When The President’s Daughter Stops Breathing

My fiancé’s childhood sweetheart Vivian knew about my deadly asthma. She secretly mixed strong liquor into my drink. Fire poured down my throat. Then, my airway clamped shut. Panic hit me. My hands shook as I dug out my emergency inhaler. But the spray hitting my lungs wasn't medicine. It was strong mint spray. She had swapped it. The second I inhaled, my airways slammed shut. Lack of oxygen drained my strength. I collapsed onto the floor, pathetic and weak. "Aria, this is mint spray I specially prepared for you. It can give you an effective energy boost." Vivian said, rushing over with a look of innocent concern. She crossed her arms, her possessive eyes locked onto my fiancé—Silas Thorne, the CEO of Thorne Group. "Silas, is Aria practicing for a play? I've been a top private doctor for years. I've never seen anyone react to mint spray that strongly." I bit my inner cheek hard. The taste of blood filled my mouth. Cold sweat stung my eyes. I gripped Silas’s pant leg tight. "Please... Silas... ambulance... I can't breathe..." Real panic flashed in his deep eyes for a second. He leaned forward instinctively. But the mocking voices from the executives around us stopped him cold. "Come on, stop pretending! Nobody dies from a bit of beverage and mint spray." "Yeah, she's just throwing a tantrum. Vivian was appointed as the Chief Medical Officer of Thorne Group today, and Aria is clearly jealous." Silas’s jaw tightened. He forced down the worry in his eyes. He ruthlessly pulled his leg away from my twitching fingers, taking a cold step back. "Vivian is a doctor. With her here, you won't die." I stopped begging. I used my last breath to text my father，the President of the Federation. Chapter 1 The second I hit send, one of Vivian's socialite friends gently but firmly took my encrypted phone away. "Aria, screen light will only make your dizziness worse. You need to rest your eyes," she said with a sweet smile. But as she turned, the phone slipped from her hands. "Oops!" Another guest stepped back in 'surprise' and heavily crushed the device under his dress shoe. The screen shattered. Silas stepped over the broken glass, his face dark. He stood over me. I stayed on my knees, clutching my chest in agony. My lungs felt like they were full of crushed glass. "Silas... ambulance..." I forced out a broken whisper. He looked at my deathly pale face. He finally moved, bending down slightly. He heard the harsh, unnatural wheezing in my throat. His cold brows furrowed. A tremor he didn't even notice crept into his voice. "Aria, what's wrong with you?" He reached out to touch my sweaty face. Before his fingers could touch me, Vivian rushed over. She grabbed Silas's arm and yanked him back up. "Silas, you shouldn't indulge this behavior!" Vivian raised her voice, acting wronged and hurt. "Everyone came here to celebrate my appointment as CMO, but she's jealous and trying to ruin the party. "I knew Aria never liked me. I invited her because I wanted to fix things between us, but she didn't appreciate it at all. Silas, if I had known she would act like this, I would have only invited you." Silas's hand froze in mid-air. Then it slowly clenched into a fist. I looked at him in despair. My heart broke. His parents died in a sudden, severe illness when he was young. He lived in constant fear of losing his loved ones. To protect him, I hid my deadly asthma—a trauma from a childhood kidnapping. I thought my silence would give him peace. I never expected it would become Vivian's perfect excuse to kill me today. In the past, Vivian always crashed our rare dates, flaunting her status as Silas's childhood friend. "I'm Silas's sister. I'm just tagging along to help see if you're right for him. You don't mind me joining, right, Aria?" I was always the forced, useless shadow. Silas would brush me off impatiently. "Vivian is just a sister who needs looking after. Stop being unreasonable." Now, this "sister" was murdering me in public. "Look at her gasping on the floor to get attention. This is unbelievable!" The guests burst into harsh laughter. Countless phones aimed at me. Flashes went off like crazy, recording my pathetic gasps. The mockery stung Silas's pride. His brief worry for me was instantly swallowed by rage and disgust. He glared down at me. "Aria, I know you don't like Vivian, but her celebration party only lasts one day. Can't you just bear with it for a few hours? Get up. Stop embarrassing me." Lack of oxygen made my brain roar. Breathing was a luxury. I couldn't make a sound to defend myself. I bit down hard on my tongue. The strong taste of blood forced my sanity awake. Since he wouldn't save me, I had to save myself. I turned. My nails dug into the carpet. I dragged my heavy body, inching toward the closed double doors. I hoped someone outside could help. Vivian sighed from behind me, her voice dripping with fake pity. "Aria, what's wrong? Your trick got exposed, and now that Silas won't defend you anymore, you're embarrassed and trying to run away?" The guests roared with laughter. Silas's face grew even darker. Just as I almost reached the door, Vivian rushed forward. "Aria, wait! Don't wander off when you're feeling sick!" She grabbed my arm as if to support me. But my weak body couldn't handle the sudden pull. As she seemingly tried to 'steady' me, the momentum sent me completely off balance. I crashed into a massive champagne ice sculpture. Countless sharp ice shards buried me instantly. Vivian covered her mouth, shrieking in horror. "Oh my god! Silas, I'm so sorry, I tried to catch her, but she just threw herself backward!" The guests shook their heads in disgust. "Silas, your fiancée is really going too far today. Throwing herself into the ice sculpture just to make a scene?" Silas barked in a rage, "Aria, is that enough? Stop the act and get up!" The next second, he froze completely. My face had turned blue. Ice water and cold sweat soaked my couture gown. Sharp ice cut my pale hands. Blood seeped out. But I didn't even have the strength to cry out in pain. "Aria hates pain..." he muttered. "Is she really..." Silas didn't know I lacked the energy to scream. His rage instantly turned to terror. He lunged forward desperately. Seeing this, Vivian quickly grabbed a glass of iced citrus cocktail. "She must be severely dehydrated from the heat!" She knelt beside me, gently but urgently pressing the glass to my lips. "Aria, drink this. The vitamin C and electrolytes will help you regain your strength!" Suddenly, I felt like I was truly going to die. I couldn't resist her 'help.' The citrus aggravated my allergic reaction, making my airways lock up faster. My body started convulsing uncontrollably. I gasped for air, but nothing entered my lungs. A loud, dying wheeze rattled in my throat. The guests saw this horrifying scene and backed away in fear. "Is... is she actually dying?" Silas's pupils shrank violently. His tall body shuddered. He stood frozen in place. Chapter 2 "Move!" Silas shoved through the crowd blocking his way. He strode toward me. The panic in his eyes finally crushed his pride and anger. He dropped to one knee on the broken ice. His hands shook as he reached out to gather my convulsing body. "Silas, wait. Please don't be so easily manipulated." Vivian shoved a tablet right into Silas's face, blocking his view. A secret video played on the screen. It was me in my studio last week. I was looking for inspiration for a "Despair" couture line, rolling and gasping on the floor. The moves and expressions were exactly like my pain right now. "I didn't want to show you this," Vivian's voice was full of reluctance and disappointment. "She's not sick at all. I saw her practicing these exact moves in her studio last week for her new collection. She's just using your trauma to test your love for her!" Silas's movements froze. He stared hard at the video. His eyes turned red instantly. The veins on the back of his hand bulged. Death and separation were his greatest fears, yet I used it to play with his feelings! The hard-won worry in his eyes vanished completely. It was replaced by the deep pain of absolute betrayal. "Aria." His voice was ice-cold, filled with gritted disappointment. "Get up right now." He pulled back his rescuing hands. He stood up straight again, glaring down at me coldly. I hurt so much that even my fingertips trembled. My lungs had completely quit. I shook my head desperately, unable to make a single sound. "She must be too deep in her own performance," Vivian sighed. "Let's give her a hand, maybe some fresh air will snap her out of it." A few socialite friends walked over. They gently but firmly hoisted me up by my arms, completely ignoring my bruised, oxygen-starved face. "Come on, Aria, enough is enough. Toast and apologize to Vivian!" they snapped. Silas picked up a glass of wine from a nearby table. He held it right to my lips. "Drink it," he ordered. "Drink this, and I'll let tonight's stupid stunt slide." I stared into his cold eyes. My tears mixed with cold sweat and fell into the icy water. In agony, I bit the inside of my cheek. "No..." I used every last drop of my strength to force out the word. "Still refusing a toast? Aria, you really are holding a grudge, aren't you?" Vivian sighed as if she was deeply hurt. She picked up a concentrated essential oil diffuser from the table. "Her breathing is so shallow from anxiety. As a doctor, I recommend aromatherapy. This potent eucalyptus oil will open up her chest." She placed the steaming device directly beneath my nose. My lungs screamed. It felt like swallowing broken glass. Unable to breathe, I opened my eyes wide in pain. Blood vessels popped in my eyes. A violent, tearing pain exploded in my chest. I clutched my chest tightly. Out of instinct, I reached a trembling finger toward Silas for help. "Save... me... my lungs..." Silas slapped my hand away hard. He was absolutely ruthless, but he didn't dare look into my desperate eyes again. "Stop faking it, Aria! It's just essential oils! It won't hurt you. I've known you for so long, and I've never heard a word about any asthma! I stayed quiet because I loved you. I wanted to give you a chance to change, but you disappointed me too much!" I closed my eyes in total despair. Years ago, I ran away from my powerful family to chase my dream as a designer. One day, I was trapped in a horrifying multi-car pileup during a storm. Silas showed up like a hero and pulled me from the wreckage. We fell in love at first sight. We became inseparable. I learned this cold, distant man lost his parents to a sudden, severe illness. So, I decided to hide that I was the President's daughter, because I wanted to live a normal life with him without the complications of my political background. I hid my trauma and illness from the kidnapping too. I didn't want him to relive the fear and helplessness of watching a loved one suffer from illness ever again. I never thought this kind secret would one day get me killed. Silas turned around with extreme disgust and heartbreak. He didn't look at me again. After he turned his back, Vivian knelt down beside me. She pretended to check my pulse, but her sharp acrylic nails dug painfully into my wrist. "Why... why are you doing this to me?" I managed to whisper. Vivian leaned close so only I could hear her. The innocent doctor persona melted into a vicious smile. "You don't deserve him," she whispered venomously. "Silas is handsome, rich, and the CEO of Thorne Group. I spent eleven years trying to win his heart, and I failed. You're just a nobody from the slums. Why do you get to keep him?" She 'accidentally' let go of my wrist, letting my head hit the floor hard. "A nobody... from the slums?" A grim, cold smile crept onto my lips. If my father—the man who controlled the entire Federation military and government—knew I was humiliated and trampled like this, what kind of bloody hell would he unleash? Sadly, I would never see him again. My vision blurred. Through the haze, I saw my spare emergency pill. It had dropped near a waiter's feet far away. It was my last glimmer of hope. The will to live drove every part of my body. Just a few more crawls... I thought. Just a few more... I thought I could reach the pill. Even if I couldn't, I hoped I could get the waiter's attention. Maybe he would kindly give me the medicine. Then I would at least have a chance to see my father one last time. I clenched my teeth until they almost broke. Dragging my dying body, I crawled forward with every last drop of my strength. Chapter 3 My fingertips were less than an inch away from the life-saving pill. I gritted my teeth. I stretched my shaking arm with all my might. That was my life! The exact second I touched the pill, Vivian rushed over with her designer coat. "Aria, the floor is freezing! Let me wrap you up!" she cried with concern. As she stepped in front of me, her pointed, diamond-studded heel landed directly on my medicine—and my trembling hand. My last hope was crushed into dust. I convulsed violently from the pain. A bitter, agonizing whimper escaped my throat. The back of my hand was instantly torn to bloody shreds. Vivian gasped, stepping back with a hand over her mouth. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, I didn't see your hand there! I was just trying to keep you warm!" She leaned down, her eyes locking onto my neck. There hung a silver necklace. The pendant had Silas's name carved into it. A custom piece for the future Mrs. Thorne. A token Silas had put on me himself. "Your breathing is so labored... This heavy necklace is restricting your airway!" Vivian said frantically. Twisted jealousy flashed in her eyes for a split second, unseen by the crowd. She grabbed the silver chain, her hands 'shaking' as she fumbled with the clasp. "Ugh!" "It's stuck!" she panicked. She gave it a forceful, brutal tug. The silver chain snapped under the immense tension, the sharp metal slicing a deep gash across my collarbone. Warm blood poured wildly down my skin. The pain turned my vision black. My mind went blank. I was on the edge of shock. This bloody scene sparked no pity. Instead, it drew cruel laughter from the crowd. "Look, she's cutting herself on purpose now just to make Vivian look bad!" The harsh laughter startled Silas. He whipped his head around. His deep pupils caught sight of the bloody gash on my neck. His sanity shattered instantly. His eyes shrank in horror. "Move!" He roughly shoved the guests aside and charged back. His tall frame carried obvious panic. Even his breathing skipped a beat. "What is this! Your neck..." He dropped to one knee. Instinctively, he reached out to cover my bleeding wound. His eyes turned red from extreme heartache. But before his shaking hand could touch me, Vivian lunged forward. She held up the bloody necklace and grabbed his arm tight. "Silas, look at what she's doing!" Vivian yelled, acting utterly devastated and holding back tears. "She refused to let me take the necklace off and pulled it so hard it broke! She purposefully scratched her own neck to guilt-trip you! I tried to help her, but she's out of control!" Silas's outstretched hand stopped dead in mid-air. "She even used the necklace you gave her for this dirty little stunt! She's taking advantage of your love for her!" Vivian pointed at my nose, flipping the truth completely. I looked at Silas in absolute despair. Tears and blood blurred my vision. I hid my sickness and my past from him. I thought it was protection. But because of my secrets, he easily bought Vivian's lies. Silas looked at the broken necklace. It was his promise to trust me with his life. He felt his absolute bottom line had been crossed. The fresh concern in his eyes went ice-cold. He slowly stood up. He glared down at me. "Since you love acting so much, keep acting. Let's see how far you'll go." He turned his head coldly, sweeping his gaze over the room. "Tonight, nobody helps her. Let her reflect on her behavior. Anyone who intervenes will have to answer to me and Thorne Group!" This death sentence completely cut off all my escape routes. With Silas's silent approval, Vivian had zero fear. "Silas is right, but as a doctor, I can't just let her bleed. It might get infected," Vivian said responsibly. She grabbed a glass of high-proof clear vodka from the bartender's tray. "I don't have my medical kit, this emergency disinfection will have to do!" She poured the stinging, concentrated alcohol directly onto my torn, raw flesh! "Ah—!" The bone-piercing pain made my heart stop. I coughed up a huge mouthful of blood. It stained the expensive carpet red. I stared dead at them. With a thread-like but icy voice, I spat out my final warning. "My father... will never... let you go..." After a short silence, Vivian burst into wild, piercing laughter. "Your father?" Vivian laughed until she cried. "That gambling junkie in the slums?" She wiped a tear. "Let him come! Let's see if he dares to breathe loud in front of Silas! My family runs the top hospitals here and works closely with Thorne Group. Do you really think anyone will side with you?" The executives around us roared with laughter too. "A junkie's daughter thinking she can threaten the CEO? What a joke!" Amidst a room full of mockery, Silas turned his back. His tall figure held no regret. He walked resolutely into the depths of the banquet hall. My body grew cold. My muscles stiffened bit by bit. All my senses slipped away. My vision went completely dark. In the hopeless dark, I used my very last ounce of strength and called out toward the closed doors. "Dad..." Slap! Vivian gently patted my face, but the pats quickly turned into sharp, painful slaps. "Aria? Aria, stay awake! Don't fall asleep!" she called out loudly for everyone to hear, masking her violence as medical protocol to keep me conscious. Leaning in, she whispered venomously into my ear, "Face reality! Even if you die right here, nobody is coming to save you!" My body gave its final warning. I shivered endlessly, collapsing in a puddle of my own cold sweat. I closed my eyes. Waiting for death. Suddenly, the deafening roar of military choppers shook the building. The double doors blasted open. A furious voice echoed through the hall. "WHO TOUCHED MY DAUGHTER?!"