As I took my parents on the cable car ride up the mountain, a deafening blast erupted at the foot of the slope. Over 10 million fireworks shot into the sky, forming a glowing message. "Forever faithful in love. Maddy, my heart belongs to you."

In that instant, I knew this was my husband Samuel Caldwell's grand gesture for his childhood sweetheart, Madison Barlow.

The cable car shook violently from the tremors, the cable groaning, threatening to snap at any moment. My knuckles whitened around the phone as I screamed into the receiver, "Samuel, are you insane? Stop this right now! Parents are in the cable car!"

He only let out a cold laugh. I could hear Madison giggling sweetly in the background, egging him on. "Why should I stop? Three years ago, Maddy's parents were waiting in the ICU for you to save them. You never once failed a surgery, except that time. And they died.

"Today, you'll finally know what it feels like to lose your own family."

Then came the bodyguard's reply, followed by his ruthless command, "Add another three million rounds. Aim for the cable car. I want it blown out of the sky."

Madison's syrupy voice chimed in, sickeningly cheerful. "Baby, you're amazing! Make sure those old geezers are nothing but ashes."

The cable car lurched, dropping suddenly, and the parents' faces drained of all color.

My eyes burned as I roared into the phone with what little strength I had left. "Samuel, those are your own parents in here!"

His voice was cold, mocking. "Kimberly, don't you think that your lie is a bit pathetic? My parents are vacationing in the Maldives right now. If you're going to bluff, at least make it believable."

On the other end, Madison giggled. "Sammy, don't you see? She's trying to use your parents to manipulate you, just like she did when you married her."

Her words struck exactly at his sore spot. His expression darkened as he waved to the bodyguards, aiming 5,000 fireworks at the cable car. "I'll give you ten minutes to decide. Sign the divorce papers, walk away with nothing, and tell my parents it's your choice. Only then will I let you go. Otherwise..."

The unspoken threat hung heavy as more blasts shook the cable car. The glass cracked, swaying dangerously with a shrill groan.

Before I could respond, my father-in-law, Thomas Caldwell, snatched the phone from me. "You bastard! So this is how you've been treating Kimberly behind our backs!"

Afraid of the heights, he spoke in a sharp and hoarse voice.

There was a pause on the line, then Samuel exploded. "What the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?"

"I'm your father!" Thomas shouted.

"I've never once acknowledged the marriage with Kimberly. Don't you dare pull rank on me. You're nothing."

The barrage intensified, glass shattering around us. I clung to the frame, half my body hanging out into the night air. Shards sliced into my palm, hot pain searing through me as blood made my grip slippery.

My mother-in-law Selena Estes' pupils widened in horror. "Kimmy, your hand!"

For a doctor, nothing mattered more than their hands. I gave her a broken smile. "It's fine."

Selena fumbled out her phone. "I'll call Dexter. He'll come save us."

But when the line connected, it was still Samuel's voice.

Selena's voice cracked with fury and grief. "You monster! Are you trying to kill us? Stop this cable car right now!"

He said impatiently. "Mom, has Kimberly been whining to you again? Don't listen to her nonsense. We're perfectly fine."

Then, he hung up.

A moment later, my phone buzzed. His voice roared through the line, thick with rage. "Bitch! You really think you can use my parents as your shield? Let me spell it out—Dexter's been fired. No one's coming for you. Not God himself.

"Divorce me, or die."

Selena was so shocked that she suddenly collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe.

It was a heart attack—her heart condition had flared up again!

Panic surged through me as I tore through my bag, finally finding her medicine. But just as I was about to give it to her, the deafening roar of a helicopter filled the sky. It hovered a hundred meters away.

Onboard, Samuel held Madison in one arm, a hunting rifle in the other. He loaded a round and raised the barrel.

There was a loud bang as he pulled the trigger.

The bullet whizzed past my cheek, shattering the pill bottle to dust. The shock numbed my fingers.

The rifle clicked again. His eyes locked on me as he leveled the gun. "Time's up. Sign the papers—or else."

Selena gripped my hand tightly, shaking her head silently. Thomas' face was ashen. He was about to lean out and argue when Samuel fired a warning shot into his shoulder. "I'm counting down ten seconds!

"Ten.

"Nine..."

He continued counting.

I watched the two elderly lives dangling in the balance and said coldly, "I'll sign, but I have one condition.

"You must immediately send a bottle of heart medication and take Thomas to the hospital. This is between us. Don't involve anyone else."

"Fine." A malicious smile spread across Samuel's face as he snapped his fingers. A drone dropped the divorce papers right in front of me. Without hesitation, I signed.

When I reached for the heart medication hanging above, a bullet tore through my palm. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, stifling a scream.

It was Madison, holding a gun, her eyes sharp as venom. "Sammy, my parents died because of her. Why should her parents still be alive? I won't allow it."

She whirled around in fury. Samuel pressed a kiss to her cheek, smirking wildly. "Maddy, you're too impatient. Do you really think I would let her off that easily? That bottle was filled with rat poison."

I froze, staring at him in disbelief. If Madison hadn't intervened, even the greatest doctor alive wouldn't have saved Selena.

Seeing my expression darken, Samuel lifted an eyebrow with a mocking look. "I never planned on sparing you anyway. Death comes for everyone sooner or later."

He raised his gun again, aiming at the cable car's anchor.

He fired another shot.

The cable car rocked violently, hanging by a single steel cable. Thomas was flung outward by the momentum, clutching a diamond necklace engraved with the letter "C."

Samuel's assistant's eyes widened. "Mr. Caldwell, isn't that Sir Caldwell"?

"Years ago, he bought two diamonds in Nebraska and personally had a necklace made for each of you. Could that really be his?"

Samuel's expression stiffened. Before he could dwell on it, Madison added fuel to the fire. "The Ortiz family is insufferable. Kimberly stole my position as your wife, and now her father has Sir Caldwell's necklace.

"What a petty thief!"

"Sammy, didn't you call your parents last night? They're supposed to be vacationing in the Maldives. How could they suddenly be here on a cable car with Kimberly?"

Her words shattered the illusion. His worry vanished instantly.

I clung to Thomas with all my strength, bracing myself against the doorframe with my feet, feeling utterly powerless. They had indeed been in the Maldives last night, but to help my relationship with Samuel, they flew back overnight to assist me secretly without letting anyone know.

We had planned to ride the cable car together, but after waiting and waiting, Samuel never appeared. Instead, we were greeted by 10 million fireworks.

Thomas lost consciousness, his body heavy and falling. My arm was already dislocated, pain searing through me, but I couldn't let go. He would shatter on the rocks a hundred meters below.

I closed my eyes and shouted almost pleadingly, "Samuel, save Thomas! If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

I hadn't expected him to descend into this level of madness. He raised his rifle again, aiming at my wrist, and pulled the trigger. "Don't try to use me for leverage. I have only one father, and he's in the Maldives. I told you—I'm letting you feel what it's like to lose someone you love."

The bullet's impact paralyzed my hand completely. Thomas plummeted straight down the cliff as well, and I watched him vanish with a heart-wrenching scream, "Thomas!"

The cable car teetered dangerously, Selena's life uncertain. I was weak from blood loss, my vision blurring.

Samuel lounged in the helicopter with ease, a crystal glass of liquor beside him, exuding an air of calm. Madison nestled against him, chin lifted. "Sammy, why don't we play a little game?"

He had always been utterly devoted to her. He ruffled her nose affectionately. "Anything you want."

A sly smile spread across her face. She clapped her hands, and a bodyguard hoisted a massive beehive inside a net. She admired her polished nails and then puckered her lips toward the cable car. "Throw it in."

The hive flew in an arc and landed inside. The bees crawled out hesitantly, then swarmed toward me and Selena. I couldn't dodge in time; my arm was stung repeatedly, swelling fast.

"I've heard that bee venom has miraculous effects on heart disease. I'm just helping your mother, Kimberly. Don't be ungrateful," Madison said smugly.

She signaled, and a bucket of honey splashed over us, the sticky sweetness hanging in the air, driving the bees into a frenzy.

Gritting my teeth, I grabbed my jacket from my bag and threw it over both of us, shielding us as best I could. Samuel and Madison's sharp, cruel laughter echoed through the valley—they clearly thought we were entertainment.

The sudden movement made the cable car start swaying again. Selena and I were thrown to the side, slamming against the doorframe.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a bottle of heart medicine. Ignoring the bees' stings, I snatched it and forced it into Selena's mouth. Then I gave the beehive a hard kick, sending it flying out of the cable car into the valley, taking all the venomous bees with it.

I sank to the floor, finally able to breathe. Selena was too weak to move. When she realized it was only the two of us left, she grabbed my hand. "Where's Thomas?"

My throat tightened, and I couldn't answer—I just turned away. She understood instantly. Samuel's shrill laughter still rang in the air. "Your mother isn't dead yet. Do you want me to end her life for you?"

Another shot rang out, striking the cable car's support.

Selena dug her nails into her palm. At this moment, she was furious enough to tear him to pieces. Fumbling over her body, she finally pulled a signal flare from her pocket. "Kimberly, send a signal to the Tempest Squad. Have them come save us."

Her body was in terrible shape, and after struggling to finish the sentence, she finally passed out.

I didn't waste a second. I aimed at the sky and fired. The flare shot high, bursting into brilliant colors far more dazzling than the 10 million fireworks Samuel had set off for Madison.

Seeing this, Samuel could no longer sit still. He slammed his hand on the chair and jumped up. "Mom even gave this to you?"

The signal flare was a direct call for help—trained Caldwell family operatives would respond immediately. There was no way to cover this up.

"No... I can't let my parents find out," Samuel muttered, his eyes burning with lethal intent. He reloaded and aimed at my head.

Madison's eyes glittered. "Yes, Sammy. Shoot her now. Once she's dead, all our problems are gone."

Her words echoed his exact thoughts. He didn't hesitate, pulling the trigger.

The bullet flew straight toward me—but faster still, a shot came from the southwest. The two bullets collided midair and exploded. The Caldwell family's Tempest Squad had arrived, encircling him with a helicopter. The powerful winds made him squint.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Samuel's second uncle, Bobby Caldwell, barked, "Sammy, you've got some nerve!"

He radiated authority, and Samuel's face turned ashen. "Uncle Bobby, Kimberly tricked you! She stole the flare. My mother isn't even here."

Bobby didn't listen. He descended the rope, landed before Samuel, and slapped him hard. "How dare you! Have you forgotten every lesson we taught you as a child?"

The words hit like a hammer. Samuel, unwilling but cornered, lowered his head. "Yes."

The Tempest Squad, highly trained, pulled Selena and me from the cable car within seconds.

Samuel glared at me with venom. "Kimberly, I suggest you know your place. If you bring this to my parents' attention, I swear I'll kill you."

Samuel glared at me with venom. "Kimberly, I suggest you know your place. If you bring this to my parents' attention, I swear I'll kill you."

Madison looked at it dismissively. "What's the big deal? She even has Sir Caldwell's and Mr. Bobby's diamond necklaces. She's truly a copycat."

Samuel had initially been startled, but hearing Madison's words, he relaxed.

Then I spoke, freezing them as if doused in ice water. "Bobby, save Thomas! He's fallen off the cliff!"

At first, Bobby didn't register. "Who?"

"Thomas Caldwell—the patriarch of the Caldwell family. He's fallen!"

My words struck like a stone shattering still water, sending ripples of shock through everyone.

Samuel and Madison thought I was still pretending and were about to mock me, but I turned Selena to face everyone and said, "Selena is having a heart attack. We need to get her to the hospital immediately."

Seeing her face, Samuel felt as if a chord in his mind had snapped. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Mom, why are you here?

"Could Kimberly have been telling the truth? Dad..."

The rest of his words caught in his throat.

Thomas had been put in mortal danger by his own son. It was an unimaginable scandal in high society.

Bobby immediately ordered a media blackout, forbidding anyone from speaking, and sent the operatives to the foot of the mountain to search for him.

Guilt-ridden, Samuel tried to leave, but I produced the Caldwell family's command token.

It glittered in the sunlight. My voice was weak, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "By order of Madam Caldwell, I will stand in her place for all matters while she's unconscious."