Disgusting

The door swung open.

The moment Rue stepped inside, her eyes locked with Zach's.

"Rue, don't!"

His voice cracked as he shouted, struggling against the restraints binding him to the chair. Panic was written all over his face.

"Get out of here!"

The last thing he wanted was for her to get dragged into this because of him.

Life in the Sterling family had never been easy for Rue, and he knew that better than anyone. If they hadn't dragged him here and forced him to listen, he never would have learned how valuable those pills really were. She must have paid an enormous price to obtain them, and now the family was trying to exploit her all over again.

"Well, look who showed up."

Mrs. Sterling stared at Rue as though she'd seen a ghost. Her gaze flicked toward the hallway behind her.

"You're alone?"

Rue gave a cold smile.

"Who were you expecting me to bring?"

Mrs. Sterling shot a glance at the two bodyguards standing nearby.

"Doesn't matter." Her expression hardened. "Since you're here, hand over the medicine."

Rue spread her hands. "I don't have it."

Mrs. Sterling froze. Then realization dawned.

"No medicine?"

She immediately pointed at Rue.

"What are you waiting for? Grab her! If she won't hand it over willingly, we'll make her."

The two bodyguards charged forward.

Rue didn't move.

Three.

Two.

One.

Before either man could lay a hand on her, she seized the first by the arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He slammed into the floor hard enough to rattle the room.

The throw was perfect—fast, clean, and effortless.

Mrs. Sterling's eyes widened. She had raised Rue for eighteen years, yet this was the first time she had ever seen her fight.

The second guard rushed in.

Rue's leg shot out, sending him flying backward several feet before he crashed into a table. A split second later, her fist connected with his jaw.

Blood splattered across the floor.

Calmly, Rue pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her hand.

"Anyone else?"

She crooked a finger at Mrs. Sterling.

The challenge couldn't have been clearer.

For the first time, both Mrs. Sterling and Ariana looked genuinely frightened. Only now did they realize the truth: Rue had never been weak. She had simply never bothered showing her claws.

Mrs. Sterling recovered first.

In a panic, she snatched a fruit knife from the table and pressed it against Zach's throat.

"Don't come any closer!" Her hand trembled violently. "If you don't give me the medicine today, you can collect his body instead!"

Rage flashed across Rue's face.

"Even wild animals don't turn on their own children." Her voice was ice-cold. "You people are disgusting."

For years, Zach had been the one bright spot in that house. Whenever Mrs. Sterling punished her, whenever Mr. Sterling yelled at her, whenever the entire family treated her as though she didn't matter, Zach had always stood by her side.

It was almost unbelievable that someone as kind as him had come from people like this.

Rue clenched her fists, her eyes burning with fury.

"Put the knife down." Her voice was deadly calm. "Or I'll livestream everything that's happening right now."

Mrs. Sterling laughed harshly. "A livestream? So what?"

She tightened her grip on the knife.

"Have I actually hurt him yet? Even if this ends up in court, what can anyone prove?"

The company came first. Everything else was secondary.

Over the past two weeks, Sterling Corporation had been under attack from every direction. Investors were pulling out, partners were walking away, and without a breakthrough, the family would be ruined.

The Vanderbilt family was their only chance.

All they wanted was the medicine.

Nothing else.

"If those pills are really that important, keep them." Ariana sneered. "And pray that in your next life, you and this useless cripple can be real siblings."

Before Rue could react, Ariana suddenly grabbed a glass from the table and smashed it against the floor. Sharp shards scattered everywhere.

Then, with a crazed look in her eyes, she lunged forward and drove a jagged piece of glass toward Zach's neck.

Everything happened in an instant.

Zach already suffered from a serious heart condition. The shock alone was enough to send him into crisis. His breathing turned ragged, his lips darkened by the second, and then his eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

"Zach!"

For the first time, genuine panic appeared on Mrs. Sterling's face.

She dropped the knife and rushed toward him.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

She only wanted the medicine. She had never intended to lose her son.

Because if Zach died, Rue would never cooperate again.

Rue crossed the room in seconds.

"Get away from him!"

She shoved Mrs. Sterling aside and dropped to her knees next to Zach.

"I'll give you the medicine," she said, her voice trembling with anger. "But we're doing this my way."

Mrs. Sterling looked desperate.

"Fine! Whatever you want! Just save him!"

Meanwhile, Ariana remained frozen in place. She made no attempt to call for help. Part of her wanted to see whether these legendary pills were truly as miraculous as everyone claimed.

Ignoring everyone else, Rue pulled a small bottle from her pocket and removed a single pill. She slipped it between Zach's lips.

"Listen carefully."

Her eyes locked onto Mrs. Sterling's.

"From now on, I want video updates three times a day. Morning. Afternoon. Night."

"If I ever suspect he's not safe, everything you have goes public. The evidence in my possession is enough to send your entire family to prison."

Mrs. Sterling nodded frantically. "Fine. Fine. Anything."

"And the medicine comes through me," Rue continued. "Not through you."

Then she turned to Ariana.

"If I ever find out one of these pills was given to someone else..."

Her gaze was terrifying.

"I'll personally put Ariana on an operating table and use her heart to save Zach."

Ariana's face went white.

For the first time, she looked truly afraid.

Seconds later, Zach's breathing began to stabilize. Color slowly returned to his face.

Before Mrs. Sterling could even call emergency services, his eyes fluttered open.

"Rue..."

His voice was barely audible.

"You've already done enough."

Weakly, he pushed at her arm.

"Stop worrying about me. I'm sorry. I keep causing problems for you."

"You need to leave."

As he spoke, something slipped into her palm.

Rue looked down.

A bank card.

Her heart tightened.

Despite everything—despite his illness, despite being abandoned by his own family—the first thing Zach worried about was her.

He kept shaking his head.

"Don't give them anything." His voice cracked. "Please."

Even if he died, he didn't want her sacrificing anything more for him.

Rue closed her fingers around the card. After a long moment, she pulled out another bottle.

"This is the last pill."

She set it on the table.

"If anything happens to Zach..."

Her gaze swept across the room.

"I'll make every last one of you pay for it."

Mrs. Sterling immediately grabbed the bottle.

"Of course not." She forced out an awkward laugh. "He's my son. If I hadn't been desperate, I never would've done any of this."

Rue didn't bother responding. She knew exactly what kind of person Mrs. Sterling was.

After Rue left, Ariana stepped forward and snatched the bottle from her mother's hands, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"We got it." She clutched the bottle tightly. "The Vital Essence Pill."

A smile spread across her face.

"I'm taking this straight to Mr. Vanderbilt."