Chapter 2

2

"Exactly! What else did you expect?"

Zev's gaze lingered on me with pure disgust. When I remained silent, he let out another cold laugh.

"Seraphina Sterling, did you really think I was going to get down on one knee? Did you think I'd ask you to marry me?"

I froze. He burst into laughter, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Look at you. You reek of desperation. Did you honestly think someone like you was worthy of me?"

I glared at him, my eyes bloodshot. Three years ago, his half-brother had framed him and kicked him out of the family business.

He was a wandering dog, mocked by everyone in the city. I was the one who ignored my mother's warnings and took him in.

Back then, he spent his days drinking and smoking in the dark, a broken man. I couldn't stand seeing him destroy himself.

I borrowed money from my father and invested it in him anonymously. That was the only reason he had the capital to start over.

I even secretly begged my brother to help his new company, YorkTech. Within a year, YorkTech was a market leader.

Only then did his father take him back. Only then did he become the CEO of York Industries.

I did everything for him. I even went to war with my own mother for three years just to stay by his side.

How could he say I wasn't worthy?

Suddenly, the sound of barking dogs echoed from the other side of the roof. Mixed in with the barking were the faint, pained moans of a man.

The voice sounded hauntingly familiar. My eyes widened in horror.

"Zev, what did you..."

He cut me off before I could finish. "Sera, if I'm not mistaken, you were trying to call your dad earlier, right?"

"Since we've been together for three years, I'll be nice. I'll take you to see him."

He grabbed my hair again and dragged me across the roof. When we cleared the utility shed, I saw a scene from a nightmare.

Inside a massive iron cage, a rabid dog was sinking its teeth into my father's leg. Blood was everywhere.

My father's white shirt was soaked in red, and his body was covered in deep gashes. He was sweating, his face pale with agony.

I felt like my soul was being torn apart. All my logic vanished in an instant.

"Dad!"

I found a sudden burst of strength and broke free from Zev. I sprinted toward the cage.

My father saw me and tried to stifle his screams. "Sera! Run! Zev is a monster!"

I ignored him and clawed at the iron bars, trying to find a way in. But the cage was locked with a heavy padlock.

I spun around and screamed at Zev. "Zev! Why are you doing this? Let him go right now!"

"Sera, did your father think about this day when he insulted me all those years ago?"

His eyes were full of ancient, burning hatred. I couldn't believe it. My father was the kindest man I knew.

"That's a lie! There has to be a mistake!"

"A mistake? He looked me in the eye and called me a useless loser!"

Zev signaled to a nearby guard. The guard poked the rabid dog with a long cattle prod.

The dog snarled in pain and lunged at my father's throat. My father let out a gut-wrenching scream.

Seeing his legs covered in blood, I felt like I couldn't breathe. "You devil! Let him out!"

I couldn't break the lock, so I just kept banging on the cage until my knuckles bled. Zev walked over and grabbed me by the throat, lifting me up.

"Your father is trash, and so are you. Did you really think I didn't know you two were plotting against me?"

"If you don't want to watch him get eaten alive, sign this!"

I looked at the document he shoved in my face. My skin crawled with a cold, numbing fear.