Chapter 1

After a round of intense physical activity as punishment, Harper Rowland couldn't move a muscle.

Samuel Valencia hadn't released her just because she was in a miserable state. He lowered himself, held onto her, and smooched her on the lips, violently and aggressively.

Harper's lips soon became numb. She couldn't help but reach out to resist Samuel. "Samuel!"

Samuel loosened his hold on her, and whispered softly in her ear, "It serves you right. A murderer deserves to be in pain.

"Harper, Erika has been lying unconscious in the hospital for two years. As someone who hurt her, how dare you remain well and alive? Don't you think you deserve to suffer?"

With a scratchy, quivering voice, Harper tried to explain herself. "I-I didn't—"

But before she could finish her sentence, Samuel applied a sudden pressure with his hands, causing Harper to be silenced by the pain.

With a frigid look on his face, Samuel growled, "That's enough. Are you trying to defend yourself again by saying that you didn't push her?

"You're disgusting, Harper. You've caused Erika to be in a coma. Yet, not only are you not sorry, but you're also pushing away the responsibility time and time again.

"You'd better pray that she wakes up as soon as possible. If she never regains consciousness, I will make sure that you meet the same fate as her! Of course, that'll only be after I'm done toying with you."

After saying that, Samuel shoved her chin aside forcefully and got down from the bed coldly. However, he did not leave immediately. Instead, with a grim look on his face, he walked to the side of the room and brought a pill over to her.

"Eat it."

Even though Harper was drained, she still reached out to take the pill.

Samuel raised his hand to steer clear of her. He stared at her fiercely and ordered, "Open your mouth."

Harper froze. She looked at Samuel stubbornly and did not budge. Samuel let out a scoff. He reached out to pinch her by her chin and stuffed the pill into her mouth.

While Harper was being forced to swallow the pill, she brushed her tongue against Samuel's finger accidentally.

Instinctively, he pulled his hand out of her mouth in disgust. When he saw the wetness on his finger, his charming face dropped instantly. Rage filled his eyes.

He extended his arm and dragged Harper toward him before he leaned forward and trapped her in his arms.

"It's been two years. I thought you would've learned to obey. I can't believe that you've still got the guts to defy me. It seems like my punishments so far haven't been enough. Since that's the case, today, I shall discipline you until you do as I say."

The look on Harper's face changed instantly. She was well aware of how vicious this man was. If she refused to bow down today, he was entirely capable of wrecking her to death.

Harper reached out and grabbed him by the hand. She pleaded, "I'm sorry, Samuel. I will not go against you next time."

Samuel paused what he was doing. He looked at her while leaning down. "Are you sure about that?"

He breathed out into Harper's ear. His warm breath made her hair stand. From the outside, he looked elegant. Yet, he was a devil on the inside. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"I'm sure."

Samuel lifted his hand and smoothed her messed-up hair. In a warm and low voice, he uttered, "Be good. I hope that you will walk the talk. You won't be able to bear the consequences if you disobey me."

With that, he shoved her away from him. Without any hesitation, he got out of bed and strode out the door.

Behind him, Harper let out a sigh of relief. Right now, her body was hurting all over. The pain muddled her head, and she didn't have the energy to consider anything else.

She waited until Samuel was gone before she climbed out of bed with much difficulty. Then, she went to run a warm bath and sat in it for a while in the bathroom.

Without drying her hair, she climbed back into bed. She plopped down on the bed and closed her eyes. Nevertheless, she kept dreaming and didn't sleep well all night.

She dreamt of the first time she met Samuel. She was 15 at the time and had just been brought home by the Hartmans, but she was being ostracized by their entire family.

Erika Hartman, who was not the Hartmans' actual daughter, made things difficult for her wherever possible. She felt helpless and dejected at the time.

Samuel was 17. He looked elegant and he had a charming smile, just like a graceful son of an aristocratic family. He leaned forward and handed her a handkerchief.

In a warm and soft voice, he said, "You have just come back. They're just not used to having you around. It'll get better eventually."

Subsequently, he comforted her on a few occasions when she was feeling down. It wasn't until her relationship with Erika became more and more tense that he withdrew that tenderness and consolation of his.

Nonetheless, a wild longing sprouted in her heart. She hoped that he would be able to comfort her whenever she was feeling downhearted, just like he had done in the past. She hoped that he could have his eyes on her again.

However, all she got from him was neglect, until the incident where Erika fell down the stairs and ended up in a coma. Only then did he set his eyes on her again.

However, this time, his eyes were filled with a frosty fierceness. He even forced her to marry him for the sake of vengeance. In her dreams, Harper burst out in tears and couldn't stop crying.

"Believe me, Samuel. I didn't push her. She was the one who fell down on her own. It looked like I pushed her from the surveillance footage because of the angle she chose. She was the one who set me up. I'm telling you the truth. Believe me this one time. Just once…"

Trapped in her dream, she groaned softly until someone pushed her forcefully from the side of her bed. "Mrs. Valencia, it's morning. Mr. Valencia is calling for you downstairs."

Harper's sobs stopped immediately. She opened her bleary eyes and looked at the woman who was waking her up. It was Ada Shepherd, a household staff who was in charge of their meals at Caia Residence.

"What did you say, Ada?"

Ada's heart ached as she looked at how miserable Harper looked. Two years ago, Harper looked demure, healthy, and beautiful. However, she had been tormented by Samuel so much that she looked to be in pretty bad shape now.

Her face, which was already rather small, was now only the size of a palm. Her face was pale and bony, and she had huge eye bags underneath her eyes. Moreover, her body would be covered in patches of bruises from time to time.

All in all, Harper didn't look too good right now.

Ada sighed. In a warm voice, she said, "Mr. Valencia asked me to get you to go downstairs."

Harper was slightly taken aback. Then, she said, "Okay. Go down and tell him that I'll be down after I wash up."

She knew that Samuel had come up with another way to torment her. If she didn't obey him, that torment would go on endlessly. Right now, she really didn't have the energy to go through that ordeal with him.

Upon hearing her response, Ada reminded, "Come down soon. Don't make Mr. Valencia mad."

Harper understood that Ada was saying so for her own good. She nodded and responded, "Got it."

After Ada left, Harper got out of bed and walked toward the washroom.

Soon enough, a pale-faced woman appeared in the mirror in the washroom. Her hair was down and her eyes were swollen. Massive eye bags hung beneath her eyes, making her look extremely haggard.

In a daze, Harper reached out and touched the mirror. Was this her? She couldn't believe that this was what she had become now. She looked like a ghost. It was no wonder that Ada pitied her when she saw Harper earlier.

Harper smiled bitterly. All this was thanks to Samuel. With Samuel coming to mind, Harper couldn't bear to look at her own desolate and sapped reflection in the mirror.

She started washing up quickly. Due to being too pale and having eye bags that were too dark, she used concealer to make her pale face look a little better.

She went back to her room and changed before turning around and walking out the door. Afraid that Samuel would use this as an excuse to flare up, she forced herself to resist the pain as she made her way downstairs.

Even so, Samuel, who was sitting at the dining table, still had a gloomy look on his face. Expressing his anger through sarcasm, he asked, "Did you crawl here?"

Chapter 2

Harper didn't have the energy to argue with Samuel. So, she walked to the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat down to rest.

Sitting across from her, Samuel was displeased with her attitude. He stared at her with a menacing gaze. "Who told you that you could sit down?"

Harper lifted her head and looked at Samuel. Despite his charming features, the fact that was staring fiercely had gloominess and rage written all over it. The look on his face told her that if she dared to remain seated, he would fix her.

She had been tormented for such a long time last night that she didn't sleep well. She didn't have any energy now, so she really didn't want to say much to Samuel. Meekly, she rose to her feet.

Samuel, however, did not spare her just because she submitted to him. He mocked, "What's with the dead face? Who wronged you?"

Harper couldn't hold it in anymore. She lifted her head and looked straight at Samuel. "Why in the world did you get me to come downstairs?"

Samuel did not beat around the bush with Harper at all. He answered straightforwardly, "To torment you."

Then, he didn't wait for her to reply before continuing in a cold voice, "From today onward, you are to go to the hospital to serve Erika since you caused her to end up in a coma. She's been lying in bed for two years, and her muscles have started to atrophy.

"Go to the hospital and give her massages. Remember, you are to massage her continuously. Do not think of lazing around or taking the opportunity to scheme against her.

"I've installed surveillance in the hospital ward, so I'll be watching you at any time."

Upon hearing Samuel's words, Harper was not too willing to give Erika massages. That woman framed her and caused her to be under Samuel's reproach. Why did she have to go and give her massages now?

"Aren't there professional caregivers at the hospital? Why do I have to go and give her massages?"

Harper's questions threw Samuel into a fit of rage. A sharp gleam flashed across his dark eyes.

"You're asking why you have to go and give her massages? It's because you hurt her. You need to go and atone for your sins!"

Harper opened her mouth to say that she didn't push her, but she was well aware that there was no use for her to say so. Samuel didn't believe her at all.

A calm expression came over her face. In a soft voice, she asked, "Aren't you afraid that I'd take this opportunity to hurt her?"

Samuel scoffed coldly, "If you dare to hurt her again, I wouldn't mind getting rid of you. Harper, this is your chance to show your good side. If Erika regains consciousness, you'll still have a chance to live. If she dies, you will be joining her."

Harper looked at Samuel when she heard those words. With just a glance, she captured the deep ruthlessness in his eyes.

She knew that he was telling the truth. If anything unexpected happened to Erika, Samuel would very likely make her pay with her life. So, she could not have Erika die.

In fact, Harper had a plan to treat Erika. She just simply wasn't willing to save that woman who set her up, but, at this point, she had no other choice but to save her.

"Okay. I'll go to the hospital and give her massages."

Samuel was satisfied with her answer. The grim expression on his face eased up a little, but the words that came out of his mouth were still merciless.

"Don't get up to anything funny. If I ever find out that you took this opportunity to do something, I will not spare you so easily."

With that, Samuel stood up gracefully from the dining table and headed for the door. When he passed by Harper, he commanded coldly, "Keep up."

Harper had no choice but to drag her feet and follow him. Behind her, Ada couldn't help but exclaim, "Mr. Valencia, Mrs. Valencia hasn't had her breakfast."

Samuel answered coldly, "She won't starve just because she missed a meal."

Ada wanted to continue persuading him but was stopped by the butler, William Dalton. "Don't stick your nose into Mr. Valencia and Mrs. Valencia's business."

Ada protested softly, "I just feel bad for Mrs. Valencia. She's not as mean as he thinks."

Samuel and Harper didn't catch what she said after that, but Samuel had heard Ada's initial statements. He stopped in his tracks and glanced at Harper behind him.

"Good on you. You actually asked Ada to speak up for you."

To cooperate with Samuel and to avoid him nitpicking on any of her mistakes, Harper had been following closely behind him.

At this moment, the physical pain she was experiencing from walking too quickly was indescribable. She didn't want to say a single word.

Nevertheless, Samuel didn't let it go. He stood firmly in front of her as he looked down at her. "Tell me. How did you convince Ada? Did you bribe her with things, or did you butter up to her every day?"

Ada was a staff member at the Valencia residence. Logically speaking, she should hate Harper. After all, Harper was the one who hurt Erika.

Not only did Erika save Samuel's life in the past, but they had also grown up together. In the end, Ada actually felt bad for Harper, and said that she wasn't a bad person? If Harper wasn't mean, who was?

Samuel stared fixedly at Harper with a dark gaze, while she looked back at him, looking pale.

"It's fine if you don't trust me, but you're not trusting Ada either? Do you think that Ada is someone who can be bribed with just a few gifts or a few words?"

Samuel pursed his lips. In a low voice, he warned, "You better not be plotting anything."

Right after saying that, he turned around and strode toward the luxury car at the gate. Harper tagged along behind him.

She didn't get to catch a break all morning. She really didn't want to sit together with him. Harper walked to the passenger side. She opened the car door, wanting to get in.

Samuel's dedicated driver, Jed Lynch, jumped in shock. He spoke up to stop her from getting into the passenger seat. "Mrs. Valencia, please sit behind."

However, Harper disregarded him. As she was about to get in the car, she said, "It doesn't matter where I sit. I'll sit here. It's a good spot."

The main reason was that she didn't want to face Samuel. Right now, she was very tired and sleepy. She wanted to take a nap.

But Samuel was never an easygoing person. At this moment, he couldn't bear to see Harper complying with everything he said. Whatever she decided on, he'd want to go with the opposite.

From the back seat, Samuel noticed Harper getting into the passenger seat. In a frigid tone, he ordered, "Come sit at the back."

Instinctively, a look of annoyance flashed across Harper's face. Samuel chuckled coldly. "Are you waiting for me to carry you?"

Thinking of how mean he could be, Harper could only turn around and get into the back seat. Once she got into the car, she curled up in a corner, closed her eyes, and tried to sleep.

Unfortunately, Samuel was burning with anger. There was no way he was going to allow her to sleep in peace. He extended his arm and grabbed her. Forcefully, he dragged her over to his side.

"Has your head gone muddy after a night of sleep? Have you forgotten what you said yesterday? Since you've forgotten, I don't mind reminding you."

After saying that, he reached his slender hand into her collar. In an instant, Harper's body tensed up as she was overcome by a feeling of embarrassment.

She pressed Samuel's hand down hard. With a pleading gaze, she looked at him. "Samuel, don't."

Seated in the driver's seat, Jed pressed a control button immediately, separating the front and back seats.

Even so, Harper still felt embarrassed. Seeing that Samuel was really about to take things further in the car, she quickly begged for him to let her go.

"I'm sorry. I won't go against you any more next time."

Samuel looked askance at her coldly. Harper raised a hand to swear. "I'll obey whatever you say in the future."

Samuel said relaxedly, "Sit over here."

Harper gritted her teeth as she lifted her legs and sat by where he was. As if he hadn't noticed that, he gave another command. "Hold onto me."

Harper extended her arms and wrapped them around his neck. She wished that she could wrap them around him so tightly that he'd suffocate.

Samuel narrowed his eyes and stared at her. With a slight smirk, he asked, "Are you cursing at me silently?"

Chapter 3

Harper shook her head and denied it immediately. "I'm not. You can't just accuse me like that." Her pale face was full of grievance, looking like she had been falsely accused.

Samuel let out a cold scoff. He clearly didn't believe what she said. He reached out and pinched her by her waist. With a tug, Harper's body was pressed right up against his. At this moment, they were in extremely close proximity to one another.

In a low voice, Samuel warned her, "If you dare to talk back to me next time, I don't mind doing you right here."

At those words, Harper became so agitated that she almost suffocated. She lifted her head to look at him. Without realizing it, she was caught in a daze just by looking at him.

Their close proximity gave her a clear look at his handsomeness. She had never gotten a clearer look at his good looks than this moment.

He had an especially attractive pair of eyes. When he looked at others, they seemed to twinkle like the stars, but have an affection as deep as the sea at the same time.

She couldn't help but feel like immersing herself in those eyes. Yet, the pain in her body reminded her that he was just a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Just as the thought formed in her mind, he slipped his hand under her clothes. Soon enough, her cheeks flushed pink from his teasing, and her eyes seemed to turn misty. The bleary look in her eyes was inexplicably alluring.

With hostility, Samuel leaned into her ear and whispered, "Is this you wanting it? Well, I'm not giving it to you even if you want it.

"Get off me. If you dare disobey my orders next time, you should know what the consequences will be."

Harper felt like her pride had been flung to the ground and trampled on harshly. Nevertheless, she breathed a huge sigh of relief as she scrambled off him and sat to the side.

Coincidentally, Samuel's assistant, Marcus Bright, called him as he needed him to attend to a particular document. As such, Harper finally found some temporary respite.

She quickly curled up by the side of the car to get some shut-eye. Having gone through so much last night and this morning, she was indeed exhausted.

Nevertheless, Caia Residence was not too far from Mercy Hospital, where Erika was hospitalized at. So, she barely slept before Samuel pushed her awake.

"We're here. Get out."

Harper opened her eyes. She was in a daze, not knowing where she was, until Samuel growled at her impatiently from outside the car, "Come out."

Only then did Harper wake up fully. That was right. She had followed Samuel to Mercy Hospital to be of service to Erika.

The look in her eyes dimmed when she thought of Erika. She decided that she would intervene to help Erika regain consciousness.

If she didn't, Samuel wouldn't let her go. He would continue tormenting her. If she didn't help Erika regain consciousness, she wouldn't be able to prove that she had nothing to do with Erika's fall from the stairs.

However, Erika would never admit to setting the incident up even if she regained consciousness. But, as long as she was awake, she would surely let something slip. Harper would surely be able to find evidence to prove that what happened two years ago was not her fault.

Harper got out of the car, her head spinning. Then, she followed Samuel toward Mercy Hospital's VIP ward.

Ahead of her, the farther into the ward Samuel went, the frostier the air around him became. Following behind him, Harper was naturally affected. She too was aware of why he was this way.

Erik had saved his life in the past. She also grew up together with him, so they shared a deep friendship. But, right now, Erika was in a coma.

Naturally, Samuel wouldn't be in a good mood. Previously, after each time he visited Erika at the hospital, he would teach Harper a cruel lesson when he got home.

Erika lay quietly on a deluxe hospital bed in Mercy Hospital's VIP ward. Having been in a coma for two years, the color had drained from her face, and she was as white as a sheet. She had also lost so much weight that she was emaciated.

When Harper saw how Erika looked, she knew that her health complications were relatively serious. On top of that, she was seriously malnourished.

For some patients in a vegetative state, if they received effective treatment for their comorbidities in the early stages, and if their families cared for them appropriately, they would be able to stay alive for decades.

But it was clear that Erika's health complications were rather serious. If she went on like this, she might not be able to live on for too long.

Watching her, Harper recalled the oppression she endured when she was at the Hartman residence.

She was tempted to say that it served Erika right, but she knew that if Erika died, Samuel would not let her go. Therefore, she needed to intervene to save Erika.

Samuel sat on the side of the bed, his charming face looking gloomy.

Just as Harper was lost in her thoughts, he snarled, "Why haven't you started on the massage yet? As someone who studied alternative medicine, you should know how to perform massages, right?"

Without saying anything, Harper turned around and went to the washroom to wash her hands. When she came back out, she asked a senior nurse standing by the side of the hospital ward, "Do you have any medical ointments?"

The nurse hurried off to get some medical ointment for her. Harper took the ointment from her and poured some on her hand. While she walked to the side of the bed, she said to the nurse, "Help me with lifting her clothes."

The nurse was about to step forward to help out when Samuel flew into a sudden rage.

"Didn't I say that you are to do it? Why are you asking the nurse to help you? Remember this. Moving forward, for anything relating to Erika, you have to attend to it personally. Do not ask others to assist you."

The nurse was so shocked by the sternness on Samuel's face that she kept on retreating. Samuel looked at her coldly and ordered, "Leave. Leave this place to her moving forward. Do not help her out without my permission."

The nurse acknowledged the instruction and left. In the room, Harper remained silent for a moment. She walked to the side of the bed and pulled out a few pieces of tissues to wipe the medicinal ointment off her hands. Then, she walked to Erika's side and started undressing her expressionlessly.

There was a slight change in the expression on Samuel's face. From the side of the bed, he looked at Harper icily. "What are you doing?"

"I'm removing her hospital gown so I can massage her." All Erika was wearing was a hospital gown. If that were removed, she would have nothing on.

Samuel's face was full of gloom and hostility. He stared at Harper fiercely. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

Indeed, she was. She was truly sick of Samuel tormenting her over and over. She couldn't help but strike back. But she couldn't admit that.

"What do you mean, Mr. Valencia? I'm attending to her on my own, so it's not convenient to be fiddling around with her clothes. I plan to remove her gown so that it'll be easier for me to massage her.

"I'll be pouring the medicinal ointment on my hands when I massage her later. It'll dirty her hospital gown easily."

Harper's explanation was perfect. As much as Samuel was aware that she was doing it on purpose, he was rendered speechless.

However, seeing as Harper was really going to remove Erika's hospital gown, he stopped her. "Hold it. Proceed with the massage just like this. Just change the hospital gown if it gets dirty."

Harper stopped what she was doing. She pulled a chair up and sat down. If she continued standing, she might just collapse to the ground.

After being tormented for so long last night, coupled with all the affliction this entire morning, she was starting to go weak at the knees.

Unfortunately, when Samuel, who was across from her, saw that she had sat down, his face fell. He glared at her ominously. In a deep voice, he ordered, "Stay on your feet while you massage her."

Harper clenched her teeth and stood up. She didn't believe that Samuel would be watching her the entire time.

At most, she could just wait until he left before she found a chance to take a rest. When that time came, she could say that she was having an upset stomach. Surely he would allow her some time to go to the toilet.

Harper mulled over all these as she rolled up Erika's sleeve and started massaging her.

Samuel wanted to nitpick, but he realized that she was really skilled, even more so than professional nurses. Moreover, her massage skills seemed to be even stronger than the nurses'.

Despite her small size, she was able to apply much force. At that moment, Samuel forgot to speak up. Then, a cry came from the other side of the door.

"Stop what you're doing, Harper! Look at Erika's condition. How dare you come to her ward to pinch her and abuse her? How could you be so evil?"

Chapter 4

In the hospital ward, Samuel and Harper lifted their heads and looked toward the door.

Standing at the door to the hospital ward were the Hartmans. Out of the family of four, the first to cry out was their youngest son, Jamel Hartman, who was also Harper's second oldest brother.

That said, this brother of hers was Erika's loyal lapdog. Whenever Erika frowned ever so slightly, it meant that Harper had harassed Erika.

Back at the Hartman residence, Harper often ended up being cracked down on by Jamel because of this. Contrary to her expectation, even two years after leaving the Hartman residence, she actually was yelled at by Jamel once again.

Harper couldn't hold her sarcasm back. "Do you have big eyes for nothing? I'm obviously giving her a massage. How did it look like I was pinching and abusing her?"

Jamel didn't trust Harper's words at all. He roared at her from outside the door, "You evil woman! When did you ever become so kind as to be giving her a massage? I should already be thanking the heavens as long as you don't hurt her."

Harper laughed coldly. "That's right. Everything you said was right. I was pinching and abusing her."

Once Jamel heard that, he became enraged. His eyes reddened involuntarily. "You've admitted it, Harper! Did you think that you can abuse Erika as you wish because she's in a vegetative state? I'm still here. If you dare to bully her, I will destroy you."

With that, he raised his hand and swung it at Harper. Harper lifted her hand and grabbed him by his wrist. She clearly wasn't exerting much force, but he felt like his wrist had gone numb and weak.

Jamel's face fell. He shouted at Harper in fright. "Bitch, why has my wrist gone numb? What did you do to me?"

When Harper heard Jamel's question, she couldn't help but give his wrist a hard squeeze. This time, not only was his wrist numb, but his hand went numb too. He looked at Harper, terrified. He gritted his teeth, wishing that he could tear at her.

Behind him, the other three Hartman family members walked in. Harper's father and mother, Damien Hartman and Larissa Welch, looked at Harper.

In a warm voice, Damien said, "Let go of your brother, Harpie. He's just scaring you. He won't actually hit you."

"That's right. You're siblings. There are no grudges between the both of you, but he's indeed in the wrong this time. As your mother, I will teach him a lesson when we get back."

Damien and Larissa had kind looks on their faces. After they finished speaking, they even shot Jamel a fierce glare.

After hearing what Damien and Larissa said, Harper looked a little upset. She lifted her eyes and gazed at her parents coldly.

"Have you both forgotten about the agreement that you signed previously? I have cut off all ties with your family and we no longer have anything to do with one another.

"Let's just pretend like we don't know each other when we bump into each other next time. Don't bring up anything about being biological siblings or my mother."

Two years ago, Erika fell down the stairs and ended up in a coma. To get back at Harper, Samuel presented her with two options.

The first was to have her sent to prison. There was a witness, surveillance footage, and the position analysis that Samuel had hired someone to perform concerning Erika's fall down the stairs.

These were all evidence proving that she caused Erika to end up in a vegetative state. As long as Samuel called the cops on her, she would definitely be sent to prison.

The second option was to become his wife.

With the presence of an eyewitness, physical evidence, and the position analysis, Harper was aware that she would certainly have to do time if Samuel called the police. As such, she chose the second option decisively and married Samuel.

She knew that he married her because he wanted to take revenge on her. She knew that she would have a difficult life if she married into the Valencia family.

However, it was still better than going to prison. If she went to prison, her entire life would be over.

In the end, Samuel agreed, but the Hartmans didn't. The Hartman family of four insisted on sending her to prison. That was when she lost complete hope in the Hartman family.

She gave the Hartman family the 800 thousand dollars which her grandfather had left for her. In a way, it was to compensate them for having her live with them for six years.

From then on, she cut off all ties with the Hartman family. At the time, she even wrote an agreement for Damien and Larissa to sign.

Damien and Larissa were extremely pissed off back then, and they didn't want to have anything to do with her. So, they each signed the agreement.

To her surprise, they now both disregarded that and were talking about her and Jamel being biological siblings and Larissa being her mother.

Harper lived with the Hartmans for a few years. She knew that both Damien and Larissa were self-serving people.

They were putting on kind looks on their faces before her right now not because they liked her. Rather, it was because she had married Samuel while Erika had fallen into a coma.

At this point, Samuel hated her and was revolted by her, but who knew what was going to happen in the future? So, they had to treat her better.

Harper figured out the Hartman family's intentions, so she didn't bother to hide the disgust on her face.

Standing across from Harper, Damien and Larissa's faces dropped when they heard her response. But once they thought of Samuel, they quickly put on hurt looks on their faces.

"How could you bear to say that, Harpie? We only signed that agreement because we were just too mad at the time. We're a family. Blood is thicker than water."

"You are our biological child. Why would we abandon you because of Erika? We might not have made the best decisions in the past, but don't worry. We will be good to you in the future—"

Before Larissa could finish her sentence, Samuel, who had been sitting quietly by the side, suddenly uttered coldly, "That's enough."

The Hartmans turned their heads in his direction. They saw a man sitting upright next to the curtain hanging by Erika's bed. He had an elegant, yet frigid, air to him. Who else could this be but Samuel Valencia?

In an instant, the expressions of the Hartman family members changed. Each of them shot Harper a fierce look. Why didn't she give them a heads-up that Samuel was here?

Harper was an ingrate who could not compare to Erika in any way. Erika put the Hartman family into consideration in every way, whereas this ingrate was going against their family in all manner of ways. Plus, she seemed to bring bad luck to the Hartman family.

The more the Hartmans thought about it, the more they felt like Harper had brought misfortune to their family. It was a rather good thing that she cut ties with them. In that case, she could no longer bring bad luck to them.

As Damien and Larissa pondered over this, they rushed to Samuel's side to apologize.

"I didn't know that you were here, Mr. Valencia. We were just jabbering earlier. Don't take it seriously."

"That's right. Erika is the most important person to us. No one can replace how much she means to us in our hearts."

Jason Hartman, Damien and Larissa's oldest son, chimed in quickly, "We were actually saying those things earlier to trick Harper into spilling the truth about hurting Erika. We want to avenge Erika by sending Harper to prison."

After Damien and Larissa heard what Jason said, they reacted by nodding continuously.

"That's right. That was what we were planning. Harper caused Erika to be in a coma. She should be paying the price."

After saying that, Larissa turned to look at the skinny Erika lying in bed. Tears started flowing down her cheeks.

"We are not satisfied to see Harper being completely fine when she was the one who hurt Erika. So, we thought of gaining her trust before finding an opportunity to have her admit to hurting her. Then, we would be able to avenge Erika."

Upon saying that, Larissa walked to the side of the bed. She reached out and held onto Erika's hand.

She sobbed, "Erika, you are our most beloved child. We cannot be satisfied with seeing the person who tried to kill you roam free. She needs to pay the price."

After she said that, Jamel glared viciously at Harper with his reddened eyes. "You harmed Erika, so you should be serving time in prison."

Right after, he turned back to look at Samuel. "Mr. Valencia, if it weren't for you, she wouldn't be standing right here, well as she is."

Chapter 5

The surveillance footage that showed Harper pushing Erika down the stairs, the eyewitness at the Hartman residence, as well as the position analysis evidence, were all in Samuel's hands.

The Hartman family members didn't have any resources with them. They had no way of sending Harpe to prison.

In the hospital ward, Harper said, "So, you people were just trying to gain my trust earlier, so that you can get a confession out of me to send me to prison?

"Are you sure you weren't taking this opportunity to butter up to me because Erika is of no use to you people now that she's in a coma?"

With Harper laying the Hartmans' intentions right out in the open, the Hartman family members' faces darkened.

Damien, Larissa, and Jason turned their heads toward Harper simultaneously. Their vicious stares looked as if they were about to consume her.

"Harper, you were the one who hurt Erika. We will not let yo—"

Samuel had run out of patience watching the Hartmans' performance. Before Damien could finish his sentence, Samuel cut him off sternly. "Shut up. Are you all treating me as a fool?"

In an instant, the Hartmans panicked. The Hartmans operated a pharmaceutical company. Some of the common anti-inflammatory medications and flu medications available on the market were associated with sales channels and businesses under Gage Corporation.

A scion of the Gage family, Lester Gage, was a close friend of Samuel's. Initially, Lester only accepted the medications produced by Heurix Pharmaceuticals, the company under the Hartmans, out of respect for Samuel.

If Samuel were to give Lester a heads-up, the sales channels for Heurix Pharmaceuticals's medications would surely become problematic. Then, Heurix would be in danger.

The more the Hartmans thought about it, the paler their faces became. Damien and Larissa looked at Samuel in fright. "Mr. Valencia, what do you mean? We-we don't understand."

Samuel watched Damien and Larissa with an icy gaze. He emphasized, "Cold-blooded people like you do not deserve Erika's sacrifice. I should take back the things that have been given to you people."

He then turned to his driver, Jed, who was waiting at the door to the hospital ward. "Give Lester a call. Have him inform Gage Corporation's Sales Department to terminate all contracts related to the Hartmans."

Jed heeded the instruction and went to make the call immediately. The Hartmans were shocked. With loud thuds, Damien and Larissa fell down to their knees and started crying tears of regret.

"Mr. Valencia, you're an understanding man. Please forgive us this once. If Gage Corporation retracts its contracts, Heurix might go bankrupt. Please give us another chance."

"If Erika wakes up and finds out that Heurix is gone, she will definitely be saddened. Please, for Erika's sake, pardon us Hartmans."

As Jason watched his parents kneeling and begging Samuel, his heart wrenched. He clenched his fists tightly. In the end, he got down to his knees too.

Jamel watched on as his parents and oldest brother knelt down to beg Samuel. All he could feel in his heart was detest. If it wasn't because of Harper, they wouldn't have to be like that.

A look of contempt flashed across his eyes. He turned and smacked Harper across her face. With her attention being on Damien and Larissa, Harper was caught off guard by Jamel's sudden flare-up.

Having been slapped hard by Jamel, her cheek started to swell instantly while a ringing sounded in her ear. All at once, anger rose within Harper. She turned and swung a slap at Jamel.

After landing a slap on him, she felt like it still wasn't sufficient to let her anger out. She turned her hand and gave him another slap. Following that, she gave him a kick to his knee.

With a loud thud, Jamel fell down to the floor on his knees and couldn't get back up.

In the hospital ward, the Hartmans were stunned by this scene. Thereafter, when Larissa realized her son had been hit, she charged at Harper like a woman who lost her mind.

"You bitch! How dare you hit Jamel? I will beat you ingrate to death. If I had known that you would be so evil and heartless, I would've drowned you the moment I gave birth to you."

Damien turned livid with rage. He roared, "Our family really has such bad luck having a wicked daughter like you."

Cupping her stinging cheek in her hand, Harper remarked coldly, "If I had known that you people were so revolting, I would've rather starved to death than join your family back then."

When Damien and Larissa heard that, they wanted to yell back at her. Just as they were about to do so, Samuel uttered in a deep voice, "Get the hell out."

He no longer wanted to see the Hartmans, who were such bothersome people.

The moment Samuel spoke up, Damien and Larissa remembered that there was something more important that they had to first deal with, which was to ensure that Gage Corporation didn't retract their contracts.

A large portion of Heurix Pharmaceuticals's products were sold to hospitals, nursing homes, and pharmacies under Gage Corporation.

If their contracts were retracted, how were they going to find other sales channels on such short notice? More importantly, there were many pharmaceutical companies around at the moment. It would be a challenge to find new channels.

Damien and Larissa turned their attention back to pleading with Samuel. "Please forgive us this once, Mr. Valencia. Please don't cut off Heurix's sales channels."

"Mr. Valencia, please be the bigger person and let us off this time."

Samuel didn't have the patience to deal with the Hartmans. He commanded Jed, who was walking over to him with his phone in his hand, "Drag them out."

Other than being his driver, the tall and muscular Jed also doubled as Samuel's bodyguard. Not only was he agile, he was skilled and strong.

Soon, the Hartman family of four was dragged out of the hospital ward.

Samuel lifted his eyes and looked toward Harper, whose cheek was swollen. He scoffed frostily, "It's no wonder you're all from the same family. You're all cruel and heartless."

Harper was already feeling weak in the first place. After being slapped hard by Jamel, her entire body now felt like it was completely drained, so much so that she could almost faint.

Yet, because of the extreme pain in both her face and her body, her mind was still highly alert despite how weak she felt.

Noticing that she hadn't replied, Samuel mocked, "You were raised to be so rotten, weren't you?"

Harper wasn't interested in discussing the topic of Erika's fall down the stairs with Samuel any further. She had tried to explain herself multiple times in the past, but he never believed her. What use was there for her to repeat herself?

"If you say so."

Upon hearing Harper's reply, Samuel got to his feet suddenly and walked to Harper's side. He then held her in his arms.

He leaned down and whispered coldly into her ear, "You're not thinking that you're fine after how I punished you previously, are you? Harper, that was just an appetizer.

"If Erika is truly unable to regain consciousness in the end, the punishment you'll be getting will be a thousand times worse than what you've gotten before.

"You'd better pray that she wakes up as soon as possible. Your punishment will only come to an end if she wakes up. If she doesn't, your retribution will be endless."

Harper's head was spinning. Right now, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made the wrong choice two years ago.

Standing taller than her, Samuel shoved her away. "Go and give Erika her massage. Remember not to try anything funny. If I find out that you played any tricks, you won't be able to handle the consequences."

Harper was shoved to the side of Erika's bed. She reached out obediently to massage Erika. Samuel watched her for a moment in the room. Then, he turned around and marched off.

Behind him, Harper exhaled in relief. Her tensed-up body could no longer remain standing, and she fell to the floor. She struggled for quite a while before scrambling up to sit by the side of the bed.

She looked at Erika. If she wasn't holding herself back, she'd want to reach out and strangle her.

This woman set her up many times at the Hartman residence. In the past, she always thought that Erika was a smart woman. However, this fall from the stairs gave Harper a realization.

Erika had someone helping her behind the scenes. No. More accurately, she probably had someone instructing her behind the scenes.