Chapter 1 Vicious Beauty

Lightning struck and thunder clapped, both were signaling an approaching storm.

Audrey Yang lay like a broken puppet on the dusty cement ground. She slowly opened her eyes that were immediately greeted by the dark.

The moment she moved a muscle, sharp pain surged throughout her entire body. She bit back her scream.

There were dark stains on the floor, which she guessed were blood. It was then that she felt the cold rattle her bones.

Was she about to die? It certainly felt like it. But it was a feeling that she was not ready to accept.

She bit her lip and flinched at the fresh wave of pain. She had not found her mother yet. She still had a lot to live for, a lot of things to do. She could not die in a dark, dirty room in the middle of nowhere.

As she struggled to breathe through the pain, she heard some footsteps approaching followed by a deep male voice that she would never forget.

"She's inside, Miss Yang. I've been standing guard so that she couldn't run away. I've contacted Mr. Bai again. We won't fail this time."

"We better not, because if things go south again, you can kiss your money goodbye," said a familiar female voice.

Audrey's eyes widened as adrenaline coursed through her veins and drowned out the pain. Gritting her teeth, she climbed to her feet and walked as quietly as she could to the door. She looked out through the crack.

Lightning struck once again followed by explosive, resounding thunder. The brief flash of light revealed the man and woman's faces in the dark.

What was Alia Yang doing with the man who kidnapped her and planned to sell her to a brothel owner?

Was she responsible for all of this?

Before Audrey could step back, Alia was already staring at the door as if she had sensed her presence behind it. The woman suddenly took a step forward and pushed the door open.

Rage flared in Audrey's chest and she snapped, "How could you do this to me, Alia? I've always regarded you as my sister and given you whatever you wanted. Why did you hurt me like this? You're so heartless!"

As her eyes burned with furious tears, she watched Alia put on an amused smile that made her eyes flicker with satisfaction.

"Your sister?" Alia retorted and then burst into laughter. She looked at her like she was talking to an idiot.

"You still don't know that we're only half-sisters? I tolerated you because I wanted to replace you, Audrey. I want your life as the eldest daughter of the Yang family and your man—Kase."

Audrey was stunned and then thought of all her previous interactions with her half-sister. She glared at her and said, "So you lied about Mom being in M Country just to get me to come here? You... You can't win, Alia. Even if you succeed in taking me out of the picture, Kase will never love you."

"You are so damn naive! I'm more beautiful than you are, and I can please him better than you can. Once you disappear and I take your place, he will be mine." Alia smiled complacently.

"You bitch!" That was her last nerve. Audrey charged toward her with every last ounce of her remaining strength, but before she could touch her, she was already on the ground. Alia had slapped her so forcefully that she tripped out of balance.

"Ah!"

Alia jammed the heel of her stiletto into the back of her right hand, and she let out a reverberating scream.

"By the way, I have some good news. I'm pregnant with Kase's baby who he adores with all his heart. When I return home, we will get married. I will become the Feng Group's CEO's wife, and our child will be Feng Group's heir. You will never see Kase again in your life," Alia mused.

"You're lying. I'm the one Kase wants to marry. He promised he'd marry me as soon as I graduated from college. He doesn't love you. All you are to him is a sister," Audrey retorted.

She did not believe a word that came out of her mouth. Kase would never betray her like that.

Her last sentence pissed her half-sister off so much that she rolled her over and tore off her collar, exposing the striking marks on her neck. Alia smiled down at her with contempt.

"So what if he doesn't love me now? I'm more than capable of making him fall in love with me. You no longer have a chance because you're already stained. Kase will never want a woman another man has already played with."

As she spoke, she raised her mobile phone and started taking photos of Audrey.

"Stop taking photos of me! Give me that phone!"

Audrey struggled to snatch the phone from Alia's hand, but she had no strength left. She could only watch from the ground as Alia walked over to the man she hired to kidnap and assault her.

Alia turned her head toward her one last time and then ordered her henchman, "Change of plans. Toss her into the ocean and let whatever lives there take care of her. I can't have potential complications walking around. Be careful and cover your tracks."

"Consider it done, Miss Yang."

"Alia!" Audrey screamed after her, but her half-sister never looked back. Next thing she knew, she was floating in the open sea. She was incredibly tired, and as she closed her eyes, the cold, salty water slowly swallowed her.

Memories flashed before her eyes as she sank into the watery abyss. Then, somewhere deep inside her, the will to survive sparked to life. Using the last of her strength, she bit down on her tongue hard, and she began breaking for the surface.

She swam and swam, sinking again ever so often. She had just been beaten and raped and had not eaten or drank since she woke up.

She was on the verge of giving up when she heard the sound of a nearby cruise ship.

Her silent prayers had been heard!

She started madly flailing about in the water to get the attention of those onboard. She screamed for help until her throat became sore.

On the luxury cruise ship, a slender, pretty-faced man with short hair and a carefree temperament stood at the bow. He was enjoying the fresh ocean breeze when he heard a woman screaming. He looked overboard.

"Did you hear that? Someone's shouting for help."

"No, I didn't. Ah... Boss, there she is! I see her! Oh, my God, she's drowning! I'll go get help!"

Audrey had used up her last bit of strength. She closed her eyes and gave herself to the water.