Chapter 3

Sadie, who had been hiding behind Gerard, suddenly shoved him aside in the split second before the vase hit him, taking the full brunt of the collision in his place. The vase shattered against her forehead before the shards scattered all over the floor. Blood began to flow down her face. She forced an apologetic smile on her face before saying, "I'm sorry, Winona. I shouldn't have taken your bracelet—" Sadie didn't finish her sentence before she fell backward. Connor rushed over to her and caught her in his arms. His eyes were burning with rage when he glared at Winona. "How could you hurt someone with a vase, Winnie?" he demanded. Gerard drove his foot into the back of Winona's knee before she could respond. "How dare you! You've been acting way out of line recently!" Winona crumpled to the floor, her knees scraping against the broken vase shards. The pain caused the color to drain from her face, but she gritted her teeth and refused to make a sound. She watched as Connor picked up Sadie and left the house. Zack stopped next to Winona. His gaze was cold as he swept his eyes over her. "Mr. Lowe, since you raised her for more than two decades, I think you have the right to discipline her when needed," he said in his usual indifferent tone. Winona's entire body trembled as she stared at Zack's retreating figure in disbelief. Gerard called for the bodyguards in the next second. "Bring me my whip. It's time to punish her according to our family rules!" The bodyguards hauled Winona to her feet. Her knees were a bloody mess. She struggled wildly to free herself, glaring at Gerard furiously. "You're not my father, Gerard. You don't have the right to lay your hands on me!" Gerard's face turned as dark as coals. "I raised you for over two decades. How dare you try to hurt me with a vase? If Sadie didn't take the blow in my stead, I would be the one who got injured! I'm punishing you today to discipline you for Sadie's sake." He brandished the whip before bringing it down on Winona with a loud crack. Excruciating pain lanced through Winona as her skin split apart upon impact. Black spots began to dance in her vision, and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out. Gerard swung the whip over and over again. There wasn't even a hint of pity in his eyes. He only ordered the bodyguards to throw Winona out of the house after whipping her 30 times. Winona was bleeding profusely as she stood outside the Lowe residence. She took one last look at the home that she had lived in for the past two decades before turning around and making her way down the mountain one step at a time. A pack of wild dogs appeared out of nowhere when she was halfway down the mountain. They bared their fangs before pouncing on her. Winona was scared of dogs. She shrieked and kicked out wildly at the dog closest to her. Unbearable pain shot up her leg as the dog's fangs punctured her skin. She cried out in pain before losing her balance and collapsing on the ground. The wild dogs surrounded her. She could feel their fangs sinking into her shoulders, arms, and legs in a matter of seconds, leaving bloody holes in their wake. The pain was so overwhelming that Winona nearly fainted on the spot. She gritted her teeth and struggled wildly. As she rolled around on the ground, she tumbled down the steep road, colliding headfirst against a rock that jutted out on the side of the road. Pain exploded on the back of her head as warm blood seeped from the wound. Her vision went black. As she hovered between consciousness and unconsciousness, she thought she heard Gerard's voice. "Aren't you being a bit too cruel, Mr. Sullivan?" "Cruel? She used a vase to hurt Sadie. I'm already going easy on her." Connor's voice was devoid of any warmth when he continued, "What's wrong? Do you feel bad for her? You're the one who agreed to forge the paternity test in exchange for six billion dollars from Zack and me. When you chased her out of the house, you're the one who said she was no longer your daughter." "Don't worry, Mr. Sullivan. I already cut ties with this ungrateful child three years ago," Gerard hastily explained. "Sadie is my flesh and blood and the only heiress of the Lowe family. "I'll do as you say and let Sadie replace Winona in every way. I'll also announce Sadie as the only heiress of our family during the engagement banquet." Winona felt as if she had been struck by lightning. The paternity test was fake? Gerard was her biological father, but he had forged the paternity test in exchange for six billion dollars for his investments. Not only that, but he had also used the fake test to drag Alice's name through the mud and kick her to the curb. More importantly, Connor was the mastermind who pulled the strings behind the scenes. Everything had been part of his orchestrated revenge. And it seemed that Zack was also privy to this knowledge. Winona felt as if her heart was being stabbed with a knife over and over again. The pain made it impossible for her to breathe. Her lashes trembled violently, but she couldn't force her eyes open. In the end, she succumbed to the darkness.