C1 She Had No One to Rely on

In the dead of night, an unsettling silence seemed to swallow everything.

Charming Beauty Club.

Mo Li, once the star attraction, lay on the floor, her tight red dress torn to shreds. Her meticulously applied makeup was smeared, and her lips were stained with blood.

"Mo Li, don't blame me for being ruthless. You had a choice, and you chose the wrong path," sneered a heavyset man, his eyes filled with disdain and malice.

This was Steward Wang, the club's manager and second-in-command. Seeing Mo Li in such a state, he loomed over her, gripping her face with a cruel hand, his eyes blazing with anger.

"You've got some nerve, thinking you can do whatever you want just because you're the top performer. That was Young Master Pei you attacked with an ashtray! Even a hundred of you wouldn't be enough to make up for it! Your fate is none of my concern, but if you ruin the club's reputation, can you handle the consequences?" Steward Wang's grip tightened, contorting Mo Li's face.

His rage grew with each word, his features twisted in the dim light, resembling a demon from the depths of hell. Overwhelmed by fear, Mo Li trembled uncontrollably, unable to muster her usual quick wit, driven only by the instinct to escape.

Tears of humiliation and despair slowly trickled down her face. She never intended to defy a guest, but today, this particular client had pushed her to her limits, and she couldn't hold back her anger.

Sigh, it's too late to say anything now.

In her mind, she pictured Mo Yu's warm face. For five long years, Mo Li had sacrificed her youth, using her charm and incredible luck to navigate through various men, always managing to avoid overnight stays. But this wasn't the life she wanted. Everything she did was to repay the kindness of her adoptive father. If it weren't for Mo Yu's father being critically ill and in urgent need of a kidney transplant, requiring half a million dollars in just a week, she would never have agreed to meet the infamous Young Master Pei. It all spiraled into an unbearable situation of harassment and violent resistance.

As an orphan, she took a desperate gamble for the sake of gratitude and that half a million dollars, but in the end, she messed it all up. The surgery funds were gone, and she had no idea what fate awaited her.

Steward Wang released Mo Li and signaled to someone nearby. "No matter what, we have to give Young Master Pei an explanation today. Mo Li, you brought this on yourself! Cut off her left hand!"

Knowing she would face severe punishment, Mo Li never expected the price would be so high. Before she could react, a bodyguard had already brought a cleaver, forcibly placing her left hand on the block.

"No! Please, no!" Mo Li struggled. Without her left hand, how could her broken body ever win Mo Yu's love?

Using every ounce of strength she had, Mo Li bit down hard on the man's arm beside her. When he let go, she dashed toward the door with all her might.

"Smack!" A heavy slap nearly knocked her out.

"You ungrateful schemer!" Steward Wang said disdainfully, withdrawing his stinging hand.

Mo Li, completely disoriented, was dragged back to the guillotine. This time, there seemed to be no escape.

The icy grip on her wrist brought her back to reality. Mo Li realized her left hand was gone.

Despair washed over her as she closed her eyes. Memories of the past few years flashed through her mind. Coming here had been a disaster destined by fate...

Just as the blade was about to fall, a bright light suddenly pierced the dark room, followed by the sound of a door being violently kicked open. "Stop!" The voice was gentle yet commanded the attention of the burly men, who immediately halted.