Chapter 1

I froze on the spot as my mind went blank. Rebecca stood in front of me, disappointment written all over her face. She was supposed to have been blown to pieces five years ago.

"You couldn't even wait for another ten seconds, Ethan?" She sneered. "Is your love always this cheap? I've finally seen what kind of man you really are, thanks to Mason agreeing to make this bet with me."

My ears rang as I felt as though my voice was stuck inside of me. "What bet?"

"A bet on your loyalty to me." Rebecca's tone was relaxed, almost as though she were merely chatting about something ordinary. "The explosion five years ago was staged. I just wanted to see whether you'd stay loyal to me."

Before she could finish, several bodyguards carried two stretchers over from a distance. I rushed forward, my hands shaking so badly that it took me a long time to peel back the white sheets.

When I saw my parents' charred bodies, my legs gave out as I dropped to my knees. I couldn't even force out a tear anymore.

Mason hid behind Rebecca, his voice trembling. "I only wanted to play a game and let the wolves out. I didn't think they would hurt Ethan's parents. When I saw them mauled beyond recognition and crying in pain, I couldn't bear to watch them suffer, so I helped free them from their suffering. Who knew they would look so ugly when they died?"

I charged at him in a rage, but several bodyguards kicked me to the ground.

Rebecca covered Mason's eyes and glanced at my parents' bodies. "How disgusting. Get rid of them now."

In the end, the car pulled into the most expensive neighborhood in the city.

The owner of the underground fighting ring where I had spent five years licking shoes bowed in front of Rebecca, smiling. "Don't worry, Miss. Those two old husks have already been thrown into the volcano. Not even ashes are left. I guarantee nothing will be traced back to Mason."

I turned and tried to run outside, but Rebecca grabbed me. "They've already been burned to ashes. What else do you want? Are you trying to disgust Mason on purpose?"

Every drop of blood in my body went cold. I looked at the face I knew so well and no longer recognized. I heard myself ask, "Did you arrange everything that happened over the past five years?"

My voice was trembling as I continued. "Did you kill my parents too?"

She pushed me away and took out a wet wipe, wiping her fingers one by one. "It was just a bet. You shouldn't have played if you couldn't handle it. If Mason hadn't taken pity on you, you wouldn't even have the right to stand here."

A smile appeared on my face, and I laughed until my whole body trembled.

Mason whispered, "Has he gone crazy with happiness?"

Happiness?

Was I supposed to be happy that I had taken on two billion in debt because of her death and sold myself out like some pet? Was I supposed to be happy that I had broken my ribs seven times and lost four teeth just to pay off the debt from her fake death? Or was I supposed to be happy that wolves had mauled my parents to death, their bodies burned to the point of nothing remaining, while I had to thank their killers?

A sharp pain tore through my chest as I fell to my knees and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Mason recoiled in fear, and Rebecca pulled him into her arms before glaring at me. "Ethan, you're still as pathetic as ever."

Then, she ordered the bodyguards to drag me to the river and wash the blood from my body.

I thought of the medical report I had received yesterday. It said I had one month left to live, at most. I had planned to take my parents back to my hometown once I was free, then find a quiet place to scatter my wife's ashes.

There was nothing left for me now.

I took the soggy business card from my pocket and made the call. "Does your son still need a kidney? You can have mine."