1. Betrayed by Fiancé and Sister

Laura Legoza awoke to a nightmare, finding herself imprisoned in an iron cage. Cold, filthy, and in excruciating pain, she felt as though she had descended into a living hell.

Once, she'd naively believed the world was rational, everything under her control. As a noble lady, she'd lived a life of endless love and privilege since childhood, shielded as if the universe revolved around her.

But now, she was a lowly prisoner, locked in a nightmarish cage.

A pounding headache plagued her as she tried to recollect recent events.

Days earlier, rumors had circulated about her mother and a bodyguard fleeing the castle. Laura had felt a surge of anxiety and confusion, uncertain of the implications for herself or how to navigate the situation.

Her last clear memory was of her 18th birthday dinner, clad in a beautiful light pink dress, engaging warmly with the castle's inhabitants. Yet, something had gone awry with a glass of wine. Its taste had been off, and soon after drinking it, her head grew heavy, vision blurred, consciousness slipping away.

When she regained awareness, she found herself bound tightly with coarse hemp ropes, limbs immobilized. A drooling wolf lurked nearby, its gaze fixated on her, rendering her too terrified to scream, clinging desperately to the cage bars.

Just as she braced for the wolf's assault, a sharp, mocking laugh echoed from above. It was Kathy Legoza, her sister.

"Sister, help me!"

Laura pleaded, her voice a lifeline, desperately reaching out to Kathy. "How did I get here? Let me out!"

However, Kathy merely regarded her with a cold, mocking expression. "My dear sister, consider this my gift - a rite of passage."

Laura shivered, unable to comprehend.

What happened? Did Kathy put her in the cage? Weren't they sisters?

"Why?" Laura's voice trembled.

"Because you've stolen from me!" Kathy snapped impatiently, interrupting. "Do not feign innocence. I am aware! It is time to face the consequences."

"I haven't stolen anything!" Laura vehemently protested. "Do you have any evidence? It's just nonsense!"

It's ridiculous. She's a real lady, not a servant. How could she steal someone else's things?

She was about to continue her rebuttal, but when she saw a person suddenly appear behind Kathy, she suddenly stopped.

This suddenly appeared person was her fiance, John Barlow.

"You look dirty now, it's so ugly." John said.

Her fiancé, the one she was betrothed to, stood here now, in this moment.

"What do you mean?" Laura winced. "John, why imprison me?" Yet, the duo above showed no inclination to answer.

With a dismissive gesture from Kathy, a servant appeared, carrying a thick, hard hemp rope. The rope connected the gate between her in the cage and the wolf. A pull would lift the fence, leaving her defenseless against the wolf's savage intentions.

Laura's terror nearly drove her to unconsciousness at the sight. She struggled to remain composed, scanning desperately for an escape route. Yet, solid iron cages enclosed her, with a menacing wolf hemming her in, leaving her nowhere to flee.

"Sister, I'll do anything, just please let me go..." Laura's voice quivered with fear, her words feeble and tearful. "I didn't steal anything... please, believe me..."

But Kathy merely sneered in response. "When you stole from me, did you consider this outcome? Begging now? It's too late!" With a signal, she instructed the servant to start pulling the rope.

As the gate slowly lifted, the gap between Laura and the wolf diminished. The creature grew restless, baring its sharp teeth and claws, closing in on her. Laughter and cheers erupted around her, as if they were spectators at a spectacle.

"No! Stop!" Laura's horrified scream echoed. She fought desperately, but all her efforts were futile. Yet, just then, a knife was tossed from above and landed at her feet - an unexpected lifeline. If she could fend off the wolf or at least keep it at bay with the knife, she might survive.

Clutching the knife tightly, determination gleamed in her eyes. This was her chance, her only shot at survival. Surrender was not an option. But the nobles continued their excitement, observing the life-and-death struggle as if it were entertainment at a circus.

What they didn't realize was that the central figure in this drama was poised for a fight to the death.

Laura refused to be branded a thief or succumb to the humiliation orchestrated by her fiancé. The thought ignited a fiery resolve within her, shoring up her faltering determination.

Raising the sharp blade, she lunged at the wolf, aiming for its gaping mouth, but the beast evaded her strike. The blade barely grazed its fur, causing it to maintain a wary distance, eyeing her, seeking an opening to attack.

The nobles' clamor intensified, grating on Laura's nerves. The wolf, agitated by the noise, howled, leaping at her once more.

"Roar!" Laura was thrown heavily by the wolf's assault, ripping apart half of her skirt, exposing her snow-white legs and chest. In that moment, an unprecedented surge of humiliation and rage surged within her.

The nobles laughed and clapped, as if they expected this scene. Their laughter felt like taunts from demons to Laura, igniting a deep well of hatred within her.

Clutching the dagger, she pressed it against the wolf's mouth. Her fragile skin bore the claw marks, causing unbearable pain. Yet, surrender wasn't an option.

"Not weak, this one," Kathy remarked. Laura knew they watched this drama as if it were cruel entertainment. Her arms weakened, but she summoned every ounce of strength to nick the wolf's mouth with the dagger. The wolf yelped, relieving the pressure on her. Seizing the chance, she wriggled free and rolled aside.

Turning her back, the wolf's teeth sank into her bare thigh. Laura, already weak, screamed and blacked out. As consciousness slipped, she heard the nobles' disappointed jeers.

" Is that it? So dull."

" Passing out's no fun. Lock the wolf up and release her when she's up," Kathy ordered the guard. The fence restored the barrier between her and the wolf, glaring down at her.

"This isn't fun. Want to spice things up?" John whispered to Kathy, a hint of lust in his eyes.

"You dirty dog! Your fiancée's down there, and you feel no remorse?" Kathy provocatively waved her fan. John groped her, and they chuckled, abandoning Laura.

Laura, not entirely unconscious, lay still from sheer weakness. Every word between them stabbed her like needles.

Her fiancé and sister's betrayal, their secret liaison, fueled her rage and despair. Hatred filled her heart.