Chapter 1 – Framed by Family. Saved by Mafia

On the day Khloe Evans was put on trial by her fiance, it was raining heavily.

They had spent four years together, from falling in love to getting engaged. Khloe had always believed that he loved her deeply, and she envisioned their married life being blissful.

But on their wedding day, he personally put her on trial, influenced by her stepsister’s words.

Inside the silent and solemn courtroom, the judge’s gavel echoed, signaling the start of a tense moment.

“Khloe Evans, you are suspected of bribing competition judges, academic fraud, and attempted homicide. Do you plead guilty or not?”

Khloe’s bloodshot eyes were filled with anger and desperation as she stared at Eric Watson, her fiance. She couldn’t help but sneer.

The Watson family was one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the country. No one would dare offend them for a nobody like her.

Khloe spoke, her words slow and deliberate. “I have nothing to say.”

She had always thought Eric was the love of her life. But it turned out he had been having an affair with her stepsister, Sloane Evans. What’s worse, he had stolen her academic achievements and now falsely accused her of being a murderer. His cruelty knew no bounds.

What else could she say?

The judge banged his gavel again and delivered the verdict.

“The court hereby sentences the defendant, Khloe Evans, to eight years in prison and a fine of three hundred thousand dollars.”

The trial concluded, and the prison guards escorted Khloe. As she walked out of the courtroom, Khloe turned and looked back at Eric, who sat in the plaintiff’s seat. Her eyes burned with deep hatred and fury.

Three years passed.

“Khloe Evans, someone has bailed you out. You’re free to go.”

Upon hearing that, Khloe raised her head, her pale face filled with shock.

After enduring endless torture for three years, she had resigned herself to the fact that she would serve the full sentence. She never imagined she would be released one day.

An hour after she was released from prison, Khloe was taken to a hospital.

She entered a ward, and her heart clenched when she saw her mother through the ICU door, lying motionless in the hospital bed. With a pale face and various apparatus connected to her body, she looked lifeless.

“Mom…” Khloe became distressed, her voice trembling with emotion. She wanted to open the door and go in.

“Stop it! This ward is specially secured. No one is allowed to enter without my permission.” A female voice suddenly rang out behind her.

Khloe turned around, surprised to see the person who spoke. “Sloane? My mom severed ties with the Evans family long ago. Why are you still doing this to her?” As she spoke, she glared at Sloane with eyes full of hatred.

Sloane looked at Khloe, a flicker of jealousy and disdain flashing across her eyes. Then, she sneered. “Khloe, looks like you’re mistaken. I’m saving her. Without me, your mother would have died long ago. Perhaps, by the time you came out of prison, you would have only seen her tomb.”

Khloe took a deep breath to calm herself. “Sloane, stop being so hypocritical. You’re saving my mother? Only a fool would believe that. What are you really up to? You’re using her to manipulate me, right?”

“Khloe, you’re as clever as ever. No wonder they called you the rising star of academia. But it’s a pity that you are now a convict for attempted murder. And your fate is in my hands,” Sloane taunted. “So today, all you need to do is spend a night with Karl Russell. Then, I’ll arrange for your release and your mother’s treatment.”

“Karl Russell? That old man is already in his sixties. Are you out of your mind?” Khloe’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“So what? Should I care? It’s you who are going to sleep with him, not me. As long as you spend one night with him, our family can secure the Russell family’s arms deal. It’s a very lucrative business. You should feel honored that you’re selling your body to make so much money for us. But if you refuse…”

Sloane pointed to the ICU. “I’ll have them remove your mom’s life support, and she’ll die right in front of you. I’ll give you five seconds to decide. Five, four, three…”

“Fine! I’ll go,” Khloe agreed in despair. This time, she could no longer suppress the tears she had been holding back. She was left with no choice. For the sake of her mother, she had to do it.

After freshening up, Khloe was put into a car.

Tonight, she was destined to sleep with a sixty-something disgusting man.

And she was still a virgin.

That night, the car glided through the deserted streets, headlights cutting into the night’s inky darkness.

Bang! A gunshot shattered the silence, deafening and ominously close.

Glass sprayed across the seats as the car window exploded, fragments glittering in the dim streetlights.

All hell broke loose. Terrified screams echoed in the street as the few remaining shops hurried to lower their shutters. The driver, white-faced and trembling, veered in a panic. The car skidded, tires screeching before slamming into the curb. He slumped forward, unconscious.

Beside him, Khloe blinked, disoriented from the impact.

Pressing a hand to her throbbing head, she tried to make sense of what had happened. Through the cracked window, she glimpsed flickering orange flames a short distance away. “Oh, no!” She had stumbled straight into the deadly crossfire of a gunfight.

It was likely a turf war turned ugly between two warring gangs. Steadying herself, Khloe pushed open the door and crouched low, inching towards the roadside.

But before she could move further, a figure emerged from the darkness. Tall and powerfully built, he was moving fast. Even though a mask obscured most of his features, she could still see his intense eyes and the proud outline of his nose.

A dark stain spread across his side, seeping through his clothes-blood.

He stumbled towards her, breathing heavily, and collapsed at her feet.

Just then, another group of burly men burst from the shadows, each armed to the teeth. Their faces were etched with vicious determination, each bearing a tattoo on their hand.

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