Chapter 2

Two bodyguards dragged me into a suite in the mountaintop villa and threw me roughly onto the floor.

The moment I saw what was in the room, my stomach dropped.

Everywhere I looked, there were items meant for things no one should ever be forced into.

Something was very, very wrong.

I pushed myself up with everything I had and stumbled toward the door, slamming my fists against it.

"Let me out! Now!"

One of the guards outside snapped back, clearly annoyed.

"Shut up! Stop wasting your energy and stay put! Take a good look at yourself. Mr. Lawson doesn't even care about you anymore. Do you still think you're his precious little sister?"

Rage burned through me.

"I'm part of the Lawson family! If anything happens to me, none of you are getting away with it! My parents will never let you off!"

That seemed to shake them a little. One of the guards lowered his voice and called Sean. "Mr. Lawson, something's not right with Ms. Lawson. She looks seriously terrified. Should we…"

On the other end, Sean sounded confused.

"What do you mean not right? The fifteen million dollars was something I arranged with Mr. Harris in advance. He wouldn't dare to do anything to her. It's just for show, to scare her a little."

After a pause, his tone softened slightly. "Maybe open the door and check what's going on inside."

However, before the guard could respond, Wendy's voice came through the phone, soft and aggrieved.

"Sean, Kelly is really good at pretending to be pitiful. Don't fall for it. If you don't teach her a lesson this time, what if she tries to hurt me again?"

Seeing how shaken Wendy sounded, Sean's hesitation disappeared.

After a brief silence, his voice turned icy.

"Do what Wendy says. Keep the door locked. She won't die."

The call ended. The guards ignored my cries after that. My last bit of hope shattered completely.

If I could not get out, then at least I could not let myself be humiliated.

Struggling to my feet, I tried to grab a lighter and set fire to a stack of newspapers, hoping to trigger the smoke alarm. However, my hands and feet had been tied for too long. I could not even pick up something as small as a lighter.

Despair closed in around me. I curled up in the corner, my vision blurring as consciousness slowly slipped away.

Just as I was about to pass out, the door suddenly swung open.

A greasy-looking man in his forties walked in, his beer belly leading the way. His eyes crawled over me with a sickening grin.

I shrank back, my voice shaking. "Who are you?"

He chuckled, the sound making my skin crawl.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is your dear cousin paid me a nice sum to take good care of you. She said Mr. Lawson doesn't care about you anymore, so I can do whatever I want."

"Get away from me!"

I struggled with everything I had, but he overpowered me easily.

Tears streamed down my face, unstoppable.

Then, through the haze, a memory surfaced.

When I was little, I was chased by the neighbor's big dog. I was so scared I could only cry.

Sean had rushed over without hesitation, shielding me behind him and driving the dog away. He carried me home on his back, comforting me the whole way.

"Don't be scared, Kelly. I'll protect you from now on. I won't let anyone harm you ever again."

His words still echoed in my ears.

However, the one who abandoned me… He was the same brother who once promised to protect me for the rest of my life.

I closed my eyes, and my heart went completely still.