Chapter 1

 Zoey's POV

 I lay on the operating table, my body rigidly strapped down, unable to move an inch.

 Just after that terrifying car accident, my body felt like it was falling apart, every inch of my skin screaming in pain, and my breathing was incredibly labored. The feeling of suffocation was always with me.

 The overhead light mercilessly shone on my face. I struggled to lift my head, staring straight at my sister in her patient gown, my eyes filled with disbelief.

 "Why!" I shouted with all my might, my voice hoarse from pain and shock.

 "Why?" Ariana extended her hand, jabbing it harshly at my chest, a chillingly sinister smile curling at the corners of her lips.

 "You brought this on yourself. Why did you have to be better than me at everything?" Her tone was filled with venom, as if my superiority was an unforgivable sin.

 "Do you really think I cared about you? How naive. If I hadn't coaxed you, how would you have given me your designs? And how could you have drunk the juice laced with muscle relaxants, then got into the accident?" She gleefully revealed her schemes like a demon, each word cutting into my heart like a sharp knife.

 "Do you know who set the fire in the bar ten years ago? Me! But those rogues I hired were useless. They couldn't take you down, so I had to do it myself." Her eyes gleamed with madness, completely immersed in her evil.

 "Oh, and the rumors about your promiscuity and abortion? I spread those, too. But you should thank me. During the eight years you spent abroad, you learned a lot. But now, all of that is mine. Aren't you just dying of bitterness?" She laughed as she spoke, her laughter echoing in the operating room, sending chills down my spine.

 "Don't worry, when you're dead, I'll give you a grand funeral. And everyone will know that after your accident, you donated your heart to your dearest sister, letting me live on in your place. What a touching story!"

 As she spoke, she sadistically pressed on my broken leg, the wound a bloody mess, and the excruciating pain hit me instantly.

 My heart was filled with endless hatred.

 For those eight years, I was exiled abroad. In that lonely time, besides my grandpa, only Ariana cared for me.

 She told me news from home, helped me connect with Nelson Madox, and visited me in Coburn from time to time.

 I trusted her so much. She wanted to be a singer, so I sang for her. She wanted to start a brand, so I gave her my designs...

 I always thought she was the best person to me in this cold house, besides my grandpa.

 But I never expected that it was all fake. The family love I longed for was all based on self-interest.

 "Ah!" The pain in my leg intensified, and she pressed harder. I couldn't hold back any longer and screamed.

 "Does it hurt? Every day you outshined me, I felt this pain. Zoey, don't be afraid. Grandpa's been waiting for you in hell. Once we take out your heart, you can meet him." Ariana's face was full of madness as if she had completely lost her mind.

 A surge of bitterness welled up in my throat, and I couldn't help it. My lips were stained with bright red blood, slowly dripping down my chin.

 "Ariana! May you rot in hell!" I cursed her with the last of my strength, my hatred burning like a raging fire.

 "You won't live to see that day," she laughed maniacally, her laughter grating on my ears like a demon's curse.

 Just then, the operating room door opened, and Nelson and the medical team walked in. Seeing Nelson, I felt like I had grasped the last glimmer of hope and shouted with all my might, "Nelson, Nelson, call the police!"

 However, the man I once loved just sneered lightly, looking down at me with contempt and disdain, as if I were the most despicable person in the world.

 "You stole Ariana's designs, poisoned her vocal cords, and had an abortion. I wish you were dead," his words hit me like a sledgehammer, shattering my last hope.

 "You..." Before I could finish, he brutally stuffed a medical gauze into my mouth.

 "Since you're about to die, I might as well tell you that Ariana and I have been together for a long time. The one who saved you from the fire wasn't me. It was Russell Madox." His words were like a bolt from the blue, collapsing my world in an instant.

 "For the past two months, we've been looking for opportunities to kill you, but Russell kept getting in the way. I don't know what he sees in you! But tonight is your end, because he fell into my trap trying to save you!" His face twisted into a grotesque smile, and his ugly expression filled me with disgust and rage.

 My eyes were filled with shock, anger, and then deep pain. Tears streamed down my cheeks, soaking my temples.

 No wonder when I called Nelson my savior ten years ago, his face was full of surprise.

 No wonder after that night, I heard that Russell had injured his waist and was sent abroad for treatment.

 All these years, I've loved the wrong person?