“I don’t care about the Sinclair family. I don’t know about you people. Besides, the whole of Jinvell belongs to the Fletcher family.”

Yelena looked down at me and made it clear that she did not take Hunter seriously.

The next moment, the glass door burst open with a kick.

I could no longer hold back my tears. “Hunter!”

Hunter saw how badly hurt I was and flew into a rage. He smacked Yelena to the floor and ran to my side.

Then, he wrapped his coat around me and carefully held my wounded body.

“Don’t be scared, Wendy. I’m here.”

He turned to the bodyguards with a fierce glint in his eyes.

“How dare you hurt my sister?! You’ll pay for this!”

Still worried, I trembled as I curled up in Hunter’s arms and sobbed softly. “Hunter, didn’t you bring anyone with you?”

His expression darkened.

“I didn’t expect anyone in Jinvell to be foolish enough to pick on you.

“Don’t worry. Dad’s on his way with some people. They’ll be here soon.”

Just then, Yelena rushed over in anger. “You lowlife! How dare you hit me?! Do you have a death wish?”

The right side of her face was swollen with a clear handprint.

Hunter turned to her with fury in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Did you just say you’re Jacob’s wife?”

“Yes. My husband is Jacob Fletcher. You’re Hunter Sinclair, right?

“I’ll call my husband and get him to kill you! How dare you hit me?! You’re going to pay!”

Yelena put the call on speaker. Once Jacob answered, she whined, “Honey, a man named Hunter Sinclair is accusing me of bullying his sister. He wants to kill me.

“He even hit me.”

Jacob’s tone suddenly grew tense over the phone. “What did you say his name was?”

A chill ran down my spine. I could not believe that the person on the other end was actually Jacob.

“No way. Hunter couldn’t possibly be in Jinvell today. Someone must be impersonating him.”

Hearing Jacob say that, I sank to the floor in a daze.

Blood pooled beneath me and started to soak Hunter’s coat.

Hunter panicked and pressed his hands against my wound to stop the bleeding.

Seeing me like this, he could no longer control his anger. He shouted into Yelena’s phone, “Jacob, do you even have a conscience? Wendy’s carrying your child!”

Yelena immediately hung up and angrily replied, “What are you yelling for?! My husband says he doesn’t know you at all!

“Even if I kill you in front of everyone today, we can just pay our way out of it. My husband has plenty of money.”

Hunter scoffed. “Hah! Jacob is where he is because of the Sinclair family, and now, he has the nerve to turn on us!

“I’m warning you. Take Wendy to a hospital now, and I might still let you live.”

Yelena looked at my swollen belly and smirked. “Pregnant, huh? Fine. I’ll take care of that.

“Get that baby out of her.”

I could not hold back anymore and grabbed the tailor’s shears beside me. Then, I rushed at Yelena and plunged the shears into her stomach.

“You vicious bitch! You’ll pay for this. I swear I’ll kill you!” Yelena screamed.

Sneering, I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and raised the shears to strike again.

However, Yelena kicked me in the stomach. I flew back and hit the concrete like a ragdoll.

A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I spat out a mouthful of blood.

My stomach soon turned numb from the pain. But I could still feel blood seeping out beneath me.

My baby… My baby was in danger.

Yelena’s expression darkened. “Beat them to death!”

The bodyguards drew their knives and rushed at Hunter and me.

Hunter pulled me into his arms and took the blade meant for me. Blood spurted from the wound in his arm and splashed on my face.

I froze between shock and terror.

“Yelena, if you don’t know the Sinclair family, ask around on the street. If anything happens to Hunter or me—”

Before I could finish, Yelena sneered and cut me off. “Still putting on an act at death’s door? Shut their mouths.”

“I’m Jacob’s wi—”

Right then, a bodyguard slashed at us.

Hunter shoved me aside, and the blade cut into him again.

My eyes burned when I saw the gash on Hunter’s back. It was so deep that I could see bone. I crawled toward him on my hands and knees.

Right then, one of the bodyguards grabbed a stool and smashed it on Hunter’s head.

There was a loud crack, and Hunter collapsed onto the floor. He looked like he had been dragged out of a pool of blood.

I threw myself at him like I had lost my mind. I held him and cried helplessly, “Hunter! Hunter!”

The heavy stool slammed into my back next. Pain tore through me, and it felt like I was being beaten into a bloody pulp.

Cold sweat and blood soaked through my clothes. Everything felt heavy and sticky against my spine.

All I could hear was my own harsh breathing and the dull thud of the stool hitting me.

Yelena lifted my chin with the tip of her shoe and broke into a cold smile.

“Don’t fall unconscious yet. I still have a gift for you.”

They tied up our arms and legs before dragging us into a glass enclosure. There was no ventilation, and the heat inside made it feel like a steam room.

The sun beat down on us so hard that it seemed to dry out the last drop of moisture in my bones.

I crawled over to Hunter, who was still unconscious, and shook him anxiously. “Hunter! Hunter, wake up!”

Yelena walked in as she pinched her nose in disgust.

I screamed at her, “Take Hunter to a hospital! If anything happens to him, the Sinclair family will never let you go!”

She got irritated and kicked me hard in the chest.

“Looks like you all went too easy on her. Gag her and bring in more charcoal to warm them up.”

I curled into a ball from the pain. My hair was stuck together with dark red blood, and more blood continued to pool beneath me.

I struggled, and the wound on my stomach split open again. The blood that came out dried up almost as soon as it touched the floor.

Blood coated the entire floor of the glass enclosure. The sun had baked it until it turned dark and sticky.

The baby inside me was also slipping away.

If I did not find a way out soon, the baby would not be the only one losing its life. Hunter and I would die here too.

A few minutes later, Yelena’s bodyguards brought in more charcoal.

Yelena and her mother slowly placed heap after heap of red-hot coals inside.

Smoke rose with the heat and forced its way into my nose. I started coughing hard.

Every breath felt like a burning knife scraping down my throat.

Yelena’s mother looked down at me with disgust and said to Yelena, “Jacob just called. He said he’ll come by later to see who dared to bully us.”

I had no idea how much time had gone by. Just when I thought Hunter and I were going to die, the phone pressed against my chest rang.

Gritting my teeth, I reached for it and managed to answer Jacob’s call.

“Wendy, do you like the wedding dress?”

I was on the verge of breaking down as I pressed my face against the receiver. I wanted to tell Jacob what was happening. But my mouth was gagged, so all that came out were muffled sounds.

I stayed quiet for too long, and Jacob started to sound irritated.

“Wendy! I already said I’d marry you. What are you upset about now?”

Yelena realized that something was wrong and hurried toward me.

I quickly tried to hit the speaker button. It took several attempts before I was successful.

Jacob’s voice then echoed inside the small glass enclosure.

“Wendy, are you messing with me?!”

Yelena stopped for a second when she heard that. But then, she charged over and grabbed me by the collar.

She completely lost control and screamed, “Why do you have my husband’s number?!

“You slut! Did you sleep with my husband?”

I looked at her with a blank expression, and she yanked the cloth out of my mouth.

“Who are you? What are you to my husband?”

I broke into a cold, mocking smile before looking at her with pity.

“Yelena, I’m Jacob’s wife, Wendy Sinclair.”

She froze, and shock spread across her face. Then, she angrily slapped me across the face.

“No way! I’m Jacob’s wife! Who do you think you are?”

“I’m carrying Jacob’s...”

I stopped speaking when I saw the photo on her phone. In it, a man and a woman were holding a marriage certificate. The man was Jacob.

A chill ran down my spine. At that moment, I realized I was the one deserving of pity.

I let out a wry laugh. I had wasted my entire youth on someone so heartless.

It did not matter that I had loved him since I was young. In the end, I still ended up betrayed.

When Yelena saw me freeze, she grabbed me by the throat and yelled, “Say something! You homewrecker! Are you that desperate for a man? How dare you go after my husband?

“You want a man that badly? Fine. I’ll get a hundred old men to take care of you!”

I spat blood in her face. “You and that cheater deserve to rot!”

Yelena snapped and started slapping me repeatedly.

My face swelled up fast. The pain hit hard, and soon, I felt completely numb.

One of her hits ruptured my eardrum.

Yet, it was not enough for her. She shifted her gaze to Hunter.

“Is that your brother? I think he’s your lover.

“I see. You’re my husband’s mistress, and you’re using his money to keep a lover, right?”

Alarm bells rang in my head.

Yelena then said with a cruel smile, “Bring the can of gasoline. I’ve eaten every delicacy, but I’ve never tasted roasted human meat.

“Why don’t I let your lover taste your flesh?”

Hunter dragged himself along the floor and spoke in a rough voice. “Don’t you dare! If anything happens to Wendy, I’ll make you suffer a fate worse than death! Don’t count on Jacob to save you!”

Hunter shouted until his voice failed, but it did no good.

Yelena sneered. “A poor man, but you’re still dreaming? Why are you so mouthy?

“I wonder if you’ll still be so tough once your little lover is burned to death.”

The acrid smell of gasoline filled the air as it spilled over me. My body was already raw and mangled from the acid earlier.

“No! Don’t touch her!” Hunter shouted.

However, Yelena lit a piece of paper and threw it at me.

Flames instantly erupted.

The air was filled with the smell of burning flesh, and I rolled on the ground in agony.

“Yelena! You monster!” Hunter screamed.

It was as if his heart was being torn apart. His rage and grief gave him the strength to break free from his binds and run to me.

The cuts on his body split open again, and blood gushed out. The pain made him sway on his feet, though. Even so, he clenched his jaw and pushed through the heat to reach me.

He tried to put out the flames on me with his bare hands.

The moment he touched the fire, his hands were burned black. His skin curled back and exposed raw pink flesh.

The agony on his face made my heart shatter.

“Wendy, don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt.”

I had never seen Hunter in such a desperate state. If it were not for me, he would never be in this situation.

Regret was tearing me apart.

Just then, Yelena’s high heel slammed into the wound on Hunter’s back. She pressed down with all her weight.

“Then die together, Wendy!”

I beat my chest in helpless rage and glared at Yelena with resentment.

This was all my fault. I had dragged Hunter into this.

If I had not been stupid enough to fall for that heartless Jacob, we would not be in this nightmare.

Yelena laughed before her face twisted with rage.

She splashed gasoline all over the glass enclosure and flicked open the lighter in her hand.

“This is what happens when you mess with me. Burn in hell, Wendy!”

Just as the flames were about to reach the gasoline, two individuals shouted at the same time.

“Stop!” Jacob’s face turned pale, and his voice shook.

Then, my father stormed in with a team of fully armed mercenaries. His fierce voice rang throughout the glass enclosure.

“Who dares to touch my daughter?!”