Savannah’s POV

The night before my biggest modeling competition, I was locked in my room. And a fire broke out.

By the time the firefighters dragged me out, I had been severely burned.

At the hospital, my skin felt like it was peeling from my bones. Every breath I took hurt. I was surrounded by nurses and doctors who kept saying I was lucky to be alive.

My mother stood by the bedside, covering her face as she cried loudly.

“It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have locked the door. I didn’t know Savannah was inside. I’m so sorry. My poor baby…”

My fiancé, Aiden Brooks, looked worried but still tried to comfort her gently.

“It’s not your fault. She’s going to be fine. I’ll find the best dermatologist in town for Savannah—I’m not lying, she’ll look even better than before the fire.”

But my mother wasn’t comforted. She kept crying.

My heart ached for her. I wanted to reach out and wipe away her tears, but even I moved my eyes took tremendous effort.

It wasn’t until the doctors and nurses had finished their instructions and left the room that she finally calmed down a little, letting out a long sigh.

“Do you think we went too far?” she asked softly. “I mean… if all we wanted was to help Gabriella win the competition, was it really necessary to lock her inside and start a fire?”

What? My mind froze. What did she just say?

I didn’t have to wait long for Aiden’s answer.

A mocking smile appeared on his face as he said, “We were too soft on her before, that’s why she turned out so arrogant. She knew Gabriella had depression, yet she still flaunted her looks and her perfect body in front of her.”

“What she’s lost now is just her beauty. But what Gabriella lost was happiness. This is what she owes Gabriella.”

My fingers trembled beneath the blanket.

My entire face was wrapped in bandages, so they had no idea I was awake.

“But she’s still my daughter,” my mother said. “Who would marry her now—with her face burned and scarred?”

Aiden sighed tiredly. “Don’t worry. I’ll still marry her. She’ll still be Aiden Brooks’s wife. Even if she turns into a charred doll, no one would dare say a word. After all we’ve done for her, she should be grateful.”

Grateful?

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

They destroyed my health, burned my skin, ruined my career, and they felt no guilt. Instead, they wanted me to be thankful?

I clenched my teeth as tears burned behind my bandages.

I never imagined that the two people I trusted the most would join hands to destroy me.

I opened my mouth, wanting to scream at them, but no sound came out.

And then, a doctor entered the room to check my vitals.

I felt the doctor's hands tug at my bandages when Aiden’s voice came again.“Doctor, Pause the surgery. Don’t start until the specialist I hired gets here.”

“Excuse me?” The doctor sounded alarmed.

“You heard me. Do not start until the dermatologist I hired gets here. And don’t forget I’m the one paying for your services as well.” Aiden said sternly.

“But we can’t just…” The doctor’s tone was urgent. “We can’t wait too long. Her burns are severe. If we delay, the damage to her face and vocal cords might be permanent.”

“Did I stutter?" Aiden replied sharply. “Do as I say or this will be the last patient you ever operate on.”

There was a pause.

Then my mother’s voice came up. She hesitated. “Aiden, she’s so badly hurt… She can’t compete tomorrow anyway. Why not let her have the surgery?”

He picked up a damp cotton swab and gently moistened my cracked lips before replying calmly,

“She has to be disfigured. That’s the only way to stop her from bullying Gabriella again. I promised Gabriella she would win, and I intend to make sure of it. Besides, with Savannah’s selfish and vain nature, if we heal her completely, she’ll never realize her mistakes, she’ll only get worse. This is what’s best for her.”

“Fine,” Mom let out a weary sigh before turning to the doctor. “Give my daughter something for the pain. Clean and treat the burns on her face and body. But be careful, I don’t want her to suffer more than she already has.”

“That’s it.,” Aiden nodded.

I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood.So that was their plan all along—to destroy me, just to clear the path for my adopted sister, Gabriella Patterson.

But out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be Aiden?

A sharp, searing pain tore through my chest, and before I could stop it, blood gushed from my scorched throat, soaking the bandages wrapped around me.

Only then did they finally notice me.

Mom rushed forward, panic flashing in her tear-filled eyes. She reached out, trying to comfort me, but froze when she realized there was no uninjured place left to touch.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” she asked, voice trembling. “It hurts, doesn’t it? Don’t be afraid, mom’s here. I’ll stay with you, I promise.”

Aiden quickly stepped closer too, pretending to look worried. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll make sure you get the best treatment.” Then he spun around and roared, “Where the hell is that dermatologist? If anything happens to my wife, I’ll have this entire hospital shut down!”

Just then, the doctor stumbled in, pale and sweating. “Mr. Brooks, we’ve been trying to reach them, but there’s been an accident on the road. The specialists won’t arrive until tomorrow at the earliest.”

“What? That long?” Aiden kicked the doctor toward the door. “Then get them here faster! Get fucking out!”

“O-okay.” The doctor scurried out in terror.

Aiden turned back to me, squatting beside the bed. He took my bandaged hand gently into his, his expression full of remorse.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. This is all my fault. If I’d known earlier, I would’ve rushed in to save you, even if it meant dying for you. But now…” He punched the bed in frustration, then looked up, eyes gleaming with determination. “Don’t worry. I’ll make you beautiful again. I’ll make sure you return to the runway—no matter what it costs.”

Through the layers of bandages, I stared at his flawless face and asked in a trembling, bitter voice, “Will I really get better?”

“Yes,” he said firmly, eyes full of false conviction. “I promise.”

And in that instant, I realized what a fool I had been.

For Gabriella, the man who once swore to love me forever could act too far.

And my mother… she chose to stand beside that two-faced adopted daughter, raising the knife against her blood daughter.

A hollow laugh escaped my throat. I used every ounce of strength left in me to pull my hand out of Aiden’s grasp and turned my face away from him.

He froze for a moment, then pleaded softly, “Please, don’t be mad at me, okay?”

I didn’t respond. I simply closed my eyes.

Moments later, several doctors walked back in. They moved quickly around me, one of them inserting a needle into my arm.

“Miss Savannah,” one said gently, pity flickering in his eyes, “the specialists still haven’t arrived. We’ll start with some basic treatment for now. Please bear with it a little longer.”

They said it was pain relief to make me feel better, but the heat from the chemicals burned worse than the fire. I felt every inch of my skin screaming. Blood and pus soaked the sheets beneath me. My throat caught fire again, and this time no scream came out, just hoarse gasps.

Mom pressed her hand to her mouth like she was choking back tears. Aiden balled his fists, putting on a show of pain for the room. They looked like the perfect grieving family.

But deep down, I knew the truth. They weren’t my family, they were monsters in disguise.

Savannah’s POV

I slowly regained consciousness. My eyelids twitched beneath the sharp brightness of the hospital room, forcing me to squint. My throat was dry, and every breath felt like it scraped against my lungs. When I tried to move, pain screamed through my entire body.

How long had I been asleep for?

I tried to press the call button to summon the doctors and nurses, but just then, my mother’s voice drifted in from outside the door.

"Aiden, Savannah’s condition is already terrible. We’ve postponed her treatment for two days. Do you really want to give her that new experimental drug? The doctor said it hasn’t been fully tested yet..." Her voice trailed off, becoming too faint to catch, but I had already grasped the key point.

Experimental drug?

My brows furrowed. I’d heard of it before. Rumors said that once taken, it could cause severe side effects like seizures... and loss of bladder control.

My fists clenched tightly as I stared toward the door. Was he really going to be this cruel?

Aiden’s voice came from the hallway, cold and casual.

“I know. That’s the point.”

“Today’s Gabriella’s big night. All the big players in the industry will be there, a few of them still respect Savannah which is why I need her to make a fool of herself in front of everyone. If she humiliates herself badly enough, she’ll no longer be competition for Gabriella. But don’t worry after tomorrow I’ll announce our engagement, that’ll be my way of making it up to her.”

“Oh and tell the specialist to wait outside the villa until the party is over.” Aiden added.

Mom didn’t protest. I felt my heart collapse in on itself. The two people I trusted most, my mother and the man I loved, were plotting to destroy what little was left of me.

They knew how weak I had been growing up. They knew how hard I had worked to get to where I was. Modeling wasn’t just a job to me; it was the dream I had fought for. And they had taken it away with one easy decision.

In that moment, I thought bitterly that maybe I should have died in that fire.

The door opened quietly. Aiden walked in as if nothing had happened, holding a paper cup and two pills for Gabriella, his expression gentle.

“Hey,” he said softly. “You’re finally awake. Perfect timing.

He walked over and sat down beside my bed, then pulled a pill bottle from his pocket and gave it a little shake. “The doctor asked me to give you these,” he said, rattling the bottle of experimental medicine. “He said they’re painkillers. They’ll make you feel better, so I need you to take them, alright?”

I tried to move away from him, but he scooted closer to me. “They’re just pills Savannah,” he said as he popped two pills out of the bottle.

I stared at the pills. They were small and white, I knew exactly what they were. My lips trembled as he brought them close to my lips. “Say ahh.”

I scrunched my nose and looked away. “They smell… bitter,” I rasped. “I don’t want to take them.”

He sighed, his face shifting to that practiced look of concern. “Savannah, don’t be stubborn. But you can’t say no to medicine that’ll make you feel better.”

I still refused to look at him.

“It hurts me to see you like this. It hurts your mother too, the both of us have been worried sick ever since the accident and we all want you to be better. “Just take it for us, okay?”

I didn’t even have time to refuse before he shoved the pill into my mouth.

“Good girl,” he murmured. “Let me feed you.”

The capsule slid down my throat. The bitterness spread across my tongue like poison. I gagged, but he tilted the cup higher until I swallowed it down.

“Good girl,” he murmured. “Just you wait, you’ll feel better in no time.”

A burning heat spread through my body, and within minutes, my limbs felt light and heavy at the same time. My head buzzed like a swarm of bees was trapped inside it.

Aiden sat down beside me and grabbed my hand. “Sweetheart, today’s Gabriella’s celebration party. Her biggest wish is to have your blessing. You come with me, okay?”

“But I’m not feeling well. I don’t want to go,” I refused.

“But if you don’t, people might start saying you’re being petty or jealous, you know how they talk. I don’t want to hear anyone say anything bad about you. Be good. I’ll have the outfit brought to your room. We’ll leave in a few hours.”

“Understand it, sweetheart.” mom said. She walked closer, brushing my arm like she was comforting me. “When the party’s over, I’ll personally host your wedding with Aiden. It’ll make everything perfect again.”

I slowly pulled my hand away from mom’s grip, feeling like something inside me had died.

Savannah’s POV

I arrived at the villa with Gabriella, Aiden, and my mother. The car slowed to a stop in front of the red carpeted entrance. I stared out the window, my heart pounding against my chest.

The car door opened, and the sound of camera shutters immediately filled the air. Flashbulbs burst like tiny explosions. The moment my feet touched the ground, the reporters swarmed around me.

I froze. “Mom,” I whispered, trying to grab her hand. But she had already stepped forward with Gabriella, their arms linked as they walked toward the entrance gracefully, heads held high, basking in the attention.

My hand hovered awkwardly in the air. My face turned cold, and I lowered my head, pulling the brim of my hat down to hide.

“Savannah!” one reporter shouted. “Is it true you tried to set Gabriella on fire out of jealousy?”

“Or was it just a stunt gone wrong?” another sneered. “I mean, your face got the punishment, didn’t it?”

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

My fingers clenched around the edge of my coat. My legs felt heavy.

Someone pushed a microphone closer. “Tell us, Savannah, how does it feel to lose your face and your career? All in one night.”

They didn’t even try to hide the cruelty in their voices.

Another voice cut through. “There are rumors your modeling career was just funded because you were having secret affairs with top execs in the fashion world, can you confirm this?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. I wanted to disappear, but the flashes only got closer, brighter, harsher.

Then one of them yanked my hat off.

The brim scraped against my cheek. Cold air rushed against my exposed skin. The crowd gasped in unison.

“God, she’s disgusting.”

“Did the fire really do all that?”

“She looks like a monster.”

I saw their faces twist with a mix of shock and thrill. Phones rose higher. Livestreams began.

“This is what happens,” one reporter said loudly into her phone camera, “when karma catches up with you. As you can all see for yourselves.”

I stumbled back, trying to cover my face with my hands, but someone shoved me from behind. My knees hit the ground hard. My clothes snagged against something sharp and tore. The fabric peeled back, exposing the scars on my arms, legs, and waist. I heard someone laugh.

“Quickly get this on camera. This is gold,” another voice said.

I let out a short cry and tried to cover my body with the pieces of my cloth.

Then it started. A violent, uncontrollable twitch ran down my spine, then spread to my limbs. The drug Aiden gave me earlier was kicking in. My arms jerked. My head snapped back. I was even foaming a bit on the mouth.

No.

Not now.

“Oh my god, she’s seizing!” someone yelled, but there was no fear in their tone. It was excitement.

The crowd moved closer with their cameras. A man crouched to take a close-up of my face as my eyes rolled back. I felt like a circus freak. Then, something warm spread down my thighs, followed by the foul, sharp smell that made the air even heavier.

I had wet myself.

I wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t even cover myself.

I lay there trembling, in a pool of my own urine.

“Oh shit, I think she pissed herself!” someone said.

“God, that’s pathetic,” another laughed.

“Stop! What you’re fucking doing?” Aiden barreled through the crowd, snatched a reporter’s camera, and smashed it to the ground. “Who said you could take pictures of her? Get out!”

The reporters stumbled back, murmuring, some recording even more frantically.

My mother rushed toward me, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor. She dropped her jacket over me, covering my torn clothes, and crouched down.

Tears welled up and spilled over. “Where are the security guards? Why didn’t they stop them? Are they all dead? How could they let reporters in?! Get out, everyone!”

Gabriella stood a few steps away, her perfect lips trembled as she pleaded softly, “Please, don’t publish these photos. My sister’s already been through so much.”

I stared at her through the blur of my tears. I know, she was enjoying this.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask them why they were doing this to me. If I knew modeling was so important to Gabriella I would have happily stepped aside and let her in the spotlight.

But why did they need to destroy me? Why were they doing this!

With my emotions surged uncontrollably, my vision dimmed around the edges. My head felt heavy.

Aiden crouched down beside me, cupping my face. His touch was warm, almost gentle, but his eyes were unreadable.

“Savannah, I’m so sorry,” he said quickly. “I should have been here. I should have protected you.”

My lips trembled. I wanted to push him away, but I couldn’t even lift my hand.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Ever,” he continued, his voice shaking, which sounded sincere. “I swear it.”

He grabbed my hand, squeezed it tightly, and looked me straight in the eyes. “Marry me. Right here. Right now. I’ll make everything right. I promise.”

Marry him? Was he out of his mind?

I forced air into my lungs and tried to speak. “N…” The word barely formed when blood burst from my lips, splattering across Aiden’s white suit.

His face drained of color. “Savannah!”

My mother screamed. “Doctor! Someone call a doctor!”

Savannah’s POV

“Her internal organs are severely damaged,”The doctor said carefully. “The psychotropic drug overdose and delayed treatment caused major complications. At this moment if we begin surgery, I estimate that the success rate will be only thirty percent.”

Aiden’s voice cracked. “You’re going to save her,” he said sharply. “I don’t care what it takes, just do it.”

The doctor’s expression didn’t change. “We’ll do everything we can.”

Aiden turned to me, his eyes red and wet. He held my hand tightly like he could force me to stay alive through sheer will. “Savannah, you promised me forever,” he whispered. “You said we’d grow old together. Don’t you dare leave me.”

I wanted to laugh, but no sound came out.

Then I heard a thud. My mother was on her knees, clutching the hem of the doctor’s coat. “Please,” she cried, her voice shaking. “Save my daughter. Take my life if you have to. I’ll give anything.”

My vision blurred. I closed my eyes slowly. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to just die.

When I woke up again, I was in my room. It was quiet, except for the faint sound of whispers near the doorway. My mom and Gabriella were standing there, their backs turned to me.

“Mom, will Savannah be upset about you transferring all of Dad’s inheritance to me?” Gabriella asked cautiously.

Mom smiled indulgently. “Silly girl, she won’t be short of money if she’s going to marry Aiden. Don’t worry about it.”

My fingers tightened under the blanket.

She continued, “When your father died, I was diagnosed with acute leukemia. You were the one who gave me blood transfusions and bone marrow every day. That’s why I swore you are my most precious daughter for the rest of my life. I owe you everything.”

“I know you love Aiden. We’ve already discussed it—Savannah’s physical condition means she cannot have children. You’ll bear his first child on the wedding night instead of her.”

Gabriella blushed. “Mom, I’ll do as you say.” Mom’s pleased sound echoed from outside the door.

After a moment, Mom pushed the door open, and when she saw my wide-open eyes, she froze.

For a brief second, guilt flashed across her face. Then it disappeared. “Sweetheart, you’re awake. ”

“You heard all of that?” I nodded.

She stammered, “If that’s the case, I won’t hide it from you either. The Brooks family is powerful and can’t be without an heir. But don’t worry, the title of Mrs. Brooks will still be yours.”

I forced myself to smile. “You’re right,” I said slowly. “But I can’t even make it to the wedding looking like this. Let Gabriella attend in my place.”

Her eyes lit up immediately. “Oh, Savannah. I knew you were a good child.”

Gabriella crossed her arms, her lips curling into a smirk. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your husband till you’re better.”

I turned my head away. I didn’t want to see their faces anymore. Deep down, I told myself that someday, if my mother ever learned the truth of blood transfusions and donate bone marrow, I hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

The wedding was at the villa. Gabriella’s idea. She wanted me to watch her take everything I loved.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling when the door burst open. Gabriella glided in wearing a white wedding gown, walking into the room gracefully, a cruel gleam flickering across her face.

“Savannah, you really are lucky. Even that fire couldn’t kill you. You’re stubborn, aren’t you?”

I didn’t bother arguing. “You’ve already gotten what you wanted. What else do you want?”

She smiled coldly. “Obviously, I wanted you dead. Only then could I become Aiden’s rightful wife.”

Then before I could speak, she walked towards the curtain and flicked a lighter her eyes met mine before she held it against the curtain. Flames caught fast and began consuming the curtain. The heat hit my face as she stepped back with a satisfied grin.

“Gabriella!” I shouted, dragging myself up. I grabbed a pillow and tried to smother the fire, but she kicked me hard into the bedpost. My shoulder hit the wood, and pain shot through my body.

Then she ran to the door, screaming, “Help! Savannah set the room on fire!”

The door opened. Aiden rushed in, panic on his face. He ran straight to Gabriella, held her close, and asked, “Are you hurt?”

I was lying on the floor, in pain. He didn’t even look at me.

Mom appeared next. “Take Gabriella to the hospital,” she ordered the staff. “Now.”

“I didn’t…” I tried to speak, but Gabriella cut me off with a sob.

She clung tightly to Aiden, her voice trembling with grievance. “Aidy, I just wanted to cheer Savannah up, but she said since her face was ruined, mine had to be too. She told me I’d never wear a beautiful dress again in my life. Then she set the fire. She was going to burn me alive. I was so scared…”

“Savannah. How could you?” Aiden’s face twisted with disgust. “Why can’t you be more accommodating?”

Mom’s cold gaze landed on me. “Gabriella’s done nothing but be sweet to you, yet this is how you treat her. Had I known you’d become like this, that blaze should have finished you.”

They took Gabriella away without even glancing back.

At the door, Aiden cast one last look at the flames. “Like playing with fire? Then play all you want. Lock the door. No one is to open it.”

“Please,” I whispered, crawling toward the door. “Mom, Aiden, please.”

Mom hesitated for a second, but Aiden’s hand on her arm made her stop. “Nothing will happen,” he said lightly. “She probably hid the extinguisher somewhere inside.”

Then my screams and pleas were cut off by the thundering slam of the door.My eyes immediately went to the rapidly growing flame. Horrific memories from the time I was trapped in my room began to resurface.

I was rooted to the spot and the only thoughts that went through my mind was “This was hell.”

They rushed Gabriella straight to the hospital, and only after confirming she was completely unharmed did Aiden remember me.

He let out a sigh and unlocked his phone. Just then, a live news alert about a fire at the Brooks Villa popped up, the blood-red headline stabbing sharply at his eyes.

Frowning, he was about to call his butler, Tristan, when the phone rang first.

“Let her out. I’ll take her to France for the honeymoon. Didn’t she want to go there anyway? Consider this compensation for keeping her locked up.”

Tristan’s voice trembled. “Mr. Brooks… the villa is on fire. Mrs. Brooks… she… didn’t make it out.”