Zane was gasping for breath, his throat dry as sandpaper. "Give me some!"

    Winona lounged on the couch across from him, setting down a bottle of red wine and a pair of sses on the coffee table.

    "Do you even remember what this wine means?" she teased, swirling the bottle in her hand. "If you can answer that, I''ll pour you a ss."

    Zane frowned, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the words. Nothing came out.

    Winona shook her head and sighed. "Honestly, you forget everything. Even this?"

    "This is the wine we saved from our wedding," she reminded him. "We agreed to keep it sealed until one of us was on our deathbed. Only then could we open it."

    Before Zane could even process her words, Winona grabbed the corkscrew and popped the bottle open, not giving him a moment to react.

    She poured herself a ss without letting it breathe, took a generous sip, and smacked her lips. "Mmm... That''s good. Real good."

    Zane''s breathing quickened, panic shing across his face. "Wait, are you are you nning to kill me? Don''t forget, murder''s a felony! Plenty of people know I''m here with you. If you kill me, you won''t get away with it!"

    For the past month, he''d tried everything-arguing, begging, bargaining. He''d realized by now that Winona was dead set on making him suffer. But he was sure she wouldn''t dare kill him. After all, the whole world knew he was in her hands. If she killed him, she''d pay for it.

    Winonaughed, tossing her hair back. "Kill you? Please. I''m not about to get my hands dirty for someone like you. Not worth it."

    "Let''s make a deal," she continued. "You cooperate, you get a ss. Simple as that. If you don''t, well, you stay hungry and thirsty until you change your mind."

    Zane eyed her warily. "What do you want?"

    "That sapphire you took from my dad," she replied smoothly. "Hand it over, and I''ll let you have a drink."

    Zane''s jaw clenched. That sapphire was worth a fortune-he''d nned to have it set into a ring for his proposal to Elysia. He definitely didn''t want to give it to Winona.

    But right now, he was dying of thirst. He hadn''t had a drop of water in ages, and the torment was worse than any beating.

    He nced at the wine in her hand, then made his choice. "Fine! It''s in my study. Bookshelf, third shelf down, far right—there''s a hiddenpartment. Inside''s a safe. The code is... 251314."

    The numbers were Elysia''s birthday. Winona felt sick, picturing a slimy toad fawning over a swan-how dare he even think of Elysia.

    She didn''t bother responding, just headed upstairs to the study. She found thepartment, pulled out the safe, punched in the code, and retrieved the sapphire. It was even more stunning in person than in photos-deep blue, sparkling, wless.

    Winona had a lot of jewelry, being a celebrity, but this gem was on another level. She could only

    imagine how dazzling it would look as a full set. Still, she tucked it away carefully-this belonged to her father, Keaton, and she needed to return it safely. She''d never forgive herself if it got damaged.

    Back in her room, she hid the sapphire, nning to return it to Keaton when she brought him dinnerter.

    Then she headed back to the basement. True to her word, she poured Zane a ss of wine.

    Zane gulped it down in seconds, then shoved his ss out through the bars, desperate. "More! Give me another!"

    Winona sauntered over, bottle in hand. Zane''s eyes followed every drop.

    But she didn''t pour it into his ss. Instead, she tipped the bottle and let the wine spill out onto the concrete floor.

    Zane''s eyes bulged. He thrust his hand through the bars, trying to catch the wine, but it was hopeless. He let out a furious, guttural yell.

    "Winona! You bitch!"

    Winona finished pouring out thest drop, tossed the empty bottle aside, and ignored his tantrum. When Zane smashed the ss and lunged at her, she stomped on his hand, grinding it down with her heel.

    "Argh!" Zane screamed in pain.

    Winona just smirked. "Does it hurt?"

    Zane, sweating and shaking, could barely force out the words. "Winona, you—"