future?"

At this, Bridget flew into a rage, pouncing on the bald man, landing blow after blow.

Seizing the opportunity, I silently loosened the rope, crouched low and slipped out of the basement.

The sunroof couldn’t bear our combined weight and shattered in an instant.

A shard of glass cut across my forehead and blood quickly stained my face.

Though the plump woman had cushioned my fall, my limbs were still broken.

Hearing the crash, Brenda immediately rushed out of the car.

She frowned, her gaze filled with disdain as she looked at me.

"Margaret, what’s going on here? Are you up to something shady again behind my back?"

Brenda’s presence was like a cold wind, pushing everyone away. Her aura was a stark contrast to the one she wore when she was with me.

Her displeasure was clear, almost spilling over.

She didn’t even recognize me.

No wonder I must’ve looked like a madman, disheveled and covered in blood.

Even my throat could only produce muffled sounds.

I didn’t resemble the brother she once knew at all.

How could she recognize me now?