Chapter 1: A Gruesome Death

Audrey's POV

"Glug, glug, glug—"

Not far from where I hung, a cauldron of spoiled potion bubbled over an open flame, the high heat releasing a pungent mix of acid and sulfur that burned my nostrils. Beside it stood a large bed, and on that bed, a man and woman were fucking.

The woman's legs wrapped around his waist as she moaned in that fake, breathy voice, "Oh, Daniel, you're amazing!"

"Lyanna, baby, you're so tight... I'm gonna come..."

"Together, oh God—"

Daniel thrust harder, the wet slapping sounds filling the basement as he grabbed Lyanna's hair and shouted, his hips stuttering to a halt.

And I, bound to a stone pillar, could only watch with bloodshot eyes, unable to make a sound.

These two people—one was my stepsister, the other my fiancé.

They should have been my closest family, yet a month ago they conspired to imprison me in this basement, torturing me day and night with whips and red-hot iron, even forcing me to watch them screw each other.

After Lyanna caught her breath, she casually wiped between her legs, then patted Daniel's shoulder, signaling him to carry her over to me.

They stopped directly in front of me. Daniel's clothes hung disheveled, and Lyanna's eyes still carried that post-sex haze. She looked at me with deliberate provocation, her red lips curling into a smirk.

"Audrey, my dear sister."

"Enjoying the show? Every time Daniel told you he was going on a business trip, he was actually at our little love nest, fucking me senseless. He told me you're like a dead fish in bed—you can't get him hard at all. But me? We're perfectly matched!"

Rage flooded through me as I glared at these two bastards. If my hands weren't tied, I would have slapped their faces raw.

My expression must have enraged Lyanna, because she suddenly swung her hand across my face with such force that my vision went black.

Lyanna snorted coldly. "Audrey, do you still think you're the little princess the family doted on? Let me tell you the truth—after your grandfather discovered you were missing, the shock was too much. He had a heart attack and died two weeks ago. And your uncle? He was caught for embezzlement, expelled from Congress, tried today, and sentenced to life in prison. He's already on his way to Angola right now."

Her words struck like a hammer to my temple.

My eyes went blank.

Impossible. Grandfather had always been healthy—how could he have died from a heart attack? And Uncle—he was a brilliant politician, far too smart to be caught for embezzlement.

Besides, he had his wife and children to think of. He would never have been reckless enough to leave evidence behind.

Unless someone had orchestrated it. And whoever destroyed Uncle must be connected to Lyanna and Daniel.

I couldn't bear to imagine what political enemies would do to his wife and children now that Uncle's protection was gone...

My eyes filled with crimson hatred as I made muffled, desperate sounds in my throat, wishing I could tear them limb from limb.

Lyanna gestured for Daniel to remove the gag from my mouth. The instant he pulled his hand back, I spat a bloody glob of phlegm directly at his face.

"You fucking bastards! I hope you rot in hell!"

My voice came out hoarse, each word dripping with venom.

"FUCK! You filthy bitch!" Daniel's face twisted with rage as he wiped the filth from his cheek. He released Lyanna and strode toward the iron bucket that reeked of that acrid stench.

He picked up the bucket and walked toward me, his expression vicious—nothing like the gentle, flattering man he'd pretended to be before.

"Bitch! I was going to let you live a few more minutes, but since you dare disrespect me and Lyanna, you can taste what boiling fish glue feels like!"

Daniel swung the bucket, and the thick, pungent black substance splashed across my face.

"AHHHHH—"

I squeezed my eyes shut as searing pain consumed my face, the agony so intense I thought it would kill me. But I refused to die—not like this. I wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Don't worry, sister. After you're dead, Daniel and I will use Bone-Dissolving Liquid to make you disappear from this world completely. Then we'll take all that fortune Milos left you and throw the biggest, most lavish wedding the world has ever seen. We'll live happily ever after."

A flash of jealousy crossed Lyanna's face. "Enough money to buy six states—and he just gave it all to you."

Milos...

A bloody tear of pain and regret slid from my left eye.

He had offered me his whole heart, and I'd believed Lyanna and Daniel's lies. I thought he had ulterior motives for getting close to me, so I fought him at every turn.

I forced my eyes open despite the fish glue tearing at my flesh, even as my skin peeled away to expose the white bone beneath. I had to memorize their faces—burn them into my memory.

Even if I went to hell, I'd drag them down with me.

Lyanna flinched at my stare, instinctively hiding behind Daniel.

When she realized what she'd done, anger flashed across her face. She stepped forward and kicked me hard in the chest.

"Bitch! How dare you look at me like that!"

"You're not still hoping Milos will come save you, are you? Don't forget—you pushed him away yourself. You broke his heart. He's probably with the Queen of England right now, accepting her advances."

"You pathetic creature—you're only good as a punching bag for me and Daniel!"

The Queen of England was pursuing him?

A dull ache throbbed in my chest, but I knew Lyanna was telling the truth.

No matter how much Milos had loved me, after the way I'd betrayed and humiliated him, he wouldn't want to see me again. Especially not with a beautiful woman chasing after him—he'd forget about me soon enough.

"Darling, stop wasting time on her. Just use the Bone-Dissolving Liquid. I'll vomit if I have to look at this burnt meat much longer."

Daniel turned away in disgust and handed her a bottle of brown liquid.

Lyanna took it, shaking the bottle in her hand. "Dear sister, this potion was made by your own hands—your greatest creation. How fitting that it should kill you—"

She drew out her words, her voice thick with vindictive pleasure and jealousy.

She bent down and whispered in my ear, "Why were you born with everything? People worshipped you from birth. You had a massive fortune, genius talent in pharmaceuticals, and even Milos—the man who controls the Empire—loved you! Audrey, I want you to watch carefully as you dissolve into nothing!"

"Once you're dead, all your honors will belong to me!"

Guttural sounds tore from my ruined throat—the boiling fish glue had destroyed my vocal cords. I could only watch helplessly as she poured the liquid over me, starting at my feet and moving up to my waist. The potion ate through my flesh and ground my bones to powder.

The pain was unbearable.

My nerves screamed until they shattered. My vision blurred.

The agony twisted my body, but all I could do was watch myself dissolve into a puddle.

Rat-tat-tat-tat—

Gunfire erupted outside. Through my haze, I heard Lyanna scream and Daniel curse in panic. They mentioned a familiar name.

Milos.

Had he come?

I looked toward the basement entrance. The steel door was blown off its hinges, dust raining down as a handsome man in a black trench coat leaped inside, calling out urgently: "Audrey—"

Why would he come? This must be a hallucination before death.

My eyes grew heavy and closed. But the hatred and unwillingness in my heart burned like wildfire.

"Lyanna... Daniel..."

If I could have one more chance, I would make you suffer fates worse than death.