I heard them leave, their footsteps fading quickly. Moments later, Zhao Mingzhen entered, balancing Sanbao on one hip and carrying a bowl of medicine in her other hand. She set the bowl down. “Drink this,” she said. “I’ll be back for the bowl in a bit.” Then she turned and hurried out without waiting to see me take it. I stared at the dark liquid in the bowl, my mind racing. I had to save a sample, get it out of here. This might be my only chance. The thought spurred me into action. I scrambled out of bed and began ransacking the room, pulling open drawers and tearing through closets, but I couldn't find a single suitable container for the liquid. My eyes fell on my collection of cosmetic bottles and jars, but I immediately dismissed the idea. Even if I emptied one, the chemical residue would contaminate the sample and skew the test results. Besides, if Zhao Mingzhen was as meticulous as she seemed, she’d notice something missing. More trouble I didn't need. Judging by the expensive perfume clinging to her, I had no doubt she knew every last one of my cosmetics intimately. Panic began to set in. I paced the floor, my mind a frantic blur. Zhao Mingzhen could return at any second, and if I waited any longer, I’d have no choice but to drink the poison. Just as I was about to resign myself to pouring the medicine down the drain and starting over, an idea struck me like a bolt of lightning. A wave of relief washed over me. *Of course!* I slapped myself on the forehead, rushed to the nightstand, and yanked open the small drawer, pulling out a small box. I pulled out a condom. Taking the bowl into the bathroom, I carefully poured the dark liquid inside, then tied a knot at the open end. It looked like a grotesque, lukewarm sausage. *Heh,* I thought. *Perfect.* After hiding my little package, I slipped back into bed, forcing myself to breathe deeply, trying to calm the frantic hammering in my chest. I took a single, deliberate bite of breakfast, then slumped back against the pillows, feigning exhaustion. “I'm going back to sleep,” I mumbled to Zhao Mingzhen. “Make sure no one disturbs me. It's been nothing but noise since dawn.” It wasn’t much of an act. After a sleepless night, I probably looked half-dead anyway. Back in the room, I threw the covers over my head, my hands trembling as I switched on the phone. As soon as it connected to the WiFi, I opened WeChat. Only one contact appeared: Zhou Haizhen. It had to be a new number. I switched the phone to silent—just in case—and quickly typed a message to Haizhen, asking why she hadn’t come by. Zhou Haizhen replied almost instantly with a voice message. I turned the volume down to a whisper and pressed the phone to my ear. Her voice crackled with fury. “Don't even get me started! I came by yesterday, but that goddamn maid wouldn't let me in. Said the *master* of the house had taken you abroad for medical treatment and you weren't back yet! She gave me the same bullshit story before when I tried to see you, and I actually bought it! That’s why I couldn't reach you. Your old phone always went straight to voicemail, and on the rare occasion it was on, no one ever answered! If you hadn't called me yesterday, I'd still be believing her lies, thinking you were actually overseas. I didn't want to call because of the time difference, figured I'd be disturbing your rest!” Tears of relief streamed down my face. I whispered a reply, “I was so worried you didn't understand what I said yesterday! I can't believe you were the one who sent the repairman.” The moment she got my message, that hothead started a video call. My heart leaped into my throat. I clutched the phone, listening intently for any sound outside the door. Silence. Only then did I dare to answer… The instant my face appeared on her screen, Zhou Haizhen’s expression was one of pure shock. Her jaw dropped as she stared, speechless. It took a long moment before a choked gasp escaped her lips. “…Danni! What happened to you…?” I knew what she was seeing—my haggard, wasted appearance. Her shock was the final crack in my composure. The tears I’d been holding back broke free, and I sobbed, unable to speak. On the other end, Haizhen exploded. “Call the cops!” she roared. “Danni, call the police! What the hell are you waiting for?” Wiping my face, I shook my head. “It’s not time,” I managed to say. “I don't have any proof yet. What would I even tell them?” “We can't let those bastards get away with this!” Zhou Haizhen seethed. “That soulless son of a bitch… you're not still trying to protect him, are you? Danni, this is false imprisonment! What are you waiting for? Wait any longer and you'll be dead! Other people might not know, but I do! I know that scumbag! Without you, Lu Danni, what would he be today? Nothing! Just some glorified pretty-boy with a pair of scissors! What did he ever have? He could have spent his whole life messing with people's hair and he never would have amounted to this. And don't get me started on you—you never should have let go of your company… Ugh! Danni, sorry, I know I'm being harsh.” “That's why,” I said, my voice dropping to a low, trembling whisper between sobs, “I have to know what Deng Jiazhe is planning. I need the truth. Why are they doing this to me?” I took a shuddering breath, the words coming out as if torn from my throat. “I won't just let this go. I'll make them wish they were dead. I'll make them suffer for eternity.”