Chapter 2

Helen's POV

I didn't look back after walking away from Nicholas.

But I didn't make it far before my body gave out.

The moment I stepped off the Sterling estate, the ten-year-old poison fully erupted in my veins. It was like swallowing molten glass. I collapsed against a brick wall, violently coughing up black blood.

I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but a week later I realized that my body couldn't hold on any longer.

My trembling fingers dialed my underground private doctor.

"Helen, the toxins are in your heart," Dr. Evans yelled through the phone. "You need the 'Eclipse' serum immediately to survive, but the Sterling family's high-end casino monopolizes the entire black-market supply!"

I hung up, gasping for air.

I had no choice. Driven by a cold, desperate will to live, I dragged my failing, blood-soaked body through the torrential rain toward the casino.

I bypassed the outer security and shoved open the doors to the VIP penthouse.

Nicholas was there, lounging on a leather sofa, while Valerie laughed and fed him a drink.

The music slammed to a halt.

"What the hell are you doing here again?" Nicholas snarled, his face twisting with immediate disgust as he saw my pale, ghost-like appearance. "Are you stalking us now?"

I didn't fall to my knees. I leaned heavily against the doorframe, forcing myself to look him dead in the eye.

"I'm not here for you, Nicholas. I'm here to make a trade," I said, my voice raspy but entirely devoid of the warmth it once held for him. "One vial of the Eclipse serum. In exchange, I will sign over my complete control of the Southside smuggling route. And... it settles the life debt you owe my parents. We sever all ties. Completely."

Valerie’s eyes darted to my black-veined neck, then widened as she processed the massive amount of power I was offering to give up. A malicious glint flashed in her eyes before she suddenly gasped, clutching her chest.

"Nicholas!" Valerie shrieked, collapsing heavily into his arms, her body convulsing. "My chest... I can't breathe! It's a severe allergic asthma attack!"

"Valerie! Stay with me!" Nicholas yelled, panic entirely erasing his anger. "Medic! Get in here now!"

The casino's private medic rushed through the double doors, holding a specialized metal case. He popped it open, revealing a single, glowing blue vial.

"Boss, this is the last dose of the Eclipse serum we have in the vault," the medic said, looking hesitantly between Valerie and my decaying state.

"Inject it into Valerie!" Nicholas roared. "Now!"

"Nicholas, think carefully," I said coldly, though the agony in my chest was blinding. "She's faking it. Her breathing rhythm is entirely stable. If you waste that serum on a lie, our deal is off. You get nothing."

"Shut your mouth, Helen!" he barked back.

Right in front of my eyes, the medic plunged the only thing that could save my life into Valerie’s perfectly healthy arm.

My vision tunneled. There were no tears left to cry. The betrayal wasn't heartbreaking; it was just a stark, absolute confirmation that the man I had loved for a decade was utterly worthless.

"Transaction failed," I whispered, the metallic taste of blood overwhelming my senses.

Nicholas slowly stood up, looking down at me as if I were a cockroach. He let out a cold, cruel laugh.

"You are unbelievable," Nicholas mocked, his voice dripping with venom. "You'll use any cheap trick to cling to the Sterling family's power, won't you? Offering me a route I practically own anyway?"

"I'm dying, Nicholas. That was your last chance to settle your debt—"

"You're faking an illness just to steal the medicine Valerie actually needs!" he yelled, his eyes full of pure hatred. "Holding a smuggling route hostage? It’s a disgusting, desperate stunt."

I just stared at him. He was completely, hopelessly blind.

"Security!" Nicholas commanded, pointing at the door. "Throw her out. If she resists, break her legs."

Two massive bouncers grabbed me by my battered shoulders. I was entirely drained of strength, unable to fight back as they dragged me across the casino floor. I didn't utter a single plea. I just kept my dead eyes locked on him until the doors swung shut.

They shoved me out into the violent storm.

My slick boots slipped. I tumbled backward, violently rolling down the high, jagged stone steps of the casino. Pain exploded in my ribs as I hit the bottom, sprawled out in the freezing, filthy mud.

Nicholas stood at the top of the stairs under the awning, frowning down at me.

"What else can you do besides threaten me with this?" he sneered. "So what if your parents saved my life? Does that mean I have to owe you forever?"

As if deliberately trying to spite me and strip away the very leverage I had just tried to use, the very next day, he forcibly seized the Southside smuggling route under the Sterling family's name and publicly handed it over to Valerie to manage.