I clutched the towel but didn't wipe my face, letting rainwater mix with blood and drip onto the floor.

"Mom, I was kidnapped for three days."

My mother's eyes flickered. "I know, but your dad was thinking about the bigger picture. You know the Howes can't bow to criminals."

The crowd parted as my father, Nelson, walked over, a glass of red wine in his hand.

He looked me up and down without asking about my injuries, his face dark as a storm about to break.

"Why did the kidnappers let you go?"

The question echoed through the hall.

"They got what they wanted," I said flatly.

Nelson's pupils shrank. He assumed I had paid a ransom, and his anger flared instantly. "Who told you to give them money? I said no ransom, for justice! Did you agree to something you shouldn't have?"

His gaze slid over my torn clothes, his voice rising and sharp with malice. "Or did you let them sleep with you just to stay alive? The Howes can't afford that kind of shame."

Whispers rippled through the guests, their looks turning knowing and ugly.

Lilith hid behind him, peeking out with an innocent face and delivering the final blow. "It's okay, Alexis. What's important is that you're alive. Things like purity don't really matter. We're family. We won't look down on you."

In just a few sentences, I went from victim to family disgrace.

I stared at these well-dressed relatives, my stomach twisting violently.

Last time, I had died a horrible death, just to protect their dignity.

This time, all I wanted was to rip that skin clean off them myself.

-

The next morning, the Howe estate exploded.

Nelson smashed his favorite antique vase in the study.

Ten million dollars in dirty money had vanished. It was his escape fund, the money he had set aside to pave the way for his illegitimate son.

The trail led to an offshore laundering account. He didn't dare call the police and could only swallow the loss in silence.

He suspected the kidnappers, but even more, he suspected me. But he didn't dare ask, because if he did, it meant admitting the money was dirty.

He came downstairs with a black expression and saw me sitting at the dining table, quietly eating oatmeal.

I wore gloves to hide my missing finger.

"Get yourself ready. There's a media interview this afternoon," Nelson ordered, his tone absolute. "Say the kidnappers were intimidated by my sense of justice and let you go on their own. You'll cooperate and help solidify my image as a champion of the rule of law."

He desperately needed good press to cover the hole in his finances. He was also running for trade council chairman.

I set my spoon down and said nothing.

"Did you hear me?" He tapped the table impatiently.

"I heard you, Father."

The stylist arrived, dusting powder on my face to hide the bruise at the corner of my mouth. They also told me to take off my gloves and change into a sleeveless dress.

I refused. "My hand's injured."

My mother yanked the lace glove away and forced it onto my left hand, rough and impatient. She hit the wound, and pain broke out so hard that cold sweat poured down my back.

"This will do," she warned. "Your father's about to be evaluated for trade council chairman. This is a critical moment. Don't ruin the big picture over a tiny injury. Lilith was so worried about you, she couldn't sleep last night. So what if you suffered a little physical pain?"

To them, Lilith losing sleep mattered more than my missing finger.

At the interview site, cameras flashed nonstop.

Nelson hugged me tightly in front of the lenses, his eyes wet with tears.

"As a father, my heart aches," he said. "But in the face of justice, I had to set an example. Thankfully, good triumphs over evil, and my daughter has returned, safe and sound."

Nelson spoke with passion and conviction. The room erupted in applause, and reporters praised him as a businessman willing to sacrifice his own flesh and blood for justice.

I lowered my head on cue, my body trembling slightly.

To outsiders, it looked like I was overwhelmed with emotion.

In reality, it was because Nelson's hand was locked tight around my injured forearm.

He leaned in close and hissed into my ear, his voice venomous.

"Smile more naturally, or I'll pull the plug on your grandmother's ventilator! That old hag is in a care facility. I can decide whether she lives or dies in one sentence."

My grandmother was my only weakness in this world.

Nelson knew exactly how to control me.

I lifted my head and forced a smile that looked worse than crying.

The interview ended, and we returned backstage.

Nelson released me with disgust, took a wet wipe from his assistant, and scrubbed his hands as if he had touched something filthy.

"I'm glad you know your place." He tossed an elegant gift box at me. "This is your compensation."

I opened it.

Inside was neither jewelry nor cash, but a Declaration of Renunciation of Inheritance Rights and a one-way plane ticket overseas.

"To avoid suspicion, the family assets will go to Lilith," Nelson said casually. "You were kidnapped, after all. Your reputation's damaged, and there's a stain on you. Staying here would hurt Howe Corporation's stock price."

He spoke as if it were only natural.

"Sign it, and go abroad. I'll give you some money to spend. Don't stay here and be an eyesore."

Nearby, Lilith was opening her own gift.

Inside was a dazzling pink diamond necklace. The center stone was enormous, its sparkle blinding.

Lilith squealed, "Thanks, Dad! How much did this cost?"

"Ten million dollars," Nelson said warmly, patting her head. "Exactly what the kidnappers asked for. See? I didn't give them a cent. I saved it and bought you a gift instead. That's keeping wealth in the family."

Ten million dollars.

So in my father's calculations, my life was worth exactly the stone hanging around the fake heiress's neck.

I looked at the document in my hand, the corner of my mouth lifting into a faint, cold smile.

"Fine. I'll sign it."

Only after signing would the show truly get interesting.

-

With the dirty money gone, a massive hole opened up in the company's accounts.

Nelson and my brother, Randall Howe, panicked like cats on a hot tin roof.

At dinner, Randall tossed a thick stack of documents in front of me.

"Since you're not leaving the country, go help out at the company," he said. "These are the subsidiary's financial statements. Check them and sign."

His tone was full of contempt.

"Dad's right. You're the elder sister. It's time you got some real experience."

I flipped through the files.

Every page was fake. Tax evasion, inflated profits, fabricated transactions. The moment I signed, I would become the legal scapegoat and rot in prison for the rest of my life.

This was their idea of experience.

"Sure. I'll sign."

I picked up the pen and signed my name cleanly.

What they couldn't see was that I had already set a timed delivery of the real data backup straight to the inbox of the Regulatory Enforcement Division.

"There's more good news," Randall said, visibly pleased as he sliced into his steak. "Mr. Schultz really admires your so-called sense of justice. He wants to form a marriage alliance and invest in Howe Corporation."

Paul Schultz was infamous in their circles, a pervert who had caused the death of three wives.

This was the future they had arranged for me, selling me at a good price to plug the financial hole.

My mother placed the most tender piece of fish onto Lilith's plate and turned to advise me.

"Alexis, you lost a finger, and your reputation is ruined. You should count your lucky stars that Mr. Schultz doesn't mind! We don't want people to talk. Young men from decent families would think you're tainted. Marrying someone like Mr. Schultz is the practical choice. He's older and knows how to take care of a woman."

"He knows how to take care of a woman?" I looked up at my mother, my gaze sharp as a blade. "Mr. Schultz is three years older than Dad. His ex-wife jumped off a building last month. And you seriously think I should count my lucky stars?"

"Watch your tone!" my mother snapped.

Lilith suddenly pulled out a thick notebook, putting on a show of pleading on my behalf.

"Mom, Dad, Alexis has had it hard, too. You shouldn't push her. Alexis, everything you've spent since you were little is written in here. Seven hundred and sixty thousand dollars. I kept track of every cent for you."

She flipped the notebook open, displaying the so-called debts.

They included elementary school tuition and medicine when I was sick. Even the household utility bills were split per person and charged to me.

"See? It wasn't easy for Mom and Dad to raise you."

My mother jumped in without hesitation. "The debt of giving birth and raising you is greater than anything! The money we spent on you is more than enough to buy your life. Marrying Mr. Schultz and bringing in that ten-million-dollar investment counts as paying back what you owe the family."

Seven hundred and sixty thousand dollars bought out the first half of my life.

Ten million dollars bought out the rest of it.

That was the price my own parents put on me.

"And if I don't marry him?" I asked.

Smack!

Nelson's palm came down hard across my face.

The force sent me crashing to the floor. I caught myself with my left hand, and the wound that had just started to heal split open again, blood soaking through the bandage.

Nelson pointed at my nose, his face twisted with rage.

"Don't push your luck! That ten million from the kidnapping still hasn't been accounted for! Did you work with outsiders to steal my money? If you don't marry him, I'll report you for fraud and send you to prison for the rest of your life."

How ironic.

He suspected me, but he only dared use it as a threat. He didn't have the guts to actually call the police.

I clutched my bleeding hand and lowered my head, my bangs hiding the cold light in my eyes.

"Alright. I'll marry him."

My voice was light as air, but it landed like a hammer.

If they wanted to blow this up, then I would turn the world upside down.

-

Friday night.

Howe Corporation hosted a grand charity appreciation gala.

The theme was celebrating Nelson's title as Philanthropist of the Year, along with announcing my engagement to Paul.

The ballroom glittered with gold and crystal, designer gowns and polished smiles everywhere.

On the massive screen, a video looped of Nelson's so-called righteous sacrifice, paired with emotional music that moved many guests to tears.

I wore a long-sleeved gown to hide my injuries and was seated in a corner.

Lilith, dressed in a custom couture gown, looked like a proud white swan. She held my mother's arm and accepted praise from every direction.

"Lilith is so lucky to have such a selfless father."

"I kinda feel sorry for her sister, but sacrificing for the family name is only right."

The lights shifted as Nelson stepped onto the stage to speak. His face glowed, his voice thick with emotion.

"For the sake of justice and for the good of society, I made a painful choice that day. Thankfully, God rewards the righteous. Both my daughters returned safely."

Thunderous applause filled the room and went on and on.

Randall walked over, grabbed my arm, and dragged me onto the stage. He pressed my head down, forcing me to bow to the guests.

"Thank you all, and thank you to my sister for being so understanding."

I bent like a puppet on strings. The tearing pain from my wound kept me painfully awake.

Nelson took the microphone again and announced the highlight of the night.

"To show our sincerity, I've decided to donate one of the villas under Lilith's name to charity. And on top of that, more happy news. My eldest daughter, Alexis, will be officially engaged to Mr. Paul Schultz of Crownford Group…"