No one knew Dad more than I did. He was too devoted to my late mother to betray her like this.

Back then, when our enemies took Mom's life, Dad stopped at nothing until he killed them all and fed their bodies to the alligators. He had said that Mom and I were the two most important people in his life.

He had even sworn a deathly oath before Mom's grave that he would never in his life fall for another woman. So, I didn't believe for a second that he would be looking for his mistress.

As my mind spun, Norris delivered a punch to my gut. He scoffed. "You sure covered up pretty well tonight. Who are you trying to fool, though? I know how eager you can get when you're in the bedroom."

With that, he crudely tugged at my clothes.

I was wearing the wool coat he had given me for my birthday last year. I had kept it carefully in my closet for so long and hardly ever wore it—I couldn't bear to.

I thought, since I was going to his place for Christmas, I should finally wear it for this special occasion. Now, that very coat had been torn to shreds by his own hands and thrown onto the floor.

He looked at my body, bound tightly by the rough rope, and nodded with satisfaction. As if it wasn't enough, his father, Victor Chapman, pulled out a sexy leather bodycon dress from his bag.

"That's not enough. She should wear this," he suggested. "Trust me. Men love a good leather dress."

To my surprise, Norris readily agreed to his proposal. I gritted my teeth and endured the humiliation.

They had to loosen the ropes around me if they wanted to change me into that dress. I thought that would be a good, if not the best, time to escape.

Seeing that I was cooperative, they lowered their guard and began unbinding me. I seized the moment and punched Norris in the nose before kicking Victor's groin.

They wailed in pain, pressing their sore spots, while I bolted toward the door. "Somebody, help! I'm being kidnapped!"

However, the moment I pushed open the door, my hair was yanked backward.

My body plunged back onto the floor, and I let out a helpless yelp. Before my eyes, the originally open door shut tightly, crushing all my hope.

The one who yanked my hair was Agatha Radcliffe, Norris' mother. She pinned me to the floor while Victor violently struck my back and legs with a stick.

An agonized scream involuntarily escaped my throat. I no longer had the energy to struggle, and I could do nothing but curl up on the floor.

"Who told you you could escape? Try resisting again, and I'll beat you to death!" Victor threatened me, still swinging that stick against my body like a madman.

It wasn't until Norris noticed I had fallen silent that he stopped his father.

They dragged me back onto the chair and splashed my face with water to remove the blood stains. I was in too much pain to resist as they stripped me naked, forcefully putting me into that revealing dress.

Norris grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Mr. Greven will be here any minute. Now, stop looking so miserable and give me a smile!"

"Fuck off, you heartless son of a bitch!" I seethed, spitting in his face.

An angered smile sparked on his face. His gaze slowly averted to my hand. He grabbed one of my fingers, then twisted it until it cracked.

Pain shot through me, and I could barely move in that chair. My head felt light, almost like I was going to pass out.

"Hey, you've always loved painting, haven't you? Imagine if you could never hold a brush again, Winnie. I'll give you one last chance. We've been together for five years, and I don't want to push you too far.

"As long as you cooperate, I might buy you back and take care of you once I sort everything out. But if you don't… Well, let's just say you might never paint again because you won't have any hands to do so!"

I was in too much agony to think clearly. When I heard his words, I instinctively pleaded, "Don't…"

He was right. I had loved painting since I was a child. My dream had always been to stand on an international stage for what I created.

When I was little, Mom would always smile when she saw me pursuing my dreams. She told me her greatest wish was to see me succeed. She didn't get the chance, but I never gave up.

I worked tirelessly, hoping one day to reach that stage. All this time, I had only ever shared these dreams with Norris. I never imagined he would use them against me.

"Don't, please… I'm begging you."

My desperate pleas seemingly fueled him. "You're finally scared. Now, be a good girl and give me your best smile."

He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at him, and made me smile. It felt ugly and unnatural, but he seemed satisfied at last and finally let go. "That's more like it."

Suddenly, Agatha, who had stepped out for a moment, rushed back in. She excitedly announced, "Mr. Greven's people are here!"

I jerked my head up and instinctively looked toward the door. My hope collapsed the moment it swung open because it wasn't Dad who had arrived.

At the front stood a young man, maybe even younger than me, his gaze sharp and menacing. A few others followed him quietly. "Mr. Greven is still tied up with some matters. He'll be here shortly."

Still, I recognized him immediately. He was Billy Newman, the grandson of my old butler.

Norris rushed forward, his head slightly lowered in a show of deference. "Here she is, the one I brought. See? Looks just like the photo, doesn't she?"

Billy tilted my chin and compared my face to the photo. "Huh… They really are identical."

I stared at the photo and felt a cold certainty. Dad wasn't looking for his long-lost mistress—he was looking for me. That photo was of me from five years ago.

"Billy, it's me! I—" I screamed, pouring all my strength into my voice, hoping he would recognize me.

A tight slap landed across my face. "Quiet! This isn't your place to speak! And how do you know my name?"

I froze, disbelief and shock burning in my desperate eyes. "You don't remember me? I'm—"

And another slap.

He clasped around my neck, each finger tightening and threatening to crush my bones. "I don't care who you are! I hate scheming bitches like you the most! It's because of women like you that my life is ruined!"

As he spoke, he kept slapping my face as if to vent his anger.

I felt like the ground had dropped out from under me. My heart sank to the very bottom. This was bad—he didn't remember me at all.

Billy was the grandson of Patrick Newman, the butler at the Greven residence. When we were kids, we played together. As he grew up, however, he squandered his time on gambling, drinking, and partying.

His father sent him abroad, and we hadn't seen each other since. He must've only returned recently, completely unaware of what had happened in the past.

Seeing me in a mess, Norris finally stepped in. "Billy, is it? Don't ruin her face, please. I'm sure Mr. Greven likes her because of her looks…"

Billy let go at last. I drew in a deep breath and coughed violently, finally able to breathe freely. "I know you, Billy. I'm telling… the truth. You may not remember, but I'm Mr. Greven's—"

Before I could finish, he cut me off with a kick to my stomach. "Trying to bluff your way in? Do you think we'd believe a word from someone like you? If you want to have anything to do with the Greven family, try again in another life."

My body automatically curled up in pain, and I could hardly utter another word. My pathetic state prompted a cold laugh from him. "Hand me the scissors. I'll cut off her tongue and stop her from spouting more nonsense."

His subordinate actually handed him a big, sharp pair of scissors. The cold glint reflecting from the blade frightened me so much that I shook my head vigorously. "No, please, don't!"

Billy was unfazed. He ordered his subordinates to pry open my mouth.

Just then, a ringtone pierced through the tense air. One of them answered the phone, then reported to Billy, "The auction is over. Mr. Greven is almost here."

"You're lucky this time," Billy said with a malicious glare, then put away the scissors.

Just as I was counting my blessings, I noticed his gaze sharpened again. A second later, he drove the scissors—the ones he'd just put away—straight into the back of my right hand. The blades tore clean through my palm.

My wail of agony reverberated through the dark room.

"Oh, shut it. If you don't obey me, I won't hesitate to chop off your hand."

He instructed his subordinates to seal my mouth. They gagged me with a tattered cloth, then taped my mouth shut.

I couldn't make a sound. All I could do was watch helplessly as blood oozed endlessly from my palm.

"That should shut you up," Billy remarked, smug and satisfied.

At that moment, the door was pushed open. A tall, imposing figure emerged, staring grimly at the scene.

I barely managed to make a sound before Victor and Agatha clamped their hands over my mouth, holding me firmly in place.

Billy immediately dropped his arrogant attitude and stood at attention, respectful and alert. The Chapmans shrank back, holding their breaths, and lowered their heads in fear.

All of a sudden, the room seemed to be swallowed by an oppressive weight. Dad donned a deep blue coat, his gaze sharp, his presence cold and commanding.

He frowned slightly, as if catching the stench of blood in the air. "Why was I brought here? Haven't I made it clear that I have no interest in these shady dealings?"

Everyone in the room stood firmly in front of me, blocking my view.

Billy hurried forward, lowering his head respectfully. "Mr. Greven, they came to offer you a woman."

"Ridiculous."

Dad's voice was cold, completely devoid of warmth. He didn't even spare them an extra glance. "Next time, don't bother calling me for these matters. It's a waste of time."

With that, he turned to leave.

Norris panicked, rushing forward with an ingratiating smile plastered across his face. "Mr. Greven, don't go just yet! I promise, this woman is exactly like the mistress you've been looking for!"

Dad stopped. The air around him seemed to drop in pressure. He barked, "I've never sought a mistress, so you'd better stop insulting me here! In all my life, I've been faithful only to my late wife!"

Norris staggered back, clearly intimidated.

Seeing his last hope slipping away, he turned his venomous gaze toward me. "Billy, what do you think of this woman? Since Mr. Greven isn't interested, maybe you can take her for… fun?"

Billy licked his lips, eyes glinting with lewdness. "Not a bad idea. Make me an offer."

I watched Dad's figure grow smaller as he walked away, my heart clenching as if gripped by an icy hand.

Despair surged over me like a tidal wave. I knew this was my final chance. If I missed it and fell back into the hands of these monsters, I had no doubts that things would be even worse.

I couldn't let it happen—not until I fought till the end.

I looked at the pair of scissors buried deep in my hand and knew it was the only reachable item available. Enduring the excruciating pain, I clenched my jaw and pulled out the scissors with my left hand, blood squirting incessantly.

Then, with all my remaining strength, I tossed the scissors into the air. They landed on the floor, the clang quickly gathering everyone's attention.

At last, Dad noticed me. The moment I looked up, I met his eyes.

Billy reacted swiftly. Fuming, he was ready to land another kick on me. "Bitch, I told you to stop moving!"

Before he could do so, Dad bellowed, "Hold it!"