This was an abandoned parking lot, so it was completely deserted. It was obvious that Morgan and Ellie had deliberately chosen this place to punish me. Morgan had even taken my cell phone. The windows and doors were tightly closed and there was nothing inside the car that could be used to break the windows.

The worst part was that Morgan had slipped a drug into my food last night and the effects seemed to be still inside my body because my limbs felt weak and numb. So, it was impossible for me to break the window and escape on my own.  

As time passed, the sun rose slowly high in the sky and the temperature inside the car began to climb steadily. My breathing grew increasingly difficult.  

Am I really going to die here today?

Morgan and I met two years ago. At that time, he was at the end of his rope. Late at night by the river, he had drunk heavily, crying and cursing the heavens for their injustice and was about to jump.  It so happened I was walking by the river, so I rushed over and grabbed him.

“I have no hope left in life. My parents died in a car accident, my company is about to go bankrupt, creditors are constantly knocking on my door and the bank keeps calling to demand repayment...”  

Before he could finish, I slapped him hard across the face.  He froze, staring at me blankly. Seeing that he no longer struggled to jump into the river, I sighed in relief and said, “Are you more awake now?”  

Morgan nodded instinctively, then touched his face, which was slightly swollen from the slap, with a dazed look.  

I said to him seriously, “As the old saying goes, it's better to live a miserable life than to die well. Your parents, who are watching over you from heaven, won't want their son to be useless, will they?”

“If you're broke, go earn money. If you're in debt, pay it off little by little. As long as you're alive, there's hope.”  

“You've heard of the Lancaster Family, the richest family in town, right? Twenty years ago, the head of the Lancaster Family was deep in debt and dared not return home for the New Year. He even hid with his wife and children in another city. But within just five years, they seized an opportunity and rose to the top.”

“Though such examples of rising from the bottom to the top are rare, at least they offer hope.” You're still young, with plenty of opportunities ahead. Youth is your greatest asset. If you give up and jump into the river now, that will be the biggest waste for you!"

After I finished speaking, Morgan calmed down slightly. I was not sure whether it was my words that got through to him, or the hard slap I gave him snapped him awake, but at least he had temporarily abandoned the idea of jumping into the river.

He reached out his hand to me and said softly, “My name is Morgan Coleman. Thank you!”  

I smiled, took his hand gently and said, “I’m Felicia Lancaster.”

And just like that, the gears of fate began to turn.

At that time, I refused to accept the arranged marriage my family had arranged for me and ran away from home in a fit of anger.

During our time together, I lied and told Morgan I was an orphan who had been raised by an elderly couple in the countryside.

Morgan’s appearance perfectly matched my aesthetic preferences. After being with him, I used my family’s connections to secure some orders for the Coleman Group and helped Morgan through a difficult period.

Morgan would always excitedly say I was his lucky star, as my arrival not only saved his life but also revived the Coleman Family's company. He promised he would never let me down and said that once the company was fully stabilized, he would throw me a grand wedding.

I waited eagerly for the happy moment, picturing when we would walk hand in hand down the aisle.  

However, ever since Ellie entered the Coleman Group six months ago, Morgan's attitude toward me had noticeably changed. He treated Ellie extremely well. He always put her needs first and ignored mine.

Later, I found out that Ellie was Morgan's childhood sweetheart. However, when the Coleman Family was on the brink of bankruptcy, Ellie left him decisively. After the Coleman Group made a comeback, Ellie had come back on her own initiative.

Ellie had seen me as her love rival, but she never clashed with me openly. Instead, she started to scheme against me behind the scenes.

I had decided to give Morgan one last chance. If Morgan kicked Ellie out of the company and ceased all contact with her before our wedding next month, I would not use his past with Ellie against him.

But who would have thought he would lock me in this car, exposed to the blazing sun, just for the sake of Ellie's dog? Didn't he realize his action could kill me?

And yet, he simply didn't care.

By midday, my clothes were wet with sweat. The car was suffocatingly hot, making it hard for me to breathe.

Although my head was spinning and my eyelids were drooping, I knew I could not sleep because once I did, I might never wake up again.

At that moment, my phone on the phone mount outside the window rang. The moment I saw it was my older brother calling and I was immediately excited.

Ever since I left home in a huff two years ago, my older brother has called me from time to time.  I also knew that my parents were always concerned about my life outside, or otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to use my family's connections to help Coleman Group rise so quickly.

My older brother had been urging me to go home and apologize to my parents, but I was stubborn and refused to back down.  

I had planned to go home before my wedding with Morgan next month to apologize to my parents in person, but I never expected something like this to happen today.

My older brother called me several times in a row until my phone ran out of battery and shut off. At that moment, I knew that if I could hold on a little longer, I would be saved, because my phone had been installed with a tracking device.

That was the only reason my family had allowed me to roam free for the past two years; otherwise, they would have dragged me home long ago.

Since my phone wasn't reachable, given my older brother's meticulous nature, he would definitely send someone to find me immediately. So, I bit my arm hard and the intense pain snapped me out of my daze.  

Before long, someone arrived at this abandoned parking lot. At first, I was thrilled because I thought it was my older brother with his men, but when I saw who it was, the excitement froze on my face.

It was Morgan and Ellie!

Behind them were several high-ranking executives from Coleman Group.

When they saw me locked inside the car under the blazing sun, the look of utter shock appeared on the faces of all the executives from ColemanS Group.  

Before the executives could ask what was going on, Morgan coldly said to them, “I know you were all promoted by Felicia and are very loyal to her.”

"However, one thing you all have to understand ... this company belongs to the Coleman Family, not the Lancaster Family."

“From now on, Ellie will replace Felicia as deputy general manager. If any of you dare to disobey Ellie's orders, be prepared to be fired!”

It was obvious that Morgan had brought these senior executives with him to make an example of me. And I was the sacrificial lamb he had prepared.

With complicated expressions on their faces, the senior executives bowed their heads in silence.

Morgan walked to the car, looked at me sweating profusely inside, ignored my disheveled appearance and coldly said, “Felicia, do you know you're wrong?”

I shot him a hard glare and said nothing. At this point, I was relying purely on willpower to hold on; I didn't want to waste energy arguing with him.

My silence made his face darken with anger. He snapped, "You're so stubborn!"

“Don’t think that just because we came here, we’re going to let you out. If you don't apologize to Ellie, you can stay here until nightfall."

As soon as he said that, several senior executives could not help but persuade him.

“President Coleman, the weather is extremely hot today. Miss Lancaster won’t be able to endure much longer in the car.”  

“The car’s stifling hot. If something happens, it’ll be a big problem!”

“You should let Miss Lancaster out now. Even if she has to apologize, there's no need to do this kind of punishment."

"A lot of cases have been happening this summer. If Miss Lancaster …."

Before the executives could finish pleading on my behalf, Morgan's expression grew darker.

Meanwhile, Ellie scolded loudly at the executives, “Were you all deaf just now? Morgan has already told you that Felicia is no longer the vice president. Why are you still calling her 'Vice President Lancaster'? Do you think Lancaster Group belongs to her?”

“Morgan’s just giving her a little lesson … it’s not like he’s actually trying to hurt her. Why are you all so panicking?”

Ellie's comment made several executives’ faces turn grim, some even clenching their fists in anger.

Ellie glanced at the executives with disdain. After all, these executives were all promoted by me. If Ellie really took my position in the company in the future, none of these executives would have an easy time under her.

Morgan coldly looked at the executives and snorted, “I'll say it one last time. From now on, there will be no Vice President Lancaster in the company. Do you understand?”

“If anyone feels uncomfortable working here, you’re free to leave anytime. Don’t think this company can’t run without you.”

“Ellie's older sister is about to marry into the Lancaster Family, which is the wealthiest family in the country. Once the Jordan Family becomes in-laws with them, Ellie serving as vice president in our company would be a waste of her talent. If any of you dare to show her disrespect, it would be the same as offending the Lancaster Family. Then you can expect to be blacklisted across the entire industry!”

Morgan's words were causing the senior executives to feel angry and dejected. After all these senior executives had elderly parents and young children to support. If they were to lose their jobs and be blacklisted, how would their families survive?

Young people could act impulsively with passion, but those who have families must carefully consider the severe consequences of such actions. Therefore, the executives kept silent.

Ellie tapped on the car window and mocked me with a defiant expression, “Felicia, why are you doing this to yourself?”

“If you just apologize to my dog, this matter will be settled. You're always so stubborn. What's the point of suffering like this?”

I spat at her through the car window. Then I felt dizzy and nearly fainted.

Ellie smiled viciously and said, “Since you're so stubborn, just stay in there! I'll want to know how long you can keep this …."

Her words were cut out by the over a dozen luxury cars that sped up from a distance and braked sharply in the abandoned parking lot.

Morgan and the company executives couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

“The wealthy Lancaster Family's convoy!”

"It seems the leading man is Daniel Lancaster, the eldest son of the Lancaster Family and Ellie's sister's fiancé."

The moment I saw my older brother and his man car, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Now the real show was about to begin.