chapter 1

"Lillian, make sure the jade key stays safe," a frail woman on the hospital bed, clutched her daughter Lillian Sinclair's arm, her voice trembling with desperation. "Leave the Sinclair family, go to Kingston, find Sebastian Whitmore…"

"Mom!"

Lillian jolted awake. Darkness engulfed her surroundings, the air thick with a pungent stench of decay. Her terrified gaze gradually turned cold. She wrapped her thin, twig-like arms around her legs, the movement causing a rattling clatter. Heavy iron chains bound her ankles and neck. Her tattered clothes barely clung to her emaciated body, which was stained with dried blood and countless scars.

She was nothing more than skin and bones; if not for the faint rise and fall of her chest, one could easily mistake her for a corpse. She had lost count of how many years had passed in this lightless, hellish basement. Day after day, she was greeted only by the bites of mosquitoes and rats, and endless torment.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the entrance. Moments later, the basement door creaked open, allowing a sliver of light to pierce the gloom.

Lillian narrowed her eyes subconsciously, with a sneer on her lips. Here it comes again, will I be whipped or poisoned this time?

Several men in black came in, dragged her from the corner roughly and skilfully, and threw her on the ground like garbage.

The sound of high heels came from far away, and finally, the pair of high heels, studded with luxurious diamonds, stopped in front of Lillian's bloody hands, raised one foot, and stepped hard on them.

“Ugh!” A muffled groan sounded.

Vivian Prescott raised a delicate eyebrow, a seductive smile playing on her lips as she gazed at the battered figure on the ground. With a mocking voice, she said, “Lillian, how does it feel to live a life worse than a dog’s?”

The figure on the ground slowly lifted her head, revealing a face so horrifying it sent shudders down the spine. Her face was barely recognizable, with barely a spot of smooth skin. It was covered in red scars, like worms squirming across her skin, grotesque and horrifying. The cheeks, pockmarked and wrinkled, resembled those of a hideous monster.

Lillian stared at the gorgeous woman, letting out a raspy laugh. Her voice, rough like broken glass, was painfully shrill.

Gritting her teeth, she spat out each word, full of hatred. "Fine! I'll appreciate your kindness for the rest of my life. I’ll never forget it." Her fiery red eyes locked onto the woman, brimming with a hatred so deep it seemed to burn through to the soul.

Vivian remained unfazed, her lips curling into a sweet smile. "Welcome! I’m only doing my duty. After all, I am your stepmother. By the way, your father has made it clear that if you hand over the jade key your mother left for you, he’ll let you walk out of here. You’ll return as the esteemed Miss Sinclair. So, take my advice, don’t be stubborn, with Sinclair Group thriving, wouldn’t that be beneficial for you as well?"

Lillian let out a cold, mocking laugh, her gaze chilling. "You think you deserve my mother’s belongings?"

It's this very woman who wears a mask of gentleness and kindness, but underneath, she’s the one who killed my mother! She turned me from the young lady of the Sinclair family into this pitiful creature - neither fully alive nor dead!

"Let's see. Without my mom’s medicine, how long will the Sinclair Group keep shining? Hahaha…"

Her laughter, rough and broken, filled the damp space, making her scarred face appear even more horrible. Yet, amidst the madness, a single tear slid down her cheek, silent, filled with unspeakable sorrow.

"Lillian, don’t be ungrateful, you should know that if the Sinclair Group falls, it won’t do you any good either!" Vivian's expression darkened, her eyes brimming with hatred. "Hand over the jade key, and I’ll let you walk free. Otherwise, you will never be able to leave here!"

Vivian was running out of patience; she had to retrieve the jade key before anyone else discovered it. Only then could she truly take control of the Sinclair Group.

The existence of the jade key was discovered by Vivian accidentally.

She found a notebook among Catherine Dawson’s personal belongings, on which was written Catherine's own handwriting, the jade key can unlock the Apothecary King’s secret formula. With it, one can dominate the world of medicine.

She hadn't fully grasped the significance of those words, but she knew one thing: Catherine’s unparalleled medical skills had to be connected to the jade key. But no matter how thoroughly she searched through Catherine's belongings and every place she had been before her death, the jade key was nowhere to be found.

So she was convinced that Catherine must have given it to her daughter, Lillian. Yet despite all the torture and every method she had used, the key remained elusive. The very thought of it made Vivian grit her teeth in frustration and rage.

"Mom, how did it go? Did she talk?"