Nadine gave a sharp, humorless laugh. "What's wrong, Mr. Bailey? You're not on board with this?"

Everything she had heard about Rhys seemed true. He could be drawn to any woman, and his attitude made her skin crawl.

"If this engagement mattered so much to you, where were you when my family was falling apart? If you have an issue, I'll go straight to your father and have the whole thing scrapped."

Rhys knew words would not help him now.

If he had realized the woman he owed his life to was actually the youngest Clark daughter, he never would have let the family struggle on their own.

He understood how empty those words would sound to Nadine, so he watched her go, powerless to stop her.

But as far as he was concerned, the engagement was far from over. Not now, not ever.

Pulling out his phone, Rhys barked into the receiver. "Get me a list of every enemy the Clark family have. I want every single one of them ruined. Make sure no one can sleep easy until I say so."

He hung up and immediately sent out another order. "Prepare a formal gift. I'll visit the Clark family myself to apologize."

Back at the Clark house, Nadine stepped inside and glanced at her phone when it chimed.

A message from Rhys appeared. "Whatever trouble your family has, I'll handle it."

Nadine barely reacted, having heard empty promises like that countless times in Urygan.

Nadine tapped out a reply, saying, "Save your concern."

Without another thought, she blocked his number and tucked her phone away.

The only person Nadine could rely on in this world was herself.

...

In a grand sitting room at the Lewis family villa, Daniela buried her face in Lisette Lewis's shoulder, sobs shaking her body. "Mrs. Lewis, please help me! I did everything you and Mr. Lewis wanted. I tried to gather whatever scraps the Clarks had left, but now Nadine's come home and thrown me out! She called me a leech and even kicked me!"

Painting herself as the wronged little sister, Daniela leaned into her role as the victim, hoping to win sympathy and a new place in the Lewis family. In truth, she had done everything in her power to ruin the Clark family for the Lewises' gain, and now, desperate, she clung to the hope of rising higher under their roof.

Blaine Lewis sat at the head of the table, his eyes cold as steel. "Did you do as I instructed, Daniela? Was Jordy poisoned every day?"

Daniela nodded, trying to look as pitiful as possible.

Blaine's voice thundered through the room. "Then how do you explain this? Word is, someone kept him alive!"

Decadesleep Toxin was not something a man survived. Blaine had spent a small fortune to bring the deadly poison from overseas. Daniela had dosed Jordy for more than a decade—he was supposed to be at death's door by now.

Instead, Jordy had managed to eat breakfast this morning.

Suspicion sharpened Blaine's gaze as he fixed it on Daniela. "Be honest. Did Nadine save him?"

Daniela bristled, her envy showing through. "That's impossible! Nadine grew up in poverty. She doesn't know a thing about medicine. Just wait—Jordy's not going to last!"

Blaine tapped his fingers against the tabletop, deep in thought.

He had ruined Kaden, the Clark family's second son, and picked the family clean over the years. Victory was within reach until Nadine's return disrupted everything.

She was an unknown threat. He needed to see her with his own eyes.

Blaine looked up, a sly smile creeping across his face. "Dry your tears, Daniela. We're throwing a business banquet tomorrow. You'll bring an invitation to the Clark family. Tell them it's a party to welcome Nadine back and celebrate their reunion."

He had to find out for himself who Nadine truly was and what kind of person she turned out to be.

A gold-trimmed invitation lay forgotten on the battered coffee table in the Clark family's living room.

Jacob spotted it and grabbed it without a second thought. His expression soured the instant he read the name.

"The Lewis family? I can't believe they actually invited us," said Jacob, his voice tense.

He swung around to face Nadine. "Nadine, we shouldn't set foot in that place! After everything we did for their family, you'd think they'd show some loyalty. But as soon as Dad's company started to collapse, Blaine Lewis couldn't wait to stomp on us. He swooped in and bought up our businesses for pennies, then went around telling everyone that working with us meant making an enemy out of him!"

Jacob's eyes were bloodshot with anger. He took a shaky breath and said, "Honestly, the Lewises are the reason we lost everything."

Nadine sat on the sofa, her attention glued to the latest message lighting up her phone. "Boss, I got the info. Turns out, it was Blaine Lewis who orchestrated Kaden's arrest. Plus, most of the Lewis family's recent wealth comes from trafficking people across the Urygan border."

Human trafficking. That was it.

Kaden used to be the best detective on the force. He must have uncovered the Lewises' crimes and paid the price for it.

So this so-called banquet was nothing more than a setup to gauge her next move—the new threat they hadn't counted on.

She slipped her phone into her pocket and looked Jacob square in the eye, his face still burning with outrage. "We're going. I want to see what games they're playing this time."

...

The moment Nadine and Jacob walked into the Lewis family's banquet hall in their simple clothes, whispers swept through the room, and laughter quickly followed.

"Is that the lost daughter of the Clark family? Word is they're practically broke, yet they still had the guts to show up?"

Daniela glided over in her designer gown, arm-in-arm with Blaine's eldest son, and paused right in front of Nadine. "Nadine, I have to ask, where did you dig up that dress? I almost didn't recognize you. Are you really showing up to the Lewis family's big event dressed like this? Do you need a few pointers on how to act in public?"

Jacob's hands balled into fists, anger pulsing visibly beneath his skin.

For years, the Clark family treated Daniela like family, and now she switched her loyalty to the Lewises without a second thought.

Nadine didn't even bother to answer her, barely flicking her eyes toward Daniela. "Was that an insect I just heard? You Lewis family must be desperate if you're letting anyone through the door tonight."

Daniela's cheeks went crimson.

Shaking with fury, she bit her tongue, the memory of Nadine's last kick still fresh and painful in her mind.

Before the night ended, she swore she'd make sure Nadine was left with nothing.

A smooth voice called out from across the room. "Well, Nadine, you're a tough one to track down. I honestly never expected to see you again." Blaine appeared, dressed to impress, a glass of wine in his hand and a sly grin on his face.

He let the silence linger before leaning closer. "Time's running out for your father. Lucky for you, I have friends in an overseas lab—one of the best, actually. They've managed to whip up the only antidote that could save him. If you want it, all you have to do is get up there and call me your honorary father in front of everyone. Do that, and maybe I'll hand it over."

All eyes in the hall turned toward Nadine and Blaine, the crowd practically holding their breath.

Everyone in attendance knew the long-standing feud between the two families.

Blaine's proposal was a deliberate insult, and nobody missed it.

Daniela sat up straighter, her lips curling into a smile, eager to watch Nadine crumble.

Nadine slowly lifted her head, eyes cold and voice steady. "Don't worry about my father. I'll save him myself. You can keep your antidote. You might end up needing it a lot sooner than you think."

Blaine's grin faltered in an instant.

Across the room, his eldest son, Patrick Lewis, and Daniela bristled with outrage.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Nadine! Who do you think you are, running your mouth like that?" Patrick's voice rang out, sharp and accusing. "You're only pretending to be brave because you have no idea how to save your own father! If anything happens to him, the blame lands squarely on you!"

Before Nadine could even open her mouth, chaos swept through the crowd.

A terrified scream cut through the music. "Help! Mrs. Ballard just collapsed!"

In the middle of the gathering, a woman fell to the ground, her face rapidly turning purple as she gasped for air, clawing at her throat in panic.

"Somebody call for a doctor! Hurry!"

Charles Ballard, known across Sheftol as a top-ranking police officer, rushed to his wife's side, panic written across his face as sweat gathered at his brow.

Blaine's eyes darted around the hall, then he gave a subtle nod. A man in a doctor's coat emerged from the crowd and knelt beside Mrs. Ballard. He listened for a pulse, checked her eyes, and worked with frantic urgency. When he finally looked up, his face had lost all color.

Nothing in his career had prepared him for a crisis like this.

Dozens of specialists had already given up hope for Emily Ballard, saying no treatment could save her now.

No one expected her to collapse here, of all places, during the Lewis family banquet.

With so many powerful families watching, the pressure was crushing. If he failed to help her, both the Ballard and the Lewis families would make sure he paid for it.

The doctor's voice shook as he said, "Warden Ballard, your wife is suffering from severe throat swelling. It's closing off her airway at a dangerous rate. I'm not sure she'll survive long enough for the paramedics to get here..."

The color drained from Charles's face and he staggered, barely able to keep his footing.

Inside, panic clawed at Blaine.

If tragedy struck at his event, the Lewis family's reputation in Sheftol would never recover.

All he could do was shout at the physician, "Don't just stand there! You're a doctor, aren't you? Save her!"

From nearby, Daniela's eyes narrowed as she raised her voice, dripping with false concern. "Nadine's got healing hands! She managed to pull my father back from the brink—surely she can fix this too!"

Daniela couldn't hide her eagerness to see Nadine fail in front of everyone.

One mistake from Nadine, and that would spell disaster for the Clark family.

Blaine seized on the opportunity, his tone overly enthusiastic as he pushed the spotlight away from himself. "She's right! Nadine's famous for her talents. Come on, Nadine, step up and help Mrs. Ballard. People would kill for a chance like this."

Nadine gave them both a steady look and replied, "I don't treat just anyone. If the family wants my help, they'll have to ask me directly. I don't perform miracles for strangers."

The crowd broke into raucous laughter.

Someone shouted through the commotion, "Is this a comedy show or what?"

"Who does she think she is, some kind of miracle worker?"

Unbothered by the laughter, Nadine locked eyes with Charles. "Your wife's illness runs deep, Warden. This started in her heart and lungs when she was a baby. Am I right? It's been haunting her for nearly forty years, hasn't it?"

Shock spread across Charles's face. He stared at Nadine, disbelief giving way to desperate hope.

He hurried to her side, voice trembling. "Miss Clark, please. If you can save Emily, I'll be forever in your debt!"

Nadine looked up and met his gaze. "If you mean it, then I'll do what I can."

With everyone watching, Nadine reached into her bag and pulled out a scalpel. She didn't hesitate. In one swift motion, she made an incision in Emily's throat.

A jet of blood shot out, causing gasps all around.

Daniela's shrill voice rang through the chaos. "She's killing Mrs. Ballard! That's not treatment—she's committing murder!"

Charles turned ghostly pale. "Officers! Apprehend this killer. Now!"