Chapter 3

The physician stepped forward and pulled a thick syringe from his medical bag. He jammed the needle into my arm and began drawing my blood.

"One last round of tests, Mr. Sullivan," he said. "If everything checks out, we can proceed with the surgery."

I bit back the pain. As I lowered my head, I caught a glimpse of the physician's name badge and the lab requisition in his hand.

He was Derek Palmer, an attending physician at Evergreen Hospital.

I knew that fighting back would only get me killed. There was no escaping these monsters by force.

Taking a slow breath, I forced myself to stop crying and put on the obedient expression of someone who'd been completely broken.

"I'll do anything as long as it helps my dad and brother."

I forced a smile and looked at Dad and Ivan. "You've sacrificed so much to raise me. Michael had to put up with a lot because of me, too. If my life can give you both a better future, then it's worth it."

Just saying those words made me sick.

Dad's tense expression immediately softened. "It's great that you still have some sense."

"Smart choice." Ian scoffed, letting go of my chin. "It saves me the trouble of tying you down."

Their guard dropped, and the bodyguards finally released me.

After rubbing my numb arms, I seized the brief opening and asked to use the bathroom.

The moment I locked the door behind me, I crouched beside the vanity and reached into a hidden compartment underneath. Inside was an old phone with no SIM card.

I had hidden it there six months earlier when Walter was cleaning.

My heart pounded as my trembling fingers connected it to the house Wi-Fi.

Calling the police was pointless. The Sullivans practically owned the city. Without concrete evidence, the police would dismiss it as a domestic dispute. Even worse, they'd tip Dad off.

Instead, I searched everything I could find about the Sullivans.

Powerful families always had scandals. It didn't take long for me to find clues pointing to an internal strife within their family.

The head of the Sullivan family, Patrick Sullivan, was notorious for his affairs. He had an illegitimate daughter named Sadie Sullivan.

She had spent years being pushed aside. If Ian survived the surgery, she'd lose any chance of inheriting the family fortune and be cast out for good.

The enemy of my enemy was my friend.

Using an encrypted mail service, I sent her a message. "Do you want to become the heiress to the Sullivan family? Come to Evergreen Hospital tomorrow and save me. I'll help you in return."

After sending the message, I stared at the screen. My palms were slick with sweat.

Ten minutes passed. Then 30 minutes more.

There was no reply at all. It felt almost like the message had been sent into the void.

My heart sank.

…

Early the next morning, they forced me into a hospital gown and loaded me into a medical transport van. The windows were blacked out and let almost no light in.

After two hours of driving, the van finally stopped outside an illegal, rundown clinic hidden underground.

I had barely been wheeled into a shabby patient room when Dad walked in, carrying a tray piled high with food.

There were pork ribs, beef brisket, and garlic butter shrimp. It was everything I'd spent 18 years dreaming about but had never been allowed to taste.

He shed a few crocodile tears. "Eat up. It's just a minor operation."

Michael lounged on a nearby couch, scrolling through videos of luxury sports cars without even looking at me.

"Just eat your food. My Ferrari's still waiting for me at the dealership."

I ate in silence. The food tasted bland.

"Dad, you made me live by impossible rules these past 18 years," I began. "You've kept me on a strict diet, never let me get hurt, and sent me to etiquette lessons. Did you do all that because you loved me?"

His hand paused over the soup bowl, and then he sighed with practiced warmth. "Of course, you silly boy. You're my son. I did all that to give you the best future possible."

Just then, Michael suddenly burst into harsh laughter. He was still staring at his phone.