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.

She gently set the painting down, her eyes completely lifeless.

Suddenly, she grabbed the shattered champagne glass beside her and lunged at Reagan. The jagged edge sliced across Reagan’s fair cheek, and she panicked instantly, gripping Ariadnie’s wrist with both hands and struggling as hard as she could.

Ariadnie was using a lot of force. Just as the glass was about to reach Reagan’s neck, something slammed into her.

It was Rasper.

He kicked Ariadnie off Reagan and stepped protectively in front of her, fury burning in his eyes. His voice was cold. “Ariadnie! Are you out of your mind?”

Redmond hurried to help Reagan up, looking at Ariadnie with nothing but disgust.

“Bro, hurry up and teach this crazy woman a lesson! She was trying to kill Reagan!”

Tears streamed down Reagan’s face as she curled into Redmond’s arms. “She suddenly snapped and grabbed the painting. She said if she couldn’t have it, then I couldn’t either. I was so scared…”

Rasper’s expression grew colder. He looked down at Ariadnie from above, his voice heavy. “So you really are exactly what they said—vicious and unreasonable.”

Ariadnie scoffed stubbornly, lifting her chin even as her eyes reddened. “She destroyed the painting on purpose! She forced me to kneel, and then—”

“Enough!” Rasper cut her off, irritation flashing in his eyes. “Reagan is kind and innocent. She would never do something like that. But you? You’ve always pushed her around.”

He waved a hand at the bodyguards behind him. “Throw her onto the champagne tower. Give her a taste of her own medicine.”

Ariadnie clenched her teeth, her voice rough. “Every word I said is true!”

A trace of hesitation flickered in Rasper’s eyes until Redmond spoke up. “Everyone knows you lie without blinking.”

Reagan added, voice trembling, “Ariadnie… how could you accuse me of that?”

Whatever hesitation Rasper had disappeared immediately. He turned, lifting Reagan into his arms, his tone cold. “Stay here and think about what you’ve done.”

With that, the bodyguards threw Ariadnie onto the floor scattered with broken glass. She looked like a discarded rag doll.

Pain spread across her entire body at once. She struggled to her feet, clutching the ruined painting tightly as tears streamed down her face.

Her breathing turned sharp and uneven from the pain. She had just reached the main doors when she realized they were locked.

She collapsed to the floor, a searing ache tearing through her chest.

“Rasper… your heart is really that cruel.”

Suddenly, she saw flames rising from the wooden stage in the center of the hall. Her heart lurched.

“Help!”

She pounded on the door with all her strength, screaming until her voice turned hoarse.

“There’s a fire!”

The hall was lavishly decorated, and the flames spread quickly. With each crackling burst, thick smoke filled her lungs.

She fumbled for her phone, but there was no signal. All she could see were the messages Reagan had sent earlier.

[Thanks to you, I finally know how much Rasper cares about me.]

[It’s just a small cut on my face, but he booked an entire floor of the hospital and even brought in specialists for me.]

[But you? Does anyone even care whether you live or die?]

Ariadnie’s vision blurred. The moment the fire scorched her arm, she snapped back to alertness.

She couldn’t die yet.

She carried the hatred her mother and sister left behind. Even if she died, she had to drag those people down with her.

She slammed her shoulder against the door again and again, her eyes fierce and unwavering.

Just before she lost consciousness, she fell into a warm embrace. Someone scooped her up, his voice full of heartache.

“I’ve already ordered people to move against the Stallones. Anyone who lay a hand on you—I won’t let a single one of them walk free.”