The moment I stepped into room 8868, the drug in the wine began to take effect.

Rae clung to me like a snake, her limbs limp and trembling, her entire body burning up. "Kai... You're Kai, aren't you? Hold me, Kai... Hurry, take me..."

Her glassy eyes stared straight through me, her mind completely adrift in a haze of lust and confusion. She was so far gone she couldn't even tell who was in front of her anymore.

I shoved her onto the bed, her body hitting the mattress with a dull thud and turned to lock the door. The air in the room felt thick, humid with her ragged breaths, but I had no interest in watching the show that was about to unfold.

Out in the hallway, footsteps echoed, slow and deliberate. A group of men swaggered down the corridor toward me, their hair dyed in garish shades of green, purple and orange. Nose rings, earrings, chipped nails. Even from several feet away, I could smell the rank mix of sweat, alcohol and stale smoke clinging to their skin.

One of them let out a low whistle as they passed me, eyes raking up and down my body like I was a piece of meat on display. I didn't react. My gaze slid down to the key card one of them twirled between his fingers—room 8868.

So, these were Rae's special guests—the HIV-infected men she'd hired for her little scheme.

I stood there, watching silently as they approached the door. Behind it, Rae writhed helplessly, too far gone to even recognize her own reflection. In her drugged stupor, anyone who walked through that door would become Kai in her eyes.

What happened next was obvious. And it had nothing to do with me.

I hadn't bought the drugs, I hadn't booked the room and I most certainly hadn't invited those men. Rae had set the trap all by herself—now she would drown in it.

"Rae..."

Kai's voice suddenly rang out behind me, low and hoarse, startling me so badly my heart slammed into my ribs.

Damn it—why was he here now?

He staggered toward me, his footsteps uneven, his normally sharp gaze clouded with confusion and heat. The drug was hitting him too—his pupils were dilated, his face slightly flushed.

"What are you doing here..." His voice slurred as he reached out, brushing his fingers against my arm. "Are you... waiting for me?"

He was so out of it he couldn't even tell who I was—he thought I was Rae.

Originally, my plan had been simple: let Rae contract HIV from her hired men, then let her unknowingly pass it to Kai during one of their secret rendezvous. But now, looking at him swaying in front of me, a new idea sparked in my mind.

Why let Rae do the dirty work when I could punish him myself—right here, right now?

Without hesitation, I dragged him down the hall and booked another room. When the door clicked shut behind us, I hooked a finger into his tie and tugged, pulling him toward the bed.

He stumbled into me, his breath hot against my neck, the smell of wine and desire rolling off him in waves. "Rae... you smell so good..."

Revulsion churned in my stomach, but I didn't let it show. With all the force I could muster, I shoved him backward. "Kneel."

Like a puppet with its strings cut, Kai crumpled to the floor, his knees hitting the carpet with a muted thud. When he looked up at me, it was with a sickeningly eager smile. "Mmm... feisty. I like it."

I slapped him hard across the face, the sharp crack echoing through the room. His gold-rimmed glasses flew off, landing somewhere near the dresser. A vivid red handprint bloomed on his refined, elegant face.

To my disgust, his eyes darkened with pleasure, his lips parting in a low moan. "Baby... that's all you've got? Hit me harder..."

Bile rose in my throat. Had he and Rae been playing these twisted games behind my back? These two were even filthier than I'd imagined.

I slapped him again. And again. The sharp sounds filled the room, mingling with his ragged breaths and low, sick laughter.

When my palm ached from the impact, I switched to my fists, driving them into his face until streaks of blood marred his once-handsome features. But the bastard only grinned wider, his eyes gleaming with manic excitement. "Baby... you're incredible..."

Disgusting freak. Only a monster like him could rip his own son's kidneys out and hand them to the woman he loved without a trace of remorse.

The inferno of hatred inside me roared to life, burning through every ounce of restraint. My hands weren't enough—I needed more.

I kicked him, the sharp heel of my shoe digging into his thigh, his side, his stomach. Each impact drew another filthy moan from his lips.

"Oh... baby... your high heels... God... they feel amazing..."

I wanted to vomit.

Grabbing the nearest thing within reach—a charging cable coiled on the nightstand—I wrapped it around my hands and swung it down with all my strength, the thin wire leaving red welts across his chest and arms.

"You sick bastard!" My voice shook with rage, each word punctuated by another lash. "How dare you kill Leon?! Give me back my son!"

Kai writhed on the carpet like a maggot drenched in filth, every twitch of his body as grotesque as the man himself.

Outside, thunder cracked and a flash of lightning illuminated his twisted, exhilarated face. He was laughing—hoarse, breathless and utterly unrepentant. "Who? Leon? Hah! He served his purpose. His kidneys saved you, Baby..."

The words were gasoline poured directly onto the fire raging inside me. My hands trembled with fury as I lashed him harder, the charging cable snapping in half from the force. Without missing a beat, I grabbed a soaked towel from the bathroom and continued whipping him, the wet fabric smacking against his skin with a brutal crack.

Kai shrieked, then laughed, the sick sound ringing in my ears. "Leon had to die! Too bad I couldn't kill him myself—but I watched! I watched every second of his dissection! They cut out his kidney while he was still alive because, you know, a living donor's kidney is always the best!"

A searing pain twisted deep in my chest, sharp enough to steal my breath.

Leon—my precious son. Did they really cut him open while he was still breathing? How much agony did he suffer before his tiny body gave out?

Did he cry for me? Did he scream for his mother while they sliced him apart like a piece of meat?

The image alone shattered me. My vision blurred with tears and my grip on the towel grew so tight my knuckles ached. Hot tears streamed down my face, but the grief only fed the inferno inside me.

"Bastard!" My scream ripped through the room, raw and jagged. "Give me back my son's life!"

I struck him again and again until my arms felt like they would snap under the strain, then I wrapped the towel around his neck, twisting it tightly.

Only then did Kai's smug expression flicker into fear. His bloodshot eyes bulged, his tongue pushing between his lips as he gasped like a fish dragged onto dry land. "N-No... I can't... breathe... Stop..."

But I couldn't stop. Sanity had long slipped through my fingers, leaving only one relentless, burning desire: Kill him. Make him pay. Bury him with Leon.

Another crack of thunder roared outside, rattling the windows as rain pounded against the glass. The storm outside howled, drowning out Kai's choking gasps. Just as his eyes started rolling back, the door burst open with a loud bang.

Clayton stormed in, his heavy footsteps shaking the floor. He grabbed me, fingers pressing into pressure points on my wrist, forcing me to release my grip. My hands spasmed open, the towel falling uselessly to the floor.

"Don't you dare stop me!" My voice was ragged, my throat raw from screaming. "I want him dead!"

"Calm down. Please calm down, Ma'am." Clayton's deep voice was low but firm, his words cutting through the haze of fury like a knife. "Leon is still alive."

The world tilted. Everything—the storm, Kai's choking gasps, my own trembling breath—blurred into a dull hum.

Leon... still alive?

"Where is he? Where's Leon?" My words came out in a desperate rush, emotions crashing over me like a tidal wave—disbelief, hope, fear, joy. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst, but I forced myself to focus.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clayton kneel beside Kai, swiftly positioning him on his back and starting CPR with expert precision. His movements were fluid, practiced—too competent for the bumbling, harmless bodyguard I thought I knew.

This wasn't the Clayton I remembered.

The tall, simple-minded brute was gone. In his place stood someone else entirely—someone whose sharp, focused eyes gleamed with cold intelligence. His tightly fitted black clothes stretched over lean muscle, radiating quiet strength, his every movement controlled and efficient.

He wasn't just a bodyguard. He was a predator lying in wait.

"Who are you really?" I demanded, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to stay composed.

Clayton didn't answer right away, too focused on resuscitating Kai. After a tense moment, Kai sucked in a sharp breath, his limp body convulsing slightly as air returned to his lungs. He hadn't died—only lost consciousness for a moment.

Clayton stood, gently taking my arm and guiding me out of the room. Once the door clicked shut behind us, he finally spoke in a low voice. "I'm an undercover agent. I infiltrated the Richards family to investigate Kai's criminal activities. His company is deeply involved in illegal dealings. Mrs. Richards, were you aware of this?"

I shook my head. No, I hadn't known. Between my own illness and taking care of Leon, I'd had no energy left to keep track of Kai's business affairs.

None of that mattered right now. There was only one thing I needed to know. "Where's Leon now?"

Clayton's gaze softened slightly. "Don't worry, Mrs. Richards. He's safe. We placed him in a daycare near the police station under full protection. He's completely unharmed."

A broken laugh burst from my throat, half-sob, half-disbelieving relief. My legs nearly gave out under me. "Really? You're not lying?"

"I wouldn't dare lie about this, Ma'am." His voice was steady, the weight of his sincerity grounding me even as I trembled. "When I discovered Kai's plan to harvest Leon's kidney, I coordinated with the police to switch Leon out in secret. The surgery Kai watched on the live feed? That wasn't Leon. It was a 3D-printed human model."

The ground swayed beneath my feet. "Then... whose kidney did Rae receive?"

Clayton's expression didn't change, his tone perfectly neutral. "A pig's kidney."

My mind blanked for a moment. "What?"

"This year, Arlington University's research team developed experimental technology allowing pig kidneys to be transplanted into humans. It hasn't been fully approved for clinical use yet, but Rae... well, she's a perfect test subject."

My mouth opened, then closed. I could hardly process what I was hearing.

Clayton's calm voice carried on. "The technology is still unstable, though. It's unclear how long the kidney will function in her body. At best, she'll need a second transplant soon."

I bet Rae still didn't know the truth. She was probably still believing the kidney inside her came from a healthy, innocent four-year-old boy. Believing that this stolen organ would guarantee her a long, healthy life.

Realizing this, some of my hatred toward her ebbed—just a little.

"Damn it! Room 8868! Call the police now!" My voice rang out sharply as I sprinted down the hall toward the room.

But I was too late. The door swung open just as I arrived and the group of men staggered out—sweaty, disheveled and fully satisfied. They were pulling up their pants, grinning to themselves, their eyes dull and empty like used-up husks.

Clayton moved swiftly, his expression cold and professional as he subdued each of them in turn. Within seconds, they were handcuffed and lined up against the wall, ready to be handed over to the authorities.

The air in the room was thick with the stench of sweat, alcohol and something darker. I stood at the threshold, hesitating, bile rising in my throat.

Rae lay sprawled across the bed, completely naked, tangled in sweat-dampened sheets. Her face was flushed, her lips curled into a lazy, intoxicated smile.

"Kai... that was amazing..." she murmured dreamily. "I want more..."

The words made my stomach churn, but I forced myself to approach her. Covering my mouth and nose with one hand, I shook her shoulder roughly. "Wake up, Rae! Wake up now! We need to get you to a hospital!"

She stirred lazily, rolling onto her side with a soft sigh. "Kai, this was my first time... you have to take responsibility for me, okay..."

I froze. Her first time?

The thought flickered through my mind for only a second—Rae and Kai had never slept together before?

But there was no time to dwell on it. Right now, the priority was getting her to the hospital. She was still my sister and I couldn't stand by and watch her die—no matter how much I despised her.

I dragged her into the car and sped toward the hospital, my fingers white-knuckled around the steering wheel. Halfway through the drive, Rae finally stirred awake. Stretching her arms above her head, she yawned lazily, her voice dripping with that sickly-sweet tone she always used when she thought she was the center of the universe.

"What's the rush, Sis? I just slept with Kai. Are you trying to crash the car and kill us both?"

Her shamelessness stripped away any lingering sympathy I might have had. Gritting my teeth, I tried to explain what really happened—that it wasn't Kai she'd been with, but a group of HIV-infected men.

But Rae only laughed, cutting me off before I could finish.

"Wow, Sis. You're really grasping at straws now, huh?" She leaned back in the passenger seat, smirking. "You're the one who slept with HIV-positive guys, but now you're saying it's me? Please. I was totally sober. I know exactly who I slept with—it was Kai. Don't believe me? Look."

She unlocked her phone and waved it triumphantly in my face, scrolling through a series of messages from Kai.

[Baby, you were amazing tonight.]

[You know exactly what I like—we're so in sync.]

[We went a little too rough tonight. My neck still hurts. Next time, let's make it even kinkier.]

I stared at the screen, speechless. The cruel irony left me breathless.

Kai had taken the aphrodisiac too and in his drugged state, he had mistaken me for Rae. Even now, he still thought the beating I gave him was some kind of twisted sex game.

Rae grinned, completely oblivious to how close she'd come to death. "See that? Kai and I are meant to be. You should really hurry up and divorce him—there's no place for you anymore."

Her eyes sparkled with malice, but her voice took on a syrupy sweetness as she leaned in closer. "Otherwise..." She paused, her grin widening. "I'll spread the word that you have AIDS. Let's see how long you can hold your head up after that."

I turned to look at her, any last traces of pity or sisterly affection dissolving into nothing. There was only cold detachment left.

But Rae, drunk on her own arrogance, only grew bolder under my silence. "What are you staring at?! Think you're better than me just because you're smarter? You've always looked down on me, haven't you?" Her voice climbed higher, shriller with each word. "But look at you now—a pathetic loser!"

She leaned back, her smile vicious. "Dad didn't love you, Mom didn't care about you, your precious Leon is dead and your husband can't stand you. Face it—you're nothing. Nothing but a miserable, worthless loser."

She threw her head back and laughed, the sound grating like nails on glass. "Me? I'm at the top of my game! I'm healthy, I'm beautiful and I'm about to marry rich. Kai will worship me—he'll treat me like a queen!"

I watched her spin her delusions like a spider weaving silk, her glee so blinding she couldn't see the web tightening around her own neck.

I couldn't help it—I laughed too. Cold, quiet and full of pity she didn't deserve.

"Alright then," I said softly. "I'll be waiting to see how that turns out."