Chapter 1

Ella Thorne's POV

3 AM. The coffee on my desk had gone completely cold, and the documents beside it were still piled sky-high.

On top was something my boyfriend Matthew Moore had just sent over - financial records of The Wilton Group's latest business dealings, for me to optimize for tax purposes.

I rubbed my aching temples, feeling like these accounts were suffocating me.

Just as I was getting dizzy and about to collapse, my phone buzzed.

A message appeared on my screen: [Evergreen Hospital - Cardiology Department.]

My breathing stopped for a moment as I shakily swiped to answer.

"Ms. Thorne?" A cold male voice came through.

"Yes, this is she," I answered hoarsely.

"Your sister Mary Thorne has had a sudden episode of ventricular tachycardia. The situation is critical. Please come to the hospital immediately."

My mind went blank. I don't know how I rushed out of the office, how I started that old car, or how I ran every red light speeding to the hospital.

The smell of disinfectant in the hallway hit my nose, making me uncomfortable.

The emergency room light was still on.

I rushed over just as a doctor came out. He pulled down his mask, his face full of exhaustion.

"Are you Mary Thorne's family?"

"I'm her sister!" I grabbed his arm. "How is Mary?"

The doctor frowned but patiently said, "Her condition has stabilized for now, Ms. Thorne. Please calm down."

I pulled back my hands, trying to steady my emotions.

"But her heart valve problem has gotten much worse. We can't wait any longer." The doctor handed me a critical condition notice. "Within the next week, she must have valve replacement surgery."

His voice was soft, but it made my heart sink.

"Otherwise, we can't guarantee the next emergency treatment will be successful."

I stared at him hard and asked with difficulty, "What about the surgery costs?"

"All the surgery expenses combined will be about five hundred thousand dollars."

Five hundred thousand dollars.

That number instantly took my breath away.

All my savings, plus the company's working capital, wouldn't even cover a fifth of it.

I leaned against the wall, feeling the whole world spinning.

Mary was moved to a regular ward. Under the pale lights, her face was deathly pale, her lips cracked, an IV tube in her wrist, the heart monitor making monotonous sounds.

My parents died early. She was my only family, and my only weakness.

For her, I would do anything.

I sat by the bed, holding her ice-cold hand, tears finally falling despite my best efforts.

I don't know how long passed before her eyelashes trembled slightly and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Ella." Her voice was very weak.

"Mary, you're awake!" I quickly wiped away my tears, forcing a smile. "How do you feel? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

She didn't answer me. Instead, she used all her strength to grip my hand tightly.

Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, full of pleading.

"Ella, save Michael, please."

Michael Johnson, Mary's fiancé, was a cheerful guy with shallow dimples when he smiled, who would play guitar and sing love songs to Mary.

My heart sank sharply. "What happened to Michael?"

"He... he tried to get money for my surgery." Mary's breathing quickened, the numbers on the monitor fluctuating wildly. "He took money from The Smith Family."

The Smith Family.

Those four words made my whole body freeze, my blood seeming to run cold.

In Novaria, James Smith was very well known.

The man who, as a mercenary, after his father's assassination, carved a bloody path through the family's internal power struggle, reaching the top at just twenty-seven years old.

He controlled half of Novaria's ports and logistics, and all the gray industries were within his territory, whether legal or not.

He was the monarch of Vislan's underworld.

And a madman.

Mary's tears rolled down in big drops. "They took Michael, Ella. They're going to kill him. They will definitely kill him!"

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.

Michael was Mary's reason to live. If something happened to him, Mary wouldn't make it either.

I couldn't let that happen.

No matter how dangerous The Smith Family was, I had to go.

For Mary, I had no other choice.

"Where is he?" I tucked in her blanket, trying to keep my voice calm.

"Shadow Edge Casino... They said James is there tonight, dealing with traitors."

I leaned down and kissed Mary's forehead.

"Don't be scared. Get some sleep. When you wake up, Michael will be back."

"I promise."

Walking out of the ward, I called Matthew.

It rang for a long time before he answered, his voice carrying a lazy, nasal tone, as he'd just been woken up.

"Ella? It's so late, what's wrong?"

"Matthew, I need money. Five hundred thousand dollars. It's urgent."

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, then his gentle laugh came through. "Honey, are you joking again? Did you forget? We just put a huge amount of money into that Nanloa's project. It's a critical time right now, so there's no extra money."

"But what about Mary's surgery costs?"

"I'll figure something out for Mary's illness, don't worry." He casually cut me off. "You focus on handling those accounts. That project is very important to me. Be good."

After hearing his words, my heart felt ice cold.

I hung up and started the car.

Shadow Edge Casino at night was completely black, with only the entrance outlined by red neon lights in the shape of a blade - strange and dangerous.

This was James's territory, his kingdom.

I took a deep breath and opened the car door.

Two burly bodyguards in black suits blocked my way.

"Private area. No entry."

"I'm looking for James." I looked them straight in the eye, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm here for Michael."

One of them looked me up and down with examining eyes, then spoke quietly into his radio.

A moment later, he stepped aside and gestured. "Please."

"Mr. Smith is in the negotiation hall. This way, Ms. Thorne."

He actually knew my name.

I followed another bodyguard into the elevator. The elevator walls were smooth mirrored stone, reflecting my pale, tense face.

After a thorough search to confirm I wasn't carrying any weapons or recording devices, I was finally brought to a heavy wooden door.

The bodyguard pushed open the door, and the scene inside made me instantly hold my breath.

It was a huge room with a deep red carpet in the center, the color so dark it was almost black.

The strong smell of blood in the air mixed with cigar and whiskey scents, the whole atmosphere was eerie and oppressive.

James was in the center of the room.

He was lazily sunk into a huge leather sofa, one long leg casually crossed over the other.

A perfectly tailored black custom suit wrapped around his explosive body, the top two buttons of his collar undone, revealing tan skin and a hint of collarbone.

His features were deep and sharply defined.

But what caught attention most were his eyes.

Silver-gray, like a lone wolf's, showing coldness and cruelty.

At this moment, those eyes were coldly watching a man kneeling before him.

That man had already been beaten beyond recognition, slumped limply on the ground - it was Michael's colleague, another accountant from The Smith Group.

And James's left hand, wearing rings, was repeatedly smashing into that man's face.