Till Your Last Breath

I was born with a rare condition. My blood carried healing properties strong enough to neutralize any poison.

When Garrett Frank, the young heir from Osbury, was bitten by a venomous snake, he was hanging by a thread. In that desperate moment, I slit my wrist and used my blood to cleanse the venom from his body.

Only later did I find out that whoever saved Garrett's life would become the future Mrs. Frank.

But after Garrett took over the family business, the first thing he did was drain every drop of blood from my body and have me chopped up and fed to his dogs.

"At that time, Loretta had already brought the antidote," he had said coldly. "If you had just waited another five minutes, I could've married her openly and honorably.

"But you had to interfere. You stole her place as Mrs. Frank, drove her into despair, and pushed her to take her own life. Since you claim your blood can cure any poison, let's see how much antidote it can make."

They bled me dry and threw me into a cage for his dogs. I died there, torn apart and unrecognizable.

Afterward, my parents went bankrupt because of the Franks. Both of them took poison and died together.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day Garrett had been bitten by the snake.

Michelle Frank, Garrett's mother, looked at me with desperate hope.

"I heard you have that rare healing blood," she said. "Will you please save my son?"

I quickly shook my head.

"That's just a rumor, Mrs. Frank. And honestly, using blood as medicine sounds pretty unsanitary. Please don't worry. I heard Ms. Huber is on her way with a special antidote. Your son will be fine!"

Still, a small part of me couldn't help looking forward to what would happen.

If I didn't step in this time, Garrett wouldn't just fail to inherit the family business—he'd be lucky to live another month!

Michelle Frank hadn't even hidden the disappointment in her face when a gut-wrenching scream tore through the air.

The entire room went silent. No one dared to move.

Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hall as several bodyguards rushed in, carrying Michelle's son, Garrett Frank.

His eyes were shut tight, and one of his arms had turned a deep, ugly shade of purple. The sight made everyone's stomach drop.

The hall erupted in panic. Several guests stumbled backward, horrified.

The face of Garrett's father, Walter Frank, darkened with rage.

"What the hell am I paying you idiots for? I told you to guard him closely! How could you let my son get bitten by a damn snake?!"

The bodyguards kept their heads down, sweat dripping from their temples. No one dared to speak.

Just then, Loretta Huber was pushed to the front.

"It's not their fault," she said softly. "Garrett told them not to follow too closely. He doesn't like too many people around him."

A doctor rushed forward and kneeled beside Garrett, checking his pulse and the wound.

Suddenly, Garrett's body convulsed violently. Then, slowly, his eyes fluttered open.

"It was Loretta," he rasped. "She risked her life to bring me the antidote. If not for her, I would already be dead."

The doctor nodded quickly in agreement.

"That's true. The antidote Ms. Huber brought was unique. Without it, the outcome would've been disastrous."

Walter's expression softened slightly as he turned his gaze to Loretta. "You saved Garrett's life. The Franks owe you for that. Tell me what you want. As long as it's within my power, I'll make sure you get it."

Loretta's eyes flickered with emotion. She glanced at Garrett, lips trembling, but couldn't get a word out.

Garrett's face was pale yet resolute. Suddenly, he reached over and took her hand.

"Dad," he said firmly, "Loretta's too shy to say it herself, so I'll say it for her. I'm going to marry her. I don't care what people say. She saved my life, and I intend to spend the rest of it repaying her."

The room fell completely still. Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

Loretta was just the housekeeper's daughter. Although she and Garrett had grown up together, her background was far too humble for the Franks to even consider her as a potential daughter-in-law.

Walter's brows furrowed, clear displeasure flashing in his eyes.

Michelle's voice cut through the silence like a blade, cold and sharp.

"You're marrying a housekeeper's daughter? Are you trying to make the Franks the laughingstock of the entire city? You're the heir to this family, Garrett. Do you even understand what's at stake?"

Garrett turned to look at Loretta, who stood quietly beside him. His voice was calm but unwavering as he spoke up.