Chapter 4

Julian’s face instantly paled. He bit his lip, his voice turning shrill.

“How could that be?! You bastard! You must have used some underhanded tactics!”

I was about to explain when he suddenly shrieked and lunged at me, his hand already flying towards my face.

The next second, a fluffy white ball of fur shot out like a flash from the corner.

Snowball bit down hard on Julian’s wrist.

Julian shrieked, stumbling back several steps and landing hard on the floor.

I instinctively reached out, wanting to help him up.

But the front door was kicked open with a loud bang.

Seraphina Hayes stood at the doorway, her face like stone.

“Asher Vance, how dare you incite this beast to harm Julian?!”

Seraphina’s dark eyes swept over Snowball, then settled on me, her thin lips forming a grim line.

“I told you, anyone who hurts Julian deserves to die.”

“What are you waiting for?!”

Her voice, relentless and cold, tore through any remaining illusions I had.

“Throw that beast into the shredder!”

The two bodyguards by the door instantly obeyed, lunging forward and grabbing Snowball by her small neck.

Snowball’s eyes were wide with terror and fury. Her four paws struggled desperately, but she couldn’t break free from the men’s thick arms.

My heart leaped into my throat. I yelled.

“Stop it!”

But a bodyguard held me fast, unable to move a muscle.

“Miss Hayes, Mr. Thorne came here to insult our young master! Snowball only bit him to protect him!”

One of the housekeepers tried to defend me.

“Lies!” Julian cried, clutching his hand, his voice thick with tears. “He deliberately raised a crazy dog to hurt me!”

Seraphina gave me a cold, dismissive glance, then bent down to help the fallen Julian.

“Get rid of this mad dog, now.”

Snowball was lifted into the air. Her neck was visibly about to snap.

My blood ran cold. I didn’t think, I just wanted to snatch Snowball back from them.

“Seraphina Hayes! Snowball was just protecting me! Julian provoked her first! He was the one who made the first move…”

But she didn’t even spare me a glance. She simply tossed Snowball aside like trash.

Snowball twitched twice on the ground, then her neck went limp, and her struggles ceased.

I knelt there, stunned, horrifying images flashing through my mind again.

In my past life, Seraphina had been just as ruthless. She’d bribed the vet, and Snowball had been used as a lab experiment, finally dying on a cold operating table.

I bit down hard on my lower lip, swallowing back the sob that threatened to tear through my throat.

“Seraphina Hayes, you can’t even tolerate the dog I raised since I was a child?!”

I clenched my fists, my voice raw.

But Seraphina merely scoffed.

“Asher Vance, I’m already being merciful by letting you live. Don’t push your luck.”

“My heart has always belonged to Julian and only Julian. If you dare to cross him again, you’ll be the next one to die.”

Seraphina wrapped an arm around Julian and led him away without a backward glance.

I bowed my head, my nails digging into my palms.

Julian looked back, glaring at me, a smirk of disdain and triumph on his lips.

Seraphina probably didn’t realize that she hadn’t just killed Snowball; she had killed her last hope of survival.

Forget inheriting her family’s empire. She’d be lucky if death itself showed her mercy.

Snowball’s body was already stiff. I picked her up with trembling hands and dug a grave in the yard.

Since I was a child, Snowball was the only one who truly stayed by my side. Even in my last life, tortured to her death, she never let go.

My tears splattered onto the soil.

In that moment, the pain was so crushing, even breathing hurt.

“Do you need help?”

I looked up, meeting Valentina Cross’s dark, gentle eyes.

At yesterday’s banquet, besides Seraphina being bitten by a venomous snake, Valentina had also been poisoned.

In my previous life, my entire focus was on Seraphina. I cut my wrist and gave her my blood, saving her. This led to Valentina not receiving timely medical treatment and dying from the poison.

But yesterday, I had someone deliver the special antidote made from my blood to Valentina in advance. She took it immediately after being bitten, and only then did she escape danger.

I wiped away my tears.

I looked at her, my voice deadly serious.

“Valentina Cross, interested in a partnership?”

“I’ll help you bring down Hayes Corp, and you marry me.”

The words had barely left my mouth when Valentina’s eyes lit up with surprise.

A smile touched her lips, as if her long wait had finally paid off.

“Alright, it’s a deal. Don’t you dare go back on your word.”