His Abandoned Wife is Now the Underworld Queen

My marriage to Noah Winston lasted three years.

For three of those years, we were little more than strangers sharing an address.

In a last-ditch effort to salvage our relationship in name only, I agreed to his absurd proposal. He drove me to a remote mountain outside the city, promising an "adventure."

The cold metal of handcuffs clicked shut around my wrists.

He secured me tightly to a thick, unyielding tree trunk. Just as he leaned in, his phone shattered the silence. The screen lit up with the name "Ava Evans."

He answered, and his voice instantly shifted to a tense, urgent tone. "Don't worry, I'm on my way!"

As he grabbed his suit jacket and turned to leave, I shouted, my voice sharp with panic, "Noah Winston! Unlock me first!"

He was already several paces away. He glanced back, his expression pure impatience. "Just wait! Ava's cat is more important than your little game right now."

So I waited.

I waited through the scorching midday sun as it dipped below the horizon. I waited through the deep, chilling night until the first hints of dawn painted the sky.

He never came back.

The mountain wind cut like a knife. Mosquitoes feasted on my exposed skin. My wrists were a raw, bloody mess from struggling against the cuffs.

Noah Winston, I thought, a cold fury crystallizing in my heart. Since you and your secretary are so inseparable, I don't mind finding a nice, permanent place for you to be together forever.

By the time morning light filtered through the trees, I was half-convinced I had already died.

Then I heard it—chaotic footsteps crunching through the undergrowth. I used the last dregs of my strength to call out, "Help! Is anyone there? Help!"

Several male voices grew closer. "This is the spot that Miss Ava mentioned, right?"

"Sure is. We're in for a real treat today."

My heart plummeted. These men were sent by Ava. I held my breath, trying to make myself invisible.

It was useless. A dozen men with vicious faces emerged from the trees, surrounding me.

I forced my voice into a semblance of calm. "Gentlemen, I've been locked here. Could you please help me? Just call the police."

The leader just leered. They didn't waste time with words.

My flimsy dress was torn to shreds in seconds. My desperate struggles only ground the metal deeper into my flesh. In utter despair, I screamed a final, futile warning. "I am Amy Winston! You have no idea what will happen to you if you touch me!"