Chapter 3

At the dining table, Lucas had taken my usual seat.

He leaned heavily against Samantha, letting her hand-feed him while planting sloppy kisses along her neck.

Samantha didn't push him away; she played along obediently.

Lucas stared at me across the table with triumphant arrogance.

I remained dead silent.

I kept my eyes fixed on my plate, forcing down the cold leftovers.

The Sterlings had already messaged me. My father’s private jet would land shortly, and he was sending a security detail to pick me up tonight.

After a while, I looked up.

At the head of the table, the two of them were engaged in a messy, passionate kiss. The wet sounds churned my stomach, sending sharp, residual pangs through my heart.

I averted my gaze.

"I'm done eating.

"Give me my pendant."

Lucas parted his lips, panting lightly, and glanced down at my empty plate.

"You finished your food, sure.

"But you know you’re only kept here to provide Samantha with an heir. Out of the goodness of my heart, I had our personal doctor brew a special herbal tonic for you. It boosts vitality and fertility. Drink it all down, and I’ll give you your necklace."

As soon as he finished speaking, a maid brought out a porcelain bowl filled with a thick, pitch-black liquid.

A horrific stench wafted from it—a sickening mix of rancid bile and foul, putrid sewage.

Just a single whiff made my stomach heave violently, acid burning the back of my throat.

I knew instantly that this was toxic filth.

"Keep the necklace. I’m not drinking that."

Lucas’s face instantly darkened. He slammed his fork onto the table.

"You don't get a choice!"

On cue, two burly maids rushed forward from behind me, pinning my arms with brutal force. Their grip was so tight it felt like bone snapping. They were going to force-feed me.

I fought back wildly.

Samantha finally stood up, stepping between us.

"Lucas, what the hell are you doing?"

Seeing Samantha try to shield me, Lucas didn't get mad. Instead, a twisted, sinister smirk spread across his lips.

He tapped his fingers lazily against the mahogany table.

His eyes lingered on the foul black brew, struck by a delightfully sadistic idea.

He drawled softly:

"Actually, Samantha, why don't you pour it down his throat yourself?

"Don't worry, it's just medicine. I only had them mix in a generous amount of human feces. You know what that is, right?"

Lucas paused, letting out a venomous laugh.

"Literal human shit!"

"Ugh—!"

Hearing those words, I couldn't hold it back.

My stomach violently convulsed, dry-heaving in sheer horror. My entire body shook with disgust.

Samantha's pupils shrank.

"Are you insane?! How could you give Julian—"

"I'll add another one hundred million dollars to the investment!" Lucas cut her off, his eyes mocking her hesitation. "The moment that entire bowl goes down his throat, the Wright family transfers the funds."

Samantha froze.

Lucas arched an eyebrow, pressing his advantage:

"Make it one hundred and fifty million.

"Shove it down him. The colder it gets, the worse it’s going to taste."

Samantha’s throat bobbed. Her face turned pale, and she fell silent. She turned to look at me. There was a brief flicker of conflict in her eyes, but it was quickly snuffed out by pure greed.

She softened her tone, coaxing me like a pet:

"Julian, be good. Just drink it.

"This money... it really means everything to my company."

I thrashed frantically against the maids’ grip.

"No! Stay away from me! Samantha, don't do this!"

As Samantha took step after step toward me, bringing that vile, reeking bowl closer to my face, I completely broke down. My voice cracked in pure terror:

"Samantha, please! I'm begging you!

"I can't drink that! Please, don't! You want money, right? I'm an heir to the St—"

Before I could finish the name, Samantha’s fingers clamped violently onto my jaw.

My cheeks were already swollen and raw from the slaps my adoptive parents gave me earlier. Her brutal grip forced my mouth open as a scream caught in my throat.

Samantha seized that exact second and tipped the foul sludge straight into my mouth.

The overwhelming stench of rancid waste exploded across my tongue, filling my throat and nasal passages.

I choked violently, retching and gagging as the foul liquid surged into my airway, nearly suffocating me. Black filth mixed with my tears and snot, running down my face in ruined streaks.

Watching me writhe in absolute agony, Lucas clapped his hands in wild delight.

"Drink it!" he cheered. "Make the bastard swallow every single drop!"