In the grand hall of the Huck family, the voice of stepmother Maria Thompson suddenly rang out.
"If you want to see your grandmother one last time, you have two options: either get married to Cassius Bennett, or come up with ten million. Choose wisely."
Nevaeh Huck let out a cold laugh. "You want to climb the social ladder but refuse to let your daughter marry a comatose man like Cassius just to bring some good luck? You think I'll just be your pawn? Maria, you're dreaming if you think you can threaten me!"
"Not going to choose?" Maria's voice turned sharp as she pointed at Nevaeh's head. "Then I'll just toss that old hag into the crematorium and flush her ashes down the toilet, ensuring she never reincarnates!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Ha! If you want to see your grandmother, you better obediently agree to the marriage."
After hearing this, Nevaeh's eyes turned icy. Without saying a word, she turned and walked away.
Maria was a cunning and ruthless woman; if she said she would do something, she definitely would.
Nevaeh needed to find her grandmother quickly.
She still had the solid blood pills she had refined the day before. Even for someone on the brink of death, taking one could offer a glimmer of hope.
With that thought in mind, Nevaeh walked outside while pulling out her phone.
She needed to call her boyfriend, Cyrille Bennett.
After all, she had saved his life once, and he would definitely help her with her grandmother's situation.
The familiar ringtone echoed from the nearby bedroom, and Nevaeh thought she must have misheard.
How could Cyrille be at the Huck family home? At her house? Right in front of her was Noreen's room.
Just as she was doubting her own ears, a delicate voice chimed in, "Is that my sister calling, Cyrille? Why aren't you answering? What if it's something urgent?"
"Who cares about her? That bitch hasn't let me touch her for three years. She must be sick in the head. But you, you drive me wild."
"Stop it, you're so annoying~"
It felt like a thunderclap had exploded above her head.
Nevaeh felt dizzy, and all her hopes crumbled in an instant.
The boyfriend who had professed his love for her had long betrayed her, and the woman he was with was none other than her adoptive mother's daughter, Noreen.
No wonder Cyrille had never publicly acknowledged their relationship over the past three years, claiming it was to protect her reputation.
It had all been a lie!
The suggestive whispers continued to wash over her like waves, and the bright lights illuminated her tightly shut eyes, casting a thin glow.
When she finally opened them again, a chilling coldness settled deep within her.
In the past, Nevaeh had been foolish to believe Cyrille's words about repaying a life-saving grace with gratitude.
Now she realized just how naive it was to trust a man's words.
But now, she was all alone.
Even her only ally, her boyfriend, had betrayed her, making it even harder to rescue her grandmother, who couldn't wait much longer…
After hesitating for a moment, Nevaeh returned to the living room.
"I can marry Cassius Bennett," Nevaeh declared, her voice firm and resolute. "But I want to see my grandmother first."
A smug smile crept onto Maria's face as she pulled out her phone and opened a video.
On the screen, an elderly woman with gray hair lay in bed, struggling to open her eyes. Her voice was low and hoarse. "Nevaeh, don't worry about Grandma. You need to take care of yourself."
Seeing her grandmother for the first time, a wave of intense sorrow washed over Nevaeh, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
She had been an orphan since childhood, found and raised by her grandmother, who was her only family in the world.
"Where is my grandmother?" Nevaeh asked angrily, her eyes red with emotion.
Maria put her phone away. "The old lady is doing fine, in the intensive care unit. When the right time comes I'll make sure you see her."
"You better keep your word!" Nevaeh Huck's voice was chillingly cold. "Otherwise, I won't let you get away with this!"
Maria felt a shiver run down her spine as she met Nevaeh's sharp, icy gaze.
Even though it was the height of summer, she felt as if she were submerged in freezing winter water, an inexplicable sense of panic creeping over her.
What's with this girl?
Why does her stare feel so haunting?
That evening, the Bennett family sent a car to pick up Nevaeh.
The car stopped at a mansion that stood out from all the others.
This estate didn't look newly built; it looked like some ancient residence.
It had this quiet, elegant vibe that made it feel almost like a fairyland, super peaceful and beautiful.
From inside the entrance, a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache walked out, smiling as he introduced himself.
"Madam, I am the butler of this estate. My name is Hussein."
"Nice to meet you, Hussein," Nevaeh replied politely.
Since she was the new bride who was supposed to bring good luck to the young master, the butler didn't dare treat her carelessly.
He led Nevaeh up to the second floor and pointed at the first door on the left.
"This is the new room for the young master and young mistress. From now on, the young mistress will take care of the young master's daily needs."
Nevaeh nodded silently. When she opened the door, a strong smell of disinfectant hit her nose.
If it weren't for the big red wedding decorations on the wall, she would've thought she just walked into some VIP hospital room.
After closing the door and stepping inside, she saw a bed right in the middle of the room.
A man was lying there, his face sharp and super handsome, eyes shut tight.
If it weren't for the monitor beeping softly beside him, Nevaeh might've thought he was just asleep.
This was once the famous entrepreneur who ruled the business world in Ann Lin City, Cassius Bennett.
Driven by her natural instincts as a doctor, Nevaeh walked forward and placed her hand on his wrist to check his pulse.
After just three seconds, her brows tightened in worry.
His pulse was weak and completely irregular. At this rate, he might not even have much time left.
But since fate had brought them together like this, he was lucky.
Nevaeh never planned to stay married to some stranger anyway.
This whole thing was just a temporary setup. Once she saw her grandmother, she'd disappear without a word.
After confirming his condition, Nevaeh pulled out her silver needles, sterilized them properly, and started the acupuncture.
Wind Pool, Yin Tang, Baihui...
With steady hands, Nevaeh carefully inserted each needle. Soon, Cassius's head was full of thin silver needles, placed in just the right spots.
She planned to repeat the same process every two hours for five rounds total. By the end of it, Cassius should wake up.
Even though the method seemed simple, it was actually super risky. If she messed up even a little while placing the needles in his head, it could kill him.
At 7:30 a.m., just as Nevaeh was finishing the fifth session, the door to the room suddenly burst open.
"Nevaeh? Is that really you? You're my brother's bride-to-be!" A mocking voice rang out right as Nevaeh was deep in her work.
That voice made her face turn cold instantly.
She looked up and saw Cyrille standing at the door.
The memory of him fooling around with Noreen Huck flashed in her mind, and her heart filled with disgust.
Her voice turned frosty.
"So what if I am?"