A Queen's Scorched Earth Plan

"Well, well. If it isn't the famous Miss Jessi," one of Aila's bodyguards sneered. "Hasn't the old man kicked the bucket yet?"

I lowered my head and held out the crumpled bills. "I need to buy his specialized medication. Please, just one dose. If my father doesn't get it, he'll die."

"Not for sale," Dr. Hillary Reed snapped as she strode over.

She was the head of the Jessi Charity Foundation. In the past, she had always treated me with deference, but now she stood with her arms crossed, her expression a mask of cold indifference.

"The CEO gave the order. Anyone kicked out of the Group is barred from using our medical resources."

I yelled, "My father is not a criminal! He's the former chairman! He was wounded for this company!"

"That was the past."

Hillary nudged her expensive leather shoe forward. "If you really want the medicine… well, this shoe of mine is a bit dirty. Clean it for me, and I might consider it."

The shoe was stained with coffee and mud.

A crowd of onlookers gathered—some were even people I had previously sponsored through the foundation.

They pointed and jeered.

"Look at Nathalia. She used to be so high and mighty, and now she's like a stray dog."

"Clean it, you washed-up princess!"

"Stop acting so proud!"

I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. My father's pained moans echoed in my ears.

I dropped to my knees, my kneecaps cracking against the cold tile. Lowering my head, I took out my own handkerchief and began to wipe the filthy shoe. The bitter smell of coffee and the earthy scent of mud filled my nostrils. I fought the urge to gag.

I wiped once, then again.

A wave of jeering laughter swept through the crowd.

"She's actually doing it! She has no shame!"

A high heel pressed down on my hand. Aila had arrived.

She ground my knuckles into the tile, the pressure sharp and deliberate, until the skin broke and blood welled up.

"Nathalia, seeing you like this… it truly breaks my heart."

She squatted, leaning close to my ear. "Too bad. Darius just said you're not getting the medicine, even if you lick the floor clean. This is the punishment for a traitor."

I snapped my head up. "You were toying with me?"

"I was," Aila said, standing and clapping her hands cheerfully. "So what? You want to hit me?"

She took out a bottle of saline solution. "Want it?"

But just as I reached for it, the bottle slipped from her hand, spilling the liquid across the floor.

"Whoops, my hand slipped," Aila said, covering her mouth in mock surprise. "You want to save your father? You still can."

She smiled, her eyes sharp and cruel as she patted my cheek.

"Go to Darius's penthouse office tonight. He has something to say to you. Play your cards right, and maybe he'll show a little mercy."

...

For my father, I went to Darius's office.

The moment I pushed the door open, a gust of warm air hit my face, a stark contrast to the icy world outside.

Darius sat on a leather sofa, his gaze dark and cold, while Aila snuggled beside him like a lazy cat.

"You're here?" Darius swirled the red wine in his glass. "On all fours. Crawl over here like the dog you are."

I clenched my jaw, knelt on the floor, and crawled, step by agonizing step, toward him.

"The medicine? You promised me."

Darius planted his foot on my shoulder and pressed down hard. I felt as if my collarbone would shatter.

He snarled, "You still think you can save that useless father of yours, Nathalia? His greatest crime was stealing my father's glory."

I retorted, "That's a lie! During that crisis, it was your father who betrayed us! He colluded with competitors to become chairman, nearly bankrupting the company! My father was wounded saving everyone from his treachery!"

"Shut up!" Darius roared, slapping me hard across the face.

Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth, and my ears rang.

"You still dare to argue? Aila has already investigated it. It was your father who colluded with our rivals! He killed my father and forged the reports to steal the chairmanship!"

He pulled a yellowed document from his pocket and threw it in my face. "This is the proof!"

I didn't need to look to know it was a forgery.

Beside him, Aila giggled. "Darius, why waste your breath on a loser's daughter? Since she wants the medicine, just give it to her. We don't want to be called liars."

She picked up a small vial of deep blue liquid from the table and tossed it onto the floor. The glass vial rolled and stopped at my feet.

"Take it. This dose should be enough to save the old man's life."