Heidi’s face was a river of tears, the blood mixing with the water, making her look utterly broken.

She knelt on the floor, her forehead hitting the ground over and over in desperation. "Mr. Sterling, I’ll lick your shoes, I’ll do anything, just please let her give me back my necklace. It’s a gift from my sister. It means more to me than my own life."

Emma chuckled, crossing her legs with a sneer. As Heidi crawled toward her, she suddenly stepped on her face, her disdain dripping with every word. "I’ve never liked your face, coming to a place like this and still pretending to be pure. Who do you think you are?"

Anger surged through me, making my hands shake. I couldn’t hold back anymore. Without a second thought, I pushed Emma aside. "Touch her again," I spat.

I stood between Heidi and the crowd, my eyes burning with rage.

The room, filled with at least ten people, shifted instantly, the chaotic noise fading into an eerie silence as they all turned to focus on me.

Heidi’s face drained of color. She grabbed my arm, her initial worry quickly morphing into disgust. "What are you doing here in a place like this? Leave. I don’t want to see you."

I froze, my heart sinking as I stared at her in disbelief. How could she say this?

"Heidi, please. Tell me the truth, have you gotten yourself into some kind of trouble? You don’t have to face this alone. I’ll help you."

The hostility in the room was palpable now, each pair of eyes glaring at me with ill intent.

Heidi shoved me away with force. "I have a problem and the problem is you. You’re standing in the way of my chance to make big money. If you really want to help, just leave now."

I stumbled back, taken aback by the harshness in her words. The urgency in her tone cut through me and I finally understood, she was pushing me away to protect me.

How could she, the one who had always been there for me, just sever the ties between us so easily?

I reached for her hand, my heart pounding. I was about to tell her that this club was my brother’s, that he was on his way and that if she spoke up, I could have everyone tormenting her swept out of Springfield in an instant.

But before I could speak, a slow, mocking voice cut through the tension. "Heidi, this is your sister, isn’t it? Since she’s here, we can’t let her leave without sharing a drink, can we?"

Heidi swayed slightly, her face drained of color as if life itself had been drained from her.

"Mr. Sterling, she’s just a wild girl, rash, with a terrible personality. Let me drink with you, please. I’ll drink as much as you want."

Tyler raised an eyebrow, his silence speaking volumes. The meaning was clear.

Without hesitation, Heidi grabbed the wine bottle from the table, her hand shaking as she tilted it back, taking a drink that seemed to weigh down her very soul.

She only had one kidney and alcohol was taboo for her; drinking this much could very well kill her.

I reached out, desperate to pull her away, but she shoved me back with coldness. "You think you can enjoy this fine wine? Not a chance. I won’t let you touch a drop."

Despite the harsh words, she positioned herself in front of me, blocking Tyler’s eyes from falling on me.

My heart clenched as though it were being ripped apart. I couldn’t stand seeing her destroy herself.

Without thinking, I snatched the bottle from her hands and hurled it to the ground. "Stop drinking. Your body can’t handle this, Heidi. Please, just tell me what’s going on. Let me help you."

"What can you do? You're nothing but a poor fool trying to play the big shot in front of me. Only someone like Tyler, with money, can save me."

"You really don’t get it, do you? When I say leave, I mean it. You’re like an unrelenting pest, always crawling back, refusing to take a hint."

Bitterness churned in my chest. A wave of regret washed over me; why hadn’t I told her about my background sooner? If I had, she wouldn’t be pushing me away, trying to protect me from her mess.

Then, Emma’s voice slithered through the tension, dripping with contempt. "Sister, you probably don’t know, but your dear sister sold herself to the club for a million. She claimed it was for her sister’s treatment. For the past three years, we’ve had her act like an animal. Not even licking shoes could compare to the things we’ve made her do. She’d eat the damn shoes if we told her to."

Heidi didn’t have a sister, did she?

My heart skipped a beat as I looked at her in disbelief. Her eyes were red, tears streaking down her face, but she clung to my hand as if she had made up her mind. "Giselle, listen to me, just leave here now. Don’t worry, I’ll get the million and pay for your treatment. I won’t let anything happen to you."

Wait, what? A million? My entire monthly allowance wouldn’t even come close to that amount. And when did I ever have some illness that needed a million-dollar treatment? I didn’t even know what she was talking about!

I was about to correct her when the sound of a wine bottle shattering sliced through the air. A few hulking figures stood up, slowly making their way toward us.

My heart plummeted. I instinctively tensed. "I’ll pay the million for Heidi. I’m taking her now."

Just as I turned, two men stepped in front of the door, their eyes gleaming with a twisted excitement, like hunters preparing to corner their prey.

Tyler lounged back on the couch, his arms spread wide in mock relaxation, while Emma, with a sycophantic grin, moved to light his cigarette.

His narrow eyes squinted as the smoke curled around him, creating a nauseating, predatory aura. "Sister, in our world, there are rules. You broke my game and now you think you can just walk out of here without any consequences?"

Sweat slicked my palms as I fought to keep my composure.

I’d been born into a wealthy family, so I knew all too well the unspoken rules of the elite. Before I left Springfield, my parents had drilled into me the importance of discretion, which means never revealing your identity unless absolutely necessary.

My family was influential in the state, but here, far from home, local powers were stronger.

Going up against them would be like trying to crack a rock with an egg. The only thing I could do now was stall for time and pray my brother arrived soon.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay composed. "It was my mistake to break Mr. Sterling’s rules. Two million. I’ll take my sister and leave and Mr. Sterling can find someone else to entertain him."

I thought I had chosen my words carefully, but before I could even brace myself, the coffee table was sent crashing to the floor.

"Who the hell do you think you're looking down on?" he shouted, his face red with fury. "Trying to act rich in front of me? In all of Springfield, who dares claim they have more money than me? Who the hell are you?"

Later, I would learn that Tyler was a notorious property speculator, a man who had clawed his way from nothing to everything.

In his youth, he had been humiliated beyond measure, forced to drink urine, crawling through the dirt in shame.

But now, with wealth in hand, anyone who dared flaunt their riches before him was like jabbing a stick into a hornet's nest.

He gave a brief glance and within moments, two men had grabbed my arms, their grip like iron.

A few others appeared from a side room, hauling out a massive crystal cabinet, nearly three meters tall. It stood imposing, with a single small opening, just big enough for one person to fit inside.

At first glance, it resembled a coffin standing upright.

Water began to pour inside.

Heidi’s face drained of all color as she watched it. She rushed toward me, but a burly man kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing into a chair.

Trembling in pain, she struggled to her feet and kneeled before Tyler, bowing deeply. "Mr. Sterling, my sister doesn't know any better. Don’t punish her. If you want to punish someone, punish me. Put me in the water cabinet. I can hold my breath. I can hold it for a long time."

Shock paralyzed me as I watched her, but Emma’s voice snapped me back to reality.

She spoke with a gleeful tone as though she were narrating a sick game. "Sister, you’re in for a treat. This is Mr. Sterling's creation, 'Golden Three Minutes.' If you can crawl out in three minutes, you and your sister can walk free. But if you don’t… well, we’ll seal the lid and enjoy watching you drown slowly."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. "You’re breaking the law!"

Tyler sneered; his gaze was cold as ice. "In Springfield, I am the law."

Emma, eager to please, chimed in, "Mr. Sterling, killing her would be easier than crushing an ant. What can she do? She’s just a little wild girl. Does her family have more money than Mr. Sterling or more power?"

Tyler squinted, a look of satisfaction curling on his lips. "Hurry up, the heirs from the capital and Missouri are coming to discuss the amusement park deal with me. Don’t ruin their mood."

At the mention of the two heirs, Emma’s eyes practically lit up, her voice dripping with flattery. "I’ve heard the heir from the capital spoils his sister something fierce. He’s throwing over a hundred billion to build the amusement park in Springfield, just so his sister doesn’t get bored while studying here. The heir from Missouri? He’s the little princess’s childhood sweetheart and they’re about to get engaged."

Tyler’s smug expression softened just a bit, his gaze shifting to one of subtle reverence. "To please these two big names, it’s best to win over the little princess. I heard she’s here in Springfield, too. Go grab the jewelry I bought for ten million. I’ll give it to her as a gift."

He turned and slapped my face lightly. "What good is that wide-eyed stare? The little princess from the capital is living a charmed life, born the heir’s sister. You? You’re just here for my amusement. So throw her in."

Several hands gripped me, lifting me effortlessly and shoving me into the towering two-meter-high water tank.

I struggled, desperate to break free. "I warn you, don’t touch me. My brother is the heir from the capital!"

The room fell into an eerie silence. For a fleeting moment, I thought they might have taken me seriously until loud, mocking laughter filled the air.

"What nonsense is this?" Tyler scoffed. "You’re the little princess from the capital? Then I must be her grandfather."

Emma, clutching her stomach, laughed so hard she nearly collapsed. "Then I must be the little princess’s grandmother. Come on, granddaughter, show me your drowning beauty act. If you die, I’ll make sure you get a nice pile of ghost money."

Before I could retort, Tyler smashed a wine bottle into my forehead.

A sharp ringing filled my ears. The world spun, a blur of red invading my vision.

Suddenly, my feet left the ground. I was hoisted up and with a splash, the freezing water hit me, shocking my senses back to life. Through the haze, I barely heard someone start counting down.

I pressed my back against the cold, unyielding wall of the tank. The stench of blood seeped into the water, choking me as it blocked my mouth and nose.

The cramped space was suffocating, too small for me to even turn. The walls were as smooth as glass and though I could swim, I couldn’t climb.

The so-called Golden Three Minutes? It was nothing more than a cruel game, watching someone struggle in their final moments.

Through the tank’s transparent wall, I saw Heidi being restrained, her clothes torn apart. In a desperate attempt to preserve her dignity, she slashed her wrists with shards of glass.

But they didn’t care. They yanked at her hair, kicked and punched her.

She lay in a pool of her own blood, a broken doll with no one to save her.

I pounded the tank’s wall in vain, my mouth open, but the words dissolved into bubbles.

The faces around the tank gleamed with twisted excitement as if they were watching a show.

The three minutes passed and the only exit was sealed shut.

My lungs screamed for air. I could feel the suffocation building, my chest tightening as if it would explode. Despair and pain washed over me and my hands, once pounding the walls, slowly fell, floating in the murky water.

Tyler leaned over the edge of the tank, his sneer unmistakable. "So much for being a little princess from the capital. I'd rather toss you into a dark alley to let wild dogs feast on you."

Just as his words hung in the air, the door to the private room was suddenly flung open with a crash.