Her stepmother’s voice came through the phone. “You finally came around? That’s great. We’ll hold the wedding next week…”

“Don’t rush,” Ariadnie cut her off, her tone cold. “If I’m marrying in place of your precious daughter, I deserve something in return.”

“I want the five buildings the Elizabeths own in the south of the city. And I’m taking my sister with me to the Paytons,” she enumerated quickly.

Her stepmother exploded. “What did you just say? Those five buildings are worth a billion! I don’t care if you take your sister or not but five buildings? That’s outrageous!”

Ariadnie let out a cold laugh. “If you don’t agree, then let Reagan marry that boy instead.”

Her stepmother had no choice but to grit her teeth. “Fine. I’ll handle it right away.”

The Elizabeths and the Paytons had been mortal enemies for years—one controlling the south side, the other the north, always at each other’s throats.

Now, the Paytons were stronger, and her father needed their help. When the Paytons proposed a marriage alliance, if she didn’t go, the one marrying in would be the daughter they treasured the most—Reagan.

They couldn’t bear to send Reagan in danger, so they set their sights on Ariadnie.

After hanging up, Ariadnie remembered the night she first met Rasper. It had been raining just as heavily as it was tonight.

That night, she’d been drugged, and it was him who saved her—picked her up and carried her away, without ever touching her.

When she woke up after a night on an IV drip, the first thing she saw was his pretty, doe eyes, almost stealing her soul.

“Hey, you’re awake? Why are you blushing? Don’t tell me you like me?”

From that day on, they were together.

In the daytime, he was cold as a glacier, treating her politely but distant. At night, it was like he was addicted—holding her, wanting her again and again…

She always thought it was just his personality. But now, she realized—he wasn’t even the same man.

“Ariadnie, you really are pathetic,” she muttered, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.

She should’ve known—aside from her mother, who died young, and her sister, who lay unconscious, no one in this world ever truly cared about her.

The next second, she lit a slim cigarette. Smoke curled around her, blurring the redness gathering in her eyes.

Then suddenly, her phone rang. It was the hospital.

“Ma’am, please come quickly. Your sister… She's in critical condition!”

She flagged down a cab and rushed over.

When she arrived, the doctor’s face was heavy. “Multiple organ failure… We’ve done everything we can.”

Her sister lay on the bed, pale as paper, her vitals dropping rapidly.

Ariadnie grabbed the doctor’s hand, her voice shaking. “Isn’t there anything—anything at all—that can save her?”

The doctor sighed. “Just yesterday, the hospital received a batch of new medication. It might help the patient, but…

“The hospital is managed by Stallone Corporation. We need Mr. Stallone’s signature before we can use it.”

Ariadnie’s voice cracked. “I’ll call him right now!”

Her hands trembled as she dialed Rasper.

The first call—he declined it.

The second time, he finally picked up, sounding impatient. “What is it?”

Over loud music, she heard Reagan whining beside him, “Rasper, I’m drunk… I feel awful.”

Ariadnie’s heart clenched. She hurried to speak. “My sister’s organs are failing. Please, you need to come sign the approval—”

Before she could finish, he hung up.

The third time, after a long wait, he picked up again.

“Rasper, I’m begging you—come sign for the medication!”

The moment she spoke, she heard soft, breathy moans on the other end, then Reagan’s coquettish voice. “Not so hard…”

Rasper chuckled low. “You’re uncomfortable?”

Ariadnie’s eyes instantly welled up. Hot tears streamed down her face. She screamed, her voice breaking, “Rasper! My sister is dying! Can you just—”

Her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the floor, shaking uncontrollably. “Can you please save her?”

One second. Two seconds. Three.

The machines beside her beeped wildly.

What she got instead was the tone of a call ending.

“The number you dialed is busy…”

Whatever light had been left in her eyes extinguished completely. She couldn’t hold back anymore; she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her sister was dying… and Rasper was in bed with Reagan.

Drowning in despair, Ariadnie clutched her sister’s ice-cold hand and prayed over and over, “Please live… I can’t lose you…”

Five years ago, her sister had been chosen by the school to enter the national dance competition. She was gifted, a rising star in the making.

But right before the competition, a rumor suddenly spread online—that she had an improper relationship with a teacher.

The teacher’s wife accused her publicly. Classmates mocked her. Even their father cursed her, calling her disgusting and slut.

Her sister cried, fought, but never gave up on the competition.

Every day, she practiced for hours on end.

Until one night, coming back from the practice room, she was dragged into an alley and assaulted by a group of thugs. Photos of the attack spread across the internet.

The school revoked her qualification and replaced her with… Reagan.

On the hospital bed afterward, Amina showed no expression. She didn’t even cry. When no one was looking, she jumped from the rooftop.

Tears blurred Ariadnie’s vision. The pain in her chest felt like it would crush her.

Her sister had been her lifeline—the one who raised her after their mother died, who cared for her, protected her, stood by her every time she needed someone.

She prayed all night until her tears ran dry.

And then—a miracle.

It was as if her sister heard her prayers. Her vitals stabilized.

Ariadnie finally exhaled, but her eyes were dark with hatred.

“Amina, I swear… everyone who hurt us will pay in blood.”

Just then, a message popped onto her screen.

She looked down. It was a message from the Paytons’s playboy—Reid Payton.

[You finally agreed to marry me?]

Everyone thought the Paytons proposed the marriage just to crush the Elizabeths.

No one knew that the Paytons’s ruler—the man everyone feared, the ruthless Reid—was already wrapped around her finger.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she dialed him.

“The wedding has to follow my terms. And the Stallones and Elizabeths will pay.” Her tone was calm, like she was discussing the weather.

“No problem,” Reid replied, his deep voice tinged with pleasure. “Anything you want, I’ll do. I told you long ago—Rasper doesn’t deserve you.”

She paused. “What I’m about to do… the Stallones won’t forgive it. You—”

Reid laughed. “Baby, don’t worry. You have me.”

After hanging up, she opened her notes and wrote down three things to do.

[First: Abort the baby.]

[Second: Delete the video on Redmond’s phone.]

[Third: Make the Stallone brothers and Reagan pay in blood!]

When Ariadnie left the hospital, a message popped up on her phone.

[Ma’am, the painting your late mother created, the one you asked us to keep an eye on, will be auctioned today at 3 p.m. in Ballroom 7A at the Galleria Grand Hotel.]

Her eyes lit up. Ever since her stepmother moved into the family, that painting had been donated to a charity auction. After changing hands many times, it vanished without a trace.

Today, it finally reappeared before her.

It was the last painting her mother ever made.

She remembered her mother painting it—talking gently to her and her sister while humming a tune.

All of that had been recorded on a chip hidden inside the artwork.

For a moment, she could almost see her mother’s warm smile and the little flower tucked behind her ear.

Bringing home this painting might even help her sister recover.

Inside the ballroom, crystal chandeliers lit the hall as bright as daytime, and the room was filled with elegantly dressed socialites and powerful families.

The moment Ariadnie walked in, she spotted Reagan standing in the center of the hall in a white dress, smiling sweetly and looking innocent.

Next to her were the Stallone brothers, their eyes practically glued to Reagan.

“Ariadnie. You’re here, too?” Reagan saw her and immediately hurried over, looping her arm through hers with an overly sweet smile. “Why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve come together.”

Ariadnie pulled her arm free and said coldly, “Stay away from me.”

Rasper and Redmond came over right away. Rasper’s expression darkened.

“Hey, how can you treat Reagan like that?”

“Reagan, since when were you two that close?”

Ariadnie stared directly at him.

Rasper froze for a moment, but before he could say anything, Redmond stepped in to smooth things over.

“Reagan was my classmate in college. I introduced her to my brother when I got back to the country. You’re probably his girlfriend, right? I’m Redmond, his twin brother.”

Countless nights tangled together flashed through Ariadnie’s mind. But she forced down the wave of disgust rising in her chest.

“I can tell. You two look… pretty average.”

Rasper’s face sank even further. He grabbed her arm.

“Hey. What’s with the attitude?”

Ariadnie yanked her arm back, her voice cold.

“Because I feel like it.”

If it weren’t for the video still sitting in Redmond’s phone, she would’ve ripped them apart on the spot.

Finally, the auction started.

Uninterested in dealing with them any longer, Ariadnie sat down. She was here for one reason: her mother’s painting.

Once seated, the first item was brought onto the stage. The starting bid was 500,000.

The painting showed the soft silhouette of a woman, with two small children chasing after her.

Ariadnie’s eyes warmed. Without hesitation, she raised her paddle.

“One million.”

What she didn’t expect was that Reagan also lifted her paddle.

“Two million.”

Ariadnie looked at her, and Reagan only smiled brighter.

“Ariadnie, what a coincidence. I really like this one, too.”

Then she leaned closer, whispering so quietly only Ariadnie could hear.

“I remember Dad doesn’t give you much allowance. You can’t outbid me.”

She continued, “When I buy it, should I cut it up with scissors for fun… or burn it in the fireplace?”

Since she was ten, their father had given Reagan a monthly allowance of one million.

Meanwhile, she and her sister barely scraped by on what their mother left behind.

But now…

Ariadnie raised her paddle again. “Four million.”

Reagan froze for a second, then quickly raised hers. “Five million!”

Ariadnie let out a cold laugh and lifted her paddle again. “Ten million!”

Reagan’s face went ghost-pale. Her fingers twisted into the fabric of her dress.

Lowering her voice, she hissed, “Where’d you get that kind of money? Don’t tell me you’re like that cheap sister of yours—sneaking around and selling yourself.

“I made sure to enjoy those photos before spreading them, you know. Your sister was so stupid she even actually tried to kill herself.

“She turned herself into a comatose patient, and for the last five years, I’ve made sure the caregivers ‘took very good care’ of her.”

Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the gavel, Ariadnie’s eyes flooded with red. She couldn’t hold back any longer and slapped Reagan across the face.

“You damn wicked witch!”

The moment the words fell, Rasper rushed forward to shield Reagan, and Redmond charged over as well.

“Ariadnie! Apologize!”

A flush of dark red flooded Ariadnie’s eyes. Her fingers curled in on themselves, nails digging deep into her palms.

“Apologize to her? Keep dreaming!”

Reagan bit her lip and covered her swollen cheek. “Sister, I just like the painting as much as you do, that’s all…”

Ariadnie’s gaze was pure, undisguised hatred. “You knew perfectly well it was something my mother left behind!”

“I really didn’t know…” Reagan sobbed. “Rasper, Redmond, you believe me, don’t you?”

Rasper’s expression darkened. “Of course, we believe you.”

He loosened his tie, his voice sinking. “I’m going all the way!”

The guests erupted into murmurs in an instant.

“What’s going on? Isn’t Ariadnie his girlfriend?”

“Did he finally see her true colors and get tired of her?”

“It was only a matter of time. Look how unreasonable she is—she even hit her own sister in front of everyone…”

The comments echoed painfully in Ariadnie’s ears. She clenched her teeth and demanded coldly at Rasper, “I told you—this is my mom’s final piece. You really want to help her take it from me?!”

Rasper’s face didn’t shift. His tone stayed flat. “You hit her first. Since the painting means so much to you, give it to Reagan as your apology gift.”

Delight flashed instantly across Reagan’s face. The corners of her eyes and brows were smug. “Oh, Rasper, you’re really the best!”

Rasper said nothing, but the softness in his eyes when he looked at her said enough.

Redmond shot Ariadnie a glance, his voice dripping with mockery. “You’re not like certain people—vicious to the core—who deserve anyone treating them well.”

Ariadnie watched the painting get handed to Reagan with her own eyes. Her heart felt like a giant hand was squeezing it tight, crushing the air from her lungs.

Anything Rasper wanted, she never stood a chance.

Reagan’s smile grew deeper. She lowered her voice. “I told you, you’ll never beat me.”

After the auction ended and the crowd dispersed, Ariadnie stopped Reagan. She forced down the rage burning in her chest.

“Reagan, this painting means nothing to you. Name a price—I’ll buy it.”

Reagan’s smile turned cruel, gloating spilling through every word. She dragged a long nail over the painting. “It’s so beautiful. Why would I sell it to you? Unless…”

Ariadnie clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to strangle her. “Unless what?”

Reagan lifted the painting high, acting as though she might smash it. “Unless you kneel and apologize to me. Admit you’re nothing but slut, beneath me in every way.”

Something inside Ariadnie jolted. In the end, she exhaled. “F-Fine.”

Without a second of hesitation, she dropped to her knees. Her back stayed perfectly straight. Her voice trembled, but she forced the words out—each one slicing flesh off her heart.

“I’m sorry. I’m… a slut who’s inferior to you in every way.”

Her blood felt like it was screaming, but all she could see was her mother’s gentle smile.

‘Just hold on. Just a little longer.’

As long as she could get her mother’s painting back, it would be worth it.

Reagan laughed so hard she almost bent over. Holding the painting, she walked to the champagne tower. Then she suddenly let go and covered her mouth lightly. “Oops.”

The painting crashed into the glasses. Champagne and shattered crystal exploded everywhere, splashing across the canvas and ruining everything.

“Oh no, what should I do…” Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction even as she feigned innocence. “I really didn’t mean it…”

She stayed exactly where she was, waiting to savor Ariadnie’s reaction.

Ariadnie felt the blood drain from her entire body. Stumbling forward, she picked up the painting from the wreckage.

It was destroyed beyond recognition—just like her mother, her older sister… and like her.

She gently brushed off shards of glass, blood streaming from her fingers, but she didn’t feel the pain.

A familiar voice suddenly echoed from the painting—her mother’s voice, soft and warm, breaking apart into static.

“Mom loves you both.”

“Mom… lo—…”

The voice dissolved into a sharp crackling sound.

Huge tears splashed onto the back of her hand. The ache in her chest rushed through her entire body, making her tremble uncontrollably.

Reagan admired her absolute ruin, lips curling with delight. “For a worthless painting, you beg and grovel? You’re just as useless as your mother.”

Ariadnie shot to her feet and shoved Reagan hard. Her voice shook. “Shut up!”

Reagan fell to the floor but kept laughing. “When your mom died, she was still calling your names.”

Ariadnie froze where she stood, as if struck by lightning.

A terrifying possibility surfaced in her mind.

With that, the last string in her heart finally snapped.