Chapter 2

As the laughter of the evil couple loomed over her, Yvonne trembled with a burning hatred that ate at her soul. She spied a little knife sitting on the table beside, and she wrestled with all her might and snatched it before crawling over to them.

But before she could sink its blade into the traitor and enemy she hated so much, she was disarmed, and the knife was taken away by Mitchell.

"You lousy bitch! You wish to murder me?! Dream on!"

Seeing Yvonne bracing to bite him like some beastly animal made him lose what thrill he had in torturing her. Tenderly, he said to Yvette, "Let's continue this at home."

He dislodged himself from his lover and dragged Yvonne up like a ragdoll and tossed her back up into bed.

"All right then. Time to do what I came here for."

Yvonne convulsed wildly to shake free. But all the defiance would do little to help her against the strong and healthy Mitchell.

While he kept her pinned to the bed, Yvette emerged dutifully beside him to help him by using a pair of handcuffs to restrain Yvonne's hands to both sides of the bed.

Mitchell twirled the knife deftly between his fingers and lamented mockingly, "If only Father could see this, Yvonne; his surgical knives being used to sever the tendons in the hands of his own daughter. I wonder how he would look."

On the bed, Yvonne struggled against the cuffs that shackled her, her one and only eye so blood-red as if tears of blood would ooze out at any moment.

She was the treasured daughter of House Stone of Ning City. 20 years ago, her father had taken in a nine-year-old Mitchell Cook and took care of him like he was one of his own.

And as a boy, Mitchell had always been a good and loyal son to the Stones, with more love and care for Yvonne, who was two years his junior.

Mitchell began his courtship of Yvonne as soon as they reached adulthood, and Yancy Stone, the patriarchal head of House Stone, was glad to see that his foster son would marry his precious daughter. When Yvonne reached 24, he arranged a marriage ceremony in honor of them both.

Yancy Stone, Yvonne's father, was the greatest mind in neurosurgery in Ushguli, and he also served as the Director of Ning City Neurosurgery Hospital.

Meanwhile, Yvonne's mother was the President of Atlantis Corporations, one of the largest private companies in Ushguli, which she had inherited upon the death of the males in her family due to accidents and mishaps.

Yvonne had one other sibling, a little brother that was 13 years younger than her—Zane Stone, now age 14. The Stones were once a prosperous and happy family.

That is, until three years ago, right after Yvonne's and Mitchell's engagement. She discovered Mitchell's illicit relationship with Yvette, which was when he revealed his ugly and truest self to her!

He had Yvonne bound in ropes, and he severed the tendons in her legs before imprisoning her in the cabin of this yacht.

Then he brought Yvette here, who then splashed concentrated sulfuric acid on her face!

Until this day, Yvonne vividly remembered the scalding burn that gnawed at her flesh and the excruciating pain she felt that day! A day of such infamy that she almost wished to die if only the pain would stop!

There she remained incarcerated until one day, a TV was installed, allowing her to understand what had happened in the outside world.

As it happened, she was reported dead. Out of grief for losing her, her mother killed herself by jumping off a building, but not before leaving Atlantis into Mitchell's hands.

Her father Yancy, upon losing both his wife and daughter together, lost his mind overnight, and the No.1 Surgeon of Ushguli faded into twilight ever since.

Then she saw the news about Mitchell's meticulous exterior; he turned into a lanky and haggard man as he "mourned" over her death. At one point, he even nearly died because of a fever that resulted from his "sorrows". Yet even after his recovery, he remained a recluse who shied away from the limelight, putting up a convincing facade of his great love for his fiancée and the family who had nurtured and cared for him all his life!

Mitchell continued paying to take care of his deranged foster father, including his foster brother Zane, who, in one single night, lost his ability to speak after the terrible pileup of misfortunes that befell his family one after another. Since then, Mitchell had remained single as far as the local news knew; a single man who had kept his heart locked up and the key tucked away.

Yvonne's eyes flashed with more growing hate every time she saw news highlighting the purported loyalty of the traitor, Mitchell Cook!

"You beastly monster, Mitchell Cook! Harm my father, and I will never forget this! Even after my death, I shall return to haunt you!" She growled warningly like a cornered beast.

Yet she felt only pain and suffering at her exertions, and Mitchell seemed unfazed by the meaningless threats.

"I see. You miss Father?" He remarked, smiling with an extraordinary hint of malice. "I bet you wish to know how he is now. How about a long-awaited reunion?"