bChapter /bb67 /b

With a swift chop to the neck, Ste was knocked out cold. When she regained consciousness, she found herself in unfamiliar surroundings. She struggled instinctively, only to discover that her hands and body were tightly bound.

“Max? Max?” Ste called out weakly. She vaguely remembered that Max had done something to her, but she couldn’t recall exactly what. Now, he was the only one she could turn to for answers.

“Stel Suddenly, Troy loomed before her.

Ste instinctively recoiled, but her restraints allowed only minimal movement. She red at Troy, tense. “What do you want?

A sly smile yed on Troy’s lips, the stud in his left earlobe glinting ominously. He sneered at Ste. “You know exactly what I want. Truth be told, I’ve always been itching to do this.” Slowly, he advanced toward her, each step deliberate and menacing

Ste continued to back away until her back hit the wall. She called out, “Get away from me. Didn’t you say I’ve been with many men? I have AIDS now. If you force yourself on me, you’ll get infected too.”

Troy let out a mockingugh. “You think I’m stupid? Back when your familyunched a public blood drive for you, and they couldn’t find a single thing wrong with your health. Did you really expect me to buy that?”

Ste demanded, “Don’t you find this disgusting?”

Troy sneered at Ste, “But Max told me you’re still a virgin. The cops already confirmed it.”

Ste’s eyes darkened, a subtle depth flickering within her gaze. So turned out that Max traded her to Troy. Ste sneered, “I know that even if you have your way with me, you’ll never help them. Only a fool like Max would fall for that.”

Ste red at Troy and warned, “Lay a finger on me, and I swear I’ll call the cops.”

Troy nodded with a smirk. “I always knew you bwere /bthe only one in the Hayes family with any real brains. Your brother Max has a shred of business sense, but he can’t sustain it. This dirty trick is the only thing he’s good at

“Gotta hand it to you. You’re sharp to figure this out so fast. But guess what? Max handed you right over to me. Call the cops if you dare. Your brother Max won’t get away with it either.”

Ste red at Troy and snapped, “Don’t use Max to threaten me. I’ll drag both of you to the copsb./b”

Troy sneered at Ste. “Fine. Let’s see who’s really got the guts to follow through, me or you.” He tore open bSte’s /bclothes. At the sight of her exposed skin, his face twisted with disgust.

Troy sneered, “Just look at this mess. And Max actually thinks you, in this state, could get my family to invest in hispany? He can dream on.” However, Troy did not stop his assault on Ste.

Ste screamed, “Troy, if you dare do this, may your bloodline end with you.”

Troy pped Ste hard across the face. “bI’ve /bhad more women than I can count. The only reason I want you is because you’re the one I’ve always obsessed over but could never get my hands on. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even look at you.

“Just look at you, covered in these disgusting scars. Makes me sick to my stomach. Look at you–just skin and bones. Nothing worth looking bat /bball/b.

“Especially your waist, with that massive, ugly scar from having your kidney cut out Goddamn, it makes me sick to my stomach.

Ste’s heart throbbed–each word a fresh stab of pain. Being despised like this struck directly at her deepest wounds

She used to be so beautiful. Her skin was smooth, and she had a great figure. She was once the campus beauty who loved to strile. Many people used to say that her smile could heal even the deepest wounds.

She excelled academically–being the only student in her school to gain admission to Quentiham University. Yet now she ended up

like this.

Troy’s body bore down on her, and Ste thrashed desperately. Troy sneered, “The more you struggle, the more it turns me on, Ste. Today, I will have you.”

Ste felt something strange coursing through her body. That sensation waspletely beyond her control. She realized that she was drugged. It must have been Max, her own brother..

She never expected Max to treat her well, but to humiliate her like this was beyond cruel. She used to be so good to him, yet he drugged her and gave her to Troy.

Ste was bound hand and foot. Any resistance would be futile. Suddenly, a desperate idea struck Ste. She viciously sank her teeth into Troy’s ear.

Ste could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth as she heard Troy kept screaming, “Let go. Let go, you fucking bitch!”

Ste bit down harderb, /blooking ready to bite his ear clean off.

Troy dug his fingers viciously into Ste’s thigh; the pain was so intense she couldn’t bear it, forcing her to finally release him.

Clutching his bleeding ear, Troy didn’t hesitate. Hended another vicious p across Ste’s face. Still seething with rage, he began viciously kicking Ste’s prone body, each brutal blownding with merciless force.

Agony wracked Ste, leaving her powerless to resist.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a crash. Kevin stormed in, his eyes immediately locking onto the helpless Ste. “Ste!” he cried out urgently.

Heshed out with a vicious kick at Troy, then immediately turned to face Ste. “Ste, are you okay?” Kevin asked, his voice full

of concern.

Seeing Ste exposed, Kevin immediately stripped off his own jacket and draped it over her.

m behind. “You fucking bastard! How dare you kick me? Just as Kevin was about to carry Ste away, Troy viciously kicked him Ste’s mine now. I just fucked her. Sure, she’s not as pretty as she used to be, but she still

Before Troy could finish, Kevin sprang to his feet and mmed a punch into his face.

Troy red at Kevin and snapped, “You lowlife! How dare you hit me? I’ll make you regret this.”

Kevin and Troy erupted into a vicious brawl.

Ste finally caught her breath and found her voice. She pleaded anxiously, “Kevin, stop it!” She knew Kevin’s father valued him highly. She couldn’t let her situationpromise his standing.

Kevin acted as if he hadn’t heard her. For the first time in all the years Ste had known him, she saw him unleash ba /bsavage fury punch after brutal punch raining down on Troy, relentless as a beast.

Ste, genuinely terrified that Kevin was about to beat Troy to death and get himself into serious troubleb, /bbcried /bout desperatery, “Kevin, stop!”

Exhausted from the fight, Kevin spared a nce at Troy lying motionless on the ground, then turned and gently bscooped /bStells up into his arms. He said, “I’ll get you to my ce.”

Kevin also knew that if Eleanor saw Ste like this, she’d be beside herself with worry. It was better to take her to his ce and btend /bto her wounds first. Thankfully, Ste only had a swollen cheek.

Kevin’s chest tightened as he saw the horrific scars covering Ste’s body. Kevin stammered, “How… how could this happen?

Thest time someone saw these scars and cried was Eleanor. Ste smiled at Kevin, her voice gentle. “It’s alright. Fm fine now. Don’t be upset, Kevin.”

gotten to

Kevin’s voice trembled with anguish. “Why? Why couldn’t I have gotten to you sooner? If I had, would any of this have happened?

Ste let out a bitter smile and murmured, “I guess this is just how my life was meant to be.”

Kevin suddenly sped her hand. “Eleanor never knew how to fix things for you, but I’ve found the way. Ste, I love you. I’ve loved you for so long. Will you marry me?”