She gently set the painting down, her eyes completely lifeless.
Suddenly, she grabbed the shattered champagne glass beside her and lunged at Reagan. The jagged edge sliced across Reagan’s fair cheek, and she panicked instantly, gripping Ariadnie’s wrist with both hands and struggling as hard as she could.
Ariadnie was using a lot of force. Just as the glass was about to reach Reagan’s neck, something slammed into her.
It was Rasper.
He kicked Ariadnie off Reagan and stepped protectively in front of her, fury burning in his eyes. His voice was cold. “Ariadnie! Are you out of your mind?”
Redmond hurried to help Reagan up, looking at Ariadnie with nothing but disgust.
“Bro, hurry up and teach this crazy woman a lesson! She was trying to kill Reagan!”
Tears streamed down Reagan’s face as she curled into Redmond’s arms. “She suddenly snapped and grabbed the painting. She said if she couldn’t have it, then I couldn’t either. I was so scared…”
Rasper’s expression grew colder. He looked down at Ariadnie from above, his voice heavy. “So you really are exactly what they said—vicious and unreasonable.”
Ariadnie scoffed stubbornly, lifting her chin even as her eyes reddened. “She destroyed the painting on purpose! She forced me to kneel, and then—”
“Enough!” Rasper cut her off, irritation flashing in his eyes. “Reagan is kind and innocent. She would never do something like that. But you? You’ve always pushed her around.”
He waved a hand at the bodyguards behind him. “Throw her onto the champagne tower. Give her a taste of her own medicine.”
Ariadnie clenched her teeth, her voice rough. “Every word I said is true!”
A trace of hesitation flickered in Rasper’s eyes until Redmond spoke up. “Everyone knows you lie without blinking.”
Reagan added, voice trembling, “Ariadnie… how could you accuse me of that?”
Whatever hesitation Rasper had disappeared immediately. He turned, lifting Reagan into his arms, his tone cold. “Stay here and think about what you’ve done.”
With that, the bodyguards threw Ariadnie onto the floor scattered with broken glass. She looked like a discarded rag doll.
Pain spread across her entire body at once. She struggled to her feet, clutching the ruined painting tightly as tears streamed down her face.
Her breathing turned sharp and uneven from the pain. She had just reached the main doors when she realized they were locked.
She collapsed to the floor, a searing ache tearing through her chest.
“Rasper… your heart is really that cruel.”
Suddenly, she saw flames rising from the wooden stage in the center of the hall. Her heart lurched.
“Help!”
She pounded on the door with all her strength, screaming until her voice turned hoarse.
“There’s a fire!”
The hall was lavishly decorated, and the flames spread quickly. With each crackling burst, thick smoke filled her lungs.
She fumbled for her phone, but there was no signal. All she could see were the messages Reagan had sent earlier.
[Thanks to you, I finally know how much Rasper cares about me.]
[It’s just a small cut on my face, but he booked an entire floor of the hospital and even brought in specialists for me.]
[But you? Does anyone even care whether you live or die?]
Ariadnie’s vision blurred. The moment the fire scorched her arm, she snapped back to alertness.
She couldn’t die yet.
She carried the hatred her mother and sister left behind. Even if she died, she had to drag those people down with her.
She slammed her shoulder against the door again and again, her eyes fierce and unwavering.
Just before she lost consciousness, she fell into a warm embrace. Someone scooped her up, his voice full of heartache.
“I’ve already ordered people to move against the Stallones. Anyone who lay a hand on you—I won’t let a single one of them walk free.”
