Chapter 4

I shook my head in pity and started to walk away again.

But Nadia shrieked, "Don't let her go! She still has the ruby ring Julian gave me!"

At Julian's nod, several bodyguards instantly pinned me down, grabbing my hand to force the ring off.

But the ring had been custom-resized to fit my finger perfectly. No matter how hard they pulled, it wouldn't budge.

"Nadia Thorne, if this ring is yours, why does it fit my finger so perfectly?" I mocked.

This only enraged her further. She shook Julian's arm frantically.

"She must be fatter than me! She forced it on! That's why it's stuck!"

"Then use a drill," Julian said coldly.

My face fell. "Damn it." I hadn't brought my personal security detail with me today.

Julian’s bodyguards were massive, and there were too many of them. After a brief struggle, they pinned me to the grass.

Nadia knelt in front of me with glee, her sharp red nails clawing into my jaw.

"Where's that attitude now, huh? Weren't you so tough a minute ago?"

With a vicious grin, she slapped me hard. My face scraped against the dirt, and the rough sand left bloody scratches on my cheek.

Julian stared at me for a few seconds, a cruel smirk appearing on his lips.

"Nadia, your hand must hurt. Want to see something more fun?"

Nadia's eyes lit up. "What?"

"Tie her to the old rowboat in the lake!"

My eyes widened as I stared at Julian's twisted, excited face. "Does he know?"

"No! You will regret this!" I screamed.

Nadia sneered with pure excitement. "Regret? That word isn't in my dictionary!"

"But today, I'm going to make sure you regret ever touching my things!"

The bodyguards dragged me across the grass to the lake in the center of the estate, tying me with thick ropes before throwing me onto the decaying wooden rowboat.

Before I could even process the situation, they flipped me over. A small electric saw buzzes near my finger.

The agonizing pain made me scream at the top of my lungs.

Soon, the pigeon’s blood ruby was stained with my blood, looking horrifyingly crimson.

"Oh dear, looks like another one is going to lose their life."

"She's a pretty girl, why did she have to be so stubborn? Master Julian won't let her off easily. She's losing at least a finger."

"It's too cruel, I can't even watch."

The servants whispered from the lake bank, but their voices were fading.

The intense pain made me thrash wildly. The old, decaying boat creaked loudly as it rocked against the water.

This exact feeling—the rocking, the dark water—instantly triggered the memories of the shipwreck that killed my parents.

The deep-seated trauma and terror seized my mind. My face turned deadly pale.

Losing control, I curled into a ball, clutching my head as fresh blood dripped down my face.

"No! Please! Let me go back to the shore!"

But Nadia and Julian stood on the bank, watching me like they were watching a movie.

Julian even stepped onto the dock and kicked the boat, sending it drifting into the deep center of the cold lake.

I struggled to open my eyes, seeing Nadia proudly holding the blood-stained ring.

Julian wrapped his arm around her waist, speaking softly. "That ring is dirty now that it has her filthy blood on it. Throw it away, babe. I'll buy you a new one."

And right before my eyes, they casually tossed my parents' heirloom into the deep, muddy lake.

"Julian Sterling!" I screamed through my tears. "Aren't you afraid my grandfather will make you pay for this?!"