Fragile Heat, Dark Deception

Prologue

In the heart of a sprawling city, where darkness crept through every alley, lived a girl named Scarlet. Petite and delicate, she possessed an otherworldly beauty that seemed out of place amidst the harsh realities of the world. With eyes as pure and blue as a midsummer sky, and cascades of soft curls framing her angelic face, Scarlet appeared too ethereal, too innocent for the cruel hands that life had dealt her.

Scarlet's life was a tapestry woven with shadows. Bound by the shackles of deception, she resided within the opulent walls of her father's mansion. Within the confines of her gilded cage, Scarlet endured a relentless torrent of abuse at the hands of her family. Her days were filled with menial tasks, forced upon her like a lowly servant. Her mother, a stern and callous woman, took pleasure in stripping Scarlet of her dignity, belittling her at every turn. The two spoiled elder sisters, embodiments of entitlement and cruelty, found delight in making Scarlet's existence a living hell.

From dawn till dusk, Scarlet worked ceaselessly, her slender frame weakened by endless chores and aching exhaustion. Her fingers were delicate and nimbled by scrubbing floors and polished silverware. Her spirit yearned for the tender touch of kindness, something she had never known. The cruel world she inhabited had denied her the most basic joys of childhood, leaving her heart starved for affection.

Scarlet's mother and sister reveled in her suffering, deriving twisted satisfaction from their power over her. Their eyes, once filled with malice, glimmered with malintent whenever they cast their gazes upon her. They reveled in their false superiority, their contempt spawning an insatiable thirst for dominance over the vulnerable girl.

Scarlet's true identity is concealed behind a web of lies. The family she believed in was not even her real beloved ones. The pure girl didn't know that the life she was living was nothing but a complete lie. The innocent girl didn't know who she was. All she yearned for was her family's affection. Her innocence, pure and untarnished, became both her greatest strength and her most vulnerable flaw.

Yet, through the darkness that enveloped Scarlet's existence, a flicker of resilience burned within her soul. She clung to the belief that somewhere, somehow, love and tenderness awaited her, even if they seemed impossibly distant. She yearned for a love that would banish the darkness and heal the wounds etched upon her soul. Little did she know that her path was about to intersect with forces far beyond her imagination. The forces that would bring both danger and unexpected salvation to her fragile existence. .