After he had eaten his fill, Annie stared at him coldly. "So, explain. How did you get out early?" She had calculated the time. Based on the original sentence, Draven shouldn't have been released until the beginning of next year. She'd planned for everything, but she hadn't counted on him being released early. Draven sprawled on the sofa, legs crossed, giving her a sidelong glance. "What, you're not happy I'm out early?" He answered his own question, a leer spreading across his face. "Of course you're not. You're about to climb into the lap of luxury through that kid. And then I show up ahead of schedule. What if I accidentally let something slip? Your Cinderella dream would be over." "Enough! Stop threatening me!" Annie shot to her feet. Backlit, she stared at his one good eye, her stomach churning with disgust.She ground her teeth. "If it weren't for you encouraging Dad to gamble with you back then, he wouldn't have gotten into so much debt! He wouldn't have been driven to such a desperate, one-way road! In the end, it's all because of you! You're the real cause of all this!" Draven and Joel had been brothers. The village was poor, and both brothers had dropped out of school early to find work. One went south, the other north. After over a decade of struggle, Joel had, by chance, entered the Blackwood Manor and gradually earned Arthur's trust, rising to become the driver. The salary and benefits were excellent. Draven, however, had failed in the south and came north to rely on his brother. Knowing his brother's character, Joel hadn't dared to get him a job at the Blackwoods, but he did find him a position as a security guard for a high-end residential complex, with good pay. But Draven, seeing the wealthy residents coming and going, grew resentful and dreamed of striking it rich overnight.He fell in with a bad crowd and learned to gamble. First it was online, then underground. The losses piled up. Finally, unable to pay, he came up with a wicked plan—drag his brother down with him, makehim find a way to settle the debt. He knew his brother worked for the Blackwoods, dealing with rich people. He'd heard the Blackwoods were charitable. Surely if his brother just asked them for help, they'd toss a little money their way, enough to clear the debt. Thinking of the past, Draven couldn't help but curse. "Who the hell knew those rich bastards would be so stingy! Joel just tentatively asked about borrowing a little, and they scolded him for overstepping! Heartless bastards!" Annie snorted, "So then you convinced him to steal! To steal jewelry, watches, anything he could pawn!" Draven looked sheepish. "It was just a few pieces! And we didn't even get caught! I was desperate! The payment was due. Those loan sharks are vicious. If we didn't pay on time, they'd have chopped my hands off!" "Hah." Annie closed her eyes briefly. "We should have let them chop your hands off back then!" Draven's eyes widened. "You think your dad was innocent? What a sainthe was! If he'd had any real backbone, no amount of my pushing would have mattered. In the end, he had his own problems! Don't pin everything on me!" He sneered, "When your mom was alive, he beat her often enough. Then she died, and he put on the grieving widower act. Your father was a hypocrite! You think he was so good to you? He saw those two Blackwood boys taking a shine to you! He was banking on you marrying one of them when you grew up. A fat reward either way. Otherwise, he'd have given you away long ago!" "Shut up! Shut your mouth!" Annie screamed, on the verge of a breakdown. "You're lying! My dad wasn't like that!" Draven propped a foot on the coffee table, picking his teeth casually. "Ooh, touch a nerve, did I? We're family. No point in the pot calling the kettle black. Our whole family is rotten to the core!" Annie trembled, glaring at him with pure hatred. Draven wasn't intimidated. He lounged back. "Don't think I don't know about the kidnapping plan. That was your idea. At first, I just told your dad to steal some valuables to sell. Butyou were the one who suggested kidnapping the Blackwood brothers for a big ransom. And then your useless dad, getting caught halfway, decided to take them with him! Ruined the whole plan! "I waited all night for him, and who showed up? The police! My dear niece, if you hadn't tipped them off, I wouldn't have gone to prison!" Years earlier, while working in the south, Draven had been involved in several theft and robbery cases. The southern police had been after him for years. It was Annie who later provided the tip that led to his arrest. With multiple charges, he'd been sentenced to eight years. Good behavior had earned him an early release.Draven touched his left eye, his expression turning mournful. "I lost this eye in prison." Suddenly, his face contorted with rage. He stood up violently, kicking over the coffee table in front of him. In two strides, he was in front of Annie, his hands closing around her throat. "Damn you! If it weren't for you, I'd never have gone to prison! I wouldn't have lost my eye! It's all your fault! Back then, you promised me two million if I played along with your dad. But now? Two million won't cut it. I want 20 million dollars!"