Andon raised the shears once more. "Beg me. If you beg me, I'll let you go. Alright?"

"No!"

I clenched my teeth. "Andon, I am telling you right now. I will fight you to the death in this life!"

Andon was furious, and he raised the shears high up in the air.

At that moment, a cold but slightly weak male voice rang out at the door. "Stop!"

Andon paused abruptly, and the shears remained frozen in mid-air. There was a flash of panic in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by ferocity.

"Why are you here, Seth? This woman is venomous. She pushed Sasha down the stairs—"

Seth's appearance was like a light in the dark to me.

I endured the intense pain in my knees and fingers and shouted in a hoarse voice, "I didn't… I didn't push her! She fell down the stairs herself—"

Andon glared at me. "How dare you argue when Sasha is hurt so badly! Look at her, Seth! How can a woman like her stay in our home?"

I laughed scornfully and retorted, "Andon, you're becoming better at twisting the truth.

"I didn't push her, and the security footage will prove it.

"Also, what gives you the right to touch my hands? Who do you think you are? You're using extrajudicial force, and it's illegal!"

Sasha looked tearfully at Seth and said weakly, "Mr. Garner, I'm fine… It's not Ms. Fulton's fault. I was just careless—"

Seth slapped Andon hard in the face.

Seth was as pale as a sheet, but there was an icy, sharp glint in his eyes. No one dared to meet his eyes.

"Is this the way I taught you? Are you going to use force on a woman without even asking about what happened?"

His gaze alighted on my finger, which had turned bright red from Andon's grip on it. His brow furrowed tightly, and he helped me up from the floor and pulled me into his arms.

"Call a doctor, hurry!"

Sasha was still sniffling piteously beside us. "Mr. Garner—"

"Shut up!"

Seth's gaze swept imperiously over her. "How dare you call me that? You're an insignificant woman who popped up out of nowhere, and you need to remember your place!"

"Seth! Sasha isn't an outsider. I'm going to marry her!" Andon shouted furiously.

Andon received yet another fierce slap in the face.

"Andon, you're getting too big for your boots. Toss this lying woman out of here!"

Seth was frail because of his condition. However, he had been in charge for many years, and it showed at that moment. He was so intimidating that Andon stepped backward involuntarily.

Two bodyguards stepped forward at once and began dragging Sasha out as she continued to sob.

"Don't be afraid. With me around, no one will be able to hurt you again."

Seth looked down at me with a tenderness in his eyes that I had never seen before.

I leaned into his embrace and finally let a tiny sob escape. "My hand hurts… My knees hurt too… I'm so glad you came…"

Andon stared fixedly at us as we embraced each other. He completely ignored Sasha's screams as she was dragged away.

"Seth, you're being too affectionate with Elise. It's not appropriate. I was wrong. Put her down."

"What's inappropriate about it? Elise and I will be getting engaged next month. In the future, she'll be your sister-in-law."

"What? I won't allow it!" Andon shrieked.

"You have no right to interfere in my affairs." Seth looked menacing.

At that moment, the doctor arrived. Seth carried me in his arms and strode over to the east wing.

Before leaving, I turned and looked at Andon, who looked lost and helpless. The thrill of revenge rose in my heart.

In my past life, all I knew was that mentions of Seth were taboo in the Garner household. What I hadn't known was that he always had feelings for me.

When he passed away, I tidied up his personal belongings and discovered an entire room full of portraits of me that he had drawn.

It turned out that I resembled the first love of his youth, whom he had loved but lost in the end.

That was why I had grabbed hold of him as my trump card in this life without any hesitation at all.

On the way, Seth looked at my knees and my hand, his eyes full of heartache.

"It's my fault. I should have told everyone earlier about our relationship so that you wouldn't have had to suffer this."

I shook my head and just leaned into his arms weakly without saying anything.

The doctor said that my knees were bruised and that my finger would have been crippled if Andon's shears had cut further down.

Seth looked even more menacing when he heard this.

"You can deal with that woman however you want, Elise. Just say the word."

I was as pale as a sheet, but I said softly, "I'm not a vicious person. I just want justice."

He caressed my face with a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was looking through me at another person. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to clear your name."

I leaned in his warm embrace and laughed coldly to myself.

That wasn't all I wanted.

I wanted Sasha and Andon to have their reputation ruined, and for them to wish that they were dead!