Arthur continued, "The group of pervert billionaires behind the scenes, witnessing her prowess, couldn't wait to humiliate her. Some psychopaths want to tarnish the innocent and destroy the skilled. This wealthy group placed bounties on the contestants. Worse, the live broadcast went offline, becoming a private show for those perverts. The bounties themselves were beyond imagination!"

Arthur clenched his fists. Even after all these years, the memory enraged him, even though it hadn't happened to him directly. But watching his compatriot abused and degradedhe couldn't help but feel furious. She was such a bright girl. He'd participated because of financial hardship, hoping to earn startup capital. He never expected this.

Arthur took a deep breath. "Originally, even with the bounties, given her abilities, they couldn't touch her. But to satisfy those perverts' twisted desires, the production team gassed her and injected her with a paralytic drug. After that"

Arthur shook his head, unable to continue, unable to bear recalling the horrific details.

"Go ahead," Evangeline said calmly, her voice unchanged. Even so, Arthur felt the room grow colder.

He pursed his lips, his face tense as he recounted the events. Many details were disturbing and revolting. "I refused to participate," Arthur said. "They beat me half to death and hung me from a tree, forcing me to watch."

He continued, "Later, some of the perverts wanted to watch on-site. To appease them, the director devised a horrific 'game': cutting the girl's tongue in half. He even pulled out her teeth to prevent her from biting anyone—or injuring his sponsors."

Arthur stopped abruptly, staring at Evangeline in shock. "You" He wondered if she knew something. Why suggest splitting the tongue down the middle? A normal person would just cut a section off.

Evangeline smiled brightly. "That girl," she said, "was my sister." She added, "I was seriously ill and needed money for treatment. She entered Xtreme Survival to earn it."

Arthur saw only sadness in her smile. "I'm sorry I couldn't help your sister," he murmured hoarsely.

Evangeline shook her head. "You helped a lot by secretly bringing her home. Without you, they wouldn't have let her live." Arthur stared, dazed. "You knew?"

"Do you think I'd sell you six-billion-dollar shares for six million?" Evangeline asked, beaming.

Arthur was speechless. "How's your sister now?"

Evangeline took a bite of an apple. "When she woke up, she had a severe mental disorder and was hospitalized. I stayed with her." She continued, "Her physical trauma was severe; she could barely stand or walk, only crawl." Arthur's hand tightened. Did she learn to crawl to be with her sister? She called it exercise—an excuse.

Evangeline said, "After treatment, her mental state improved considerably." Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. Then she said, "Later, she jumped off a building."

Arthur's face froze.

Evangeline continued, "She was rescued, but fell into a coma."

Arthur was at a loss for words. He changed the subject. "Your sister didn't win. How was your illness cured?"

"Naomi took me and Dexter in. The day Naomi entered the show, Dexter's family found him and took me with them," Evangeline said. "They're very wealthy, so my illness was cured." She laughed mockingly. "How ironic. With a little more time, Naomi could have been like us"

Arthur didn't know how to comfort her; she didn't seem to need it. She remained composed, shedding no tears. Yet, it was unbearable for Arthur to witness her pain.

"Did you join Xtreme Survival to avenge your sister?" Arthur asked.

Evangeline nodded.

"Don't act recklessly. You can't escape killing someone on camera. And what about the perverts? You can't touch them. I can help you find a way to kill them secretly," Arthur said.

Evangeline smiled. "My brother's making plans. He'll bring those people to me. Don't worry, Arthur. I know what I'm doing. Stay out of it. Remain the decent man you are."

Just as Arthur spoke, Evangeline impatiently kicked him. "Stop the nonsense! I have a bad temper! Don't make me imprison you!" she warned. "I'm nice, but that doesn't mean you can blabber on!"

Arthur wisely remained silent. A moment ago, he felt like a savior to her. Now, he felt insignificant. Even after being kicked, he remained, hesitant.

Evangeline took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Arthur, don't waste your time on me. After what happened to Naomi, I can't love again." Arthur looked hurt. "Youyou need to come back alive," he said quietly.

He knew she'd never find peace without revenge, and she had to do it herself. Deep down, she must have felt immense guilt. He finally understood her instability. Someone weaker might have truly gone mad.

Noises came from the door. Both looked. The doorbell rang. Hugo's voice: "Evangeline, are you up?" Steven: "Arthur, you in there? Open up! I saw you crawling with Evangeline!"

Arthur and Evangeline were speechless.

"They live nearby?" Evangeline asked.

Arthur rubbed his temples. "Yes. The villas on either side are theirs." He continued, "They set up an observation deck on their roofs. They spied on me for no reason."

Evangeline was speechless. "That's disturbing."

Arthur chuckled. "They found it odd I never dated. They thought I might bring women home secretly."

"Why no girlfriend?" Evangeline asked.

Arthur looked at her. "If I say it's the psychological trauma from Xtreme Survival, would you believe me? People get twisted when addicted to sex, especially the rich."

Evangeline was silent. "That's extreme, but it's good you preserved your purity. Innocence is a man's best dowry."

Arthur was speechless. Evangeline walked to the door. "Let's see what they want."

Opening the door, she saw Hugo and Steven. "What's up?"

Steven chuckled. "You haven't claimed your prize money from last night's competition."

"I'll send you my account number," Evangeline said.

Steven shook his head. "It's a sponsor's check. You need to cash it at their bank."

Evangeline sighed. "How much?"

"It's a small contest. One million dollars," Steven replied.

Evangeline commented, "A million? Fine, let's go."

She went with them. After collecting the prize money, Evangeline treated them to a meal, letting them choose the restaurant.

"Evangeline, you're letting us choose? Get ready to spend a fortune! The most expensive place!" Hugo laughed.

Evangeline said indifferently, "Fine. Order whatever you can finish. Leftovers? I'll feed them to you with my fists."

They were speechless. "Let's go, I'm hungry," Evangeline said.

They arrived at a five-star hotel, a regular haunt with a reserved private room. A black sedan pulled up.

Edward gripped the wheel, watching their backs gloomily. He struggled, but thought of his family and steeled himself. Jasper's butler had informed him that Evangeline had declared she intended to slowly torment the Gallagher family to death. To protect them, he had to act first.

Edward murmured, "Evangeline, don't blame me. It's all your fault"