Celine just smiled, enjoying the look on my face. “Ashes are useless. Why waste land burying them? Better the wild dogs have them.” She shrugged. “Oh, and I might’ve suggested stopping your father’s treatment at the hospital. Waste of time, really.”

My heart stopped. “You… you let him die?”

She waved her hand like it was nothing. “Look, I can make Argus do whatever I want. You think you’re in the same league as me?” Then she lifted her left hand. The ring glinted. My blood ran cold. It was the one Argus had bought at an auction for 500 million six months ago. Everyone had thought they were getting married that day, but Argus had said I wasn’t worthy.

Celine laughed. “Argus said I deserve everything rare in this world. Including him. Including her. Only I’m worthy.”

I snapped. I lunged at her and grabbed her by the neck. “You killed my father! You deserve to die!” My voice shook with rage, pure hatred boiling up. Celine’s smug smile didn’t even falter.

Bang. A vase smashed across my head. Hot blood ran down my face. Argus shoved me away and slapped me hard. “You crazy?!” he yelled. My chest ached, but I was beyond that. I grabbed a shard from the broken vase, ready to strike Celine in a blind fury.

“You killed my father! You deserve to die!” I screamed.

Argus grabbed my wrist before I could do anything. Then he noticed the urn in my other hand. His eyes widened, shocked. “What’s this? Your father…”

Celine rolled her eyes. “Don’t believe him, Argus! I saw his father taking a walk at the hospital two days ago. How could he have died so suddenly?”

I looked at Argus, desperate, panicked. Did he believe her? Could he even imagine what I’d lost?

Argus’s expression froze for a moment, guilt flickering across his eyes. But then it vanished. Cold replaced it. He turned to the nurses. “Take her away. Put her in the mental hospital. And give her special care. Make sure she learns her lesson.”

I wanted to scream, to fight, to explain, but my body felt empty. My father was gone, Celine had won, and Argus… he didn’t even hesitate.

…

On my first day in the mental hospital, I broke a window trying to run. They caught me fast and beat me until I could barely stand.

Next day, they strapped me to an operating table and took one of my kidneys. No anesthesia. I couldn’t even scream properly.