In the surveillance footage, Rae's voice was filled with impatience. "Leon is dead and isn't Milena making a fuss about killing herself? Why is she still alive?"

My father, sitting across from her, spoke with a hesitant tone. "I heard Kai has been keeping bodyguards around her."

Rae rolled her eyes dramatically. "The only reason we kept her around was so she could give birth to Leon and donate his kidney to me. Now that the job is done, it's best if she just dies."

My father shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe Kai's just worried about you. He probably wants to have more kids with Milena—just to create a few extra kidneys, in case something happens again."

Rae's expression darkened, sharp and venomous. "No way. I can't tolerate Milena staying by Kai's side any longer. I'm the one he loves. I need to marry him as soon as possible."

There was a flicker of guilt in my father's eyes, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. "Milena is selfish, but... does she really deserve to die? What if I try to talk her into divorcing Kai instead?"

Rae's cold laugh rang out, echoing off the walls. "Dad, do you really think she'll just let go of Kai? She'll cling to him no matter what. We just need to give her a little push—and luckily, I just got my hands on a new drug."

My father frowned. "What kind of drug?"

With a sweet smile, Rae leaned closer, her innocent face a chilling contrast to her words. "A top-grade aphrodisiac. It'll make her lose all control. I'll find some filthy man infected with AIDS to sleep with her. She'll think it's Kai."

She chuckled softly, her tone dripping with malice. "When the time comes, I'll record the whole thing and send it to Kai. The moment he finds out she has AIDS, he'll kick her out without a second thought."

Her scheme was vile—so twisted it made my stomach churn. Even my father looked unsettled.

"That's... isn't that too much? You're seriously planning to find a man with AIDS?"

Rae's expression turned icy. "There's nothing money can't buy. Don't try to stop me, Dad. Once I marry into the Richards family, you'll live the rest of your life in luxury. I'm not an ungrateful daughter like Milena."

The next day, my mother suddenly appeared at my bedside, carrying a steaming bowl of porridge.

"Milly, you've rarely eaten lately. I made this myself. Eat it while it's warm."

Her hands trembled slightly as she scooped up a spoonful, her gaze flickering uneasily.

A terrible suspicion curled in my stomach. There was something in that porridge. It had to be the aphrodisiac Rae mentioned.

"Mom..." My voice was barely above a whisper. "Do you and Dad really think I'm... ungrateful?" My heart twisted painfully in my chest. Why did my own parents hate me so much? Why were they helping Rae destroy me?

My mother sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Back then, we asked you to donate a kidney to your sister and you refused. After you married rich, we asked you to buy a villa for your brother and you wouldn't."

The bitterness in her voice was impossible to miss and it made my hands tremble. "I was in poor health! The doctors said donating a kidney could've killed me. And even if it hadn't, I might not have saved Rae—I could've lost my life for nothing!

"As for Andy, he's a drunk, a gambler and spends his days chasing women. If I'd given him money, he would've wasted it all. Mom, why can't you see that?"

My mother's expression flickered with conflict, but in the end, her gaze dropped to the floor. "Your father said you're ungrateful, so you must be. He tells me what to do and I do it. He wanted me to make you this porridge, so eat it."

The pain in my chest was unbearable, suffocating. Without hesitation, I swiped my hand across the tray, sending the bowl crashing to the floor.

My mother's shocked expression only made the knot in my throat tighten. I staggered to my feet, stumbled to the wine cabinet and grabbed a random bottle. With a jerk, I pulled out the cork and drank directly from it.

"Screw your porridge!" My voice was hoarse. "Leon is gone. Just leave me alone and let me drink in peace!"

I was deliberately putting on a show—baiting Rae into spiking my wine instead. It would make things easier for me later.

Sure enough, exactly one week later, Rae showed up at my door, smiling sweetly and holding a crystal wine glass. "Sis, this is a 2008 Lafite. Give it a taste."

Two hours earlier, I had already seen her sneaking into the kitchen and slipping something into the wine through the surveillance cameras. Now, she stood before me, dressed in an haute couture gown, her makeup flawless, her posture radiating confidence.

Dangling around her neck was a massive ruby necklace—impossible to miss.

My stomach twisted. I knew that necklace. Kai had bought it at auction, spending over a billion just to win it.

Rae caught my gaze lingering on it and caressed her neck with deliberate slowness, her smile turning smug. "Beautiful, isn't it? Kai gave it to me to celebrate my successful kidney transplant. Now I can finally live a long, healthy life."

How shameless. Rae's so-called long and healthy life was built on Leon's death, with his kidney now sitting inside her body like a trophy.

The mere thought of it made my fingers twitch with the urge to strangle her right there, to wipe that smug smile off her face for good.

"Come on, Sis, drink up! Haven't you been drinking a lot lately?" Rae's voice was sickeningly sweet, her smile stretching just a little too wide. "Have some wine and pull yourself together. I'll take you to my birthday party."

She clapped her hands and two people stepped into the room—a makeup artist and a stylist, both already armed with brushes and racks of dresses. "Make my sister look gorgeous," Rae instructed, her eyes gleaming with barely contained malice. "I want her to shine at my party and finally move on from all that grief."

The makeup artist painted my eyes with heavy, smoky shadows that darkened my gaze, adding a sultry edge I rarely saw in the mirror. The stylist then slipped me into a mermaid-cut gown, so tight I could barely breathe, with a plunging neckline that left very little to the imagination. It wasn't a dress—it was a lure.

I knew exactly what game Rae was playing. Earlier, I had caught her on the surveillance recording, her voice dripping with glee as she made arrangements with someone over the phone.

"Don't worry, my sister's given birth before, but with some makeup and a sexy dress, she's still passable. She'll definitely satisfy you..."

Her tone was filled with a disgusting mix of amusement and cruelty.

"I already know you have AIDS. That's fine—my sister won't mind. Bring your friends, too. The more, the merrier..."

She even gave him the exact room number at the Aurelian Crown Hotel—room 8868—the same hotel where her birthday party would be held.

Rae's plan was clear as day. She wanted me drugged with the aphrodisiac at her party, dragged upstairs into that hotel room and handed over to a man with HIV. The whole thing would be recorded, of course and sent straight to Kai.

Once Kai saw that I had not only cheated on him but had also contracted HIV, he wouldn't just divorce me—he'd probably throw me out like trash. That was Rae's endgame. She didn't just want my place beside Kai; she wanted to make sure I was too tainted to ever crawl back.

What a meticulous little plan. Almost admirable—if it wasn't so vile.

I gave Rae a soft smile. "Thanks, Rae, but my stomach's been feeling off all day. I feel like I'm about to throw up. Let me go vomit first and then I'll drink that Lafite and get ready for your party."

I gagged dramatically, clutching my stomach for effect.

Rae's expression twisted with barely concealed disgust. She must have still remembered when I threw up on Kai a few days back.

"Ugh, fine. I'll leave you to it, Sis." She took a careful step back, nose wrinkled. "But don't forget to drink your wine."

She left in a hurry and the second she was gone, I poured the drugged wine into a clean glass and stared at the deep red liquid swirling inside. There was no way I'd drink it—but someone else would.

I already had a plan. Kai had a habit of bringing a bottle of fine wine to every event he attended and since he'd be going to Rae's party tonight, there was no doubt he'd pick something from his private cellar. All I had to do was make sure this particular glass of Lafite ended up in the right bottle.

Slipping on a pair of gloves, I made my way down to the villa's basement, where the wine cellar was kept. Rows of rare vintages stood in temperature-controlled perfection, but my eyes went straight to a small gift basket placed near the entrance. Nestled inside was a bottle of 1982 Château Latour and a handwritten birthday card for Rae.

So, Kai had already chosen her gift. How convenient.

I retrieved a wine opener I'd prepared in advance, carefully working the cork out of the Château Latour without damaging it. Slowly, I poured the drugged Lafite into the prized vintage, making sure not to spill a drop. The rich aroma filled the air, mingling with the cool scent of stone and aged wood.

Just as I was about to finish, a sudden pressure closed around my wrist—strong, unyielding, like an iron cuff snapping into place.

My heart leapt into my throat. I turned my head sharply, only to find myself staring straight into Clayton's face.

That damn bodyguard. The man moved like a ghost, always appearing when I least expected him. Who knew how long he'd been standing there, silently watching every move I made?

"Let go!" I stomped down hard on Clayton's foot, but he barely flinched.

He stood there like an iron wall, tall and solid, his face completely unreadable as his dark eyes bore down on me. His silence was infuriating, but I knew that yelling, cursing, or even trying to physically fight him was useless.

I'd tried everything before—screaming, scratching, even pretending to faint—but nothing worked. Self-harm wouldn't get me anywhere either. Clayton had learned to predict my move, intercepting me with precision before I could slam my head into a wall, slit my wrist, or even bite down on my own tongue. There was no point trying to outmaneuver someone who could read me like a book.

From upstairs, Kai's voice echoed down the stairs. "Who's in the wine cellar? Is someone there?"

Shit. He was coming.

The sound of his footsteps grew closer, each step eating away at what little time I had left.

Desperation surged through me, leaving no room for hesitation. I threw myself into Clayton's chest, grabbing the front of his shirt and before he could react, I stood on tiptoe and crushed my lips against his.

"Get lost," I hissed when I pulled back, my voice low and vicious. "Unless you want Kai to catch us having an affair right here."

For the first time since I met him, Clayton's usually stone-cold face cracked. His eyes widened in sheer shock, the tips of his ears instantly burning red as the flush spread down his neck.

"You dumb mute," I sneered. "If you don't leave now, I'll tell Kai you seduced me—always flaunting your big chest and showing off those eight-pack abs to tempt me." I leaned in closer, my chest brushing against him through the thin fabric of my dress, the heat of my skin pressing into his.

Clayton's wide-eyed panic was almost comical. His face turned scarlet, so red it was almost painful to look at and he stumbled back with his hands raised in surrender. Without a word, he bolted from the cellar like a scared rabbit.

Kai's voice rang out from the hall. "What's going on, Clayton? Is someone down there?"

Clayton probably shook his head, because Kai didn't press the matter. His tone, however, grew sharper. "I told you to keep an eye on my wife. How could you leave your post without permission? Forget it. Just grab the gift I prepared for Rae from the wine cellar and then go wake Milena. We're taking the burgundy Rolls-Royce tonight—we're heading to Aurelian Crown Hotel."

While Kai barked his orders, I hurried to finish what I'd started. The aphrodisiac-laced Lafite was already inside the Château Latour bottle—all that was left was to reseal it. I carefully replaced the cork, sealed the top with a layer of wax and pressed the original stamp back into place. The bottle looked flawless, as though it had never been touched.

Clayton stepped back into the wine cellar, lingering awkwardly behind one of the racks as though hiding from me. He couldn't even look me in the eye.

I reached out and pinched his chin between my fingers, forcing him to face me. "For a mute, you're actually kind of handsome."

The way his long eyelashes trembled, like the delicate wings of a moth caught in a storm, made me laugh. So, that was his weakness—he couldn't handle teasing.

Flustered and thoroughly defeated, Clayton obediently picked up the gift basket containing the Château Latour and delivered it to Rae.

Later, at the hotel, Rae's delighted squeal was enough to make me nauseous. "Oh my! Kai, you're so sweet! You took time out of your busy schedule to come to my birthday party—and you even brought my favorite Château Latour!"

Kai's response was as lukewarm as ever. "Of course. But mostly, I came to keep your sister company."

These two hypocrites. They were putting on a whole act, pretending to be polite and distant in front of me. I bet they'd already slept together more times than I could count.

The sight of them acting so innocent made me sick. I stepped forward, snatched up the Château Latour and held it up. "I want a drink. Open it. Let's all have some right now."

Rae's smile stiffened for just a moment before she quickly covered it with a pout. She turned to Kai with wide, pitiful eyes. "Kai, this is your gift to me. A bottle like this costs hundreds of thousands..."

I didn't give her a chance to finish. "Don't be stingy. Let's all drink together."

Kai's gaze lingered on me, searching my face, before he turned to Rae. "Milly wants to drink. Let's drink with her. I'll buy you another one later."

With that, the bottle was uncorked and three glasses were poured—one for me, one for Kai and one for Rae.

Rae took a sip, her face lighting up with exaggerated delight. "This is amazing wine!"

But Kai's brow creased slightly. "This wine... doesn't taste like pure Château Latour."

My stomach clenched. I'd forgotten—Kai was practically a walking wine encyclopedia. If anyone could tell it had been mixed with Lafite, it was him. Worse, what if he could detect the aphrodisiac?

But after a moment of hesitation, Kai said nothing. Instead, he tipped back his glass and drank the whole thing in one go.

Rae was nearly finished with hers too. She glanced at me, frowning slightly. "Why aren't you drinking?"

I fumbled deliberately, pretending to lose my grip. The glass slipped from my hand, shattering into pieces on the floor.

"Oh no!"

Rae shrieked, leaping back as wine splattered her expensive dress. "Milena! You got my dress all wet! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Sorry," I murmured, pressing a hand to my forehead. "I didn't sleep well last night. I'm feeling dizzy."

Rae's expression flickered briefly before she put on her signature fake smile. Looping her arm through mine, she cooed sweetly, "Perfect timing. I booked a room upstairs—room 8868. You should go up and get some rest, Sis."