Elowen Viremont and her elder sister Isolde Viremont were sent to live with their uncle by their parents when they were little. Instead of being cared for, the two girls endured years of beatings, verbal abuse and backbreaking servitude. In freezing winters, they were forced to kneel beside icy water to do laundry, denied meals if they failed to finish their chores. Once their parents stopped sending money, their cruel uncle drove the young sisters out of his home. From then on, Isolde always stood in front of Elowen, shielding her younger sister from harm with her frail frame. The two relied solely on each other and scraped by through a harsh childhood. When they grew up, the sisters moved to New York to make a living. One day, Isolde fell into despair and jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge. Though Elowen dragged her back to safety, she could not afford the exorbitant medical bills. Their biological father refused to offer any financial support, leaving Isolden to miss the critical window for treatment. She was left with severe permanent complications—her mind grew muddled, and she lost the ability to care for herself. Desperate to fund her sister’s treatment and save enough money to take her far away from this cruel city, Elowen signed up for a high-paying nanny recruitment hosted by the Blackthorne family. A hundred candidates had to pass grueling rounds of assessments, including physical examinations, posture checks, grooming evaluations and infant care trials. While every
