The white carpet looked almost blinding, and on it, a girl in a black dress lay motionless. Heavy chains locked her wrists and ankles, digging deep red marks into her skin, making her look like an angel thrown into hell and tortured without mercy.
The door swung open. A young woman with big bouncy curls stepped in, heels clicking sharply. Her bright red dress was so vivid it almost hurt to look at, and her makeup was flawless to the point of arrogance.
"Miss, she hasn’t eaten for a whole day," the servant behind her said, smiling in a way that made your skin crawl.
The girl in red smirked and crouched down. "Elaine Crawford, you really know how to act tough, don’t you? Listen up—you’re nothing. Not even worthy of carrying my shoes."
Elaine lifted her head slightly. Her eyes were cold, filled with nothing but hatred. Even without makeup and in such a messy state, her beauty was still enough to make others jealous. Her aura couldn’t be dimmed, no matter how rough she looked.
She swore to herself that one day she’d escape this house. Escape these people who treated her like dirt.
"Miss, Madam and Sir will be home today. Maybe we shouldn’t…" The servant’s voice trembled. If the couple found out, things wouldn’t look good.
"Why would I care? You think my parents actually like her? If it weren’t for her dead parents doing them a favor back then, would she even be living here? We’ve raised her this long—she should be grateful."
Just the sight of Elaine’s face made her sick. At school, everyone circled around her. She was supposed to be the actual heiress—so why did Elaine get all the attention? Just because of that pretty face?
This was *her* birthday party, yet the classmates they invited only cared about Elaine. Why? Who did she think she was?
"Elaine Crawford, if you kneel down right now and admit you were wrong, maybe—just maybe—I’ll forgive you."
Elaine stared at her, eyes burning, completely silent.
"Fine. Let’s see how long you can last. It’s summer break—I’ve got plenty of time to deal with you. Let’s go."
The room went quiet again. Only Elaine remained, lying on the floor, staring at the window with eyes full of grief.
Back then, her father had been the driver for the Harrington Group’s CEO. One night during a business dinner, the CEO and his wife got drunk, and her parents drove them home. They were ambushed by the Harrington family’s enemies. To protect the couple, her parents sacrificed themselves in the crash. Her once‑perfect family shattered in an instant.
After that, the Harrington family took her in. Outsiders always said the couple was kind and treated their driver’s daughter like their own, giving her the best aristocratic education. But no one knew what kind of life she actually lived behind closed doors.
A tear slid down her cheek and hit the carpet. She’d thought about dying more times than she could count. Her world felt completely colorless. But if she really left… her parents would be heartbroken. She had to stay strong. She *had* to.
One day, she would get out of here.
Up above A Shi, a helicopter circled the sky. The black rose emblem on it was impossible to miss—that symbol belonged only to the Nightingale family.
The Nightingale family was the most mysterious clan in the world, dominating global business like a silent empire. Their only heir, Xavier Nightingale, was someone people whispered about endlessly.
Some said Xavier was ridiculously handsome, almost unreal. Others insisted he was just a puppet trapped by family expectations. In a world full of high‑society drama, who knew what the truth was?