1 I was at the Go club, waiting for someone, and I got a little carried away. I didn't just win; I annihilated my opponent, wiping her clean off the board. Furious, she flipped the board, sending the black and white stones scattering across the floor. She pointed a finger right in my face and screamed, "No one in Seacliff dares to beat me. Are you looking to die, bitch?" Before I could process what was happening, she signaled her bodyguards. They pinned my arms, and she forced my hands into a pair of crude, wooden finger clamps. In an instant, my fingers were a mangled mess of blood and pulp. "This is assault, in broad daylight! Is there no law here? Do you have any idea who I am? How important these hands are?" A sharp slap cracked across my face. "The law?" she cackled. "Let me tell you something. I'm Annie Sinclair, Caleb Hawthorne's executive assistant. In Seacliff, the Hawthorne family is the law. I could afford to pay for more than just your hands. I could afford to pay for your life." I froze. Caleb Hawthorne? The Hawthornes of Seacliff? That was the man I was here to meet. His family’s patriarch had practically begged me to come. ... The diamond on Annie's acrylic nail scraped a long, bloody line down my cheek. "You cheap tramp," she sneered. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. Everyone in this city knows Caleb Hawthorne is obsessed with Go. You learn a few moves and think you can come here and seduce him? I've dealt with countless sluts like you over the years. I can spot your kind a mile away." She leaned in closer, her voice a venomous whisper. "You dare to challenge me? I could have you flayed alive." At her signal, the bodyguards tightened the clamps. I heard the sickening, splintering sound of my own bones breaking. The pain was so intense it buckled my knees, and I collapsed to the floor, biting my lip so hard I tasted blood. A crowd had gathered, whispering and pointing. "She's way out of her league. Picking a fight with Annie Sinclair?" "Everyone knows Annie is Mr. Hawthorne's favorite. This girl is going to disappear without a trace." I glared at them, my vision blurring with rage and pain. They were twisting everything. I had told Annie I was waiting for an appointment, but she had insisted on a match. I had no choice but to play, and even after I deliberately made weak moves, her skill was so pathetic she was still losing. Her constant taunts were what finally made me snap and crush her. I fought through the agony, trying to defend myself. "I was invited here by the elder Mr. Hawthorne. Call him if you don't believe me! I don't even know what Caleb Hawthorne looks like. Why would I be trying to seduce him?" Annie snorted. "So you finally admit it. You think you have the right to say his name?" She kicked me hard in the stomach. "If you're going to lie, at least make it a good one. No one knows Mr. Hawthorne's schedule better than I do. He's in the media room watching the international Go tournament finals, and he promised to take me to dinner afterward. I think I would know if he had an appointment." It clicked. That's why he was late. That's why I'd been waiting. He never took this meeting seriously at all. "Then get him out here," I gasped. "Let's clear this up face-to-face." "Hah, why would I bother him?" Annie glanced at the club manager, who was practically bowing at her feet. The manager scurried over. "It's true. Mr. Hawthorne is currently in the media room and has given strict instructions not to be disturbed. And I personally heard him say he was taking Ms. Sinclair to try that new restaurant downtown." The heel of Annie's shoe pressed harder into my stomach. "Scared now? It's too late for that." She grabbed a fistful of my hair, pulling my head back. "As long as I'm around," she whispered in my ear, "no other woman is getting near him. You're going to be an example. A warning to anyone else who thinks they can seduce Caleb Hawthorne." She straightened up and gave a sharp command. "Strip her." With a loud rip, my dress was torn open. The men in the crowd stared, their eyes hungry. Some of them pulled out their phones and started taking pictures. "Damn, she's got a great body. Too bad she's a troublemaker." "That body is why she's a troublemaker. A woman built like that is always asking for it." "Hahaha, you've got a point." Their lewd laughter echoed in the room, cut short by a sharp voice from behind them. "What are you all doing?" 2 Annie immediately transformed, twisting her hips like a snake as she walked over to the man and draped herself over his arm. "Mr. Hawthorne," she purred. "I was just teaching this disrespectful woman a lesson." I looked up at Caleb Hawthorne. He was well over six feet, dressed in an impeccably tailored designer suit. He was undeniably handsome. I could see why old Mr. Sterling was so insistent on this match, saying we'd make a perfect couple. The dossier the Hawthornes had sent over claimed Caleb was a workaholic whose only passion was Go, with a completely blank relationship history. Seeing him with his secretary now, that seemed highly debatable. But right now, all that mattered was getting these thugs off me. "Mr. Hawthorne," I said, my voice shaking. "Your grandfather arranged for me to meet you here. He should have told you." "My name is Elara..." "Enough." He raised a hand, cutting me off with a bored expression. "Another social climber trying to use my family's name to get to me. I don't care who you are. If you cause trouble in my club, you will be punished." I stared at him in disbelief. He hadn't asked a single question. He just condemned me. "I won a single game of Go against your secretary after she provoked me!" I yelled, my voice raw with anger. "What crime did I commit that deserves this kind of torture?" Caleb's expression flickered. A glint of surprise appeared in his eyes. "She can beat you?" Annie pouted, her voice dripping with false injury. "She only won because she cheated. When I called her out on it, she threw the board. I know how much you cherish these sets, Caleb, so I had to discipline her." "What?" Caleb's face contorted with rage. "You cheated? In my club? You must have a death wish." He looked down at me, his gaze falling to the clamps on my hands. He let out a cold, humorless laugh. Then he gave a new order to the bodyguards. "Move the clamps up an inch. I want every knuckle shattered." The guards roughly pried open my limp fingers and repositioned the clamps. A fresh wave of blinding, all-consuming pain shot through me, so intense I dry-heaved. Just as I felt myself about to pass out, Caleb crouched down and gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. "Are you going to cheat again?" I fought to control my chattering teeth, spitting the words out. "I didn't cheat. She's lying. If you don't believe me, check the security footage." "Why would I need to check the footage?" Annie interjected, shooting a look at the manager. "There are witnesses everywhere. Ask anyone here if she wasn't the one who cheated and started a riot." "Yes, yes!" the manager chimed in. "Everyone here knows how skilled Ms. Sinclair is. There's no way this woman could have won without cheating." "I saw it too. No wonder Ms. Sinclair got angry." "Exactly. Go is a gentleman's game. It's been tainted by trash like her." Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. "It seems you're a stubborn one," Caleb said, his voice low and dangerous. "I despise two things in this world: liars and cheaters. And today, you've landed in my hands. I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget." He had the bodyguards remove the clamps. He picked one of the wooden sticks and poked at my mangled fingers. "The bones aren't completely crushed yet. Get me a small mallet. I want you to smash them, one by one. Let's see what's harder, her mouth or this hammer." I was trembling uncontrollably, from pain or rage, I couldn't tell. "I'm calling the police. No matter how powerful your family is, this is still a civilized society." Annie ground the stiletto of her shoe into the back of my hand. "A civilized society? Honey, you're mistaken. In Seacliff, the Hawthornes are society. The Hawthornes are the law. Isn't that right, Mr. Hawthorne?" Caleb just chuckled, a dark, affirmative sound. Then, my screams echoed through every corner of the club. 3 The brutal assault was only interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Caleb finally waved the bodyguards off. "Caleb, my boy! I trust you're satisfied with the match I arranged?" It was the cheerful voice of the elder Mr. Hawthorne. "It took a lot of persuading to get her to agree to this meeting. You'd better be on your best behavior." "Oh, yes. I'm extremely satisfied," Caleb said, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he stared at me. His grandfather didn't catch the sarcasm. "I had someone deliver that warm jade Go set you prepared. You should play a few games with Miss Lincoln and get some pointers from a master." "Alright, alright, let the young people talk." I recognized that second, deeper voice. "Mr. Sterling, help me!" I screamed. A bodyguard immediately clamped a hand over my mouth. Someone brought over an exquisite silk-wrapped box. Caleb opened it and shot me a venomous glare. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll be sure to play with her until she's completely satisfied." I struggled, but I was pinned. I could only watch in horror as they cheerfully hung up the phone. Annie peeked into the box, a flash of envy in her eyes. Then she scoffed. "This woman is something else, able to fool even the old man. Caleb, this was the gift you prepared for the great Elara Lincoln." A wave of gasps went through the crowd. "Elara Lincoln? You mean the one who played the 'Hand of God' move in the recent International Go Championship?" "She's a national hero! If it weren't for her, our team would have been wiped out." "It's a shame all the photos and videos from that day only showed her hands. No one knows what she looks like. Mr. Hawthorne, if you meet her, you have to tell us all about it!" "What's the big deal?" Annie boasted. "She's a fellow student from my academy. I can invite her here to play you all anytime." "No wonder Ms. Sinclair is so skilled! You come from such a prestigious background!" "I'm honored to have lost to you, Ms. Sinclair!" The flattery clearly pleased her, but when she caught my disbelieving stare, her face darkened again. "What are you looking at, bitch? Always wanting what doesn't belong to you." She kicked me again, this time in the chest. The impact sent me stumbling backward into a side table. The warm jade Go set clattered to the floor, the stones scattering like jewels. Several of them landed on my ruined hands. The pristine, translucent jade was instantly stained with my blood. "You idiot!" Caleb roared, shoving my shattered hands away. "You couldn't even move out of the way!" I lay on the floor, every inch of my body screaming in pain, too weak to move. He personally knelt to pick up the bloodied stones, yelling for someone to clean them. "Do you have any idea how much effort I put into acquiring this set? Now it's ruined! What am I supposed to give to Elara Lincoln?" "Exactly!" Annie chimed in. "That set cost over a million dollars to craft, and that's not even counting the sentimental value Mr. Hawthorne put into it. You owe him at least five million. Can a tramp like you afford that? Ten of your worthless lives wouldn't be enough!" The pain was so absolute, it tipped over into a strange, hysterical clarity. I started to laugh. "Make me pay? This Go set might be expensive, but my hands are priceless. These hands you've destroyed... they're insured for fifteen million dollars." "Caleb Hawthorne, what is your sentiment worth? You may have just destroyed my entire career. My chance to bring glory to this country." I gritted my teeth, hatred blazing in my eyes. "Hahaha, she's delusional. Everyone in the Go world knows the Sterling family insured Elara Lincoln's hands for fifteen million dollars. And in two weeks, she's set to represent the country in the World Go Finals. What, are you the second Elara Lincoln?" "Mr. Hawthorne," Annie said smoothly, "I think all this talk has given her ideas. She's a pathological liar. You can't be soft on her now. I know her type; all they care about is money. You have to make her pay for every bit of damage she's caused." "Cheating, causing a riot in my club, ruining my jade Go set, and most importantly, impersonating Elara Lincoln," Caleb snarled, his eyes boring into mine. "I don't know what your goal was, but I'm telling you now, in Seacliff, making someone disappear is the easiest thing in the world." He stared at me, enunciating every word. I stared right back. "The fact is, what if I am Elara Lincoln?" 4 The room erupted in laughter. "Wow, she's really lost it now." "Everyone in the Go world knows Elara Lincoln's story. Fifteen years old, serving tea in a teahouse when the great Mr. Sterling from the capital discovered her talent. In just a few years, she reached the rank of 9-dan professional, breaking world records. No one's ever seen her face, but this woman cheats and throws herself at men. What an insult to the name." "Exactly. Besides, Elara Lincoln is Annie's fellow student. The fake has just run into the real deal and been exposed." "I say just get on your knees and beg. Maybe Mr. Hawthorne will spare your life. It would be a shame to waste a face and body like that." Annie's smirk widened. "You heard them. Get on your knees and apologize. If I'm in a good mood, I might even put in a good word for you." "Shut up," I said, fighting back a wave of nausea as I struggled to my feet. "Caleb Hawthorne, if you don't believe me, ask your grandfather who he arranged for you to meet today. He told me you never miss a single one of my public matches. Open your eyes and look at these hands. Are they not identical to the ones you've seen on screen?" I held up my bloody, mangled hands. For a split second, I saw a flicker of panic in his eyes. My hands were distinctive; I have a small, ruby-colored birthmark on my right wrist. Seeing Caleb's hesitation, Annie quickly jumped in. "Cosmetic procedures are so advanced these days, you can get a mole tattooed anywhere you want. Mr. Hawthorne, she really went all out for this scam. If it weren't for me, you would have been fooled. Here, look, Elara just posted on her private story." She held up her phone, showing a social media account with the name 'Elara Lincoln.' Two minutes ago, it had posted a text update: Day 3 of seclusion. Exhausting, but worth it. "See? I just sent her a message to cheer her on, and she replied, 'Thanks, sis!'" Annie proudly displayed the screen for everyone. A chill ran down my spine. She hadn't just fabricated a connection to me; she'd fabricated an entire fake profile. "There," she said smugly. "Now you have nothing to say. Besides, the media has already reported that Elara Lincoln is in seclusion and has declined all interviews." She was right. I was supposed to be preparing for the finals. If the elder Mr. Hawthorne hadn't personally traveled to the capital, and if Mr. Sterling hadn't felt obligated to agree as a favor, I would never have come to Seacliff to meet this man. Wait. Mr. Sterling was with him. "Your grandfather was just talking to Mr. Sterling on the phone," I said desperately. "I am begging you, just make one call. Just to verify. If I'm lying, I will accept any and all consequences." "I know you don't want this arranged marriage. I swear, I will never have anything to do with you again. If I break this vow, may I die a horrible death." Caleb was silent for a moment. Annie's hateful gaze was fixed on my hands. "Mr. Hawthorne, this is easy. You may not know about cosmetic procedures, but I do. A tattooed mole is only on the surface of the skin, not like a real one. Have someone take a knife to it. If you can carve it out, it's fake." She leaned in, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "Elara Lincoln is far away in the capital. You're punishing this tramp for her own evil deeds. Even if your grandfather finds out, he won't truly blame you. In fact, after this, he'll probably stop trying to set you up with trashy women." Caleb looked up, and our eyes met. I saw the doubt in his waver and die. His face became a dark mask of resolve. "You can blame your own greed," he said coldly. "Someone get a knife and carve that mole off her wrist. How dare a slut like this even try to imitate Elara Lincoln." "No! I really am Elara! Caleb, she's lying to you! She's not my classmate, she doesn't have my number, everything she's said is a lie!" I struggled with all my might. "Pathetic. Still lying when you're about to die. Mr. Hawthorne told you to do it, so get it over with!" The tip of the blade was just about to pierce my skin when a voice cut through the tension. "Is a Miss Elara Lincoln here? No one is answering her phone." My head snapped up. I met a pair of familiar, worried eyes.
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