She tilted her head, feigning innocence: "And you, lying here with not a single person to visit you. How pathetic."

Zoe turned away, not wanting to look at her.

"Do you need some help?" Susan suddenly reached out and pressed hard on Zoe’s fractured lower leg.

"Ah!" The excruciating pain made Zoe push her away violently.

Susan stumbled a few steps and fell hard on the floor. In disbelief, she said, "You actually dared to push me?"

She stood up, brushed the dust off her dress, and gritted her teeth: "Jasper treats me like the apple of his eye, afraid I'll break if dropped or melt if held in his mouth... and you dare treat me like this?!"

"Fine, just you wait."

Having said that, she glared at Zoe and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Zoe’s heart sank; a bad premonition arose.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Jasper kicked the door open.

"Zoe!" His eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed her by the throat. "Susan kindly came to visit you, and you actually hired thugs to assault her?!"

Zoe’s pupils constricted. "I didn't..."

"Still trying to argue! If I hadn't arrived in time, she would have almost..."

He took a deep breath, his eyes as cold as polar ice: "I know you like me, but I have said it countless times: I don't like you. If you ruin Susan, not only will I not like you, but I will hate you to the bone."

Zoe coughed violently, her vision blurring with tears. "I really... didn't..."

"Fine." Jasper suddenly smiled, but the smile was chilling. "Since you won't admit it, I'll return the favor."

He clapped his hands, and five burly men filed in.

Zoe’s pupils constricted. "Jasper! What are you doing?!"

"What do you think?" Jasper looked at her coldly. "If you dare hurt Susan, you must pay the price."

Zoe struggled to get off the bed, but couldn't move due to the fractures throughout her body. "Are you crazy? If you dare touch me, you’ll ruin the cooperation between our two families!"

"For Susan, so what if I go to war with the Wen family?" Jasper turned to leave. "Enjoy yourself."

Zoe cried out in a breakdown: "Jasper! Do you really have to be this heartless?!"

Jasper paused, looked back at her: "Since you're afraid, I'll give you a chance. As long as you guarantee you won't choose me as your fiance on your birthday, I'll let you go today."

"I never would have chosen you!" Zoe’s voice was hoarse. "I wouldn't choose you no matter what!"

Jasper’s face changed drastically. "Not choose me? Do you think I'd believe that?"

He sneered, "You’ve followed me from childhood to adulthood and liked me for so many years. Since you are so stubborn, don't blame me for being cruel."

The moment the door closed, the five men surrounded her.

Zoe closed her eyes in despair, the sound of tearing fabric echoing in her ears...

"No... get away... let me go..."

The five thugs pressed down on her with leers, and with her fractures, she had no strength to resist, only watching in despair as their filthy hands reached for her collar.

"You can't escape, Miss Wen." The lead man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. "Tonight, the boys will serve you well."

The sound of tearing fabric was piercingly sharp in the silent ward. Zoe bit her lip until the taste of blood spread in her mouth.

She couldn't die here, and she couldn't be destroyed by these animals.

In the next second, she pushed the person nearest to her with the last of her strength and lunged toward the window—

Chapter 6

"Bang!"

The glass shattered, and the bone-chilling wind howled into the room.

Zoe tumbled heavily from the second floor. Her right leg throbbed with excruciating pain, but she couldn't care less, dragging her broken leg and running for her life.

"Damn it! Chase her!" came the furious roar of the thugs behind her.

Zoe, afraid of being caught, ran as fast as she could, stumbling forward, but in the next second—

"BOOM—!"

Blinding headlights struck her as a speeding car drove the wrong way and hit her body hard.

Zoe flew through the air and crashed to the ground, blood instantly spreading from beneath her.

Zoe lay in the pool of blood, her consciousness blurred, her ears ringing.

She heard the sound of a car door opening, followed by footsteps approaching.

"F*ck! Lucas, you’re truly ruthless!" Hugo’s voice came. "Jasper already had her assaulted, and you're hitting her with a car too?"

"If she hadn't run, I wouldn't have done this." Lucas sneered. "Who told her to run?"

"Too bad she’s lucky enough not to have died." Jude’s voice held regret. "If she had died, the three of us wouldn't have to keep acting in front of her and could stay with Susan forever."

Zoe’s heart felt like it was being squeezed tight, painful to the point of suffocation.

So... they really wanted her dead.

When she woke up again, Zoe lay in a hospital bed, wrapped in bandages like a mummy.

"Zoe! You’re finally awake!" Lucas was the first to lean in, his eyes filled with "concern," as if he weren't the cold-blooded man who had run her over.

"I'm sorry, we were in such a hurry to see you that we didn't see the road clearly and accidentally hit you." Hugo held her hand, his voice gentle.

"We heard about Susan being bullied at the hospital, too." Jude sighed. "But we believe she must have framed you."

Zoe looked at them quietly, her eyes dead inside.

"You get some rest; we'll go talk to Jasper and seek justice for you this time!" Lucas patted her hand gently, and then the three walked away.

Zoe closed her eyes, a self-mocking smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Talk?

They were merely impatient to go see Susan.

This time, Zoe was severely injured and hospitalized for two full weeks.

On the day of her discharge, the three of them came to pick her up personally.

But when she was delivered back to her villa, she found Jasper and Susan standing in her living room.

"What are you doing here?" Zoe asked coldly.

Jasper lifted his eyes, his gaze as cold as looking at a stranger. "I brought Susan to pack her things; she won't be living here anymore."

"Why?" Zoe curled her lips, the movement pulling at her wounds, making her gasp in pain. "Afraid I'll bully her again?"

"You know it." Jasper sneered. "If she stays here any longer, she might lose her life."

Zoe clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

They were all blind and deaf, completely unable to see who was actually bullying whom!

"Jasper, I’m packed." Susan suddenly walked over with red eyes, her voice choked. "But... my trophy is gone."

"What trophy?" Jasper frowned.

"The one I won in the piano competition last time." Susan bit her lip, tears threatening to fall. "That was the only trophy I’ve ever won..."

Jasper’s eyes turned cold, and he looked directly at Zoe. "Bring it out."

Zoe scoffed. "I didn't take it."

"The eldest lady has everything she wants from childhood; she doesn't lack my trophy." Susan looked at Zoe with grievance. "Why can't you just give it back to me!"

"Susan, Zoe said she didn't take it." Lucas acted impatient. "Why do you have to keep pestering her?"

"Exactly, it's just a trophy." Hugo and Jude chimed in.

Jasper sneered and took out his phone. "Someone!"

Instantly, a dozen bodyguards rushed in.

"Smash everything," Jasper said coldly. "Until you find the trophy."

"Jasper! Don't go too far!" Lucas immediately stepped forward to block them.

"What? You want to protect her?" Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Fine, then come race me. If I win, don't stop me. If I lose, I’ll take Susan and leave immediately."

The three looked at each other and eventually nodded. "Fine."

Zoe stood to the side, coldly watching the farce.

She knew better than anyone that Lucas was the top racer and had never lost a race.

Yet, the result of the race was intriguing—

Lucas lost.

Hugo lost.

Jude lost.

Zoe watched their expressions of feigned frustration as they stepped out of their cars and found it completely ridiculous.

They were acting their parts truly well.

Jasper re-entered the villa and waved his slender fingers coldly: "Smash."

His voice was like poisonous ice. "Turn this place upside down if you have to, but find Susan’s trophy."

"Bang—"

"Crash—"

Chapter 7

The bodyguards swarmed in. Expensive antique vases were smashed to pieces, vintage wine was spilled across the floor, and custom-made furniture was torn apart. The entire villa turned into ruins in just a few minutes.

Zoe stood in the middle of the carnage, watching it all with a blank expression.

Her nails dug deep into her palms, but she couldn't feel the pain.

These destroyed objects were like her shattered dignity, never to be pieced back together again.