With a click, the glass door of the conservatory locked behind her. Sunlight streamed through the panels, harsh and unforgiving. She clutched her nose and mouth tightly, terrified to breathe in the thick, pollen-laden air.
Suddenly, two massive dogs—almost half her height—lunged out from behind the flowerbeds, growling viciously as they charged toward her as if they had not eaten. She froze in terror, her mind went blank. Their snarls reverberated off the glass walls like thunder.
"Let me out! Please, let me out!" Yasmine screamed, pounding on the door.
One of the beasts sank its teeth into her calf. Pain like fire tore through her flesh; she could feel the blood seeping into her shoe. She staggered and gasped, her breath catching as the air filled with choking pollen. The more she tried to breathe, the weaker she became.
"Help... help me..."
Yasmine dragged herself toward the door, pounding weakly against it, but there was no response from outside.
Pain shot through her leg, numbing her entire body until even breathing felt impossible. Her strength slowly ebbed away as she stared blankly at the blinding sunlight filtering through the glass.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before an inhaler was suddenly pressed against her lips.
Yasmine’s hazy mind cleared a little. Relief flooded her—she thought she was finally being saved. She thought she could leave.
But then Joaquin’s hand withdrew the inhaler. Instead, he lifted a handful of pollen and scattered it in front of her face.
She instinctively tried to cover her nose, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned her down. His voice was cold, edged with accusations.
"Do you even know what you've done? Annie is still in the hospital fighting for her life. If she doesn't get a heart donor soon, she might die!"
His eyes burned with fury.
"Yasmine, when did you become so vicious? How could you hurt someone who has a heart condition? You'll stay here until they find a donor. When she gets her heart, you can come out!"
The pollen invaded her lungs again. Her breathing turned ragged, her skin deathly pale. She crumpled to the floor, clutching at his trousers with trembling hands.
"I didn't..."
Joaquin kicked her away, the disgust in his eyes cutting deeper than any wound. She hit the ground hard. The door slammed, locking her inside once more.
—
"Yasmine, wake up."
A familiar voice pierced through the fog. Her body was ice-cold.
She opened her eyes to find Joaquin sitting beside her bed. When he saw her awake, his expression softened slightly.
"Yasmine, are you hungry? I had porridge made for you."
He adjusted the pillows and reached out to help her sit up, but she shoved him away with all her strength.
His face darkened instantly, his tone sharp with anger.
"Yasmine, isn't it enough that you've already hurt Annie this badly? You did wrong—you should pay the price!"
Yasmine's hands twisted in the bedsheet, her voice breaking.
"Joaquin, if you're going to accuse me, at least bring proof! Did you see me hit her?"
"Proof?" he barked. "She's in the hospital, barely alive! Isn't that proof enough?"
He seized her throat, his fingers tightening as he hissed, "Maybe I was too soft on you before. Is that why you've become this kind of woman?"
His grip grew stronger. Her eyes blurred as tears streamed down her face. When he finally released her, she coughed violently, dragging in air with difficulty. The deep bruises on her neck stood out against her pale skin, and even he seemed momentarily unsettled by the sight.
"I don't want to hear your excuses," he said coldly. "You should be grateful Annie woke up. Because of you, people are questioning her medical integrity. You'll appear in public and apologize—prove her innocence."
His words hit her like a bucket of ice water.
Her daughter, Janna, was still in the hospital with severe pneumonia—her condition was uncertain. And now he wanted her to defend the woman who ruined her life?
"Why should I?" she hissed through gritted teeth. "Keep dreaming."
Her nails dug into her palms until they bled, but he merely stared down at her, unbothered.
"Don't forget," he said, voice low and threatening, "your mother's company is still under investigation. Whether she walks out of there safely... depends entirely on you."
The strength drained from her body.
'Depends on me?' she thought.
Hot tears filled her eyes. Every time, Joaquin used Annie to push her into despair. And every time, she was the one who broke.
The bruises on her neck throbbed with every breath.
If someone had to yield, it could only be her.
"...Fine," she whispered hoarsely. "I'll do it. But I want to see my mother first."
Joaquin studied her for a long time, pacing back and forth in silence. Nearly an hour passed before he finally nodded in reluctant agreement.
