Chapter 1

Evelyn Shaw was Nordia's most respected surgeon, renowned nationwide for her skill. Her hands were insured for more than ten million dollars. Now those same hands were pinned to the floor, crushed under someone's heel. The person stepping on them was Howard Blackwood, her husband and the man who controlled Nordia. Howard sat calmly on a stool in an impeccably neat suit, wearing an unreadable expression. Behind him, a large screen showed Evelyn's younger sister, Layla Shaw, being dragged into a dark room by several men. Her terrified cries filled the space, tightening something deep in Evelyn's chest. "Eve, either you operate on Anne's mother, or I will send this out to all of Nordia tomorrow," Howard said coldly. Evelyn clenched her teeth and glared at him. "Howard, why are you doing this? You know Anne killed my mother. Her mother brought the tumor on herself, and you want me to save her?" One month earlier, Evelyn's mother, Mary Lane, had gone out early in the morning to buy groceries. She was struck and killed by Anne Prescott, who had been driving drunk after a night of partying. Evelyn filed charges immediately, but within three days, someone else stepped forward to take the blame. With the real culprit walking free, Evelyn refused to accept the injustice. She took the case to court again, only to be repeatedly dismissed. Her professorship was revoked, and she was suspended indefinitely. Just as despair was closing in, Evelyn learned that Anne's mother had fallen seriously ill. The tumor was in a life-threatening location, and no surgeon in the city dared attempt the operation, except her. Her first instinct was to refuse. The thought of operating on the mother of the woman who had killed her own mother was more painful than she could bear. She was kidnapped shortly after. It wasn't until she saw Howard that she realized that the husband who appeared to love her dearly all along actually harbored someone else deep in his heart. "Eve, your time is running out," Howard said calmly. "You have three minutes. Refuse, and I'll start the livestream. Everyone will see what happens to Layla." Layla's desperate screams pierced straight through Evelyn, filling her with a pain she could barely endure. Evelyn clenched her fists and bit her lip so hard that a metallic taste filled her mouth. "Howard, have you forgotten the promise you made when you married me?" On their wedding day, Howard had knelt before her and said, "Eve, from now on, your family is my family. I will always protect them." Howard acted as if he hadn't heard Evelyn's words at all. He stared at her coldly and said, "Eve, you have one minute left. Layla's fate is in your hands." The light in Evelyn's eyes dimmed in an instant, leaving only despair. She gritted her teeth and, with a heart that felt dead, spoke the words she knew would satisfy Howard. "Fine. I'll do the surgery." Hearing Evelyn's answer, Howard smiled and ruffled her hair. "Very well, Eve. Once the surgery is done, I'll get you a villa as compensation." Evelyn looked at the smile on his face and felt only bitter irony. She was quickly escorted into the operating room, where the tumor removal surgery took twelve grueling hours. Exhausted, she stepped out. Before she could even catch her breath, her phone rang. It was her friend, Leah Collins. "Evelyn, something's happened. The video of your sister being assaulted went live. She can't take it—she's trying to jump." Evelyn's phone slipped from her hand and fell with a soft thud. "Howard, you promised me," she whispered as she stumbled down the hallway. "You said you would let her go if I performed the surgery." When Evelyn reached the rooftop, the firefighters were already there. Layla sat silently at the edge, as if her soul had been drained from her. Evelyn stared at her in terror. "Layla, I'm here. Don't do this, okay? Everything will be fine. Trust me, please." Layla slowly turned her head. The moment she saw Evelyn, a faint smile appeared on her face. "Evelyn, you came." Evelyn stepped forward cautiously. "Layla, come down! I'm begging you! I can't lose you too!" Layla's eyes were hollow, her face stripped of any will to live. "Evelyn, I'm sorry. I just don't have the courage to live anymore." She stood slowly, smiling faintly at Evelyn. "Evelyn, I'm going to be with Mom…" Without hesitation, Layla leaned back. "No! Layla, don't!" Evelyn lunged forward, but there was nothing to grab. The firefighters rushed in and held her tightly as she struggled. "Let me go! I have nothing left! I don't have a family anymore!" Her chest burned as if it would explode. Blood filled her mouth, and everything went black. When she woke, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled her nose. She sat up, feeling like a shell of herself, and finally unlocked the phone she had left untouched for five years. "I accept your terms," she said. "I only want one thing. Howard and Anne must pay." There was silence on the other end, then a low voice responded, "Got it. I'll come for you in a month." After hanging up, Evelyn texted her lawyer. "Get the divorce papers ready immediately."