Chapter 2

No one knew Dad more than I did. He was too devoted to my late mother to betray her like this.

Back then, when our enemies took Mom's life, Dad stopped at nothing until he killed them all and fed their bodies to the alligators. He had said that Mom and I were the two most important people in his life.

He had even sworn a deathly oath before Mom's grave that he would never in his life fall for another woman. So, I didn't believe for a second that he would be looking for his mistress.

As my mind spun, Norris delivered a punch to my gut. He scoffed. "You sure covered up pretty well tonight. Who are you trying to fool, though? I know how eager you can get when you're in the bedroom."

With that, he crudely tugged at my clothes.

I was wearing the wool coat he had given me for my birthday last year. I had kept it carefully in my closet for so long and hardly ever wore it—I couldn't bear to.

I thought, since I was going to his place for Christmas, I should finally wear it for this special occasion. Now, that very coat had been torn to shreds by his own hands and thrown onto the floor.

He looked at my body, bound tightly by the rough rope, and nodded with satisfaction. As if it wasn't enough, his father, Victor Chapman, pulled out a sexy leather bodycon dress from his bag.

"That's not enough. She should wear this," he suggested. "Trust me. Men love a good leather dress."

To my surprise, Norris readily agreed to his proposal. I gritted my teeth and endured the humiliation.

They had to loosen the ropes around me if they wanted to change me into that dress. I thought that would be a good, if not the best, time to escape.

Seeing that I was cooperative, they lowered their guard and began unbinding me. I seized the moment and punched Norris in the nose before kicking Victor's groin.

They wailed in pain, pressing their sore spots, while I bolted toward the door. "Somebody, help! I'm being kidnapped!"

However, the moment I pushed open the door, my hair was yanked backward.

My body plunged back onto the floor, and I let out a helpless yelp. Before my eyes, the originally open door shut tightly, crushing all my hope.

The one who yanked my hair was Agatha Radcliffe, Norris' mother. She pinned me to the floor while Victor violently struck my back and legs with a stick.

An agonized scream involuntarily escaped my throat. I no longer had the energy to struggle, and I could do nothing but curl up on the floor.

"Who told you you could escape? Try resisting again, and I'll beat you to death!" Victor threatened me, still swinging that stick against my body like a madman.

It wasn't until Norris noticed I had fallen silent that he stopped his father.

They dragged me back onto the chair and splashed my face with water to remove the blood stains. I was in too much pain to resist as they stripped me naked, forcefully putting me into that revealing dress.

Norris grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Mr. Greven will be here any minute. Now, stop looking so miserable and give me a smile!"

"Fuck off, you heartless son of a bitch!" I seethed, spitting in his face.

An angered smile sparked on his face. His gaze slowly averted to my hand. He grabbed one of my fingers, then twisted it until it cracked.

Pain shot through me, and I could barely move in that chair. My head felt light, almost like I was going to pass out.

"Hey, you've always loved painting, haven't you? Imagine if you could never hold a brush again, Winnie. I'll give you one last chance. We've been together for five years, and I don't want to push you too far.

"As long as you cooperate, I might buy you back and take care of you once I sort everything out. But if you don't… Well, let's just say you might never paint again because you won't have any hands to do so!"

I was in too much agony to think clearly. When I heard his words, I instinctively pleaded, "Don't…"

He was right. I had loved painting since I was a child. My dream had always been to stand on an international stage for what I created.

When I was little, Mom would always smile when she saw me pursuing my dreams. She told me her greatest wish was to see me succeed. She didn't get the chance, but I never gave up.

I worked tirelessly, hoping one day to reach that stage. All this time, I had only ever shared these dreams with Norris. I never imagined he would use them against me.

"Don't, please… I'm begging you."

My desperate pleas seemingly fueled him. "You're finally scared. Now, be a good girl and give me your best smile."

He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at him, and made me smile. It felt ugly and unnatural, but he seemed satisfied at last and finally let go. "That's more like it."

Suddenly, Agatha, who had stepped out for a moment, rushed back in. She excitedly announced, "Mr. Greven's people are here!"