The Red Rose of Manhattan Chapter 8

Marcus immediately understood, shouting at the guards: "You heard him! Thirty lashes first! Then drag her to the shrine! She doesn't leave until I say so!"

"Let go of me! Marcus! You're not my father! You're an animal!" Lily fought desperately, but the guards held her down.

She was dragged to the side hall where Linda held that sturdy riding crop, her face twisted with malicious satisfaction.

"Little bitch! Just like your dead bitch mother—never knew your place! Today I'll teach you a lesson your father should have taught you long ago!" Linda raised the whip and brought it down hard across Lily's back!

"CRACK!"

Searing pain tore through her as skin split open. Lily's vision went black, but she bit down hard on her lip to keep from screaming.

One lash, two, three...

Linda seemed to be venting years of accumulated hatred, each strike vicious, as if trying to flay the meat from Lily's bones.

Lily's body convulsed with pain, her clothes soaked through with cold sweat, consciousness beginning to fade.

She suddenly remembered how Ethan, vaguely knowing she had a bad relationship with her stepmother, had once frowned and asked: "Do you need me to handle it?"

She remembered those times she'd sneak out to her mother's grave in bad moods, and somehow he'd find her, wrapping his coat around her in the pouring rain, driving her home in silence.

She remembered all those moments she'd mistaken for care...

Back then, could he have imagined that one day he'd personally push her into hell?

"Cough..." She tasted blood, coughing up crimson foam, but she laughed quietly.

Linda was unnerved by her laughter, growing angrier: "What are you laughing at! Little bitch!"

Lily lifted her face, covered in sweat and blood, eyes as fierce as a wolf's, enunciating each word: "I'm laughing at you... You two, mother and daughter, will only ever deserve... other people's leftovers... Trash!"

"You!" Linda trembled with rage, throwing down the whip and shouting at a servant, "Go! Get me the taser!"

"Ma'am! You can't! The young miss will die!" An old servant tried to intervene.

"Get out of my way! Who asked for your opinion?!" Linda shoved her aside, grabbed the taser from a guard, and struck Lily with it!

"AHHHH!"

The violent electric current and impact overwhelmed her instantly. Lily clearly heard her ribs crack, then coughed up a large mouthful of blood before her vision went completely dark.

...

When she regained consciousness, Lily found herself in her bedroom. Every part of her body felt like it had been crushed.

The old servant, Mrs. Chen, was secretly applying medicine to her wounds, crying quietly: "Miss... please just apologize to the master... Why suffer like this..."

Lily weakly shook her head, her voice hoarse: "Apologize? Showing weakness to this family means they'll pick me clean to the bones."

She paused, managing a smile uglier than crying: "It was just a beating. Serena got her head split open too. Fair trade. I... I can take it."

She struggled to pull a bank card from under her pillow and pressed it into Mrs. Chen's hand: "Mrs. Chen... take this..."

Mrs. Chen was startled: "Miss! I can't! I can't take your money!"

"Take it," Lily insisted. "I prepared this... long ago..."

"I'm leaving the country... probably won't... come back..."

"You're my mother's trusted person from her family... Staying here... they won't treat you well... This money... is enough for you to retire comfortably..."

"Listen to me... quit... leave this place..."

Mrs. Chen looked at the thin card, then at Lily—broken and battered but still thinking of others—and couldn't hold back her tears, about to kneel.

Lily quickly stopped her, her voice weak but with a hint of wheedling: "Mrs. Chen... I'm craving... your lotus root and pork rib soup..."

"Yes! Yes! I'll make it right now! Right away!" Mrs. Chen wiped her tears and hurried to the kitchen.

The room fell quiet again. Lily stared at the ornate but cold ceiling, slowly closing her eyes, letting despair and grief wash over her.

Over the next few days, Lily stayed in her room recovering.

Fighting through the pain, she slowly packed all her belongings, including everything Ethan had given her.

For someone who didn't love her, he'd certainly been generous—these items were worth nearly a hundred million combined.

She'd considered just tossing them, but then she had a better idea and called the owner of an upscale club she frequented.

Hearing they were doing a charity auction soon, she said she had items to donate.

They quickly confirmed there was an event that very evening and invited her over.

That evening, Lily brought several large boxes to the club.

After handing them to the auction coordinator, she turned around—and came face to face with Ethan and Serena.

Serena clung to Ethan's side, her eyes flashing with triumph and provocation when she saw Lily.

Lily's fingers instinctively dug into her palm, but she quickly relaxed.

She had business tonight. No point wasting emotion on them.

Ethan's gaze seemed to linger on her too-pale face for a moment before moving away indifferently.

Just as they sat down, the lights dimmed.

The host took the stage, excitedly announcing that before the auction began, there would be a three-minute kissing game for couples in the audience.

Lily froze.

Spotlights randomly swept the darkened venue, illuminating embracing, kissing couples.

She instinctively turned and saw, not far away, Serena smiling as she wrapped her arms around Ethan's neck. He looked down at her, his lips seeming to curve ever so slightly before he bent down and kissed her.

In that instant, Lily's heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand. Countless memories of passionate kisses with Ethan flooded her mind unbidden.

Fierce ones, domineering ones, ones filled with desire—but never...

Never one as gentle and cherishing as this.

Just then, a drunk playboy stumbled over: "Miss Sterling, all alone? Let me keep you company..."