Chapter 1

Right after my father died, his illegitimate daughter, Chloe, rushed back to the country to steal my family's estate.

As the only child of his legal wife, I had the inheritance laws and a solid will on my side.

Yet, I still lost the Vance Manor.

Because my fiancé, the incredibly powerful Julian Sterling, insisted on helping that bastard child ruin me.

Shielding Chloe in her wheelchair, he looked at me with cold impatience.

"The money I gave you is enough to buy several estates like this. Do you have any compassion left? Why are you fighting a disabled girl for a house?"

My voice cracked as I screamed in betrayal:

"Fighting? That manor is the only thing my mother left me!"

Eventually, Julian’s lawyers helped Chloe win the lawsuit.

He looked at my tear-stained eyes with a fleeting trace of guilt.

"Valerie, I’ll make it up to you in the future."

But in my heart, I knew there was no "us" anymore.

"I’ll add another five million dollars to your compensation. Just sign the manor over to Chloe."

"Chloe had a terrible car accident abroad, and she’s confined to that wheelchair for the rest of her life. Just look at her as a charity case."

Julian’s casual tone was driving me insane.

"No way! That manor belongs to my mother!"

"Her mother was nothing but our housekeeper. She crawled into my father’s bed while my mother was pregnant with me, and then had the audacity to flaunt her swollen belly. It caused my mother to go into premature labor, and she died of severe complications right after giving birth to me!"

"If I show her mercy, who is going to show mercy to my dead mother and me?"

Facing my hysterical breakdown, Julian took off his gold-rimmed glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and looked at me with sheer annoyance.

"Valerie, stop making a scene. I will give you another twenty million. That’s more than enough to buy several luxury mansions. You should be satisfied now."

"Come on. Sign the transfer agreement."

I stared at the man in front of me, tears escaping the corners of my eyes.

"Julian, I am your fiancée! Instead of standing by me, you’re helping my mother’s murderer’s daughter?"

"Is this the 'unconditional love' you swore to me when you proposed?"

Aware that he was in the wrong, Julian remained silent for a long moment before softening his voice.

"I just pity her, Valerie."

"Just sign the papers. I promise you, from this day on, I will only protect you."

He slid the contract toward me again.

Without a second thought, I grabbed the papers, tore them into shreds, and threw them right in his face.

"Give up, Julian. I will never sign."

"The court hearing is tomorrow. If you still want to side with Chloe, I’ll see you in court!"

I grabbed my purse and turned to leave.

Julian’s icy warning echoed from behind:

"Valerie, don’t push me!"

My footsteps paused.

Then, I marched forward with even more determination.

Suddenly, the sound of a heavy struggle came from behind.

A familiar whimpering yip pierced the air.

My heart sank. I spun around, my mind fracturing at the sight.

"You're insane!" I screamed.

"You're threatening me with Buddy?!"

Buddy was our ten-year-old Golden Retriever. We had raised him together for five years; he was like a child to me.

But right now, Buddy’s paws were bound with heavy metal chains. Two burly security guards pinned him mercilessly to the floor. A veterinarian stood next to them, holding a gleaming, sharp syringe. One word from Julian, and the lethal injection would end Buddy's life.

Julian let out a heavy sigh, looking at me with forced helplessness.

"Valerie, you forced my hand."

"I had my secretary print a backup agreement. Sign it."

"You have exactly three minutes. Buddy's life depends entirely on your choice."

Seeing Buddy held hostage, my sanity shattered.

I rushed forward, grabbing Julian’s sleeve, sobbing hysterically.

"Julian, please! That's Buddy! We adopted him together! How can you do this to him? He’s ten years old, he’s so old and frail. He can’t take this. He will die!"

My tears didn't spark a single ounce of sympathy in Julian.

He checked his Rolex, his voice utterly flat.

"You have two minutes left. The estate, or the dog?"

Buddy was already weak. He struggled desperately against the guards, panting heavily with his tongue out, letting out sharp, agonizing whines.

But the guards only pinned him down harder, cutting off his cries.

He couldn't speak. He could only whimper, begging me to save him.

His tail, which used to wag happily, now lay limp on the floor. His eyes were half-closed, tearing up in pain.

Looking at him felt like someone was ripping my heart out with a rusty knife.

But Vance Manor was the only piece of my mother I had left.

How could I willingly hand it over to the bastard daughter who killed her?

"Valerie, one minute."

Thud.

My knees buckled. Forgetting all my pride and dignity, I fell to the floor in front of Julian, begging.

"Julian, I beg you. Please let Buddy go!"

"This is between us! Why do you have to drag Buddy into this? Remember when he got parvo when he was a puppy? You were crying, too! You cared about him! How can you be so cruel now?"

"Give him back to me. He can barely breathe. Can't you see that? Please!"

Julian didn't answer. He just stared at his watch, cold and robotic.

"Last ten seconds."

"Five."

"Doc, administer the—"

The syringe was raised high. Buddy lay motionless on the floor, clinging to his last breath.

In that moment, I finally realized how black Julian’s heart was.

Slumped on the floor in absolute defeat, I screamed at the top of my lungs:

"I’ll sign! I’ll sign!"