Her heart pounded as she frantically sawed through the rope, each footstep growing louder, echoing in the room. 'Thump...thump...thump.'
'Bang!'
The wooden door crashed open, slamming against the wall. Two goons stormed in, their eyes scanning the chaotic scene. A skinny one, his face twisted in anger, stomped towards Liliana. Without warning, he struck her across the face.
'smack!'
Grabbing her hair, he yanked her head back, sneering down at her. "Bitch, what did you do?" he roared.
Liliana, her cheek stinging, glared up at him defiantly. With a swift motion, she spat in his face. The response was immediate—another stinging slap that snapped her head to the side.
"Hey! Don't damage the goods," the other goon grumbled from the side. "Boss is gonna kill us if anything happens to her."
The skinny goon sneered, his eyes trailing down to her torn clothes, which exposed the curves of her breasts. He licked his lips lewdly. "Too bad we can't have a taste early," he muttered, his voice thick with lust.
Disgust churned in Liliana's stomach. Summoning all her strength, she finally cut through the rope and swung the glass shard she held with her might.
'Gash!'
"ARGHHHHHH!"
The skinny goon screamed, clutching his bleeding eye. Taking advantage of the chaos, Liliana bolted for the door, adrenaline fueling her in hope for escape.
"Catch her, you idiot!" the wounded goon bellowed, his voice filled with rage.
"Gotcha!" The other goon grabbed Liliana, pulling her back with a firm grip. She struggled fiercely, feeling her energy deplete from the blood loss, but the drug wasn't as potent as they'd hoped. With another burst of strength, she kicked him squarely in the groin.
'urgh.'
The goon doubled over, loosening his grip. Seizing the moment, Liliana sprinted out of the room, her legs carrying her as far as they could. The cabin was deep in the forest, the surroundings unclear, but she didn't stop running. Her vision blurred, and soon, she collapsed to the ground, her body giving out.
'Thud.'
A man wandering through the woods stumbled upon something. He paused and looked down, staring at the frail, bloodied and pale figure on the ground. After a moment of hesitation, he lifted her into his arms and disappeared into the darkness.
---
Six years later...
A beautiful woman gazed out of the car window, seemingly lost in thought as the scenery passed by. Her eyes gleamed with clarity, but when a voice interrupted her thoughts, they clouded with fear and submission.
"Did you hear what I said?" The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman, her tone laced with scorn she didn't bother to hide.
"Yes, ma'am," the woman replied softly. Her outward demeanor was docile, but underneath that demeanor was a rather indifferent persona.
"We're here, ma'am," the driver announced respectfully.
"Get out, Let's go."
After the driver got out of the car, the woman said harshly before they exited the car. "Behave yourself, your father spent a lot of money resources looking for you. If he loses this opportunity, you'll wish getting sold off to the countryside was the worst of your troubles." ah, her dear daughter was unable to have this opportunity due to her illegitimate status, now this slut gets it served on a silver platter even after being sold off. she thought, her eyes almost throwing daggers.
Liliana nodded obediently, following the woman's lead. Her stepmother wrapped an arm around her, feigning tenderness. "Look at you, so thin a little breeze could blow you away," she joked. "I'm fine, Mother," Liliana replied, playing along with the charade.
As they walked inside, they found a middle-aged man fawning over his guests—a well-dressed older woman and a young man with an arrogant look in his eyes.
"Ah, she's here. Liliana, come over and greet Mr. Pace and Mrs. Pace," her father called out.
Liliana slowly approached them, her heart hardened. She looked at the man who she called her father for 18 years, her heart filling with repulsion and disdain. looking at the eyes of her dear sister that seemed to spit fire, who made her to be the illegitimate child of their father?... father, ah! what a foreign word.
The rumors about Oxford Pace were chilling—an arrogant and ruthless man who crushed anyone in his way. This marriage to him was nothing but a burden, a pawn in her father's quest for power but which socialite didn't want to enjoy the grace of being the wife of one of the richest men in the country. Liliana, as well everyone in the country knew that Oxford's heart belonged to his first love, Vera. An illegitimate child but his grandmother insisted on a proper match, refusing to accept just anyone as her granddaughter-in-law, just in this situation, Liliana wondered what attracted the Pace family to their third rate Willow family.
She brushed thoughts aside for now, "Mr. Pace, Mrs. Pace," Liliana greeted them meekly.
"Lovely child, call me grandma, I have been waiting for a year now," Mrs. Pace said, gently holding her hands. "How is your illness now? I heard you were lost in the countryside six years ago. It must have been so difficult. Look how thin you are." her eyes holding undisguised concern.
Liliana flashed a polite smile, her thoughts running. "Hmmm, a year?, So, that's the story they're telling? That I was sent away on the cause of an illness?"
But she responded, "I'm fine now grandma, the family who adopted me were really good to me", Mrs Pace's eyes narrowed into a smile when she heard the title Liliana used for her, "good, that's good to hear".
Liliana looked towards the family watching them but not once did she glance at Oxford, seeing her dear sister fuming, she flashed a fake smile. Sadie saw that smile as a mocking one and was provoked, she gnashed her teeth and wanted to retort but her mother held her back and shook her head slightly, She took a deep breath and seemingly relaxed but her eyes was burning fiercely with hatred, 'this should have all been mine, this bitch always steals from me, why didn't she just die six years ago"
Liliana saw their movements and the burning hatred in Sadie's eyes but remained silent, her heart eagerly anticipating for more hypocritical shows to come.