She stopped until we were almost face to face.

“I hate you.” Her voice dropped to a whisper filled with venom. “I've hated you since the day I found out you were Father's legitimate daughter. You had everything. The family, the name, the love. And what did I have? A dead mother, no home, and no one.”

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

“So why should you get to keep any of it?” She smiled sweetly, her eyes filled with malice. “I'll take everything from you. Your home. Your fiance. Your future. And when I'm done... you'll have absolutely nothing left.”

Agatha picked up one of my forensic case files and flipped through it with a bored expression before letting out a mocking laugh.

“You really wasted all this time on something so worthless. No wonder Apollo never takes any of it seriously.”

Without the slightest hesitation, she ripped it straight down the middle.

Sheets of paper fluttered across the floor.

“No!” I rushed toward her, panic rising in my chest. “Stop! Those files took me years to finish. Please don't destroy them.”

She ignored every word.

With a careless sweep of her arm, she sent an expensive microscope crashing off the workbench. Glass shattered across the floor as the machine broke into hundreds of pieces. Then came the DNA models, the evidence boards, the preserved samples. Everything I'd spent years building was destroyed within minutes.

Agatha smiled as she watched my expression crumble.

“You look heartbroken.” She picked up another research journal and slowly tore it in half. “It's actually satisfying to watch. I hate seeing you happy, so watching you lose everything feels wonderful.”

My chest tightened painfully.

Those weren't just books.

They were years of work.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” My voice shook with anger and disbelief. “You know how hard I worked for all of this! What gives you the right to destroy them?”

Agatha rolled her eyes before casually unclasping the diamond necklace around her neck.

She tossed it onto the marble floor at my feet.

The diamonds sparkled beneath the lights.

“There.” She shrugged carelessly. “Apollo gave me that three days ago, and it's worth a few million. Take it and consider us even.”

She pretended to think for a moment before smiling sweetly.

“Oh, that's right.” Her smile turned cruel. “My dear sister's far too proud to accept charity. If this isn't enough compensation... I suppose I'll just have to destroy a little more.”

She reached for the last storage box.

Panic flooded through me.

“No!”

I ran toward the final locked cabinet.

Hidden beneath stacks of forensic journals...

Was the only thing I truly cared about.

A small wooden music box.

My father had given it to me before he died.

Inside was the last voice recording he'd ever left behind.

Whenever I missed him...

I'd wind it up and listen.

It was all I had left of him.

I hugged the music box tightly against my chest.

“Don't touch this.” My voice cracked as tears blurred my vision. “Please... you can destroy anything else if you want, but not this. It's the only thing I have left of Dad.”

Agatha noticed immediately.

“So...” Her smile slowly widened. “This is what really matters to you.”

She walked toward me.

“Give it to me.” She held out her hand without hesitation. “If it's so precious, I want to see exactly how broken you'll look after I destroy it.”

“No!” I shook my head desperately, clutching it tighter. “Please... it's all I have left of Dad. Don't take this away from me too.”

Her eyes turned ice cold.

“Dad?” She let out a bitter laugh. “He was never my father. He abandoned my mother, abandoned me, and spent every day loving you instead. While you happily called him Dad, I grew up with nothing.”

She grabbed the music box.

“I hate hearing you say that word.”

I held on with everything I had.

“Let go!” she snapped before shoving me backward.

I crashed onto the floor.

The music box slipped from my hands.

“No!”

At that exact moment, Lila came racing into the room.

My ragdoll cat hissed louder than I'd ever heard before and launched herself at Agatha. Her claws raked across Agatha's wrist, making her scream in pain. The music box flew from her hand and landed outside the open balcony doors.

I didn't stop to think.

I ran downstairs as fast as I could.

Thankfully, the music box had landed safely in the bushes below.

The wood was scratched but it hadn't broken.

I hugged it tightly against my chest.

Thank God!

When I hurried back inside...

The smile disappeared from my face.

Lila was locked inside a steel pet carrier.

She cried the second she saw me.

Apollo sat on the sofa, his expression darker than a storm cloud. Agatha sat beside him with thick bandages wrapped around her wrist while tears streamed endlessly down her face.

Apollo looked up at me. “So this is the fucking animal you raised.” His voice was as cold as ice. “Look what it did to Agatha. Is this how you've trained it?!”

I immediately dropped to my knees beside the carrier and wrapped both arms around it. Lila pressed herself against the bars, crying softly.

“No.” I looked directly into Apollo's eyes. “Lila attacked because she was protecting me! If you want someone to blame, blame me instead. Leave her out of this. She didn't do anything wrong.”

Agatha burst into fresh tears.

“Sister...” Her voice trembled pitifully as she lowered her head. “Why are you lying again? I only went upstairs because I thought your research was important. I wanted to help organize everything after the mess, but your cat suddenly attacked me.”

She sniffled before looking at Apollo.

“I never blamed Sister.” Tears continued rolling down her cheeks. “But now she's blaming me instead. Maybe I shouldn't have tried helping her at all.”

“You liar!” I shouted, unable to hold back any longer. “You destroyed everything! You smashed my equipment, tore apart all my research, and even tried to destroy Dad's music box. You did all of it, and now you're pretending to be the victim!”

“Enough.”

Apollo's voice sliced through the room like a blade.

Silence fell instantly.

He slowly rose to his feet, his gaze never leaving mine.

“If those files really meant that much to you...” His expression remained unreadable. “...then you wouldn't have gone completely fucking insane over them. I think it's better if every last piece of that laboratory disappears. You clearly don't deserve it.”

My breathing stopped.

Apollo looked toward his men.

“Burn the laboratory.” His order was calm, almost indifferent. “Destroy everything. Leave nothing behind.”

Then his eyes shifted toward Lila.

“And that fucking cat...” His voice turned even colder. “If it dares attack someone under my roof, it doesn't deserve to stay alive.”

“No!” I threw myself over the carrier, shielding it with my body. “Please! Lila didn't do anything wrong. She was only trying to protect me. Please... don't hurt her.”

Apollo didn't even spare me a glance.

He simply gave a single nod.

Several De Sangue soldiers immediately stepped forward.

They grabbed my arms.

“No!” I struggled with everything I had, but my body was far too weak to resist. “Please let her go! Don't take her away from me!”

One man ripped the carrier from my embrace.

Another tore the music box from my hands.

My fingers burned as they were forced apart.

“No...” My voice broke into sobs. “Please... give them back! They're all I have left!”

I dropped to my knees.

The cold marble dug into my skin, but I didn't feel it anymore. I crawled toward Apollo one painful step at a time until I reached him, my trembling fingers clutching the leg of his pants.

“Apollo...” My voice cracked as I looked up at him through blurred eyes. “I'm begging you. Please don't do this! My father's music box... That's all I have left of him. And Lila...” My gaze shifted to my frightened ragdoll cat crying inside the carrier. “She's been with me through every horrible day. You can destroy everything else if you want, but don't take her away from me. I'll do anything. I'll kneel forever if that's what you want. I'll apologize, disappear, and never stand in Agatha's way again. I just... I just want Lila back.”

Apollo didn't even look at me.

Instead, he gently took Agatha's injured wrist into his hands, carefully examining the scratches. “Does it still hurt?” His voice was unbelievably gentle. “I'll have the family doctor come back tonight. I don't want even the smallest scar left on your hand.”

“A little...” Agatha sniffled pitifully, fresh tears filling her eyes. “But please don't blame my sister. Maybe Lila only attacked me because she thought I was trying to hurt her.”

Behind them, the De Sangue soldiers waited for no further instructions.

Torches were thrown into my forensic laboratory.

Flames erupted instantly, swallowing everything in their path. My microscopes, case files, years of forensic notes, preserved samples, research journals, and every dream I'd spent years building disappeared beneath the fire.

At the same time, another soldier dragged Lila's carrier toward the growing flames.

“No!” I screamed until my throat felt raw. “Please stop! She didn't do anything wrong!”

Two bodyguards pinned me to the ground.

I kicked, sratched, bit but it wasn't enough.

The carrier landed beside the fire. Lila cried desperately, clawing at the metal door with her tiny paws.

“Apollo!” I sobbed so violently I could barely breathe. “What happened to you? Have you forgotten who you used to be? You promised you'd protect me. I don't want your love anymore. I don't want your promises or your money. Just... please... give Lila back. I'm begging you. I'm really begging you!"

Then Lila's cries suddenly stopped.

I shoved the bodyguards away with strength I didn't know I still possessed and stumbled toward the carrier.

There was blood on the ground—too much blood.

Lila lay motionless beside the crushed steel carrier. Her tiny body no longer moved, and the bright blue eyes that had followed me everywhere were empty.

I slowly picked her up... She was still warm but she was gone.

I couldn't cry. I couldn't scream.

I simply sat there, holding her against my chest.

My father was gone. Now Lila was gone too. Why did everyone who ever loved me leave? Was I really that unlucky, or was I simply never allowed to keep anything precious?

Apollo stepped outside.

The first thing he heard wasn't my silence.

It was the words I'd spoken moments earlier.

I don't want your love anymore.

His expression darkened as he strode toward me, grabbed my arm, and slammed me against the wall.

“Elarisse.” His grip tightened painfully around my wrist. “When the fuck are you going to grow up? Do you think saying shit like that is funny? You've been mine since the day you turned eighteen! If you don't want my love anymore, then whose the fuck do you want?”

I stared back at him. There was nothing left inside me.

“Move,” I said quietly.

Apollo didn't move.

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“Lila's dead. My father's gone. So don't stand in my way.”

For the first time, his grip loosened.

I walked past him without another word.

Back in my bedroom, I curled into the corner of the bed. Downstairs, I could still hear them laughing.

“Apollo,” Agatha's cheerful voice echoed through the mansion. “Why's my sister making such a big deal over a cat? It was only an animal. I don't understand why she's acting like the world ended.”

Apollo let out a cold laugh.

“Ignore her. We've spoiled her too damn much, and now she thinks the whole world owes her something.” Ice clinked against his glass. “The Redd family is gone. She's got a weak immune system. Where the fuck is she going to go besides staying under my roof? This time, I'm making sure she learns her lesson.”

I listened quietly.

Then I stood.

Like someone who had finally buried the last piece of herself.

I opened every drawer, every cabinet, and every safe in the room, gathering everything Apollo had ever given me.

The engagement ring he'd slipped onto my finger.

The custom pistol engraved with my initials because he'd once promised I'd never be defenseless.

The notebook filled with plans for all the countries he wanted to visit with me.

The silk scarf he'd wrapped around my neck during our first winter together.

The antique pocket watch he'd bought because I'd once said it reminded me of my father.

The diamond bracelets. The designer handbags.

The couture gowns.

Every gift.

Every promise.

Every lie.

I stuffed everything into a large canvas bag and dragged it into the courtyard. After building a fire, I threw every single item into the flames.

One after another, every reminder of the life we'd built together disappeared into the fire.

Apollo rushed outside.

The moment he realized what was burning, his face changed.

“What the fuck are you doing?” He stormed toward the fire, fury flashing across his face. “Have you completely lost your damn mind? Do you even realize what you're throwing away?”

I stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

“You burned everything that mattered to me.” My voice remained eerily calm as I watched the flames consume the last of our memories. “So now I'm burning everything that ever reminded me of you. If my life meant so little to you, then these things don't mean anything to me either.”

Apollo stared at me as if he no longer recognized the woman standing before him.

His fists clenched.

“Fine.” His voice turned ice cold. “If you don't give a damn about us anymore, then neither do I. I hope you fucking regret this.”

He turned away.

...

That same day, Apollo left the Riccio estate.

Agatha walked beside him with a satisfied smile she couldn't quite hide.

Before leaving, Apollo ordered every servant and every De Sangue guard assigned to the estate to leave as well.

Within an hour, the enormous mansion fell completely silent.

The very next morning, the entire city exploded with one piece of news.

“Apollo Riccio: The feared Don of De Sangue. The powerful CEO of Riccio Group. Officially introduced his girlfriend to the public.”

Every news outlet carried the same headline. Every social media account shared the same photos.

In every picture, Agatha stood beside him with her arm wrapped around his. She wore an elegant white coat while Apollo kept one hand possessively around her waist. Another photo showed them inside one of his private helicopters, flying over the Chicago skyline as the sun dipped below the horizon.

She looked like she'd always belonged in his world.

The comments flooded in.

“She's so lucky.”

“Don Apollo finally found the woman worthy of him.”

“They look perfect together.”

Almost at the same time, my phone buzzed.

One message.

From Apollo.

“See what happens when you keep testing me? This is the price for going against me. Maybe now you'll learn where you stand.”

I stared at the screen for a long time.

Strangely...

It didn't even hurt anymore.

Maybe there was simply nothing left inside me that could still break.

I locked my phone and quietly continued packing my suitcase. There were only a few days left before my flight, and I refused to let anything stop me now.

Halfway through folding my clothes, a wave of dizziness suddenly washed over me.

My vision blurred.

The room tilted.

A cold sweat spread across my forehead as my hands began trembling uncontrollably.

No...

Not now.

I reached for the bedside table, trying to steady myself, but my legs gave out beneath me.

My blood sugar...

It was dropping again.

I fumbled through my bag with shaking fingers, searching desperately for the emergency glucose tablets I always carried. My breathing became uneven as panic crept into my chest.

Nothing.

I checked another pocket.

Still nothing.

I couldn't remember where I'd left them.

My fingertips were already going numb.

With the last of my strength, I grabbed my phone and called Apollo.

I called him once.

He rejected it.

I called again.

Rejected.

A third time.

Rejected.

Still, I refused to give up. I kept calling, over and over, until my hands trembled so badly I could barely hold the phone.

By the forty-eighth call, his phone had been switched off.

My hand slowly fell to my lap.

Somehow, Instagram opened when my thumb slipped across the screen.

The first thing that appeared was Agatha's story.

Apollo stood behind her inside his private helicopter with one arm wrapped around her waist while she laughed into the camera. The skyline stretched endlessly behind them.

The caption read:

“My boyfriend surprised me with a helicopter tour today. ️ Some people keep blowing up his phone because they're desperate for attention. Seriously... so annoying.”

A few seconds later, Apollo replied with two emojis.

I stared at the screen as my vision grew dimmer.

So... He wasn't busy. He just didn't want to answer me.

A weak laugh escaped my lips.

My fingers trembled as I dialed emergency services instead.

After whispering my address... Everything went black.

...

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was a white ceiling and fluorescent lights.

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled the room.

Hospital.

A nurse noticed I was awake and hurried over with a relieved smile.

“You're finally awake. You were brought in just in time,” she said gently. “You suffered a severe hypoglycemic episode. Your blood sugar dropped to a dangerous level, and you lost consciousness before the ambulance arrived. Another delay, and things could've been much worse.”

I thanked her quietly before closing my eyes again.

Apparently, I'd spent the entire night under observation before being transferred to a regular room the following afternoon.

Not long afterward, the door opened and Apollo walked in first. Agatha followed closely behind him.

Apollo stopped beside my bed and stared at me for several long seconds. I knew what he saw.

I looked terrible, pale, weak.

Like someone who'd been hollowed out from the inside.

“Elara,” he said quietly as he pulled a chair beside my bed. “I came as soon as I heard. I know what happened yesterday, and I wasn't ignoring you. I just wanted you to reflect on everything that's happened lately because you've been acting out for too long.”

I didn't answer.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“I thought giving you some fucking space would calm you down. I never expected things to end like this.”

I continued staring at the ceiling without saying a word.

The silence stretched between us until Agatha suddenly covered her face and burst into tears.

“Sister, this is all my fault,” she sobbed as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I kept Apollo with me all day because I wanted to cheer him up. If you want someone to blame, blame me instead. Please don't be angry with him because of me.”

Before anyone could react, she slapped herself across the face.

The sound echoed through the room.

Then she raised her hand again.

Apollo caught her wrist before the second slap landed.

“Agatha, stop it,” he said as he gently pulled her into his arms. “Don't ever hurt yourself over something like this again. None of this is your fault, and I won't let anyone make you feel responsible for it.”

His eyes shifted toward me.

“If anyone deserves an apology here, it's me,” he said evenly. “But I won't stand by while someone takes their anger out on you. Not even Elara.”

I almost laughed.

I'd barely spoken since they'd entered the room.

How exactly had I bullied Agatha?

Closing my eyes, I whispered, “Please leave. I don't have the strength to argue anymore, and I just want to rest.”

Neither of them moved.

After a long silence, Apollo finally guided Agatha toward the door.

The room became quiet again and I fell asleep.

I didn't know how much time had passed before a loud bang jolted me awake.

The hospital door flew open.

Apollo strode inside with a terrifying expression, a thick folder clutched tightly in his hand.

Without a word, he threw it onto my bed.

“They're your medical records,” he said coldly. “Read them, then explain exactly what kind of game you're trying to play!"

I frowned and slowly looked down at the papers.

“What are you talking about?”

Apollo's eyes burned with anger.

“Agatha asked one of the doctors about your condition, and now she's convinced you exaggerated everything. You just fake your illness! You just fake everything! According to what she was told, you weren't dying, you weren't in critical condition, and you certainly weren't on the verge of death the way you made it sound. So tell me, Elara... were you trying to scare me into coming back?”

Before I could answer, Agatha stepped forward with a helpless sigh.

“Sister, if you wanted Apollo's attention, you could've just told him,” she said softly. “I only asked the doctor because I was worried about you. I never imagined you'd make something like this sound so much worse than it really was.”

Apollo let out a humorless laugh.

“You know how much I hate lies,” he said as disappointment filled his eyes. “No matter how many excuses you come up with, I won't tolerate being manipulated.”

His gaze settled on me.

“You really are your father's daughter.”

“The same tricks. The same lies.”

The words struck harder than anything else.

Again...

He used my father against me.

Something inside me finally snapped.

Without thinking, I grabbed the glass from my bedside table and hurled it across the room.

“Get out!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “Get out of my room! Both of you!”

The glass shattered against the floor.

Fragments scattered in every direction and one sharp piece sliced across Agatha's calf. A thin line of blood appeared almost instantly.

Agatha lowered her eyes to the tiny cut on her calf and covered her mouth as though she were about to cry. “Sister... is this your punishment for me? It's okay. I'll accept anything you do to me, but please don't stay angry with Apollo because of my mistake. You can hate me or even hurt me if it makes you feel better.”

Apollo's expression darkened instantly. The moment he saw the thin streak of blood on her leg, his voice softened with concern. “What nonsense are you talking about? You're bleeding. Come on, I'll take you to have it treated right now. Even a small wound can get infected if we leave it alone.”

Without another thought, he bent down and swept her into his arms. Agatha wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes drifting toward me. “But what about my sister? She's still in the room. We can't just leave her here like this.”

Apollo didn't even spare me a glance. “If she's well enough to throw things at people, she's well enough to go home on her own. She doesn't need to waste a hospital bed.”

He carried Agatha away without looking back.

...

The cut didn't even require stitches.

The doctor cleaned it, placed a tiny bandage over it, and that was all.

Even so, Apollo stayed by Agatha's side the entire time, asking the doctor twice whether there would be a scar and reminding him to be careful.

About half an hour later, Agatha returned alone.

The sweet, innocent smile she'd worn outside vanished the second the door closed behind her. Leaning casually against it, she let out a satisfied laugh.

“So... did you enjoy the little surprise I prepared for you? You really thought Apollo would answer your calls, didn't you? I was sitting beside him the whole time, watching your name flash across his screen. Every time you called, I laughed... and every single time, he rejected you without even blinking.”

She slowly walked closer until only a step separated us.

“You interrupted my date with him, so you deserved every second of what happened. Honestly, watching you desperately call while he ignored you was far more entertaining than the helicopter ride.”

I looked at her quietly.

“You really hate me that much?”

Agatha laughed as though I'd said something ridiculous.

“Hate? Sister, hate isn't nearly enough anymore. I want to destroy you completely. I want you to lose everything, just like my mother lost everything because of your family.”

She leaned close enough for her breath to brush against my ear.

“Oh... I almost forgot. I've already prepared another surprise for you. The tenth game is about to begin, and this time... you won't see it coming until it's far too late.”

She laughed as she walked out of the room.

The air suddenly felt colder.

The tenth disappearance.

No location.

No clue.

Nothing.

I tightened my grip on the hospital blanket and slowly closed my eyes.

It's okay...

Only a few more days.

Once I left for the European Forensic Science Institute, none of them would ever find me again.

I only had to survive a little longer.

...

After I was discharged, I returned to the Riccio estate to finish packing.

My suitcase was already waiting beside the front door.

I reached for the handle.

Just one more step...

The front door suddenly burst open.