I had just returned from Paris after finishing my degree in fashion design. My grandpa, Arthur Vance, insisted that he had set up a family alliance agreement for me years ago. The moment I landed, he dragged me straight to the Sterling estate to discuss the engagement. Finding the conversation in the parlor incredibly boring, I slipped out alone to wander around the Sterling family’s massive garden. Suddenly, a woman rushed out of nowhere and slapped me hard across the face. "Where did this trash come from? How dare you steal my things!" I cupped my stinging cheek and stared at her in utter shock. The woman tilted her chin up, her expression dripping with aristocratic arrogance. "That pigeon’s blood ruby ring on your finger is my birthday gift from Julian Sterling! A dirt-poor girl like you? You think you’re worthy of wearing that?!" I opened my mouth, about to tell her it was mine, when she slapped me again, even harder. "Do you even know who I am? I’m Julian’s future wife! The future Mrs. Sterling! This entire estate will belong to me!" I pulled out my phone and, right in front of her face, opened Snapchat to message the guy labeled 'Fiancé.' "Julian Sterling, there’s a dog biting people in your yard. Are you going to leash her, or should I?"
But to my disbelief, a red exclamation mark popped up. I let out a cold, angry laugh. We hadn't even finalized the engagement yet, and he had already blocked me. "How did you sneak in here anyway? Give Miss Thorne her ring back, now!" A Sterling family maid lunged at me aggressively, but I sidestepped, letting her crash into the bushes. "I am a guest of the Sterling family. Is this how you treat your guests?" I demanded. Nadia Thorne sneered, immediately pulling out her phone to FaceTime Julian—my dear fiancé. His deep, smooth voice answered in less than a second. "What's wrong, Nadia, babe?" I listened closely. The voice was actually quite nice, the exact deep baritone I liked. It seemed Grandpa Arthur actually had decent taste in men. "Julian! Some crazy bitch sneaked into your yard claiming she's an elite guest, and she stole the ring you gave me!" I cut off her whiny, high-pitched voice to introduce myself, saving him the confusion. "Mr. Sterling, I am Seraphina Vance. Your fiancée." There was a two-second silence on the other end, as if he was trying to place the name. Then, his tone turned icy cold. "Fiancée? Anyone entering the Sterling estate must have an official VIP invitation. Otherwise, they are just trespassers. Call the cops." Then, his voice softened back into a gentle whisper for Nadia. "Nadia, don't cry over a stupid ring. I'll buy you a better one when I get back tonight." My pigeon’s blood ruby was a family heirloom from my parents. There wasn't another one like it in the entire world. While I was re-evaluating whether this marriage alliance was worth my time, Nadia was laughing so hard she could barely stand. She looked me up and down with sheer disgust. "You? Your clothes don't even have a single designer brand on them! And you dare call yourself Julian's fiancée? What a joke!" I had been studying fashion design in Paris, and the clothes I wore were my own custom, unlabeled designs. They were highly sought after by European aristocrats, but obviously, this basic girl couldn't recognize real haute couture. Annoyed by her drama, I lost all interest in the garden. I turned to leave. But Nadia blocked my path. "Didn't you hear Julian? You need an invitation! Didn't you say you're a VIP? Where is it?" I rolled my eyes, reaching into my coat pockets, but found nothing. Then I remembered Grandpa Arthur saying we didn't need one to enter the Sterling estate. Seeing my empty hands, her smug smile widened. "I knew it! You're a fraud! Security! Strip that ring off her finger, tie her up, and throw her out!" I covered my ring with one hand, stepping back with a cold glare. A few maids approached me, whispering with fake pity. "Miss, just give the ring back to Miss Thorne. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died!" "Yeah, that ring is the token of love between Master Julian and Miss Thorne. They grew up together. If he finds out, he'll ruin you." "I saw a guy lose his hand last month just because he accidentally spilled wine on Miss Thorne's dress!" Their warnings only made Nadia's sneer more insufferable. "Hear that? Kneel down, put the ring back on my finger with respect, and get lost! Or else, your hands will end up just like that waiter's!"
In my entire life, I had never knelt to anyone. The last person who dared speak to me like this was probably six feet under by now. I took a step forward and slapped Nadia across her face. Her head whipped to the side, her eyes wide with fury. "You dare hit me?!" She clutched her red cheek and screamed at the maids to attack me. I curled my lips into a cold smile. Before I went to Paris, Grandpa Arthur was so worried about me being alone abroad that he personally trained me in kickboxing. A few out-of-shape maids were nothing to me. With a few quick punches and sweeps, I left them groaning on the grass, dazed and disoriented. "Pathetic," I muttered, shaking out my slightly numb knuckles. I turned to walk away while Nadia shrieked in rage behind me. Suddenly, a maid gasped. "Master Julian is back!" I looked up. A tall man in a bespoke, tailored suit was walking toward us, his handsome face clouded with anger. Nadia instantly dropped her vicious look, replacing it with a tearful, fragile expression as she threw herself into Julian's arms. "Julian! You're finally here! She almost killed me!" Honestly, Julian Sterling was extremely good-looking. He could easily pass for a Hollywood lead. Unfortunately, knowing he had an active marriage agreement with me, he was still holding his childhood sweetheart with such desperate tenderness. I rolled my eyes. I needed to tell Grandpa to take me home. This wedding was officially off. Ignoring their little drama, I headed straight for the garden exit. "Stop right there! You think you can touch my woman and just walk away?" Julian didn't even look at me. He was busy wiping Nadia's tears. Several heavy-set bodyguards stepped forward, blocking my exit. I took a deep, exhausted breath and turned back to face him. "Master Sterling, right now, my grandfather is in your grandfather's study discussing our alliance. If they find out you're treating me like this, it won't end well for you." Hearing me mention the elder Mr. Sterling, the maids' faces paled slightly. "Wait... is she really Master Julian's fiancée?" "Who cares? Look at how protective Master Julian is of Miss Thorne. This wedding might not even happen." "Exactly. Let's not offend Miss Thorne, or we'll pay for it later!" Julian’s face darkened when he heard the word "alliance." "What alliance? I never agreed to it. Besides, my grandfather loves me more than anyone. He would never force me to marry a nameless, classless girl like you!" Nadia peeked out from his chest, looking at me triumphantly. "Julian and I are soulmates. A filthy thief like you actually thinks she can be the next Mrs. Sterling? Delusional." I nodded slowly. "Great, these two trash bags are perfect for each other. Please stay locked together forever." But I remembered my grandpa saying that of all the families who begged for my hand, the Sterling family had put in the most effort. I had met old Marcus Sterling a few times; he was a highly respectable elder. If he found out his precious alliance was ruined by his stupid grandson, there would be a bloodbath. But oh well. A rotten apple ruins the basket.
I shook my head in pity and started to walk away again. But Nadia shrieked, "Don't let her go! She still has the ruby ring Julian gave me!" At Julian's nod, several bodyguards instantly pinned me down, grabbing my hand to force the ring off. But the ring had been custom-resized to fit my finger perfectly. No matter how hard they pulled, it wouldn't budge. "Nadia Thorne, if this ring is yours, why does it fit my finger so perfectly?" I mocked. This only enraged her further. She shook Julian's arm frantically. "She must be fatter than me! She forced it on! That's why it's stuck!" "Then use a drill," Julian said coldly. My face fell. "Damn it." I hadn't brought my personal security detail with me today. Julian’s bodyguards were massive, and there were too many of them. After a brief struggle, they pinned me to the grass. Nadia knelt in front of me with glee, her sharp red nails clawing into my jaw. "Where's that attitude now, huh? Weren't you so tough a minute ago?" With a vicious grin, she slapped me hard. My face scraped against the dirt, and the rough sand left bloody scratches on my cheek. Julian stared at me for a few seconds, a cruel smirk appearing on his lips. "Nadia, your hand must hurt. Want to see something more fun?" Nadia's eyes lit up. "What?" "Tie her to the old rowboat in the lake!" My eyes widened as I stared at Julian's twisted, excited face. "Does he know?" "No! You will regret this!" I screamed. Nadia sneered with pure excitement. "Regret? That word isn't in my dictionary!" "But today, I'm going to make sure you regret ever touching my things!" The bodyguards dragged me across the grass to the lake in the center of the estate, tying me with thick ropes before throwing me onto the decaying wooden rowboat. Before I could even process the situation, they flipped me over. A small electric saw buzzes near my finger. The agonizing pain made me scream at the top of my lungs. Soon, the pigeon’s blood ruby was stained with my blood, looking horrifyingly crimson. "Oh dear, looks like another one is going to lose their life." "She's a pretty girl, why did she have to be so stubborn? Master Julian won't let her off easily. She's losing at least a finger." "It's too cruel, I can't even watch." The servants whispered from the lake bank, but their voices were fading. The intense pain made me thrash wildly. The old, decaying boat creaked loudly as it rocked against the water. This exact feeling—the rocking, the dark water—instantly triggered the memories of the shipwreck that killed my parents. The deep-seated trauma and terror seized my mind. My face turned deadly pale. Losing control, I curled into a ball, clutching my head as fresh blood dripped down my face. "No! Please! Let me go back to the shore!" But Nadia and Julian stood on the bank, watching me like they were watching a movie. Julian even stepped onto the dock and kicked the boat, sending it drifting into the deep center of the cold lake. I struggled to open my eyes, seeing Nadia proudly holding the blood-stained ring. Julian wrapped his arm around her waist, speaking softly. "That ring is dirty now that it has her filthy blood on it. Throw it away, babe. I'll buy you a new one." And right before my eyes, they casually tossed my parents' heirloom into the deep, muddy lake. "Julian Sterling!" I screamed through my tears. "Aren't you afraid my grandfather will make you pay for this?!"
He chuckled softly, his eyes filled with absolute disdain, looking at me like I was piece of trash. "Your grandfather? Who the hell is he to make me pay?" "The Vance family is practically dead. It’s just you and that old man left!" "You literally cursed your own parents to death. And your grandpa actually thought he could dump a jinx like you onto me? In his dreams!" My pupils dilated. The words "cursed your parents to death" stabbed straight into my heart like a dagger. On my eighth birthday, my parents were supposed to take a luxury yacht back from overseas to celebrate with me. But a storm was brewing. The captain advised them to wait a day. However, I had called them, crying over the phone, saying how much I missed them. So, they braved the storm on a smaller yacht just to get back to me. Right before they reached the dock, a massive wave crashed over them. Their boat capsized right in front of my eyes. That horrific scene flashed repeatedly in my mind, triggered by Julian's cruel words. I curled up in the rocking boat, shaking violently as tears streamed down my face, mumbling incoherently. "Mom... Dad... I'm sorry... I don't need a birthday party anymore... please come back..." Seeing my pathetic state, Nadia clapped her hands in delight. "I knew she was a jinx! No wonder she smells like bad luck! Julian, we need to stay away from her, or we'll get infected!" In Paris, nobody knew about my past, so it was never brought up. At the Vance estate, to protect me, Grandpa Arthur had ordered everyone never to mention that day, and he had even filled in all the lakes and ponds on our property. The guilt and depression I had suppressed for years exploded all at once. For a second, I had a sudden urge to jump into the lake to join my parents. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was the custom ringtone I had set for my grandfather. The sound brought a momentary flash of sanity back to my brain. The Vance family only had me and Grandpa left. After my parents died, he had to bury his own children. His pain was no less than mine. If I left him too... I couldn't bear to think of the consequences. I took a deep breath, fighting the dark thoughts, and struggled to reach for my phone. Seeing this, Nadia ordered the guards to throw rocks at me. My hands were shaking violently from the severe panic attack. A large rock hit my wrist, and the phone slipped from my grasp, falling into the lake. It flickered twice before going completely black. The rocks also punched two holes in the old rowboat. Cold lake water began to seep in, soaking my clothes and making me shiver. "Seraphina Vance, didn't you want to die with your parents back then? I'm giving you that chance today. You should thank me!" Julian crossed his arms, coldly watching the boat slowly sink. "And as for your grandfather, when he comes, I'll make sure he joins you guys down there!" I struggled weakly, but it was useless. The cold water reached my chin. I closed my eyes, crying silently in my heart. "Grandpa... I'm sorry..." But just as the water was about to cover my nose, a familiar, heavy footstep echoed from the shore. A heavy mahogany cane slammed onto the dock. "I want to see who dares send my family down there!"
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