For a second, I didn’t understand.

“What?” My ears rang. “No… that doesn’t make sense,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I just paid. You saw it. The money is there. Why would you stop now? He needs the surgery, he’ll die without it, you can’t just—”

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing we can do.”

The world tilted. I stumbled back, my heart racing so fast it hurt.

Argus.

I fumbled for my phone and dialed his number, my fingers slipping.

He picked up.

“You’re calling me already?” he said, amused. “What is it, Dahlia? Miss me that much?”

“Argus!” My voice broke. “Please, please don’t do this. My father needs treatment. I already paid, I did everything you wanted, I drank everything, I—”

“So?” he cut in, almost bored. “He had surgery last week, didn’t he? Skipping one won’t kill him. Or are you saying your father is that weak?”

My knees hit the floor.

“Please,” I whispered. “I’m begging you. Don’t punish him for this. If you’re angry, take it out on me. I’ll do anything, just don’t—”

“Of course it’s punishment,” he said, his voice turning colder. “This is for hurting and humiliating Celine. Did you really think you could walk away after making her upset?”

Everything went silent.

The call ended.

And then—

Beep.

Beeeeeeep—

I froze. Slowly, I turned my head. The line on the monitor… it wasn’t moving anymore. Just straight.

“No!”

My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor. I rushed to the bed, grabbing my father’s hand. It was cold. Too cold.

“No, no, no… Dad!” My voice shook. “Wake up. Please wake up. I’m here now. I got the money, everything’s okay now, you’re going to be fine, so please…”

He didn’t move.

“Dad…” My grip tightened, my whole body trembling. “Dad!!!” My scream tore through the room. But no one answered.

—

I didn’t know how long I’d stayed there. Hours, maybe longer. By the time sunlight crept into the room, I was still on my knees, my eyes dry and empty.

He was gone. The doctor approached quietly and handed me a letter.

“Miss Dahlia… this is something your father left for you. Please… take care.”

My hands shook as I opened it.

[Dahlia, my dauhter. Please run... Don’t let Argus ruin your life.]

A broken laugh escaped me, and then I couldn’t stop crying. Even at the end… He told me to leave.

To live.

—

After arranging his funeral, after everything was done, after there was nothing left tying me here…

I stared at my phone for a long time.

Then I dialed the number.

“Professor Blackwood,” I said when the call connected, my voice quiet but steady. “I’ve made my decision.”

A pause.

“I want to join the research project.”

I closed my eyes. Argus took everything from me. But this time, I was the one walking away.

Professor Blackwood’s voice shook the moment he heard mine. “Dahlia, is that really you? Are you serious about this? Did you settle your father’s situation? And what about the man you love?”

I closed my eyes for a second before answering, my voice quiet. “My father’s gone, and I’m not going to love him anymore. Not now. Not ever.”

There was silence, just two seconds, but it felt heavy. Then his tone softened. “Dahlia… I don’t know what happened to you these past five years, but the most painful time is also when you grow the fastest. Your life isn’t over. It’s just starting.”

Just starting. I let out a breath. Was that even true? After everything… could I still start over? Still, I said, “Yeah. I understand.”

Maybe I really did like Argus before. He was handsome, and sometimes he treated me gently, and he spent money without hesitation, paid for my father’s treatment, and gave me things I never even dreamed of. So what was I unhappy about? I used to ask myself that.

Until Celine came back.

I still remembered that night. Argus had never drunk alcohol before, not once, but that night he drank like he lost control, and then he said it, clear and raw. “Celine… I missed you so much I went crazy. If only you're not my step sister, things would’ve been different.”

I stood there, frozen.

Later, I picked up a photo from the floor. She was beautiful, bright, and she looked a little like me. That was when I finally understood. Between her and me, I was never the one he chose. I was just the substitute. The one he could touch, the one he could use, the one he didn’t have to hold back with.

From that moment, whatever feelings I had left for him burned away. But I still stayed. Why? Because my father was still in that hospital, because I needed him alive. So I played my role, quiet and obedient, and I endured everything Argus wanted but couldn’t do to Celine. I told myself it was temporary. Once my father got better, I would leave and never look back.

But in the end… all I got was his body. Cold. Gone.

And then Argus still asked me, “Do you even know what you did wrong?”

I stared at that message for a long time. Did I? Was it wrong to exist in his life? Without thinking, I opened his social feed. Beach, ocean, sunset, and him smiling freely beside Celine, so relaxed, like nothing ever happened. Like my father’s death meant nothing.

My chest tightened. Everything he had now felt like it was built on top of my father’s life.

I clenched my phone and took a taxi back to the villa. I needed to pack and leave before I broke completely.

The moment I walked in, I saw him sitting on the sofa, his face dark. “Where did you go? Why didn’t you reply to my messages? Do you think you can just disappear like that?”

I didn’t answer and walked past him.

He immediately got up and followed me upstairs, then shoved me hard. “Dahlia, you made Celine upset, and now you’re ignoring me? Who do you think you are, taking your anger out on me?”

My back slammed into the wall and something tore, warm blood sliding down, but I didn’t react. I just looked at him. “So what?” I said quietly. “What do you want me to do this time?”

He paused, clearly not expecting that.

I tilted my head slightly. “How should I apologize this time? Break a stone on my forehead in front of your friends? Or break my other arm too? Or maybe drink another thirty glasses until I pass out… will that finally make Celine feel better?”

For a moment, he just stared at me. Then his expression slowly calmed, like nothing happened. “Pack your things. Come back to the old house with me. Grandpa wants to see you.”

I didn’t move.

He added casually, “I’ll give you a fifty million. You know what to say and what not to say. Don’t embarrass me.”

I let out a small laugh. I didn’t even know why I was laughing anymore.

The Montgomery family always cared about reputation and rules. I learned that early.

When Argus’s grandfather found out his feelings for Celine weren’t normal, he sent her abroad without even discussing it. Just like that. Gone.

After that, he kept arranging blind dates for Argus, one after another.

And somehow, Argus noticed me.

Not because of who I was.

Just because I looked like her.

That night still felt like a blur I couldn’t wash away. My drink tasted strange, my head got heavy, and everything spun. I remembered his hands, his voice, the way I couldn’t even push him away properly.

One person needed love.

The other needed money.

So it became… this.

Something ugly. Something I could never name out loud.

...

The car stopped, and I snapped back to reality.

The old house stood in front of me, quiet and imposing.

The moment the door opened, Celine ran straight into Argus’s arms. “Argus, I missed you so much,” she said, clinging to him like she belonged there.

His expression changed instantly.

Soft. Gentle.

Like I had never seen before.

He reached out and pinched her nose lightly. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes again? What if you get sick? Do you even take care of yourself?”

She laughed, leaning into him. “If I get sick, then you’ll have to stay with me all the time, right?”

They kept talking, teasing each other as if nothing else existed.

Like they were the only two people in the world.

I stood there, watching.

What was I, then?

The butler stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Sir, the master hasn’t been well lately. You should be more careful.”

I knew what he meant.

The last time Argus came here, he fought with his grandfather over Celine. It got so bad the old man had to be rushed to the hospital overnight.

Argus frowned, clearly annoyed. “Why does Grandpa suddenly want to see Dahlia? What is it this time? More gossip?”

Before anyone could answer, a voice came from upstairs.

“Is there something I’m not allowed to hear?”

I looked up.

Grandpa slowly walked down, leaning on his cane but still steady.

My chest tightened.

Without thinking, I stepped forward to support him. “Careful, Grandpa,” I said softly.

He looked at me and nodded, his expression warming just a little.

Out of everyone here… he was the only one who ever treated me like family.

But the moment his gaze shifted to Argus and Celine still standing too close, something in his eyes changed.

Anger.

“What kind of behavior is this?” he snapped. “An uncle and his step niece acting like this in front of everyone? Have you lost all sense of shame?”

Argus’s face turned cold instantly, and he let go of Celine’s hand, though not willingly.

“Why did you call us back?” he asked flatly. “What do you want with me and Dahlia?”

Grandpa let out a cold breath. “Of course it’s about your marriage.”

My heart skipped.

“You’ve been together for five years,” he continued, his voice firm. “It’s time to make it official.”

I froze.

Marriage?

“With everything arranged,” he went on, tapping his cane against the floor, “one month from now, you and Dahlia will register your marriage and hold the wedding. No more delays.”

The room went silent. Celine’s face turned pale instantly, like all the color drained out of her.

I couldn’t even process what I was hearing.

Marriage? After everything? Did he really think this could fix anything?

“No,” Argus said suddenly, his voice sharp and decisive. “I don’t agree.”

The word hit like a slap. And somehow… It still hurts.

Grandpa didn’t hold back.

His cane came down hard against Argus’s back. “You ungrateful child!" he snapped, voice shaking with anger. “You were the one who insisted on being with Dahlia back then. You stood in front of your parents’ graves and promised you’d give her a good life. So what is this now?”

I lowered my eyes.

“You dragged this out year after year,” he continued, breathing heavier. “Five years. Five whole years. How much longer are you planning to waste her life?”

Five years.

I stood there quietly, but memories still came back whether I wanted them or not.

There was a time… when things weren’t like this.

Even someone like Argus, cold and ruthless, used to hesitate because of me. He used to ask what I thought before making decisions.

Once, I told him to stop hurting people. Just casually, just because I didn’t like it. And he actually let go of someone who tried to kill him. After that, everyone knew he had a weakness.

Me.

When I had a high fever for days, barely conscious, he went up into the mountains himself just to pray for me. I didn’t even know until later.

And when I mentioned I liked white roses… he filled the entire villa garden with them.

I thought those things meant something.

But later… those same flowers were renamed after Celine.

Just like everything else.

Now, Celine’s eyes were red, like she was about to cry, and Argus looked at her like the whole world could burn and he wouldn’t care.

“I’m not marrying Dahlia,” he said firmly, “She’s not the one I want.”

Not the one.

The words landed, but I didn’t react.

He grabbed Celine’s hand, tight, almost desperate, his eyes carrying that same reckless madness I had seen before. “The person I love is Celine. It’s always been her. I won’t marry anyone else in this life.”

The room felt colder.

“I can announce Dahlia as my fiancée if that’s what you want,” he added, “but I won’t marry her.”

Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees.

The sound echoed.

Celine followed immediately, kneeling beside him, her voice trembling but stubborn. “Grandpa… please. Let us be together. I’m begging you.”

Grandpa looked like he couldn’t breathe for a second, his chest rising and falling too fast.

“Get out!" he said finally, his voice shaking with rage. “Both of you. Go to the prayer hall and kneel. Don’t come out until I say so.”

And just like that, in front of everyone, they stood up, still holding hands, and walked away together.

Like nothing else mattered.

Like I didn’t exist.

I watched everything without expression.

Was I supposed to cry?

Or laugh?

I didn’t even know anymore.

Slowly, I took out a small wooden box from my bag. Inside was a family heirloom… an expensive sapphire pendant Grandpa had once given me.

He froze when he saw it. “Dahlia… what are you doing?”

I stepped back and bowed deeply.

“Grandpa, thank you,” I said softly. “For taking care of me these past five years. I won’t forget it. But… I can’t stay by his side anymore.”

He frowned, trying to say something, trying to stop me. But I had already decided. I placed the pendant down and turned to leave. No hesitation. No looking back.

As I passed by the prayer room, I heard something. Heavy breathing. Low voices.

My steps slowed for just a second.

Through the small gap in the door… I saw them.

Too close. Too intimate. Like the whole world didn’t exist outside that room. Like they were proving something to everyone, even to the people who came before them.

My chest tightened. Then I looked away.

What was the point of staying?

I walked out of the Montgomery house without stopping.

I went to the Montgomery Group that morning and resigned as Argus’s secretary. Just like that. No hesitation, no second thoughts.

The HR manager, one of the few people who ever treated me kindly, looked at me and sighed. “Dahlia, congratulations! You finally got out. I’m serious, you escaped something ugly.”

I forced a small smile. “Yeah… I guess I did.”

And for the first time in a long while, I actually felt a little lighter. Like something heavy had finally loosened its grip on my chest. I didn’t owe them anything anymore. Not the money, not the pain, not the version of myself I became just to survive.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

The moment I walked into the villa that evening, a glass shattered right in front of me.

I flinched as sharp pieces scattered across the floor, one of them slicing into my arm. I barely had time to react before Argus stormed over.

His hand came fast.

The slap rang loud, my head snapping to the side as pain exploded across my face.

“Dahlia!” he shouted, his eyes cold and furious. “Grandpa treated you like his own, and this is how you repay him? You pushed him down the stairs? You tried to kill him?!”

My ears rang, my cheek burning, but none of that mattered.

“What?” I breathed, panic rising fast. “What are you talking about? How did Grandpa fall? What did the doctor say? Is he okay?”

Before Argus could answer, a weak voice came from upstairs.

“Miss Connelly, the butler already said it was you,” Celine said, her tone trembling, almost pitiful. “Are you really going to pretend you’re innocent even now?”

My body went cold.

“Argus, is this really the person you chose?” she added softly, like she was hurt. “She did something like that and still won’t admit it. She’s a coward.”

I staggered back as Argus shoved me hard against the wall. Pain shot through my back, but I barely felt it.

Because I saw her. Celine.

For just a second, her eyes met mine. And she smiled. A small, smug smile.

My scalp tingled. I didn’t need to think twice. She did it. She pushed Grandpa. And now she was blaming me.

Before I could say anything, my phone started ringing sharply. Argus picked it up, and the butler’s voice came through, urgent and panicked. “Sir, the master just had a massive hemorrhage! The hospital’s blood bank is running low, we might not have enough supply—”

I couldn’t hear the rest.Because Celine spoke again, like she just remembered something important.

“Argus, Dahlia’s blood type is the same as Grandpa’s, right?” she said softly.

My heart dropped.

A cold fear crawled up from my feet, wrapping around my chest.

No…

The next second, everything turned chaotic. Hands grabbed me. I struggled, but it didn’t matter. I was dragged out, shoved into a car, and taken straight to the hospital.

Before I could even process what was happening, I was tied down in the emergency room.

“Hold her still,” someone said.

Cold ropes tightened around my wrists. A needle pierced into my vein.

“Draw her blood,” Argus’s voice came, cold and final. “As long as it saves Grandpa, I don’t care what happens to her. Even if she dies.”

My heart clenched.

I turned my head, looking at him through blurry vision. “Argus…” My voice shook. “Even if I didn’t say anything… I would’ve given blood for Grandpa. You didn’t have to do this. You didn’t have to tie me up like this…”

My throat tightened.

“But I didn’t push him,” I said, forcing the words out. “I swear I didn’t. You can’t just decide that and treat me like this. You can’t take what little dignity I have left.”

He let out a cold laugh.

“Still lying?” his eyes was full of disgust. “Grandpa treated you so well, and this is how you repay him? Dahlia, you really have no bottom line.”

“I didn’t—”

“Enough,” he cut me off sharply. “You better pray he survives. Because if anything happens to him, I’ll make you pay for it. In blood.”

In blood.

The words echoed in my head.Anger. Pain. Fear. Something broke inside me, quietly and completely.

I could feel it… my blood leaving my body, little by little. My fingers turned cold, my vision dimming at the edges.

Was this how it felt? When you had no way out? When no one believed you? A tear slipped down the side of my face.

Dad…

Did it hurt like this when you were lying there alone? When you needed help and no one came?

My breathing grew weaker, my thoughts drifting. For a moment… I thought I heard his voice.

Soft.

Calling me.

Dad, are you here? Did you come to take me with you?

…

I had a long dream.

In that dream, Celine hadn’t come back yet, and everything was different.

Argus and I were still together like a normal couple. No tension, no fear. He would introduce me to his friends without hesitation, his hand always around my waist like he was proud of me. Like I actually belonged there.

He even took me to the hospital to visit my dad. He would talk to him, sit beside his bed, and try so hard to please him. I still remembered how awkward he looked sometimes, like he didn’t know what to say but still tried anyway.

“Sir, I’ll take care of Dahlia,” he said once, almost seriously. “You don’t have to worry about her.”

Back then, I believed him.

I really thought… we had a future.

He gave me so many firsts. First time feeling wanted, first time feeling like maybe I wasn’t alone. I held onto those moments like they were real.

Then suddenly—

Cold water poured over my head.

I gasped, my whole body jerking as freezing liquid soaked through my clothes, biting straight into my skin. The cold hurt so much it almost felt like knives.

My eyes snapped open.

The dream shattered.

Reality came back all at once.

Argus was sitting in front of me, high above like he was looking down at something worthless. His eyes were cold, completely detached.

“You should be grateful,” he said, his tone flat. “Grandpa made it through. If something happened to him, you wouldn’t even be alive right now. You would’ve died on that operating table.”

My body stiffened.

Before I could even process that, he continued, “Until he wakes up, you’re staying here. Reflect on what you’ve done. And be ready anytime if he needs more blood.”

Reflect?

My mind went blank.

Then it hit me where I was.

This place…

My skin broke out in goosebumps.

I knew this room.

It was where Argus dealt with people who crossed him. I had heard things, whispers, rumors. People didn’t come out the same… if they came out at all.

There were no windows. No light. The air felt thick, heavy, like it was soaked with something I didn’t want to name.

Blood.

I remembered once, I laughed and asked him, “What if one day we end up as enemies? Would you throw me in there too?”

He looked at me back then, serious for once. “No. That’ll never happen. We won’t become enemies.”

I almost laughed now.

Look at me.

Standing right in the middle of his hell.

All because of a lie that didn’t even try to hide its cracks.

Something inside my chest twisted slowly, painfully.

“I didn’t push Grandpa,” I said, forcing the words out one by one. “I didn’t do it. I’m not lying. I didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not staying here to reflect on something I didn’t do.”

I tried to stand.

My body didn’t listen.

It felt like it was falling apart, like every part of me was too weak to hold together. My legs trembled and gave out before I could even get up properly.

Argus let out a low scoff.

“Dahlia, you really are something,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “Still pretending. Still acting like the victim. I won’t believe a single word from you ever again.”

Ever again. He turned and walked out. The door slammed shut.