In the dark and desolate wilderness, Bai Xueyan ran desperately, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Behind her, the man pursued like a hungry wolf, his heavy footsteps echoing through the night.
Her bare feet were torn and bloodied, but the pain no longer mattered. All that filled her mind was the frantic need to escape this nightmare.
Just as she thought she might break free, a rough hand grabbed her arm with a vice-like grip.
"Ah!" she cried out, her voice raw with fear.
A sharp twist of her foot sent her sprawling onto the cold, unforgiving ground.
The wretched man wasted no time. He lunged, pinning her down, his hot, rancid breath filling her nostrils. "Why run? Do you still think you're some high and mighty lady? You should be grateful I'm even touching you..."
Bai Xueyan squeezed her eyes shut, panic surging through her veins. Her trembling fingers groped blindly over the ground until they curled around something solid—a jagged stone.
With every ounce of strength she had left, she swung it at the man's head.
A sickening crack echoed through the night.
The man's body slumped to the side. Enveloped by terror and fury, she lost all reason. A raw scream tore from her throat as she struck him again. And again.
She didn't know how many times she hit him, only that his head was soon a bloody mess, the dust beneath him stained crimson.
The night wind howled around her, its chill biting into her skin. Her frenzied breathing slowed, and she blinked at the gruesome sight before her. A heavy silence settled.
Then a dreadful realization struck.
Her hands trembled as she reached forward, pressing hesitant fingers to the man's throat.
No pulse.
Her mind reeled. Darkness closed in, wrapping around her like invisible fingers tightening around her throat, suffocating her.
"Ahhh!" A scream ripped from her lips.
A moment later, ice-cold water crashed over her head.
She gasped awake, her entire body drenched in freezing water. Her breath came in sharp, desperate gulps as she found herself locked inside the grimy bathroom of Yunhe Winery.
A group of people surrounded her, their expressions cruel and unrelenting.
"Bai Xueyan," one of them sneered, arms crossed. "Hand over the necklace, or things will get ugly."
A slow, mirthless chuckle escaped her lips. Her voice was hoarse from hours of interrogation. "Ugly? Haven't you already crossed that line?"
Tonight, Yunhe Winery had hosted a prestigious banquet, but at the end of the evening, a female guest had lost a valuable necklace.
And without reason, they had decided she was the thief.
Because she was a new employee.
Even though her entire body shivered from the cold, Bai Xueyan's obsidian eyes remained unwavering as she met their gazes head-on. Her voice was steady. "I told you—I didn't take it. Believe it or not, that's your choice."
"So arrogant!" The team leader scoffed before turning to the manager. "Manager Cheng, you saw her attitude. It was her who cleaned the private room last. Who else could it be? She won't admit it unless we search her."
Manager Cheng's expression darkened. "That necklace belongs to Miss Mo Anning. We must find it. Quickly."
He was growing anxious. Mr. Lu was not a man to be crossed.
"What are you waiting for?" Cheng barked. "Search her!"
The team leader smirked and motioned to the others. "You heard him! Strip her down!"
Bai Xueyan clutched her damp clothes tightly. "Let me go! I didn't steal anything!"
The truth was, the team leader herself had found the necklace earlier. She had intended to keep it, but when she realized it belonged to Mo Anning—the fiancée of the powerful Mr. Lu —panic had set in.
She needed a scapegoat.
And Bai Xueyan was the perfect target.
No matter what, she would make sure Bai Xueyan took the fall tonight.
"Hurry up!" she snapped. "If this gets out, our entire group will be fired. If you want to keep your jobs, then strip her and find that necklace!"