"I worked so hard to be the one to carry the Lucius legacy as the only female heir… but you came out of nowhere and stole my place!" June's voice was filled with venom as she pressed down harder, choking Silva, who struggled desperately for air.
But then, something shifted. June's movements slowed, her own breath escaping in strangled gasps. She was drowning.
Tears welled in her eyes as she realized the cruel twist of fate. "I don't want you to survive this…" she rasped, trying to push away. "I should be the only one… the only Lucius daughter…"
She fought to swim back up, desperate for air—
But Silva's hand shot out, weak yet determined, gripping June's leg.
"Damn you!" June's mind screamed as her strength drained, unable to shake off Silva's grasp.
She sank deeper, exhaustion consuming her. A sad, almost defeated smile crossed her lips.
"So this is my fate after all, huh?"
Her vision blurred, darkness creeping in.
"All my hard work… gone to waste."
Losing consciousness, June made a silent vow—if she survived this, she would make Silva suffer.
Her mind drifted, slipping into old memories…
"June! June! Get back here!"
Her mother's sharp voice cut through the air as she yanked June's small hand, her grip firm and unyielding.
"Girls your age are excelling in their studies, memorizing books upon books," her mother scolded, eyes filled with disappointment.
"You are different from other girls. You're the only daughter of Lucius, and living up to that standard is a must. Do you understand?"
Six-year-old June swallowed her protests, nodding obediently despite the ache in her chest. She just wanted to play with her friends.
But playtime never came.
Locked away in her room, she spent endless hours memorizing books on business, logistics, and financial strategies. The weight of expectations crushed her childhood dreams.
Then came the accident—the concussion that stole her sharp memory, leaving her struggling to keep up. Numbers blurred, words became a chore. She was no longer the prodigy her parents demanded.
But she was strong.
"See, Mom? My tutor said I could be the perfect combination of what Father wants—both smart and strong."
She blushed, holding up her test scores with hopeful eyes.
Her mother's gaze flicked over the paper, unimpressed.
"Back to studying, young lady!" she snapped, her voice like a whip.
June flinched, the warmth of pride instantly replaced by cold fear.
"Yes, ma'am."
She lowered her head and obediently left the room, her forgotten test scores fluttering to the floor behind her.
Despite her struggles, June did everything she could to make her mother proud. But then, a new girl arrived—one younger than her by a year.
Introduced as the daughter of Lucius, the girl had been sent back to her father after her mother's passing.
"What?!"
June's thoughts darkened as she glared at the girl, who was being showered with compliments.
"She looks just like master," the maids whispered.
June clenched her fists.
As time passed, Silva quickly proved to be a prodigy—excelling in reading, memorizing logistics, trade, philosophy, and psychology. But June noticed something else.
"She's as weak as a baby bird," June sneered, watching Silva struggle to stand after a severe illness.
"Hah!" She scoffed. "Her, of all people, taking my place in this house? Never in a million years!"
Her expression hardened.
"I will be the only female in Lucius history to achieve absolute perfection as a daughter."
She glared at Silva from afar.
"I either become that—or die trying."
June turned away with a confident smirk.
"As Mother always said, the figures in history books were just humans like me. So to surpass them, I must be the only Lucius daughter recognized by the world for achieving true greatness."
But just days later, June fell gravely ill—her body weakened by a life-threatening sickness. And in her suffering, she found someone to blame.
Silva.
"She… she passed this on to me."
The resentment burned deeper.
Determined to take revenge after her recovery, June's resentment festered.
"You came to steal my spotlight—so blame yourself for whatever happens next."
With a sinister smirk, she carefully poured poison into Silva's teacup.
***********Present Day************
June's eyes fluttered open, the harsh glow of hospital lights blinding her for a moment. Disoriented, she blinked rapidly, her mind struggling to piece together what had happened. Then, it hit her.
Her eyes widened.
"I'm alive?"
A slow, eerie smile crept onto her lips.
"I'm alive."
Revenge surged through her veins like fire.
Without hesitation, she yanked the IV needle from her hand, the beeping of her disconnected machine echoing in the sterile room.
"If I'm here… then Silva isn't far away either."
Her fingers curled into fists as she forced herself to stand.
"This isn't over."