The rooftop of the abandoned factory was dead silent.

Serena Quinn was tied up like some kind of trophy, hanging high above the concrete floor. The ropes dug so deep into her wrists that the skin had split open, warm blood sliding down strand by strand, slowly staining them a dark red.

Her head drooped, her whole body drained of strength, but that cool, stubborn look on her face didn’t fade at all. Even beaten and suspended like this, she still had that sharp, unyielding air—beautiful in a way that made people grit their teeth.

“Mia Quinn?”

Serena forced her head up, meeting Mia’s eyes—eyes filled with pure, twisted jealousy.

Mia let out a soft, fake laugh. “What? Big sis, shocked to see me?”

“Why?” Serena’s voice trembled, but her teeth were clenched tight.

She genuinely didn’t get it. They’d grown up together. Sure, Mia always liked snatching her things, but that was just childish pettiness—not the kind of hatred that would lead someone to drag her here to die.

Mia laughed again.

She wasn’t even angry—she just thought Serena looked pathetic.

Like watching a clueless little lamb thinking wolves were friendly.

“You’re about to die anyway,” Mia said, patting Serena’s cheek like she owned her. “So I’ll be generous and let you understand before you go. Your real parents are on their way. They’re taking you back to the city.”

She leaned in, voice dripping with mock sympathy. “Who would’ve thought? Turns out your biological parents are filthy rich. You were a billionaire heiress this whole time.”

Of course she wasn’t okay with it.

Mia had spent her whole life comparing herself to Serena. If Serena didn’t have something, she had to get it. If Serena had something, she had to snatch it away. And now? Serena was about to walk into a luxurious life as a rich family’s precious daughter, while she, Mia, would still be stuck in a tiny town like nothing had changed.

How could Mia swallow that?

So she and Mrs. Quinn plotted everything.

They slipped drugs into Serena’s food, knocked her out, dragged her all the way here. If Mia wanted to take Serena’s place as the rich family’s daughter, then Serena had to disappear completely. No loose ends.

“No witnesses,” she’d told her mom. “No turning back.”

“So,” Serena whispered, her voice hoarse, “you really came here to kill me?”

Serena Quinn finally noticed Mrs. Quinn standing behind Mia Quinn.

“You really did this?”

Her voice cracked as she stared at Mrs. Quinn.

She’d been raised by this woman. Was there truly not even a shred of affection? Or was Serena’s life just worth less than Mia’s bright future?

Mrs. Quinn stepped forward, her face cold. “Serena, our Quinn Clan fed and raised you for eighteen years. Without us, you wouldn’t even be here. Honestly, you should’ve died eighteen years ago. People should know gratitude.”

She continued, her tone sharp. “And you think I don’t know you secretly met the Morrison Clan? You obviously wanted to go back and be their little heiress, but you pretended you didn’t want to leave us.”

She let out a snort. “What? Afraid we’d ask them for something? Afraid we’d want money?”

“Serena, I raised you for eighteen years. I never expected you to marry rich and bring back a huge dowry. But now that you’re going back to your own family, you want to kick us away just like that? Do you really think the Quinn Clan is that easy to step on?”

The Morrison Clan had indeed approached Serena privately.

But Serena had made her stance clear then. She didn’t plan to return immediately. Grandma Quinn was already eighty; she didn’t have many years left. Serena wanted to stay with her a little longer.

She never expected Mrs. Quinn to twist it like this.

So that was her death sentence?

Serena felt a bitter laugh rise in her chest.

She should’ve seen the Quinn Clan for what they were. Aside from Grandma Quinn, not a single one of them had ever treated her with real warmth.

Just then—

She looked down from the rooftop of the abandoned factory. Right in front of her, on the ground below, lay an elderly woman with silver hair.

Grandma Quinn.

Blood covered her body, wounds everywhere. Even from this distance, Serena could see every mark clearly. She didn’t need to imagine what kind of torment Grandma had gone through.

Animals…

Serena couldn’t hold it back anymore.

Serena Quinn jerked her head up, her pupils blown wide. "What did you do to Grandma?"

Mia Quinn let out this light, twisted laugh, like everything was just a joke. “Nothing big. I just let her head out a little earlier than planned. She was way too biased toward you, treating you like some precious treasure. Since she loved you that much, I figured she could go keep you company. Besides, she was already eighty. Living that long is its own kind of suffering.”

“Mia, you’re insane—you’re a monster! That was your own grandmother! How could you do that?” Serena’s voice cracked. Even hanging high above the ground, her whole body thrashed wildly, like she could break free by sheer rage alone.

She lunged toward Mia with everything she had.

All the pain, all the hate, everything she’d swallowed for years erupted at once. That was Grandma—so gentle, so kind to everyone. How could Mia lay a hand on her?

Mia shrugged, her tone light, almost bored. “It’s not like I wanted to. But she overheard something she shouldn’t have and insisted on running off to find you. I broke her leg, but the old woman just wouldn’t stay put. She was literally crawling to you. I had no choice but to shut her up for good.”

There wasn’t a single flicker of guilt on her face. Mentioning Grandma’s death was like talking about stepping on an ant.

“You… you’re disgusting, Mia…”

Mia burst out laughing. “Serena, she died because of you. You’re the reason she’s gone. Oh—and that Mr. Charles from the Morrison Clan? I had to take him out too. Otherwise how was I supposed to replace you perfectly? He died because of you too. Serena, I want you to choke on your guilt until the moment you disappear—because you ruin everything you touch.”

Mrs. Quinn nudged Mia impatiently.

“Stop wasting time. The longer we drag this out, the messier it gets. Do it.”

Mia was already on it.

She pulled out a small dagger.

Bit by bit, she sawed through the rope.

The moment it snapped, Serena would drop straight down.

Ten-plus stories.

Serena’s body would plummet, then hit the ground like a watermelon—bursting instantly.

Ugh.

“Such a pathetic way to die, huh?”

Mia Quinn’s voice dripped with twisted delight as she leaned close, her eyes glowing with madness. “Serena Quinn, since you’re so obsessed with Grandma Quinn, why don’t you just go keep her company on the road to the underworld? Don’t worry, once you’re gone, I’ll take your place as the Morrison Clan’s precious daughter. And your parents? I’ll ‘take good care’ of them for you.”

She let out a mock sigh, then suddenly giggled. “Oh right, I heard the Morrison Clan arranged some childhood engagement for you. Your fiancé is Ashton Lancaster, the richest man in City A. People say he’s stupidly handsome and built like a walking wall of muscle. What a waste… but lucky me, right? From now on, that perfect man will be my husband!”

Mia’s smile twisted. “Serena, you useless wretch—just die already!”

A sharp snap echoed.

The rope was cut.

Serena Quinn’s body dropped instantly, wind screaming past her ears.

Right at the edge of death, countless memories crashed through her mind.

Eighteen years in the Quinn Clan—every second, every crack, every bruise. Mrs. Quinn’s endless favoritism, Mia’s tantrums and petty cruelty, all those times Grandma Quinn secretly stuffed treats into her hands with trembling fingers, trying to make up for everything she couldn’t protect her from.

And her five adoptive brothers—each one looking down on her because she always aced her exams, kept winning scholarships, always shone brighter than they did. They sided with Mia, treating Serena like some eyesore that needed to be put in her place.

Good memories. Bad memories. All tangled together.

But the strongest feeling was regret.

Serena regretted not running away sooner. A year ago, when she learned she wasn’t related to the Quinn Clan at all… she should’ve walked out then. She should never have stayed hoping things would change.

As she plummeted through the air, Serena had only one last thought.

If there’s another life for me…